For fans of Star Wars... and everyone else, too...
The Wildhearts, as the name says, have struck back. What they've struck back at of course escapes me. Minus the lightsabers and Yodas, but still with film poster-esque cover and obviously the title, the Wildhearts present their double CD that demonstrates the infectious power of the Wildhearts live.
It's the punchy rhythms that get me with this CD. For instance, on the first track of CD Numero Uno, I Wanna Go Where The People Go, the feedback swirls around the cheers of the crowd as the members take the stage, and then the guitar kicks in, and a little rising riff is played before the vocals and leaping stop-and-start rhythms are unleashed upon your ears. The rhythm provides this fantastic driving groove that isn't present in so many bands' music. This style is apparent in other songs as well, such as "Top of the World", and it's easy to see how the Wildhearts have achieved their reputation. Well, not the reputation earned by general rock mischief, but it's clear from this CD that the Wildhearts are a band I'd like to see live.
And then there's the riffs. Listening to this CD seems to be some kind of education. It's every aspiring guitarist's dream: songs that are catchy and enjoyable yet ever so technically proficent - no one goes to a concert to hear scale exercises being played at speeds that could outrun a Porsche. The former is exactly what the Wildhearts have acheived, because despite the punky image their antics offstage are given, the Wildhearts are better than any two-bit punky pill-popping band when the lights go down and the mixer volume controls are set to full. Yeah, so solos and interesting guitar riffs are abound in this album, in addition to lyrics that'll adhere to your consciousness for a few days.
The great thing is, it's all apparent here - the Wildhearts have put on a tour, captured 21 songs onto CD, and just listening to it gives you some of the enjoyment of actually being present at the show. Must be some kind of special recording technique, or simply the Wildhearts' skill. The point is, this is the kind of live CD that anyone could enjoy; it's not just for fans of the band who produced the CD, and that greatly increases the chances of the Wildhearts' expanding their fanbase. In short: thumbs up.