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King James Version

Sire / London/Rhino

List price: $17.98
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Meeting the Remarkable Men
Humility On The Parade
Why I'm Lonely
Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo
You Miss the Point Completely I Get the Point Exactly
Authenticity
Theme from Carjack Fever
Pike St.
Park Slope
This Is the Thrilling Conversation You've Been Waiting For
Loyalty BLDG.
Underground - Harvey Danger, Possanza, Christoph
The Same as Being in Love

Average customer rating: 4 stars

Same whiny sub-pop try to be Blink 182 crap!

This band is just like every other band out there. They say they're punk rock, but they don't know what punk rock is. I'm getting tired of this band, I used to like them, now I don't. I'm starting to like real bands, such as the Dead Kennedys, the Melvins, the Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, the Beatles, and the Butthole Surfers. This music is a waste of your time and you should pick a better band immediately!

Why has everyone forgot about this incredible band?

I was as floored as anyone once I gave "Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?" a listen past "Flagpole Sitta." When your only popular single can easily be among the worst songs on your debut, the public as a whole seems to be missing out. "King James Version" hasn't even got that much respect. Nelson's lyrics come out as strong as ever in one of the best rock albums released that year, and if any band deserves more recognition its Harvey Danger. Unfortunately, this has to go in to that infamous category "Best Band You've Never Heard."

"Show me the hero and I'll write you the tragedy"

Oh man, I can't believe how overlooked this album got. Little publicity, and not really a critical hit, this album is still very great, as it shows the band expanding what they do. This album has so much variety, I can't believe some write it off as boring. And that's what I thought of Where Have All The Merrymakers' Gone? at my first listen. Although I like it now. However, this is one of my all-time favorites, because it keeps depth, and has some pleasant surprises. However, go to your used bin or pawn shop if you must to get this.

Meetings With Remarkable Men: This has things at its own pace, and the lyrics are real clever here. They meet Jesus Christ in a brunch, just before He dies for their sins, later with the avatar who says it's clear he's never got over Morrissey (how can you hate that?), then later to KIP WINGER! That's the surprises.

Humility On Parade: Lyrics continue to impress, and it's a standard HD track. Actually, it's my least favorite on here, despite the fact that I like it a lot, and the track is just a bit too consistent for me.

Why I'm Lonely: This one's excellent. Sean kind of sings in a whiny voice, but it gets better as it goes on, and you'll just have to listen 'cuz you'll eventually be hooked. I've always loved it.

Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo: One of my least favorites, but still excellent. It is very simple, although it's got more musical growth than one might expect. It still has clever lyrics, including, "The Marlboro Man died of cancer. And he wasn't a rocket scientist when he was healthy".. You'll sing along with the chorus, as well as the song's first line, "not another existential cowboy"

Another one that's great if you give time is "You Miss The Point Completely I Get The Point Exactly", a song that I can't say too much about. While it's one of my least favorite tracks here, that doesn't say much, because everything here is great. The guitars sound familiar with most other modern rock. Listen to it because it flows well with "Francais interlude", a dream interlude that appears as the same track number as its predecessor song itself!

Then, it gets to the excellent, "Authenticity". It is the catchiest song on here, and sounds a bit like "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo". However, this is shorter, and Sean Nelson's vocals sort of distinct the two songs, and there isn't really organ use on this one.

The fun doesn't stop just there. You get to "(theme from) Carjack Fever", which is a song that is for those who like songs that are just crazy. This one has some pretty stream-of-conscienceness lyrics in the car metaphor, it's addictive. Sean Nelson sounds excited when he yells on this. The coolest part though is the intro.

It goes from that insanity to the lovely piano ballad, the sensitive "Pike St./Park Slope", which is in the style of Ben Folds. It reveals a conversation with a girl, and features excellent lines such as "when I like something, it's an opinion, when you like something, it's a manifesto." That strong song follows with the line, "pomposity is when you think you're right, arrogance is when you know." I completely disagree with the Amazon.com editorial review on this one. Just listen to Jeff Linn's excellent use of the violin here!

This Is The Thrilling Conversation You've Been Waiting For: This pokes fun at the political-correctness of speech, and is just as witty and clever as any other track on here. It's a pretty good song, and I think it'll keep you listening on.

It then follows with the strong six-minute "Loyalty Bldg", which doesn't end up as boring because there's enough edge in that one.

Then you get into a cover of This Busy Monster's "Underground", but I can't compare that with the original since I haven't heard it, but it's edgy enough, and it starts out pretty cool as well.

Expanding their musical horizon doesn't end until the album ends. And that is with the excellent "The Same As Being In Love", which you'll repeat over and over again. It's as melodic as the other songs on here, as well as featuring insturments like banjo and triangle, which only help sharpen and expand the sound of the album. A great way to close things.

Also, you should check out the "footnotes" on the lyric booklet, which are pretty funny. Some stuff doesn't make a lot of sense with where they're included, including stuff such as "list of authors cited". Also, they are all good at what they play, and Sean Nelson sounds like a cross between Morrissey and Frank Black, with a menacing vocal range like that.
It's a lot better than the first one in my opinion, although you should buy it because it's got "Problems And Bigger Ones", and is good as well. I bet with Sean's The Long Winters coming along, indie people are biting they're tongues for ignoring this. Buy this if you like any alt-rock.

-chicken today, feathers tomorrow-

Given the fact that Harvey Danger�s 1997 release Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? was mildly overlooked among critics, it�s again hard for this CD to be popular. But the quartet from Seattle is up to the task. Despite what others might say, this is a very smart and very good album. From the paradoxical opener to the bustling closer you have anything from an F. Scott Fitzgerald excerpt to a line I used as my senior quote. And although there is not a stand-out single like �Flagpole Sitta�, every song should be taken for what it is. Sean Nelson & co. use enjoyable rock music and admirable (yet mocking) lyrics in making one of the best alt. rock albums you can own. Here, from the mind of a Harvey Danger fan, is an overview of the CD:

As I said, HD uses an F. Scott Fitzgerald quote (�show me a hero / and I�ll write you a tragedy�) in one of their songs. That song is first and foremost; �Meeting With Remarkable Men (Show Me The Hero)�. And of the remarkable men they meet with, you�ll find Jesus Christ, the avatar, and Kip Winger. It is, in all probability, the best song on the CD, and the passages are almost too good to be true. Lines like (speaking of Jesus) �the food was very nice / but then he had to go and die for my sins / and stick my ass with the check� are brilliant and witty at the same time. And that�s how the whole song is. Next you have �Humility On Parade�. It�s a good song; one that�s grown on me over time. It ends, marvelously, �beyond the false horizon lies the rising up�. �Why I�m Lonely� is an awesome song; one that may be a hidden gem of the CD. I actually wrote an essay based on this song and its words (entitled �Why I�m Lonely�). And again its lyrics carry it. �Sad Sweetheart Of The Rodeo� was a single, yet it�s not the best track. I�d actually put it at #5 in ranking the songs from best to not-the-best. It�s a very catchy song, but it seems like Harvey Danger was trying too hard to make a �Flagpole Sitta episode II�. Still good, though. �You Miss The Point Completely I Get The Point Exactly� is another decent song. More catchy lyrics work well; and the �(interlude français)� really adds character to the song. Rounding out the first half of the CD, there�s �Authenticity�; which is my favorite song on the album. It�s more rock sound than you�ll ever hear from HD; and uses some astounding metaphors, etc (i.e. �I am a razor / please cut your wrists with me�). You�ll have a hard time not loving �Authenticity�; it�s awesome.

Track seven, �(Theme From) Carjack Fever� may be the low point on the CD. It�s an alright song, but the swings between thoughts and sayings are a bit weak. And Although people may see �Pike St./Park Slope� as the album�s lone low point, it�s really an intriguing song. The piano is uncharacteristic of the band, yet it fits the song perfectly. The line �pomposity is when you always think you�re right / arrogance is when you know� is no doubt the best quote of all the songs. �This Is The Thrilling Conversation You�ve Been Waiting For� is an awe-inspiring song, the one I used to write my senior quote. The (my senior) quote �disassociate if you can�t support it / don�t try on the suit if you can�t afford it� uses negativity and overconfidence, seemingly, to carry out the song�s vividness. The 6-minute �Loyalty Bldg.� is yet another attractive song. And the dubious ibid. to �...calamitous circumstance� *-guns don�t kill babies, babies kill babies-* is excellent. In fact, every ibid. the booklet features is quite hilarious. �Underground� is some sort of cover song, from a band named This Busy Monster. I believe HD�s rendition of the song is a bit more seductive and/or menacing. I like it; it�s actually one of the CD�s better tracks. The final song, �The Same As Being In Love�, is also one of the album�s best. Lines in the vein of �I tend to forget when I drink / I�m doing again I think� and �this attraction-introspection-diction predilection is breaking my heart again...� are only fitting for the end of this CD�s continual greatness.

It�s extremely hard to compare King James Version to Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? since there was such a gap between their releases. But King James Version is just as good as, if not better than, their 1997 debut release. I have a hard time picking the best song here, but my favorites are easily �Authenticity�, �Meeting With Remarkable Men (Show Me The Hero)�, and �Why I�m Lonely�. This is an excellent CD and band that not too many people are privy to. I�m sure if you took the time to search for this (and read my review) you know at least a little about Harvey Danger. If you only know them thanks to �Flagpole Sitta�, this is still a great place to start (though you NEED Merrymakers? too). And if you are wondering if this sophomore release will live up to your Merrymakers? standards; it certainly will. It is a 5-star album, and deserves to be heard.

A bold step

I think that anyone who has heard Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone and King James Version can agree that the band's music has changed dramatically. And for some this may be a problem. Their first album seems a lot more radio friendly and, good as it may be, a lot less unique. Now, KJV is as far as I've listened is the only album of its kind. Nelson's lyrical skills really shine through in this with his wit and intellect in full flare. But the rest of the music seems a lot less hook-driven, which may have kept it from radio play, but it keeps the song from getting old and overplayed. King James Version ranks among my all-time favorite albums.

While the band artistically triumphed with this album, I don't think they sold nearly as many as Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone. But I kind of like that...in the words of Sean Nelson, "Nobody likes what I like, that's how I like it."