By Artist The Lillingtons The Too Late Show
The Too Late Show
Thursday, 09 April 2009 07:42 | 
Author: The Grouch | 
I HATE it when the computer crashes and I've been lackadaisical in saving a draft of what I've been working on. To quote a professor friend of mine who lost an entire book due to a crash - he dropped his laptop - " I wrote it once, I can write it again."
I first heard about the Lillingtons from my friend GabeO who grew up with the drummer in Wyoming. According to Gabe the drummer pretty much sucked in junior high school; he was however very persistent and over time graduated from sucked to doesn't suck to not bad to pretty good to really good. I have listened to this album as well as their more well know LP Death by Television. The bottom line is the guy can pound. The band is good. They definitely wail - the music on this LP reminds me a lot of the Ramones. Fast, loud, tight with some really funny lyrics. I like this album a lot.
Track 1 - Gunbullet - I like the feedback at the beginning. This track blasts off on a one minute thirty eight second ride as the garage door flies open with a bang. Musically this sets the tone for the album - fast and loud with pounding drums and a flurry of chords mixed with leads. Lyrically I can't really understand what he is singing. I hear the refrain "fucking sheep" again and again; this could be a lament about how the general population is willing to be blindly lead down a path of someone else's choosing or it could be a comment on the dating scene in Wyoming...
Track 2 - Target Earth - more killer music. The lyrics are interesting as well - watch out the end is coming - we're all going to die -target earth. The band is very tight and I like the leads the guitar player throws in. Excellent bit of mania.
Track 3- All I hear is static - I love this song. The music is right in line with the other tracks, but the lyrics made me laugh. All I hear is static when you talk you don't make any sense its all noise to me. I don't care about your day could you please get out of the way so I can see (the TV). I can imagine a guy coming home tired and being bugged to no end about inane stuff he doesn't want to hear.
Track 4 - The Augur's Tale - really good and oddly melodic music. It's the ancient tale of the evil China man who comes with a secret plan. Right. The sarcasm is dripping from the words. I really like the music!
Track 5 - Mars vs. Hollywood - More Ramones inspired riffs in a tale about Martians attacking Hollywood. Then when you think the song is over there is a drum roll and the guitar kicks into a nice lead. These guys are tight. So far they are 5 for 5.
Track 6 - Do It U.S.S.R - this song brings the Ramones Rocket to Russia LP to mind. This could be a Ramones song. Fast - TIGHT - loud and a huge wave of energy - a really fast drum roll leads into the guitar solo before he goes back to playing chords. Punk rock three chords and a whole lot of attitude. You gotta love it.
Track 7 - Zombies - Hey Zombies attack a local mall. What's not to love about this one? The reference to the film The Night of the Living Dead reminded me of when I saw the film in Japanese. Nomiso ga tabetai means I want to eat your brain in Japanese in case you wondered.
Track 8 - Vaporize My Brain - this song picks up where All I Hear is Static left off I don't want to hear about it. This seems like a continuation of Eric Burdon's Don't Bring Me Down. The music is very different but the sentiment is the same. I have the feeling that someone was bugging this guy to take out the trash AGAIN.
Track 9 - Russian Attack - Again I like the music a lot. This seems to be a spoof of Red Dawn. The Soviet Union invades the USA - yeah right.
Track 10 - Charlie Goes to Cambodia - OK the music continues and its still good. I really can't tell what they singer is singing. All I can make out is that someone named Charlie is going to Cambodia. Now this could be a reference to Viet Nam's intervention into Cambodia at the end of Poll Pot's reign of terror or it could be just a song about a guy names Charlie. You got me.
Track 11 - Stay Tuned - The name says it all. I will. All in all this is a good album. Personally I like it better than Death by Television (Despite the fact that an acquaintance of mine produced that LP) I'd like to see these guys live!
4.5 scowls out of 5