By Virginia Creep
There was a time, years ago, when hulking behemoths stood astride the world we call 'Rock!' with their axes in hand and their lean bodies covered in garish spandex, tight fitting leather and tremendously outrageous haircuts. Oh yes my friends, there was a time when The Darkness would have been more than a bunch of darts loving pricks from Norfolk, a place where 5 minute solos on any instrument that comes to hand were not just acceptable but the law! Sometimes I pine for those heady days of poodle perms and 23-piece drum kits. However, those days are far behind us and guitar music has evolved into an altogether different beast. So why did Virginia Creep have to ruin my childhood memories of an entire musical era with this ode to Def Leppard as if covered by Northern Uproar pretending to be Nirvana. See, it doesn't work on paper so how the hell is it gonna work on record!!!
First track, Crack Out Baby, is a tired sounding slug through the kind of territory covered years ago by the likes of Guns and Roses about 20 years ago. Only better. They're obviously really proud of the guitar riff they blatantly nicked from Whitesnake because it's repeated ad infinitum and the start of the chorus is vocally and musically far too close to Queen's 'I Want It All' for comfort - come on boys you DON'T steal from Brian and Freddie!
I genuinely thought that the second track Round 'N' Round was an actual Def Leppard track when it kicked off. Unfortunately, it's more like an album track from their latest offering 'Yeah!' Which is rubbish. The guitars try to achieve a Nirvana-esque intensity but end up plodding along a-la Mud Honey. This Cobain-ist rocking is all the more surprising considering they are influenced by the kinds of bands that Kurt was trying to destroy.
I'm sure that there is section of society (perhaps their Dad's?) who would love going to see this band and reflecting on times when men were men and the best thing to do with a guitar was play a 15 minute solo then smash it through your Marshall stack. But not me. I'm happy with my memories of the land that time, taste and decency forgot and to be honest, if you're gonna try and invoke the ghosts of music past you should at least come close to living up to their legacy.
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On 24th July 2006 at 19:51 Anonymous 5755 wrote...
I dunno if these reviewers will allow me to put this comment up, but I just thought ide say summut.. "You don't deserve that lads. All Im gonna say is keep up the good work. Your a good band, and you know theres loads of people who like V.C"
Cheers... Hopey
On 25th July 2006 at 14:22 Anonymous 5839 wrote...
and slagging off what's not 'cool' anymore aint gonna get your shitty articles in NME you dumb fuck.
On 25th July 2006 at 17:55 Anonymous 5839 wrote...
It's not ''tetchy'' whatever the hell that means, i'm just annoyed the reviewer is some pointy shoe, leather tie wearing franz fucking ferdinand jerk, some constructive criticism would have been appreciated. It's an attack on the genre, so he can keep ironing his side parting and listening to bands who wear hacking jackets and we'll keep wearing leather and playing rock music.
On 25th July 2006 at 18:07 Dave LMS wrote...
I have no idea what music Danny listens to *now*, but he gave more than a few hints in the review that this was the music he once listened to quite a lot. Or at least that was what I took from his words.
Maybe he simply thought you weren't as good as other bands in the genre?
But as has been said a million times before, people reading reviews always read through the opinion and look towards the description... does it sound like something you would like? No one is that bothered whether the reviewer likes them, surely, why live your life as someone else.
So long as you think he puts you in the right ballpark genre wise, you may win a few extra listeners. And that's what you're after, no?
On 25th July 2006 at 18:17 Anonymous 2871 wrote...
so gaz.
if this guy said he thought you were shit, but generally likes bands in your genre, you'd be ok with that, i assume?
On 26th July 2006 at 16:24 Anonymous 3717 wrote...
Personally, I thought the review was hilarious. Which Whitesnake have you been listening to?!
On 26th July 2006 at 16:32 Anonymous 3193 wrote...
One of my old schoolfriends reckoned his mum went out with the singer from Whitesnake years ago. Apparently she also had Chris Rea.
On 26th July 2006 at 17:10 Anonymous 5844 wrote...
jesus
HOW can them solos get one and a half stars?!?!
Can someone with ears please review this CD.
kthx.
On 27th July 2006 at 10:35 Anonymous 5849 wrote...
Gaz_VC- I wrote this review and i have to say that reading it back i was a bit harsh. I certainly could have been more constructive with my criticism but at the end of the day, music is entirely subjective and i didn't think it was very good.
I appreciate that you guys are very passionate about what you do, and as someone who writes music myself i would probably be pretty pissed off if someone slated my passion like that
However, as you know nothing about me then why do you think you've got the right to call me a "pointy shoe, leather tie wearing franz fucking ferdinand jerk"? As i don't like FF and hate pointy shoes (although leather ties sound great- where can you get them?) what you've published on this website is slander and i may sue.
I'm sure you're all very nice young men and i'm afraid its just the luck of the draw that you got someone who doesn't like what you do. I will try to be more objective in the future
Cheers
On 28th July 2006 at 17:28 Anonymous 4205 wrote...
Is it a jacket for hacking things? Like a Lumberjack Jacket (see Kurt Russell and/or the old man in Twin Peaks).
On 28th July 2006 at 18:21 Anonymous 5619 wrote...
Think it's something to do with horses.
Google time
30 seconds later:
"Hack' is short of 'hackney' - a term for a saddle horse for ordinary riding rather than racing or hunting. Long-skirted and with a long center vent, the jacket has a 3 or 4 button front and short lapels, and has much influenced the English 'sports-coat.' But, authentically, it should have flapped out-breast pocket, a large inside Poacher's Pocket, elasticized wrist linings and a waterproofed tail lining."
AHHHHHHHHH....so what is it? A riding jacket of sorts.
On 31st July 2006 at 12:58 Anonymous 1737 wrote...
Apart from the singer who sings has about half a range - Virginia Creep are an ace rock band. Great guitar sound and plenty of energetic rythum & blues.
On 4th August 2006 at 16:45 Anonymous 5873 wrote...
To anyone who wants to read an objective review read sandman this month, they seem to know what they are talking about.
On 4th August 2006 at 16:58 Anonymous 2871 wrote...
He's right.
Sandman is ace.
Well i think so anyway.
Hi.
On 13th August 2006 at 19:26 Anonymous 1205 wrote...
Ryan VC:
You seem a bit pissed at this review and the teddies have flown out of the cot, but glady lend your voice to agree with another review on this site slating a band's L.P. (4 letter holiday).....
I just dont get this mentality. Cant understand other people have opinions and cant take a bad review yet happily lend their weight to dragging another band down.
We review, you play. Sometimes you wont like our reviews but sometimes we waste our time listining to pure crap. You sir, make decent music to which I am fan. So just take the rough with the smooth and get on with it
Braz.
On 14th August 2006 at 11:41 Anonymous 1737 wrote...
Ryan slated my band because I gave an honest opinion on his voice.
