 Gas Giants I saw this band live and I thought they were pretty all-right – some cool covers played, much beer consumed, and a good time had by all. I bought their CD at the show, thinking "Now I'll never forget this night!" What an idiot. It took me about two listens to realize the horrible mistake I had made. The Gas Giants, in case you aren't familiar with them, are a spinoff of the Gin Blossoms, featuring lead singer Robin Wilson and drummer Philip Rhodes. They had a minor radio hit with "Quitter," the only worthwhile song on this CD. Let's start at the beginning – "Now The Change" opens up with Generic Guitar Riff #672, also prominently featured in "Lips Of Steel" by Guided By Voices and about 8,000 other rock songs. "I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson" is next, which is somehow even worse than you expect it to be – a generic two and a half minute pop song that makes no lyrical sense whatsoever. "Between Two Worlds" is next, which sounds like an average Gin Blossoms song – a welcome relief on this album. Wilson made a big point at the concert to distance himself from his former band, calling "Alison Road" (the only GB song played that night) a "cover song that I wrote" and then proceeded to play "Now The Change" and announce that "that's how the Gas Giants sound, not to be confused with any other bands you might have heard of or were expecting to see," etc. Who knows what made Wilson so bitter about the Gin Blossoms – at least their greatest hits album is actually enjoyable, something that can definitely not be said for this piece of trash. Back to the review, grudgingly. The guitarist, Daniel something-or-other, wrote the worst two songs on this album (which is really saying something). It took all three of them to write the bizarre, displeasing chord changes in "Whose Side Are You On?," and the time change in the middle of "Circus Of Stars" is awkward and arbitrary. "Paranoid Android" this ain't. The last track, the mellow "You're Absolutely" is tolerable, but any rational person should have shut off the CD player long before that. I'm sure Robin Wilson is capable of writing better songs than this. Maybe if he loosens up about his old band, he'll realize they weren't so bad. Then again, why should we feel sorry for someone who feels so trapped by fame and fortune? Fuck him. Avoid this CD, it is easily the rankest flatulent Gas you'd ever have the misfortune of smelling.
Review by POW |