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 Great music but beware: the MP3 version features "clean" aka censored tracks Jun 28, 2009
Love the record, love Butch's music. This is the first bad MP3 purchase experience I've had tho -- without clear warning up front, it features "clean" aka censored tracks. I wasted my $$ and now need to go back and buy the uncensored CD too. Don't make the mistake I made. Amazon/Sony should label this more clearly and offer an uncensored MP3 version.
 Let's Label it: The Worst of the Best Apr 19, 2009
You will notice that the Let's-Go-Out Tonites appear on one album and one album only. This might be because the go-go dancer, tambourine players really didn't add anything to Butch Walker's album that he himself couldn't achieve. Butch Walker's third album was a venture into a more mature and folk influenced sound that wasn't all that it could have been. The album had its staple anthems such as, "Bethamphetamine (Pretty Pretty)" and "Hot Girls in Good Moods." However, songs that really should have been given credit like, "Taste of Red" and "Canyons" fall by the wayside on the CD to make room for "bigger" songs. Had Walker used a song like "Canyons" as a template for the album instead of "Hot Girls in Good Moods," he would have had a much better album; a more appropriate stepping-stone to SYCAMORE MEADOWS.
The RISE & FALL OF BUTCH WALKER & THE LET'S GO-OUT-TONITES falls short of what it is so desperately trying to do. The album has its gems such as "Song Without a Chorus" [which coincidentally is better on the Hotel Cafe Tour 2005 CD], "Taste of Red", and "Canyons." However, Butch Walker could have made a more solid album that better reflected his growth as an artist.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 by far the best of 2006 Apr 05, 2007
I discovered Butch Walker over 2 years ago when i heard the song "Mixtape" on a TV soundtrack. The song immediatly stood out among all the others with the piano intro, the outstanding lyrics, and a great voice. Since then, Butch Walker has become my favorite artist in music and I have built a huge collection of his solo albums, live material, rare tracks, and all of the music I could find from his previous band the Marvelous 3. While I think "Letters" beats this one out by a nose, this album is one of the best to be released in a long time. If music sales were actually based on talent, then Butch Walker would be at the top of the pack. Not only is he a brilliant and original vocalist, a wicked guitar player, and the best performer i've ever seen, his songwriting abilities are better than those of any living musician. I realize the boldness of this claim, and will stand by it forever more. One listen to any of his albums will reveal exactly why this claim is true.
Walker, who seemed infinitely depressed on "Letters" is back to his happy and humorous self, something which is made immediatly clear by the title of the album. "The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker And The Lets Go Out Tonites!" borrows from the title of the David Bowie album ("Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars") and for good reason, because the glam-rock influences are essentially the theme of this album. The opening track, "Hot Girls In Good Moods" is an infectiously catchy rocker and sets the tone for the rest of the album. It sounds like nothing else walker has ever done before, which seems to becoming customary with each album as his sound progresses. The next track, "Ladies & Gentlemen The Lets Go Out Tonites" is equally catchy with a jazzy piano riff igniting the background as Walker sings and plays. The song also begins a theme of anti-conformity that runs throughout the album (everybody telling the some joke/singing the same chorus to a song that hasnt even been wrote) (there is no right or right or wrong way for certain/make up your own version sing along).
The first single "Bethamphetamine" utilizes another sweet piano intro before exploding into an excellent rock song. This one has some great vocals as well. The catchy song streak continues with "Too Famous To Get Fully Dressed", and then Butch finally slows it down with "We're All Going Down", by far the weakest song on the album (or on any Butch album for that matter). It's not really bad, but it's just kind of...odd and Butch keeps doing this weird thing with his voice on the chorus(its hard to explain). The song just isnt very good and kind of hurts the mood of the album. Still, its better than almost all of the music out there right now.
As it turns out, it doesnt really matter because he completely makes up for it on "Dominoes", my personal favorite songs on the album. The band isnt needed for this one where Butch just sings and plays piano (with and brilliant string section to enhance it even more. Its this albums "Joan". The song is about his girlfriends grandparents who married very young and were together for most of their lives. The woman (named Grace) eventually passed away, and the man (who has alzheimers)plays a game of dominoes to try to remember her. The song is absolutely gorgeous (especially the vocals on the chorus) and is so beautifully written that it would be hard not to be moved by it.
However, Butch doesnt let you dwell on it for to long, because the next track brings things back to the uptempo. "Paid To Get Excited" is an anti-conformist, anti-bush anthem and is by far the loudest track on the album. It's actually one of the best anti-bush songs i've ever heard with the chorus proclaiming: "be free to love the ones you love/free to hate the ones you hate/free to like the land you live on not the one who leads". The songs builds to the final verse where butch forgoes good vocals for a scream. Normally this would really annoy me, but it completely works here, mostly because the song is so well written. Not the best track, but its still addicting. "Song Without A Chorus" continues the theme where Butch spews all his hate for record labels who all want to find the same kind of boring pop artist, and reflects on his experience with the marvelous 3 ("well they'll probably say this sucks you know but i dont really care/ and i'll use the gunshot words so it won't get on the air"). When Butch was with the marvelous 3, the record label kept trying to control everything butch did, so the band decided to make an album they knew the label wouldnt approve of (the arena rock based "ReadySexGo"). This led to the label's decision to cut promotion at which point the band decided to break up.
But of course things kept going, as they do now. The next track "The Taste of Red" is another candidate for best track on the album. Not only is the one of the most infectiously catchy songs on the album, but one of the most catchy songs i've ever heard. Add another excellent string arrangement and you have a truly classic song. "Rich People Die Unhappy" moves things from glam-rock to alt-country. The song is completely different from anything Butch has ever done before. Most artists would never even dream of the genre switching the Butch does throughout this album, but he has the talent to pull it off, and this is another great track (though not a favorite for me). The oddly titled "This Is The Sweetest Little Song" is another great, mostly acoustic song that serves to begin winding down the album. The verse lyrics are some of the finest on the album.
However, the closer "When The Canyons Ruled The City" is simply in a different league. The lyrics are genius, built around a clever concept of personification. The song is a triumphant singer-songwriter opus, and is the only song that could close this incredible album (and the other song that could be the album's best). Brilliant vocals, songwriting, instrumentation, everything. Easily one of the best songs Walker has ever written.
In the end, every excellent song comes together to form a truly incredible and addicting work. Since it's release, each and every one of this albums tracks has breached my itunes top 25 most played, just another testament to its greatness. This man also puts on an excellent live show, and at only around $15, you get more for your money than just about every other band out there (especially since he usually brings 2 other bands along with him).
3/4 of a year later and I still cannot get enough of this album. That should be enough to convince anyone to buy it.
Butch Walker. Simply Amazing. Apr 04, 2007
This album is one of his more upbeat works, a sharp change of pace from "Letters." After listening to the album only a couple times, I get a kick out of just about every song. I can't pick a favorite, and it never seems to get old. Can't wait for more. (rumors of a new band formed: "1969")
Unbelievable Dec 06, 2006
This man is the most unbelievable talent I have ever come across. Yet sadly, not one of my friends or even my husband know who he is!! What an injustice.
This is my favorite cd by far and even my 9 year olds sing along to The Taste of Red!
Can't wait to see Butch in Atlanta or Athens!
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