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 Sweeter Than Psychocandy Sep 08, 2008
Do you like The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy but wish it didn't make your ears bleed?
Chain Gang of Love combines The Jesus and Mary Chain's early cranial vivisectionist stylings with the sonic saccharine of Brian Wilson's dopey id to produce a very Psychocandy-ish record that doesn't turn your brain to confetti. Other reviewers have labeled Chain Gang of Love derivative because of the obvious comparison to Psychocandy, but this record is not less ambitious or daring for it. In fact, in many ways, Chain Gang of Love covers more ground, sampling more generously from retro fifties and sixties sounds.
The Raveonettes combine some of my favorite sounds and elements: Fountains of spring reverb; diabolical feedback that evokes images of mad-scientists trying to conjure the spirit of outer space in a tenuous rock and roll seance; film noir/greaser slang; tremolo you can almost see, like heat waves off hot asphalt; Merseybeat drum loops; aloof, almost disaffected vocal delivery that makes the whole mad circus seem like it's all in a day's work.
To describe the big picture: Imagine a Phil Spector produced girl-group (of course, The Raveonettes have dual boy/girl vocals, but the effect is much the same) backed up by a dizzy Link Wray rolling on ecstacy. The Raveonettes are both serene and vicious, a true chimera whose dualism, to me, isn't as much derivative as visionary.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Terrible Feb 13, 2008
This album is completely derivative and--worse--it's extremely boring. This band has some awesome influences, but the music they make (at least on this album) is neither their own, nor is it anywhere near being as good as the sounds that they are emulating. All of these songs sound the same, and the lyrics are completely uninspired. I got this album for free from a friend who hated it, and after a few painful listens, I passed it on to another friend. If you want to hear something that sounds like the Everly Brothers or the Jesus & Mary Chain, listen to those bands. If you want to hear something new that sounds retro, you're better off checking out any of the hundreds of other retro-sounding bands that are actually putting out interesting music.
 My favorite Raveonettes cd Sep 26, 2006
I first discovered The Raveonettes at a local book store a few years ago. I listened to a few songs off the cd and was immediately hooked on the music. Normally I am not into that garage rock sound and I like my music darker and more aggressive. The Raveonettes certainlly has that of The Jesus and Mary Chain sound going for them with the distorted guitars. It would be hard not to hear the comparisons to The Jesus and Mary Chain. Never had I heard songs as melodic as what I heard on "The Chain Gang of Love". The infectious melodies reminded me of Buddy Holly and The Ronettes. There isn't one song on the album that I did not like. For me this is my favorite Raveonettes cd because this is what got me into the band.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 (three and a half stars) not as consistent as "Whip it on" Apr 02, 2006
Whereas in their first album, the Danish duo known as the Raveonettes combined the reverb sound of early Jesus and Mary Chain with surf music, "Chain Gang of Love" expanded the Raveonettes sound by emulating the playful side of Motown, as well as some fifties music -- a trend they would continue with the similar "Pretty in Black"). Still using their basic formula of pretty much 3 chorded songs, "Chain Gang of Love" has a happier sound than the debut E.P. "Whip it On," because now it's in the key of B-Major instead of B-Minor. While I liked the majority of the "Whip it On" songs, on this album I only like some of them, which accounts for my lower rating (I awarded "Whip It On" four and a half stars).
Put simply, I greatly prefer the Raveonettes upbeat tracks over the slower ones. In "Chain Gang of Love," this translates to my liking four songs: "That Great Love Sound," "Let's Rave On," "Heartbreak Stroll" and "New York Was Great." Then rest, to me, is filler, not bad, but still filler. Nevertheless the Raveonettes, at their best, are a joy to listen to, almost like a band you would love to hear at a big college Frat party. And, Sharin Foo (half of the duo), well, there's nothing wrong with that!
Postscript: It's been two years since I wrote the above review and I realize now that I underrated this album. I should have given it 4 or maybe even 4 1/2 stars. Although I certainly still think some of the songs are filler, the above named songs plus the opener, "Remember," (and, to a lesser extent, some of the others) make this a very fine album indeed.
2 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Trying too Hard to be Retro Mar 05, 2006
This is a rather disconcerting mix of relatively decent sixties sound pieces and absolutely horrid songs that wouldn't make it in any era or style. There is considerable background noise on a number of songs, I think intentional. It reminds me of the hiss you get on a truly old vinyl album that has not been well cared for. Retro is good, but going retro that makes use of current sound technology is better.
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