I thought it would be cool to follow up my Aquabats concert post with another Aquabats-themed post, so tonight we're going to be looking at their B-sides album, Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 (before you ask, no, there is no volume 1).
As I said above, Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures (which from here on out will be referred to as Myths. Or I'll abbreviate it to MLOA! because that's an hilariously awesome exclamation) is a B-sides album. For those not "in" with the music lingo, that means that essentially it's a collection of songs that were cut from other albums for not fitting with an album's sound, not being up to the band's usual par, or just being plain friggin' weird. Myths definitely focuses on the WEIRD. While it is the band's most inconsistent (given the B-side thing) and possibly worst album, it still has tons of great moments, including two of their most well-known songs, and is weird enough to warrant a listen. In fact, it's a testament to The Aquabats' skill that most of these songs are still pretty damn good.
One thing that is notable in Myths is the general lack of horns. This album came right on the heels of Vs. The Floating Eye of Death!!, which is basically the album where they stopped being a ska band, and morphed into a punk band with horns (it also happens to my favourite album by them). Still, the horns were way more prominent on that album than on Myths; whether this is because the songs are a tad unfinished or simply because The Aquabats were in the process of changing their sound is up for debate, but it's an interesting thing to note after seeing their transformation for their latest album Charge!!.
MLOA! contains possibly the two most popular Aquabats songs (well, as popular as they could get anyways), Pizza Day and Pool Party, and for good reason too; both of the songs have infectious, sing-alongable choruses, silly, nostalgic lyrics, and some damn fine hooks: in short, everything great about The Aquabats.
About halfway through the album, it gets a little more inconsistent and a whole lot stranger. This trend starts with I Fell Asleep On My Arm, which is an absolutely hilarious send-up of Korn, Limp Bizkit, and nu-metal in general about....well, a dude being really angry about falling asleep on his arm. Some sample lyrics:
"Corporate America makes pencils
For the man with the left hand
They make pencils for the man with the right hand
But what about the man with the numb hand?
Four hundred grand to see The Rage
From back here I can't see the stage
It's time to start my own parade
So lift up your arm and wave"
Awesome.
As the album goes on, strangeness abounds: a bubbly jazz tune about a bunch of creatures mutated by radiation (including an interlude with Billy, the Tap-dancing Mutant Boy!); a waltz about the toils of a baker; and an educational song about earthworms and their function in the ecosystem. There are also some seriously wicked, more normal songs; Danger Woman in particular is a blast of punk-y goodness. And the album ends with a very cool song called The Wild Sea which was the original version of Chemical Bomb from Floating Eye of Death; interesting to see how the same main melody can be used in two very different songs!
Basically, if you like The Aquabats, give this album a listen. If you haven't heard them yet, this probably isn't the best place to start, but it's a hell of a lot of fun! If you're into quirky weirdness, this album is for you.
Suggested Songs:
-Pizza Day
-Pool Party
-Danger Woman
-Radiation Song
-I Fell Asleep On My Arm
Coming up next: who knows?
Have some feedback? Disagree with me and wanna bash my head in? Agree with me and want to feed me grapes whilst giving me a a sensual massage? Comment!
-Daniel
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