 "Half brilliant, half pretty darn good" | 2008-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8IFUOL8S9BZC |
3 1/2
One of female rocks all-time most powerful trios, this under-appreciated group delivered a punk bomb of feminine snarl with DMO, often cited as their best. Although a good half of the album fails to match the unique visceral strength of their more melodically memorable cuts, it is simply from a lack of concise songwriting. And although it is a 50/50 ration of which tracks stick, the whole thing blazes through with tremendous energy few females have been able to articulate as such. The vocalist's constant high wailing may turn some off and feels slightly overused when listening the whole way through, but more often then not compliments the fury in personal and satisfying measures. |
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 "Girl Punks Rocking Their Hearts Out" | 2008-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By yoshinoya007 |
Sleater-Kinney literally turned the rock world upside-down with their debut album, "Call the Doctor." They're probably the best female punk rockers I've ever heard. Their fourth album, "Dig Me Out," is easily their most epic and awesome album, with Carrie Brownstein's killer riffs and Corin Tucker's commanding voice.
The first song, "Dig Me Out," demonstrates Sleater-Kinney at their best. Carrie Brownstein has probably the coolest dissonant guitar riff to boot, while Tucker literally sets the stage afire with her loud soprano voice. She demands that men should "Dig Me Out, baby/out of this mess, baby, out of this mess."
I have no idea why radios haven't played this talented Oregon riot grrl band, which is probably the best of their kind ever. Their surf/punk song "Turn It On" is probably the coolest pop song, complete with handclaps and killer guitar work by Brownstein. And it doesn't hurt that Tucker is yelling for her love, blurting, "Why can't you tell me?/Is it worth a fight?" And in the chorus, she urges her man to "Turn it on" at least once. Now that's hot.
There's nothing more exciting than Tucker's voice, but there are plenty of other cool sound effects, such as xylophones, to complement her her soft lyrics and the blasting guitar to complement her angry demeanor. In "Words and Guitar," Tucker sings that she's got it all, the quiet sounds and the "way too loud" words and guitar.
Everything from Tucker's proud "dum dum deedeedee dum dum" about motherhood in "Little Babies" to the blistering drum rolls in "Not What You Want" demonstrates that Sleater-Kinney is at the top of their form in this album. Anyone who loves rocker girls should get this album to hear how female rock should be done.
(And certainly Avril Lavigne could take a few lessons from this band.) |
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| "An absolutely brilliant album -- very close to their best" | 2006-06-15 |
| - Reviewed By robertwmoore |
Most of the time my favorite Sleater-Kinney album is CALL THE DOCTOR, but there are many days when I think it might be this one. I really love the rawness and primitiveness of CALL THE DOCTOR, but there are times I prefer to more intricate arrangements and more polished playing on this one. Luckily, nothing really hangs on my preferring one album to the other. I can love both and still be a good person.
I think the only reason I don't love this one as much as CALL THE DOCTOR is that this album doesn't have a single song that establishes itself as essential in the way that, say, "I Want to Be Your Joey Ramone" does. Mind you, these are all great songs. In fact, I don't think that there is a weak song on any of the six albums Sleater-Kinney released their eponymous debut. But this one doesn't have that one song that leaps out and emblazons itself on your memory. Nonetheless, many of the songs have on relistenings become among my favorite that the band had done. One earlier reviewer complained of the sameness of the songs. That would be a valid criticism if any of the songs was less than great, but it seems to me to be a weak criticism to say that all the songs are the same if all of them are great.
This is definitely my favorite album for focusing on Corin Tucker's singing. Though she is always spectacular, this album really showcases her voice like no other. And there are lots of times when I think Carrie Brownstein is one of the best back up singers ever. There are back ups with better pipes, but she has a genius for adding voices that not only supplement but enhance what Tucker is singing. The main reason that Sleater-Kinney is the greatest all-girl band ever is the fact that they have not one but two major talents. I am just in awe of these guys.
It is really hard to pick out stand out cuts on album like this one that is so spectacularly consistent. For instance, "Dig Me Out" is a killer song and while the two that follow are not quite as strong, they both contain middle sections where Tucker is able to take the songs to some very special places. I'm not sure how many people would agree with me, but "Heart Maker" is one of my five favorite Sleater-Kinney songs. The lyrics are a tad unusual for the girls, but I like the irony in producing a mechanical heart that will allow you to control your emotions and presumably the pain you experience in life. The underlying message is that pain is a part of being alive; deal with it. But most of all I love the power and drive in the choruses. This is some of the best hard rock you will ever hear. "Words and Guitar" is a great song and "Little Babies" another gem. But really, they're all good.
This is one of the six must-own albums the band has put out. For me these guys are an addiction. Just peeking at my iPod, among my Top 25 Most Played songs as of today are "I Want to Be Your Joey Ramone," "Good Things," "Heart Maker," "Taking Me Home," "Sympathy," and "Taste Test." That's 6 of the 25 most played on an iPod with 12,034 songs. That will show you how I really feel about Sleater-Kinney. |
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| "New Listener Blown Away" | 2006-02-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1U5BWQFZFUSS6 |
Wow.How have I not heard this album before? I've been aware of the band for a long time but only recently bought this disc when I couldn't find anything else appealing on the racks. I practically haven't stopped playing it since.
The impressive feat of Dig Me Out is how seamlessly it blends the immediacy and no-note-wasted efficiency of punk rock with genuine melody and classic rock bravado. I've never heard a voice like Corin Tucker's fiery vibrato - she can send shivers down your spine at will, but also shows remarkable restraint when the song calls for it. Carrie Brownstein's backing vocals, almost equally prominent in the mix, provide a perfect complement to Tucker's explosive performances. Occasionally, the two switch leads to great effect, as if just to demonstrate the incredible teamwork this band thrives on.
Which brings us to Janet Weiss. Having joined the group just before this album was recorded, she may have felt the need to prove her chops as a drummer; no worries were necessary. Weiss is an enthusiastic Keith Moon admirer and obviously has spent considerable effort in pursuit of Moon's inimitable drumming style. Suffice to say she hits her target and then some. Finally, the twin guitars of Tucker and Brownstein are truly a marvel of rock n'roll badass-ness -- I'd say the Strokes were definitely taking notes, and need to continue doing so.
I'll wrap it up now, because there are only so many superlatives in the English language. Buy this album now and prepare to be blown away. |
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 "The CD Cover" | 2005-10-13 |
| - Reviewed By droth10 |
| This is not a review of the CD, since I dont even have it, but while I was looking at the reviews I saw the CD cover, and is it me or are they doing a shout-out to The Kinks, because if you compare the covers its the same exact cover as The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy. I was just wondering if anyone knows if this is deliberate or not. If so, have they ever done any Kink songs before? Well anyways I just thought that was cool. |
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| "SK's best, in my opinion!" | 2005-01-02 |
| - Reviewed By cj_ochman |
This is their best, I think so at least.
It's not as polished as "One Beat", but it still retains their harsh edgy sound.
The best songs on here are "Little Babies", "Dig Me Out" and "Words and Guitar"
They all kind of showcase different sides of SLeater Kinney. "Little Babies" is more of the quirky, weird side. "Dig Me Out" Showcases their edgy harsh sound, which I'm sure they are going to get famous for. "Words and Guitar" is simply random. It's not bad random either, it just makes me wonder what they were THINKING when they wrote the song, but it's great nonetheless.
Again! Real girl rock!!!!! |
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| "A Near-Perfect Album From An Incredible Band" | 2004-12-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1H1EKPL2X2A48 |
I had to write this because it pisses me off that this album only has 4 stars here and all the other ones, including their not-so-great self-titled debut, all seem to have a 4 1/2. This is blasphamy to me because I think this is definitely a 5 star album and almost definitely Sleater-Kinney's best. I think this album and Sleater-Kinney's previous album Call The Doctor are probably the two greatest rock albums released in the last 8 years, and I own more than 400 albums so I have a lot to compare them to. As far as I'm concerned they're both about as close to flawless as an album can get. Nearly every song on both of them is incredible. I give this one the slight edge because it's longer and I think the songs are more developed, but I can understand people saying Call The Doctor is their best album too. Anyone who says anything else is their best album is nuts though. Dig Me Out and Call The Doctor are definitely their two masterpieces. Their other 2 most critically acclaimed albums, The Hot Rock and One Beat, I think are a tad overrated, although still great. Here's my grades for their whole discography........
Sleater-Kinney, B-
Call The Docter, A+
Dig Me Out, A+
The Hot Rock, A-
All Hands On The Bad One, A
One Beat, A-
So yeah, if you're interested in Sleater-Kinney and you want to know which of their albums to buy, I'd definitely recommend you start with Dig Me Out. Not only is it, I think, their best album, but I think it's the most representitive of their career as whole because it's equal parts the more punkish stuff of their early years and the more poppish stuff of their later years. In any case, certainly don't pay much attention to the few scattered negative reviews. Sleater-Kinney is without a doubt one of the greatest rock bands of all time (and certainly the greatest all-female rock band of all time), and this album is, at least in my opinion, their greatest achievement. |
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| "Great contemporary rock and roll" | 2004-10-12 |
| - Reviewed By pkomp |
| Ok, forget about the fact that all three are women, forget about the fact that the band came out of the Riot Grrl movement, forget about the fact that there is no bass player. This album rocks and rocks well, and way better than most other bands in the Top 40 charts, even now in 2004. From the riffs that start off Dig Me Out through the end of the album, Sleater-Kinney reaffirm their love for making music and phenomenal rock and roll. Some songs may have deceptively simple structure, but Miles Davis proved that sometimes less is more, and few fault him for his musicianship, so who cares? This album is fun, and rocks out. The instruments are in tune, well recorded and are played expertly. There is a well balanced sense of dynamics in all songs, and the guitar interplay between Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker is excellent. Janet Weiss's drums fit like a glove and anchor the rhythm like a modern day Keith Moon with a superb sense of time and taste. This will make your feet move and your body jump. The harmonies between Carrie and Corin are great, i.e. One More Hour. What more could you ask for? |
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| "all the drama that you crave" | 2004-06-19 |
| - Reviewed By ekutinsky |
| Sleater-Kinney's Dig Me Out is not only one of the finest records of the 1990's, it's a pivotal cross-section of 90's music - spitfire women striking independence on one end, vulnerable earthy types pow-wowing on the other. It may be a masterful sonic assault of punk fury, but it's punk fury mixed with intimacy and fragility. When Corin Tucker wails in the title track to dig her, "out of my body, out of my skin," you feel wounded alright, but it's in the humanity of such a line and the honesty of its production. The songs don't let down from there - the sad love-triangle crackdown of "One More Hour," the fury of "Words and Guitar," the sexiness of "Dance Song '97." This is the moment that a very good band became a great one with the capacity to topple over rock's foundation by aiming for its heart. |
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| "just adding to what's already said" | 2004-06-06 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| A fantastic album from Sleater-Kinney, there's really nothing I can say that hasn't already been covered in the 60 some reviews of this album. I really wanted to share some trivia... the cover to this album is an homage to the Kinks, whose album The Kink Kontroversy the album design copies. |
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