A review of "Reinventing Axl Rose" — 8 weeks ago
I first heard Against Me! in 2001 while I was spinning discs at a college radio station. We get this album and it sounded like one guy with a guitar singing poorly. I was very disappointed, because I wanted to love this band like a few people I knew already did. That night, the guy, Tom, played at the lobby of a hotel down the road from where I was living at the time, but I didn’t go. Over time, this guy had a drummer and a bass player join him and learned how to sing. Since then, they have gained a younger following and even started appearing on MTV. So everyone keeps asking me “Why are you just getting into Against Me! now?”
Well, for whatever reason their genius was lost on me when I first heard them. Reinventing Axl Rose is a good middle ground for Against Me! albumbs. Not too polished, but not so rough. It actual sounds like it was recorded in a studio, but Tom’s voice still cracks and screams.
These guys have truly combined folk and punk, taking the angry fist in the air to 60s era protest songs. They find the common ground between peace, love and anarchy in the U.S.A. and seem to be a kindred spirit with Woodie Guthrie more so than Sid Vicious.
Musically, its a punk rock scream-a-long. I’m glad I finally caught on.
