FENCE "The Return of Geronimo" (1999, Labelman, LM004)
Songs (click on the -icons
for a small audio-sample) 1.
Sportlife
2. Christmas
3. Universal Hours
4. Stop
5. House
6. Manual Part 15
7. Freedom
8. Camping
9. Mary Lou
10. Cricket
11. Always Ultra
12. The Fence
13. Winterscreen
14. Bubba
15. Meat-o-vegetables
Productie : Frans Hagenaars
Opgenomen in Studio Sound Enterprise, Amsterdam, Nederland
My opinion
Nemo, Stonedigger,
Mitsoobishy Jacson, Fence : the most Eastern
of the Flemish provinces seems to have a patent on producing solid rock with a
high degree of pop & nonsense.
The lyrics of Fence seem to be harvested the way Geert Hoste does his joke-show
(totally ad random, that is). We needn't fear a triple rock-opera with existential
themes in the next years from Fence, and hurray for that. On the contrary : on
"The Return of Geronimo" they sing about how "cool" cricket
is (Cricket), or about drivers of VW with more muscle than brains or the joys
of Sportlife-chewing gum (Sportlife),
or about the sock up the chimney for Christmas (Christmas), or about the tears
that come on the first summer camp with the boy-scouts (Camping), or about the
drummer who's sadly into house-music (House),
or about picking up girls at the Shopping Center (Always Ultra)
or about how you'd better stay away from Mary-Lou or else you'll have some (Mary
Lou)...
Also on the musical side of things, originality isn't really the point that Fence
will score big points on : the rock they play is jumpy, contagiously cheerful,
exiting and then held-back, with multiple voices and funny too, just as bands
such as Weezer or Pavement or the trio from Limburg that started this review have
demonstrated before.
The best thing about Fence is the atmosphere that the band generates : it is spreading
a youthful and almost casual touch of class, and have an attitude towards music
that's refreshing : what comes is OK, and all the rest is bullshit. Thus, they
recorded the cd just after their exams for which 3 of the 4 fluked (they restored
the situation in the second go in September) and wrote most of the songs just
one week before going in to the studio. This "sloppiness" is not experimental
or lo-fi, because it really produces popsongs on guitars, all short enough to
never get bored (15 in 37'41"), catchy and radio-friendly.
Not for sourheads, this "Return of Geronimo", but a fresh breath (Colgate
no doubt) that seems to drift in Hasselt. The conclusion is obvious : Fence rules.
But it remains to be seen what or who.
Sent-in opinions :
- Gerben Hermans
wrote : "You gotta see it to believe it! Fence rocks!"
- Koen wrote : "I completely
agree with your review, but I just wanted to add that you can write about this
kind of bands much better after seeing them live once (or more often). I don't
know if that's the case with you, but I think that on stage Fence are really the
best!!! As I am from Hasselt and since I am more or less active in music myself,
I can state that Fence is one of those bands that is much better on stage than
in a CD-player ... unlike I think (I know) Mitsoobishy Jacson or Novastar. ...
This ain't very objective, I know. Well."
And your opinion?
Did I get it all wrong, or was I spot-on ? Do you want to share your opinion about
this cd ? Send it in, and I'll put it up here !
This Album in the Press
- gvn in Humo : "It all sounds a just nog sloppy enough for
a band that can really give you goosebumps with óne microphone (their first
demo lies at our house). But that's picking on them, because we're glad that Fence
chooses a different road than ... the "Californication" with Prunes
in de Afrekening ... Fence ist rad. Fence is brilliant".
- vv in Rif-Raf : "It seems to have been a cosy atmosphere there
during the recording, and coziness is something we always appreciate ... Don't
be afraid to get into the rhythm, don't be ashamed to sing along, and you'll get
what I mean : Yup, that merry feeling, you can get it in your home with Fence.
Immerse yourself in these beautiful songs and say you find it fantastic".
- JJ-Mag : "Not less than fifteen songs this jolly foursome serves
its nerdy pop, with hooks galore and the tongue constantly firmly in cheek".
Did you see a good (or bad) review of this album ? Tell
me about it !
Where to buy this CD ?
You can order this CD from a number of locations (prices researched on November
3rd, 1999, but nothing guarantees they still are the same when you read this).
The lowest price is in yellow, the highest in red. This price comparison doesn't
take things into account like deduction of shipping expenses when ordering more
than 1 cd, bonus points, differences in guarantees ... Shipping prices are those
for customers in Belgium.
Have you seen this record elsewhere on the net, do you own an online-CD-shop
with Belgian products in it, or if there's something wrong with my calculations
: let me know.
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