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Buy this CD at ProxisCD OF THE WEEK (November 1999) :

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

Muzikanten :
Meindert : gitaar, zang
Niels : bas, zang
Lieven : gitaar, zang
Samuel : drums, zang

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 !

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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).

Shop
Price of the CD
Shipping + other expenses
Total
Direct Link
Frontstage
518
50
568 Bef
Frontstage
Azur
---
0
---
HVH-Megastore
628
54
682 Bef
Proxis
510
95
605 Bef
Proxis

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.

 

More about this group :

- Fence bio in the Belgian Pop & Rock Archives
- Contact / Booking : Tout Partout, 32/(0)11.25.60.36. Info@toutpartout.be
- Fence Homepage : http://www.fence.be
- Labelman / Toutpartout ... http://www.toutpartout.be
- Interview at Surf-Inn (in Dutch)

 

 

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