Dave's Reviews
Mike's Reviews
CD Review for Bigwig- Stay Asleep
This is one of the most difficult reviews I will probably have to do because this CD is without question one of the greatest punk CDs ever made and I�m afraid that I will not be able to put into words how good it really is. I have been listening to this CD for about 6 months and I still will never get sick of it. Every song from beginning to end is incredible and would be superior to anything put out by most other bands. When I listen to a tape of this CD, sometimes I think it�s a compilation of my favourite songs, but then I realize that it�s just one CD. When we first heard this CD Dave and I went nuts and couldn�t believe that one CD could be so good. Every aspect of this CD and band is amazing, from lead vocals to guitars to lyrics every part is mind-blowing and works so well together. Neither Dave or I pray but if we did there would be no question that we would pray for another CD to be half as good as this one. When I wake up in the morning I thank God for food, golf, friends, girls, and Bigwig (not in that order). If I had never found out about this CD I would be deprived without realizing it and that is one of the major reasons Dave and I spend our own free-time working on this website, to allow others to find new bands that have so much talent to offer. If I could only make one recommendation for a CD it would be for this one. There is absolutely no way this CD or any other could be better. I know I didn�t focus much on the actual music but I think that is something you can discover for yourself. Buy this CD and you will thank me, and you will thank Bigwig�s parents for getting an itch in their pants. Sorry to be so crude but there are only so many ways you can say that this is THE GREATEST CD EVER!!!
I give this CD 100 out of 100, I wish I could give it more but I can�t, although unofficially it gets 102 out of 100.
Review by Mike Case
CD Review for Bigwig-Unmerry Melodies
This is the debut album by Bigwig and shows the potential Bigwig had back in
1997. This is a fun, sarcastic and blunt CD that describes their lives at the
time and their beliefs. They were experimenting with different forms of punk
and were demonstrating their talents in different areas. The guitars throughout
the CD are incredible and well before their time, the lyrics are decent and
there is an ample use of samples and background singing. However I feel that
they had yet to learn what direction to go in and some of the songs were just
missing something special, which is not the case in Stay Asleep their next CD.
I like the CD but it is nothing special except for the stepping stone for their
evolving music. Something that took away from some of the songs was the
constant repeating of lyrics, this got old quickly. What I did like was the
fact that they took risks in covering Cheers, and even throwing in a few lines
of acoustic vocals. What held the CD together was the guitars. It is hard to
review this CD because once you hear Stay Asleep you can't compare anything they
have done to it, it just wouldn't be fair. Honestly if this wasn't Bigwig I
would probably cut it up some more but I have too much respect for them. I saw
them live with Dave and it was the a great concert and they were really nice
guys too, they hung out with the crowd and even joked with Dave asking him why
he would be wearing their shirt. The bottom line was that they were young when
they made this album and they made a solid one. But it is nothing compared to
Stay Asleep, Unmerry Melodies has a few really good songs but there are some
weak parts that were caused by inexperience. I think this CD is better than a
lot of others but I wouldn't suggest getting it until you get Stay Asleep and
even then it may only be worth getting for sentimental reasons.
I will give this CD an 80 out of 100, a decent CD but nothing special. They
had yet to put together all the pieces, but did it on Stay Asleep.
CD Review for Bigwig-Stay Asleep
Let me recount my day of October 4, 1999: Got up, took a piss, had breakfast, went to school, went to sleep, walked home, saw my dad in the driveway, he said �Your best friend called�, I said �Huh?�, he said �HMV�, I said �Cool, maybe by Bigwig CD finally came in�(sarcastically), I call HMV and say �I was told a CD came in for me, I was wondering which one it was�, they say �uhhh�Bigwig Stay Asleep�, I say �Are you serious�, they say �Yeah, why?� at which point I hang up, run outside, jump in my Dad�s car and go about 120 km/h to HMV, I buy it, go home, and listen to it everyday for, as of now, 8 months. Well, there is much I can really say about this CD except it is by far THE GREATEST CD OF ALL TIME. The first thing that caught me was Tom�s vocals, but I can�t explain it, he is so original and no one sounds like him. He has many different tones, but I personally like when he hovers over some lyrics in melodic style. He is the shit!!! The two guitars are excellently played, one high and one low most of the time, which sounds amazing and gives them a very distinct sound. The bass and drums fit into the mix perfectly and complete this incredible band. I was lucky enough to see these guys live in Toronto, and they were by far the best band I�ve ever seen live. Technically there are 15 songs on this CD, and there is not one sub par song. When listening to this, I always go from start to end. Not many people I know of heard this until they came over to my house, and then they were hooked. If you�ve never heard them, download these mp3s and give them a chance, I promise that you won�t be disappointed. If you like the mp3s buy the CD, it freakin rocks!!!
Obviously I have to give this CD a 100/100, but no other CD can compare or come close to this in my mind.
Best Songs [If I have to choose ( Jerk, 1-800-Whipped, Sellout)]
Review by Dave Norman
CD Review for Bigwig-Unmerry Melodies
First off, this is a very diverse CD, which incorporates many styles of punk music. Please notify this is a very solid album, though experimental, it captures a sound that is truly Bigwig, but it is obvious they are in an early stage of playing. Tom�s vocals on some songs are excellent, but mediocre on others. I don�t particularly enjoy the vocals on Track 1 and Track 7, and the vocals on Track 9 aren�t Tom�s and they sound pretty bad. Now don�t get me wrong, I still heartily enjoy this album, it just doesn�t compare to Stay Asleep. The Girl In The Green Jacket, Drunken Knight, Best Of Me, and My So Called Friend are just a few of the really good songs on this album. There is one song that sounds kinda like Rancid, and I hate Rancid, but I really like that song, which says this band is pretty talented. The guitars, bass and drums are still good on this album but do lack on some songs. The coolest thing on this album is the Cheers theme song that they covered. Jeez, I�m really finding it tuff to write how I feel about this album, which is good things�dammit if Stay Asleep wasn�t so goddamn good I wouldn�t be having this problem. If you are a Bigwig fan I suggest you pick it up now, and if you�ve never heard of Bigwig before you�ll still probably like this album. That�s all I can think of to say as of now, so go listen to the Mp3s, I think I may have writers block.
This debut album�s gonna get an 83/100
Best Songs ( Drunken Knight, Dylan�s Song, The Girl In The Green Jacket)
Review by Dave Norman
Dave's choice from Stay Asleep:
1-800-Whipped
Mike's choice from Stay Asleep:
13
Dave's choice from Unmerry Melodies:
Drunken Knight
Mike's choice from Unmerry Melodies:
Cheers