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Music CD - The New Pornographers: Electric Version
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Music CD: Electric Version
Artist: The New Pornographers
List Price: $15.98
Our Price: $7.99
Your Save: $ 7.99 ( 50% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Matador Records
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Tracks:
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1. Electric Version
2. From Blown Speakers
3. Laws Have Changed
4. End of Medicine
5. Loose Translation
6. Chump Change
7. All for Swinging You Around
8. New Face of Zero and One
9. Testament to Youth in Verse
10. It's Only Divine Right
11. Ballad of a Comeback Kid
12. July Jones
13. Miss Teen Wordpower
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0744861055129
Label: Matador Records
Manufacturer: Matador Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Matador Records
Release Date: 2003-05-06
Studio: Matador Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Tries but does not quite capture fleeting magic from debut
Comment: The indie smash debut from these guys (Mass Romantic) is overrated as it is, despite having a few amazing songs that really do transcend the confines of rigidness, instead exploding into pure distilled pop-rock bliss. On their follow up, the Porn's play it safe, offering thirteen tracks of signature catch-tastic riffs, but by and large lacking a memorable compositional spark that made for a few classic anthems for fans of the first album. Arguably this disc is finer tuned and fussed with a bit more, but in the end many decent tracks from this band are not as good as a few great ones.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Does Anyone Listen To Lyrics?
Comment: For a song to make an emotional or entertaining statement it has to have lyrics that stimulate the brain along with music that enhances the message. Unfortunately the musicians that shape pop culture are a bunch of ignorant sheep conditioned to follow all of the lies our government and society has shoved down their throats, like belief in a god, the idea we have a body and a soul, etc... All swallowed without question. Everyone is told they are "good" people if they believe these things and this is an effective conditioning tool so it is easy to see how these irrational beliefs are so easily accepted(of course the only rational explanation of why humans are sheep is conditioning and that isn't accepted because people are not rational, they are conditioned, catch-22). The truth is that this unreasonable and completely ignorant worldview has lead to a state of emergency in our culture and the only "good" people are science based atheists. Our civilation is crumbling because our president has initiated his agenda with religious arguments(we are suppossed to have seperation of church and state for a reason). He has started a religious war, stopped stem cell research, tapped phones, and created so many atrocities in our society I can't list them all. He is of course a god-fearing individual, which should be a reason to put him in a mental institution(there is more evidence for the existence of santa claus and people think that belief is insane), but instead groups like The New Pornographers reinforce the propoganda by respecting and regurgitating the societal acceptance of these irrational beliefs that lead to the deterioration of our culture. The New Pornographers help shape our culture with this regurgitated idiotic drivel and it is sickening and harmful. Please read Letter To A Christian Nation by Sam Harris to understand how immoral religious belief is and how only giving up this unquestioned philosophy can offer any hope of living in a civilized world. My point being it is time we stopped supporting these musical groups that are promoting the acceptance of this ignorance. Lyrics in support of a political philosophy that promotes human suffering should not be encouraged. Do everyone a favor and listen to groups like Leftover Crack, Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello. Groups that actually were educated to write entertaining and intellectual music and lyrics.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Satisfying sophomore effort
Comment: How often is a masterpiece debut followed up by an even better effort? Well, it could probably be counted with the fingers on one hand, and the New Pornos aren't going to make you use the other hand. What was appealing about Mass Romantic is also appealing on Electric Version, but there's less of it and it works with less might. There isn't much growth in the sound here, and the production is more polished and driven for minimum impact.
Like Romantic, there are only two or three songs on here that don't work really well, but only the cream of this crop can match almost anything on their last effort. Does it work on its own? Yes, especially if you haven't heard their last record. But beyond the expansive promise of "The Laws Have Changed," the staccato grind of "Chump Change," and the mid-song change-up that stretches "Testament to Youth in Verse" towards the epic, the rest are only pretty good, and easy going down. A perfectly pleasant album all around (and a must for fans of the band and genre) but instead of looking forward, I can't help but look back.
Best cuts: "The Laws Have Changed," "Chump Change," "Testament to Youth in Verse," "The Electric Version," "It's Only Divine Right," "All For Swinging You Around," "The End of Medicine," "The New Face of Zero and One," "From Blown Speakers"
Customer Rating:
Summary: Non-stop fun
Comment: This album is simply non-stop fun. I can't stop listening. It's catchy goodness will surely rope you in.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A great album by an enormously talented band
Comment: The second album by the greatest band ever to hail from Vancouver is another winner. I have no idea why they aren't among the biggest names in music. They are well known, but they should be huge. Every song on the disc just ripples with talent and musical intelligence. This is without question some of the most energetic, brilliant, and passionate music in indie rock.
All of the members of the band are involved in other musical projects or have solo careers of their own (co-lead vocalist Neko Case, for instance, here in Chicago, where she has moved). Perhaps because of that or perhaps because they refuse to release anything that isn't utterly outstanding, they have managed to release only three albums in their eight years of existence. But though their releases are few, they make up for it by being close to perfect. There truly is not a bad cut on this album. Even the weakest cuts have numerous interesting moments, while the strongest cuts are so great they can send bolts of joy through your system. When you hear a song like "The Laws Have Changed" you can easily convince yourself that you haven't heard many better songs in your life. And then when you hear "It's Only Divine Right" you know it can't be true since it is at least as good.
This is a tight, tight band and every song bristles with wonderful musical touches. Because all the members are such seasoned professionals, they obviously know how to add just the right touch to properly embellish a song without weighing it down. And everyone in the band is so outstanding at what they do it is hard to single a single member out for praise. Nonetheless, I have to hand out kudos to two members. Carl Newman, more or less the leader of the band, has on all their albums managed to generate a fabulous set of songs. However, I wish he would give up singing lead on so many songs. Why? Because Neko Case is just a stunning vocalist. Every time she takes over the lead vocals I get a bit of a charge running down my spine. She has a marvelously nonchalant nasal voice and just seems to toss the lyrics almost without effort, as opposed to Newman, who while competent always seems to be working. Perhaps it is Case's non-Vancouver residence that keeps her from assuming more of the vocals, but if she were to do all the singing, this band would be almost impossibly great.
The great news for anyone who loves this album is that the band has two other albums that are at least as good as this one, perhaps even better. All three are must-own albums. So if you don't know these guys, go out immediately and get familiar with them. They are easily one of the best bands in the world.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The New Pornographers' debut album was the stuff of legend, a near-perfect collection of catchy songs filled with lush sonics, anthemic sing-alongs, and retro pop hooks. Seemingly out of nowhere, the band--featuring Zumpano's Carl Newman, Destroyer's Dan Bejar, and alt-country goddess Neko Case--forged a power pop masterpiece. Electric Version is, thankfully, not all that different. For its 45 minutes, the album never eases up on its great influences; you're treated to a baker's dozen of memorable tunes that harken to prog-rock, New Wave, and the British Invasion. The lyrics are goofy, the production fills your stereo (like the best, most upbeat tracks by Wilco or the Flaming Lips), and the alternating vocalists keep things fresh. The songs only get better as the album progresses; "Chump Change," "Ballad of a Comeback Kid,"and "July Jones" are three that standout. Somehow this indie supergroup is making classic rock ... today. --Jason Verlinde
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