Music CD - Less Than Jake: In with the Out Crowd

	Music CD: In with the Out Crowd Artist: Less Than Jake List Price: $13.98 Our Price: $3.80 Your Save: $ 10.18 ( 73% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Manufacturer: Sire / London/Rhino
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Tracks: 1. Soundtrack of My Life 2. A Still Life Franchise 3. Overrated (Everything Is) 4. Fall Apart 5. In-Dependence Day 6. Don't Fall Asleep on the Subway 7. Landmines and Landslides 8. The Rest of My Life 9. Mostly Memories 10. Let Her Go 11. Hopeless Case 12. P.S. Shock the World
Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0009362499842 Label: Sire / London/Rhino Manufacturer: Sire / London/Rhino Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Sire / London/Rhino Release Date: 2006-05-23 Studio: Sire / London/Rhino
Related Items Anthem Hello Rockview Losing Streak B Is for B-Sides Borders & Boundaries
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: You have to have been/be there Comment: If you've ever been at the place the lyrics to these songs suggest, then you'll know how good this is. If you've never been there, then you won't get it. It's not about the music, and I'm not even saying the lyrics are perfect, but if you've reached that point--well, all I can say is that it's not about whether it's pop, punk, anything else... it just connects. This is not an album that should be considered in terms of whether you are a LTJ fan, etc., it's about a point in life. Customer Rating: Summary: The LTJ CD to play for your friends... who aren't fans already... Comment: This album is the perfect one to turn ska-hating fans into Less Than Jake fans. It has a more "pop-like" sound than their other albums, which makes is unique. I've listened to Less Than Jake for almost 10 years now... and three of my all-time favorite LTJ songs are off this album. Customer Rating: Summary: These guys are too old to try to make it mainstream Comment: So I totally understand why the fans of the old Less Than Jake don't take kindly to this CD. It's true that with 2006's "In With the Outcrowd" this band has abandoned a lot of what made them really fun to listen to, in other words fast paced ska guitar and horns-a-plenty. For a band in which almost half the members are exclusively horn players, it's kind of strange that they would put out a CD where only half the songs have any horns at all, because you gotta think, hey, what do Buddy and JR do when the band plays a song with no horns, just stand there? So I'm sure the no horn thing has been beaten to death by the 65 reviews already written at this point, so I won't wallow in it. The new sound is not so bad after all, they're still really catchy and they have MOST of the energy that can be seen on former records and at their live shows. The ballad-ish soft songs are good for a listen one or two times and then become forgetable, but everything else could be put on a shuffle list with all the other Less Than Jake songs and I don't think a fan would be bothered too much when they came up. The bottom line is, it's the kind of upbeat pop-punk that we see on the mainstream today, only better 'cause it's more anthem style than pop. That does not say the CD isn't lacking compared to other albums by this band, 'cause it is. Most of the other CDs, had I reviewed them, would be 4 or maybe even 5 star albums, and this is a 3. That's because for one thing, horns = gone. Secondly, the guitar is pretty bland throughout the CD, usually a three or four chords progression with typical pop-rock distortion. The bass is majorly underutilized, like most pop-rock bands except this is Less Than Jake and they've written songs like "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellout" and "Last One Out of Liberty City," where Roger got his moments to shine. Why can't he shine on this album as well? And no, the no-guitar verse in "Overrated" does not count as a bass driven song. So basically, it's listenable, but not ideal. You'll listen to this CD if you buy it but probably only once for every 3 times you listen to "Hello Rockview" and every 5 times you listen to "Losing Streak," so at times it may collect a little dust in your CD collection, but alas, one of those days you'll be like "Oh yeah, this CD" and play it once more. New fans, start with the two aforementioned CDs or "Anthem," which is also a really good CD by this band, and then, and only then, buy this one. That's not to say we shouldn't buy it eventually, maybe try to find a used copy for a discount though. Customer Rating: Summary: Change can be good, if it's genuine Comment: After "B is for B Sides" and "Anthem," which I thought were Less Than Jake's best albums yet, my expectations for "In with the Out Crowd" were admittedly high. And I was disappointed. I've nothing against a band's style evolving; rather, I prefer exploration. When bands play what they want to instead of what they feel like they have to, it shows. Unfortunately, with this album, I don't think that's what happened. A lot of the ska is gone, with horns playing a back role (or completely absent) and only coming to the fore in a couple songs. Overall, the sound is darker and more melancholic. Unfortunately, it's also lost the humor and sheer frenetic energy that I've come to love in Less Than Jake. The emotionlessness of this album is a larger tribute to crushing apathy than all the lyrics of all the songs before it. Most of the songs are just paint-by-number knock-offs with less-than-enthused vocals and derivative melodies. To be fair, the album still has some decent songs on it, which saves it from 2-stardom. I must admit to liking "Rest of My Life," perhaps the most melancholy song on the whole album--because it stirs emotions! "Don't Fall Asleep on the Subway" is okay, sort of. And "P.S. Shock the World," while not their best song, is still lively and has some spirit to it. The problem isn't that their sound changed; it's that they just don't seem to be trying, or are trying too hard. Whatever Less Than Jake sounds like on their next album, I hope there's some spirit and enthusiasm in the music. "In with the Out Crowd" isn't terrible; it just isn't much of anything at all. Customer Rating: Summary: Long-time listener Comment: Alright, so LTJ hooked me and became my favorite band somewhere between Losing Streak and Hello Rockview, and the times I've seen them live have been amazing. This new album has a definite new sound. I'm not saying that new sound is necessarily a bad thing. When Anthem first came along, I didn't give it much of a chance, but now I absolutely love it. Plastic Cup Politics is one of my favorite on the album, if not one of my favorite LTJ songs period. The problem is, I don't think something like this is going to happen with In with the out crowd. I don't hate it, but it didn't live up to what I was hoping for. My excitement for a new LTJ album is always ridiculous, and this time it just didn't deliver the way LTJ has over the years. I'm not saying not to pick this one up, I'm just saying not to expect another Hello Rockview. Right now I'm just replaying Borders and Boundaries and the other good ones in hopes that LTJ will come out with another album sometime soon. I have a feeling that when they do, they'll go back, at least a little bit, to their old sound. I'm basing this guess on how they refer to their new album at their live shows, always threatening to play something from IWTOC. They know the longtime fans aren't really into it as much, so maybe they'll do something about it. More Reviews
Editorial Reviews: Punk-pop stalwarts Less Than Jake return with the adored band's first original album in three years, In With the Out Crowd, produced by Howard Benson. The punk 'n' horns group has sold more than 1 million records over the past decade, thanks to incessant touring, including on the Warped Tour, where it has been the #1 merchandise seller. Less Than Jake gets out the crowds once more with In With the Out Crowd.