Before the Robots - Dark Publications

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•	Closer
•	Greatest Hits
•	How Does Your Garden Grow?
•	Friction, Baby
•	Deluxe

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
As of May 2005, it's been 10 years since Better than Ezra bounded up the charts with the unsinkable hit "Good," which is just about long enough for modern rock fans--especially the ones who picked up 2001's crummy Closer--to mentally file the band in a "moment has passed" category. With the release of Before the Robots, though, comes the need to reshuffle the played-out deck. The first single, a re-done "Lifetime," effectively rescues a really good story-song from potential oblivion by sending in an un-soupy acoustic guitar and Kevin Griffin's more inspired vocal; "A Southern Thang" tips a straw hat to the Louisiana swamps the band emerged from with a rip-it-up riff; and the aptly titled "Juicy" chugs along a funkified track that veers daringly close to disco. For a threesome on the brink of been-there-done-that, Before the Robots represents a bold but pleasingly poppy rebound. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews: Read 63 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

I have seen the light! June 6, 2005
25 out of 30 found this review helpful

The Good
"Burned" is defined by driving fuzzy riffs and power chord accents. The catchy chorus will have you singing along in no time. I'm not that big a fan of falsetto vocals, but the way that vocalist Kevin Griffin uses them on "Daylight" has caused me to re-evaluate my stance on the matter. He's backed by a keyboard and drum dominant rhythm section. The lyrics to "Lifetime" are quite clever. While it leans toward the subject of lost love, it really focuses on how much a three minute song can mean shared with the right company. Kevin's vocals and his acoustic guitar backing are both seductive as he moves in on his prey on "It's Only Natural". The song's title more that clears up what it's about.

I've said it once and I'll say it again; you can't go wrong with a `whoo-hoo' song. Unfortunately for the characters in "American Dream", things have gone very wrong. I think in some way we can all relate to their issues. "Our Last Night" is a beautiful and emotional power ballad led by melodic vocals, keyboard tones, and clean guitars. The twangy guitar licks of "A Southern Thing" help give it a .38 Special/Lynyrd Skynyrd feel. The vocal delivery is similar to the early 90s pop-rock song "Rock On" (from the movie Dream a Little Dream). Break out your bell-bottoms and platform shoes for "Juicy", because Griffin goes all Bee Gee's on us (I guess the Scissor Sisters for you young'uns). It has a great funk style riff and vocal hook in the chorus.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
I was never really a fan of Better Than Ezra. I always thought they were another `what was in at the time' band. After listening to Before the Robots, I have seen the light. They proved to me that they are quite versatile and have a knack for writing catchy and well-written rock songs.

5 out of 5 stars

Before The Robots June 1, 2005
14 out of 18 found this review helpful

Yes, they're back. Again. The band with the funny name, which just begs to be the punchline of a thousand jokes. The one that could be written off as a "one-hit wonder" for 1995's post-grunge smash "Good" - except that those in the know, know that's not true. After 17 years of of weathering just about every storm that can befall a group, several radio hits, and near-constant touring with sold-out shows, the group that's better than ever has released their seventh album. So what comes before the robots? Humanity of course. Songwriter/singer/guitarist Kevin Griffin offers up every side of the human condition, good and bad, while the rhythm section of bassist Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb lay down the heartbeat underneath it all.

"Burned" kicks off the disk with pure power pop that belies the sadness and yearning within. "Daylight" continues the theme, but with the promise of optimism in the face of darkness that Griffin is a pro in conveying. If "A Lifetime" sounds familiar, yes, you've heard it before - it has been reworked since last appearing on 2001's Closer, but it's easy to forgive hearing once again this bittersweet celebration of life in the face of death wrapped up in the metaphor of a 3-1/2 minute R.E.M. song (it doesn't really matter "which" one - it's whatever song you want it to be!). While we're running the gamut of emotions, lust gets a brief nod with "It's Only Natural," which manages to be equal parts silly, sexy, and downright creepy.

Imagine U2 uniting with Radiohead. Add in some sincerity and humility, subtract all the music critics, and you may be left with "Overcome" - an absolutely stunning, haunting, aural layer cake that keeps promising to take you somewhere you've never been... Being human means being imperfect, though, and it never does seem to reach a satisfying conclusion, but the ride is amazing - slowly building until each band member seems to be wringing the life out of their respective instruments, including Griffin's pleading tenor. "Special" is yet another power-pop masterpiece with a killer hook and blistering guitar solos to match. "American Dream" sounds like it would be more at home on a Mellencamp or Petty CD, with overly-simple lyrics about single moms, crooked CEOs, and working at Denny's, but I dare you to try to forget the "woo-hoo's" and "yeah, yeah, yeah's" I didn't think you could. "Our Last Night" is about, well, the last night together of a pair of friends. It's a ballad, wave your lighters in the air, and prepare to wipe away a tear or two. "A Southern Thang" may seem to steal it's chorus from David Essex's "Rock On" and actually DOES steal a line from the Doobie Brother's "Black Water," but this is southern rock at its finest. Only three guys from Louisiana could get away with making a song about a pill-popping cop-killing felon on a crime spree that even your mama could love (here's a hint - refer to Elvis and all will be well).

From Lynyrd Skynyrd to Prince - "Juicy" is probably the only pure disco romp (sung completely in falsetto) to address the evils of tabloids. It's funky, frivolous, and very fun. "Hollow," like "A Lifetime" before it, is also a reworking of an old song, now with a much harder edge. Three high-school friends grow up and grow apart including poor Jenny, the one who got pregnant her first "time." "Our Finest Year" seems a bit redundant, but it's still very catchy and full of that BTE optimism. The albums ends on the sweetest note with "Breathless," promising that "when you feel the world is crashing all around your feet come running headlong into my arms...Breathless." This ode to unconditional love is what makes life worth living, before the robots take over. Enjoy it while you can :)

4 out of 5 stars

3 1/2 Minutes, Felt Like a Lifetime June 1, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The album starts off with three sing-alongs that BTE is best known for, Burned, Daylight, and A Lifetime. A Lifetime is actually a holdover from their 2001 album, the sadly overlooked Closer. The version on BTR speeds things up a little, and rocks a little more than the original. It also includes the line that has bugged me for a while, "And that R.E.M. song was playing in my mind. Three and half minutes, felt like a lifetime." Looking through my somewhat extensive R.E.M. library, found that Let Me In off of Monster clocks in at 3:28 and At My Most Beautiful off of Up finishes at the 3:35 mark. Monty Got a Raw Deal, The One I Love, and Find the River are all close also and might fit the song. (Keep in mind that A Lifetime ends at 3:26.)

Another BTE trademark is that they take some chances and that is found in Its Only Natural, Special, and Juicy. Juicy is the best, a danceable song that is accompanied by a falsetto voice and a driving bass line that make you realize what a modern Bee-Gee's song might sound like is they listen to Devo or Violent Femmes.

American Dream is the best written song on the album telling the story of a few people that haven't achieved the American Dream yet. In this Red State/Blue State time, the lines, "I'm a little bit rebel, I'm a bit patriot. I can see both sides of the coin" probably describes most of America while our government is littered with fanatics on both side of the fence. A Southern Thang lives up to the bill as a southern rock song being that the band is from New Orleans. The song also takes a little of the melody of the David Essex classic, Rock On, during the chorus. They even namedrop the King of Delta Blues himself, Robert Johnson in the song.

4 out of 5 stars

Good stuff June 12, 2005
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

First off, few groups out there can recount anecdotes or stories of people's lives in the passionate, meaningful way that Kevin and BTE can. From Deluxe on up, they have not lost this unique skill. Unlike many pop-contrived meaningless songs, and groups for that matter, BTE's songs actually possess true meaning behind the words - words that they have written themselves - imagine that! Case in point, check out the provocative track Hollow ("Jenny got pregnant the first time she got laid").

Although I'm not particularly fond of American Dream, I love Hollow, Special (incredible vibe), It's Only Natural (wow), the infectious exuberance of Juicy, and of course, A Lifetime (puts me in a good mood everytime). All in all, I like this CD the best since Friction, Baby. Good stuff. BTW, if you get a chance, see them live - you won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars

There Is Something For Everyone On This Album June 5, 2005
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Old fans and new fans a like can appreciate this album. Being an "Ezralite" from way back when, I can tell you this it is just as good as all the other BTE albums. This album really does have something for everyone, hard rocking beats, slow ballads, trippy fun songs and of course the catchy radio hooks. The new single "A Liftime" apparently was such an important song the boys have breathed new life into it and brought it along for the ride from the Closer album. The re-worked song sounds great and the meaning of friendships and the shortness of life rings truer than ever. Another older well known song "Hollow" has been a fan favorite for many years and it is so pleasing to finally see it on an album. This song has great catchy lyrics and sucks you in with its story of high school friendships and joining the "real world". Pair these two with all the new BTE material and you have an interesting mix of old and new songs that is sure to please any ear.

Perhaps the most interesting of the tracks on the album is "Juicy". This track seems randomly stuck in amongst all these non-falsetto songs. On first hearing it my initial thought was "WTF? Were the guys drunk when thinking this up?!" Now after several listens I think the guys knew just what they were doing: creating a totally unexpected song to catch fans off guard, but also lure them in with a catchy beat. When you think about it, isn't this always what BTE has done?...Mixed things up and come back with a totally original sound... Think back to all the BTE albums no two are alike, yet fans LOVE them all. Well trust me when I say this, "Before The Robots" is another one fans will love.

I can't wait to see these new songs in concert and also see what else the BTE guys have up their sleeves. If you are like me and would love to see these live, head on over to http://www.betterthanezra.com/ and check out the tour section. Here's to a great band with a great new album!

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