Barenaked Ladies Are Men - Dark Publications

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From Amazon.ca
Barenaked Ladies Are Men is a companion disc to the predecessor, Barenaked Ladies Are Me. Although recorded during the same studio sessions, the discs were released five months apart. Are Me is the quieter of the two, while Are Men could be described as the feistier, noisier twin brother. Given their adult contemporary history, the Ladies's version of 'feisty' is hardly a venture into death metal, however Are Men contains an evolutionary quality that may well bring new fans into the fold. Nearly two decades into their career, the lads' growth can in part be measured by a handful of increasingly layered soundscapes ("Serendipity," "Another Spin") that bear a slight resemblance to the harmonies that the Beach Boys were penning around the time of their Pet Sounds release. The disc's biggest surprise is the politically cutting "Fun & Games," written from the perspective of a world leader assessing the war. "There's no need to draft them/you could hear us laugh then/the poor and black all need the room and board" sings Ed Robertson, as a New Orleans-style jazz band poignantly encircles the vocals. "One and Only" is a lush track that combines the harmonies a la Crosby, Stills, and Nash with a Foo Fighters-style chorus. Longtime fans can rest easy, however knowing that other tracks ("Running out of Ink," "Half a Heart") are done in that straight-up, traditional Barenaked style that fuses catchy pop melodies with clever lyrics. --Denise Sheppard

Album Description
Second part of the Barenaked Ladies Are... recording sessions.

Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Lost in the Ladies February 23, 2007
22 out of 26 found this review helpful

My first thought: here we go again. Hot on the heels of their most prolific, diverse and artistically interesting album to date, the Ladies decide to return to form. Great. Just when I thought they were taking a step in a new direction. I played it once, found it to be what I'd grown tired of recently, which was Ed and Steve playing to their strengths, sandwiched between some obligatory Kevin Hearn weirdness. More rockin' than the previous release, which I still upheld as a far superior disc. I played it a second time, and started to feel the strengths of each song, and thought to myself, huh, glorified outtakes. I played it a third time, and I never review an album until I've played it at least three times, but then it started to hit me. This album is every bit as good, if not better, than Are Me. Smartly crafted, sonically unique and tirelessly aggressive, this is not the Ladies resting on their laurels. And here's the beauty of it; neither is Are Me! These are career milestones, in my opinion. Not quite a double album, not a package of extras, but pure creative adrenaline put to music. I've spun the new one several times since, and even played the two of them back to back. This is my prognosis: it was very wise of them to release Are Me first, because the power of this latest album might have overwhelmed the fragile, yet intense beauty of the first one. Song for song, this might actually be better than Are Me. It's unfolding like a puzzle. Just when I think I don't like a song, the next time I hear it, I love it. There are a few minor things, like some rhymes that come off as silly, but they are minor in the grand scheme of things. That's the best thing about these two releases. These guys aren't making silly music at all anymore; they are churning out great music from all over the landscape, but injecting it with their usual unusual take on things. "Fun & Games" is an absolute must-hear. I realized that tidbit somewhere between the third listen and wherever I am now. I'm too deeply involved with the album to keep track. I'm hooked. These albums are good stuff on their own, but together and complete, they're a total knockout.

5 out of 5 stars

Another great album February 11, 2007
9 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is the hard-rocking yin to the "Easy" going yang of the companion album Barenaked Ladies Are Me. It opens and closes with a couple of strong Kevin Hearn tracks: "Serendipity", a nice midtempo song about youth and discovery, and "Another Spin" a mildly political, but rocking track.

Stand out songs include the phenomenally catchy "Running Out of Ink", the surprisingly political "Fun & Games" which comes complete with a bizarro Dixieland jazz bridge that will make you turn your head when you hear it the first time, and "I Can I Will I Do" which is so laid back that you would think it wasn't BNL...except you know that's Ed's voice.

The bulk of tracks are upbeat. Steven Page voices "Something You'll Never Find" featuring some solid horn accents and nice "aaahhh" background vocals and "Angry People" which anybody that saw the BLAM tour will recognize as the song they did their choreographed dance to. Other upbeat tracks by Ed are "Down to Earth", "Maybe Not" and "Quality" (the song that manages to work the word `ichthyology' in BNL style).

Slower tracks include Ed's "One and Only", "Beautiful" and "Half a Heart". Steve adds "The New Sad".

If you thought Barenaked Ladies Are Me was too slow, I think you'll like this album. I find it closer in tone to Maroon than the last couple of albums. Don't dismiss it as a B-Side album...these tracks are as strong, or arguably stronger. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars

A stellar companion to "Are Me" February 21, 2007
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

The second part of what is essentially a double-album, "Barenaked Ladies Are Men" thankfully does not disappoint. Those concerned about it being comprised of the rejects from "..Are Me", don't be concerned - if anything, this has the edge on the former in terms of sheer listenability.

The album covers all the ground you'd expect: from the emotional ballad ("Half a Heart", "The New Sad") to the rock'n'roll roller-coaster ("Something You'll Never Find", "Quality"), not forgetting their trademark witty, literate pop ("Angry People", "Running Out Of Ink"). It's a cliche, but there's something here for everyone.

On the whole, it's more upbeat than its predecessor, but there's no shortage of emotional balladry. "The New Sad" is up there with "War on Drugs" and "The Wrong Man Was Convicted" in terms of pure, gut-wrenching impact; while the semi-acoustic "Half a Heart" and "I Can, I Will, I Do" add to the atmopshere without slowing down the album's oft-frenetic pace. Opener "Serendipity" is vaguely reminiscent of "Are Me"'s opener "Adrift" in tone.

As good as the more downbeat tracks are, however, the real draw of this album are the catchy pop-rock tracks most of us love the Ladies for. The frantic pace of "Something You'll Never Find" and "Running Out of Ink" is reminiscent of the best of They Might Be Giants, and BNL's own "Gordon". "Quality" has one of the finest choruses of any BNL song, while "Angry People" is vaguely reminiscent of a poppier E2E's "Shopping" - but it's far superior, in every sense. Think Beach Boys crossed with "It's All Been Done", and you get the vague idea.

"Down to Earth" and "Maybe Not" are strong, rocky and catchy songs that can hold their own with anything from "Stunt" and "Maroon", the mid-tempo "Another Spin" is a beautiful fusion of jazz, pop and rock, while the closing double complement each other nicely and are superior to "Are Me"'s already-solid closer, "Wind it Up".

Lyrically, BNL remain at the top of their game here, wit, wordplay and sarcasm all present and correct - but I would suggest that the political sentiment of "Fun & Games" is a little too overbearing. I'm not sure whether they're being semi-sarcastic and self-deprecating in their anti war rant, but if they're not it'd probably be a good plan to keep their politics distinct from their music in future. Their hearts are in the right place, no doubt, but it's a little jarring when such a catchy, upbeat song is filled with such harsh and explicit sentiment.

But that is just a very minor criticism of what is honestly a brilliant album. There are no truly 'weak' tracks, and there are plenty of standouts. If you're already a BNL fan, I'm preaching to the converted; if you're not, this is as good a starting point as any.

5 out of 5 stars

Upbeat, Fun, Intelligent = Barenaked Ladies Are Men February 7, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

First of all, I'm not a kid. I bought this album off Itunes, so Amazon won't let me review the album with my account. So, with that out of the way, let's get to it. Barenaked Ladies Are Men has all the witty lyrics and addictive melodies of BNL's last release, Barenaked Ladies Are Me, but the songs in this album are overall more upbeat and fun. Here is a track by track breakdown:

1. Serendipity: Kevin Hean sings this one. A beautiful rock song, but not as lively as others on the album. Good overall. 4/5

2. Something You'll Never Find: This song has loads of energy, but there's nothing catchy about it. It's like a rollercoaster ride with no payoff. 2.5/5

3. One and Only: This track slows the album down a bit... in a good way. Ed's voice sounds great and the lyrics are thoughtful and charming. Very easy to sing along with! 4/5

4. Angry People: This is probably the album's strongest track. Its fun "tounge in cheek" melody makes this track a real winner. The horns give the song a nice touch. 5/5

5. Down to Earth: This is an upbeat rocker about a hippie who's "All bark and no tree." It sounds pretty average at first, but after a while you'll be singing along. 4/5

6. Beautiful: A nice, soft track with soothing vocals by Ed. The lyrics are very well written and enjoyable. 4/5

7. Running Out of Ink: Talk about a song that jolts you awake! Steve really shows his vocal range in this rocker, and the bridge in this song is second to none. Reminds me of BNL's "Humor of the Situation," but this song is MUCH better. 5/5

8. Half a Heart: The lyrics are lovely and intelligent, but the song is dry. 3.5/5

9. Maybe Not: I have the most fun singing along to this Ed rocker. The riff is catchy and the track is very well composed. 4.5/5

10. I Can I Will I Do: This song is relaxing, clever, and charming. Steve really sounds great. 4/5

11. Fun & Games: Musically, this track sounds very good. But its political undertones are too jarring for a fan such as I who is used to the Ladies' less obtrusive, more thoughtful lyrics. 3/5

12. The New Sad: As a volunteer at a local nursing home, this track really hits me emotionally everytime. It's a sweet little track that Steve is well suited to sing. 4/5

13. Quality: The electic guitar is entertaining, but the lyrics are the weakest on the album, and the song isn't as fun as it tries to be. 3.5/5

14. Another Spin: This is the album's second Kevin Hearn song. The guitar riff is average, but for some reason this song really makes me want to dance! A solid track. 4/5

15. What a Letdown: I can honestly say that this song is anything BUT a letdown. The best rock track on the album, hands down. The lyrics are sort of lacking in creativity (compared to the other tracks), but the bridge is so good that I'm elated every time I hear it! 5/5

16. Why Say Anything Nice?: While the horns on this track are a little overbearing at times, the lyrics are, in my opinion, the most intelligent on the album. Too bad "Fun and Games" couldn't be written as cleverly as this one... 4/5

This wraps up my review of Barenaked Ladies Are Men. I gave the album 5 stars. Though this number wasn't obtained by averaging each song's rating, I feel that the strong tracks out-perform the weak so well that the album comes across as a definite must-buy.

Top 3: Angry People, Running Out of Ink, What a Letdown

Bottom 3: Something You'll Never Find, Fun & Games, Quality

5 out of 5 stars

Quality, and definitely not a Letdown! February 9, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

I bought this album bundled with the first leg ('Barenaked Ladies Are Me') when it was released in the fall off of iTunes and have had the pleasure of listening to both consecutively for many months now. That being said, I feel this is the stronger of the two if a comparison were to be made, though both are fine releases. This album ranges from catchy to sweet to funny to political to thoughtful to downright clever. This is one of the band's most complete albums, and when put together with the fall release, is by far the most enjoyable set i've heard. I would highly recommend this to either new fans or longtime fans of the band, as it seems to have a little bit of everything. Serendipity is a good start to the album and sets it up nicely, as Adrift did on 'Barenaked Ladies Are Me'.

When it comes to individual tracks, it's hard to pick out ones to highlight or mention because they're almost all strong in some regard, but my favorites are the aforementioned Serendipity with its calm rhythm, great vocals, and relaxing harmony and guitarwork; Angry People, because of the great "doo"s that the Ladies pull off, it's upbeat spirit, good writing, and megaphone action; Running Out of Ink, just because it's fun; Maybe Not, which has quickly become one of my favorite BNL songs of all time with terrific guitars, musical delivery allowing the vocals to shine, and retro clapping (we need more of that from today's music!); Fun & Games, though not as subtle a political statement (think Shopping very subtly ridiculing the Bush administration's downright laughable reaction to 9/11 before the truly tragic reaction began) does have some terrific nutshelling of the Iraq debacle as well as how obscene the last congress' session was; Quality, just a downright well built song with some interesting writing and catchy hooks; and finally Another Spin, which has a great guitarwork but really shines in its vocal display.

I am truly pleased with this album and again would highly recommend it to anyone. The band did not put any filler on here, as they don't with most of their albums. I do recommend buying both this and the already released Barenaked Ladies Are Me for maximum enjoyment and to get the full effect. Enjoy!

Barenaked Ladies Are Men (2007):
5 Star Songs: 12
4 Star Songs: 4
Overall: Strong 5 (95% - 4.8/5)

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