Big Shiney Tunes 6

There is only one Big Shiney Tunes collection in my house. I had nothing to do with it's purchase, and for the most part I hate these Much Music collections. They contain a bunch of commercial crap that is often very annoying and only popular the year it came out, and maybe the following year if it ends up in a movie.

Big Shiney Tunes 6 was released in 2001 and contains bands that are from Nu Metal, Post Grunge, Pop Punk, and whatever the Gorillaz are classified as. It's eighteen tracks of dumb Teen Pop for the most part. Which might explain why daughter still likes most of these songs over decade later.

The album opens with Linkin Park. I don't like Linkin Park, and this song is one of the reasons why. Basically it's a bunch of talented musicians having their music ruined by a Rapping white boy and a geek named Chester that can't stop screaming. This music is not angry enough for all that screaming. I will say that I do like Linkin Park's more recent stuff, but this early music is complete crap as far as I'm concerned.

Blink-182's the Rock Show is one of those songs that you just could not escape in 2001. It was the song of the summer, and the first indication that people had become even stupider than they were when they started to like Green Day almost a decade ealier. In fact Green Day is the reason we have bands like Blink-182. I can't stand this Pop crap, that has no substance or purpose other than to make people retarded, like the girl at the rock show in the song.

Flavour Of The Weak by American Hi-Fi isn't much better than the previous track. Basically if you looked at this album as a time capsule of 2001, you'll hear that mainstream music was really fucking lame. It was a bunch of Green Day wannabes getting the chance to cash in, with no good reason.

I'm not a Sum 41 fan. I respect that they are talented, and know how to play. There are many tracks I've heard over the years that back up that statement. However, Fat Lip isn't on of them. It's the same as the last two songs. The only nice part is that at least this commercial shit is Canadian commercial shit.

Default is another band I don't care for, but I will say that I have a lot more respect for Wasting My Time that I did when it first came out. In fact it was the first song on this album I don't want to skip. That doesn't mean I like or support this song. It just means that I can tolerate it enough to listen to it.

I should stress again that I did not buy this album. This is actually my Editor's CD, and Andria should be held accountable for her crimes against my auditory senses. Then again, she has to edit my writing so that may be punishment enough.

Track six is Limp Bizkit's My Way, which sucks. I have less use for Fred Durst musically than I do for Korn, Linkin Park or any other Nu Metal or Nu Metal-esque band. He's an egotistical dick head that pretty much only yells into a mic, and then claims he's going to save Rock. He did make that statement, right around the time Death Magnetic and Chinese Democracy were released.

Puddle Of Mudd has one song I like, and it's not on here. Instead this album contains Control, which is Post Grunge shit. It's like listening to a Grunge Unplugged album. It's slow and as boring as shit on a gentle Spring day.

Weezer's Hash Pipe is the first song on this album I like. Actually I love this song. I know it's pretty typical, and a bit overly commercial for Weezer, but I love this band, and this song. It just get's me rockin' the way good music should. Also it has one hell of a catchy riff.

I'm hit and miss when it comes to Stone Temple Pilots. Days Of The Week I think is a pretty basic song for the band, and therefore I find it a miss. It's soft, mellow, and meant for the younger girls. Which is fine with me, but it's a sad way for a band like STP to end up.

Sugar Ray started out okay. They were Hard Rockish and may have had a chance to become something okay, eventually. Instead they opted to sell out, release a complete piece of crap like When It's Over and then fade into obscurity. Good bye and good riddence.

I'm a bad Canadian in the sense that I don't gerenally care for Our Lady Piece. Mostly because I'm not an Alternative fan, and I don't care for the vocalist. I find him too whiney. However I really do like Life. The lyrics are actually worth paying attention to. "How many times have you been pushed around / Is anybody there, does anybody care / And how many times have your friends let you down / Is anybody there, did anybody stare, oh / And how many times have your friends let you down / Just open up your heart / Just open up your mind / And how many times has your faith slipped away / Well is anybody safe, does anybody pray / Oh, life is waiting for you / It's all messed up, but we're alive / Oh, life is waiting for you / It's all messed up, but we'll survive". It reminds me of David Bowie's All the Young Dudes in many ways.

I'm not a fan of Clint Eastwood by The Gorillaz, but only because it's not my type of music. However, this song is actually very well done. The music is neat and different, and the vocal swapping adds a cool dynamic as well. Though I don't normally care for Rap, and this song has more of it than I like. However, my biggest complaint about this song is how long it is. At 5:41 it drags on for way too long.

Track thirteen gives us some Moby. Yeah! (Sorry I've still yet to find the Sarcastica font.) South Side is kind of okay. I can respect, ignore and pretend that this song is acceptable if I really try. But, I have to try really hard.

There are only four songs on this album I truly enjoy. One of which comes from my favourite Canadian bad ass, biker, Goth chick. Bif Naked has been around for something like a decade when she released I Love Myself Today, and I'm pretty sure it's still her biggest hit to date. I could be wrong, but I'd be surprised. This was one of those songs that got played a lot, and it wasn't due to CanCom rules either. This is a fucking wicked song. It's all Girl Power, without the stupid girl bullshit you get from groups like The Spice Girls, or any of the Pop princesses. "Well look at you you're all puffed up / In that big red truck- but you're outta luck (this time) / Well, that's tough / 'Cause I'm on fire- too hot to touch / with a chatroom full of lovers on the line / Gonna step right up. Spit shine my soul / I'm gonna be proud and loud and outta control! / I love myself today / Not like yesterday / I'm cool, I'm calm / I'm gonna be okay! Uh huh / I love myself today / Not like yesterday / Take another look at me now / 'Cause it's your last look / Your last look forever". This is a great positive message for girls, women, and even us boys and men. However, the strong and confident woman in this song sounds so sexy because of her Rocking out those two traits the way she does.

Be Like That from 3 Doors Down is more of that standard crap that fills this entire album. It's some guy being all sensitive, and trying to channel their inner Bon Jovi, but without the swagger or coolness of Jon and Richie. Just skip it.

I remember when Alone In The Universe came out. I thought it was Our lady Peace at first. Clearly it isn't, but David Usher doesn't sound that far off. It's the same boring format, with simular whiney vocals, and overly self important lyrics. Musically I will give it props. It's very well played.

I really don't remember Breakdown from Tantric. It vaguely rings a bell, but for the most part it's just more cookie cutter music from another band that sounds like every other Post Grunge band, that wasn't Pop Punk.

The album finsihes with the fourth and final song that I honestly like. The Tea Party's Walking Wounded is the first song that I ever truly liked from the band. Over the years I've become more of a fan, but I didn't start that way. Which is a bit sad since we reside in the same city. However, it took until 2001 before they started releasing music I was totally into. Walking Wounded not only has great lyrics, but it also has music that slithers around you. It entices you. It takes you for a ride, that I think the Lizard King might have even enjoyed.

As for the lyrics..."Is it safe to look within / And erase all that's been / And all that's been between / Is it gone, tell me what went wrong / 'cause baby i'm not that strong / And I'm walking wounded / All Alone / All Alone / Are you comfortable and numb / Do they all succumb / to all those lies / Does it satisfy the greed / Is it all you need / Is it all you want / well baby i'm not that strong / And I'm walking wounded / All Alone / and baby i'm not that strong / And I'm walking wounded / All Alone / All Alone / How does it feel? / How does it feel? / baby, now / How does it feel? / How does it feel? / If your memories do stray / Then they'll betray all that's past / And all that's been between / Is it gone, tell me what went wrong / 'cause baby I'm not that strong / And I'm walking wounded / All Alone / and baby i'm not that strong /And I'm walking wounded / All Alone / All Alone / How does it feel? / How does it feel? / baby, now / How does it feel?" It just repeats until the end. However, I crank this baby up to scare the demons and let them know that I'm ready and waiting for them to bring on some more.

The best part about this album is that three of the four songs I really like are by Canadian artists. The down side to this album is that there are fourteen other tracks that I think are either complete shit, or a waste of compact disc space. I would never suggest any pick up this album, unless you are looking for a bunch of turn of the millenium commercial garbage. I will only give the album a five for content due to my personal views obscuring some of my judgement, but I think that's being too generous.

5/10 - content

7/10 - production

3/10 - personal bias