Monday, March 17, 2014

Jet - Get Born

I have been planning on doing this review since the summer(2013), but for various reasons it kept getting shuffled to the side, or pushed to the background, or put off until it finally ended up being reshelved all together. Then I was going through long selections of discs I still haven't reviewed yet, tying to figure out what I'm in the mood for, when I came across Get Born and I was all like, "Yeah, let's finally get this one done."

Let me start by saying I love this album in a mix, but the track listing leaves me annoyed during continuous play. I really think that it could have been planned out a bit better for flow purposes. Which I'll express my exact opinion at the end of the review of how this album should have gone.

To me the best part of this album is the fact that it sounds perfect in a mix with all my sixties and seventies Rock. Especially, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bon Scott era AC/DC, David Bowie, or other simular musicians. The production recreates that time period perfectly.

The album opens with Last Chance. It's a good album opener, but on the whole I really find this album doesn't get started for a few more tracks. At least not for me. This song isn't overly strong for repeat playing and by the time you get to the next track you've already forgotten this one.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl is probably the second song I heard from Jet, at least as far as I can remember. I was never overly fond of the song. I mean it is a really good and fun Rock song, but it's not quite my thing.

Rollover D.J. Is yet another song that I was never fond of. I mean it's okay, but for the most part it kind of comes off as planned out commercial Pop to me. On the other hand I understand why so many people dig this track. It's a well planned and orchestrated Pop piece.

Here's one that would blow your mind if you are one of my regular readers, but at the same time, you wouldn't be overly surprised. I don't believe this album truly starts until you hit Look What You've Done, a really nice and mellow piano track. It's much in the vein of John Lennon, or MrCartney. You can hear both styles in this one. Plus the drums also remind me very much of Ringo.

Get What You Need follows that up and it's a lot in the same vibe as the second and third track, except this one has a Bass breakdown this time, and I like the Doors like keyboards in the background. I don't mind this track but most of the time it acts more as background music for me. This is one of those songs that should have had the vocals stripped out completely and redone, because the music with all it's individual parts is pretty decent, and the vocals just aren't hooky enough.

Move On reminds me of a mellower Rolling Stones song. There's a little Angie in there, a bit of Wild Horses and just a sprinkle of You Can't Always Get What You Want. Not a bad track the whole way around.

The biggest problem with Radio Song is that it follows Move On. It really puts a bit of a drag on the vibe and tempo of the album. If this album had been on vinyl this most likely would have closed the first side and that would have been a really bad idea, good closing track, but really bad order. As it goes with the compact disc it sounds like they buried it as an album filler. Placement is a real big deal with tracks and the way an album is layed out and this song was the right song in this spot, but gets screwed because of the track before it.

Get Me Outta Here is a great way to kick the album back in gear. It's a very solid album filler, and if this had been vinyl it would be a great way to kick off the second side of the album.

The first song I ever recall hearing from Jet was Cold Hard Bitch and I still love every part of it. This song screamed AC/DC even before that first scream is uttered in the lyrics. "Yeah! / Gotta leave town / Got another appointment. / I spent all my rent, / Girl you know I enjoyed it,yeah!! / Ain't gonna hang around till / there's nobody dancing. / I don't wanna hold hands and talk / about our little plans, alright! / Cold hard bitch /Just a kiss on the lips / And I was on my knees / Im waitin, give me / Cold hard bitch / She was shakin' her hips / Oh that was all that I need. / Gonna take her out / She's my latest attraction. / Gonna hang around / Wanna get a reaction. Yeah!! / Gonna take her home cause / she's over romancing / Don't wanna hold hands and talk / about our little plans alright! / Cold hard bitch / Just a kiss on the lips / And I was on my knees / Im waitin, give me / Cold hard bitch / She was shakin' her hips / Oh that was all that I need / My lady, give me / Cold hard bitch! / Just a kiss on the lips, / And I was on my knees. / Yeah Im waitin / Yeah Im waitin / Yeah Im waitin / Yeah Im waitin!! / Yeaaah!! / Cold hard bitch / Just a kiss on the lips, / And I was on my knees. / Im waitin, give me. / Cold hard bitch, / She was shakin' her hips. / Oh that was all that I need / My lady, give me / Cold hard bitch / Just a kiss on the lips / And I was on my knees. / I'm waitin' give me." I love Rock N' Roll this song is, and it captures the mentality of dirty bad boy Rock so perfectly. This is a crank it up tune for me the whole way through.

I enjoy Come Around, but at this point I'm a little annoyed about having the album slow down yet again. Just when you get a good groove on, it brings you right back down again.

Take It Or Leave It is a pretty basic high speed album filler. I'm not overly impressed with this one, and it might be the one song I would have left off the album.

While Lazy Gun is a slower song, it's such a cool sounding one. It's got groove, it's got swagger, and it has a really nifty slinking vibe to it, and a cool mellow juxtaposition that helps break up all the fun naughtiness. I also totally find the lyrics mesmerizing in the mix. This song has one of my favourite vocal deliveries on this album. "Lazy Gun messed up my television yeah / You get no Younger from those colours in your hair / Teach your kids how they're all young enough to fight / Talk about the answer / Tell them they're alright / Change Nothing / Futures in / Close the door / Wear a name / Be the same / Take some more / Lazy gun messed up my television fun / Shoot the shotgun but the war is never won / Who's the enemy, who's sucking on my sun? / I'm the only one left now you've taken all my fun / Change Nothing / Futures in / Close the door / Wear a name / Be the same / Take some more / Change Nothing / Futures in / Close the door / Wear a name / Be the same / Take some more".

For all my bitching about the slower songs on this album, Timothy is the only song that makes me question Cold Hard Bitch being my favourite track on this album. Even though it follows Lazy Gun which finishes on a mellower note, and I've bitched before about how too many slower songs follow slower songs, these two tracks complete out the album perfectly for me. The simple mellow vibe or the instruments mixed with the lyrics are perfect to me. "Timothy, I took your place / Timothy, cause it's such a waste / Timothy, we found your spaceship / Timothy, it's the farthest you've ever flown / Never used your head / To find out what this whole thing meant / It's not what it seems / But it is / Timothy where have you been? / Timothy where have you been? / Timothy, where did you go? / Timothy, the boy can throw / Timothy, we found your spaceship / Timothy, did it hurt when you hit the ground / Never used your legs / To walk Round in this whole big mess / It's not what it seems / But it is / Timothy where have you been / She cried in the kitchen / To let you go / Timothy where have you been / Missed your photo / Missed your birthday too / Missed your photo / It's not what is seems / But it is / Timothy where have you been / She cried in the kitchen / To let you go / Timothy where have you been / Missed your photo / Missed your birthday too / Missed your photo / Missed your birthday too". There something that just grabs me and holds my heart so hard with this song and it has since the first time I heard the song. Oddly, I ended up with a cat a couple years after this album came out who's name was already Timmy , and had been for a few years. Since he needs a full name when he's being yelled out he's often referred to as Timothy, and I've sang this song to him once or twice over the years just for that reason. This is just great track and a super way to close out the album.

I know it sounds like I don't like this album in a lot of ways, but I really do enjoy it. I enjoy most of these songs when they are mixed in with 24 other discs on random, and if I were if I were in my mid teens this would probably act as a make-out, try and get to at least third base, album. It would work, like a classic Stones or Doors album.

As for that list of how I think the tracks should have gone.


1. Last Chance 1:52
2. Rollover DJ 3:17
3. Come Around Again 4:30
4. Move On 4:21
5. Are You Gonna Be My Girl 3:34
6. Radio Song 4:32
7. Get Me Outta Here 2:56
8. Look What You've Done 3:50
9. Get What You Need 4:08
10. Cold Hard Bitch 4:03
11. Lazy Gun 4:42
12. Timothy 4:32

8/10 - content

8/10 - production

7/10 - personal bias

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