Shop Ireland

Room On Fire by: The Strokes

Click to tell a friend about this item...

More Product Details...

Review Pages: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next »

Click here to add a review!

Average rating -

Rating: - Billionaire Boy Club

If the great superstars of the 70's Bowery days all donated sperm and eggs and created this pack of sleazy, chain smoking, prep school posers...they still would not be this perfect. I remember first seeing this group of overachieving underachievers in early 2001. They were opening up for the Doves. I was blown away. Since then they've released an instant classic, and now it's time for their all important follow up. So here it is Room on Fire! Room on Fire is closer to second albums like the Talking Heads 77 or the Smith's Meat is Murder. Closer to the first, but much more mature. Room on Fire is very similar to Is This It?, but there is an immediacy on this record that is missing on the first CD. It is this immediacy that attracts you, pulls you in, and in the end makes them sound more earnest. This LP flows much better because the range is much smaller. This may be a bad thing if you are trying to please nine different genres. But this isn't Sting or Beyonce people. Their shows do not need to appeal to my mother and daughter in the same breath. I also think the LP is not as "safe" as most people think. They went the Radiohead way and enlisted Nigel Godrich which they insist polished their trademark raw sound like a window at Barney's. So they went back to their roots and created a clean tight record with some beautiful songs. From the opening gates they come right at you protesting that they want to be forgotten. I couldn't forget them if I tried. This set of songs sounds even better live. They are so melodious to your ears at times you need to look away because you cannot believe an artist can be so damn good. Listen to the major and minor chord shifts on You Talk Way too Much, 12:51, and of course, The Way it Is. You haven't heard a band so in command of their sound and song writing since the Beatles, the Smiths, and Bowie. The Strokes are amazing and deserve all the press they receive. A lot of naysayers are panning it strictly becasue it didn't live up to their expectations. Those same people felt the same about Nirvana's In Utero 11 years ago. Not as good as the first they said. Then Kurt blows his head off and the LP is now considered a classic. Please. Maybe I just have a sweet tooth for them cos I'm from Manhattan as well, but I think they could do no wrong. They are the most important band today and spearheaded the new New Wave. So if you haven't yet, run and buy this. If you have it and hate it, you're an idiot.

Rating: - More of the same.

While the first album was a breath of fresh air when released this album seems lazy in comparison, in terms of musical progression the Strokes seem to have stayed stuck firmly to the same musical formula of " Is this It?", . If your looking for the killer New York sound then try out either The Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Fever To Tell" or "Echoes" by The Rapture

Rating: - Well..

In the infamous words of Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas - Take it, or leave it. Now, I'm a Strokeshead. A self confessed addict, and even I find myself skipping a few of the tracks on this album. My Mum keeps saying "Why do you play that same song over and over?" and it's not just her imagination - a lot of the songs have the same repetitive whiny feel that Casablancas can't seem to get past. Having said that, don't dismiss the Strokes completely. Nick Valensi progresses amazingly in this album, as does poor Fabrizio Moretti, whose drumbeats were a little gentler in the first album. Now, their first album was ace, and whilst the later material is a little weak, The Strokes are pure electricity on stage, and you should definitely try to catch a live gig sometime soon.

Rating: - The Strokes - Band On Fire

Quite simply, Room On Fire is better than any other album that emergered in 2003, which itself was a great year for music. It continues on the legacy laid down by their first album, Is This It? and yet stills manages to sound original and fresh. Second single Reptilia is the stand out track and easily stands up against any of their previous material. The low-mixing of Julian Casablancas voice has grown to be one of the most recognisable voice's in modern music, and the complete sound of The Strokes is one that has been often imitated of late, but never bettered. If you don't own this album, you should! You wont make a smarter purchase!

Rating: - Who says sequels are terrible?

I must admit, I had read some reviews about 'Room On Fire', and they had said that it wasn't as good as 'Is This It', The Strokes first LP. I bought it, because I enjoyed the first album, and the second follows it up amazingly. The band have managed to reach a definate change in their sound, but it is still The Strokes sound resounding through the whole record. As a guitarist, I think that 'Room On Fire' is written much better. They have experimented well with different chord changes, and lead guitar simulating intricate melodies that follow and vary vocal lines. There are also some really good solos in there. The lyrical content of the album is again very sound, and you can tell that the band are playing the stuff because they want to. Not so they can make money. I wasn't too happy with the bass content in 'Is This It', and I think that The Strokes have improved this attribute immensely. The baselines are contrasting and varied and just add another guitar layer into the already manic combination of rhythm and lead. A great follow on from 'Is This It'.

Review Pages: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next »