Goldfinger - Open Your Eyes Review
Posted by Vanderhorst on 09.13.2002
The album that says, “If you eat meat you're a fucker.”
Music for Vegans: The theme for the jacket of the album and a few songs is definitely anti-meat and dairy products, but this is no concept album, as the rest of it is one of the leading SoCal punk band's usual shenanigans.
“Going Home” gets the album off to a rocking start, obviously recent on the last leg of their previous tour, as the band is ecstatic about getting off the road and back to their families, which is respectable.
The hidden gem of the album, “Spokesman,” kicks ass and takes names, ripping on the current pop scene and the airheaded lyrics of the new generation of stars. Well, the band definitely got their wish, as real rock is taking over the charts once again.
The title track and debut single, “Open Your Eyes,” keeps the pace rolling with an obvious vocal shout to the youth of today to examine what the industry tells us, mainly targeting the use of cows to degrade our society, but also with the message to open your eyes to other aspects of society that aren't as good as they seem.
Romance steps up for the first time on the disc with “Decision,” lamenting a former flame that ditched one for another, wondering what happened to make the relationship go south. Another great churner.
Have you ever had anger against your father, despite not really hating him? Then you'll empathize with “Dad,” a great song that really struck a chord with me, despite making me a little uncomfortable at first.
“Tell Me” is a decent ditty. The band obviously took the music, but the lyrics and presentation make up for the theft act by putting out a great tune about a relationship that has lost its lustre.
At 19 seconds, “Liar” has a simple message. Everybody lies, what'cha gonna do?
“January” evokes the time-tested method of using an easily pictured metaphor to describe a relationship in little detail with great effect. Good tune, not much else to say about it.
“Happy” asks questions that don't need explanations, a rhetorical cry for an end to sorrow. A good tune.
The album goes psychotic with a metal dirge called “Woodchuck.” Yes, you know what it's about.
“It's Your Life” is a word of warning to anyone living the time of their lives, especially those in the music industry on the verge of stardom. A pre-emptive plea of caution, and a decent song to boot.
It's time to visit the “Spank Bank,” a big diatribe against the pornography channels on TV. No, really. Chicks with dicks are not John Feldmann's fetish.
“Youth” is some juicy good filler, not much to say about it. I never noticed how much I love this disc until now.
Surprisingly, “Radio” is not a venomous attack on the airwaves, as most punk bands are prone to proclaim. Maybe this was a thank-you from the band to their new label Jive, most known for managing boy bands.
Ending the album proper is the vicious “FTN,” telling a certain metalhead and the NRA in general to go to hell, there's a bonus tirade against a certain pop songstress in there, too.
Bonuses: This disc has not one, but TWO bonus tracks. The first is a collection of hilarious prank phone calls, brilliant shit. The other is a live performance of Darrin, singing his ode to Wayne Gretzky. Really. The multimedia section features a slideshow of publicity and tour photos, a handheld camera video for “Spokesman,” around ten short snippets of tour footage, and a tragic video called “Free Me,” featuring footage from animal slaughterhouses set to a song of the same title.
