The Action Is Go

The Action Is Go

Track Listings

1. Evil Eye

2. Urethane

3. Action Is Go

4. Burning Road

5. Guardrail

6. Anodizer

7. Trackside Hoax

8. Unknown World

9. Laserbl'ast!

10. Hogwash

11. Grendel, Snowman

12. Strolling Astronomer

13. Saturn III

14. Nothing Done

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Despite the loss of two ostensibly crucial members--guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano--Fu Manchu soldier on with the followup to their brain-numbing masterpiece, In Search of.... While The Action Is Go doesn't quite equal the high-water mark the band set on its previous outing, it mines the same Sabbath/'70s hard-rock vein with slightly different results. Produced by White Zombie guitarist J. Yuenger, Fu's fourth album has less garage fuzz and more heavy metal crunch. Though Glass and Romano's replacements--Bob Balch and former Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork, respectively--do a good job handling the band's standard chug-a-rama, their feel for and interpretation of the material is dramatically different than that of their predecessors. Like every Fu Manchu outing, The Action Is Go heaves and grunts with monstrously heavy classic guitar riffs. There's absolutely nothing new about them--you've heard most of these riffs on any number of Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult records. However, it's the little touches--such as guitarist/vocalist Scott Hill's plaintive, stoned wail and bassist Brad Davis's snaky, throbbing bass lines--that make Fu Manchu more than just pale imitators. While Balch and Bjork add their own personal touches to the proceedings, their contributions aren't quite as unusual as they might be, and ultimately The Action Is Go suffers from this lack. Though it's not a bad album, the garage edge that once gave the band a muscle up on the competition (Monster Magnet, Slo Burn, and others) is sorely missed here. --Adem Tepedelen

Tracks:

Evil Eye
Urethane
The Action is Go
Burning Road
Guardrail
Anodizer
Trackside Hoax
Unkown World
Laserbl'ast
Hogwash
Grendel, Snowman
Strolling Astronomer
Saturn III
Nothing Done

Amazon.com

Despite the loss of two ostensibly crucial members--guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano--Fu Manchu soldier on with the followup to their brain-numbing masterpiece, In Search of.... While The Action Is Go doesn't quite equal the high-water mark the band set on its previous outing, it mines the same Sabbath/'70s hard-rock vein with slightly different results. Produced by White Zombie guitarist J. Yuenger, Fu's fourth album has less garage fuzz and more heavy metal crunch. Though Glass and Romano's replacements--Bob Balch and former Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork, respectively--do a good job handling the band's standard chug-a-rama, their feel for and interpretation of the material is dramatically different than that of their predecessors. Like every Fu Manchu outing, The Action Is Go heaves and grunts with monstrously heavy classic guitar riffs. There's absolutely nothing new about them--you've heard most of these riffs on any number of Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult records. However, it's the little touches--such as guitarist/vocalist Scott Hill's plaintive, stoned wail and bassist Brad Davis's snaky, throbbing bass lines--that make Fu Manchu more than just pale imitators. While Balch and Bjork add their own personal touches to the proceedings, their contributions aren't quite as unusual as they might be, and ultimately The Action Is Go suffers from this lack. Though it's not a bad album, the garage edge that once gave the band a muscle up on the competition (Monster Magnet, Slo Burn, and others) is sorely missed here. --Adem Tepedelen

Customer Reviews:

Their Best Stoner CD.......2006-09-07

Slower, fuzzier, searing guitars and layered sustained solos, Fu Manchu take their time providing the anti-dote to "In Search Off". Gone is the frantic, solo fast and furiously approach, replaced by mood and groove and mining it for all it's worth. Brandt Bjork provides his last create drum performance, locking on to Bob Blach's restrained yet emotive guitar solos, creating instrumental passages that build momentum and power. Totally different than ISO, but equally essential, TAIG, is Fu Manchu's most "stoner" cd.

"UN-I-DENTI-FIED !!! UN-I-DENTI-FIED !!!".......2006-07-08

If you read the entire Editorial Review (above) by Adem Tepedelen, you may come away thinking this CD pales in comparison to "In Search Of..." Well, I say it blows it away, and here's why:

First of all, he states Fu Manchu's line-up change has brought about a blandness to their music when Eddie and Ruben split for good. Look at their replacements, though--Brant Bjork (drums) of Kyuss and Mondo Gen., and Bob Balch (who I must admit, I've never heard of this guitar player) who, compared to Eddie Glass, is like comparing sticky krypto to skunky krypto: they're both REAL good...so do you really care? Then, he goes on to say that Fu cannot compete with Monster Magnet anymore. What? It's 2006, and I'm surely not going to put on a Monster Magnet CD anymore...but I listen to Fu nearly everyday. Their sound stands the test of time!

The music changed a little. The utter grunge and sludge was altered, incorporating a real 70's rock aspect. There's been a huge revival in our culture I believe--a renewed love affair with classic rock. You didn't see this in the late late 80's or the 90's. But now, you hear it everywhere, and I believe Fu Manchu is one of a handful of bands to help this process along in the mid to late 90's.

Every song on this CD is good. There are a few tracks which reak of the "In Search Of..." sound. The first song, "Evil Eye," reminds you of the past. The next track, "Urethane" (Fu's best song ever) introduces you to the new sound. It sounds like Fu Manchu, Black Sabbath and AC/DC all jamming together at once. It's musical perfection.Then, song 3 (title track) thrust you backward with a very Eddie Glass-esque, fast-paced, hard core style rock song. "Burning Road" then presents a mix of old and new--quiet, slow, rythmic; then, you're hit with a tidal wave of distorted guitars.

"Laserb'last," "Grendel, Snowman" and "Saturn III" are influenced greatly by Bjork's presence, and are very remniscent of Kyuss. Grendel sounds like a song from "Red Sun" while Saturn sounds and feels like it belongs on "Sky Valley." These songs are both THAT GOOD.

"Anodizer" is awesome. Sounds just like what they hit us with on "In search Of" (think Strato-Streak). It has a low, grungy, dark riff and tone to it.

"Guardrail" and "Unkown World" are so Eddie Glass-heavy, you'd pleasantly think they were NEBULA songs...really. They both sound like something from "To The Center" or "Charged."

The other songs are all good as well. But for me, Evil Eye, Urethane, Anodizer and Grendel are the reasons I think this CD is the best of it's kind. They blow away many of their contemporaries, and even much of their own music with these four legendary tracks.

In my opinion, "The Action is Go" tops all of Fu Manchu's other recordings. They never put anything together again that was quite this perfectly good from start to finish. I believe they made their very best music between '96 and '99, where we got "In Search," this CD, "(Godzilla's) Eatin' Dust" and "King of the Road." This was 'Chu at their very best.

Not Stoner Enough , Not Modern Rock Enough, mmmmhhhh!!.......2006-01-26

I have read many good reviews of this band and i ignore if i did a bad choice with this particular release but Fu Manchu seems to be in the middle of everything, not quite heavy, not quite pop, not quite indye, not quite alternative, not quite stoner and sometimes this is maybe refreshing, after all that made of Faith No More what they were for instance, but that is not for everyone and certainly it doesnt seem to work for Fu Manchu , and im not a purist at all i have to remark, guitars sound dense and that is cool , but vocals are so clean and kinda happy that you can imagine a group of nice kids playing in their parents garage in their free time and after finishing their homework, that is so against the philosophy of the sound they (perhaps im not so sure at this pont) are looking for, a little of suffering would be nice or maybe a little of existencial issues or complains about whatever, i dont know, something is missing here, neither having in this album to ex kyuss drummer Brant Bjork included, it provides some good element, this is an album very hard to rate, neither i can decide if they deserve less that the three stars im giving here because that would be unfair too , as i said before, in the middle of everything.

HM

Solid Hard Rocking Fun.......2006-01-15

Fu Manchu are without doubt one of the leaders of the stoner rock genre, and with `Action Is Go' they will certainly please many a fan. The band has never been one to mix it up really, sticking to their guns, they release consistent hard rocking albums albeit rather one-dimensional. Here lies my one true criticism of `Action Is Go', and FM's work in general, it becomes too repetitive. The guitar hooks are good at times, the drumming is more than adequate, and the lazy singing is cool at first, but unlike my favourite stoner rock/metal bands, most notably the legendary Kyuss and the gravely underrated Spiritual Beggars, I don't feel the need to come back for more.

There are some stellar songs on this album, when FM get it right, it really works. Examples of this are the fine opener `Evil Eye' which has a great driving main riff, the old-school sound of `Urethane' and the powerful climax of `Anodizer'. There really isn't a bad song on the album as such, just too many that pass by without grabbing any attention.

This album will satisfy the stoner rock/metal fan, but depending on how much diversity you look for you might not enjoy it on a regular basis. For a once in while little spell of hard rocking FM, this is a nice album.

Love the musical indie aggression.......2004-02-10

I love this album... espically the reference to hotrods, skateboards, and bmx... I highly recomend this album...

Average customer rating:

Opera in English
4 1/2Stars...exciting voice and singing

Barry Banks Sings Bel Canto Arias

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Gitano

ASIN: B0002AAPB2
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

'In Dreams Of Endless Pleasure'
'Through Her Soul In Endless Grieving'
'May Destiny Befriend You'
'The Blow At Last Has Fallen'
'Could I Ever Believe'/'Her Joy Is My Joy'
'Here I Stand'/'Since It Is Not By Merit'
'Poor Lost Ernesto'/'I Shall Go, No More Returning'
'Only One Teardrop'
'Palace Of Horrors!'/'Ah, How Can I Hide The Flames'
'Darling! Darling, Let Me Embrace You!'
'I Lost The Will To Action'
'Suzel, Good Morning!'
'The Night Is Calm'

Customer Reviews:

Opera in English.......2007-03-19

Barry Banks is certainly a contender for one of the best tenors around. THis is a great example of coloratura and legato line which is very well executed in a rather booming tenor voice. I just saw Mr. Banks in "The Elixer of Love" and he was stupendous. This is a large tenor voce in the theatre which alas is difficult to capture in a studio recording...you have to take my word. THe translations are often odd as they generally are, but this recording is certainly worth having. (although I prefer in the original language)

4 1/2Stars...exciting voice and singing.......2004-12-02

Mr. Banks has a "heroic lyric tenor" if there is such a category. His fast vibrato and power lend the voice excitement and attention getting presence. I was intrigued by him in his stunning appearance in the Rimsky-Korsakov "Le'Coq d'Or" DVD (a not-to-be-missed experience)-- he was a stand-out there there and I went looking for other things by him. This CD is treasurable in many ways. The repertoire is interesting and the duets add flavor to the whole. The only small complaint I have is that perhaps Mr. Banks lacks just the last bit of emotional connection in his singing. You won't go wrong getting this excellent CD.

Average customer rating:

Action Is Plus

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000501E8
Release Date: 2000-09-20

Tracks:

Piso Mojado
Gimme (Like A Birthday)
The Messy Imperative
Statues Lose The Race
My Gurl (Copkiller #263)
Squinting With Yr Ears
Punk Rock Tuesday
Tandem Bike
Song For Evil Chrissy
New Humans
Earth Angel (Part 3)
Bobby Velvet's Revenge
Rags
Blues Flash
This Distraction
Piso Mojado #2

Album Description

"Action Is Plus" is the new full-length album by this energetic indie band from san francisco. it's a diverse and interesting collection of songs, sometimes touching gently, sometimes total rock action. these 16 songs travel in many different directions, filled with the textures of odd guitar tunings and fierce pop hooks. fans who've witnessed their dynamic live shows will be thrilled with this release. new fans are in for a treat as well, because theGet-Go always serves up powerful pop- whether it's the quirky catchiness of "the messy imperative", the distorted blasts of "squinting with yr ears", or dreamy love songs such as "punk rock tuesday"...

Average customer rating:

Let's take a trip.

Ventures a Go-Go/Where the Action Is!
The Ventures
Manufacturer: See for Miles
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Surf Rock | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

Surf Guitar | Rock Guitarists | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Oldies & Retro | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Rock Guitarists | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000I9Y2
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Go-Go Slow
Louie, Louie
Night Stick
Bamba
"In" Crowd
Wooly Bully
Go-Go Guitar
Go-Go Dancer
Swingin' Creeper
Whittier Boulevard
I Like It Like That
Action
Lies
Fever
Stop Action
3's a Crowd
Taste of Honey
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
Action Plus
Hang on Sloopy (My Girl Sloopy)
Nutty
Little Bit of Action
She's Just My Style

Customer Reviews:

Let's take a trip........2006-09-29

This CD features two Ventures albums from late 1965/early 1966.

The Ventures a Go-Go was the Ventures 20th album. It was released to capitalize on the popularity of go-go dancing. It features seven cover versions of recent hits, and five original tunes. The album has a lot of organ on it. I was surprised that the vocal lines in "Satisfaction" were played by an organ, instead of a guitar like they normally do when they cover a song with lyrics. Out of the original tunes, the great "The Swingin' Creeper" is a favorite among Ventures fans, although "A Go-Go Dancer" is pretty terrific, too. The rest of the album is also solid.

Where the Action Is was the Ventures 21st album. It was titled after a TV show that featured rock groups "performing" (really lip synching). The first song on the album is the theme song from that show (played by Paul Revere and the Raiders on the show itself). This album also features seven cover versions of recent hits, and five original tunes. The album has a harder edge to it, with quite a bit of fuzztone guitar. The best of the original songs is "Action Plus", but I also should mention "Nutty", which is based on The Nutcracker Suite (get it?). The best of the covers is "Lies", which is fantastic. The rest of the album is good, too.

Dennis O'Neill Sings More Favourite Tenor Arias

Average customer rating:

Dennis O'Neill Sings More Favourite Tenor Arias

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0001JSS6S
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

Go On Stage - Put On Your Costume
Heaven And Sea!
I Pray That I Be Chosen - Goddess Aida
When Holy Church Has Blessed Our Love - That Fierce Inferno, Her Cruel Sentence
Foresto, My Soul Belongs To You
Here Unobserved In This Chapel - Angel Of Love Divine
One Day, Gazing At the Splendour Of Heav'n's Blue Distance
Just Like A Day In May Time
Ah! Would That God Had Given Him A Thousand Lives! - Yes, I Swear By Skies Of Marble
Do Not Fear Me
Give Me My Palette! - How Strange A Thing Is Beauty
Let Her Believe That I Have Gained My Freedom
My Friends, Don't Go Away - Neightbours, With A Glass I Meet You - Diana Montague
Mamma, Mamma, This New Wine Really Is Powerful - Diana Montague
I Lost The Will To Action
Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen

Average customer rating:

Go Where Action Is
Mullens
Manufacturer: Get Hip Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Garage Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000J62U
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Egg It On
Lost That Feelin'
Don't Come Back
Future Days
You Lied
Sad Girl
Miserable Party
Lockjaw, Ohio
I'm Sick
Be OK
Not So Bad
Hurt You Quick

Product Description

Featuring twelve new originals, Go Where The Action Is, the second full-length by Dallas, TXÂ’s Mullens brims with raw energy. Recorded in their home studio, this album is tougher than their debut yet still contains the same no-nonsense, high-energy rock Â‘nÂ’ roll. "The Mullens are the Stooges, Heartbreakers, Dave Clark Five and DMZ all in one band."--Gearhead

Average customer rating:

Go Go/Where the Action Is
Ventures
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E13Q
Release Date: 1996-11-21

Album Description

BIN# R07585 1994 24 TRACKS SONGS INCLUDE:I CAN'T GE NO SATISFACTION...GO-GO SLOW...LOUIE LOUIE...NIGHT STICK...LA BAMBA...THE 'IN' CROWD...WOOLLY BULLY...A GO-GO GUITAR...A GO-GO DANCER...THE SWINGIN'CREEPER...WHITTIER BLVD...I LIKE IT L