Mezmerize (clean) [Clean]

Mezmerize (clean) [Clean]

Track Listings

1. Soldier Side (Intro)

2. B.Y.O.B.

3. Revenga

4. Cigaro

5. Radio/Video

6. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song

7. Violent Pornography

8. Question!

9. Sad Statue

10. Old School Hollywood

11. in Hollywood

Tracks:

Soldier Side - Intro
B.Y.O.B.
Revenga
Cigaro
Radio/Video
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like Im On This Song
Violent Pornography
Question!
Sad Statue
Old School Hollywood
Lost in Hollywood

Amazon.com

Four CD's and nearly ten years into their career, System of a Down continue to be the Gilbert and Sullivan of this generation, delivering razor-sharp political commentary via beautiful, quirky melodies and discordant harmonies.

The group has mastered the ability to be both successful and subversive--with 2001's Toxicity selling over six million copies and debuting at number one on the Billboard charts, their success in indisputable. As far are their subversive-ness, the lyrical content on Mezmerize is a solid stream of anti-war, anti-corporate and anti-celebrity sentiment. The disc's first single proves as beautifully schizophrenic as anything the band has released. "B.Y.O.B." opens with guitarist Daron Malakian's rapid-fire riff, then frontman Serj Tankian's anti-war screams of "Why do they always send the poor?"; less than a minute later, a nearly-surreal jump to a facetiously perky, beach party chorus that could easily be found on a Britney or Justin record: "Everybody's going to the party/have a real good time." Guitarist/co-songwriter Malakian takes increased vocal time on the disc, including the hilarious, size-obsessed "Cigaro" and celeb-slapping "Radio/Video". Witticism aside, musical and lyrical intensity peaks with the operatic "Question!" and the emotional piledriver that is "Sad Statue", the group¹s unflinching statement on war and Lady Liberty.

The only shortcoming of Mezmerize is, quite simply, that it is short. Clocking in at a mere 38 minutes, the reason given is that this release is one-half of a two CD set--with part 2, Hypnotize, expected in late fall 2005. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

Awsome.......2007-08-03

When it comes to bands being fast and or heavy, I like bands to be both. This album isnt that heavy, but it's very fast. I like it alot. It's unique, funny, and it's an album that all fans will probobly enjoy.

They try, but fail...and no system can help them now.......2007-03-11

Sad state of "rock" today, I mean when I read that this band is actually trying to bring back 70's type "art" rock with their format, I want to hurl. If you want that, then listen to Yes or Blue Oyster Cult or what have you. Don't grab an album from hacks that cannot play who are trying to rehash an old formula. The result is a lot of uninspiring garbage. Poor vocals yelling the typical anti-war slogans, I mean that is great if they were the first but Pearl Jam, Ministry and KMFDM have been doing it for years now. Suddenly we are supposed to find meaning coming from a Darren/Darin/ who spells it D-a-r-r-o-n? Worst songs are Revenga and Cigaro but none of them get as high as three stars in my book. Needless screaming, pointless yelling and guitar chords that slam and chug with no direction. So yeah, I would suggest check out some other bands before jumping on this bandwagon, which has already hitched onto the coattails of about every idea that has come along in the past 30 years. Uneventful, moderate at best, but for the most part just not music. Show some meaning in the lyrics, or some intelligent playing. I know garage bands that have more purpose, but hey these guys got signed so now everyone is assuming it's what's for dinner.

A CLASSIC.......2007-02-20

i've been listening to this album (and hypnotize) since they came out, and am convinced they are one of the best bands out there. there are some people that only like their first two albums, and don't like these. fair enough, everyone has different tastes. to the people who don't like the political content, you shouldn't be writing a review, because you probably don't understand it. there isn't a whole lot of great music out there right now, but if you like awesome harmonies and good hard rock, get this. if not, don't. what do i care?

No musical value, whatsover!!!.......2007-01-19

I feel sorry that this was the first album that I heard from this group, because now I don't feel like listening to anything else from them. Each and every song on this CD is just plain F-L-A-T. Geometrically, one could depict the music on this album as a straight line. There's hardly any melody in the music. This seems to be a bass-and-drum-happy group for there's nothing else to their music. Lead vocalist sings in a flat note throughout the album, prompting me to paste a you've-heard-one-you've-heard'em-all label on this CD. After listening to the CD fully, I was unable to recollect even a single tune, so noisy this album sounded to me.

Surely, there's plenty of following for this kind of noisy and "thrash" music in western part of the world, but how can one call this music when there's hardly any in it? Attribute it to my conditioning, since I was born and brought up in India where the music tends to be very melodious and is composed of catcy tunes, but I found this album to be absolutely worthless. A few people may have a notion that heavy metal music cannot be melodious, but they just need to listen to Metallica, Guns n Roses, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Lamb of God,.....to see how melody can be infused by skilful singing and proper lead-guitar playing. SKIP IT IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MUSICAL EXPERIENCE! I highly recommend SAW 3 soundtrack that I am currently listening to in this album's place. It is ABSOLUTELY ROCKING!!!

Well almost perfect.......2006-12-31

After listening to Hypnotize a whole bunch of times, I wanted to hear some more SOAD, so I got Mezermize and it is SO GOOD, but not perfect. Why? I'll explain; Daron get's more vocal time, now I don't have a problem with that, it's just that his voice is just too low compared to Serj's rich vocal's, but once you get used to Daron's voice, you will like the song's that he get's the most airtime on like 'Lost In Hollywood' where he sing's the whole song while Serj just moan's in the background.
The album start's out with the last song on Hypnotize 'Soldier Side' (on Hypnotize, it's a very haunting song even after having the album for eight month's and listening to it countless times and perhap's the most darkest song that SOAD has sone since their first self-titled debut album). BYOB (Bring Your Own Bombs) is a anti-bush and anti-war song with the lyrics's "Everyone's going to the party have a real good time." where they are talking about Bush spending ten's of millions on his presidential party while thousand's were dead from the tsunami in Southeast Asia.
Another anti-war song is 'Sad Statue', while some some songs on this album that are anti-celebrity, and anti-coporation like 'Radio/Video' and 'Cigaro' where they poke fun at the music industry and coporation's, while some song's on this album are just pure SOAD; 'Violent Pornography', 'This Cocaine Make's Me Feel Like I'm On This Song' and 'Revenga'.
So to answer your question, is this the best SOAD album? Well it's comes pretty close to being perfect while it is not Toxicity or System of a Down (their first album), but enjoy this while it last because it is going to be at least a couple of year's before SOAD hit's the studio again because according to Daron they are going to take a much-needed break 'for a few year's'. Thanks for reading my review.

Average customer rating:

Great CD for the younger listeners
Click back, then look for the one without (clean).
cool cd
An okay reveiw from Connor D.G
rock on

Mezmerize (clean)
System of a Down
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hypnotize
Steal This Album (Clean)
Toxicity
System of a Down
Break the Cycle [Clean Version]

ASIN: B0009A1B7C
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Tracks:

Soldier Side - Intro
B.Y.O.B.
Revenga
Cigaro
Radio/Video
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
Violent Pornography
Question!
Sad Statue
Old School Hollywood
Lost In Hollywood

Customer Reviews:

Great CD for the younger listeners.......2007-03-25

My sons got addicted to this cd but I didn't want them to hear all the foul language so I found this edited version. This is perfect I don't have to self edit the CD and my boys can still rock out.

Click back, then look for the one without (clean)........2006-04-29

No!! Do not buy this CD. Seriously, if one were to buy this version, they really should go buy P.O.D. or something. Buy the real version.

cool cd.......2006-01-15

great cd for SOAD fans. for those that don't know about SOAD, this is a great cd to get into, and i also suggest listening to "toxiccity" and "hypnotize" by them.

An okay reveiw from Connor D.G.......2005-10-18

This album is okay.I bought it from Walmart,and it was cut and
clean.This was a pretty good until you got to "Lost in Hollywood"
that is the only crappy song on it.

rock on.......2005-09-07

I liked mezmerize becuse it was hard core. system of a down is one of the best rock bands out there. i recommend this CD to people that likes hard core rock.

String Quartet Tribute to System of Down's Mezmerize

Average customer rating:

It's not enough to express SOAD's music
A great tribute to a great album
Very interesting album

String Quartet Tribute to System of Down's Mezmerize
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Vitamin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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String Quartet Tribute to System of a Down
The String Quartet Tribute to System of a Down's Hypnotize
The String Quartet Tribute Linkin Park's Meteora
The String Quartet Tribute to Chevelle
The String Quartet Tribute to Breaking Benjamin

ASIN: B000B5KRIY
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Soldier Side-Intro
B.Y.O.B.
Revenga
Cigaro
Radio / Video
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
Violent Pornography
Question!
Sad Statue
Old School Hollywood
Lost In Hollywood

Product Description

1. Soldier Side – Intro
2. B.Y.O.B.
3. Revenga
4. Cigaro
5. Radio/Video
6. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel
Like I’m on This Song
7. Violent Pornography
8. Question!
9. Sad Statue
10. Old School Hollywood
11. Lost In Hollywood

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

It's not enough to express SOAD's music.......2006-05-01

Musical instruments are Violin(x2), Viola, Cello.
It's not enough to express SOAD's music.
And their skills cannnot make up for lack of instruments.

A great tribute to a great album.......2005-12-01

For those fans of the first album in System of a Down's two-disc offering, "Mesmerize", who are unsure whether or not to pick up this tribute, set your worries aside. The String Quartet are professionals when it comes to setting your favorite rock band to strings. From Metallica, to New Order, and Queens of the Stone Age, if they're popular, the String Quartet has probably paid tribute.

It is very rare, however, that the String Quartet focus their energy on one single album from an artist, which makes this an incredible honor for any band who is so honored. If you don't think those crunchy, driving guitar riffs can be captured in the strings of these instruments, think again.

"Soldier Side" brings us fluttering into the upcoming classical feat, and then immediately shoves us headfirst into the moshpit that is "B.Y.O.B". The opening riff is incredible here, but unfortunately the string representing the wild vocals of Serj in this track misfire here and there, making it a little tough to listen to. The Quartet also missteps into Daron's breakdown in the track, making it a hard one to recommend to System listeners.

"Revenga" is next, and the Quartet is given a chance to move down in pace a little bit, and they easily catch up and lay it on our ears. They can keep pace with Serj's rapid-fire vocals in this tune, as they will later in the album, and the galloping riff in this song flies off the strings with ease.

"Cigaro" is another song that is tough to pay tribute to in string form, but it is certainly a better effort than "B.Y.O.B." in that respect. "Radio/Video" is without dispute one of the better tracks on this album, as the Quartet once again shows their prowess once the tracks slow down and focus more on the harmony of Daron and Serj. But there's no rest for the wicked, as they're immediately flung into "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song," the first fast-paced song that they seem to be able to keep up with, and one that I have no doubt would be absolutely fascinating to see live.

Crossing into the second half of the album with "Violent Pornography," which was my favorite track from Mesmerize, gliding softly into the harsh strings of the verses and the chorus and once again showing that they can pull off some fast-paced songs every now and then. "Question!" manages to be well-known for the same thing in its original and string form--the rocket-fire ending for the song is incredibly well done. "Sad Statue," one of the few filler tracks on Mesmerize or Hypnotize is a worthy tribute but one that will be easily overlooked for the next two songs.

"Old School Hollywood" and its synth line posed a strong challenge for the String Quartet, but one they took head on. Nevermind the crazy vocals of Daron turned into frantic whines, and the song is just done to a T, as it will certainly be a treat for those that might have been lulled into a false sense of security by the easier-going tracks before this.

"Lost In Hollywood," unfortunately, doesn't translate well to strings, as it's better to experience Daron's vocals in the original, but you can't have a tribute album without that song.

Bottom line: A few misfires early are made up in the middle of the album, as the Quartet finds its swing quickly, plowing through songs in the manner that would make System of a Down proud. Unfortunately, some of these songs were just unnecessary in the sense that they could've been left off in favor of making a System of a Down compilation. But again, you can't have a tribute to an album and leave tracks off, so kudos to the Quartet for trying to make it all come together.

Very recommended buy for those obsessed with System of a Down and/or classical music, otherwise downloading a few of the key tracks like "Violent Pornography" and "Old School Hollywood" off iTunes might be enough to satisfy your tastes.

Very interesting album.......2005-10-29

It's amazing how such heavy rock songs can sound so good played by a string quartet. I wish it had been played by a full symphonic orchestra but a quartet is still good enough.

And being a huge fan of System of a Down, I am very picky. Some songs even sound like Bela Bartok (i.e. Sad statue). SOAD could easily rival with any contemporary classical composer. The songs, played in a classical style reveals all the complexity and melodic ingenuity that might not have been noticed by the "non-fan". You won't be disapointed.