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| The Lawrence ArmsThe Greatest Story Ever Told2003 Fat Wreck Chords 
 Review by: Aubin See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on September 23rd 2003 I have a confession. Even though everyone surely thinks of me as some sort of punk rock expert, with musical knowledge dating back through the ages, I didn't really get into the Lawrence Arms until their recent Fat debut Apathy and Exhaustion. Sure, I did get most of the back catalog as tuition and rent permitted, but I'm late to the game. Nevertheless, I had no problem naming Apathy... as one of my favourite records of 2002 and a definite turning point for the guys who made it. So here we are, a little over a year later since that release, and the Lawrence Arms - or as they are affectionately known, the Larry Arms - have a follow up. And since they spent a great deal of time impressing us with their song-writing on that record, they've decided to up the bar and impress us with their gigantic book-nerd brains. For one thing, they decided to base some of the record on an old Russian novel by Mihail Bulgakov, and then peppered the remainder of the lyrics with literary and pop culture references, from the (original) Incredible Hulk to Salinger to Kafka. And lest we not pick up the references, they've packed them into a beautifully illustrated booklet, complete with annotations. So, at this point, you're wondering if I'm stalling and talking about all this college boy stuff because the record is a horrendous disappointment or something. Well, thankfully, it's not in the least. In fact, it's probably one of the best straight up punk rock records in years. Musically, the band isn't fundamentally different from prior outings, it's still a three piece, with bassist Bren and guitarist Chris alternating vocals while Neil keeps the drums going. The band plays a brand of punk rock which seems to be squarely rooted in the midwestern states, as much Husker Du as Ramones. Mid-tempo, melodic, but certainly not poppy, and with a healthy dose of grittiness and likely a larger dose of alcohol. Of course, a "Dear You"-era Jawbreaker comparison wouldn't be out of place either. Their mixture of intelligence and self-depreciating humour is a pervasive presence in the music on the record. Whether it's Chris' soft vocals on "A Wishful Pupppeteer", or Bren's rapid fire delivery on "The March of the Elephants", every note seems intelligently placed. While it took longer for some of Bren's songs to grow on me - like the phenomenal "Alert the Audience!" or the raw vocals on "On With the Show", they're among my favourites now. The band works with a simple formula, but manages to inject a great deal of heart and energy into it. While so many bands seem keen to avoid the "punk" moniker, describing themselves in all varieties of hyphenated words, it is incredible to hear a band that clearly knows that there is a great deal to wring from this genre, and consistently manages to push through every humdrum formula and burst through with yet another memorable record.People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
Best Lawrence arms albums, one of my favorite albums in general. "take a pain kill lover or you're gunna explode" haha only bad spot on album, but atleast Brenden has admitted it sucks oh my god. 'nuff said. Honestly, to me, this is the perfect album. I believe it cannot be topped. Ever. I'd be thinking way too hard right now to put my feelings into words, but I just thought I'd share my opinion. This music is perfect. I can feel every single song. 5/10 This is one of the greatest albums ever created in the history of the world. no reason this shouldn't have gotten a 10/10 Brilliant. A close second to Apathy and Exhaustion. One of the most definitve records of all time. I can't stress how much I love this album. It's next to changed my life. I like these guys! Best ever. the best lawrence arms release nothing can get better then this This album is perfect. I like this album because it has alot more Chris than Brendan, which is considerate for people who prefer Chris (consider Bren always outways Chris, song-amount-wise). With that said, I love Chris' voice but I think Brendan writes more varied songs, that is, Chris' songs kinda sound the same after a while. Still, amazing album, but not my favourite. Ingenious album with a cohesive element. This was the first album that I picked up from them and certainly remains my favorite from them. Oh! Calcutta! on the otherhand... well that's for another review. that title ain't a lie. this album fucking blows away everything ever done.. this guys are the shit, awesome lyrics,music,live perfromance, cant wait to hera oh! calcutta! i may still be drunk but these guys remind me a bit of the ol jets to brazil "If you stare to long, it all becomes a blur, and it's easy to forget just who you are. Don't stare too long. Take a look around." Honestly, I like this album alot more than Apathy & Exhaustion. The Lawrence Arms = fuckin awesome punk rock music filled with the meaningful lyrics actually those are not the lyrics. go open up your lyric booklet and learn. "Good friend, how loud do you want life to shout her answer in your ear..." - Chapter 13: The Hero Appears "I dare you to find any punk rock band within the last 5 years (other than the Alkaline Trio, and Bad Religion doesn't count), that can come close to the lyrics of the Lawrence Arms" this album is like no other and i difintely can't see myself without it in the future, and everyone who hasn't heard this album(shame on you) needs too. this album is like no other and i difintely can't see myself without it in the future, and everyone who hasn't heard this album(shame on you) needs too. I like this band and I think t's cool that they try to play other things and not only the same fucking melodi core! really cool record this album fucking rocks. anyone who could possible think otherwise is deaf, plain and simple. i dont like it quite as much as apathy and exhaustion, but shit it still blows away 95% of anything else that could possibly be labeled "punk". "My favorite band, my favorite release of 2003. I dare you to find any punk rock band within the last 5 years (other than the Alkaline Trio, and Bad Religion doesn't count), that can come close to the lyrics of the Lawrence Arms." I think this album's pretty sweet. Lawrence Arms are a truly great band. I'm not gonna bother arguing about it though. Cause there's no fucking point. My favorite band, my favorite release of 2003. I dare you to find any punk rock band within the last 5 years (other than the Alkaline Trio, and Bad Religion doesn't count), that can come close to the lyrics of the Lawrence Arms. fuck all you wankers who hate this album. And well done to the guy who can`t afford the album. Your living like a true punk Lunk said: "only 2 weeks to go 'till i can afford to buy this. " I still don't see what all the hype about this band is. the greatest story ever told by one of the worst "punk" bands ever. man this album sucks i cant stop listening to the song "the revisionist" so damn catchy absolutely brilliant cd. as with apathy, it takes a few full listens to really appreciate the sheer rockocity of it all. honestly, when i first heard this cd, i was disappointed... chris's songs seemed bland, and brendan's didn't seem to special. but after about 3 spins, i might like this one even more than apathy... the smart lyrics combined with music that actually conveys emotion and atmospehere is just amazing. apathy and exhastion was arguably my favorite release of '02. this one i have mixed feelings about. its good. but, if it wasnt for apathy... i wouldnt be nearly as impressed, if this was my first impression of the band i mean. bad english there sorry. anyway, i think chirs' songs are better on this one, same style, a little more musically adventurous ie. more parts to the songs besides standard ababcb song structure and more 'sensitive' singing, better singing. so his half of the cd i like more than his songs on apathy. wow. i just bought this today. i've listened to it through half a dozen times and all i can say is... what a disappointment. i was really looking forward to this, and what do i find but a bunch of poppy, re-hashed songs from their previous releases masquerading as new shit. how offspring is that? mmm... crack I'm a clown and i'm choking on blood, teeth and toungue. this cd gets better and better over time plus it's hard to find cash to spend on music when you're nursing a four grand a day crack habit. no, i'm not twelve, i'm twenty-two. but give me a break, i'm a student. i have to pay student union fees, transport, HECS, and buy textbooks. after five years of that, any purchase has to be planned. but this morning i just came into a bit of cash, so i'm going to buy it tomorrow before work. yeeeehaw. damn you all, i'm the one who's supposed to be the larry arms fanboy here. ah, fuck it, i'm too lazy. yay loc. Pretty damned good... A few problematic choruses, but an ace album in my book. Speaking of all these people who are talking about best modern punk bands, I'd say that The Good Leftover Crack will kill you all. how the heck could you not afford it? this score is for my anticipation... The guitar break in "fireflies" is worth the 10 stars alone. Anybody hear the Larry Arms radio broadcast last nite? I was at the No Use show in town. Man that band still has it together even tho they've been playing the same set for 4 years now. I still dig the heavier shit ala Exit from "Leche Con Carne" The Greatest Story Ever Told is quite possibly the Greatest Album Ever Heard. to the person below.. just let them have their dumb opinion.. its them who are missing out anyway alrite once again, im still not understanding how people liking a band/cd can honestly piss you off. we're going to do a test to help you, read the following statement until youre not pissed off enough to comment... you follow?.. here goes.. this album sucks. so soft and poppy and lame. if you think this is a great album youre an idiot. im sorry. give me ghost stories over this shit anyday. i also have no clue why everyone is so amazing by this cd. the lawrence arms have been using the same song/riff structure forever. its nothing new, its the old crap popped up. Unlike the anonymous predecessors of this comment, I have to disagree. These guys manage to both suck and blow at the same time. I am not sure if it is physically possible, but these guys sure managed to do the impossible. Lawrence should have his arms dismembered for this insult to my intelligence. It is like they think they can get away with this stuff. Lousy losers! damn, the Larry Arms review is no longer at the top. Now fewer and fewer people will comment in here. Anyone know of a good punk music message board? If that's really Matt Allison I've always wanted to tell you that I really liked the much rawer older A3 recordings more. Don't get me wrong I like it all, but the old goddamit era recordings made the band sound much different. Not that you care probably. I don't know why but I had to tell you...Ok, I'm an idiot. i talked to rob when colossal hit NYC. there's possiblity of a Tuesday album but it's real slim. matt, dan, and rob are all busy doing their own shit so hopefully sometime in the future they can sit down together for a week and do new Tuesday material. Rob Kellenberger (drummer for tuesday) is also playing for Duvall. I know there were plans of a Tuesday reunion but I think those are now in the toilet, unfortunately. Rob, Dan, and Matt have incredible chemistry. the drummer from Colossal (he was in Tuesday) said that if Dan has time off from Alk3, that Tuesday would make another album. I would be the happiest man alive if Tuesday would get back together. Dan needs to get smart and quit Alkaline Trio. "freewheelin'" is an amazing cd...tuesday should definitely put out a new cd...and then tour with the lawrence arms...that would be so insanely great. 'I'm praying every day for Alk3 to sign to fat and return to true punk rock form...' "i love how some peoples love for a band (mine for LA) actually pisses people off!! (everyone who's posting about how they suck) its the wierdest thing to me, i mean think about it.. honestly. Because they don't understand them, or its just not their thing, they get pissed off ....." P.P.S Lawrence Arms Top 12 (havent heard the new one but it would be too soon to include it anyways) this album is tight. enough said. I'm praying every day for Alk3 to sign to fat and return to true punk rock form... Comeback Kid and Paint it black should be in the top ten of the year..and i have the new Love Me Destroyer (it owns, by the way) and I'm gonna have to say it tops this album for me..even though I like the Arms a lot... to the people who are saying theyll sign to a major i cant predict the future but bren said in an interview (at punkbands.com) that before apathy they recieved many offers from majors but refused them to go to fat. so yea.. i love how some peoples love for a band (mine for LA) actually pisses people off!! (everyone who's posting about how they suck) its the wierdest thing to me, i mean think about it.. honestly. Because they don't understand them, or its just not their thing, they get pissed off that people like them, so they try and post to change peoples minds. Save your stupid opinion for the review of a good charlotte album... Don't hate the player hate the game... ya stinkin hater! can someone please get me the link to the news story about Justin Sane falling into the hole on stage. That would be great. Thanks. Fat is a 100 percent indepedently owned label. It is also run as such. Some labels do appear to be independent when in fact their playing corporate couple with one of the majors (Epitaph). This is not the case with Fat. They have lost three bands to majors (Face To Face, Less Than Jake, and Rise Against) in over ten years. That shows you how well they treat their core bands, many of whom have had offers from majors. Fat personifies the DIY attitude lost on such labels as Vagrant, Victory, and yes Epitaph. to whoever said fatwreck was a major..you are an idiot. I hope Larry Arms signs to a major. Then I can buy their next record for 9.99 (Canadian) like I did Thrice or Afi. No offense to Fatwreck or anything. What do they care, they have None More Black. (yes I have been spinning "File Under Black" frequently) it rules. As for the alk3 signing to fat, I'm just waiting for the announcement. Who knows? Alk3 signed to fat already once on this site. Fuck you asshole!!!! larry arms rule!!!! "you just can't fuckin convince me that the Lawrence Arms are half as good as anyone says they are" The Beltones WERE the top street-punk group around for a few years and still hold a special place in all of our hearts, whether we know it or not. I don't think I could reccomend the band more, definitely in my Top 5 Groups of the past 5-10 years. Weep weep weep. Write a review. shut the fuck up asshole, lawrence arms rocks hard. The Street Dogs album is, of course, excellent. But why the fuck is the label selling it on their site for $16.98? Who the fuck are they, Sam Goody? dumbass, fat wreck is a major Awesome cd, don't think it tops Streetlight Manifesto but it's up there. Very, very average. This band will be on a major within a year. I don't know what it is, no matter how hard I try I cannot get into any of their music, you just can't fuckin convince me that the Lawrence Arms are half as good as anyone says they are, I was hoping this album would be better than their last one I wasted ten bucks on, they're still not any good. man, the atari gaming system has just came out out with a flight simulater. Well thats weird. I haven;t heard this yet... but I want it. Bad. This is holding a spot in my top 10 of the year... So far these albums have secured spots..in no particular order Oh and about epitaph well, the only good new bands that brett has signed recently are the weakerthans and motion city soundtrack, the rest is either mediocre or garbage This is a strange example of just how big of a Larry Arms geek I am. On their official site, they named the winners of their "design a Lawrence Arms T-shirt." Anyways, for one of the winners, entry #73, Chris described it as "two guys on Rollers with a kick ass old west font" I have this exact shirt. I bought it in July. The moral of the story is that these contest winners submitted designs that have yet to be printed to this day. Weird Don't have it yet, so I can't say whether it's album of the year material Against Me will have a hard time topping this for record of the year. NIce work guys. This isn't terible, but it doesn't have near as much energy and emotion as ghost stories, guided tour and the split. The lawrence arms are capable of a lot better than this. Just got the record. It rulz, 10 stars for sure. This is album of the year. Great stuff. I don't get why everyone is blowing there loads about this band, they have talent but there is better out there I'm matt allison. I just shit my pants. I like laurence arms. they good. meow meow. For the record, I did not write the comment below. While I agree with the sentiment, I'm afraid I could never be as creative with grammar as the odd fellow that wrote it. i agree, john k samson is close, but no one can top brendan kelly for writing hello kiddies, im glad you enjoyed the album some of you, my name is matt and yes ive been going around some reviews of the larry arms and what not, ive produced a ton of chicago bands, and i must tell you this album still blows my mind, you kids can't argue with the lyrics, no band that i can think of at this present date in time can compare to the lyrics that bren and chris deliver. there punk rock legends in my mine with the ashes of tricky dick and the broadways, we will leave out slapstick cuz in the words of bren that was just pure shit, ska is silly lets move on. larry arms are the best pure rock group to this date "They have a a tiny little blurb on the Lawrence Arms in the new Spin magazine. They called them emo with pop punk leanings or something, and then compared them to Sum 41." Good disc. Cool booklet. They've done better. Not sure if you snagged the memo earlier but Slapstick, the ska-punk band out of Illinois broke up, Chief. I don't know what the fuck is going on. "they've decided to up the bar and impress us with their gigantic book-nerd brains. " you've obviously never heard of the broadways. and by the way, brendan is NOT in slapstick anymore! good friends, and one of the best band going right now. I can't wait to hear this album. Lawrence arms are great. They have a a tiny little blurb on the Lawrence Arms in the new Spin magazine. They called them emo with pop punk leanings or something, and then compared them to Sum 41. Aw come on, where's "Old Mexico Way" on your list? i think it's chris that sounds like blake, not bren. haters to the side, y'all. The Larrys are like a joke on you: either you get it or you don't. Either way, you diss the Arms, you diss yourself! Why didn't they invite blake to sing on this album? Why should they? Bren already sound enough like him, but yeah I prefer Jawbreaker myself! To the person that said that this has been done before by Samiam: Wrong! Point of clarification: the new A7X album is called "Waking the Fallen", NOT "Walking the Fallen" as posted below. got this today. Overall, I think that Apathy and Exhaustion is a little better than this, but I blame that album for significantly effecting my life. Bastards. I'm not even going to compare this to pre-AaE Larry's, cause it's just stupid, since it's all so incredible and varied. There are a lot of fucking incredible songs on this album, but I don't think Chris should have had as many songs on this as he does. Sure, he's great and all, but I don't think he has Brendan's diversity of writing and style to carry an entire album by himself, let alone half. I want more Neil songs, 106 South is still real good, don't forget that. Now that the greatness and shortcomings of this album have been defined.. on to some other points. someone said something about five iron frenzy....thats funny.....because that band is a fucking joke. christian ska can get bent. Okay, whoever buys that cheese metal instead of the glorious Larry Arms is fucking bonkers. For real. Fuck Tower and go to an indie store and buy a real CD: TLA. I went to go buy this cd today but Tower records couldn't find it so I got the new Avenged Sevenfold instead.......buy that cd right now!!! Avenged Sevenfold-Walking the Fallen Ok the Larry Arms obviously have some talent, and the references they use sound super cool. But the first time I heard the Larry Arms I thought it was Samiam. So my buddy and I {who he had never heard of Samiam} found one of my old records of Samiam and put it on at the same time as the Larry Arms song that he showed me. Well from there we just about shit our pants because it was the biggest ripoff I have ever heard of my life. too bad that when i saw them they absolutly sucked live, Since a new record would probably be too soon next year, I hope they at least get a split out or something. I need my Larry Arms fix every year. i want some more links to amazon.com Excellent review! But it STILL doesn't do the LA's justice. This band deserves loads more credit, and this record is surely one of this year's best. Props to the Arms. its not bad, but kind of redundant and as one guy put it 'overwrought'. not going to let you down if you buy it, but probably won't get that many listens down the road. i knew this would be awesome, bought this today at lunch even though i had one coming in the mail cause i couldnt wait... the first listen gave me mixed feelings, but the more i listen to it the better it gets. one of my complaints about "apathy" was that many of the songs sounded very similar, and this definetely fixes that.. it will take a little more getting used to, bren's songs particularly seemed a little weird at first, but i think the best cds are like that. it reminds me a lot of ghost stories which was my previous favorite. i think this is the cd that really |
