Randy

You Can't Keep a Good Band Down (1998)

Dubar

If the title of this album is true, then you most certainly can't keep Randy down. Randy has been around for over a decade, and prior to this cd, had a politically-driven sound best compared to Propagandhi: hard, fast, and angry.
However, with the release of this cd, they seemed to have reinvented themselves. The album as a whole is noticably less aggressive, much much more catchy, and, thats not a bad thing at all. I think the closest comparison I can come up with soundwise is Bad Religion, but with less big words, and they seem to be having a LOT more fun.

What makes Randy stand out, in my mind, is, unlike other political bands, their lyrics are straightforward, reading like a sentence rather than a poem chock full of metaphors, and tackling realistic ideas and offering real-world solutions.

This album starts off with a bang. The first track, "Holy Shit", is probably their hardest to date, and remarks on the alterior motives of organized religion. Other standouts include "The Exorcist" (about the movie, and atheism), "Superstar" , "Randy, I Don't Need You", "They Fear Us", and my favorite, "Working Class Radio".

If you're looking to have a lot of fun, and maybe learn something in the process, check this cd out.