Die Hunns
Long Legs (2004)
JanelleJ
Brimming with one raucous, upbeat rock 'n' roll anthem after another, 'Long Legs' is an excellent record - Die Hunns' fourth since the band's inception in 2000. (You may know them as Duane Peters and the Hunns, but they've since shortened their moniker.) Featuring a bunch of covers, including the somewhat obscure, but classic Sex Pistols composition "Did You No Wrong" and re-recorded versions of cuts from previous albums, this may seem like a "throwaway" record for those who already have all The Hunns' prior releases, but on the contrary, this is - at least so farâ¦yes, it still IS early in the year - undoubtedly a strong contender for year-end best-of lists - or at least THIS reviewer's year-end Top 5… A kind of "best of" album, what the band chose to do was to alter the songs slightly - i.e. things they weren't happy with on the original versions have been tweaked, and so on.
The album is simply comprised of high quality, energetic, spirited tunes that are sure to get you moving. The impressiveness of the record is in large part due to the newly-added punch of Corey Parks' (Nashville Pussy) formidable bass-slinging and cool vocal prowess showcased on songs like the incredible opener "Time Has Come Today". This is not to take away from the legendary Duane Peters of U.S. Bombs fame, of course. His distinctively caustic, abrasive vocals shine on songs like the surf-infused "Dead Man", where his voice is at its angriest, most vehement and the overtly political "War of the World". And the wonderful vocal interplay between Parks and Peters on Die Hunns' powerful rendition of Wipers' "Tragedy" and the hard-rocking "Love & Hate", are likewise highlights of the album.
Old rock 'n' roll/punk flourishes abound on the out-of-control "Burn in Hell" with shouts of "Hey ho, let's go!" at one point, shortly followed by Peters' "Road Runner" ramblings atop that familiar riff. Yet, interestingly, perhaps the finest offering is "Animals", which with its acoustic guitars and echo-y feel, is the most sedate (that is, for The Hunnsâ¦) of the 15 tracks. It's a bit slower than the others, but is still highly energetic and there's just something about the gang vocals throughout that make it all the better.