Mike Park

Mike Park: For The Love Of MusicFor The Love Of Music (2003)
Asian Man Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: maverickScott
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on November 14th 2003On the front of for The Love Of Music, there is a small red sticker that says "Debut solo acoustic CD. Songs about politics, racism, and everyday life." Sweet, the sticker more or less just wrote my review for me. All I need to do is throw in a couple adjectives about just how great these songs.

On the front of for The Love Of Music, there is a small red sticker that says "Debut solo acoustic CD. Songs about politics, racism, and everyday life."

Sweet, the sticker more or less just wrote my review for me. All I need to do is throw in a couple adjectives about just how great these songs about politics, racism, and everyday life are, and we're good to go.

But I suppose I should expound slightly more, so here goes - Mike Park is a punk rock philanthropist; running a successful indie label out of his parents' garage while founding the Plea For Peace Foundation and subsequent tour package to help raise money for the charity. As a side note, a portion of proceeds of sales of this CD will also go to the Plea For Peace Foundation, courtesy of Sub City.

Park's career has taken him every which way, through Skankin' Pickle and the B. Lee Band into the Chinkees. For The Love Of Music is the result of years of patient work by a man who, by all outward appearances, shouldn't have any time to write a song ever, let alone record and tour on one. But write and record these eleven songs he did, and I for one thank him.

These acoustic numbers are just what the sticker bills them as: songs about politics, racism, and everyday life. Park's Asian background gives him plenty of fodder for songs about racism, and songs like "From Korea" are chock full of his brand of biting humor and matter-of-fact lyrical style.

Also, many people associate "acoustic" with words like "suck," "lame," and "wussy." Someone must have forgotten to give Mike this memo, as these songs rock just as hard as if they were plugged in. Park enlists friends such as Pat Ford and Rob Kellenberger [both of too many Chicago bands to even begin naming] on about half of the songs to play electric bass and drums, and while Mike's solid baritone and guitar can carry a track easily by themselves, the extra instrumentation just gives each one of those songs an extra kick of memorability. "Counting Sheep" is a beautiful 5 minute ballad, whereas "Southbound 280" delivers with an uptempo rock song that makes your head bop while your mind expands.

In a perfect world, this CD would sell a million copies and all of the work Mike Park does would finally be vindicated through this shiny plastic disc. As it stands, this will probably just fall through the cracks as yet another poorly-promoted indie release that sells a handful of copies before it goes out of print, with each person who owns one praising it to high heaven and making everyone else wish they were on board the USS Mike Park before it set sail.

Okay, that last part was a bit too much rambling for my liking, but the point is, this CD is an honest, sincere document of one man's trials and tribulations over the past three decades. Mike Park should have earned your attention and respect long before this, but in case you're one of the uneducated, this is a good enough place to begin your conversion to Parkism as any.

MP3s
On That Stage
Present Day Memories

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

coffinfullofnails (August 30, 2006)

finally got my new copy of this after i lost it and realized how much i missed it. good album, great man.

Anonymous (November 15, 2004)

just got this cd from my school's radio station. wow, it is really good. I didnt think id like it as much as I do.

Anonymous (August 18, 2004)

best solo accustic record!
yes I LOVE IT!! and YOU should do it too!!! :-)

Anonymous (June 22, 2004)

very fast comment:

I LOVE IT!!

Kenjamin (April 30, 2004)

I saw him a Plea for Peace and the songs on here that he played came alive, even without the violin or Colossal backing him up. He played old stuff too. I got to meet him and i was as nervous as fuck and ended up sounding like an assclown. Forgive me Mike.

Anonymous (March 6, 2004)

At first listen the album was just good, but now it has grown on me and I almost believe myself when I say I'll never get tired of these songs no matter how many times I play them.
Also, I'm not calling out the people that just smashed on this album but honestly, this is not an album you just happen upon. You must have put some effort into getting it which means you must have had a general idea of how it was going to sound even if you had not even heard a Mike Park song prior (it is a solo debut acoustic album). Well it seems to me that everyone who said this album was crappy said so as if they were expecting a genre that was just not being advertised. If somebody got the album with the preconceived notion of the genre it was advertising and still thought the album was crappy. Then that is a valid and respectable negative opinion. Personally though, I find it almost impossible to not find this album incredible if you knew what you were even purchasing.

Greenvandal (November 20, 2003)

Seriously, stop being that guy.

Anonymous (November 19, 2003)

hey That Guy, i made the first 'don't be That Guy' post on this thread, and i made it because you went all apeshit on somebody for joking about a Mike Park song. somebody said 'i didn't sit next to him because he was asian' and you acted like he started up a chapter of the KKK. next time chill the fuck out and maybe i won't have to say that you're being That Guy. but in this case you really were being That Guy.

Anonymous (November 19, 2003)

now now. Dont be Greenvandal. And by Greenvandal I mean a bitch. When was I dick to you ? Huh ? I wasn't ? That's what I thought.

THAT GUY

boba_fett (November 19, 2003)

"This review was good, but here's how I would make it better:

1. It should mention if the cd is better to listen to while IN the shower, or DRYING off from a shower.

2. It didn't say anything about opening bands. I think support bands are just as important as headliners

3. What is the reviewer's favorite? In general."

that must have been superdude. dude i dont know whats up in your head but you sure know how to say randomn things that make no sense that people dont quite understand that i think are funny. meh.

CrankWillDestroy (November 18, 2003)

That guy - 'And to the guy who said "that shit was clever yo"'. If you're referring to my comment, you weren't even close, thereby making you the retard. Don't even post anymore. thanks.

Greenvandal (November 18, 2003)

now now. Dont be THAT_GUY. And by THAT_GUY I mean a bitch.

:)

Mike Park would kick trapts ass. With Kung-Fu! Yeah, i said it, and you know you were thinking it you rascist fuck.

THAT_GUY (November 18, 2003)

To the commenter 2 below this,

What the fuck ?

That is all.

Anonymous (November 18, 2003)

Have you ever danced in the shadows of the dark moonlight?

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

This review was good, but here's how I would make it better:

1. It should mention if the cd is better to listen to while IN the shower, or DRYING off from a shower.

2. It didn't say anything about opening bands. I think support bands are just as important as headliners

3. What is the reviewer's favorite? In general.

THAT_GUY (November 17, 2003)

To the guy who said "Don't be that guy", very clever for the 1000th time. And to the guy who said "that shit was clever yo", you're a fucking moron. Do any of you who found that funny have any idea how many people have made that joke ? Or for that matter, understand that the name is in fact in reference to "That Guy" ?

Also, this CD is very good, but something seems lacking. I think I hyped it too much in my head, but it IS very good nonetheless.

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

haha, why does Mike owe you money?

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

you have a trapt cd?

Anonymous (November 17, 2003)

in the ever optimistic light, i must say i'd rather have this than another trapt cd.

Ted_The_Bellhop (November 17, 2003)

Mike Park is a really awesome guy. This record is really great, so way to go Mike

notfeelingcreative (November 17, 2003)

Ya know I've come to the realization that the people who don't like this are not idiots! Why should I be upset because someone doesn't like the same records I listen to?! It's better to hear someone say "hey, this sucks!" Rather than just go along with the crowd to be cool or whatever!

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

This Cd BLOWS, I want my $$$ back!

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

mike park. gotta represent the azn.

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

Way Overrated!

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

mike park owes me money. but mike park is a good guy

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

love me destroyer's new record black heart affair fucking rules. go get it

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

this guy sounds great until you listen to "on that stage"

can anyone say dashboard confessional?

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

God damn this is good. Good lyrics, good vocals, good music, good everything.

blood_brothers_are_good (November 16, 2003)

nope, this was no good. sorry, good message, but not feeling the songs.

Anonymous (November 16, 2003)

Mike Park should stick to running his label and doing all teh other good stuff he does. Just stay out of the recording studio.

-scotty

TheNick (November 16, 2003)

"don't be That Guy."

the guy that said that^ can kick mike parks ass. cuz that shit was clever yo.

but as far as music goes... mike parks rocks harder than a cradle on a treetop.