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Paris, Texas

Like You Like An Arsonist
2004
New Line

Paris, Texas - Like You Like An Arsonist (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Scott
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Paris, Texas (link)

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Published on July 23rd 2004

When I was barely into double digits, I had my first can of Mountain Dew. I couldn't believe what was hitting my lips: It was unbelievably refreshing, energizing, and bright. The wide-mouth can allowed me to guzzle the twelve ounces of this miracle liquid down my throat faster than I ever could have with any other beverage. I was in love.

So I saved up my money and bought a whole twelve-pack of cans. And one by one, I drank them in succession. Knowing how much I enjoyed my first experience, I figured my next dozen would be just as good. Right? Wrong. The sticky sweet taste got to be just too sickening over the course of twelve cans, and the dyes in the liquid coated my throat to the point where I didn't even realize that I was drinking it anymore. This stuff was so glossy and mass-produced that it was doing nothing but make me sick to my stomach.

The new album from Paris, Texas is that twelve-pack of Mountain Dew. Take a gem like "Hip Replacement" or "Action Fans Help Us" by itself, and you'll enjoy Paris, Texas' pure pop-rock goodness with a crazy knack for catchy hooks. But as soon as you try to digest this whole album, you'll end up praying to the porcelain god of music, as your ears won't be able to take the ridiculously studio-polished guitar tone and almost computerized vocals emitting from your speakers. The album is trying too hard to be mass-produced and commercialized; the aural equivilant of Mountain Dew. This disc wants to be in every 16-year-old's first new car as they speed out of the high school parking lot to their minimum wage job, encouraging the kid to "stick it to the man" with songs like "Bombs Away" and "Rebel Radio" [one thing this disc definitely is not].

Frankly, Paris, Texas has been all downhill ever since their first 7" - it's just taken the polishing of a faux-major in New Line Records to really bring their mediocrity to the foreground through an engineer who got way too trigger-happy recording this disc. Go track down the demo of "Hip Replacement" from a few years back and put it on "repeat" - it's all you'll ever need to hear from this record.

MP3s
One Hot Coma
Like You Like An Arsonist






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    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 27, 2004 at 4:11 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This album is much better than the review suggests. It's a little bit like the new Authority Zero - a perfectly serviceable piece of sugar-free rock to fill the gap before the more innovative, meaningful albums of the fall. And I, for one, would consider it an improvement over older P,T efforts, although it is overproduced.

    OC

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 1, 2004 at 6:06 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I hate texas

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 6:00 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    sooo not good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 12:24 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "mountain dew is by far the greatest soft drink on Earth"

    you forgot to end with the words "not named Cherry Coke."

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 26, 2004 at 1:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    this stuff is not good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 26, 2004 at 2:55 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The only song you really need to hear by Paris, Texas is "My week beats your year." Score is for that song -- I didn't even know this band still existed!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at 6:56 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Album isnt that great, but Mountain Dew is by far the greatest soft drink on earth!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at 6:22 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i liked it

    -benz

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at 2:58 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This is a horrible review

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 25, 2004 at 6:50 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The only soft drink that can be consumed in large amounts without making one sick is root beer.

    Posted by opivykid on 2004-07-24 22:15:13
    My Score:

    Aboot Mountain Dew : NEVER, and I mean NEVER drink 16 liters of it, in less than a day and a half, while you have the Flu. One of the stupidest things i've ever done, as I got pretty damn sick. Score's for Mountain Dew...

    Posted by kirbypuckett on 2004-07-24 17:00:41
    My Score:

    I guess I agree with Scott on this, but I still dig it.

    Posted by blaubs21 on 2004-07-24 16:29:47
    My Score:

    i think this album is fantastic, but compared to what it could have been, it's definitely disappointing.

    Posted by TheMarc on 2004-07-24 12:27:38
    My Score:

    I'd rather have a beer.

    Posted by logan on 2004-07-24 11:42:23
    My Score:

    This band took way too long to put this out. And now that it's out, it's fucking horrible. I really liked "Brazilliant" the EP on Polyvinyl aways back but.. this is just horrible.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 9:48 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    BSD should get a life really. I'ts important
    Not only do you talk to much, despite the fact no-one really gives a shit what you think, but you talk complete donkey bollocks most of the time. FFS - just go and stick your head in the nearest gas oven.

    Posted by lostinthecrowd13 on 2004-07-24 02:46:02
    My Score:

    Scores for the mountain dew comments. Great Review. Never had the desire to listen to Paris, Texis and I just happened to click on this cuz I was bored at 2 AM but the way you wrote the first two paragraphs made me wanna read about this band.

    Posted by theOneTrueBill on 2004-07-24 02:38:14
    My Score:

    Those first paragraphs are pure gold.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 2:21 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    score is for the cover art.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 1:42 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing at 11:30 at night in Kansas City besides watching TV.

    I play a lot of volleyball, though.

    Posted by Jesse on 2004-07-24 01:36:46
    My Score:

    BSD-

    You're the first comment on like everyone of these reviews? Do you have a life?

    Well, I don't either. That's why I reply to all of your posts.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 1:07 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I was referring to BSD's comment.... eh

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 1:07 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i'm not understanding how people liking a drink, and people liking a scene of music are comparable at all.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 1:06 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    That's one of the saddest and most anti-punk statements that I've read

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 24, 2004 at 1:06 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Mountain Dew really rots your teeth more than any soft drink out there.

    And now you know...

    Posted by OKSoda on 2004-07-24 01:01:19
    My Score:

    Mountain Dew is terrible.

    Posted by BSD on 2004-07-24 00:57:03
    My Score:

    Mountain Dew is like hardcore, or punk rock in general- it was cool before the wrong people got into it.

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