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The Pietasters

Oolooloo (1995)
Moon Ska

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Contributed by: Chris
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on August 3rd 2001

Let me start by stating that I have never been a big fan of ska. Whereas I have always enjoyed the music of Hepcat, The Slackers, Madness and The Specials; bands like No Doubt, Save Ferris and a gaggle of others hopping on the late-nineties mainstream-ska-craze left a bad taste in my mouth.

I first stumbled upon The Pietasters in 1996. I friend of mine told me about this band from DC opening for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones that was incredible. So we made the hour-long drive to DC, getting drunk as piss along the way. It was at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC that I first saw one of the most amazing live performing groups I have ever seen. Never before had I seen such audience interaction and such showmanship on stage in a personal sense with the crowd. Naturally I purchased the album they were touring in support of, "Oolooloo".

I don't like to give out scores of 10 to just anyone. The album has to really captivate me to get anything above an 8. "Oolooloo" is by far one of the most amazing albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Anyone who has based their opinion of The Pietasters solely on their 2 Hellcat releases is missing out. "Oolooloo" provides a raw city sound unlike any other ska band on the scene.

The album starts with "Something Better", a tale of lost love and hopeful feelings towards the future. From there the boys launch right into "Freakshow", a more upbeat almost-punk sounding song about.....well, you really need to hear the lyrics. The best track of the album actually starts after the end of the 3rd song, "Tell You Why", titled "Maggie Mae". Anyone who has had the opportunity the catch The Pietasters live knows this is, and will always be a crowd-favorite sing-along soundtrack to getting drunk as shit.

Another common theme of The Pietasters music has always been prositution. "Pleasure Bribe" is a tale of just that, with a very realistic sense of what it is all about. "Girl Take it Easy", another live favorite, is an up-tempo tune about women and the mistakes we make with them. "Biblical Sense" is a very cool, swaggerish song about relationships, or the desire to not want them and to only get one thing from women sometimes.

I sincerely offer a score of 10 to this record. One of my top-ten favorite albums....ever.

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SumWon (August 15, 2007)

Found this in a random cd case after having misplaced it years ago. Freakin awesome album. That scream at the end of Movin On Up gets my vote for the Best Scream Ever award.

Anonymous (June 17, 2006)

Oh, my world. It is ok

Anonymous (June 25, 2004)

this record is cult and a MUST HAVE!

MattHomeslice (November 26, 2003)

Ska the way it should be. I'm not real fond of the pietasters more recent stuff, but this one along with their live album are just amazing.

cawknocker (August 6, 2002)

u said drunk as piss and as shit in one review! awesome!

popetastoc (March 18, 2002)

This is one of my favorite albums! "Something Better" is an excellent opening track (The most sweet masterbation lyrics ever). Check out when the horn section starts playing 3 different solos at once! Damn that's nice (even better live). Other highlights include the trumpet filled "Pleasure Bribe," the awesome sing-a-long "Girl Take It Easy," the smooth "Can I Change My Mind" and the awesome closer "Movin' On Up!" It's amazing how great vocalist Steve Jackson sounds here. Also check out "Awesome Mix Tape #6."

Anonymous (August 8, 2001)

What I meant by my opening paragraph is that this album really changed my perception of ska, I didn't mean to sound the same as others.....sickboi

nickr (August 7, 2001)

Apparently if someone wants to review a ska album these days, he has to begin his review by assuring the readers that he does, in general, hate ska with a passion usually reserved for rapits and serial killers. I don't mean to pick on this guy, but every ska review I've read lately begins the same way. Anyway, I do agree with the author that most of the phony "ska" music that MTV was pushing a couple of years ago is crap. And this is a good album. Too bad it's out of print.