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| Greg GraffinCold as the Clay2006 Anti- 
 Review by: Adam See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
Cold as the Clay @ Anti- Records (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 
Published on July 11th 2006
There's certainly nothing contrived about Greg Graffin going the Americana route, as elements of folk and roots rock have appeared not-too-subtly in his lyricism and songwriting for years. Skimming over the Bad Religion songbook you'll find songs like "Faith Alone," "The Answer," "Cease" and "Streets of America" all credited to this half of that band's songwriting team. None of these were songs that, at their core, needed anything more than the conviction of the vocalist and an acoustic guitar to succeed. On a personal level, to hear Graffin muse on the influence of Neil Young and the Band on his Bad Religion work is fascinating. I first became seriously interested in music through punk records like Suffer as a teenager, only to arrive at Music from Big Pink, Harvest and the like in college. I get a great deal of closure knowing now that Graffin acknowledges that connection, and is reflecting upon it with these songs. Cold as the Clay ties a great number of threads in my personal listening history together, and for doing so has become very dear to me in a very short time.
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""lets keep following jesus" what sort of thing is that for the lead singer of bad religion to sing i mean come on bad religion is about anti-christianityi mean just read the name "the word hypocryt come to mind" This is definitely really cool stuff. "lets keep following jesus" what sort of thing is that for the lead singer of bad religion to sing i mean come on bad religion is about anti-christianityi mean just read the name "Everyone here makes the "THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS" graphic so much more true, and so much more depressing. Good job, humanity. He's called "the Boss" for a reason. The Graffin album is pretty cool. Everyone here makes the "THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS" graphic so much more true, and so much more depressing. Good job, humanity. Well, it's obvious on Springsteen's earlier albums that he was aping Dylan, but by albums like Born To Run and Born In The USA, it's obvious that his sound was his own. Well, actually The Boss has been quoted saying that all he ever wanted was to be Bob Dylan, but stylistically he took more from Phil Specter. I actually use the same Dylan line to piss off other Boss fanatics. "Posted by danperrone on 2006-07-13 13:29:21 Damn.....just found out his show tomorow at the Paradise already sold out.....this is an amazing album, I was really hoping to see the songs live. I like this a lot. I like it much more than "American Lesion" "I didn't read much of this thread, but I have to squabble with you. The Greg-written songs on the album have sooo much Springsteen in them it isn't funny (They've got a ton of Young in 'em, too, but the Springsteen is definitely there. Probably a lot of McCartney/Harrison influence, too)." "All Springsteen did was rip off Dylan anyway" "...any discussion of Sprinsteen, Waits, Dylan, Williams or whoever is nice and all, and you folks are welcome to argue it `till you're blue in the face, but it really has nothing to do with this record. " Dude, I honestly like that band and think that album is great regardless of whether or not my brother drums on it. If my bro left the band, I'd STILL like them. It's not the drummer that writes the songs or sings them. I honestly stand by my opinion that where most of the shit that's come out in the past two years is cyclical and boring, this album was something new and exciting. Wow, Jesse, you live downtown in one of the larger cities in America, and you listen to nothing but country? How ironic! Thanks Dan. i for one think jesse is the man Not really a fan of BR but damn I sure do love this record. Jesse is an asshole, we all realized that long ago. Hey, look, I'm Jesse. I just got bested in an argument, so now I'm trying to make it look like I was trying to stir up shit. The album itself isn't anything special, after only a first listen there are only a couple standout tracks. Bleh. This album does nothing for me. Man I love stirring up shit on the Internet. baby we were born to argue on the internet Hey, I don't see Greg Graffin fighting for prison rights or doing any actual political work. Being smart and able to discuss your opinions doesn't make you worthwhile. It's your actions. Jesse, you first shit on Greg because he‘s "rich" but sickboi correctly pointed out so was Johnny Cash. Then Greg doesn’t do enough (or any as you are so sure of) political activism but you recuse Hank Williams who drunk himself to death so perhaps his punk worthiness exceeds Greg's in other areas. You do royally suck at the ‘thinking before typing’ thing. And on that note, this has turned into a who's more punk rock discussion and I feel dirty already. "The" Well you folks successfully derailed any actual conversation on this record. As the high and mighty reviewer I'll chime in and say that while this record hits on some roots Americana southern-rock style stuff, it's really more in the vein of Neil Young or the Band or Graham Parsons.., and that's really only half the record since the rest is the old-timey folk stuff. Hey, I don't see Greg Graffin fighting for prison rights or doing any actual political work. Being smart and able to discuss your opinions doesn't make you worthwhile. It's your actions. When was the last time Jesse didn't name-drop Hank Williams, or whatever band his brother is in? how in the freaking hell are you gonna talk shit about springsteen Johnny Cash and Hank Williams will forever be more punk rock than this rich wanker. if u r teh faget you woul dlove this alubm if you like punk dont buy this album it sucks The webcam fiasco was bullshit. Anyway, this is truly a great album. I say for his next one he teams up with Mike Ness. Anyone? The webcam fiasco was bullshit. Anyway, this is truly a great album. I say for his next one he teams up with Mike Ness. Anyone? Basically, Greg Graffin was masturbating on a webcam to an underage female fan. i love tom waits, but i can see how people don't. Feeding, I normally agree with you, but trashing Tom Waits with Springsteen and this clown is not cool. Basically, Greg Graffin was masturbating on a webcam to an underage female fan. Alright, I keep seeing these Greg Graffin sex jokes for the past few months, but I totally missed what happened. Someone enlighten me, once and for all? Score is for Greg Graffin's carreer (minus No Substance....) I can't believe the trash talking of Springsteen. The man is a legend, and there's a reason for it. Why is everyone talking about Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits? I seriously think that Tom Waits should front a death metal band. I mean, if there are hundreds of long-haired satan-worshippers singing like cookie monster, why not have the original "C is for Cookie"-voiced singer-songwriter do it? I listened to a track or two from this and wasn't impressed. There's better folk out there, even modern folk. Heard the stream yesterday... sounds really good. I can't get "Talk About Suffering" out of my head. Score is for Greg Graffin's carreer (minus No Substance and half of the New America). Yawn. score is for the world/inferno friendship society Bruce Springsteen - 57 Channels(and nothin' on) almost as good as the new world inferno... almost almost as good as the new world inferno... almost when bruce dies and they make a movie about his life he'll be popular, just like it did for johnny cash (who covered bruce on American V oddly enough). The Boss fucking sucks, get over it. Just because he has had a long career in music doesn't mean his music is automatically worthy of a thousand blowjobs. "Haha, Springsteen is a fucking joke. I used to like [i]Born in the USA[/i] a lot when I was, like, six or seven years old. But, let's be honest, all he's got to offer is mediocre radio fodder and terrible, generic lyrics. I can't believe that an elitist like Jesse admits to listening to Springsteen. Come on!" I bet you fuckers don't know where Bruce got his start? It wasn't the Jersey Shore.... Bob Dylan is a BRILLIANT song writer......Bruce Springsteen is a good song WRITER but his music sucks, and that makes all the difference. And, as for Greg Graffin, his a great song writer and I enjoyed a lot of his output with Bad Religion and his first solo album is good...but I've only heard 1 or 2 songs from this and it's not grabbing me. Maybe I'll have to listen to the whole thing. Kind of boring after 3-4 listens. I'll give it some more time. just because your dad likes bruce springsteen, doesn't mean you shouldn't. I only know Klosterman's bitching about how there are no Lester Bangs of video games. I got everything I need to know about Klosterman there. That is to say he's an idiot that doesn't understand the medium and probably never will. so when's the tim barry solo album coming out? I don't think anyone is claiming that what Graffin is doing here is groundbreakingly original. However, it long with The Seeger Sessions are two of the best folk/roots music albums released this year (I'd include Neko Case and Jolie HOlland in there too). Klosterman's a fat, wannabe musician loser. He's just jealous (like all music critics) that he's not as good as the Boss. Those lyrics are brilliant. The Boss writes all his stories in character - not one is really sung by Bruce Springsteen, just the characters he's made up. There's no better phrasing of a workingman trying to express his feelings towards Wendy. this album is a pile of shit "Wendy let me in, I wanna be your friend I'd be more interested in the Greg Graffin Sex Tape. This album reminds me of Frank Black's "Honeycomb" from last year. Lots of hype when it came out, but nobody gives a damn about it today. I like some of Greg's originals, but after hearing a stream of the full album it just sounds really dull and lumbering. Unless someone can change my mind, this CD has gone from a must-buy to a don't-buy. i think this Jesse character is the first person whos comment i've ever agreed with on this website in 6 years. Let's let people decide for themselves if the Boss is a bad lyricist. "Haha, Springsteen is a fucking joke. I used to like [i]Born in the USA[/i] a lot when I was, like, six or seven years old. But, let's be honest, all he's got to offer is mediocre radio fodder and terrible, generic lyrics. I can't believe that an elitist like Jesse admits to listening to Springsteen. Come on!" Haha, Springsteen is a fucking joke. I used to like [i]Born in the USA[/i] a lot when I was, like, six or seven years old. But, let's be honest, all he's got to offer is mediocre radio fodder and terrible, generic lyrics. I can't believe that an elitist like Jesse admits to listening to Springsteen. Come on! Danielson is way better than this. Never cared for Bad Religion/Greg Graffin in the first place. Ehem. did anyone else have to pay out the ass for this album? I haven't heard anything off of this, but I liked his first solo album. Guess I have to head down to the store to pick this, Dead To Me, and Thom Yorke's solo debut up today. The only problem is there aren't enough originals. Old-timey songs can be cool, but most of them sound pretty similar, and they can drag on too long without choruses. The originals here are fantastic, and I wish that we'd have more space devoted to Greg's songs, as that would allow him to present more dynamics from his songs. Basically, there're no originals on here as stark as the piano version of "Cease" or as wonderfully folktastic as "The Fault Line". Not a big deal, but it would've made this CD awesome instead of just great. I just feel that last line should have been capped off by "bitches". But I'm a hack. This record is really fucking good. Stuff like "Don't Be Afraid to Run" really sounds like this is just a solo album from the guy in Bad Religion (probably why it was streamed first) but songs like "Talk about Suffering" sound like an entirely seperate, folkier (?) artist. only heard a couple songs, but i loved them That was a good goddamn review. Well Done! ive never been a fan of bad religion, but this looks pretty interesting. I Liked American Lesion better, but this isn't bad. Just too many folk standards and not enough Greg originals. I can say without reservation I hated his first solo disc. Here's hoping this one's better I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. At times, I love it, but at other times, I find it too traditional for my liking and I get tired of some songs that seem to drag on. It's going to take a few more listens before I can figure out where exactly I stand. I didn't like this at first but after a 2nd listen, I can see this being one of my favorites so far this year. Nice review. shite. This album leaves me pretty speechless listening to it. It's just so fascinating here. which ones are originals and which ones aren't? Whoops, forgot my score. The first time I listened to this record, I couldn't stand it, and I wasn't even sure why. I then revisited it a week or so later, and now, I can't get it out of my CD player (or iTunes playlist; whatever). An absolutely beautiful folk record that is built for Sunday morning listens. This managed to exceed my unrealistically high expectations. Well done. We both wrote reviews, I gave the honor (or honour as he would say) to the canuck. For posterity's sake, here mine as well: Good review and album. album of the year, in my opinion |
