Punknews.orgPunknews.org Logo
Review Navigator

BackForward

Features

 

Contests

 




Reviews

Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell (Deluxe)
Register to Vote: Rock the Vote, powered by Credo Mobile

Sort of in the vein of MxPx's 2002 retrospective Ten Years and Running, long-running skatepunks-turned-radio-rock-slobs Unwritten Law offers up 17 songs spanning their entire catalog in completely re-recorded form, along with two new ones. Think of The Hit List as the band playing lots of fan favorites at a current show, but cleaned up by studio production. Yeah, I'm basically that mixed about this thing.

First, the new tunes. "Shoulda Known Better"'s verses, like the band's last abomination, are repulsive, laying down embarrassingly rapped lines surrounding a snarling, vaguely Billy Idol-esque chorus. Needless to say it doesn't open The Hit List strongly, but "Welcome to Oblivion" picks things up a little; it has a big but not overacting chorus and the song is overall thankfully more reminiscent of the sharp pop-rock of 2002's Elva.

Obviously, the re-recordings of the band's more recent material ("Celebration Song," "Save Me," "Seein' Red," etc.) do not sound entirely different from their original versions, but in this context are much easier to intake -- in fact, despite glossy studio tinge, are somewhat enjoyable because of the inclusion of the band's better album cuts. What is a little strange is to hear 2007's Unwritten Law performing tracks now growing old in their stable of songs. It's obviously a little disappointing to hear what fans regard as classics ("Superman") stripped of their raw energy, but the consistent production makes the album rather linear, "correcting" the inevitable annoyance of the compilation "habit" that provides the listener with Mark Trombino one moment and Mark Tincan the next.

Unfortunately, The Hit List is hard to recommend as a starting point for one looking for an overview from which to reap the benefits of the band's back catalog, as they're obviously going to find a much different recording style from a much "less privileged" era upon discovering the actual album a song is "interpreted" from. However, fans having stuck with the band through their evolution should be rather psyched to receive such a consistent and generally enjoyable, generously wide-spanning compilation.

The Hit List proves Unwritten Law has assuredly morphed into a sometimes capable pop-rock unit with shades of `90s punk influence, and that despite an awful recent misstep, there's some hooks left in the tacklebox that haven't dulled quite yet -- and some others that can still be reused after all.

STREAM
Shoulda Known Better
Up All Night
Cailin
Superman



People who liked this also liked:
Refused - The Shape of Punk to ComeEisley - CombinationsFarside - The Monroe DoctrineLucky Boys Confusion - How to Get Out AliveThe Draft - In a Million PiecesEnvy - Insomniac DozeMuch the Same - SurviveAlexisonfire - CrisisLatterman - ...We Are Still AliveGatsbys American Dream - Gatsbys American Dream



Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 1:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    this cd is fucking amazing..i love everything about it,..this guy who reviews is full of shiit!

    Posted by the_ken_chin_imposter on 2007-01-23 06:28:22
    My Score:

    I heard CD has between song segways by Tarzan Dan.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 22, 2007 at 4:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I love the re-recorded versions of the Oz Factor and Blue Room songs!! I would have liked to see more! And I don't see why they needed to re-record the songs from the self-titled album, those songs were already great!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 22, 2007 at 5:50 AM (EST)

    im going to see unwritten law soon for old times sake, and there playing with pluss 44 which will be my closest atempt to see blink 182. at least 2 thirds anyway, i wish unwritten law went back to there skate punk days

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 21, 2007 at 11:42 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    awful, that should have known better is complete trash, sounds like they are trying to be linkin park or somethinf? couldn't listen to anything else

    Posted by aaronfromsweden on 2007-01-21 11:41:00
    My Score:

    This album definetly deserves a higher score in my humble opinion. Not every band takes the time to actually re-record all the songs they're putting up on their best of-comp. I love these re-recordings!! Better sound quality, and some of the songs are (if possible) even better than the originals. Love it!

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 3:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Same guy from below. Does anyone else notice the similarities between "How You Feel" and "D'yer Maker?"

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 3:22 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I really like the re-recorded songs. They sound great. Snicker all you want, but UL were one of the first punk bands I got into back in junior high. Blue Room and Oz Factor are the shit. I'll always have a place for them. Props.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 2:04 PM (EST)

    hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 2:37 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    The self-titled is an essential album. I had a dream the other night about some shitty emo band covering "Coffin Text." No lie.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2007-01-20 00:34:26
    My Score:

    I used to love this band during the early 00's, but their new shit was just that ... complete shit. I think I moved past these guys when I started hating pop-punk. Good review though!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 8:29 PM (EST)

    "MORON ALERT. The reason the Here's To The Mourning tracks don't sound "that much different" is because they did not re-record them."

    I have no idea, but if they had to re-record songs due to rights issues, it would make sense that that album would also have been involved with the rights debacle.

    again, i have no idea, or care. this band went wonky 2-3 albums ago.

    wyzo

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 7:29 PM (EST)

    how can this band seriously have a "greatest hits" release? seriously? anyone? didn't they draft in songwriters to do some stuff for them?

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 7:00 PM (EST)

    make a new GOOD album already or throw in the towel. elva was so good, heres to the mourning suckssssssss

    Posted by JonDaley on 2007-01-19 16:58:37
    My Score:

    score is for Billy Idol

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 4:09 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    i already wrote it on my burned copy of this poop

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 12:01 PM (EST)

    the "shit" list ......i'm sorry, someone had to say it.

    Posted by the_other_scott on 2007-01-19 11:59:42

    blue room, a word from the wise, and recipe for hate were teh first three punk tapes i ever owned

    these guys introduced me to punk rock. CPK is still a killer track.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-01-19 10:35:09

    MORON ALERT. The reason the Here's To The Mourning tracks don't sound "that much different" is because they did not re-record them.

    Take it up with Interpunk, then;

    "Rather, the guys have re-recorded and reinterpreted all 17 "greatest hits" tracks..."

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 10:31 AM (EST)

    these guys suck more than the new orleans saints are gonna suck it on sunday at soldier field! and thats a lot! daaaaaaaaaaaa bears!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 9:04 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    welcome to oblivion was a pleasant surprise...I hope for a future release they aim to writing songs in its style.

    as far as the hit list, I found it to be pretty solid. my personal favorites are lonesome, cailin, and shallow. the new versions of what I consider the bands three best songs blow the original versions out of the water.

    hopefully the band isn't finished quite yet and has another album left in them.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 7:34 AM (EST)

    MORON ALERT. The reason the Here's To The Mourning tracks don't sound "that much different" is because they did not re-record them. This review sucks.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 3:31 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    i don't know how many times I gotta say it but this bands best stuff is everything Elva and prior. The song harmonic rocks. and the band is great live, when scott doesn't play guitar. The end.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 1:48 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    pretty shitty. almost all the rerecordings sound much worse. this version of cpk isn't bad though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 1:29 AM (EST)

    Brian is a pretentious douchebag.

    Posted by historypeats on 2007-01-19 01:17:47

    He's just confused - there was another greatest hits collection that their old label DID release as a cash grab.

    Posted by maverick on 2007-01-19 00:41:52

    Dude below me is wrong. UL released this themselves.

    -Scott

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 12:35 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    The label did it as a cash grab and to fulfill the album agreement. Unwritten Law aren't happy about this release.

    © 1999-2006 Punknews.org • Terms of Use • Privacy • FAQ • About • ISSN 1710-5366 • RSS RSS Icon