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The Mr. T Experience

...And the Women Who Love Them (Special
Addition) (2002)
Lookout Records

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

Published on August 14th 2009

The Mr. T Experience is one of those bands that, like Sewer Trout and Blatz, get overlooked when set against the great Lookout! Records back catalog. While Screeching Weasel, the Queers, Operation Ivy and Green Day get all the hype, the rest of the halcyon days of the label seem to get lost.

...And the Women Who Love Them (Special Addition) is a reissue of the EP of the same title (originally released in 1994), and the "Special Addition" (yes, it IS spelled "addition" and not "edition") collects B-sides, compilation tracks, cover songs and the Alternative Is Here to Stay 7-inch.

The original EP runs through tracks 1-7. If you know old Lookout! Records, and any other stuff by MTX, you know what to expect. This is classic Ramones-influenced pop-punk. The thing that sets this apart from bands like Screeching Weasel and the Queers is the "intellectual" humor. But, you still are getting the genre-expected songs about girls and love.

"Tapin' Up My Heart" starts with Dr. Frank talking, and then it goes into your general "guy likes girl who does not like guy" territory. The next track, "My Stupid Life" is a good old-fashioned song about being bored and frustrated with how your life turned out. "Checker's Speech" and "We Hate All the Same Things" follow, and feature more of the excellence that is highly apparent when it comes to this band. Rounding out the full EP is the acoustic song "Now That You Are Gone"; if songs about being jilted by a person who really does not want you around and fakes suicide are up your alley, look no further.

Now to the added stuff. Sadly, this half of the album is not nearly as strong. As a collection of B-sides it is very disjointed. "How'd the Date End" (an acoustic joke song about the show Love Connection), "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "We Are the Future People of Tomorrow" are joke songs. "Unpack Your Adjectives," "Is There Something I Should Know?", "Whistle Bait," "Crash" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" are covers (of songs by Schoolhouse Rock, Duran Duran, Larry Collins, the Primitives and Elton John...respectively). They are all done in the pop-punk style.

Swimming in the second half of this record is the classic "King Dork." But, being that it is the second-to-last song, it gets lost in the shuffle. This is not to say the second half is totally pointless; the original songs are pretty solid, but the covers and joke songs kind of wreck it.

So, in closing, if pop-punk is your thing, pick this up. It is a great example of how great Lookout! Records used to be. This should still be in print, but it is listed as "temporarily out of stock" on both Lookout! Records' store, and Dr. Frank's store. It is worth it.

Overall, this record is a solid 7/10.

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suburbanshack (December 24, 2009)

... and i unpacked my ADJECTIVES!

i-type-poorly (August 16, 2009)

This was the first MTX CD I ever bought, so I am biased to it a bit much. The covers are a bit annoying, but I love most of the b-sides. "I was Losing You All Along" is one of my faves, as well as the solo guitar "Sackcloth And Ashes" Dr. Frank is still my all time fav songwriter.

baldsteve (August 16, 2009)

To the commenter below: "Love Is Dead" isn't overlooked at all. It was their biggest record and had videos on MTV.

If anything it's given the most attention.

victim (August 16, 2009)

I really enjoy seeing reviews like this one

Love Is Dead and Revenge Is Sweet And So Are You are my favorites from MTX

bytheslice (August 15, 2009)

My fav. album of theirs is "Love Is Dead". Such an amazing and overlooked record.

IllaZilla (August 15, 2009)

Decent review, really love this CD. "Tapin' Up My Heart", "Alternative is Here to Stay" and "King Dork" are among MTX's best tunes. Yes there are a lot of b-sides, comp tracks & covers, but that's what makes it a "special addition". This came out right at a time when I was trying to complete my MTX collection by rounding up the various comp tracks, so the timing was perfect for me. I actually thing the covers of "Unpack Your Adjectives", "Whistle Bait", and "Crash" are really catchy and among the best of the bonus material.

baldsteve (August 15, 2009)

This collection should have included the original "How'd the Date End" from the 7". I much prefer it to this version.

The MTX were always good. I preferred the Jon Von line-up. Especially "night shift at the thrill factory', 'our bodies ourselves' and 'Big Black Bugs'.

Those records always seem to be overlooked for the latter era stuff with Joel and Jym.

eazyd2 (August 15, 2009)

aren't these guys massive homos?

Hey_Asshole (August 15, 2009)

i think MTX is a great band. the only issue with this record is that they shoved a bunch of b-sides on an otherwise awesome flawless EP

Hey_Asshole (August 15, 2009)

holy shit, this got posted.

i wrote this while in the middle of doing mandatory overtime at work. so, i am sorry if the review sucks. i have not been getting much sleep.

phil_lewago (August 14, 2009)

i have that album cover as a tattoo...

pricey123 (August 14, 2009)

score is for the album. theres always too much average songs to sift through on their albums

the_other_scott (August 14, 2009)

i also never got around to buying this and only own big blue bugs and revenge is sweet, but i will say that mr. t experience were leagues more fun that SW or The Queers.

lushj (August 14, 2009)

"Alternative (Is Here To Stay)" is one of my favorite MTX songs!

branden (August 14, 2009)

i shifted gears/ i faced my fears/ i cried some tears/ I DID A LOT OF HEROIN

red_eye_inc (August 14, 2009)

haha I love this band they make me LOL for some reason

Jelone (August 14, 2009)

I've been so slow about expanding my T collection. Right now I've only got Love is Dead and Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood. I kind of want to check this out, if only so I can hear "King Dork." It's a good book, and hopefully a good song.