Track Listing

1. Kitty
2. Feather Pluckn
3. Lump
4. Stranger
5. Boll Weevil
6. Peaches
7. Dune Buggy
8. We Are Not Going to Make It
9. Kick out the Jams
10. Body
11. Back Porch
12. Candy
13. Naked and Famous

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40556 in Music
• Released on: 1995-07-25
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
2008 reissue of the fabulous debut from the Seattle Alt-Rock trio, originally released in 1995. Features the hits 'Lump', 'Peaches', 'Kitty', 'Dune Buggy' and more.

Amazon.com
The Presidents of the United States of America scratch that itch that you can't reach. They do and say all those things that you'd like to, but fear what people might think of you. They are your inner-child, but stinking drunk on a half-case of cheap beer. And, with the youthful appeal of the Dead Milkmen, the off-kilter storytelling of Primus, and a razor-sharp sense of irony, they are utterly undeniable.

Try, if you will, not to sing along with "Lump." It sticks in your brain after the first chorus and won't leave until you hear something supremely catchy just to scrape the chorus out of heavy frontal lobe rotation. Musically, they keep everything very minimal (they have only five strings between bassist Chris Ballew and guitarist Dave Dederer) and use their incredibly twisted wit to engage the listener. From the punkish "Lump" and "We Are Not Gonna Make It" to the funky "Boll Weevil," the Presidents are the perfect antidote to the serious, heavy-handed rock perpetuated by their Seattle brethren. --Adem Tepedelen

Customer Reviews

Short But Sweet Presidential Address
1990s new rock needed levity after Kurt Cobain's death, Scott Weiland's addictions and dark grunge records like Soundgarden's "Superunknown." The Presidents of the USA wouldn't see the new millennium, but provided an unforgettable debut mixing hard rock with a touch of goofiness and cornpone humor.

Make no mistake, this trio could rock as its cover of MC5's "Kick Out The Jams" attests. They also reference ZZTop, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Beatles musically and lyrically. The topics were fun ("Kitty," "Lump," "Dune Buggy") and the group had a way with a guitar hook. Moreover, like that fun 60s rock, the Presidents made their points quickly and got out (most songs struggled to make it to three minutes.) This is the album the infamous Shaggs wish they could have made.

But it wouldn't last. Green Day took the same approach, added a whinier voice, slacker world view and a touch of schmaltz to bring LPs like "Dookie" and songs like "Time Of Your Life" to the charts, while the Presidents recorded another year, cut a movie theme, then split. A shame, really, we could have used tunes like "We're Not Going To Make It," and "Peaches" one of these every couple of years, to remember that rock and roll needn't be angry to be enjoyable - or good. Recommended.

a wonderful change of pace
I haven't listened to any of the band's other albums; I can only hope they are just as good as this one.

The President's style is relaxed and enjoyable. Every song on this CD is catchy and a lot of fun. There's nothing " deep" or " meaningful" about the songs; they are just enjoyable.

If you're ever in the mood to just flake out and smile, this CD is perfect. Some songs may actually make you laugh.

Rock and roll: no BS, no gimmicks
Since most of the Seattle grunge bands (i.e. Nirvana, Soundgarden) were finished by 1995, it was good to see and hear a new rock sound from a new band. The Presidents Of The United States Of America's self-titled debut offered great relief from the angst of music; and was (and still is) a whole new breed of music. Yes, this is mostly simple rock music, but it's simple rock music at its very best. No one can say that songs like "Lump", "Peaches", and "Kitty" didn't influence them and/or their musical preferences. And in turn The Presidents had struck gold a few times over. Their songs are to the point; carrying along some comedy and, again, a great rock & roll sound. 12 of the 13 tracks on this debut CD are absolutely brilliant. And here's an [informative] overview of those 13 songs.

The CD begins with one of the band's best: "Kitty". The second single on the album is actually the reason I became such a huge fan of The Presidents. "Peaches" and "Lump" also took part in that. Most people know it by now. One of my particular favorite songs here is "Feather Pluckn". The first track was pretty straightforward, as it was about a cat, but "Feather Pluckn" is a great song about nothing too specific. The first verse reads: `10 million monkeys all pick up guitars / 5000 fishies rockin really really really hard / check out chickie, drivin piggy's little blue car' with a background shout of `...and nobody taught them how'. There's really nothing we as fans can relate to, but it's still an awesome song. All I have to say about "Lump" is if you like it, you'll like the entire CD. The main single showcases the album's sound quite well. The song "Stranger" is also one of my favorites. It's about a striper and is a little more harmonious in its beginning than the previous three. The citation of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hat is hilarious yet smart at the same time. A song that's become a fan favorite over the years is "Boll Weevil". "Boll Weevil" is catchy, but it took me a while to fall in love with it. It's about a bug; as if you couldn't guess. What I said for "Lump" easily goes for "Peaches" just the same. There's just so many excellent songs that it's hard to find a low point. And "Dune Buggy" is certainly not a low point. Again there's not much to allow us to relate, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a stellar rock song.

Starting off the CD's second half, The Presidents produce their most cynical song. The title "We Are Not Going To Make It" kind of speaks for itself (seeing as how they have, in fact, made it). And the false start that I'm pretty sure was intentional gives the song true character. It will always be a certain favorite of mine. Next we have a cover of MC-5's infamous "Kick Out The Jams". It's one of the shortest (at 1:24 or so) yet still one of the best. Again, it'll always be a favorite. With the exception for the start of "Stranger", all the previous songs have been hard rock songs. But "Body" breaks that mold; in a manner of speaking. "Body" tells the tale of different reptile deaths that become embodied in the singer's head. Hence the phrase `I can't get your body out of my mind'. It's a fun song, but is rather sad in the end. Another fan favorite is "Back Porch"; and that's for good reason. The way the band handles the `two-string/one-string/no-string guitars' part is amazing and probably makes the song good in its own. The worst song on the disc is, hand's down, "Candy". It's not terrible, but on the other hand I find myself usually skipping over it. Even if "Candy" is moderately bad, the closer "Naked And Famous" makes up for it. I'm not sure if The Presidents' singer is actually a nude model, but he tells a funny story nonetheless. All in all, "Naked And Famous" rounds out this 5-star release with absolute perfection. `Everybody wants to be just like me / I'm naked and famous' wraps it up quite nicely.

To conclude this review, there is not enough good things I could begin to say about The Presidents Of The United States Of America and their debut. It was just so great to see a new type of music. And this type of music seems to be living on thanks exclusively to this band and this CD. If you enjoyed "Lump" and/or the other two hits from this album, you MUST own this CD. No matter what your musical preference, you should be able to enjoy all these songs; or at least form seedy opinions about them. This is one of the top 10 albums I own and will always be in constant rotation in my CD player. The only way you'd not be able to enjoy this type of music is if you lack a sense of humor, dislike occasional simplicity, or you hate straight-up rock & roll music. Otherwise The Presidents Of The United States Of America are surely for you. Don't miss out on one of the 90's greatest American rock groups; and one of the greatest albums ever.