Disco de POLYSICS: “Polysics or Die!!!! Vista”

Polysics Or Die!!!! Vista is more fun than whatever you are listening to now. Almost all the lyrics are in Japanese but it doesn't matter. Maybe it's better that way, I don't know. The songs are catchy and don't be surprised when you start bopping around.

The Polysics use lots of electronics, which I don't always like but they make it work. The synthesizers mixed with punk rhythms and pop is an excellent match. It gives Polysics a totally unique sound.

My favorite songs on the album are "Electric Surfin' Go Go", a driving beat and lots of keyboards. "I My Me Mine" which contains the coolest use of a recorder ever and a sweet guitar solo. And "You You You" is just great pop. You will want to sing along even if you don't know the words.

Other songs worth noting are "Baby Bias", "Coelakanth Is Android" and "Black Out Fall Out." Not every song is perfection but the misses are few and all the songs on here are better than listening to the Chili Peppers on the radio one more time.

It's nice when you come across an album you weren't expecting to find and you really like. Polysics Or Die!!!! Vista is that album. For it's originality alone you should get it.

Imagine high energy. Then double it. To reach the raw irresistible energy spewed by Japanese synthesizer punk band Polysics, you may have to double it again. It may prove too much for some people. This almost exhausting hybrid band of old and new sits somewhere between Devo and speed metal. As if on a mission to out perspire everyone that came before them in the new wave, their songs feature blistering band saw guitar chords, wriggling synthesizer lines and bellowing vocals. Over the years their steam train punk has mellowed somewhat in places into a more accessible pop blend. But the cacophonic grunge still flies here and there even to the present day.

"Polysics or Die Vista," released in 2007, collects some of the best songs from their early albums, most of which only appeared in Japan as far back as 1999. Anyone looking for an introduction to this amazing Japanese band should start here. The entire spectrum of Polysics' sonic range unfolds in this album's 16 songs. From the rub your face in sandpaper "Kaja Kaja Goo," to the squeaky helium cartoon landscape of "Catch On Everywhere" to the astonishingly addictive classics "Electric Surfin' Go Go" and "New Wave Jacket," these songs will wrench helpless cochleas into their event horizons permanently. What has been heard cannot be unheard.

Fans of Devo, early XTC, Talking Heads and other vein-popping bands of that era, as well as this era's energy drinks, will likely savor every moment. Almost half way through a skewed and twisted cover of The Knack's "My Sharona" pops into the set. The verses remain somewhat as they were, but the fringes of the song become almost unrecognizable. This is no straight cover and Polysics make it their own. To complete the picture, seek out the band's videos. The almost psychotic video for "Electrin Surfin' Go Go" that segues directly into a mesmerizingly staccato "I My Me Mine" will leave the uninitiated wondering just what dimension they inhabit.

Polysics have taken slices of the past and reassembled them into a new and unique pastiche accessible even to those who have never heard of Devo. They somehow manage to not sound like a 1970s punk band imitation, though the obvious influence pervades nearly every song. Vocoder, recorder and other surprises keep it even more interesting. This collection may become overwhelming or exhausting, but it never comes close to boring.

Though one of the signature members of the band, Kayo, left the band in 2010, Polysics continue to record and tour Japan, the US and the UK. Their energy still hasn't let up, judging by recent albums such as "We Ate the Machine" and "Absolute Polysics." It all started with the songs on this frenetic collection. Put it on and just try to calm down.

It's insane and unrelentingly fun. It's loud and occasionally grating. It's something you should try before you buy, 'new wave jacket', 'baby bias' or 'i my me mine' are great starting points.

This is a great cd! If you like Charge! by the Aquabats GET THIS.

It is all japanese though, for those of you who do not know that! I like the old mixes of the songs, but this is still good.