No Fun Review-
Only six songs? Who ... cares?
May 28, 2003
Although comprised of just six songs, The No Fun E.P. proves to be an excellent all-around album for Local H's many loyal fans. A number of these tracks could've easily come from Ham Fisted, Local H's grunge-felt 1995 debut. And on the other hand, the lyrics on all the tracks are right up there with the best of this two-member group. The song "Birth, School, Work, Death" (a cover of The Godfathers original) has been floating around in downloadable formats and was featured on a 7" with The Black Theory. Clearly, the recording of it here is by far the best one yet. Understandably, it's very hard to say that this CD is better than any of their previous four, because it's only 28 minutes of music. But all these songs are excellent and many rank amongst the best of Local H. Here's an overview of each song:
1. No Fun - 5/5 - I had heard this song back in December when I saw Local H live; and therefore I greatly anticipated the release of The No Fun E.P. I don't know why they didn't entitle it "No Fxckin' Fun", because that seems to be the basis of the song. It's a very emotional song that holds some of the album's best lyrics. Oddly enough, it's (probably) only third best. Still great though.
2. President Forever - 5/5 - this just might be my favorite song on the album. The title leads you to believe it's a political song; and it's exactly that. Scott Lucas' lyrics let us know what he'd do if he was the President... forever. The lyrics are just so amazing that they seemingly take Local H's lyrical talents to a higher level. The excerpts about the First Lady and Iraq are awe-inspiring, in a manner of speaking.
3. Birth, School, Work, Death - 5/5 - although a cover song, the lyrics fit in perfectly with this CD's objective. As I said, the sound quality is much, much better than previous internet files. If you have heard this one before you won't be let down with it here. This is my fourth favorite; but that ranking doesn't quite reflect how marvelous it truly is.
4. Cooler Heads - 5/5 - this track uses the idea of being cool and rebellious and creates a brilliant song with that. The line 'you were so in / with the out crowd / and the cooler heads' is sung so flawlessly that you can't help but sing along over and over again. I have a hard time choosing between this one and "President Forever" (when picking a favorite). Whatever the case, it's one of Local H's best songs to date.
5. I Just Want Something To Do - 4.5/5 - this is a cover of the infamous Ramones song. It's done almost immaculately, but just doesn't quite compare to the previous four tracks (it outdoes the original however). It's still a great song; don't let my 4.5-out-of-five rank fool you. I guess if I liked The Ramones I might appreciate it a bit more.
6 Fuck Yeah, That Wide - 5/5 - many die-hard H fans might consider this Primal Scream [partial] cover to be too uncharacteristic of the H to enjoy. I love it! The almost techno-feel it gives off is virtuoso, while still maintaining their classic rock sound. The lyrics are very simple ('you got the money / we got the soul'; with a few f-words and gxddamns thrown in now and then), but that doesn't matter. This nine-minute, 47-second closer is a perfect end to the CD.
Again, it's very hard to compare The No Fun E.P. with either Ham Fisted, As Good As Dead, Pack Up The Cats, or Here Comes The Zoo. Still, don't let that dissuade you. If you love Local H you will absolutely love this CD. With sounds alike Ham Fisted and lyrics on the same level as anything they've ever done, Local H manages to produce a perfect album. It may not give you the same experience that Here Comes The Zoo did, but it won't disappoint you either. Gems like "Cooler Heads" and "President Forever" are some of the best Local H songs available. And the three covers only add to the excellence of this recording. And let's not forget the title track. When listening to The No Fun E.P., you'll have lots of fuckin' fun. Don't overlook this and buy it.