Dropkick Murphys are a band closely tied to their roots in Boston, proud products of a working-class neighborhood where kids suffered through Catholic school, grew up to be regulars in the local bar, and watched their friends do the exact same thing. Life isn't always easy, and it's in these moments of hardship that many of the tracks on The Meanest of Times find their muse. The record is a dark, passionate, and rousing collection of songs that fit in nicely with the Murphys' unfailing back catalog of gritty beer-soaked punk rock anthems. But even in its consistency with everything else the Beantown crew has ever released, The Meanest of Times stands tall as the band's tightest and most developed set of songs yet. With such ease, the Murphys combine eyes-wide observation, rough defiance, and emotion rubbed raw into heartfelt songs like the explosive opening duo of "Famous for Nothing" and "God Willing," where elegiac bagpipes coexist with searing guitars and delicate mandolins supplement aggressive drum rolls. Traditional songs also get model Murphy makeovers; "Spancil Hill" gets Boston-ized into the mournful "Fairmount Hill," while "Lannigan's Ball" takes a nice shot of punk rock adrenaline to turn it into the clamorous romp of "(F)lannigan's Ball," complete with guest vocals from the Pogues' Spider Stacy and the Dubliners' Ronnie Drew. Elsewhere -- in varying degrees of unrestrained energy and sore-throat shout-singing -- the crew relates tales of families broken and friends lost, the sad realities only proving further that above all else, it's being true to yourself and the ones you love that is most important. But it's not all just heartfelt sappiness; this is the Dropkick Murphys, so be assured the emotion is still packed into about 45 minutes of beer-sloshing riotous punk rock glory.
Last night, as I’ve mentioned (nay, gushed), was my third Dropkick Murphys concert, and the precise anniversary of my first, and it went off like the perfect final installment of a well-planned trilogy. They came to my territory, for a change, and I came prepared. Normally, I’m content to stay on the fringe of the pit where there are plenty of people packed in, but not as much going on. I’m
More >
The Dropkick Murphys have always been near and dear to me. While I've had a love-hate relationship at times with their style of music, I've always been able to lend them my hometown support. Now it seems that, again, I've come back full circle with this, their latest release. Maybe it's the echoes of seeing The Mighty Mighty Bosstones a dozen times back in college. Maybe it's the blue collar, h...
More >
In the first of what shall be many installments of my personal album reviews, I open with one of the bands that really got me into music.On September 18, the Dropkick Murphys release their sixth album, entitled The Meanest of Times. Featuring a more rock and roll feel than it's predecessor The Warrior's Code, the Boston punk rockers don't seem to show any ill effects resulting from their recent...
More >
Ive been working on my irish riffs all day trying to get some new bagpipe sounding licks together. This is because Ive been listening to alot of dropkick murphys lately. anyway I thought I throw this song out there for anyone who watched nitro circus and liked the intro music. This riff is really catchy and i find myself whistling it alot. Enjoy!
More >
The Dropkick Murphys have always been near and dear to me. While I've had a love-hate relationship at times with their style of music, I've always been able to lend them my hometown support. Now it seems that, again, I've come back full circle with this, their latest release. Maybe it's the echoes of seeing The Mighty Mighty Bosstones a dozen times back in college. Maybe it's the blue collar, h...
More >
Dropkick Murphys: State of MassachusettsYesterday, the fan-boy in me began to surface. I spent much of the day ruminating over the latest Dropkick Murphys disc _The Meanest Of Times_. Well, many of you shared similar thoughts, and I was so grateful for that. You see, that's what makes our little community so beautiful: so many different people sharing the same love for so many different typ...
More >
Last night, as I’ve mentioned (nay, gushed), was my third Dropkick Murphys concert, and the precise anniversary of my first, and it went off like the perfect final installment of a well-planned trilogy. They came to my territory, for a change, and I came prepared. Normally, I’m content to stay on the fringe of the pit where there are plenty of people packed in, but not as much going on. I’m
More >
In the first of what shall be many installments of my personal album reviews, I open with one of the bands that really got me into music.On September 18, the Dropkick Murphys release their sixth album, entitled The Meanest of Times. Featuring a more rock and roll feel than it's predecessor The Warrior's Code, the Boston punk rockers don't seem to show any ill effects resulting from their recent...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Famous For Nothing |
|
|
| 2 God Willing |
|
|
| 3 The State Of Massachusetts |
|
|
| 4 Tomorrow's Industry |
|
|
| 5 Echoes On 'A.' Street |
|
|
| 6 Vices And Virtues |
|
|
| 7 Surrender |
|
|
| 8 (F)lannigan's Ball |
|
|
| 9 I'll Begin Again |
|
|
| 10 Fairmount Hill |
|
|
| 11 Loyal To No One |
|
|
| 12 Shattered |
|
|
| 13 Rude Awakenings |
|
|
| 14 Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya |
|
|
| 15 Never Forget |
|
|
Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "The Meanest of Times")
