Oneida – Come on Everybody Let’s Rock (2000)

Onto album number two, which is also from the past decade, which is unexpected, even by myself.

Oneida has put out a shitload of albums- sometimes more than one per year- since their first in 1997 (which wasn’t issued as a wide release until later, but whatever). It’s hard to describe their sound overall- they’re one of those bands that definitely has their own sound, but it’s basically a mixture of 70s rock riffs, krautrock, and tinny antique-sounding keyboards/organs. Since I’ve gotten into them, I’ve purchased pretty much every widely available new release that they’ve had since, which has proved to be pretty worthwhile. They can get into some irritating repetition and self indulgence pretty frequently (their latest full length was 3 discs, over two hours long, and the entire first third was basically a few 12 minute organic  live techno songs), but each album is such a departure from the last, it’s worth looking into as they include great material somewhere on each release (the second disc of the aforementioned album kicks ass).

So, onto “Come on Everybody Let’s Rock,” which must be missing that comma in the title because you’re supposed to yell it at someone without pause. It seems like no one ever talks about this album. I will say that it’s far more heavily steeped in the 70s rock (sometimes nearing stoner metal) thing than any of their other albums. Needless to say, the entirety of it is a lot more fun and much less tedious than later experiments.

Oddly, it opens with “I Love Rock,” which is by far the least rock-sounding track on the album- a bunch of shouted cliches about, shockingly, how much the band loves rock laid over a bunch of noise. Honestly, I have no idea if this was the band’s intention, but it seems like it’s there purely to remind whoever is listening that the band can get experimental, because there really isn’t any other sign of it afterwards- it immediately jumps into the good-time hangin’ out-and-getting-high-in-a-basement-with-outdated-70s-wallpaper-feel of “Major Havoc.” Allmusic.com says this might be a reference to XTC’s “Sgt. Rock,” but this literally does not make any sense.

From that point on out, “Let’s Rock” basically alternates songs with overtly 70s influences with faster, ridiculous, frantic straight rock songs, including the overly absurd (and awesome) “Doin’ Business in Japan,” which is about just that- several rhyming things that occur while doing business in Japan. Topped off with one of the most blatant cocaine songs I’ve ever heard, along with a double speed cover of the 13th Floor Elevators’ “Slip Inside This House,” the mood is far less serious than later Oneida albums (not that they try to be fucking U2 or anything), and often times much more enjoyable because of it. It’s a good time. Click the link below to download it, but if you do purchase it, you will be pleased to know that the insert contains not one, but two photos of a fully nude man laying down with his dick out, just for you! (I’m actually serious.)

Download Here (one track is out of order in the .rar, but you’ll figure it out):

http://www.mediafire.com/?rzdytwynk3y