Customer Rating:  
Summary: Presidents of the United States of America - These Are The Good Times People 4/10
Comment: Just one of many bands to come out of Seattle in the heyday of grunge, Presidents of the United States of America stood out from their contemporaries with their self-deprecating humor (a oft-needed relief from the seriousness of bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden), vocalist Chris Ballew's sing-speak style, and their unusual longevity.
These Are the Good Times People doesn't stray too far from their formula, with the record starting off with "Mixed Up S.O.B." and "Ladybug." The first one is about, surprisingly, [...], and the second ranges from ladybugs to centipedes to beetles partying it up.
No one has ever expected POTUSA to sing about anything particularly serious, so their latest succeeds as a frothy, bouncy collection with a solid set of tunes and workmanlike, poppy playing that is catchy throughout, but also eventually reveals itself as ultimately trivial and vapid.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Presidents Rock!
Comment: These are the good times people. It's also a good time to listen to this CD. I'm a huge fan of PUSA. This CD has the classic Presidents sound as well as, a few tracks with something a little different than the norm. And, they are not disapointing. I enjoy CDs released by the Presidents because you can listen to them all the way through without skipping tracks. The pattern continues with this one. Bottom line I highly recommend picking up this CD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: PUSA Rocks, always have, always will . . .
Comment: Awsome album, another great to add to the PUSA collection . . . worth the money.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hey, Dave Dederer: Missin' You!
Comment: This entire album is upbeat and listenable, but it is noticably missing the input of Dave Dederer on Guitbass!
I read an interview once where Dave Dederer stated that while Chris wrote most of the "cutesy" songs, his own contribution was adding the heavier rock/punk influence to the music. That rock and roll edge is what is missing from this album. Which makes it, not bad, but also not rockin'!
The standout songs are definitely:
-"Mixed Up S.O.B.": Which is another wild song about a crazy girl, in line with "Lump" and "Lunatic to Love".
-"Ghosts Are Everywhere": A catchy tune with lots of "Na-Na-Na's" like "Tiki God" from II.
-"Riot In The Sun": Which is the closest thing to edgy, with it's distorted shouts of the title at the beginning.
-"Deleter": Which is a very good experiment, using horns and a female vocalist with some great attitude.
Again, the album is enjoyable, but not one I want to listen to all the way through like "Love Everybody" or "II". Dave, come back to us!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Comment: These Are the Good Times People Is an awesome album! These guys have still got it and are still fun! 'Pore Turtle' has been stuck in my head for days and tracks like "Messed up SOB", "Flame is Love", "Rot in the Sun" and "Deleter", this album is a great listen all the way through!
Musically this is a little growth for POUSA, with some horns in several songs and a guest singer, this is a little change, but it works out very well with their fun, rock style!
If you like POUSA, buy this album, support this band and help them keep making such great music! If you've never heard this band, give them a listen now!
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