All of Electric Six's studio albums ranked!
This one's a doozy! I can't think of another band I follow that has been so prolific and consistent. Since the release of their debut album "Fire" in 2003, the band has pretty much released an album every year (with the exception of a two-year delay between "Fire" and sophomore album "Señor Smoke"). At times, I have thought of Electric Six as my favorite band. Usually these times are at the end of one of their euphoric live shows, of which I have witnessed an average of at least one per year. Other times, I lose track or interest briefly, so some of the albums I had to really revisit in order to rank them. I do own most of these, but there are a couple that I never ended up buying but rather chose to just stream. Out of 12 albums (including live disc "Absolute Pleasure"), I own physical copies of 9 of them as well as several CD singles, 7" singles, and even a 7" picture disc ("Radio Ga Ga").
For this countdown, I actually had to create an implement a new ranking system. For each track, I assigned a "3" if it's a track that I know and love; a "2" if it's a track that's OK but not great; or a "1" for a track that I don't like or I don't remember. Then I divided by the number of tracks, for a final average score.
Here's the countdown to the countdown! 5...4...3...2...1...
11. KILL 2009
This album just never did anything for me. I never bought it, and have only streamed it a handful of times. The lead single was "Body Shot," which is the only track I really remember from the album, and even that is probably my least favorite Electric 6 single. In listening to it, there's nothing wrong with it per se, so a great deal of my feelings towards it could have just been the point in my own life when it was released. I wouldn't say that it's an inferior album, or that the production is lacking, I just never personally connected with it. Having said that, perhaps the songs aren't as strong as usual because they never really got stuck in my head like Electric 6 songs usually do.
10. MUSTANG 2013
Once again, I don't feel this album is necessarily of lesser quality, but I just never personally got into it. There are a couple songs that stand out, especially "Adam Levine," which is often played at live shows, so I know it much more than the rest of them. "New Shampoo" has some interesting lyrics, and "Late Night Obama Food" is the kind of quirky, left-field type stuff that Electric 6 does so well. It gets stuck in your head yet you still don't know exactly what it means. The cover art becomes hilarious once you really examine the spelling of the artwork on the jacket.
9. BITCH, DON'T LET ME DIE 2015
This being the most recent release, I haven't had time to fully digest it yet. However, it already has some songs that stick out in my mind, including "Roulette" which was performed live when I last saw them, and the amazing country/Elvis style "Dime Dime Penny Dime," which I also saw them do live. I don't know why I love that song so much, but I do. Then there's also the band's titular song which closes out this album, "Electric Six," which is pretty hilarious. I always love it when a band has a song named after themselves.
8. HUMAN ZOO 2014
I may have been a little hard on this one when it first came out, because the title was also a title of a great song by my friends' band, Swivel. Starting out on that note, I would also say this album came out during a particularly busy time for me, and I never really got to give it the chance it deserved. I don't feel the album started on a strong note with "Karate Lips," but things go up a bit with second track "Horseshit." I also get a huge kick out of the track "Gun Rights," and "(Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone" really shines when inserted into the live performance of "Improper Dancing." "Worst Movie Ever" also stands out as a memorable track, but many of the rest are forgettable, at least by me.
7. I SHALL EXTERMINATE EVERYTHING AROUND ME THAT RESTRICTS ME FROM BEING THE MASTER 2007
I remember being in Bakersfield with our friends Three Chord Whore and hearing the clips of several songs on MySpace (!) and all of us wondering if Electric 6 had gone off the deep end. However, we quickly discovered we needn't worry as the album opens with a great run of five stellar tunes. "Showtime" is super fun and I even bought the t-shirt for this song, which includes a cartoon drawing of Tait, my favorite band member (spoken like a teen girl)! "Down at McDonnelzzz" is one of the band's most classic tracks and one of the highlights of the live shows. "Dance Pattern" is just as fantastic! Occasionally, the band has a song that sounds very serious and on this album it's "When I Get to the Green Building." All in all, a very solid effort with only a few kind of throw-away tracks.
6. FLASHY 2008
This album came out at an interesting time for me as (full disclosure) my own band at the time worked with Electric Six's lead singer, Dick Valentine, on one of our own songs. He provided guest vocals for our track "I'm a Vampire." As a result, I was pretty stoked when this album came out, which featured some great tunes like "Gay Bar Part Two" (how brilliant was it to do a "sequel" to one of their biggest hits?), "We Were Witchy Witchy White Women" and "Watching Evil Empires Fall Apart." This is kind of a continuation of the album that preceded it (I Shall Exterminate...") as the artwork and mood are very similar. I also love the song "Transatlantic Flight" which features the line "in the event of a water landing, you can use my body as a flotation device." I have a t-shirt from this song which was designed to look similar to the old Pan-Am branding.
5. SWITZERLAND 2006
At the time of this album, I felt a little let down because it wasn't as manic and balls-to-the-wall as the previous two releases. On this, the band's third album, they tone things down just a little, and shy away from the bombastic production, synthesizers, and 80s style overdoneness (which of course I loved.) However, they don't stray that far and there are some serious classic bangers on here, my favorite of which is, of course "I Buy The Drugs." "Germans in Mexico" is a classic tracks, and "Pink Flamingos" is seriously underrated (and I'm still planning to make a music video for this song!). In fact most of the tracks here have withstood the test of time, making it a solid album, if not as adventurous as usual.
4. HEARTBEATS AND BRAINWAVES 2011
Did someone say "adventurous"? This album is perhaps the band's most experimental, and it pays off, as it's also one of their most fun listens. For me, it's one of my favorites because it's very synth-heavy. It starts off kind of slow and foreboding with the dramatic "Psychic Visions." The first few songs are all great fun, leading to the sexy "It Gets Hot" which is one of the few E6 songs to feature female vocals. "The Intergalactic Version" is sublime with its new wave keyboards and out-of-this-world lyrics. "Food Dog" is another odd one that you have to sing along to, even if you don't know what you're really singing. This album is very consistent and thematic, making it one of their strongest releases. Just try not to sing "Free Samples" in your head any time you see free samples! And of course there's the glorious title track with it's almost disco feel. So fun!
3. ZODIAC 2010
After that nadir that was "Kill," it seemed that the only way left to go was up, and boy did Electric Six rise to the occasion, delivering one of the best sets of their career with "Zodiac." Pretty much every track is a classic, hearkening back to the early days of the band. Starting with the punchy, piano-driven "After Hours," the guys tear through a high energy collection of tunes that in and of itself would be a great live set. "American Cheese" is hilariously spiked with dairy puns, "Clusterfuck" changes midway through into a completely different but also awesome song, and "Jam it in the Hole" is one of the best E6 tracks ever. A rare cover, "Rubberband Man," shows how competent the musicians are, with the ability to explore different genres such as this Motown flavored jam. "Talking Turkey" again features female vocals and is perhaps the perfect (and really, only) song for your Thanksgiving playlist. And best of all, this was released on white vinyl!!!
2. FIRE 2003
I really would have thought that I would have rated this as the top Electric Six album, and in fact had done so before I decided to implement the rating system. Once I did that, it became apparent that, although this album is totally and completely a classic no matter how you slice it, there are a few tracks that are not as strong. Of course, this album contains the best of the best of the E6 singles: "Dance Commander," "Danger! High Voltage," and "Gay Bar." It also includes my favorite E6 song ever, "Synthesizer," as well as hyper-frenetic tracks that could and should have been smash singles like "I'm the Bomb," "Naked Pictures of Your Mother," and "She's White." Even just reading the song titles should get someone not acquainted with the band intrigued enough to check them out! The constant references to "Fire" "War" and "Dancing" really create a cohesive theme that is carried throughout the album, making it one that you put on and don't skip a track. Near perfection!
1. SEñOR SMOKE 2005
So, yeah, I really had not thought this would come in at number one because it followed up such a brilliant break-through album and it was critically mauled at the time. However, the numbers don't lie: every track on here is a winner as I ranked all but one track at the highest score (I didn't even include the interludes, as charming as they are). Looking back, I think that for myself and my friends who are also fans of the band, this was a great time. We had all gotten pumped up and excited by this new band and their stellar debut, and rather than a sophomore slump, we get this amazing, completely bonkers album that hit all the rights notes, starting with the insanity of "Rock and Roll Evacuation," which includes the now-legendary line "Mr. President, I don't like you... you don't know how to rock", to the enduring karaoke-loving classic "Future is in the Future," this album never misses a step. The cover of Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" is perhaps unnecessary but it's still fun (especially the video). "Jimmy Carter" is just as appropriate for today as it was over ten years ago, and "Boy Or Girl" preceded the current trans revolution. While most critics would undoubtedly rank this lower, for me, this was the apex of Electric Six and the soundtrack to a moment in time that always brings a smile to my face.
For this countdown, I actually had to create an implement a new ranking system. For each track, I assigned a "3" if it's a track that I know and love; a "2" if it's a track that's OK but not great; or a "1" for a track that I don't like or I don't remember. Then I divided by the number of tracks, for a final average score.
Here's the countdown to the countdown! 5...4...3...2...1...
This album just never did anything for me. I never bought it, and have only streamed it a handful of times. The lead single was "Body Shot," which is the only track I really remember from the album, and even that is probably my least favorite Electric 6 single. In listening to it, there's nothing wrong with it per se, so a great deal of my feelings towards it could have just been the point in my own life when it was released. I wouldn't say that it's an inferior album, or that the production is lacking, I just never personally connected with it. Having said that, perhaps the songs aren't as strong as usual because they never really got stuck in my head like Electric 6 songs usually do.
Once again, I don't feel this album is necessarily of lesser quality, but I just never personally got into it. There are a couple songs that stand out, especially "Adam Levine," which is often played at live shows, so I know it much more than the rest of them. "New Shampoo" has some interesting lyrics, and "Late Night Obama Food" is the kind of quirky, left-field type stuff that Electric 6 does so well. It gets stuck in your head yet you still don't know exactly what it means. The cover art becomes hilarious once you really examine the spelling of the artwork on the jacket.
This being the most recent release, I haven't had time to fully digest it yet. However, it already has some songs that stick out in my mind, including "Roulette" which was performed live when I last saw them, and the amazing country/Elvis style "Dime Dime Penny Dime," which I also saw them do live. I don't know why I love that song so much, but I do. Then there's also the band's titular song which closes out this album, "Electric Six," which is pretty hilarious. I always love it when a band has a song named after themselves.
I may have been a little hard on this one when it first came out, because the title was also a title of a great song by my friends' band, Swivel. Starting out on that note, I would also say this album came out during a particularly busy time for me, and I never really got to give it the chance it deserved. I don't feel the album started on a strong note with "Karate Lips," but things go up a bit with second track "Horseshit." I also get a huge kick out of the track "Gun Rights," and "(Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone" really shines when inserted into the live performance of "Improper Dancing." "Worst Movie Ever" also stands out as a memorable track, but many of the rest are forgettable, at least by me.
I remember being in Bakersfield with our friends Three Chord Whore and hearing the clips of several songs on MySpace (!) and all of us wondering if Electric 6 had gone off the deep end. However, we quickly discovered we needn't worry as the album opens with a great run of five stellar tunes. "Showtime" is super fun and I even bought the t-shirt for this song, which includes a cartoon drawing of Tait, my favorite band member (spoken like a teen girl)! "Down at McDonnelzzz" is one of the band's most classic tracks and one of the highlights of the live shows. "Dance Pattern" is just as fantastic! Occasionally, the band has a song that sounds very serious and on this album it's "When I Get to the Green Building." All in all, a very solid effort with only a few kind of throw-away tracks.
This album came out at an interesting time for me as (full disclosure) my own band at the time worked with Electric Six's lead singer, Dick Valentine, on one of our own songs. He provided guest vocals for our track "I'm a Vampire." As a result, I was pretty stoked when this album came out, which featured some great tunes like "Gay Bar Part Two" (how brilliant was it to do a "sequel" to one of their biggest hits?), "We Were Witchy Witchy White Women" and "Watching Evil Empires Fall Apart." This is kind of a continuation of the album that preceded it (I Shall Exterminate...") as the artwork and mood are very similar. I also love the song "Transatlantic Flight" which features the line "in the event of a water landing, you can use my body as a flotation device." I have a t-shirt from this song which was designed to look similar to the old Pan-Am branding.
At the time of this album, I felt a little let down because it wasn't as manic and balls-to-the-wall as the previous two releases. On this, the band's third album, they tone things down just a little, and shy away from the bombastic production, synthesizers, and 80s style overdoneness (which of course I loved.) However, they don't stray that far and there are some serious classic bangers on here, my favorite of which is, of course "I Buy The Drugs." "Germans in Mexico" is a classic tracks, and "Pink Flamingos" is seriously underrated (and I'm still planning to make a music video for this song!). In fact most of the tracks here have withstood the test of time, making it a solid album, if not as adventurous as usual.
Did someone say "adventurous"? This album is perhaps the band's most experimental, and it pays off, as it's also one of their most fun listens. For me, it's one of my favorites because it's very synth-heavy. It starts off kind of slow and foreboding with the dramatic "Psychic Visions." The first few songs are all great fun, leading to the sexy "It Gets Hot" which is one of the few E6 songs to feature female vocals. "The Intergalactic Version" is sublime with its new wave keyboards and out-of-this-world lyrics. "Food Dog" is another odd one that you have to sing along to, even if you don't know what you're really singing. This album is very consistent and thematic, making it one of their strongest releases. Just try not to sing "Free Samples" in your head any time you see free samples! And of course there's the glorious title track with it's almost disco feel. So fun!
After that nadir that was "Kill," it seemed that the only way left to go was up, and boy did Electric Six rise to the occasion, delivering one of the best sets of their career with "Zodiac." Pretty much every track is a classic, hearkening back to the early days of the band. Starting with the punchy, piano-driven "After Hours," the guys tear through a high energy collection of tunes that in and of itself would be a great live set. "American Cheese" is hilariously spiked with dairy puns, "Clusterfuck" changes midway through into a completely different but also awesome song, and "Jam it in the Hole" is one of the best E6 tracks ever. A rare cover, "Rubberband Man," shows how competent the musicians are, with the ability to explore different genres such as this Motown flavored jam. "Talking Turkey" again features female vocals and is perhaps the perfect (and really, only) song for your Thanksgiving playlist. And best of all, this was released on white vinyl!!!
I really would have thought that I would have rated this as the top Electric Six album, and in fact had done so before I decided to implement the rating system. Once I did that, it became apparent that, although this album is totally and completely a classic no matter how you slice it, there are a few tracks that are not as strong. Of course, this album contains the best of the best of the E6 singles: "Dance Commander," "Danger! High Voltage," and "Gay Bar." It also includes my favorite E6 song ever, "Synthesizer," as well as hyper-frenetic tracks that could and should have been smash singles like "I'm the Bomb," "Naked Pictures of Your Mother," and "She's White." Even just reading the song titles should get someone not acquainted with the band intrigued enough to check them out! The constant references to "Fire" "War" and "Dancing" really create a cohesive theme that is carried throughout the album, making it one that you put on and don't skip a track. Near perfection!
So, yeah, I really had not thought this would come in at number one because it followed up such a brilliant break-through album and it was critically mauled at the time. However, the numbers don't lie: every track on here is a winner as I ranked all but one track at the highest score (I didn't even include the interludes, as charming as they are). Looking back, I think that for myself and my friends who are also fans of the band, this was a great time. We had all gotten pumped up and excited by this new band and their stellar debut, and rather than a sophomore slump, we get this amazing, completely bonkers album that hit all the rights notes, starting with the insanity of "Rock and Roll Evacuation," which includes the now-legendary line "Mr. President, I don't like you... you don't know how to rock", to the enduring karaoke-loving classic "Future is in the Future," this album never misses a step. The cover of Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" is perhaps unnecessary but it's still fun (especially the video). "Jimmy Carter" is just as appropriate for today as it was over ten years ago, and "Boy Or Girl" preceded the current trans revolution. While most critics would undoubtedly rank this lower, for me, this was the apex of Electric Six and the soundtrack to a moment in time that always brings a smile to my face.
Comments
11. Human Zoo
10. Flashy
9. Mustang
8. Heartbeats & Brainwaves
7. Exterminate
6. Bitch, Don't Let Me Die
5. Kill
4. Zodiac
3. Switzerland
2. Fire
1. Señor Smoke
I was surprised Switzerland beat out Zodiac. I think if this system had a 1-5 rating that would have been different. I "love" the first half of Zodiac so much, but I "like" more songs on switzerland. Also, Kill and Zodiac tied when I did it. I decided I could choose in the ranking when I had a tie, and I'm fairly certain a 1-5 wouldn't have ended in a tie.
Fun blog about a band that is also at different times my favorite band in the world.
I'll end with this thought. This band has earned the right to be a favorite band in the world. They've continued to keep the electric six alive and active for a very long time. They've toured in a van for nearly all of their career. There can't be a whole lot of luxury on that road, and that van must stink. those suits must stink. I've seen them play more than any other band I wasn't in and I've never once felt like they phoned it in.
11 albums, still no amaretto sour.
so w/ the rankings of those albums in the lower half we have issues. Kill is higher on my list because it was in Angie's car for years, and it was the only e6 album in there, So I listened to it a lot.
BTW, the lyrics to waste of Time and Money are tops... check it out again. Then listen to "Escape from Ohio" again. Very nice. Then Listen to Rubbin' me the wrong way. You will see. Kill is good. It is good to kill.
For my part I will go back to side two of H&B.
1. Exterminate
2. Human Zoo
3. Zodiac
4. Switzerland
5. Kill
6. Fire
7. Bitch, Don't Let Me Die
8. Flashy
9. Senor Smoke
10. Heartbeats & Brainwaves
11. Mustang
12. Fresh Blood
I really don't understand why some people rank Human Zoo so low. I think it's almost their best, only losing to my all-time favorite album, Exterminate. Bitch was ok, but Fresh Blood didn't do anything for me.