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Potemkin City Limits

 
Album Review: Potemkin City Limits

  • Artist: Propagandhi
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: October 18, 2005
  • Type: Contains explicit content, Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Regardless of whether or not the state of the world would had improved since their 2000 record, it's almost certain that Propagandhi would have found something to rally against for their fourth studio album. But the mid-2000s were very far from perfect, and with all of the era's questionable politics and injustices, it's no wonder Potemkin City Limits finds Propagandhi as outraged as ever. Even the album title makes a statement, as politically a Potemkin village generally alludes to a false construct that hides an unattractive situation. References like this start with the title, continue into provocative quotes and commentary in the liner notes, and then absolutely overwhelm the lyrics. So unless you simply enjoy the sheer passion behind the band's delivery, you better be up to speed on turn of the millennium politics to really understand the fuel of each song. (Don't worry, though, the guys thoughtfully include a plethora of reading material inside to help you along.) And though Propagandhi's past humor seems to be completely gone and replaced with raw anger and bitterness, the band still has plenty to say. Nothing is safe from their outrage, from military recruitment ("America's Army (Die Jugend Marschiert)") to hypocritical musicians ("Rock for Sustainable Capitalism") to war profiteers finally being held responsible for their actions ("Iteration"). Sentiments concerning the war in Iraq can be heard on "Name and Address Withheld" and "Fedallah's Horse," while a cold war between the U.S. and Canada is hypothesized in the lead track, "A Speculative Fiction." The frustration and disillusionment that seemed to be settling in throughout their last effort, Today's Empire, Tomorrow's Ashes, develops further within the angry constructs of Potemkin City Limits. Their message, however, comes across as no less focused or urgent because of it. On the contrary, the songs seem all the more pressing as performed with the weary energy of a defiant band fighting the good fight for almost two decades. Do the band a favor -- read up on world events and take a stand. Propagandhi can't continue carrying the banner alone forever. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
A Speculative Fiction Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (4:14)
Fixed Frequencies Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (3:58)
Fedallah's Hearse Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (4:00)
Cut into the Earth Propagandhi Propagandhi (3:41)
Bringer of Greater Things Propagandhi Propagandhi (2:45)
Die Jugend Marschiert Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (4:42)
Rock for Sustainable Capitalism Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (4:12)
Impending Halfhead Propagandhi Propagandhi (1:14)
Life at Disconnect Propagandhi Propagandhi (3:23)
Name and Address Withheld Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (3:21)
Superbowl Patriot XXXVI Propagandhi Propagandhi (0:36)
Iteration Propagandhi, Glen Lambert Propagandhi (7:51)

Credits

Salif Keita (Author), Charles Bukowski (Author), Bill Stevenson (Mastering), Bill Stevenson (Mixing), Jason Livermore (Mastering), Jason Livermore (Mixing), William Shakespeare (Author), David Suzuki (Author), Eric Drooker (Artwork), Ward Churchill (Author), Chris Hedges (Author)
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Wikipedia: Potemkin City Limits
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Potemkin City Limits
Studio album by Propagandhi
Released October 18, 2005
Recorded November 8, 2004 - ?
Genre Punk rock, heavy metal
Length 41:25
Label G7 Welcoming Committee Records/Fat Wreck Chords
Professional reviews
Propagandhi chronology
Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
(2001)
Potemkin City Limits
(2005)
Supporting Caste
(2009)

Potemkin City Limits is the fourth full length album by the Canadian band Propagandhi, released on October 18, 2005. It was released on the band's own G7 Welcoming Committee Records label in Canada, and Fat Wreck Chords elsewhere.

The title of the album is an allusion to Potemkin village, a political term referring to a false construct intended to hide an undesirable situation.

The opening track, "A Speculative Fiction," won the first annual ECHO Songwriting Prize from the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). [1] The band pledged to use the $5000 prize to make donations to the Haiti Action Network and The Welcome Place, an organization in Winnipeg (which they'd previously done volunteer work for) which helps refugees start new lives in Manitoba. [2]

Contents

Track listing

  1. "A Speculative Fiction" – 4:14
  2. "Fixed Frequencies" – 3:58
  3. "Fedallah's Hearse" – 4:00
  4. "Cut into the Earth" – 3:41
  5. "Bringer of Greater Things" – 2:45
  6. "America's Army™ (Die Jugend Marschiert)" – 4:42
  7. "Rock for Sustainable Capitalism" – 4:12
  8. "Impending Halfhead" – 1:14
  9. "Life at Disconnect" – 3:23
  10. "Name and Address Withheld" – 3:21
  11. "Superbowl Patriot XXXVI (Enter the Mendicant)" – 0:36
  12. "Iteration" – 5:19

Personnel

  • Chris Hannah - Guitar, Vocals
  • Jord Samolesky - Drums
  • Todd Kowalski - Bass, Vocals

Cover artwork

The artwork, a girl playing jump rope on a chalk-drawings covered street, is a piece of art called Children's Games from the anarchist artist Eric Drooker.[3]

References

  1. ^ "A Look Back at the Year in Manitoba Music". Manitoba Music News. 2006-12-18. http://www.manitobamusic.com/index.php?pid=10200&mid=10200&rid=2144. Retrieved 2007-02-22. 
  2. ^ "Propagandhi: acceptance speech? Sustained applause?". G7 Welcoming Committee Records. 2006-09-10. http://g7welcomingcommittee.com/news/2006/09/propagandhi-approach-binary-system/. Retrieved 2008-08-02. 
  3. ^ "Children's Games". Eric Drooker. http://www.drooker.com/paintings/pages/Children's-Games.html. Retrieved 2007-02-22. 

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Potemkin City Limits" Read more