Roxette - Crash! Boom! Bang!

What Would We Do Without Them?

I would put this right after Joyride as my favorite Roxette album. It starts off with perhaps their best album opener ever, "Harley and Indians (Riders In The Sky)". Wow, what a way to begin an album! After that it keeps getting better with virtually no filler, though I'm probably in the minority for my dislike for "Vulnerable". It's not bad, but it's a little too, well, pretty for my taste and Per's not the greatest balladeer. However, everything before and after it is first rate. My favorite songs (besides "Harley") would probably be "Fireworks", "Run To You", "Lies", "I'm Sorry", and of course "Sleeping In My Car". In a way, this is Roxette's most mellow album and the maturity really shows through. You can't go wrong with any Roxette album, but this one is particularly good. August 31, 2008

rOxeTte RockS !!!

I've heard a lot of songs from roxette, i got to listen to their songs since i was young, 'she's got the look, joyride and it must have been love'. But this album crash boom bang is just simply the best album so far for me, i really love most of the songs in this album 'riders in the sky, crash boom bang, sleeping in my car and vulnerable'. you should try and listen to this album, it's great! January 2, 2008

Point! Click! Buy!

Hey, if you like Roxette's sound at all and you've stumbled into this cd that starts used for about a buck, you really can't go wrong here.

I bought it a few months ago, and about half the songs I like a lot and about half I could do without, and I won't waste your time by going through a track-by-track listing as others have done. But I will say that "Crash Boom Bang" ranks as one of the great Roxette ballads of all time, and "Lies" is one of the catchiest rockers they've ever done.

Oh yeah, and "Love is All" is like the Roxette take on the "Hey Jude" approach where you get into a riff and just run it over and over into the ground. Great stuff!

So, listen to some sound samples, and if you like it at all then you know what to do! November 5, 2006

would have been exceptioanal with a couple of minor changes

This album seems to fit into three categories for me. The harder rocking songs on the album- HArleys and Indians, which is a reasonable opener. Sleeping in my car, which is ok, but blatantly written to rock up the album which is mainly leaning towards a more ballad approach. 'Lies' which has a good riff and a catchy chorus and the terrible track 'I love the sound of crashing guitars'. The title is poor and the tune is completely unmelodic. The middle eight part 'the six string kick inside' sounds just like the riffs in 'do you get excited', which demonstrates to me this song was also poorly thought out and under developed.

Then there are the mid tempo pop songs. 'Fireworks' is the first of these, an enjoyable Per led verse and even catchier Marie chorus. Understandably released as a single it is quirky. Then there is 'Do you wanna go the whole way', which is so tacky in the lyrical department, I can't really like it too much. It is ok, but with the constant pattern constantly repeating it soon tires, and is a bit of filler really. The only other weakish track except crashing guitars.

The remaining 9 tracks are all ballads and are all successes. There are the orchestrated ballads. 'Crash boom bang' is a nice Marie led ballad with orchestral passages. 'Run to you' is ever so slightly generic, but I really like the acoustic guitars and the orchestral accompaniment. 'Vulnerable' is absolutely beautiful with swooning violins and a nice melody by Per. A lovely song.

Apart from the aforementioned track, the two acoustic ballads are my faves on here. 'first girl on the moon' is a gorgeous acoustic rhythm led ballad, with harmonic and nice piano work. Prob my fave from the album is 'place your love' the melodies and interwoven horn melodies in the instrumental passage here is simply heaven and the lyrics are strong. A fantastic song.

The two sad ballads are also really strong 'What's she like' is the stronger of the two:- Nice awash of keyboards and synthesiser sounds and a good middle eight. 'I'm sorry' is also lovely and has a memorable chorus.

'Love is all' is the first song that Roxette did that is anthem like and almost slightly progressive at the same time. Nice ballad parts of the song, excellent singing and the guitar solo is first class.

'Go to sleep' is a nice closer to the album. A lullaby. Pure and simple.

A fantastic album, but at 15 tracks, it could have been cut. There is no need for Per to have a quota of rock songs on an album, if the ballads are as strong as this. 'Crashing guitars' should have been a B-side, with 'do you wanna go the whole way' and the still only b-side track 'the sweet hello the sad goodbye', their best song ever, should have been included. Reprogramming track 9 as this track, and cutting out track 11, makes a 5 star album of beauty. As it is, this is a 4+ September 26, 2006

A Change will do you good

This album took a while to grow on me. I bought it when I was in Germany, and after Tourism it kind of took a different turn. But after a while, like fine wine it did.
I think it has got less of that blues souly feel that Joyride has, Tourism was almost folky country, this has a more rocky, even metal feel to it, but perhaps I wouldn't go that far. It also has a nice acoustic element to it.
Harleys and Indians - is an awesome opener to the album, could have been a rocky single to make people stand up and take notice, cool lyrics, awesome harmonica. Whats best about Per.
Crash Boom Bang - is beautifully melancholic, funny that it was the title track to the album though. The video to this is awesome and really captures the song. Perhaps if they had called the album Harleys and Indians it would have sold more. But this is a great ballad nevertheless. I must say though that Roxette are too well known for theiir melancholic ballads when their Catchy Rocky songs are just as good and perhaps lyrically better.
Fireworks - This is an underrated single. Cool video on this song. Great lyrics about two girls on a road trip. Could have been an after the fact soundtrack to Thelma and Louise. A folk quirky funky rock song a bit reminiscent of Joyride.
Run To You - I guess there are too many songs called Run To You to have made this a hit. I was a bit surprised this was a single to be honest. But it does conjure up images and has a nice inbetween bit about churches and lonely roads.
Sleeping In My Car - Now this is a rocky song with a cool beat, but I have to say a bit lyrically poor and this is why I would have liked some of the other songs to be the singles. Nevertheless catchy. And it did make it to Number 11 in NZ I think or was it number 20.
Vulnerable - A great song and needed some radio play over here but never got it. A really heartfelt number and Per is great on this with the violins and everything. Nice lyrics. Should have been a hit.
The First Girl On The Moon - Now this is one of the greatest tracks on the album. Would have been a great single. And would have seen girlpower stand up and take notice. Love the dogs at the beginning and the harmonica. Great lyrics. A nice acoustic song.
Place Your Love - I really like this song. It is a bit reminsicent of Friday Im in Love by The Cure, but with Per's stamp. I like the bridge in this song and the guitar riff is neat. Another nice acoustic song.
I Love the Sound of Crashing Guitars - I thought when I first heard this it was a bit dumb but now I think it is not so bad. A tribute I guess to Pete Townshend and I like the lyric "Hey you long haired vintage Jesus.
What's She Like - Now this is a really nice song. Could have been a single. It builds up beautifully to the "I never knew..."
Marie milks the lyrics in this. Heartfelt. Mmmm. Shes at her best here.
Do You Wanna Go The Whole Way - The shaker is interesting on this song. Nice verses - not so sure about the chorus though.
Lies - Quite a rocking song - could have been a single to to make a stir. Both Per and Marie song. Great opening line. Catchy
I'm Sorry - This is a really nice song too. Lyrically nice. Nice bridge again from Per - "Time makes a stop". Remisncent of Queen of Rain a bit. Catchy.
Love is All - Now this is a great song and nice and long. An epic. I wish they did more like this where they dragged it out and milked it for all its worth. Like Meatloaf and Stairway toHeaven and Bohemian Rhapsody and November Rain. Big long 9 or 10 minuters. This is a philosophical or spiritual song too which is nice instead of just singing about broken hearts all the time.
Go To Sleep - And what a great little lullaby to end the album. Some of the most awesome lyrics in this song too. I like the line "Life's a tough principal..." and "Love's a golden ripple". Could be used for quote of the days.
All in All an awesomely arranged album in terms of song order. Maybe a bit two sided like a tape which is what I first bought it on although now I own it on CD. Brings back a lot of memories. Wish it had done better in the charts.
Adios.
June 7, 2006

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