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Customer Reviews of Wondermints (Reissue)

The Wondermints Should Be Superstars
Brian Wilson was once quoted as saying if he had known the Wondermints while working on the aborted "Smile" project in 1967, he would've taken them out on the road to promote his famous unfinished masterpiece. Well, whaddya know? When Brian hit the road in 1999--2001, he brought this super talented L.A. quartet with him. But, don't mistakenly think these guys are merely a backing band. The 'Mints are the real deal. Tunes like "Proto-Pretty" and "Libbyland" display a knack for song craft rarely seen these days. Jangly guitars, McCartney-esque basslines and layered harmonies fill out spacious arrangements. Infectious melodies stick like glue, ensuring repeated playbacks. Listen to "Fleur-de-Lis" and "Tracy Hide" then just try to get the melodies out of your head. You can't. These guys are super-cool retro musicians who deserve a large audience. Unfortuneatly, they can't get arrested in America. The reality is that the Wondermints are simply too clever and too good to fit into uptight radio formats. What a shame. In a perfect world they'd be superstars. And hey, how 'bout giving 'em some bonus points for their contributions to the "Austin Powers" soundtrack! Check 'em out.

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Wondermints Rock
I found out about this band from an English friend who's been listening to them for a while. I went out and got Bali and really dug it. I had to go out and get Wonderful World Of and Wondermints right away. I find this one to be the lesser album of the three, lacking the cohesion in the songlist found in Bali and the funky beats of Wonderful World Of. This is still a great album though.

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Been compared to Pet Sounds--aren't you a little curious?
Only a few months ago, people were gladly paying $35 for the Japanese import. Now it's still an import (English) but at $12.99 you'll never make a better buy. It doesn't sound that much like Pet Sounds (maybe "Tracey Hide" is vaguely like "Caroline No"), but it will bring you bliss every time you listen. You may have heard that the Wondermints were Brian Wilson's backing band on his recent Pet Sounds tour. But their own music is not an homage to the Beach Boys--they definitely have their own identity. I recommend visiting their website and reading their story, along with the quotes from reviews of this album. I hope that will convince you to take a chance. This is one of those rare perfect albums. And, since they haven't released a new one in a few years, maybe your interest will help get them recording again.