The Presidents of the United States of America - II 320cbr (Big Papi) 1996 American Alternative Comedy Punk Pop

The name `II' depicts this album perfectly. This is the Presidents' second CD; and in turn is their second best. And although their self-titled debut may be slightly better than this release, II is still an excellent album. A lot of people criticize it for being too unoriginal or too similar to the first one. But that's the reason the band entitled the CD `II'. Even though they use the same basis for success, that doesn't mean the songs aren't good. The lyrics are new; the sounds are new, but the band stayed the same. You have to appreciate this album in its entirety; follow-up albums are one of the hardest things to create in music. Especially when they're after a widely successful debut. With that being said, here's a synopsis of the 14 songs:

Part I of the "Ladies And Gentlemen" songs is a great start. It's short, it's sweet, and it's directly to the point: `this is the show / we are the band / sometimes it just takes you by the hand' says it all. Track two, "Lunatic To Love", has very fast lyrics. And with it the CD has a very fast start. I'd actually say it's one of the CD's best. A single off II was "Volcano", which is an excellent song. The `...happy campers who poop in their pampers' line always makes me laugh. Of the two singles, "Volcano" and "Mach 5", I think "Mach 5" is the better one. The success of the song was similar to the success "Lump" had, but the two are very different. It's more similar to "Lunatic To Love". Next there is "Twig"; which is probably one of the CD's hidden gems. It's one of the more fun songs on the album. The first five songs are excellent, but "Bug City" is more average. It has a creative start, but never really amounts to much; the chorus was a bit weak. Still it's very likable.

On the album's second half, we start with "Tiki God". The song was another single, but it's definitely the weaker of the three. I like it, but it's rather simplistic. "L.I.P." is a weird track, and I'm not too sure where its origin is from. "L.I.P." stands for Little Indian Princess; which still doesn't say much about the song. It's nothing special, but on the other hand it's not at all bad. "Froggie" is also quite weird, and is sort of a mix between "Body" and "Feather Pluckn". It's good yet a little repetitive. "Toob Amplifier" is another short song, and is also another great song. I love the talk about the bertha driver and the `300 yards!' shout in the background. If there's a second hidden gem on II, this is indeed it. The song "Supermodel" cites some neat names, including anyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Darth Vader. It's very good, and probably the most original on the CD. One of my personal favorites is "Puffy Little Shoes". The song is (as far as I know) the band's longest song at five minutes. The highlights of the song are the `shoe oo oo oo oo oo oo oos' chorus and `soft shoulder salamander up close and alone' line. It's really an amazing song. As for the album's closer, "Ladies And Gentlemen Part II", it's somewhat weak. It's just a longer version of part I with less lyrics. And nothing can be said about the hidden track; it's utterly unentertaining.

In conclusion, the Presidents' II is an excellent release. Maybe not as good as their debut, but still a very good follow-up release. In fact, it did make my listmania list for the best 25 CDs ever. It's just that good. Songs like "Froggie" are reminders of the debut; whereas songs like "Mach 5" and "Lunatic To Love" offer new sounds with fast-paced music and lyrics that everyone can enjoy. Anyone who finds this album clichéd and unoriginal doesn't understand the Presidents Of The United States Of America or their music. They're funny, they're smart; but most importantly they are rock music missionaries... so to speak.