There are songs that make you fall in love at first listen, and make you want to explore more music from that artist/group you might have never heard before; that's what happened to me with "Here We Go", the opener of the second album by a band with a strange name, "Dispatch". The album in question is called "Bang Bang", released in 1997. With this review, I hope to encourage you to give this album a listen, in my opinion, one of the best of the '90s.

BUT who are these Dispatch, you might be asking? Well, although it seems nobody has ever heard of them in the Belpaese, in their homeland, the USA, Dispatch is recognized as one of the most important independent rock formations; they have never signed with a major label despite their popularity, and they even managed to fill Madison Square Garden in New York in 2007, in an iconic benefit concert. The group consists of Chad Urmston (guitar, vocals), Pete Heimbold (bass, guitar, vocals), and Brad Corrigan (drums, percussion, guitar, and vocals) and was formed in the Boston area in the early '90s.

Initially, the group was an acoustic trio, as demonstrated by their debut "Silent Steeples" in 1996, characterized by brilliant acoustic arrangements, beautiful vocal harmonies, and an excellent use of percussion. But it is with the second album, "Bang Bang", released the following year that the trio picks up electric instruments and decides to go all in. As in the previous album, melodies are a central part of the group's sound, but what shines are the arrangements, always original, diverse, and never over the top. Dispatch stays simple, they do not overindulge in technicality despite being excellent multi-instrumentalists, but they create a fantastic mix of groove and melody. Take, for example, the already mentioned "Here We Go", which opens the album perfectly: it starts slow, with some choral voices, then launches into an incredibly danceable main riff, and the song proceeds headlong, with the three voices blending perfectly, just like the instruments. And the following "Bats in the Belfry", with its reggae vibe and extremely catchy chorus and a good use of the sax, puts you in the right mood for the songs that will follow. "The General", "Mission", and "Railway" are along the same lines, but each has its uniqueness that makes it stand out: the fantastic anti-military lyrics and the most singable chorus of the album in "The General", the fantastic bass and vocal harmonies in "Mission", and the ska atmosphere, sax solo, and the bass (again, yes) in "Railway". The album also indulges in some acoustic numbers, with the title track "Bang Bang", a song perfect to listen to in a moment of peace and relaxation, while "Two Coins" and "Out Loud" are acoustic ballads, the latter closing the album and what can I say, it is an excellent closing for an excellent album.

In conclusion, if you like rock and are into reggae and funk influences, with the addition of excellent melodies and arrangements, give "Bang Bang" by Dispatch a chance. (And also the rest of their discography, they deserve it)

Tracklist and Lyrics

01   Bats in the Belfry (acoustic) (05:36)

02   The Way It Goes (04:26)

03   Mission (04:06)

Let it be known
To all your misbelievin'
Whacha been seein'
That we will not stand off
Will not be mistaken

We will go there, leave this weakness (can't take this from me)
We will go there, leave this weakness (cause you know what)
I have been waiting

Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission to be so well oh well
The way I see

People damn this and damn that
There will be no talk of turnin' back
damn this, damn that, damn people talkin'
We will fly sometime
we will find our own way
We will fly sometime
we will find our own

Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission to be so well oh well
The way I see

Now we are not so
we are not given
we are not sold on what we have seen
Now we are not so
we are not given we
we are not sold on what we have seen

(fly away never coming back, yeah)
Oh we could! We could!
The list is long we are many strong the ceiling's are comin' down!

Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission
Low we are not so we on a mission

04   Drive (02:59)

Daddy I want to fly today
I wanna get up and go
wanna find some time
Mama I hear what you're sayin'
I wanna feel alive and get inside

hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright
hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright

tell me what to think
it's been years since we've been
flyin'
show me what you're seein'
I wanna feel alive wanna take this
dive

hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright
hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright

hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright
hey I wanna drive
I'm alright if you're alright
you're alright

05   Whirlwind (04:56)

a whirlwind came into my life
and it tried to rescue me
will you come, will you go
will you tell me seriously
twistin', burnin', my thoughts turnin'
back to you again
sweet thing take me to the end

You better dig
and take a look inside yourself

so the story goes or so I've heard it said
that you left your land to trade for a place
so far away, so out of date
that only you could understand
and at the ceiling of my feeling
backed up against the wall
sweet thing you know I'd fall in line

You better dig
and take a look inside yourself

she wants to be free
and I want to know
that she wants to be free
and I want to know

06   The General (04:06)

There was a decorated general with
A heart of gold, that likened him to
All the stories he told
Of past battles, won and lost, and
Legends of old a seasoned veteran in
His own time

On the battlefield, he gained
Respectful fame with many medals
Of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could
To cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on

But on the eve of a great battle
With the infantry in dream
The old general tossed in his sleep
And wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from the night
To tell what he had seen
And walked slowly out of his tent

All the men held tall with their
Chests in the air, with courage in
Their blood and a fire in their stare
It was a gray morning and they all
Wondered how they would fare
Till the old general told them to go home

He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So,
Take a shower and shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Take a shower and shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Go now you are forgiven

Yeah

But the men stood fast with their
Guns on their shoulders not knowing
What to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own
Duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased

Not a man moved, their eyes gazed
Straight ahead till one by one they
Stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his
Own words echoing in his head
He then prepared to fight

He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So,
Take a shower and shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Take a shower and shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living
Go now you are forgiven


Go now you are forgiven
Go now you are forgiven
Go now you are forgiven
Go

Go now you are forgiven
Go now you are forgiven
Go now you are forgiven
Go oh

Go now you are forgiven
Go now you are forgiven
Go now you gotta be, gotta be,gotta be,gotta be, gotta be, yeah

07   Here We Go (04:40)

Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner

Well I got the mean time slippin' down the slide
some uptight right wing political homicide,
do what you want,
take what you will,
take it in like a south paw,
flip it on the grill
bourgeoisie, protocol
bottoms up boys this is your last call
happy hour doesn't last too long
you know it never does
so I sit here on a bar stool lookin at the sky
with a buck and a quarter
and a bucket full of rye
don't step out of line you'll get time in the brig
don't yield to the mighty
you got your own dirt to dig
you got your own dirt to dig, come on come on

Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah

Well me and my flea bag friends we ran
to have our own feast of Crispian
Murphy was there with a number 22
they were got caught in the middle
of a coup, you will
lose me if I don't lose you
and I will lose me if I don't lose you
come on, come on, yeah

we haven't chosen
anyone of you to condemn
make your decision and chose your side
or let us begin (yeah, yeah) (yeah, yeah)

steeped in knowledge
I'll step from the board
down to the speak easy
with my double-edged sword
you know the deal
you got to spin the wheel
I heard the heavens are full of sevens
but as a matter of fact
you know that cat suicide jack
he don't play like that
truth is he don't really play at all

Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
(oh, oh yeah)

What I want, you ain't got
I won't go so you take me away
I don't like, what I got
I won't go so you take me away
I don't like, what I got
I won't go so you take me away
I don't like, what I got
I won't go so you take me,
So you take me away (so you take me)
So you take me away (so you take me)
So you take me away (so you take me)
So you take me away
Away, away

Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
Here we go,
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town, yeah
it's all right...

08   Bats in the Belfry (04:06)

Old man river
Said you can go your own way
If you just leave him alone
It doesn't matter
Do not deliver all your things today
We are going home

Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry now
We're now so...hungry

I've got bats in the belfry
I'm in the kitchen boiling society
I'm in the open catching all the leaves
We all see what we want

Old man river (Old man river)
Said you can go your own way
If you just leave him alone
It doesn't matter
Do not deliver (do not deliver)
Alll your things today (all your things ooooo)
We are going home

Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry now
We're now so...hungry

I've got bats in the belfry
I'm in the kitchen boiling society
I'm in the open catching all the leaves
We all see what we want

I have a crazy idiosyncrasy
Its affinity to serendipity
And this eternal epiphany
No hypocrisy or duplicity

Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry
Mama, we're now so hungry now
We're now so...hungry

I've got bats in the belfry
I'm in the kitchen boiling society
I'm in the open catching all the leaves
We all see what we want

09   Bang Bang (04:27)

I can't believe how many people they fit in to this joint,
thank you for coming.

Hey, were wondering if you all will help us out with this
Come on:

She woke me up with the Bang Bang
Lookin' over crossed eyed
Had a big hunch that the world was a big lie
When I got up all the blood to my head
I got so dizzy fell back into my bed
I went over to the wayside
Lookin' for the high tide
What will I find
Will I find
Will I find find
All I saw was a man that had a hat that had a pompom
He's been there for years
Can someone tell me how long?

Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not

You see this woman woke me up at a quarter to three
And I didn't know it then but she put a spell on me
Said I had to go down to where the cliffs meet the sea
And meet an old man to present my plea
So I headed way down to that big pier
To wait and confront my big fear
I wheeled around behind to my blind side
To find an old man with a lime and a kind eye
Said "Mister, Mister, with your beard so long
Won't you be a saint and tell me just where I'm goin'"
He pointed to a conch shell and then to the lime
And said this is all I really need to get by

Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not

Hey (hey) Mister man
I know ya don't know who ya think I think I am
But I can safely say
That I shoulda been sleepin'
(been sleepin', been sleepin', been sleepin'...)
The day away
Hey Hey

I said excuse me
Have you got the time?
He shrugged his shoulders, said "Get a spine"
Coconut hit me on the head jonesin' for a fig
"I got booked last night... I need another fix, dig?"

Yeah
Just then i see a twinkle twinkle in the old man's eye
And a wave tossed bottle is thrown to the sky
I cought it on the rebound and landed with a soft sound
I took out the message and put the bottle down
Inside was the antidote to the spell
And I read it to the man 'cause he couldn't read so well
Said don't worry about a thing ya know your path is true
Just ease your mind have a banana or two
Well goodness goodness woe is me
The man nearly flipped to learn that he was free
But just before we left he started kickin' it
I picked up the bottle and star sixed it
Kick kick shuffle shuffle back to the beach with a
Tune on my lips and my quest in reach
That woman come to see you with her song so sweet
Say "Damn let the poor sucker sleep...let him sleep"

Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find

10   Two Coins (03:06)

I stick loneliness your lips and the two coins
of your eyes into my pockets
Yeah
Well the train skates into Port Henry late Sunday
(All right)

Sometimes when I'm riding high, feeling fine
you know there's something troubling you troubling my mind
So I reach into my pocket for some small change
I reach into my pocket for some small change

I want bones like iron blood like mercury
so I can tell you when I'm rising, when I'm
sinking in
I'm sinking in
I'm sinking in
I'm sinking in

I reach into my pocket for some small change
I reach into my pocket for some small change
Yeah

(Harmonica Solo)

I'm gonna take it to the people
Yeah
We're gonna take it to the people
Yeah
We're gonna take it to the people
Yeah
We're gonna take it to the people
Yeah

Hey lets drink from the cup and share some luck but
go ahead and laugh 'cause it don't cost much
no no it don't, don't cost much

I stick loneliness your lips and the two coins
of your eyes into my pockets
Yeah
I stick loneliness your lips and the two coins
of your eyes into my pockets
Yeah

11   Out Loud (03:32)

Would you be the wind
To blow me home?
Would you be a dream
On the wings of a poem?
And if we were walking through a crowd,
Well you know I'd be proud
If you'd call my name out loud
If you'd call my name out loud
Do you suppose that I would come running?
Do you supposed I'd come at all?
I suppose I would.

And if we were walkin' down a dead-end street
Would you be the one to let our eyes meet
Or would you just keep on walking down to the turnaround?
Cause you know I'd be proud
If you'd call my name out loud
If you'd call my name out loud
Do you suppose that I would come running?
Do you suppose I'd come at all?
I suppose I would.

And If I was gone
From the land we know,
Would you be the dawn
let your beauty still show?
And if you were walking,
heard the cold night coming,
Would you call my name,
Cause you know I'd come running
If you'd call my name out loud
If you'd call my name out loud
Do you suppose that I would come running?
Do you suppose I'd come at all?
You know I would (x4)
I'd come running (x2)
If you'd call my name out loud

12   Railway (04:07)

Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Oh Lord, I think I heard you
Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Oh Lord, I think I heard you

So all of a sudden I'm facing the raging river that passed me by
Do I turn around, do I turn my eye to the sun
In the apex of the high, high noon
I'm on a flatbed yellow pickup underneath the half moon
Cut me, cut me, cut me some slack, Jack
And jump on the back, if you can handle the candle
Then you can't handle the wax
Your just going to get sacked
It's as simple as that.

But before I know it I'm going down this little bitty river
In a boat a little bigger than a bath tub
My bones begin to shiver 'cause I'm aching to deliver
This water that I must give her, can I get some?

Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Oh Lord, I think I heard you
(I think I heard you, yeah)

Down by the railway station
People move a new direction
Take a ticket from who you can
And then drive that train
(Repeat)

She was a black Thai bombshell out of Bombay
She was easy on the eyes so I had nothing to say
Said take your water to the Leprechaun man
You got to the bell rings three, do you understand?
Little piece of me wants to go (I don't know)
Turn around and what do ya do? (I don't know)
Look at me, what do ya do? (I don't know)

DING DONG DING
(That's the bell!)
And I know you know I know I don't know you very well
But if I did I would groove, and hit the ground running
But I don't, and I won't, so you've got another thing coming

He kicked up the river with a flick of his wrist
I popped him in the kisser cause I couldn't resist
I said to my sidekick, I'm up to my high wick
And now I'm getting a little homesick
So before I know it I'm going down this little bitty river
In a boat a little bigger than a bath tub
My bones begin to shiver 'cause I'm aching to deliver
This water that I must give her, can I get some?

Before I know it I'm going down this little bitty river
In a boat a little bigger than a bath tub
My bones begin to shiver 'cause I'm aching to deliver
This water that I must give her, can I get some?

Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Yeah Yeah, I think I heard you
Oh Lord, I think I heard you
(I think I heard you, yeah)

Down by the railway station
People move a new direction
Take a ticket from who you can
And then drive that train
(Repeat)

Drive it, Drive it
I said now, Drive it, Drive it.
I said now, Drive it, Drive it.
You've got to drive your train
Ride it, Ride it.
I said now Ride it, Ride it.
I said now Ride it, Ride it.
You've got to ride your train

Yeah Yeah, (now ride it, you've got to ride it)

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