Rolling Stone gives ‘Comedown Machine’ 3 out of 5 stars

by Eric Van Dril on March 14, 2013 · 94 comments

in Comedown Machine

Here’s Rolling Stone’s review of Comedown Machine, via reader muthastone and @Shesfixing.

The first paragraph is incredibly lazy. I’d suggest not reading this review. (Yes, I posted something on this site and I’m telling you to not read it.)

Rolling Stone -- Comedown Machine review

{ 94 comments… read them below or add one }

51 Matt March 14, 2013 at 9:24 pm

I loved Gratisfaction. I just love the vibe those guitars give me.

52 Mandingo March 14, 2013 at 9:38 pm

Thanks MS!

I think the whole thing with Gratisfaction, and this sounds weird, but every time I hear it I can’t help think of Billy Joel for some reason. I actually don’t think the song is bad at all, I just can’t stand thinking of the Strokes and Billy Joel. They don’t combine well for me. I know weird.

Yeah, that Monday info has me perked up. The only thing I would think, just being skeptical, is that they’re saying that to drive traffic to their site on the popularity of this album release. And than they don’t play it. I hope they do, but it seems weird.

53 Sam's Town Kid March 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm

On Angles I loved You’re So Right.- liked-Machu Picchu-UCoD- Taken For a Fool-Games. The rest were ok or below that for me. But ya I really believe the new album has a good chance to be better than Angles.

54 MS March 14, 2013 at 10:12 pm

@Mandingo, I always think of Thin Lizzy or Steely Dan when I hear it, but I get what you’re saying, and to each their own. That’s why I think Angles was great, so many people have so many different favourite songs from it.

The traffic thing does make sense, and I don’t know how big or credible the website is, but if they don’t have a stream, they could risk losing whatever credibility they have. We’ll just have to wait and see.

55 Television March 14, 2013 at 10:12 pm

@Mike People are excited about good reviews because they’re usually the ones about the music. I don’t mind negative reviews if they’re about the music, but this review is amateur at best and strays from what matters

56 Dracula's Lunch March 14, 2013 at 10:17 pm

Shitty review. It’d be nice if he actually went into a bit more detail about why he doesn’t like it. It’s only two paragraphs (far too short for a full LP review…) and he doesn’t even start talking about it until half way through. He could’ve just as easily typed “Does anyboddee else can has dah band turmoul??? 80′s stuff yeah me no like high pitched singing. I award it 3 gold stars, two high fives, and one thumbs up.”

57 its good March 14, 2013 at 10:23 pm

wtf??? who cares about this review is the album really going to be streamed on MONDAY?????? why isnt everyone talking about that

58 Dracula's Lunch March 14, 2013 at 10:41 pm

Is that actually legit?

59 Mandingo March 14, 2013 at 10:49 pm

@ Ms Agreed! Angles is really a good mix of tunes. And I think even the ones I didn’t like are far above average from other bands. I’m not worried about this release, I know I’m going to be jamming to it for quite a while. The press is too hard on these guys.

@ Dracula’s lunch This review does suck. He reviewed FIOE for RS, and it was waay longer than this shit sandwhich of a paragraph that notes one of the songs he shits on as a highlight of the album.

60 ohhotdamn March 14, 2013 at 10:56 pm

The review sort of loses its credibility when I slags of Julian for his falsetto in “Chances”, then lists it as one of the key tracks.

61 ohhotdamn March 14, 2013 at 10:56 pm

*it *off

62 JP March 14, 2013 at 11:38 pm

@ohhotdamn word.

63 its good March 14, 2013 at 11:44 pm

ok guess like 2 people care that the album may be leaked in a couple a days people are talking about a review haven’t u guys learned its subjective to the listener….the only thing we can do is wait to hear the music for ourselves which may be MONDAY

64 Dracula's Lunch March 15, 2013 at 12:12 am

I’ll get excited about that when I hear that it’s true. I’m kind of skeptical about it right now, but of course I hope it’s real.

65 Bobby March 15, 2013 at 12:32 am

Horrible review by a horrible magazine. Nothing to see here, folks.

66 arthur March 15, 2013 at 12:52 am

hey everyone: video for all the time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJC8zeu3MHk

67 arthur March 15, 2013 at 12:53 am

it s very cute

68 wolfman March 15, 2013 at 1:04 am

omg the video!! i like all the behind the scenes stuff

69 Ted March 15, 2013 at 1:09 am

They want to go bigger and make arena concerts.
The video fits the song but I was hoping for new video footage.

70 Ted March 15, 2013 at 1:14 am

It’s like a video for a greatest hits album.

71 "stroked" March 15, 2013 at 1:26 am

@arthur
thanks!

Really cool vid!

72 Dracula's Lunch March 15, 2013 at 1:37 am

Dat Video. DAT NOSTALGIA. I dig it :)

73 Annie 1251 March 15, 2013 at 3:06 am

@arthur
Thanks for posting that! :)

@Ted
I agree – It does seem like a “greatest hits” video. In fact, I thought it was a fan video (at first) because of some of the clips that I’ve seen so many times on Youtube.

@Dracula’s Lunch – I was knocked over by the Nostalgia I felt! :)

74 Annie 1251 March 15, 2013 at 3:21 am

@Ted and yeah, although this video really does fit ATT, I was also hoping for s new video from our guys….

**which makes me just feel so bewildered again at the no promotion at all from TS. I sure GET why they don’t want to do interviews -there’s far too many people out there in the media that still think it’s cool to hate on TS – and obvsly think everyone will be so impressed with them when they write shit reviews.
(note to them: we’re not impressed – we just think you’re an A-hole)

But I just don’t understand why: no TV spots before the album? and no 2nd single? or is there a chance that is still coming?

75 b.LOUD March 15, 2013 at 3:24 am

I.
LOVE.
THAT.
VIDEO.

What makes it good is that it makes the song better and actually gives the lyrics meaning even though Jules probably didn’t the visuals in mind when he wrote the song.

76 Ted March 15, 2013 at 3:43 am

@ Annie and everybody

So the video with the blond girl (picture of her, Albert and Gus on twitter) was for what ?!!!! (OWT video ? ^^)

77 Annie 1251 March 15, 2013 at 3:55 am

Oh and I am sending Rolling Stone a scathing email letting them know that one of their music reviewers is an absolute idiot, and apparently writes reviews with no actual depth – which are just short, nasty, and inaccurate.

Whether you like OWT or not – it sure showed that Julian can sing falsetto. and does this jerk even know that TS are collaborating now? It sounded like a personal attack (IMO) based on…what???
Just trying to be cool- what a loser. Or maybe he is actually pissed that TS don’t play all the Media Games. and this is his way of punishing them.
Jerk.

Rolling Stone should be embarrassed that this is someone representing their magazine. I know some of you may laugh at me for sending them this email, but I feel that Rolling Stone should know what people think of their reviewers.
Because this whiny review sounds like it was written by a jealous teenager that Julian didn’t ask to the prom.

78 Annie 1251 March 15, 2013 at 4:00 am

@Ted
I forgot about that girl’s photo! You’re right! do you think they would release another single so close to the album coming out?
and what about another video? Would that be sometime this week then?

This is optimistic thinking and I have been trying SO HARD to thinking positively! :)

79 Ted March 15, 2013 at 4:21 am

@ Annie

You’re right to do this ! It sound like a personnal attack. This review lake of depth. Like key track Chances and in his review he says that Julian can’t sing falsetto……
Some people think they’re intouchables. Hope your mail will go in the right hands !

I don’t know if they will release another single video, but it seems that they’re on something ! Time will tell ! Hope it gets clearer when the album come out !

80 Conrad March 15, 2013 at 4:21 am

I LOVE THAT VIDEO . But it makes me think that this is the last strokes record …

81 Kinger March 15, 2013 at 4:46 am

Did anyone notice the views on the All The Time video? 301! The duration of the song is 3:01!

82 k test March 15, 2013 at 4:54 am

I really enjoyed the “All the TIme” video, and I personally think that The Strokes will tour its just going to be a couple of months after the release. I mainly think this because the video is a tour video and I think they will have a huge world tour with The Quenns of the Stoneage or Phoenix, and both of those albums are set for a couple of months after the strokes release.
No one from the strokes has really said “No” its all been very vague just like the build up to this album, so the suspense will continue. and it seems that saying nothing at all has proven to be a marketing ploy to build the hype and in which case it’s working at least amongst the fans and imo that is who the strokes really care about. when it comes to the music at least
And the tour with QOFSA just make sense because of the relationship the two bands have built with one another in the past decade or so.

83 Ruxzi March 15, 2013 at 4:54 am

I actually notived that it has more likes than views.

84 Ruxzi March 15, 2013 at 5:02 am

*noticed

85 What Kind of Asshole Drives A Lotus? March 15, 2013 at 5:33 am

When videos are first released on YouTube the view counter stays at 301 for a few hours before displaying the actual hits, something to do with spam

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/why-youtube-views-freeze-at-301-20120626/

86 the modern age March 15, 2013 at 6:29 am

I love this video! I think it’s perfect and fits with the whole nostalgia thing they’re doing this time around. So many people are bitching about the new stuff they’re putting out, but I get the feeling they’re providing us with a good mix. Watching this today made me so happy.

And I love Albert’s “go fuck yourself” tweet. Fantastic.

87 Matt March 15, 2013 at 6:46 am

this video is amazing! Did anyone else get a huge ol grin when they saw all the In Transit scenes? I guess Albert does remember! By the way, it seems that Albert made the video for those of you who don’t follow his twitter.

88 Matt March 15, 2013 at 6:50 am

Also loving the “never-before-seen” footage.

89 moikeq March 15, 2013 at 9:15 am

Pay no attention to Rolling Stone. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, the Stones, U2 or any other “legacy” act could shit on a blank CD and Rolling Stone would give it 4-and-a-half-stars. Seriously, Rolling Stone hasn’t been relevant for at least 20 years.

90 WTFWASTHAT March 15, 2013 at 11:17 am

@Annie 1251

that letter idea is awesomee

we should make some sort of online thing where fans can sign , disproving the reviewer. i meant the review wasnt even fair! goes out of context to the album! rolling stone should know that we arent mad that the album may have gotten bad review, but the way that the review was written was just stupid.

91 Pete March 15, 2013 at 3:39 pm

Wow, this review is haneous. All he pretty much did was name other songs that kind of sound like the strokes new songs. You can do that for every band whether is Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, etc. NME & thestrokesnews.com are the only music news websites I look at, thank you Rolling Stone for reminding me of that. Beat it geek!

92 joe March 15, 2013 at 11:14 pm

I don’t mind a bad review from rolling stone. I fucking hate that rag.

93 Anastacia March 20, 2013 at 8:22 am

What idiots. This review was absolutely ridiculous and I’m not even sure how it got past the editor. Clearly someone needs to do their homework on the Strokes, ugh.

However, this album is fantastic. I don’t know why I was even the least bit worried.
The Strokes aren’t my favorite band for nothing.

94 Ainhoa March 25, 2013 at 10:35 am

Rob Sheffield’s Bizarre Review of The Strokes’ New Album
http://ainhoaaristizabal.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/httpwp-mep2sum5-1qy/

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