The 69 Eyes

Who here is a fan of this band...I love them!!

Heard bits and pieces. They're a little hit or miss for me. Some of their stuff is great and other stuff just makes me go, "I really could just throw on my Sisters of Mercy CD and get the FULL effect."

It's not bad, but some of it is so derivative that it's actually kind of URGH. Not that I mind what it's derivative of, but bands like H.I.M. and even Type O Negative manage to wear their influences on their sleeves while still making something new.

Maybe I've just been hearing the wrong stuff, but The 69 Eyes just sound like a band that went, "Well, Band X isn't around anymore, so let's just do more of what they did."

Runicen wrote:

Heard bits and pieces.  They're a little hit or miss for me.  Some of their stuff is great and other stuff just makes me go, "I really could just throw on my Sisters of Mercy CD and get the FULL effect."

It's not bad, but some of it is so derivative that it's actually kind of URGH.  Not that I mind what it's derivative of, but bands like H.I.M. and even Type O Negative manage to wear their influences on their sleeves while still making something new.  

Maybe I've just been hearing the wrong stuff, but The 69 Eyes just sound like a band that went, "Well, Band X isn't around anymore, so let's just do more of what they did."

I basically agree with this assessment although if you pick up any of the early 69 Eyes albums you'll be surprised to hear they started out as more of a glam/sleaze band without the "gothic rock" vibe.  I also agree that for this style my "go-to" bands are The Sisters and HIM.  And this band:  Rosetta Stone:

I have all of their cd's really great band  

Enjoy them quite a bit. I really like Angels, Devils, and Back In Blood.

I got all the albums

I have a lot of their stuff. The wife likes 'em, I like them too. I'm not even sure what albums we have on CD. I have to go through the shelves and report back. At least Blessed Be is an amazing record, that's what I know.

My favorite is Back In Blood.  But I love this homage to a Frank Henenlotter "classic" Z movie that was on "Angels" (this is my favorite 69 Eyes tune):



Actually, I don't know if the guys in the band are even aware of "Frankenhooker" the movie but it seems like too much of a coincidence to think they aren't.

So, I have:

Wasting the Dawn
Blessed Be
Paris Kills
Devils
Angels
Back in Blood (+DVD

A pretty good band with glam rock and goth elements. Out of those, Wasting the Dawn is a little too 'gothic' for me, and maybe a little uneven. Blessed Be is a superb sounding disc, with some of their catchiest tunes. Paris Kills is a step down, but both Devils and Angels are pretty good. Some great rockin' tunes on both.

But then Back in Blood is another step up, with a dirtier glam approach and it's a pretty good raw band album. Not as clinical and polished as the previous two. So I'd probably name Back in Blood as my second favourite 69 Eyes album (after Blessed Be).

And I think they sound a lot better than the Sisters of Mercy, who are a little lifeless and distant. At least to my ears. And the 69 Eyes are heavier, too. And less serious, also. A little more warm sounding records, and a lot more fun.

What I like about 69 Eyes and similar bands is I can sing along real well. My voice is well made for a gothic croon. I don't have a high range nor can I put too much grit into my voice.

They write great songs, but not great albums. I've never heard their early stuff but I own 'Devils', 'Angels' and 'Back In Blood'. Between the three, you could compile one great album. Didn't bother with 'X' because I was very disappointed with 'Back In Blood' outside of "Dead Girls Are Easy".