So why is The Von Bondies’ Pawn Shoppe Heart on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’ve dug The Von Bondies going back to the days of singing along to the Rescue Me theme song (c’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon) when it first aired in the mid-2000s, and they are one of a handful of bands or artists that I fell more deeply in love with during the process of compiling this massive best 1,000 albums ever project.
Onward to Pawn Shoppe Heart. It opens with “No Regrets,” a track that perfectly represents that incredible feat that happens when a band has the confidence, expertise, and attitude to produce a crusher that takes its sweet time in kicking your [REDACTED]. It does this while expanding The Von Bondies’ tasty brand of garage punk and elevates the vibe to a stadium-rocking accessibility while losing nothing in the [REDACTED]-kicking department.
Either way, they clearly ain’t got no regrets.
“C’mon C’mon” is more of a straightforward rocker, but it’s important to note that the craftsmanship is exceptional here – Jason Stollsteimer and crew produce a seemingly effortless and endlessly catchy and rocking number that is somehow also rousing and exciting.
I’ll state here too that it was an absolutely dynamite choice to make “C’mon C’mon” the theme song for Rescue Me – a good if not quite great TV show about firefighters in post-9/11 outer-borough New York City.* It always worked better as comedy than drama (Denis Leary leads a large and talented cast), but there was something about hearing “C’mon C’mon” play over a depiction of New York City via handheld camera – firefighters assembling and heading over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan – that remains sublime and nostalgic and emotional all at once.
* As someone who was born in Queens, grew up on Long Island, and lived in Astoria, Queens post-college, I also award Rescue Me points for NYC authenticity.
Like “No Regrets,” “Tell Me What You See” has that laid back-yet-wildly exciting thing going for it, along with a swinging garage punk track that’s rollicking and rockingly great.
“The Fever” brings in a little Go-Go’s-ish new wave flavor into the garage punk mix and I am fully with this choice.
The title track, “Pawn Shoppe Heart,” slows things way down while ramping up the bombast and guitar gods to Led Zeppelin I levels. Dig it.
Some stats & info about The Von Bondies – Pawn Shoppe Heart
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Detroit Bands, Punk Rock, Garage Punk, Indie Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out 5 stars
- When was Pawn Shoppe Heart released? 2004
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #58 out of 1,000
The Von Bondies’ Pawn Shoppe Heart on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Von Bondies’ Pawn Shoppe Heart that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
No you really haven’t lived life yet, if you ain’t got no regrets.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.