Donnas

Gold Medal

The Donna's fifth album is a bit more polished than the scrappy rock 'n' roll they debuted with oh-so-many years ago. Whereas it used to feel like they were channeling the rock-for-kicks vibe of the Ramones or even Kiss, the Donnas have now graduated to "Barracuda"-era Heart. (So, yes, you can safely say it rules.) This version includes a bonus final track.

CD Track List

Track List 1 Track List 2 Track List 3 Track List 4 Track List 5

Gold Medal (2004)
1. I Don't Want To Know (if You Don't Want Me)
2. Friends Like Mine
3. Don't Break Me Down
4. Fall Behind Me
5. Is That All You've Got For Me
6. It's So Hard
7. The Gold Medal
8. Out Of My Hands
9. It Takes One To Know One
10. Revolver
11. Have You No Pride
12. Data

Originally Released October 26, AMG EXPERT REVIEW: Follow ing 2002's spitfire release Spend the Night, the Donnas returned with a different drive on Gold Medal. Their earliest releases clu ng tightly to the Ramones' ethic of three power chords and a chun ky rhythm, while Spend the Night riffed on tough and punchy Kiss licks and Cheap Trick-esque super pop, but Gold Medal veers yet a gain, heading into '70s psychedelia, hinting at a more introspect ive and melodic feel. A quieter, gentler Donnas? Yeah, kinda. Voc als run through vintage effects, swirling wah-wah riffs, chiming acoustic guitar, and laid-back vocals all give the music a more r estrained and casual feel -- as if the band is less aggressive, l ess impulsive, and less "rawk." The first single, "Fall Behind Me ," is one of the few that hark back to their older sound: a heavy harmonic riff (almost reminiscent of the Cult), double-tracked v ocals, and a guitar solo by Donna R. (Allison Robertson) that wou ld make Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham grin. The familiarity ends ther e, as the other songs sound alternately like Suzi Quatro covering Foghat's "Slow Ride" or actually kind of like the Shangri-Las af ter smoking down with the Foo Fighters. The album's unexpected hi ghlight is the quirky title track, a choogling shuffle with a fre ight-train boogie and an acoustic-guitar-vs.-piano break in place of the usual electric guitar solo. As unexpected as that sounds, it fits better than any of the other hybrid "hard rock guitar"/" laid-back vocals" song experiments on the album. It appears as th ough former guitarist Brett Anderson (aka Donna A., natch) has de cided to concentrate solely on vocals (with a few piano contribut ions), which leaves some space in the sound and makes the full-on assault of the previous Donnas records an impossibility. Still, it could be argued that what they lack in "wall of sound" noise a ttack they've made up for in nuance; the basslines have never bee n more intricate, tambourines and handclaps come in at all the ri ght times, and the whole album sports the most terrific productio n of any Donnas record to date. There was something charming in t heir (metaphorical) balls-to-the-wall embrace of late-'70s party rock that is missing on Gold Medal -- the teenage gang has grown more mature, and while they've gained some in-depth musical insig ht, they've lost a little of the leather-jacketed spark that fans have grown accustomed to. While this release shows real growth, one questions if that's what Donnaholics are looking for. It is p ossible that this album will eventually be seen as the transition away from the cute punk-pop of their previous recordings and a b ridge into the more elaborate, more mature work that they demonst rate on the album's spectacular title track. [Gold Medal was also released as a "Dual Disc" release, with audio tracks on one side of the disc, and DVD content on the other side. Additional conte nt includes the video for "Fall Behind Me" as well as a "Making o f the Video" feature, lyrics, and credits, plus the full album in 5.1 surround sound.] -- Zac Johnson Amazon.com Editorial Revi ew The Donnas proved themselves more than apt at playing fast an d fun party rock in a Ramones-y mold from their teenage get-go in 1998, then quickly amassed a huge following for their increasing ly "pro," deliriously fun retro-rock. In 2002, they surprised lot s of folks with Spend the Night, an album that showed more lyrica l finesse as well as Cheap Trick/ Thin Lizzy-ish pop-rock flouris hes. On's Gold Medal, however, the wayback machine continues to spiral backwards, and the result is far less pleasurable. The songs plod along with little reward, most of them "going over li ke a lead zeppelin," to quote Keith Moon. There are some nice tou ches, from the Zombies-esque backing vocals on "Don't Break Me Do wn" to the truly psychedelic guitar solo in "Out of My Hands." Bu t in the end, Gold Medal will likely be remembered as the Donnas album with way too much cowbell on it. --Mike McGonigal Amazo n.com Album Description The Donnas' eagerly awaited Gold Medal t akes the top prize for vital, edgy, modern rock'n'roll at its fin est. The quartet's 2002 break-through Atlantic debut, "Spend the Night," debuted in the #1 position on Billboard's "Heatseekers" c hart, fuelled by the radio/video hit, "Take It Off," massive crit ical acclaim, and high-profile TV performances on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O 'Brien. Now the Donnas have raised the bar, as musicians and song writers, to deliver the best work of their career. Produced by Bu tch Walker (Avril Lavigne, Injected), tracks like the provocative first single, "Fall Behind Me," and the poignant "Revolver" shim mer with rock energy, blasting off the blocks with newfound inven tion and intensity. With Gold Metal, the Donnas take an Olympian leap forward, setting a sparkling new standard for pure rock'n'ro ll brilliance. AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW Dual Disk Malfunct ion, July 28, 2005 Reviewer: M. Lorenz "homemikey" (Rutherford, NJ) Yes-there was a pressing problem with the disk. All of them skip/stop at the same point. They were recalled, and you had the option of keeping the cover if you traded in the disk for the re gular CD version. The dual disk may someday be re-released, but I think it's unlikely, since the Donnas aren't as popular as the R olling Stones (hey, I love the Donnas, but let's be real). So, mo re than likely, the dual disk will probably be something of a col lectors item some day... Anyway, I would have to give this CD 5 stars. It's that good. If your musical taste leans toward 70s/80 s hard rock/metal like Joan Jett, Judas Priest, Bad Company, etc, you'll love this. Buy it, and play it loud and often... AMAZ ON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW the Donnas cut short?, April 28, 2005 R eviewer: weezerfan4life (CA) I love the Donnas, and I love this album. But the last track on the CD side is only 53 seconds and just cut-off in the middle of the song. Did this happen to anyone else? AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW The Donnas make a solid re turn with a twist of the 70's, October 26, Reviewer: eric_ f (Boston, MA) Ever since hearing Spend The Night, I've been a fan of The Donnas. I find their music fun to listen to and hum al ong. They may not be revolutionary nor groundbreaking but they do n't have to be. These 4 ladies can more than hold their own weigh t in a male-dominated industry, and for that I say, good for them . And now The Donnas are back with Gold Medal, their highly a nticipated new album. Before I go on, I should say that the only Donnas album I own (other than Gold Medal) is Spend The Night, so my comparisons will be only to that album. That out of the way, I think Gold Medal lives up to the hype for the most part. One th ing you'll notice, perhaps the first thing you'll notice, is that this album has a mellower feel than Spend The Night, even during the heavier songs. At first I wondered why this was so, and then realized it's because of the slightly less-polished production t han Spend The Night. I can't help thinking of the overall sound o f Gold Medal as 70's "fuzz" guitar. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. It's as if The Donnas want the listener to focus on the music itself this time, rather than just the chunky, loud power chords that Spend The Night consisted of. Which one is better? Th at will be a personal preference, but I have to say that I liked the production on Spend The Night better. Don't get me wrong thou gh, Gold Medal sounds great too. It's just another type of "great " if that makes sense. Lyrically, The Donnas have injected a little more maturity into their songwriting, although their desir e to party is still ever so present: case in point, the opening l ines of "It's So Hard": "I'm not obsessed, I could care less. I just want to get you undressed." If that's not trademark The D onnas, I don't know what is! But it's all tongue-in-cheek, so why not just go along with it. This album has been released in a limited edition "Dual Disc" version in addition to this single d isc version. Unless you're an avid collector of limited edition r eleases (or just love The Donnas so much that you absolutely must own both versions), I would recommend just getting this single d isc edition. It has an enhanced section with the video of "Fall B ehind Me" (which is WAY COOL), a link to their website and a link to ring tones. So basically all the multimedia stuff you would w ant. The Dual Disc edition offers a dual-sided disc with the albu m on one side and a DVD on the other. The DVD offers the entire a lbum in Surround Sound (really not that different in terms of sou nd quality, unless you own top-of-the-line speakers), the video o f "Fall Behind Me" and a making-of segment for the album. Sounds good at first, but there are some drawbacks. For one, the Dual Di sc format is nothing new, and I along with many DVD owners HATE t hem. They are much easier to scratch and get fingerprints on, sin ce one can't touch either side. Anyone who has ever owned a DVD f ilm on a dual disc format will know exactly what I'm talking abou t. And if that's not bad enough, the DVD will not play on certain models, nor on certain models of DVD-Rom drives on one's PC. The only real bonus of the DVD is the making-of segment, but this wi ll only appeal to die-hard fans. For everyone else, the single di sc edition is the way to go. AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW The Donnas Strike Again!, March 29, 2005 Reviewer: Analog Demon (Pro vidence, RI USA) The Donnas have grown up. The result? "Gold Me dal", the Donnas follow-up to 2002's awesome "Spend The Night". O ne thing that instantly hits you about this record is that it isn 't quite as fast as previous Donnas records. That's not a bad thi ng at all, but worth mentioning. The opening track "I Don't W anna Know (If You Don't Want Me)", as with just about every openi ng track on a Donnas album, sets the tone for the rest of the rec ord. "Fall Behind Me", the album's first single, is definitely a Donnas classic. Even the title track, "Gold Medal", which is as c lose to mainstream as I've heard the Donnas get, is really good. Though not quite as fun and dancy as "Spend The Night", anyone wh o listens to this album with an open mind and an open ear surely won't be disappointed. Great stuff! As a side note, this is a vailable on vinyl in a nice package. It's pressed on heavy vinyl which sounds great and includes a lyrics insert with pictures of the girls and also includes a blacklight poster. AMAZON.COM CU STOMER REVIEW Love The Donnas, Don't Love This CD, January 9, 20 05 Reviewer: William Scalzo (Niagara Falls, NY) I like the Don nas, I really do. For one thing you have to see them live, they'r e an exciting and fun act to catch. For another thing The Donnas are very cool. My friends and I saw them at an outdoor show on th e Erie Canal last summer and we ended up at the same bar as three of the Donnas afterward. Brett, Torry and Allison partied with u s and were unbelievably down-to-earth and fun to hang out with. This CD isn't their best though, I have to admit. For some reas on the "punch" is missing that their earlier records have. Maybe it's the cowbell missing in action, I don't know. Some of the lyr ics are hilarious though as usual: "I may not be a man but you're not one either." If you're new to the Donnas you should get The Donnas Turn 21 or Spend the Night first. But, catch the Donna s live if you can, they rock! AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW Not up to Par, October 31, Reviewer: Python "Python" (Sweetwate r, TN) I agree with the other guy who wrote this review, I'll q uote him on it, "Well, I guess it's a decent pop album, but whe re's the aggressive sneer, the hungry attitude and emotion of pre vious albums? C'mon gals, just because you've gotten popular does n't mean you have to sell out and get complacent. This may be a d ecent pop album for some other artist, but I've thoroughly enjoye d Donnas albums of years past and this PALES in comparison. Very vanilla, very much by the numbers" I think he hits the nail o n the head. The more I listen to it, I'm sure it will grow on me some. But when I throwed in "Turn 21" and "Spend the Night" for t he first time, I was BLOWN AWAY, and couldn't stop listening. I'm getting the very opposite feeling from this album. AMAZON.CO M CUSTOMER REVIEW No longer hungry & aggressive -- Donnas go fat and content, October 29, Reviewer: Rick "Rick" (Jackson, M S) Well, I guess it's a decent pop album, but where's the aggre ssive sneer, the hungry attitude and emotion of previous albums? C'mon gals, just because you've gotten popular doesn't mean you h ave to sell out and get complacent. This may be a decent pop albu m for some other artist, but I've thoroughly enjoyed Donnas album s of years past and this PALES in comparison. Very vanilla, very much by the numbers... To add insult to injury, the DualDisc has a technical snafu that cuts off the last track after about 58 seconds. I've exchanged two copies of it now to no avail, and no w I read on the Donnas website that THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION RUN of the Dualdisc has this screw up, which is unforgiveable for a majo r label release. So in the end we have an uninspired album wi th technical (and artistic) difficulties. Very disappointing. I'l l go back to listening to the new Green Day and Sum 41 CDs -- at least they've still got attitude and energy. AMAZON.COM CUSTOM ER REVIEW Leonard Cohen Met the Donnas and this is the result, O ctober 29, Reviewer: Robert Hindla (Bohemia, New York USA) This record reminds me of the sulky Samantha Jones in the 5th s eason of Sex and the City, during her train trip to San Francisco . Her fuse fizzled when she confronted the shabby linoleum-floore d world of Amtrak, but she recovered by the 29th minute of the ep isode. Her resuscitation gives me hope the Donnas will convalesce successfully and return to full mattress-rocking form on their n ext album. This time, they left their catchy hooks at home on the ir nightstands; the hooks, like the one in 'Don't Get Me Busted,' or the one in 'Midnight Snack,' that goes 'I want a little piece of you for my midnight snack' aren't heard. On the old records, conquest was either proposed or achieved; it was a fait accompli; here it's a struggle; here there is a bruise, but no pleasure. W hat pleasure there is comes from the expert production. Letting t he sound on this record wash o'er one brings some relief. Let us sincerely hope, however, that the 'Matrix' never shows up on a Do nnas record. The tunes are adequate, but no more. I thought t he first cut released, 'Fall Behind Me,' was a compromise between competing forces - those of the band, and that of the record com pany, because it seemed so unrepresentative of the band's previou s work - and that its release was the result of the confusion tha t almost saw 'It's on the Rocks' released as the single from 'Spe nd the Night,' instead of 'Take It Off.' On further listening, it seems to be about the catchiest tune on the CD. I would probably have released 'I Don't Want to Know,' which rocks harder. It sou nds better to me than the insipidly coiling and uncoiling lick on 'Fall Behind Me.' And whoever was listening should have spotted the similarity of 'It Takes One to Know One'to 'A Little Like a R efuge.' The source of my discontent is that the Donnas have c hanged genres from punk/pop to indie pop. If I wanted to hear som e sensitive guy tunelessly mewling about failed relationships I c ould go to Ludlow Street (NYC) on any of the seven nights of the week. I want the Donnas to smash me in the nose, as if with their palms, with joy in their liberated sexuality, not wrap me in Leo nard Cohen's cold, clammy fog. I'm wringing my hands - they shoul d be too, because they've lost their way to the back seat and int o my heart. We turn to the Donnas for relief from existential tor sion. Hey girls, give me the kiss in the sun that was your pr evious recording. Authenticity comes in the fleshly variety, too. I want your desire and your sweat, not your darn poetry, unless you can write like Byron or Keats. And I want to be inspired to f urther understanding of how you feel about it, the way that Sex a nd the City aspires to furthering the understanding of the psycho logical and physiological need for connectedness, never otherwise admitted in the mass media, let alone explored. Maybe you co uld take up drugs and drink to get over this barren patch. What's behind the curtain? Because of the double standard, women who wr ite songs about sex are supposed to be engaged in irony - I remem ber, despite your high-school gum-cracking style of conversation in the segment about making the video, that Cynthia Lennon was a well-hidden secret. But then, maybe there should be a little myst ery. Liz Phair's once shocking revelations have become dull. You know it, Donna's: AC/DC isn't dull. That's the attitude! I've probably misunderstood the whole thing, haven't I? Unlike Fo x Mulder, I don't want to believe - that things could be as dull and untheatrical as seem to be. To add insult to injury, your new web site is nowhere near as good as the last one. Bring the old one back. Women, take a vacation, you've been working too hard, too long. It's about art, talent, and giftedness. Working hard could be considered important, but it'll never bring to your work what recharged psychic batteries can. Half.com Album Cr edits Butch Walker, Producer Album Notes This is a DualDisc, which contains a CD on one side of the disc and a DVD on the oth er. The Donnas: Brett Anderson (vocals, piano); Allison Robert son (guitar, background vocals); Maya Ford (bass guitar, backgrou nd vocals); Torry Castellano (drums, percussion, background vocal s). Recording information: Conway Studios, Los Angeles, Califo rnia (2004). Though the Donnas' sound bears elements of punk ( they did, after all, start out on Lookout Records, original home of Green Day) and garage rock, they've largely eschewed the trapp ings of either since the very beginning. As with their previous f ive records, GOLD MEDAL is simply a straight-up, no-frills rock & roll album, owing as much to the Runaways as it does to the Ramo nes. The Donnas have come off as tough girls since the beginning, and they don't soften their sound a bit here. Biting, primal gui tar hooks, snarling vocals, and thundering, martial drums rage fr om start to finish, full of grit and fire, but streamlined to the bare essentials by Chris Lord-Alge's high-efficiency production. By refusing to bow to the genre specifications of pop-punk, alt- rock, or anything else, the Donnas craft a timeless edifice of ro ck & roll fury on GOLD MEDAL that's both eminently accessible and undeniably powerful. ROLLING STONE REVIEW Somebody out the re pissed off the Donnas real bad, and now the four sassy chicks from Palo Alto, California, are getting their revenge with Gold M edal -- a full album of hard rockin', bird-flipping tunes that co me on like punky updates of "You're So Vain." Five albums in, the se ladies have outgrown their limited palette of good-time party tunes about boys, cars and getting high, and have tapped into an emotional well full of more bile than anyone could have expected. "Friends like mine will never let you down/Until you hit the g round," Brett "Donna A" Anderson snarls on "Friends Like Mine." " It Takes One to Know One" taunts the dude in question with lines such as "I may not be a man/But you're not one either." With help from producer Butch Walker, the Donnas indulge their Eighties ha ir-metal obsession more than ever before, with guitarist Allison "Donna R" Robertson wailing on solos that would make AC/DC's Angu s Young proud. Posted Nov 11, -- JENNY ELISCU
Track lists are from a 3rd party source.
Items below can and will differ.