Andrew W.K.'s I Get Wet

Description

"It's Time To Party," the first track off of I Get Wet, opens with a rapid-fire guitar line - nothing fancy, just a couple crunchy power chords to acclimate the ears - repeated twice before a booming bass drum joins in to provide a quarter-note countdown. A faint, swirling effect intensifies with each bass kick and, by the eighth one, the ears have prepped themselves for the metal mayhem they are about to receive. When it all drops, and the joyous onslaught of a hundred guitars is finally realized, you'll have to forgive your ears for being duped into a false sense of security, because it's that second intensified drop a few seconds later - the one where yet more guitars manifest and Andrew W.K. slam-plants his vocal flag by screaming the song's titular line - that really floods the brain with endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and whatever else formulates invincibility. Polished to a bright overdubbed-to-oblivion sheen, the party-preaching I Get Wet didn't capture the zeitgeist of rock at the turn of the century; it captured the timelessness of youth, as energized, awesome, and unapologetically stupid as ever. With insights from friends and unprecedented help from the mythological maniac himself - whose sermon and pop sensibilities continue to polarize - this book chronicles the sound's evolution, uncovers the relevance of Steev Mike, and examines how Andrew W.K.'s inviting, inclusive lyrics create the ultimate shared experience between artist and audience.

Phillip Crandall lives in South Florida and is a former editor for FHM Magazine. His freelance writing has appeared in ESPN The Magazine, Maxim, and whatever other publications at which his scattered friends have taken up shop.

Phillip Crandall's book about Andrew WK's I Get Wet has been one of my favourites from this wonderful series of books. Fans will love it, sure. But if you're like me, if you didn't quite get the fuss first time around, you'll not only find a funny, sad, fascinating story, you'll find great heart-on-(record)-sleeve writing. -- Simon Sweetman * Blog On The Tracks * Crandall gets at the heart of Andrew W.K. better than any other previous writer. You'll know this much after reading the first few pages of his book. What you'll have to ponder after you've finished reading is the way in which Andrew connects the dots among I Get Wet, Daydream Nation, Appetite for Destruction, Dr. Feelgood, OK Computer, Slippery When Wet, Loveless... -- Paul Gleason * Caught in the Carousel * Phillip Crandall, an acclaimed music writer and Inverness native, has revisited the release of W.K.'s breakout album in his latest paperback on I Get Wet, part of the books-about-albums series 33 1/3. This insightful look into the album features interviews with some of WK's closest friends and family, as well as vehement endorsement from the party prince himself. -- Andrew Silverstein * Creative Loafing *