The Action Is Go
Fu Manchu · 1997
55 min · 14 tracks · stoner rock
Heavy, fuzz-laden riffs collide with laid-back grooves, creating a quintessential stoner rock experience.
Top tracks — play these first
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Evil Eye — The opening track sets the tone with its driving rhythm and heavy guitar work, showcasing Fu Manchu's signature blend of melody and heaviness right from the start.
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The Action Is Go — This title track exemplifies the band's sound with catchy hooks and a relentless groove, encapsulating the essence of their musical style.
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Burning Road — With its extended instrumental sections and psychedelic influences, this track highlights the band's ability to balance heaviness with atmospheric elements.
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Laserbl’ast! — This song features intricate guitar work and a catchy chorus that makes it a standout example of Fu Manchu's approachable yet powerful songwriting.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album solidifies Fu Manchu's stoner rock sound with strong riffs and varied pacing.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features high-energy tracks with driving rhythms, while the second half shifts to more atmospheric and slower tempos.
- The guitar tones are consistently heavy and fuzz-laden, creating a thick wall of sound that defines the album's sonic identity.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic flow with climactic peaks
- high-octane energy for road trips
- relentless grooves for active listening
- wave-like pacing for engagement
Maybe skip if you
- prefer slow, patient music
- dislike fuzz-drenched sounds
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — This album solidified Fu Manchu's reputation in the stoner rock genre.
- Career context
- Released in 1997, The Action Is Go marked Fu Manchu's fourth studio album and followed their breakthrough record, The Action Is Go. By this time, the band had solidified their place within the stoner rock scene, building on the momentum from their previous releases and refining their distinctive sound.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Kyuss· Monster Magnet· Sleep
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Evil Eye 3:30
- 2 Urethane 3:36
- 3 The Action Is Go 3:06
- 4 Burning Road 5:47
- 5 Guardrail 2:57
- 6 Anodizer 4:26
- 7 Trackside Hoax 4:54
- 8 Unknown World 2:49
- 9 Laserbl’ast! 3:47
- 10 Hogwash 3:41
- 11 Grendel, Snowman 4:09
- 12 Strolling Astronomer 3:43
- 13 Saturn III 7:55
- 14 Nothing Done 1:15
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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