Viva La Cobra

 Review

Common Sense Media says

MTV artist of the week likes to swear a bit.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this MTV band's sound is perky and clean, except for their apparent delight in using the word "s--t" in both expletive and scatological references. Otherwise, these self-described "punk pop" practitioners come across as much more pop than punk, and far less cynical than they imagine.

  • Mostly innocuous, though "you're the kind of girl to take home to mom, if my momma was dead" seems like an odd take on flirtation.
  • "The City is At War" features "bang bang, shoot 'em up" as the lyrical hook.
  • Some playful, party-life innuendo ("you're never gonna get it with nothing/'cause nothing's what you got in your head," "you know I try to get close to you," "don't hesitate if you like what you see," "you know I see you working the street").

What's the story?

Despite the occasional use of the "s--t" and "f--k," Cobra Starship's lyrics are as perky as their overall sound, and bubble-gum production standards make them sound cleaner than probably intended. Though the songs fall short of living up to the potential of their provocative and clever titles ("One Day, Robots Will Cry," Kiss My Sass," Pleasure Ryland"), they're dance-party friendly and fun.


Is it any good?

 

Competent if slightly squeaky, Cobra Starship's vocals are strongest on harmony and gang singing -- and luckily, there's a lot of both on VIVA LA COBRA. Synthesized instrumental tracks leave plenty of room in the mix for the band's vocals to be heard loud and clear, even if they don't have all that much to say. The album's dismal low point is a ridiculous disco-tinged cover of "Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady" -- a good one to skip on your downloads.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the Cobra Starship's first big break in the soundtrack to the movie Snakes on a Plane. Can you think of any other groups who got attention when their songs were included in movies? The group's insistence on frequent use of "s--t" seems inconsistent with their bubble-gum sound. Do you think they imagine themselves to be tougher than they appear to others?


This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Good Music (I've only heard about 4 songs so far)

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
it made me happy
it actually makes ur day happier w/ the perky lyrics and the band members even said that they just want to tell kids to have fun and to stop being all depressed! yes, it has some mature stuff in it, so i suggest 14 and older for it. but really, these guys just make my day :)

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
iffy
first, i love cobra starship. however, their lyrics are very iffy, and often explicit. in the song "d*** you look good and i'm drunk" guest singers VIP mention "d**k" in a reference to a transvestite. also, there is a song called "prostitution is the world's oldest profession." so, the music is great. lyrics, not so much.

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Kid, 9 years old
March 15, 2012
 
Fine, But pretty explicit
Cobra starship is the best. It would be fine if your kids know NOT to use that language

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Teen, 15 years old
February 23, 2011
 
i love ths cd!

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Teen, 15 years old
February 4, 2011
 
LOVE MY COBRA STARSHIP!!!!!!

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Teen, 14 years old
March 9, 2010
 
The only thing about this album is the swearing. The f word is said about twice.

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Adult
December 8, 2009
 
Fangs Up!
hah, Gabe is the dude! this cd was pretty good, so was "while the city sleeps...." but this one had some very catchy lyrics, good synths! Victoria Asher is an amazing keyboardist. Cobra pretty much is awesome. except their new cd "Hot Mess" is a little on my dont really care for list. i like listening to bands progress, in their lyrics and in their music and as people. but they have yet to prove that they can, their stuff is all the same pretty much.

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Teen, 18 years old
July 20, 2009
 
Great Album, not for 12+
Lots of swearing (it somehow escaped a Parental Advisory). Some sexual language, but overall its a fun and great album

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This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Cobra Starship
Release date:October 23, 2007
Label:Fueled by Ramen
Genre:Pop
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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