In a way she is the positive flip side of postmodern culture amidst all of its pop-culture obsessions, wordplay, irreverence, laxitude and restlessness. Gordon's songwriting can simultaneously cut to the heart of the matter while remaining intriguing on the basis of her lyrical genius and musical punch.

"Loneliness Is Worse" is the masterpiece on this album, an aching, sweet ballad that perfectly captures endless nights of crying yourself to sleep with one phrase: "It's got a way of making everyone the same." Wrapped in angelic vocal harmonies and a surprisingly evocative wash of distorted guitars, "Loneliness" is the single most sincerely emotional song in the post-grunge era. For all of Kurt Cobain's meaningless doodlings, nothing beats a truly beating heart.

Eight Arms to Hold You contains its share of gut punches, pop delicacies and weird moments, as well. "Volcano Girls", despite its silly title, contains incredibly catchy lyrics coupled with an aggressive guitar riff; "Benjamin" is pure pop; "With David Bowie" is teenage exuberance personified in song. Gordon's bandmate Louise Post, though not as strong as songwriter, contributes some stylistic variety: "Sound of the Bell", almost reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" in texture, rings true, striking gold with its loud-soft dichotomy.

Gordon and Post have now gone their separate ways, with Gordon set to release as solo album (she's on Lilith Fair in 1999) and Post allegedly carrying on with Veruca Salt alone. This album almost emblematizes their ailing partnership: Troubled, but as much full of real feelings as energetic fun.

Once again proving that good taste is hard to find...
The recipient of inexplicably lukewarm reviews and little radio play, Eight Arms To Hold You is an album of unapologetically intertwined power pop and hard rock. Produced by Bob Rock (Metallica), the guitars are crunchy while the voices of frontwomen Louise Post and Nina Gordon are clear as bells.

Two star reviews from Rolling Stone are hard to explain in the face of an album of such extraordinarily catchy songs: the goofy lead single "Volcano Girls," adolescent hand-clap anthem "With David Bowie," arena rocker "Earthcrosser," and especially the mid-album trio of "Benjamin," "Shutterbug," and "Morning Sad" -- all three of which were singles overseas. Every song here is a classic, at once imitating and transcending similar chick rock from the likes of Juliana Hatfield, Elastica, and The Breeders to form an astounding aural experience in course of over fifty minutes and fourteen songs.

One has to wonder if the relatively lukewarm reception of this album was a factor in the band's messy breakup in the coming years, if only because there is nothing but harmony on this disc. Definitely worth a listen.

Eight Arms to Hold You
After listening to this album countless times I am still amazed at how wonderful it is. All of the songs are very well written and produced just perfectly. I give this album 5 stars and would highly recommend it to anyone who is and is not a Veruca Salt fan.

catchy, but watered-down chick rock
There were a slew of vital, trail-blazing female artists around the time Veruca Salt had a hit with "Seether," and this followup doesn't really do much to elevate Veruca Salt past their contemporaries, particularly The Breeders, whose Last Splash was both more fun and more intelligent than this record. However, Eight Arms To Hold You is a pretty good pop record at parts - "Benjamin" and "Loneliness Is Worse" could have been early-90's pop power ballads, "Don't Make Me Prove It" and "Stoneface" have a great spunk to them, and "Shutterbug" portrays the band as cleverer than you would have guessed. To get yourself into good female rock groups that take risks, buy a Sleater-Kinney album, but for simple pop pleasures, you could do worse than this.

A good rainy day CD...
If there are some songs listed here without a review, it's because they're too good to put into words. =D

Straight - 10/10 - A great opener to a CD.

Volcano Girls - 10/10

Don't Make Me Prove It - 10/10 - I love the music in this one. The guitar rocks.

Awesome - 8/10

One Last Time - 10/10 - Great slower song. I could imagine either Keith Richards or Gwen Stefani sing this one.

With David Bowie - 10/10 - This song has great music. 'Nuff said.

Benjamin - 10/10 - My favorite on the CD. Very laid back.

Shutterbug - 10/10 - Great bass guitar. I could imagine myself listening to this song, in a room with no windows and a black light turned on and this song blasting from the speakers.

The Morning Sad - 10/10

Sound of the Bell - 10/10 - Great music. I could imagine this song playing in a movie, over the opening credits, while showing shots of people riding along in a car down an empty highway.

Lonliness is Worse - 10/10 - Couldn't be more true. =(

Stoneface - 10/10

Venus Man Trap - 10/10

Earthcrosser - 10/10 - A great song to end the CD on.

138/140, not bad. =) This is a must have. Also, I don't know if anyone's mentioned, but the group got their name from the character Veruca Salt from the book Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
There's more of producer Bob Rock (AC/DC) here than the feisty band that recorded Seether two years previously. That's a good thing on the single "Volcano Girls," complete with its squealing guitars and "I Am the Walrus" nod. Titles like "With David Bowie" and "Venus Man Trap" are the best thing about the rest of a rather one-dimensional package. --Jeff Bateman