Album Description

MSI's music is a hybrid of Atari driven electronics with a venomous splash of ADD punk rock. There are three different versions of this release: a 10 track explicit version with a video for "You'll Rebel To Anything", an 11 track clean version with a video of "Diabolical", and an 11 track extra heavy double vinyl version. The clean and vinyl formats have two entirely different bonus tracks and all three have their own individual artwork, so true collectors will think nothing of owning them all. "MSI are, to me, how punk rock should sound in the 21st century: abrasive, brilliant, and sounding like no one else"--Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly). "...one of the most creative and genre-swirling outfits on the scene"--Serj Tankian (System Of A Down). ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Buy this Crap!
What do you get when you steal a bulldozer then hunt down the band Atari Teenage Riot and squash then into mush, you scoop that mush up and toss it in a pot, very satisfying indeed but you need something else and so you're off again, next you happen along the world invader music group GWAR, and maybe not exactly what you were looking for but you think "what the heck", they try to fight back with their giant swords and huge phalluses but you run them down with ease leaving nothing but alien slime, You shovel their mutant sludge remains into your giant pot with ATR's bloody mush and then you take that home stir it all together and cook it on high, you like it but it's missing something so you track down and stock Marilyn Manson and Eminem until you're ready to strike and then you cut off their penises and testicles then take them home and throw those into the giant pot of stew just too add flavor, so what do you get? I don't know either but I bet its gross, smells bad, and there's no way I'd eat it!
Anyways, I like this CD.

Also check out the band Psychic TV who are about to release a new album. Psychic TV's lead singer Genesis P-Orridge was the one who started industrial music with one of his other bands in the 70s then created the rave scene in the 80s in England before being Exiled from that country because of his (anti-)cult Temple of Psychick Youth.

**ALSO EVERYONE** I recommend checking out and listening to www.airamericaradio.com to stay informed about what's going on and have a few laughs also animated political cartoonist www.markfiore.com

title of review
This is a pretty good ep but it's such an anticlimax. Are they ever going to release a real follow-up to Frankenstein Girls? First they teased us with the The Left Rights album, which was more skits than songs, then the live ep Alienating Our Audience which had like 7? new songs on it, then with the Despierta Los Ninos ep, which showed a progression in songwriting, but wasn't available in stores. So I figured they'd eventually release an album with studio versions of the new live songs, the new songs from the Despierta ep, and a bunch of other new songs, but no, all we get is this, another ep, released in multiple formats in a blatant attempt to get more of your money. So obviously they don't have much respect for their fans, which is lame, but I still bought this cd and I like most of the tunes. Straight To Video is a bit too conventional and boring. They're obviously better at writing more upbeat songs with erratic rhythms, which Shut Me Up is the best example of here, although I think the first 3 songs on the Despierta ep are still better than anything on this cd. This cd is still worth buying, and the booklet art layout is nice, it's just a pity they didn't make a proper album. I guess there's still hope.

Who cares if it is 26 minutes....good enough for me!
This album sounds great even though some may consider it mainstream.Not as great as their landmark debut....but......it is good enough for me. Songs are very catchy and fun to listen to. I'm sure if you are a MSI fan you already own this but if your are skeptical wash your doubts away and pick this up. You will enjoy it.

An Album You Will Most Likely Hate.
It's been almost six years since Mindless Self Indulgence's last full-length effort, amibitiously titled "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy" and from the sounds of things, Jimmy Urine and his cast of cohorts haven't grown up one bit. Aside from a live album and a side project, dubbed the Left Rights, MSI have been strangely silent over the years. "You'll Rebel To Anything" is the first helping of brand new material since 1999. Despite the self-loathing nature of the band, expectations are pretty high from their fans, which is why this has been receiving such mixed reviews. If you expect it to be like "Frankenstein Girls..." you're wasting your time. It's not that good. Instead, what we get is a ten song set full of Mindless Self Indulgence's brand of tongue in cheek, electronic punk. It's not as sporadic and hilarious as past material, but does reach certain greatness, especially on "Straight To Video," "2 Hookers & An 8-Ball" and a "Rushed" cover of Rush's "Tom Sawyer." There really isn't much else to this album. Either you love it or you hate it. Just do yourself a favor, give a few listens before you disregard it.

A Pile of Suck
MSI sucks, Little Jimmy Urine has even said as much.Their songs are meaningless blather, even the meaningful ones. For FGWSS (perhaps MSI's most popular album) it could at least be said that it had shorter tracks.This album is pushing three minutes through the use of massive repetition and instrumental sections.The band makes no secret of how horrible the music is ("Can you believe I write this s***" (guess what word that is)) and mock the people who buy it ("You will pay my rent").

Any possible attack you could make on them, they have already done it. (...)? Check, Sell out? Check, Declining in quality? Double Check.They have already predicted what people will say about them and make use of it in a way that mocks both themselves and their audience.Even the title of the CD makes fun of their audience.

Regardless, MSI kicks total ass for their awesome sound that is different from almost anything else, it is basically the opposite of normal music.I figured this CD was going to suck, they'd sold out and made a Real CD with Real Music with all the crazyness refined out.

The first time I listened to it, I was not so impressed, but as with all of MSI's music, you have to be used to the songs before they really start to kick ass. The next time I heard it, it totally rocked.Now I've heard this CD as much as anything that's not from ThouShaltNot and almost every song on this CD is completely sweet.

Tom Sawyer is the only lacking song, but that's because I don't care for Rush. Anyone who even sorta likes Rush will probably think it is great. For the rest, I have trouble deciding which ones are my favorite. Almost everyone seems to have different favorites, a sure sign that the CD is of high quality.

Judging from the responses on this product, they have succeeded in Alienating at least part of their Audience.However, when we look at the number of stars, we can see that it's not as bad as all the negative reviews seem to indicate. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bachelor No. 2 is the product of a woman whose 40th birthday looms months ahead, and it illustrates how a little seasoning has paid off creatively for Aimee Mann. Always an incisive lyricist, the eloquent singer-songwriter further hones her wordplay to a razor-sharp edge. Her subjects are so adroitly sliced and diced that little blood is shed, though they're permanently cut down to size. "Calling It Quits" targets some cad who is "numbering himself among the masterminds 'cause he's hit upon the leverage of valentines." Not that Mann spares herself from a steely assessment: "I know I had it coming / From a Caesar who was only slumming" she admits in "The Fall of the World's Own Optimist." Though this 13-track collection borrows three songs from its immediate predecessor, Mann's soundtrack to Magnolia, its musical ingenuity and consistency (notable considering five different production teams are credited here) make the scattered redundancies irrelevant. Mann's artistic growth has been evident with each new release, and Bachelor marks her biggest leap forward to date.--Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Great Bachelor,Miss Mann
Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2 is a real musical masterpiece. From the infectious Nothing Is Good Enough (the instrumental version is featured in the Magnolia soundtrack), to the wonders of the Magnolia tracks (Deathly, Driving Sideways and You Do), to the excellent Ghost World and the spectral splendour of Satellite and It Takes All Kinds, Bachelor features the magnificence of the song-writing skills of the underrated Aimee Mann. Reading the lyrics of any Aimee Mann song is like reading a story, and this album offers many reasons why Aimee's songs inspire extremes of adoration and obsession. If Miss Mann's name is absent from the next Grammy Awards, then it will truly be one of the greatest injustices in music history.

Aimee Mann Bachelor #2
Aimee Mann's Bachelor #2, coming on the heels of the Magnolia soundtrack,and previous albums I'm With Stupid and Whatever, plus the albums she made with her band Til Tuesday continues the string of wonderful songs and albums Aimee has made since having a hit with Voices Carry from Til Tuesday's first album. Just about every song has something to recomend it, from the first song, How Am I Diffrent, which has a quiet power missing in so much of toddays music, to the melodicly heartbreaking Red Vines, to the anger of Deathly, to her touching tribute to Jeff Buckley on Just Like Anyone, and the ending of the album, You Do,which is sadness at it's most wonderful. I strongly recomend buying this album so you can discover one of the best songwriters around today that you've never heard. True, now that Save Me from Magnolia was Oscar nominated, that may change, but it can't come fast enough. If you've had enough of whiny alterntive rockers, sexist rap/metal men, and just pap in general, check this out, it's the cure for that.

Brilliant.
It figures that another genius--Juliana Hatfield--is featured on this magnificent album.

helps us get through
i'm going through hi school, which as everyone says is a hard time in different ways for each person. but aimee's album, both melancholy and uplifiting, one can use to control a mood, surprise, awaken. not only are the lyrics original and catchy, the arrangements are her most creative. this album inspires me to write songs quickly. to try to make up the day-changing tunes like those that she leaves behind.

It's good medicine
It's my belief that if everyone owned a copy of Aimee Mann's "Bachelor no. 2" this world would be a much more peaceful place. This is my feel-good album. Seriously, I went through a really awful depression a couple of years back and when I would listen to this album it was like a ray of sunshine. It's a sonic antidepressant. Works better than anything the doctor can prescribe to you.
Something about the combination of the music, and the lyrics, and Aimee's voice. It's golden. Buy buy buy. ... Read more

From Amazon.ca

Like a Great White North-ern version of Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson is a walking legend, the lines on his weathered face roadmaps to his historic life.Tyson started making indentations in the '60s as a folk musician (one half of Ian and Sylvia) whose music has been covered by everyone from Neil Young and Judy Collins to Suzy Bogguss and Gordon Lightfoot. Songs like "Four Strong Winds" and "You Were Always On My Mind" were among Ian's contributions to Canadian musical history. He also hosted his own TV show, won the Order of Canada, and temporarily quit the music industry, preferring to be a rancher and rodeo rider.

Tyson could've played it safe on Songs from the Gravel Road by bringing in straight-up country pickers, but he decided to shake things up with the inclusion of respected jazz musicians, including Guido Basso on trumpet and Phil Dwyer on sax. As a result, straight-ahead country melodies like "So No More" become jazz-backed twang. That cut leads straight into a traditional cover of "One Morning In May", a song made famous by James Taylor; the tune is high on charm, complete with an exemplary fiddle solo and whimsical delivery. Tyson's great players also breeze through a host of other tunes, everything from songs infused with Spanish undertones ("Silver Bell", "Always Saying Goodbye") to a reggae track, "Range Delivery". That song is the disc's most charming cut, attributed in part to the tune's co-vocalist, Cindy Church (one fourth of the country group Quartette).There is nothing out of left field on the album, just an hour of country-laden comfort from one of Canada's most enduring roots legends. --Denise Sheppard ... Read more

Album Description

With over 6 million records sold and 2 Grammy’s under their belts, The Wallflowers have released their fifth album and first with producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen). Rebel, Sweetheart is the welcome re-introduction to a grown up rock & roll band with a renewed sense of purpose. The Wallflowers have created an album that yearns for clarity while reflecting the world’s complexity– these are songs written by a man and performed by a band that’s already lived a little. From the powerful expression of hope on the first single "The Beautiful Side Of Somewhere" to the moodily stunning "We’re Already There", Rebel, Sweetheart is poised to be the most focused and accomplished album of their career.

DUALDISC CONTENTS -

CD SIDE includes: • Rebel, Sweetheart CD Audio

DVD SIDE includes: • Entire album in 5.1 Surround Sound • Acoustic performances of: – "One Headlight" (Original version from the album, Bringing Down The Horse) – "6th Avenue Heartache" (Original version from the album, Bringing Down The Horse) – "Some Flowers Bloom Dead" (Original version from the album, Breach) – "Halo" (Unreleased) – "For The Life Of Me" (Unreleased) • A special profile from the band’s visit to the U.S.S. Stennis • A hilarious interview with The Wallflowers and SNL alumni Jon Lovitz

(Content Subject To Change) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Probably The Wallflowers' Best Album Yet
Being quite familiar with The Wallflowers' previous albums, I looked forward to "Rebel, Sweetheart" with much pleasurable expectation. This collection of songs is astonishing! Each song and soundscape paints a lyrical picture in the form of The Wallflowers' best work. Jakob Dylan has produced lyrics encompassing all the richness of experience; some common observations are made especially profound, as in "God Says Nothing Back" where Dylan expresses a sense of assured wonder in his views on God, time, love and death. Each song on this album is especially unique in that sense. On "Rebel, Sweetheart" The Wallflowers take their influences and make something of their own better than so many other bands.

What is truly great about this collection, to an even greater degree than The Wallflowers' previous albums, is that each new listen allows you to explore ways of interpreting the lyrics while tapping your foot and moving to the music--a wonderfully seamless flow of great songs, filled with new possibility! And I can only imagine how "Rebel, Sweetheart" must sound in 5.1 Surround--another rewarding experience for listeners with those capabilities. Yes! Buy this album!

Quite possibly the strong of their career
The Wallflowers have undergone a number of changes over the years--most noticeably after their debut record when the entire band changed save Dylan and Jaffee. Ironically enough, the changes on this record (such as the inclusion of producer Brendan O'Brien as a guitarist) bring them back to their roots from Bringing Down the Horse.

This album is easily their most focused since the days of Horse. Breach is still arguably their best work, but it had a couple of weak points (the bonus track) and production mishaps (placing "Mourning Train" and "Up From Under" next to each other was foolish). This album, however, has instant classics that old Wallflowers fans will love--particularly "Here He Comes" and "Back to California"--the latter of which sounds like it could easily have been off of Horse.

Unfortunately, my greatest praise is also the biggest problem with this record. They really fail to cover any new ground, so they won't be converting any new fans on this recording. For dedicated fans who have been with them since day one, however, this is hardly a problem and more a blessing than a curse.

The inclusion of Brendan O'Brien is one of the more shocking things about the record. I'm familiar with O'Brien's older work such as producing Conspiracy of One for the Offspring and Spiritual Machines for Our Lady Peace. On both of those records and on O'Brien's other productions he tends to favor a more pop-centric flavor and sometimes adds more gloss than is necessary. After the production mistake that was Red Letter Days (don't get me wrong, it was still an incredible record, it was just horribly produced) seeing his name on the back gave me a bit of a start. I thought he'd continue the over-polished feel which so horribly contrasted with the Wallflowers rustic music, but O'Brien really pulled through for the band and gave them a more stripped-down rootsy feel that older fans will enjoy.

Anyway, aside from minor gripes such as the noticeable lack of many slower tracks, this album is sure to please any fans of the Wallflowers. I would have liked to hear more from Jaffee on the record, as I've been noticing he's been downplayed on every record post-Horse, but while he doesn't make a full comeback, he does make a partial one. Anyway, this album sounds more carefully crafted and put together than any of the Wallflowers past records, so make sure not to miss out.

The Wallflowers are back.
The Wallflowers are back in the game with their latest, "Rebel, Sweetheart."The album returns to the sound of Breach and BDTH, and the mix is decidely less "pop" than on Red Letter Days, their release from 2002.Lyrically, the CD is perhaps the Wallflowers' most powerful yet.The album is fairly straightfoward musically, many of the songs radio-friendly.The music is never compromised, however and the band isn't afraid to take chances with instrumentation, like the addition of timpani on "God Says Nothing Back".The Beautiful Side of Somewhere, the first single, is perhaps one of Jakob Dylan's most powerful songs, right behind "One Headlight" and his other hits.The brilliant guitar work of Brendan O'Brien is surely appreciated here within the group, as the record is saturated with good old fashioned rock n' roll licks.Fred Eltringham, the relatively new drummer lays down a solid foundation of the group.The songs are fresh, espescially in the case of "Here He Comes (Confessions of A Drunken Marionette).The album seems to be lacking on slower material, which was prevelant on BDTH and Breach with songs like "Invisible City", "Josephine", and "Mourning Train"But there is "From the Bottom of My Heart" one of the album's few slower acoustic numbers, which has a great organic quality in its paired-down arrangement.There is something here for every Wallfowers fan, and unlike previous records this has a great chance of opening up new listeners to the band.

More mellow
This long-awaited release is not what one would expect. Then that is the beauty of The Wallflowers, they are always bringing us something new.

Some of the songs on this release can be clearly classified as alt. country. Others have a very folksy feel. There are new rhythms (no raga--see video) evident most clearly in "God Says Nothing Back", creative lyrics ("From the Bottom of My Heart), and a spirtual feel to these songs (G-d makes an "appearance" in several). The significance of Rami's mastery of the keyboards is quite evident. The writing relies on his skills.

Wallflowers fans may be surprised, but not disappointed. Others who were not Wallflowers fans may want to give this CD a serious listen--you may discover something new.

The video portion of the dual disc is quite funny. This band is quirky (to say the least) and it is fun to see the lighter side of the "Boys." The video also includes new mixes of some songs, and "Halo" a song I had previously only as a bootleg. (Ooops did I just write that?)

SOLID
Suprisingly this album is very good. A lot of solid songs. This band is very mellow and thats why I like them a lot. Its not groundbreaking material here but its all always very good.
... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Heartbreaker opens with an argument about a Morrissey song before the band kicks into the sloppy and rollicking "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)," and certainly the gloomster's self-referential sadness hangs over Ryan Adams's songs. But Adams, the notoriously raucous frontman for the defunct Whiskeytown, is a country boy at heart if not in attitude, so there is a lingering pastoral beauty that imbues the album with a happy sweetness as well. That, along with Ryan's expressive, gravelly voice (equal parts Paul Westerberg and Merle Haggard), gives Heartbreaker enduring power. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (114)

Far More Intimate Than "Gold" but Equally Stunning
For anyone who is thinking that Ryan Adams's debut album is similar to "Gold", let me stop you right now: "Heartbreaker" is far more intimate, less radio-friendly than "Gold". Which doesn't mean of course it is any less good.

"Heartbreaker" is in general a toned-down album, simply Ryan with accoustic guitar telling stories of aching love gone wrong and other stories of life. "Oh My Sweet Carolina" is a superb example of that (with lyrics like "I went on to Cleveland and I ended up insane" haha, take that Cleveland!) Other essential tracks are "My Winding Wheel", the stunning "Come Pick Me Up" (a full-band ballad with Ryan on harmonica and piercing lyrics; by far the best track on the album and one Ryan thankfully continues to play live regularly on his current tour), and "To Be the One" (just Ryan's acoustic guitar and harmonica, reminiscent of early Dylan.)

The album does contain a couple "Gold"-like uptempo songs, such as "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and the mean-rocking "Shakedown on 9th Street". But other than that, it's mainly Ryan by himself and his guitar. Finally, don't miss the opening hilarious discussion about Morrisey! What a hoot!

Ryan Adams will save rock and roll!
Ryan Adams has never been an upbeat sort of guy.

I mean that in the kindest way possible. His music may be as raucous as his attitude, but layed over the jangly guitars and honkeytonk piano is the sneer of a broken heart, not a hearkbreaker.

This album is truly one of the most heartfelt and touching pieces of acoustic rock I have ever heard. Adams' voice cracks a little in pain during songs like "Amy" when he sings "Oh, I miss you, oh, I love you, Amy. Do you still love me?"

All the trappings of poppy "I love you" lyrics are there, but Adams avoids being typical because his lyrics are continuously detailed. For example, on "Winding Wheel" he sings of a "bed of steel" and on "Damn, Sam (I Love A Woman that Rains)" he speaks of being "calm as a fruit stand in New York and maybe as strange." What it all means is a mystery to the listening audience, but it's compelling poetry.

All the lyrical honesty is backed by genuine musical knowhow. Adams [rocks] with his guitar on songs like "Shakedown on 9th Street" when he sets the stage for a barfight with an angry guitar and some vocal tricks.

This is a MUST own album for every fan of rock. Ryan Adams (along with The Strokes) could save rock and roll yet.

It's amazing he USED to sound like this.
This album, along with Pneumonia, are Ryan Adams' two best accomplishments. Heartbreaker is one of the reasons alternative country is so popular today. The album does run a little long, and his best work is on the first half of the album. However, this barely takes away from its quality. My favorite songs on the album (if you're interested) are "Winding Wheel" and "Come Pick Me Up."

It's unfortunate that Ryan Adams' new albums are such rubbish. I guess some artists who "have it" can just "lose it."

AWESOME Recording
I totally dig this album and me thinks it sound fantastic. I heard its coming out on SACD by the ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING label and I pumped to hear that too :)

Might be as good as Adams gets
This is not close to a perfect album, but its high points are as good as American popular music can get. And this just might be as good as Adams gets. There's no doubt that Adams is immensely talented. But harnessing that talent takes some discipline. Adams descent into generally jerky behavior and alcoholic numbness have taken their toll and his subsequent releases on Lost Highway seem attenuated in comparison to this fine album. Other songwriters have hit low points only to come back with remarkably clear-headed and inspired work. It just might be that Adams will do this as well. I hope so at any rate. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Reykjavík-based noise quartet Sigur Rós are the biggest band in their native Iceland, which should say much, much more about the collective insanity of that earthquake-ridden, blizzard-beaten crag of an island than anything to do with Sigur Rós's sound. But in their music, Sigur Rós reflect all the breathtaking glory of the Icelandic wastes--a fairy-tale explosion of unhinged elemental majesty that's finally crystallized here, their debut European release. Poised somewhere between the haunting soundscapes of Labradford and the lilting Celtic falsetto of Enya, Agaetis Byrjun is a truly breathtaking listen. Frontman Jon Por Birgisson sings in a language that Sigur Rós dub "Hopelandic"--an otherworldly mutation of Icelandic, sung in the falsetto cadence of angels; similarly, he plays his guitar with a violin bow, opening the floodgates for brilliant waves of feedback. And while it's the opening "Svefn-G-Englar" that's Sigur Rós' moment to date, there's far more that they have to offer; listen to the pomp and flourish of a full orchestra on "Flugufrelsarinn," or the awe-inspiring near-religious mantra of "Ny Batteri." --Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (233)

Surprised when I found out they were human beings...
After introducing many listeners to their distinct sound by way of the "Vanilla Sky" sountrack album, Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós (pronouned "Seer Rose" with the R's rolled) has built a following interested in expanding their tastes in music and virtually elimintaing insomnia. Agaetis Byrjun (pronounced "Ow-gate-is Beeryune"), the band's third overall album to date, is their masterpiece. It is the ultimate realization of the spectrum of human emotion, and, when accompanied by candles and a good pair of headphones, proves as an adequate cure for sleep deprevation. The band's instrumentation is relatively simple: vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards/synthesizers. The miracle of this is the otherworldly sound channeled through these instruments and into the ears, heart, and soul of the listener.
The album begins with an intro, roughly a minute long, which resembles an underwater choir singing an irresistable refrain, chopped and repeated by the loopwork of keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. It slowly travels into the now-famous "Svefn-G-Englar"(Sleepwalkers) by way of the repeating ping of a sonar detector and the rumbling of an underwater submarine. The two songs together serve as an exposition to a much grander scheme, but it is here that we are introduced to Sigur Rós' distinctive blend of angelic vocals, channeling bass work, etherreal percussion, and quite possibly the most beautiful guitar feedback ever recorded, by way of guitarist/vocalist Jonsi running a cello bow along the strings. From this, the listener is transported into the stellar "Staralfur" by way of a rapidly drumming heartbeat. From first listen, one is compelled to make a nighttime trip to an open field to gaze at a star-painted sky, revelling in the sheer beauty of life.
Next is the hypnotic "Flugufrelsarinn", brought in by a combination of wind and guitar screeching. The song borderlines erotica, and is as irresistable as it is trance-inducing. Brass hummings bring in "Ny Batteri", a song that is altogether more melancholy in its scope as compared with the rest of the album. It's as if the band is lost in its own emotional maelstrom, struggling to find any signs of light. A peephole is found in the jazz-like "Hjartad Hamast", which sounds like Miles Davis as interpreted by a Martian. The peephole then tears, to become the rejuvenation that is "Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa". The longest song on the album, it is arguably the most beautiful, shifting through 4 main phrases all in one swift, breathtaking motion.
Now that the rejuvenation has been found, it is time for the youthful abandon that is "Olsen Olsen". The timely, enchanting bass riff guides the listener through a dark forest leading to a meadow, filled with a grand choir encircling a lone flutist. Immediately following is the smile-inducing title track, "Agaetis Byrjun". The guitar intro fades in from nothing, and the divine instrumentation makes the listener think of the same. A flying kite comes to mind in this song. As for "Avalon", the closer, nothing will be disclosed. It serves as a final farewell to the listener, tucking them in goodnight, and letting them rest assured that life is indeed filled with beauty, if they would only allow their ears to hear it.
Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful albums ever made. Sigur Rós is a band not easily dismissed. Agaetis Byrjun is an experience not easily forgotten. Your ears, mind, heart, soul, and eyelids will love you forever.

A new favourite of mine
I stumbled into Sigur Ros after someone on a messageboard I frequent was expressing excitement about their then-upcoming third album ( ), which I bought the day it was released stateside. I was duly impressed, but it was after I bought Agaetis Byrjun that the band really sunk it's claws into me.

For an album who's songs stretch up into the the ten minute range, this is a very accessable record. The instrumentals are soothing yet intense, often at the same time (think Kid A-era Radiohead), as this is very much mood music. Pianos interweave with bowed electric guitars, fingerpicked acoustics, moderate percussion, keyboard melodies, etcetera. One song (Olsen Olsen, I believe) even has a somewhat dischordant orchestral bombast.

As far as the vocals, Jonsi has a beautiful falsetto (no one I play this for believes that's a guy at first), and even though I don't understand the lyrics (they are Icelandic after all), I like the tonal quality of them.

To a point, Vanilla Sky did for Sigur Ros what Benny & Joon did for the Proclaimers: gave an unknown band stateside a few minutes in the spotlight. Given, Sven-g-Englar (which loosely translates to Sleepwalkers I think), the song on the VS soundtrack, is one you hear people going on about a lot. The standout, in my opinion however, is the title track, Agaetis Byrjun (A Good Beginning). Both are fantastic songs, though, and the rest of the album isn't much behind.

So yes. If you're in the mood for a three minute pop hook, obviously you would do well to look elsewhere. If you're willing to invest a little patience, however, Agaetis Byrjun is a top cut. Let it wash over you and see where it takes you.

I'VE FOUND NEAR PERFECTION
Anyone who appreciates beautiful music would love this album. It's not something you listen to when you're drunk in the club, or jamming in your car down the boardwalk on the beach, but its something to listen to and enjoy by yourself. These songs make you think of life, of past relationships, of God, and of the world. The only problem with this is, if you are mainly for lyrics, and you don't speak the language of this band, you will not understand a word, let alone spell a song's name. Do not listen to this album to find meaning in the words. Let the singer's voice and sounds be part of the music instead of focusing on what he is saying. I believe this is an album where you will either REALLY love it or it just won't be for you. If you are strictly into American pop music, hiphop/R&B, metal or hard rock, or close-minded to a certain hardcore sound, this album might not be for you. If you are open-minded to music that isn't just screaming and hardcore riffs, and isn't filled with hot beats with someone yappin about ridin on dubs and 24's, this might catch your ear. This is what music is supposed to be. I'm not saying this is what all music should be. I am saying that all music, whatever genre, should be on this level. If that were possible, the world would be a much more enjoyable place. If you have time to listen to this album, I strongly strongly strongly recommend it.

Superb
This is my number one desert island CD. Orgasmic and haunting are the best ways I can describe this album. If Iceland has it's own equivalent of the Smithsonian, than a copy of Agaetis Byrjun deserves to be placed in it immediately.

Mind bending, influencial recordings
I can only describe this album in few words, since there is so much to describe it with, it's amazing. Absolutely stunning. The violin bow added to the guitar playing is just great. Beautiful, melodic music. A good buy, and a classic to keep in your collection ... Read more

Amazon.com

With Rage Against the Machine disbanded, System of a Down ascend to the political aggro-rock throne, and with Steal This Album, the Los Angeles-based quartet prove themselves worthy to wear the crown. A play on the late activist Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book, the album consists of 16 System songs from the mid-1990s through 2001. The band stresses the songs are not "B-sides or outtakes"; in fact, they clearly show System at their apex. These smart, varied songs feature Serj's frenetic, staccato, Jello Biafra-like phrasing atop the band's edgy, commanding, metal-meets-punk base. From the funny, frantic "Chic 'N' Stu," to "F**k the System," "A.D.D. (American Dream Disorder)," and "Boom!" System keep listeners guessing with discomfiting time changes that match up with Serj's incendiary lyrics. In keeping with their creative, fan-oriented approach, System are releasing four limited runs of the CD, each version featuring artwork from a different band member. This is not escapist rock. It's an intense and eye-opening aural history lesson you can mosh to. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (341)

*3 1/2* lacks originality
I swear a spelt originality wrong. Anyway! It is not a real album. Me rating this CD would be like rating a burnt mixed CD. But here is my view on it. All the songs connect together very well and flow throughout the CD like a funky unique screamo reggae vocal, jazz core, catchy drum beat journey. But in a way, all the songs connect like they all sound the same. It is filled with old and new System musical styles. All the songs lack length. All of them range around 2 minutes long. Then the longest song is around 4 minutes. I enjoy the CD a lot myself. But it isn't as talented as I would like to believe it to be. Ok. So one last thing I notice is the majority of the songs sound a lot like one or more songs off of both beforehand System of a Down CDs. Here is the list:

1. CHiC 'N' STu - Reminds me of that pizza song. "I was a pizza, now I'm a mess" but in a hardcore version. System style!

2. iNNERViSiON - Suggestions.

3. BuBBLES - Know, Soil.

4. BOOM! - Prison Song, X.

5. NuGuNS - Forest, Deer Dance.

6. A.D.D. - This song sounds too much like Forest. It is really really sad. But the lyrics are really good.

7. MR. JACK - X, Aerials.

8. i-E-A-i-A-i-O - Metro, Johnny, Aerials, X, Shimmy.

9. 36 - This song reminds me off a boot camp. You know the songs they sing. The very first part of the song reminds me of the robot song by one of the local bands here called Absence of Tomfoolery. It doesn't remind me of it actually, both songs sound exactly the same. The beginning part I mean.

10. PiCTuRES - Mind, Shimmy.

11. HiGHWAY SONG - Spiders, Know.

12. F**K THE SYSTEM - Suite-Pee.

13. EGO BRAiN - ATWA, Chop Suey.

14. THETAWAVES - Science

15. ROuLETTE - Amazing song! Very original!

16. STREAMLiNE - This song is good. I don't like it that much though. It isn't System like.
~I know no one will agree with me on these but oh well. You may not understand what I am getting at either. :P

The Best SOAD CD Yet.
"Steal This Album!" is excellent. It's a must buy for anybody who likes System of a Down.

"Chic 'N' Stu" is very fun. If you like Serj Tankian's fast, flip floppy style of singing then you will like this song then you'll like this song. I liked the way Daron just kind of chimes in, echoing Serj.

I had a copy of "Innervision" long before this album was announced. I loved it. I though it was one of SOAD's best songs. I wondered how they could improve this song. They have answered my question. Interweaving vocals make a nice contrast. I wish I had a friend with me to sing the high part along with me.

The song "Bubbles" is classic SOAD. It's just reverberates through your ears, makes your head move up and down and then brings a smile to your face. I love the little voices in the background. My favorite part of SOAD songs, are the little details they put into them. This is a good example of what I'm talking about.

"Boom!" is another SOAD song with a powerful message. It's deep message about war is made clear with the chorus "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Everytime you drop the bomb you kill the God your child has born."

"Nüguns" is very similar to Boom!. The first time I heard the track change from Boom! to "Nüguns" I wasn't sure if it was a different song or if it was just a break in Boom!. "Nüguns" is also a song with a message about war. The fast guitar playing and smooth vocals are very pleasing.

"A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)" will have you head banging and trying to learn the lyrics. This is the third consecutive track with a message about war on this CD. Don't get me wrong, I don't really care, I just wanted to point that out. This is another example of Serj Tankian's fast pace style of singing.

"Mr. Jack" is a song that is full of contrast. It goes from soft to loud and into an area between the two. I love how the beat of the song just switches without warning.

The song "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" is very catchy. After hearing the chorus the first time through you'll be you'll be singing along with it the second time it rolls around.

"36" is a very short song that just seams to come out of nowhere. It reminds me of the songs Bounce or Shimmy. The pounding drums switching to taps on the cymbal is very pleasing.

"Highway Song" gives me visions of Serj Tankian taking a calm walk in the middle of a tornado while singing this song. He just seems to be so fluid with his vocals while everybody else is playing their heart out.

"F**k The System" is another song I had long before this album was announced. As far as I can tell they didn't change anything. The song is one of my favorite SOAD songs. Listen to this if you want to hear just how wild Serj's vocals can get. The song is one of my favorite SOAD songs. Listen to this if you want to hear just how wild Serj's vocals can get. Once and a while my friends and I will just start singing this song. We love is sooooooooo much.

"Ego Brain" is one of those songs where when it starts your all like "Well, they can't all be good." This took me by surprise. It starts out soft and builds up like a rising thunder storm until the lighting cracks and the rain starts pouring with the lyric "Ya' see my pain is real."

"Thetawaves" is another song that reminds me of the tornado around Serj. When I hear it I just wonder how SOAD makes songs that are rap-rock, but aren't labeled as rap-rock. I like this song a lot, but the lyrics don't exactly stick with you. That's the only bad thing I can say about this track.

I would call "Roulette" a love ballad. It's just Serj singing and Daron accompanying with vocals and guitar. It's a very satisfying song, but it takes some getting used to.

The last song is "Streamline" (which can also be heard on the Scorpion King Soundtrack). It's very powerful. Full of odd beats that seem to keep doing u-turns. The whole arrangement between the vocals and rhythm make a weird kind of sense, but may take a couple of trys before you can nod your head correctly to the beat.

I love this CD. If you haven't already pressed the "Add to Shopping Cart" button then do it now! The only thing I wished they'd done different is added a few more songs. The that first comes to mind is "Johnny", an unreleased SOAD song that is also one of my favorites. Other that the lack of "Johnny" it's nearly perfect. BUY IT!

let down 4 the system
I am a loyal fan, but the system has failed me for the first, and hopefully last time Steal this album frankly made the system seem to suck. 1 thumb down and a fart!

the system
"Steal this Album" is the best of system of a down. This is my favorite band. I have two other cds from them, but this one is used for road trips only. It is my "special cd"

System wow's the crowd.
System's third release "Steal This Album" is their best to date. Not to slight their two previous masterpieces, but "Steal This Album" is simply incredible. The album starts out with the head bangin' Chic'n Stu which starts out talking about food, but it's real meaning comes out when it bashes advertising. As the album progresses with jam after jam, a track comes on called Mr. Jack. I personally love the song because it hates on the police. Later in the album you hit tracks like "Pictures" and "Ego Brain" which are just all great songs. Towards the end you hit a song called "Roulette". This song has NO electric guitars, no drums. Just instruments and great harmonizing by Serj and Daron. The song actualy shows that these guys actually know how to play their instruments unlike some bands who just play HARD all the time and really can't tell if they an play or not. The album closes with "Streamline" another great song. All in all, you can play this album from songs 1-END. It's easy to rate this album 10/10 just like their two previous albums. I'm just waiting for their new album to come out, whenever that may be. Buy this album now. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Part of the '90s Seattle grunge triumvirate completed by Nirvana and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam debuted with Ten, their most accessible, least self-conscious album. Over time, PJ's rep as a politically correct band just a little too above it all to prostitute its music on MTV has nearly superseded the music. But before that, they were a simply an in-your-face, in-your-head, loud, melodic rock band. And lead singer Eddie Vedder was known for his possessed stage presence and a primal growl that sounded like it required three vocal chords. The personal, narrative singles "Alive," "Jeremy," and "Even Flow" catapulted the reluctant band into the 10-million-plus-sales division. Subsequent albums are more intricate, subtle, thematically complex, and, in many ways, better than Ten. But the band may never repeat the stampede caused by this debut. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (538)

The beginnings of greatness
This album is the one that anyone knows no matter how big of a Pearl Jam fan they are (even if they aren't one at all). That is a little unfortunate, as they have since surpassed this all time great album with more incredible albums of diverse music. But Ten is where it began. This album went to #1 after Nirvana's Nevermind but spent more time there (just stating a fact, I like both bands and they shouldn't be compared). It has their radio staples Alive, Even Flow, and the smash Jeremy. But don't overlook any song on this album. Their classic rock influences and modern touches give Ten a unified sound all its own. The songwriting puts it over the top; the emotional eruption of Black, the catharsis of the closer Release, and just high quality throughout the album. You can hear the Clapton and Zeppelin influences in the guitar work (which Stone and Mike shred up awesomely), and Eddie Vedder's awe-inspiring vocals set them apart from anything else at the time. One of the all-time greatest singers in rock history, Eddie's emotions are left bare here in the lyrics (such as the dysfunctional family issues of Alive) and he delivers them passionately, providing ear-peeling screams when the music demands it but also sounding great when the singing is barely more than a whisper (the opening of Black). All in all, this is a seminal album from one of the greatest and most challenging (both to music and the music business) bands in history, and the results are ours to enjoy forever.

A great example of early Seattle rock
I tried Pearl Jam a few years ago when "No Code" was released, and I wasn't really impressed. But when I heard "Ten" from a friend last week, I immediately went out and bought it. This is an amazing album that combines great riffs with melodic tunes and is always characterized by Ed Vedder's anguished yet strangely touching lyrics. While "Jeremy" was the moneymaker, as well as the album's masterpiece, "Alive" is truly a spectacle, with that incredible two-minute ending guitar solo and the chorus that everyone wants to sing along to. One of the best lines is on "Black," where Vedder sings "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life/I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky/But why, why, why, can't it be, can't it be mine?" Really well-conceived metaphor. Vedder is enchanting to listen to; he always sounds like he can't decide between killing himself and finishing the song. Other great cuts include "Once," "Even Flow," and "Why Go," showcasing Pearl Jam's louder, faster sound, which fades into the slower melodies as the album progresses. This album is less grunge than Nirvana or Soundgarden, with a cleaner sound that makes it that much more enjoyable. While their popularity may have waned with time as well as their self-imposed lack of MTV play, this album really shows why they were once America's most popular rock band, and deservedly so.

Fantastic music, great debut album
Not so often, have I seen and heard so much good music on one record. I got the album two years after it was released and it was like an explosion, literally, at least for me. I was a little bit sceptical at the beginning, especially not liking Nirvana, but so surprised after hearing it. It was nothing like anything I heard before. The music is absolutely absorbing, breathtaking and soulful at the same time, great guitar playing, good rock with still enough rhythm to be listened to by the crowd. Not to talk about Eddie Vedder's voice and his way of singing. The first time I heard Alive I couldn't believe anybody can have a voice like that and can sing a great and said story like Jeremy or deeply personal lyrics like Alive or Black so well. Truly amazing. I would recommend this album to absolutely everybody who appreciates good music, good lyrics, and great voice. Probaly the best voice....

Too Much Hype, BUT good Debut
Ten, is to me, by far, WAYYY overrated. WIth that said, I CAN say it was a great debut. I mean, the releases were awesome, and Once, and MAYBE Black, which I am sure was NOT a release is great too. The other songs didnt seem to approach me as good as the listed ones here. Yet, if they had to put Yellow Ledbetter and Footsteps on here, and took off some of the filler towards the end. Not bad, I wouldnt pay anything over $15.00 for it,
Try "VS" instead. Their Masterpiece

Great Album!
this album is the *&^% jeremy is an awesome song it's the best song in the world! This album is the ****ing best album ever! This album is totally the @#$in &%*! No #$%! I love this album! I recomend it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Mississippi-based quartet 3 Doors Down has only one thing that sets them apart from other hard rock bands: lead vocalist Brad Arnold is also the drummer. The group shops the sounds of Pearl Jam and the Goo Goo Dolls, pointing at what they like, picking it off the shelf, and throwing it into the stew.While the music on The Better Life, their debut, sounds overall both competent and confident, the songs themselves are equally uninspired and clichéd.For example, the riff from the track "Loser" is straight out of the Alice in Chains songbook, adding much more cringe-worthy lyrics ("Addiction needs a pacifier, the buzz of this poison is taking me higher").In fact, most of the lyrics zero in on well-worn rockthemes of aggravation, confusion, and frustration, feelings that 3 Doors Down will easily coax out of discriminating listeners. --Jason Josephes ... Read more

Reviews (343)

Rock Is Still Alive
3 Doors Down is doing what every good rock and roll band does at one point in their careers. They make catchy music, with lyrics that people can feel, put on a good show, and act like rock stars.

Brad Arnold is a rock lyricist. His lyrics reiterate everything said by everyone from Mick Jagger to Scott Stapp. Except Arnold molds them into his own and as it turns out, his lyrics sound fresh and worth something more than a cringe. "Kryptonite" is a catchy, driving rock song with words that most people can relate to at some point in their life. Especially teenagers who think they are invincible and yet depressed at the same time. "If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?"

The musicianship on the album, well, they aren't the Dave Matthews Band and they don't want to be. The music is Hard Rock at it's best, borderline metal, at times the harder side of Ozzy Osborne, at times, the lighter side of the Stone Temple Pilots. They range everywhere inbetween and pull all of their songs off.

No song on this album is a clunker, lyrically or musically. The music doesn't seem tired even though critics will say the music has been done before. It's rock and roll music and as long as rock is appreciated, this album is still a great one.

Great music, lyrics and overall feeling
I'm deeply in love with both, heavy metal and alternative rock, and 3 Doors Down is just the perfect mix between these two. The CD is just great, the lyrics are perfect, and for those who say that they aren't that good, try to look deeper into them, each song has a great meaning, and if you pay enough attention you might realise that the album actually is telling 1 story... Guitars are excellent, both riffs and solos, that although not really complicate or hard to play sound great. So, here is how I rate the tracks in this album (Everythign I say about each song is from MY point of view, including interpretations):

Kryptonite: Great song, great lyrics... Talks about a strong friendship between two people... not necessarily friendship, but a strong relationship that is fading away... ( 2nd best song 5/5)

Loser: Talks about addiction... but not necessarily to drugs... not at all... Kryptonite talks about a strong relationship, this song talks about the main guy realising that he has become addicted to the other person in the relationship. And even think of suicide... (Best song 5/5)

Duck and Run: THe guy says he won't give up and that he will keep on living no matter what... (4/5)

Not Enough: Here the guy is telling that other person that he is just sick of being abused and used, and that he won't stand it any longer... unfortunately... at then he realises he can't stop... (In all the choruses it goes like this: There's too much of you, but there's not enough of me.... but at the end it says: There's too much of you There's too much of me.)
(Great Song 4.5/5)

Be Like That: The same guy, wanting to be like other person... to see if his life is as bad as he feels it is... At the end he feels he is slowly falling into his addiciton even more..(I feel I'm fallin into this again...) (Amazing song, although the slowest track on the album... If you like fast songs, you might not like it 5/5)

...

a nickle or two
if i had a nickle for every time i had listened this CD striaght through without skipping a track i would have... a nickle or two! The fact of the matter is that it has a couple of songs worth a listen, but they arent numerous enough to warrent the cost of the CD. A bit of a disapointment. There are also alot of bands who are better and more consistant, my advice... buy one of their albums.
Over all it has but a few reasons why u would want to buy it:
1. You are a die hard fan of theirs (highly unlikely)
2. The head of the Russian mafia has a gun to your head(slightly more likely)
3. For keeping the King of England out of your face (just play "Down Poison" and he'll run(a decent reason but u will also suffer))
4. As an expensive coaster (nuff said)

Very raw, no-nonsense rock!
While their second album is already selling huge and on its 4th single, I'd like to recall their first album from late 1999. Real, raw, no nonsense rock and roll! They tear it up on Kryptonite, Duck and Run, and much of the second half. And Loser is a good power ballad. Starts off innocent, then before it starts to go into Diane Warren overkill after the 2nd chorus, it avoids that and goes into that crashing section of guitars for some 20 to 30 seconds, before going back quietly again to its normal state! Dynamite songmaking there! The album kind of recalls late-'80s rock and AC/DC's "Back In Black" with the raw attitude. The landscapes of the songs match well to the area where they're from, Escatawpa, Mississippi, where I went through that area to Biloxi in 2001 and 2003. It's still young right now, but it's going to be a classic album 5 to 10 years from now!

It is simply too good
I actually bought this album for my friend and just feel in love with this from the moment I heard it.... Firstly it was difficult to find this album this side of the globe and when I did I was the lucky one to capture the last in the store.... I cant get enough listening to loser, not enough, be like that, life of my own and better life.... Now I have an even more tough task of getting a hold of Away from the sun..... the same store are going to be importing them for me and I cant wait till I can get a hand on them......or else i will need to shed some extra dough to import it myself from amazon.... if you like this kind of music just grab it without thinking twice... ... Read more

Reviews (18)

a pretty good song, for kelly osbourne
i happened to be up late one night downloading songs and because of lack of sleep somehow came across this song, and when i listened to it i was blown away, its actually good and its kelly osbourne...i await the album and hope its as good as this song, maybe she finally realized her vocal limits...

a very pleasant surprise indeed
Maybe she realised that pop-punk wasn't the way to go. Maybe she realised just how bad her debut album "Shut Up" really was. Or maybe she's been listening to the Gwen Stefani album a few too many times. Whatever the reason, this new single is not only good, it's shockingly good. It has a cool retro 80's vibe ( without sounding flimsy or "ironic" like most of the electro-clash junk you hear ) a killer hook, and seductive vocals ( thankfullygone is that shrill "punk" singing ). My only concern is that Kelly will suffer the inevitable backlash due to overexposure from her days as a "Reality TV Brat" and this gorgeous, well done single will not get the airplay it rightfully deserves. (By the way, she looks INCREDIBLE on the cover and in the video. ) And to those who cry "sell- out" because of the seemingly abrupt and completechange in stylistic direction from Kelly's debut album to this single, I can only offer this : if singers like Kelly Clarkston andPink can go from lite RnB / Dance on their debut albums to mature, harder "rock" ish and ballads material on their second, and not only hold on to their core audience, but actually increase it, then why can't Kelly Osbourne( oranyone else ) drastically change their sound? If that's too much to ponder, and if you really want to just enjoy the tunes, then by all means grab Kelly's new single and do just that.

Very Impressed!
What a transformation. Could this smooth, catchy and sophisticated dance track really be from the same woman who screeched through Madonna's Papa Don't Preach? If "One Word" is any indication of Osbourne's new sound, she's just earned a whole lot of respect from music fans around the world. "One Word" is a nicely-produced hook-laden electro-dance track with an 80's sound, and Kelly's voice is subdued enough on it to actually sound pretty neat.

what?
Jesus...How did Kelly Osbourne go from doing that whiny stuff she was doing a couple years ago to this?This song is amazing.I had to listen to it about 100 times before I could admit to myself that I liked the song and video as well.The hook is obviously adapted from Visage's "Fade to Grey" but this is still really good, a good pop melody with a dark sort of feel to it.Props to Kelly Osbourne, I hate to admit it, but this song is great.This is a fine example of pop music.It pays homage to the past, lacks pretension, has a catchy beat, yet there is a feeling of substance to it all.If she continues with whatever production team made this she will definitely go down the right direction.No more annoying "shut up" songs ok?

WOW - surprised & impressed
I haven't heard Kelly before - but by sheer happenstance find myself listening to her new album and single - this is really really run stuff - tongue & cheek synth pop that is completely addicting and just great - I'm an instant fan of this girl!!The entire album is a party from start to finish... ... Read more

Amazon.com

After a quarter-century of punk and postmodern excesses, it's always something of a surprise to find young musicians who not only recall a past era's musical indulgences, but also revel in them. This Lava Records debut is the latest fruit of Porcupine Tree mainstay Steven Wilson's obsession with prog, a mania that dates to the late '80s when the "band" was little more than a fantasy, though one with a remarkably imaginative--if entirely fictional--history and bio. But that pipedream eventually became a real "alt prog" cult fave, with these dozen ambitious songs finding a focus that occasionally eluded the band on half-hour soundscapes like its underground hit, "Voyage 34." Tracks like "Gravity Eyelids" have a retro-psychedelic feel that would have done the XTC alter ego Dukes of Stratosphear proud, with Wilson's pure melodic tenor pushing it beyond the merely baroque. But the collection is also a strong statement of another crucial Wilson/Porcupine retro-sensibility: The album has unified musical statement. "Lips of Ashes" and "Prodigal" serve up the sort of impressionistic, harmony-rich musings that Pink Floyd has rarely managed since Wish You Were Here, while "The Creator Has a Master Tape" punctuates the rich harmonies of tracks like "Heart Attack in a Layby" with Crimson-esque metallic thrash and processed vocals. While the band's instrumental prowess sometimes slums its way into the free-form jazz noodling of past efforts, the album remains one of the band's fullest achievements. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (177)

"Black the sky, weapons fly..."
I have always heard of the name Porcupine Tree when I started getting into the modern-day progressive rock bands, but I had never heard anything by them and was skeptical whether or not they'd be any good. A few weeks ago, I bought a copy of their latest album IN ABSENTIA and was intrigued by the sound clips. This was some really heavy stuff, yet further info led me to discover that PT were a more mellow prog band on their earlier albums. You would never guess that from the blistering opening track "Blackest Eyes."

What Porcupine Tree have done on IN ABSENTIA is a truly remarkable achievement. By bridging the gap between old-school prog. rock and modern-day progressive metal and throwing in some melodic pop/rock for good measure, they have created a totally unique sound. There are some stunningly beautiful moments on this album, and some of the most intense moments I've ever heard. Yet, it always remains consistent and the album flows incredibly well. How else can you explain that the gorgeous "Heartattack in a Layby" is followed by the dark and punishing "Strip the Soul"?

The album begins with the aforementioned "Blackest Eyes," which expertly combines big, crunchy metal riffs with catchy harmonies and stellar acoustics. The song smoothly segues into "Trains," my personal favorite off the record. This track just might be the greatest pop song ever written. The two solos - one on acoustic guitar and the other on banjo - fit in perfectly, and Steve Wilson's vocals are heartbreaking and emotional, especially when you read the lyrics. After this great one-two punch, the song quality continues.

The excellent "The Sound of Muzak" is a slashing commentary on today's music industry, with clever lyrics and solid drumming. The 8-minute epic "Gravity Eyelids" starts off slowly with some innovative ambient samples and soundscapes that mesh wonderfully with Wilson's dry vocals, and around the 4 minute mark, a seriously heavy riff kicks in and the band rocks out for the remainder of the track until the ambience is repeated again at the end. The complex instrumental "Wedding Nails" is another rocking highlight, sounding like Black Sabbath and King Crimson jamming in the studio together. Nobody seems to have mentioned the beautiful ".3," but I think it's a mesmerizing, hypnotic song that conveys a lot of emotion through it's two lines of lyrics than anything else (one of them is my review title).

Unlike a lot of prog bands, Porcupine Tree's musicianship is used to serve the song rather than merely show off, but they still play great. The drummer Gavin Harrison is an absolute monster, laying down some killer grooves and playing some pretty speedy fills, especially on the industrial-like "The Creator Has a Mastertape." The guitar work is also fantastic. The tone and feel the riffs and solos are absolutely astonishing. The production is also top-notch, courtesy of Wilson as well, who also produced the last three Opeth albums (guess that's what inspired him to have the guitars heavier this time around).

IN ABSENTIA is a solid slab of classic progressive rock and deserves to be in everybody's collection. I don't use the word "masterpiece" very often, but that's what this album is. Once you own it, you'll feel the same way.

The BEST album of 2002!!
What can I say about the best album of 2002? Simple-it's the best album of 2002! Porcupine Tree has continued to amaze me with each of their releases. In fact, they are hands down my current favorite band.

"In Absentia" is clearly Porcupine Tree's heaviest album to date. Steven Wilson, after producing extreme metal band Opeth, has obviously brought his love of metal into the PT sound more than ever. From the opening crunching guitars in "Blackest Eyes," to the hard-edged instrumental, "Wedding Nails," this album will please the fans of harder rock while not threatening or discouraging those who like calmer music. The lighter side of PT is still there however, and the spaced out vibe and psychedelic influences have not left the band all together. These more laid back moments, mixed with the heaviness, make for a truly interesting, unique and powerful record.

What else would you expect from Porcupine Tree? Here's a band that has continued to evolve and change-never recording the same album twice. They push the limits and pre-conceived notions of todays rock while creating experimental, yet quite accessible music. This one-time solo project turned into a full-fledged band three records ago and now, this once underground, progressive, rock band has potential for major commercial success as "In Absentia" is Porcupine Tree's major label debut. Once Lava officially releases that all-important first single--watch out! This band's going to explode!

Porcupine Tree is, hands down, one of the most exciting things to happen to rock in years. There aren't enough great things I can say about all aspects of this group. From their early and odd beginning material, to the more accessible albums like "Stupid Dream" and this new record, Porcupine Tree is going to be a huge force to reckon with in 2003. They are simply the best rock band currently making music. This may be a bold statement, but once you discover the Tree for yourself, you'll understand!

It's just ok.
I am having a hard time understanding the buzz around this band. This is honestly an average album. NEUROSIS and TOOL have been making the same brand of music for about 15 years now. Porcupine Tree just doesn't stand up to these legendary bands, and in fact, they're boring by comparison. Not dark enough, not tough enough, not raw enough: this is basically standard commercial alternative rock. I wouldn't be surprised to hear any of these tracks released on commercial radio. That's basically what this album is; a collection of slightly above-average radio songs. I guess if you're bored and looking for something new, this album will surely please. But even the MINISTRY are producing better stuff than this right now. "In Abstentia" is an album I own on DVD-audio and I'm glad I do, but it's not as alternative, bizarre, or exciting as you may be hoping for. Check out stuff by the other three bands I mentioned first, or even by Mars Volta or Sigur Ros. Porcupine Tree just isn't on that level, hopefully they will be someday.

Amazon,Make it apparent this is a DVD
Amazon you guys DO NOT make it apparent at all this is a DVD you
A.Sell it in your CD area
and B.Do not imply in anyway it is a DVD.
Yes though Steven Wilson=Genius still not what I was looking for since it was a DVD it IS in fact an extraordinary DVD and I love it problem is,I'm travelling and kinda wanted to hear this cd.

Good first big-label release
Being a fan of Porcupine Tree for a few years, I was waiting in anticipation for their first release on Lava Records. Up to the official release, I read comments from longtime PT fans about how this was the end because PT signed with a big-label so in their eyes that automatically means they've "sold out". Nice to know bands aren't supposed to have a decent livelihood in order to please their hardcore fans.

Anyway, after giving In Absentia a listen, I was impressed. Did it sound a little more "mainstream" than what they've released in the past? Perhaps, but the result of this big-label release is that new listeners are now intrigued with what the group has produced in the past, and that's the whole point to signing to a bigger label: produce new music and at the same time have the ability to attract a larger audience that an independent label can't do, and in turn gets them curious about what you've previously done.

Anyway, back to the album itself. In Absentia definitely has a harder sound. Steven Wilson has said that he gets unfluenced by everything around him, and death metal was one of them. The harder metal sound is evident in songs like Blackest Eyes, Gravity Eyelids, Wedding Nails, and Strip the Soul. Some elements of what they've done in the past are still evidence such as the track .3, and Mr. Wilson even takes a jab at the music industry itself with the track The Sound of Muzak.

Overall, the album is still far better than much of the bs that comes out of the music world in this day and age. With so much coming just so it's listenable on MTV, it's nice to see that some groups don't fall into that trap. Porcupine Tree releasing material in a bigger label is here to stay, so deal with it. I definitely look forward to their next release. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1991 Seattle supergroup brought together Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden with the surviving members of Mother Love Bone (Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard) and Eddie Vedder, later of Pearl Jam. The experiment worked. Cornell shines, seeming more comfortable here on this tribute to his former roommate and deceased MLB lead singer Andrew Wood than with his own band. "Hunger Strike" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven" combine glam and grunge better than anything in Love Bone's catalog, while "Wooden Jesus" is less didactic than anything in Pearl Jam's oeuvre. Most of the songs may be about loss and addiction, but this is compelling music for black days. --Charles R. Cross ... Read more

Reviews (87)

Cornell aint that bad
When I first heard the Vedder/Cornell colaboration on the song "Hunger Strike" I was quite enamered with the album. Im a huge Pearl Jam fan and not having heard any of the other tracks I made the assumption that Eddie Vedder did the vocals for the entire album. After I purchased the cd and listened to it all the way through I was upset to find that Cornell did the singing on the remainder of the album. Disheartened, I put the album on the shelf and forgot about it. Months later, bored, i put the cd in for another listen. After hearing the tracks a second time they didnt sound as bad. After the third listen they sounded pretty good and after the fourth try i actually enjoyed the c.d. My respect began to grow for Chris Cornell and the album spawned my future love for Soundgarden. Something about his screaming, impassioned vocals coupled with the heavy looping guitar work of the boys from PJ appealed to me. The cd is now one of my favorites from the alternative era. Check out the catchy hook from "Reach Down" and the off key guitar riffs from "Four Walled World." They will take you straight back to 1991.

Salvation
"Now I'm warm from the candle/ But I feel too cold to burn/ He came from an island/ And he died from the street/ He hurt so bad like a soul breaking/ But he never said nothing to me/ Say hello to heaven..."

Understand, Temple of the Dog was not meant to be a commodity. IT was a one time collaboration of several talented musicians to honor the memory of Andrew Wood, the late lead singer of Mother Love Bone. Chris Cornell, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, Jeff Ament, and Stone Gossard joined their efforts to create this album. Eddie Vedder's voice is present in certain songs. All in all, this is an amazing collection of emotion-driven ballads, mellow yet powerful, representing a tough time.

The most recognizable song on here would probably be "Hunger Strike", in which Cornell and Vedder sing separately, then together. If you are a fan of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, or Mother Love Bone, this should interest you. I think that anyone who appreciates the mellow side of grunge rock will like TOTD. Remember it was only meant to be a one-time thing and enjoy it for all it's worth.

Quite Possibly The Best Single Rock Album Ever Recorded
And I say that without the slightest shred of pretense or hype. I bought this CD the day it came out in 1991, and through the ensuing 13+ years it has just kept getting better.

I find it frankly mindboggling that anyone lacking the musical sense to appreciate this album would bother reviewing anything but their own reasons for continuing to live. Every single note is deeply emotive and powerful; I can't think of a single album I liked more since, and prior...I'd have to go back to Zeppelin at least, and maybe even to Sgt. Pepper.

Knowing the backstory of the album just makes it even more powerful. Those who dismiss it as pretentious or self-absorbed can be no more than emotionally crippled automatons living in a dull gray world of banality and mediocrity; nothing else could explain such an attitude toward this wonderful 55 minutes.

When the Stainds and Nicklebacks and Days of the News and Limp Bizkits and Creeds (*spit*) of the world are nothing more than long-forgotten and painful memories of a bad parody of real music, this genuine, heartfelt, quality rock, played from the soul and with ridiculous levels of talent to boot, will remain as the little unheard-of album that set the standard for decades to come.

Today's crop of corporate-constructed, mass-produced dreck don't even possess the presence of mind to know that they should pray to whatever diety they hold dear that maybe someday they might get lucky and create something with a thousandth of the power, talent, and value of this incredible album.

Cornell, Vedder, MLB.
they dont make em like this anymore. If you gave this classic cd anythin less than 4 stars youre a flaming homosexual (unless you really are a homosexual, then your just an idiot)

Wow, I can't believe no one reviewed it
This CD is a bit underground but definately a classic. Even if you don't like 'grunge' this CD still works. It's got a touch of emotion that is often lacking in SG. The melodies are beautiful, the lyrics match. This CD is better than most, if not all, PJ and SG CDs. It's just magical. Suggested tracks: All Night Long, Wooden Jesus, Say Hello 2 Heaven, Call Me a Dog. Solo fans will also like Reach Down. DO NOT BASE THE WHOLE CD ON HUNGER STRIKE! It's no where near the best song on here, it's one of my least favorites. It's practically the only song with Eddie. Actually, I think it the only song with him. Either way, in general, good CD to have. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Much has happened since 2002, when Fischerspooner released their breakout record #1. If that album’s computerized fine art was a trip back to the '80s, another time warp might be necessary to sustain any momentum for Odyssey. The dance music muse, always in motion, has backed off on the electro/new wave sound that Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner used as a platform for their experimental live shows. Upon first listen, it sounds like the duo has chosen to ignore this; if Odyssey isn’t a clone of #1, it’s at least a close relation. There are, however, crucial and clever differences. The record is much friendlier for one thing, a result of warmer sonics and an unclenched pop sense that was only hinted at previously. "Just Let Go" starts off with a familiar Human League keyboard, but right in the middle of the chorus a jagged, garage band guitar riff smears the song’s makeup. Suddenly you don’t recognize them anymore. Where’s that sexy, but vacuous pose Fischer and Spooner used to lean on? There’s no pretension in a song like "A Kick in the Teeth," with its layered and lovely vocal line. Our cheese is now served straight up. The result? Tasty. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Definitely not "#1"
I loved #1, unfortunately this album is kind of flat.It's kind of interesting when you listen to it, but it isn't great. The live instruments that are laced through don't seem to make the punch they could, and the synth is very low key.None of the interruptions of sound or breaks in melody that jarred you like the last album.

Like an itch that you can't scratch or the destination you never quite make it to.It's worth having to keep your Fischerspooner collection up to date, but you will find it doesn't get the repeat play in your car or ipod like #1 did.

The New Wave is finally making a comeback!
I really, really love New Wave. Everything about the 80's (Except for the whole 1986-1987 Powerhouse rock, which never really appealed to me) was a joy for me to listen to. There were artsy bands, like Arcadia. There were metal bands, like Guns And Roses. There were electronic bands, like Howard Jones. And it seems like they are making comebacks.

The Killers is one great band that's style is truly 80's. Another one of those bands is Fischerspooner. Hearing "Emerge" on SSX3 wanted me to buy #1. I didn't. Now, Odyssey is out, and at first I was skeptical. Luckily, Mp3.com had a full stream of the album. Just for fun, I took a listen. By the second track, I was mezmerized.

They've done everything right. "Just Let Go" sounds like a hyper Human League after sucking on too many pixie sticks. This of course, results in a happy, fast song filled with nostalgia. "Cloud" is a nice song that will definitely leave your head in the clouds. I love this song so much because the vocals are just perfect. Casey Spooner's voice is fantastic, and Warren Fischer's beats and synths are great. "Never Win" really reminds me of 'Da Funk' by Daft Punk. The beat and vocals just makes my mind picture the dog-boy. "A Kick In The Teeth" started off with just a synth, so I wasn't sure what to expect of it. Thankfully, I kept listening. It was great, complete with a cheesy drum machine. Another great song is "We Need A War".

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this CD and I'll let you know it will stay in my basic CD rotation for quite a while. Warren and Casey are musical geniuses, and I hope that their third album doesn't pull a 'Pop Trash'. Great job, guys!

Mediocre
Unfortunately this album doesn't compare to #1. It's very amateurish and sounds like they were trying to sound like something that they shouldn't sound like. Do you understand?? Anyway it's just mediocre with only a small handful of tracks worth listening to. Just Let Go, Never Win, We Need A War, Get Confused and Happy being the only good tracks on here. What were they thinking of? Fischerspooner had such a wonderful album with #1 and they have totally sold out and lost it in Major label world! Get this album used if you must have it.

SJ
www.bestplaylists.com

a huge improvement over #1
Now this is a shock. A sophomore album that is leaps and bounds better than a strong debut.#1 is a fairly good album, although it delivers more potential than anything else.A listener could tell fischerspooner was a bit unsure which way they were going, but on Odyssey they arrange their electronics and live instruments into a breathtaking display.Its a dancy, lush, and rock inclined sonic trip.To be honest the first single "Just Let Go" scared me off a bit from buying this album right away.But after hearing how much better the music was in an instrumental sense and disregarding the repetitive and ingratiating chorus I caved and bought the album.And I'm glad I did.For all the experimentation and expansion done this album is not filled with, well, any filler.My personal fave is the bass driven David Byrne lyric donated "Get Confused." But every track on here is offers an interesting take on the new electro sound.Don't take my work for it. Take a listen.

Dark, Moody ElectroPop
Unlike most of the reviews on this site, I haven't had the chance to experience Fischerspooner's debut album and thus cannot make the comparisons that most other reviewer's have made to their previous work.All I can say is that this is a fabulous and engaging album.While this music can easily be categorized as electronic pop, there is a certain dark, delicious quality to this music that strips away the sickly sweet quality that often pollutes the genre.This is very, very moody music.The moods vary song to song, but there is everything from intense sarcasm, to manic joy, to a sense of sweet melancholy contained in pure unadultured form on this album. (Case in point Ritz 107 has such a melancholic rainy day quality to it that I can almost feel drizzle spraying across my face as I listen to it)While the lyrics certainly help propel and set the mood, it is actually the wonderfully imagined melodies themselves that truly express the emotion.

One of the things I think make this album so delicious and yet so disconcerting at times is the clinically clean production.This is an absolutely flawless offering.Every vocal has been smoothed to perfection, every hitch and hum sanded down and timed to perfection.This quality, which I find fascinating could also be a serious turnoff to others.

This is great dancing music, should you be so inclined.There are some great solid beats, weird, glittery guitar riffs, and the catchy vocals, which all work well together to produce an extremely danceable experience.Conversely, this album is great for relaxing.It contains a great deal of energy, but it is easy to get drawn in and taken on a journey by this album.

I would definitely recommend getting a copy of this CD.It's a great addition to any eclectic or electronic CD collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The considerable promise carried forth on Gillian Welch's first two albums is thoroughly fulfilled on Time (The Revelator). Welch has traded the guidance of her previous producer, T Bone Burnett, for the sympathetic studio skills of her longtime guitarist-harmony singer David Rawlings, who loosens the reins just enough to allow moments of spontaneity to sparkle within the duo's spare, eloquent playing. "Revelator" is an instant classic, perhaps the first great folk song of the 21st century. "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll" is three minutes of Louvins/Everlys-style bliss. "April the 14th, Part 1" haunts its historical context with an achingly melancholy melody. It all leads up to the epic 14-minute "I Dream a Highway," one of the finest closing tracks ever put on record. --Peter Blackstock ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Simple and beautiful...who needs a band?
This is the best new releases I've heard in a while.

On one end of the musical spectrum, you have all the stuff that comes out today sounding really over-produced and over-edited. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the artist you're listening to really sounds like how they're portrayed on the CD you buy. "Can she really sing like that, does his guitar really sound like that, or are those studio 'tricks of the trade' I'm hearing?"

On the other end of the spectrum, you have Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, both on guitar and vocals. No effects...not even any electric instruments. True "roots" music. It doesn't get much simpler than that. The whole CD is so sparse and desolate sounding. You can just tell it's all real. Gillian's vocals (as well as her lyrics) leave you with this haunting feeling, particularly "Revelator," "Dear Someone," "Elvis Presley Blues," and the long and driven out (maybe a bit *too* long) "I Dream a Highway."

I'll definately be checking out her other works soon; I like this style.

Beatuful, sparkling music!
Gillian and Dave have done it again! They have created an album of simple, early American style folk music, and churned out an album, timeless in quality and as attention grabbing as an album can be.

First, all 10 songs here are arranged for the duo of two accoutsit guitars (the second track, "My First Lover" substituting a banjo for a guitar). There are no effects (or so it sounds like) and a few tracks sound as if they don't even have windscreens on the microphones; all of these tracks, it is safe to guess, werer recorded with no overdubs. (Of course, track 6, "I want to sing that rock & Roll was recorded live at the Grand Ole Opry on what sounds like one and only one stage microphone).

All of this, on another record, could add up to real crap, but on a Gillian Welch record, I could imagine it no other way. It sounds as if the two are literally playing these in your living room and when you think of that possibility, your heart breaks because you wish they truly were.

And what about substantially? My favorites are "My First Lover", a strange mix of appalachian banjo-like bluegrass and 70's rock sensibility; "My Dear Someone", a complete and sparkling throwback to the old country ballads a la Patsy Cline; "Everything is Free Now", a more modern folk tune with bobbing-and-weaving lyrics that I suspect are about napster; and last but not least "I Want to Sing that Rock & Roll", which appeared in a studio version on the CD of music inspired by "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou".

A favorite of most listeners is the 14 minute ending track called "I Dream a Highway". It consists, really, of one chord progression with lyrics that gradually and sweetly unfold to reveal a Dylan-like landscape (almost a story but not quite). While it is a great track that can easily put you in a achingly sweet trance, it is not quite a favorite of mine, particularly as its already slow pulse gets periodically slower as the track was recorded without a click-track. If that makes me snobby, my apologies.

In conclusion, I first heard the album last week and have yet to get most of the songs out of my head for any more than an hour at a time.

Hold your breath...
This is a gorgeous album. Like many people, I first learned about Welch & Rawlings through their work on "O Brother Where Art Thou" and "Down by the Mountain." Despite having little previous interest in bluegrass, I was instantly hooked. I finished collecting their albums this year, and was delighted to find out that "Time (The Revelator)" was the best of a very good body of work.

I'm especially fond of the eerie title track, "Revelator," a contemplation of Welch's own success. The songwriter successfully walks a fine line between invective and self-pity, and her refrain -- "Time's the revelator" -- is at once fierce yet chilling. Rawlings's guitar accompaniment is equally fantastic; he's an astonishing musician. Together, they make the song into a small masterpiece.

(Incidentally, I saw the two of them play this at a venue in Atlanta several months ago. When they got to a particular four-letter word towards the end of the song, the seemingly grave audience cheered with delight).

Other highlights:
The sweetly seductive "Elvis Presley Blues" will get to you even if you've never cared for Elvis. It seems like pure heartland at first, but has a touch of Lou Reed-like suggestiveness.
"I Want to Sing That Rock And Roll" was the first Welch/Rawlings tune I ever loved, and it's still a good one. Like other reviewers, I wish they had re-recorded the track for this album; the ovation at the end is a little disconcerting.
"My First Lover" is the album's most leisurely and enjoyable song; thudding power chords recall a lazy, stupefying roll in the hay.
"I Dream a Highway" is the album's other masterpiece, a 14 minute ballad with a narcotic, haunting intensity. Despite its length and repetitive melody, it never gets boring; instead, it invokes an eternal road trip through loneliness and revelation. It's a great song -- the thrillingly slow finish to a marvelous album.

instant melancholia / addictive, haunting poetry and music
Welch's voice and Rawlings' guitar sound as intense, beneficent and honest as music can get. I enjoy an extremely addictive mixture here of haunting poetry and music that comes straight from the heart, in an American country/folklike-style that reverberates and finds refuge in my soul immediately. A music of 'instant melancholia', or, if I may borrow some of Welch's own beautiful lyrics here- a music that's like '(..) morphine' that 'will be the death of me'. Very impressive and highly recommended!

Gillian Welch is vvvvvvvvvvvvvs!
Hearing her music is like hearing the calls of an extinct bird, or the passionate cries and moans and laughs of the men and women who inhabited the old lands, the wild frontiers, the shotgun shacks of the hill countries, who lived on the back of Ford pick up trucks chasing the seasons round the country, like a bunch of people sitting round a campfire in a desolate wilderness, yet it has a modern day twist which makes it sound relevant in today's world that has moved on in leaps and bounds from those early days, which makes it sound like she's singing about today's troubles the same as yesterday's troubles the same as last year's troubles the same as the troubles of all men and women who came before and will come after. Gillian Welch taps into all that, yer. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Fell on Black Days," indeed. Seattle sludge slingers Soundgarden made a living out of cathartic, woe-is-me wailing (we're talking the banshee vocals of Chris Cornell and the crypt-creaking guitar of Kim Thayil), but this wallowing in grim depression ironically proved to be the band's most uplifting career effort. When the reclusive Cornell ventures out of his shy-guy shell, it's typically via a primal scream of cathartic emotion--he might camp it up with a sophomoric "Spoon Man," but most of this vicious disc leaps straight for your jugular. Generations in the post-millennial future will one day refer to this record to discover exactly how 1990s rock & roll was done. --Tom Lanham ... Read more

Reviews (202)

I Like Surprises
In my eyes, Nirvana were never the true stars of the early nineties grunge scene. I always preferred Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and this band; Soundgarden.

Their 1995 album Superunknown is a massive, sprawling, epic piece of work, clocking in at 71 minutes and 24 seconds... with... wait for it.... no fillers whatsoever.

Opener Let Me Drown explodes out of its' cage as if it were the last song on earth. It screams towards the finish line in flurry of fury and rage. A fantastic, adrenaline-fuelled ride.

There are a few other tracks as vicious as Let Me Drown on Superunknown, such as the thundering Kickstand, and Spoonman (complete with spoons by Artis the spoonman). Most of the album is far more complex than most grunge/metal however, such as Head Down, the now famous Black Hole Sun, and 4th of July (which happens to have the lowest tuned guitar I've ever heard, and a monolithic riff that sounds like the world is falling apart around your ears).

The Day I Tried To Live is superb. Imagine Led Zeppelin transported to the nineties and really depressed, (minus the annoying, dragging blues parts).

My Wave is pop metal with a twist. Fell on Black Days and Mailman are great, slow stoner style songs with a hint of bluesy metal.

Th album finishes up with a great little extra number, She Likes Surprises. One of my favourites, and a superb tale of sexual gratification with enough power and control to close an album of this quality in perfect style.

Don't miss out on this journey into the very heart of nineties metal. This album is a classic.

Mindblowing
From the minute the first dischordant strains of 'Let me drown' kick in, you know something has changed. The sound may be gloomier, heavier in places, and the vocals may essentially discard the frantic histrionics of previous years, yet this is a motre mature, polished and wonderfully varied release than anything previous. Clearly, Soundgarden have evolved since they recorded 'Badmotorfinger', which we must note was a near flawless album in its own right. Superunknown signals Soundgarden's ascent into a new musical dimension.
In short, this album is phenomenal. There is simply not a single sub-standard track included (with the possible exception of the mellow, Ben Shepherd penned 'Half'). The hit singles ('Black hole sun', 'The day I tried to live', 'Fell on black days' ) are unbelivably strong material, although every song is worthy in its own right. Every band member contributes to the song-writing process, resulting in some severe variation in style. And did I mention the album is dark, cathartic and powerfully emotive to boot, along with exhibiting some of the most technically accomplished musicianship, vocals and lyrics this side of, well, anyone? 'Let me drown', with its 'Drown me in you' refrain, along with tracks like 'Fell on black days' or 'Like suicide' all reek of emotions like pain and loss in Chris Cornell's life, yet the songs are not harsh aurally. Instead, the sensations evoked by the combination of head spinning playing and lyrics which make little sense on the written page yet come into their own on the record are infinitely pleasurable.
Personally I favour the crushingly heavy, doom laden 'Fourth of July', but it must be reiterated that each song shines, and for a fifteen track album that is no mean feat.
Superunknown is a testament to the talent of soundgarden, a jaw dropping masterpiece hailing from a Seattle scene that delivered consistently and in such varied, prolific and profoundly astonishing fashion. Supreme value for money (whatever you pay), one of the few truly great albums of the 90's.
Utterly indispensable.

One of Best Grunge Album and Band in the 90's
I dont know how to explain on how this album was one of the best albums in the 90's fellowed by Badmotorfinger. It's obvious that Superunknown was consciously styled as a masterwork, and it fulfills every ambition.

a grunge masterpiece
rhis cd along with ten,facelift and core from stp were the defining alternative albums of the eighties.songs like spoonman,the day i tried to live and black hole sun are what made this cd great.very highly recommended.

One of the best albums of 94 and the rest of the 90s.
I know I must be offending people by saying this but Soundgarden isnt my favorite grunge band.I think they were a great band no doubt about that but Chris Cornells voice can be a little too unsettling at times such as on Limo Wreck but I think this was a great album.From the opening Let Me Drown to the closing track Like Suicide every song on here is done with style,grace and talent.My favorite song on here is Black Hole Sun but Fresh Tendrils comes in a close second with Fell On Black Days coming in a mean third.I think the riffs on here are great and Chris Cornell has a very talented singing voice no doubt about that. ... Read more

Album Description

(not actual Deluxe Version Artwork)

TWO-DISC DELUXE COLLECTOR'S EDITION OF "GUERO" INCLUDES:

- Full album plus seven exclusive bonus tracks- An exquisite 52 page booklet of art chosen by Beck- Technologically groundbreaking DVD featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album coupled with interactive video remixes of each track (designed by acclaimed video artists D-Fuse).Over 100 unique visual possibilities -- as directed using the remote control's "angle" button

Three years after the critically acclaimed and heartwrenching opus "Sea Change," THREE-TIME GRAMMY WINNER and FIVE-TIME MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARD WINNER BECK returns with his most diverse, accomplished and compelling work to date: "GUERO."

With the raucous first single "E-Pro" triumphantly "na-na-na"-ing Beck's return with a must-be-seen-to-be believed video by Shynola (Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead), "GUERO" both reunites Beck with classic co-conspirators the Dust Brothers and explores territories uncharted by even this most innovative artist of his generation. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Worth the extra tracks - DVD worked fine
The DVD worked fine on our end, but regardless of that, I'm happy I got the "deluxe" version just for the extra tracks that comes with the CD. This is the best album I've purchased this year (possibly 20 so far - some tough competition!) There are some good remixes available on iTunes as well.

amazing
The negative reviews are all directed towards the limited edition.Luckily I haven't had as much frustration as them.I still think this album deserves 5 stars.If you take the extra stuff that you get that doesn't have any documented problems(extra tracks, liner notes) it still makes it worth the couple extra bucks you have to throw to get this.

More importantly, this is easily the best album I have heard this year and one of the top albums so far this decade.

Brilliant Beck
First, about the DVD.Only one track has a problem in my player, track 4.I figure there is something like an easter egg there that is causing problems.My player automatically skips to track 5 when it comes to track 4.It only takes about 5 seconds to rewind to the beginning of track 4 just after this odd glitch and you can play "Missing" in surround sound.It's annoying, but not the worst thing in the world.

Now, the DVD is simply AWESOME in 5.1 surround sound.Tambourines whirl around you everywhere in "Black Tambourine" and simply put, I am more than happy to be able to listen to this album mixed in surround.It is really nice that the extra effort was put into putting this package together, no other Beck album was done this way.The videos are very cool as well.The six extra tracks are also well worth the money, I am a huge fan of all Beck material that has been released nowhere but as B-sides and rare tracks, and these are no different (try "Stray Blues: A Collection of B-Sides" to see what I'm talking about.)And the new album delivers in a HUGE way.After becoming overly familiar with the 4 track EP of remixed tunes in arcade sound released on iTMS, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the original versions from the album.Harmonica, slide guitar, and fresh beats as only Beck can do it.And this album contains a lyrical and singing breakthrough in my mind as Beck has never sounded vocally as good as he does on "Earthquake Weather."Simply brilliant, it will be a favorite for a LONG time.

Beck-tionary!
I am an ardent Beck fan, give me your odelay, your mutations, your midnite vultures. I could go on for days about how good he is so let me settle on reviewing this. My friend made me a copy of Guero and i played it, i played it several times, i played it enough that i couldn't stand owning a copy (as i own an official release of every album) so i went out and low and behold, the limited edition is in my line of sight. As poor as i am i shelled out the money for it and i couldn't be happier. The extra songs are just as crazy, the DVD sound is amazing, the visuals are spectacular and the music videos are excellent. As far as artists that are in my collection, he is one of a select few that takes up more than 4 spaces in my binder. This isn't for everyone, i know i am a crazy fan, but definately check out the regular version of this album, but if you are a hardcore fan, get this and you too can say, "I own the beck-tionary!"
P.S. Watch Futurama

DVD not compatible with many players
I picked up a new model Sony DVD, SACD, Progressive Scan higher end model last year and it still won't play the disc.Seems like many other people are having issues if you search around the web.Maybe they should be a bit more honest about how incompatible this disc is considering that the Beck site only specifies that only a "small percentage" are not compatible.Seems more like only a small percentage are actually compatible.CD is pretty good, but paying extra for a defective DVD shadows the good music with anger... ... Read more

Album Description

%@#$!!? Brace yourself, super group Fantomas is back with a vengeance on their fourth album SUSPENDED ANIMATION. Unlike the epic DELIRIUM CORDIA, SUSPENDED ANIMATION likens itself with Fantomas' first record (self titled) punctuated with cartoon escapades.

The first edition (Limited to 25,000) is a spiral bound 30 page eye popping package illustrated by world famous Japanese painter Yoshitomo Nara. The theme is a calendar, the month of April, the tracks appropriately named the days of the week. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Fagomas - What a dissapointment
I wasn't crazy about the first fantomas. The second and third I loved, and this is the worst of the bunch. I felt a little more positive about it before I saw them perform with The Locust and Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant. The Locust was cool. They had a moog player who did some wacky stuff and I came away with a better impression of them then I had from listening to Plague Soundscapes. The bass was inaudible during Trevor Dunn's performance for some reason. I could see he was playing frantically but couldn't hear a damn thing. Then the fantomas showed up and the crowd started trying to mosh but because the songs are so choppy they were chronically moshing during quiet or silent parts. Maybe it was the guy behind me who had a nub for an arm and was poking me in the back the whole time but damn, I really disliked it. Patton mainly triggered samples with a complex apparatus and made either the lame oo-tata-oo-tata type effect that predominates on this album or shrieked. The samples sounded gayer then they do on the cd. By far the most interesting part of the performance was during the encore when the Locust's moog player came out and operated a keyboard and Patton would yell and point to one of the band members who would rampage on their instruments until Patton made a zipping motion and they stopped. If the Fantomas did that sort of thing the whole time, in a free-jazz fashion, I would have been pleased, it seems like that is their intent anyway. The rest of the band, like everyone else says, are Patton's slaves. Since about 1 in every 3 Melvins albums is good there is no reason to expect Buzz Osbourne to deliver anything interesting and he pretty much doesn't, with a few exceptions. Lombardo is competent, but the drumming isn't really on display here. It's all about Patton, who, as another reviewer incisively noted, is, compositionally, a poor man's John Zorn, and is not in his traditional top creative form, but he does have some fine moments.

This music is mostly unengaging, although there are some great tracks, notably number 13. Where Delerium Cordia was threatening and harrowing, this is fluff. Even someone who has listened to this album all the way through 10+ times would have a really hard time distinguishing song 8, say from song 17, from song 23, from song 26, etc. And Patton, with all the machinery he uses to process his voice, still doesn't have the coolest vocals in rock music either. That is the khanate guy, especially on things viral.

excellant album
this album is insane. i think it is by far their best.it definetly resembles their first album more than the others, but still has its own feel.sounds a little like mr bungle during the disco volante days too.one more thing i want to address is all these fantomas haters giving this album 1 star ratings.if you hate this music then why rate it? i don't go to britney spear's cds and give them low ratings... these reviews are for bungle and fantomas fans who haven't picked up this cd and want to know more about it.
anyways, catch this band live, they are insane - along with trevor dunn's trio convulsant

This is what passes for genius these days??
I admit, I had never heard Fantômas' music prior to listening to Suspended Animation.But, being a fan of Mike Patton's from his days with Faith No More, and upon reading the great reviews the album has been getting, I was curious to see what the fuss was about.I must say I'm very disappointed.Granted, there are some interesting moments and Dave Lombardo does an incredible job, but the whole thing leaves me a little perplexed to say the least.

Some of it reminded me of the "interludes" on Frank Zappa's Sheik Yerbouti album while the rest, to me, sounded like a bunch of kids learning their instruments while jamming and trying to come up with good ideas for songs.Other parts sounded like listening to a CD while your finger is on the fast forward button.The interesting moments are just that, moments.My interest was drawn for a few seconds and then the moment had passed and I was back listening to noise.

Frankly, I'm very glad I didn't pay for the album.

A Cinematic Masterstroke
I'll skip the redundant comparisons to other Patton projects as well as any attempt to counter the hilarious moanings of the resident John Zorn fan-club (a group of geeks so irritating and closeminded they almost tarnish my love for an incredible artist) and get right to the point : Suspended Animation is a great album.

That seems like a pretty simple statement, but I think the fact of the matter is the astronomical quality of this new outing single-handedly solidifies the longevity of a group that might have otherwise banged and shrieked it's way into a corner.If you're reading these reviews you're probably already aware of the format.Thirty songs, each about one to two minutes in length, of schizophrenic freak music.Maybe that's a stupid classification, but I won't bother with something as useless as genres.In essence Suspended Animation holds the closest resemblance to the group's debut, and fans of that album are almost garunteed to enjoy this one, but the sound is a more fleshed out, more focused beast.

What makes Suspended Animation so cool is the framework provided it by the "cartoon music" theme. While listening to the first album the comic-book concept seemed like more of an afterthought, or at the most a cool idea, than a real controlling factor.Not so here.The insane jump-start style of the music, Patton's tasmanian-devil vocals, and the integration of quirky Stalling-esque structures and effects beautifully reflects the Saturday-Morning aspirations.The juxtaposition of humor and ominous, brooding atmosphere is something I've always loved about Fantomas, and it's perfected here.This is like Looney Tunes meets Natural Born Killers by way of The Twilight Zone.

Sound wise the boys are at the top of their game.The relatively pop sensibility of the Director's Cut and the expert manipulation of soundscapes in Delerium Cordia have given Patton the songwriting experience to fully utilize his ability.His supergroup, likewise, is tighter than ever.The intensity has been refined and educated, keeping up with the furious pace and carving out an incredible array of brutal jazz and metal theatrics.

Maybe if people listened to music like they watched movies Fantomas wouldn't be such a controversial project.The month is April and the dilemna is nothing less than the total breakdown of the Japanese Interzone in the midst of human madness.Each song spans a day and by the time the thirtieth track rolls by you've been dragged and kicked through a documentary on cartoon anxiety so interesting the music alone is imagery enough.

If every album was this fun we wouldn't need the television entertainment that inspired it.Quite a paradox.

I don't think Patton can write music
Whoo, controversy eh.

Yup.That's my confirmed opinion these days, despite being a huge fan of his singing work.

Notice the distinct lack of true Patton "solo" projects.Notice the fact that the quality of the writing on the projects he sings on seem to be directly proportional to the quality of the writing produced by the other people on the album.Hmm.A pattern?

For example.Mr Bungle.Excellent band, with brilliantly written pieces of music fusing myriad genres.I'm thinking things like Sweet Charity, Ars Morendi or Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz here.Now look at the various spin-offs.Trevor Dunn?Ouch.But we knew that anyway, at least those of us who had heard "Everyone I went to highschool with is dead".Trey Spruance?The new Secret Chiefs 3 album is a great piece of work, and has a great deal of continuity in terms of writing style with Bungle.Patton?Extremely variable, and basically just in line with whoever he is working with.

When he works with Bjork, he sings Bjork songs.When he sings for the Dillinger Escape Plan he sings DEP songs.And so forth.Sure, he brings his own style to it, but that's not the issue here: Can he write?Well, if any band was going to answer that it would be Fantomas.He formed it.Trevor Dunn happily describes it as "Patton's band" when he talks about his writing, basically admitting he's just a sideman there.

So let's look at their back catalogue, eh?

First album - sounds like a bad imitation of some of John Zorn's more avant-garde leaning material, particularly parts of Naked City.

Second album - all covers.Excellent, beautifully written.By other people.

Third album - sounds like a bad imitation of some of John Zorn's more avant-garge leaning material, particularly parts of Elegy.That's not too surprising considering Elegy has patton on it, but I digress.

This album - sounds like a bad imitation of some... tell you what, I'll stop there.

Patton's writing == second-rate Zorn.

Zorn can write.Really well.Listen to the Masada stuff if you doubt, or his arrangements of Ennio Morricone, or the variety of material even inside some of the Naked City albums (Grand Guignol, for example).Patton can't.He just produces material that sounds like a bunch of pretentious "improv-equals-high-art" avant-garde scenesters with no concept of music beyond ... well... concept.They have this idea that making up weird noises makes something art.It can.But only if it has some kind of structure, journey or core idea.Zorn's stuff is very good in this respect, and it's a big reason he's one of the genre's few real "superstars".

Patton is great at making noises.And he's great at finding interesting sounds and ways of arranging existing music.I just think that he has no conception of structure or organisation.If you want to see what I mean, compare the cohesiveness of the varied styles on the latest SC3 album with this pile of tedious garbage.

Oh yes, this album.

Terrible.Cheesy samples interjected everywhere to make it seem more "cartoony".Why does it need it?Because their concept is "cartoon", and they've written a bunch of random avant-garde noise with interjections of hackneyed metal.This could just as easily be any of the more unlistenable Melvins albums with a guest spot from Patton and some excessive, out-of-time Lombardo flailing.

It you want to hear Patton doing cartoon music right, step back a decade and go listen to the right bits of Disco Volante - Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz being an operative one here.That's a great piece of cartoony manic nonsense without losing sight of the fact that it's not actually soundtracking anything.It needs to provide structure itself, not just manic energy to support the structure of an existing cartoon or film.

Note the absence from that song of any stupid cartoon samples.And yet it's still more cartoony than this.Why?Because it's expertly written, that's why.It captures the atmosphere without having to hit you over the head with heavy-handed nonsense like inter-song samples.

It gets two stars for musicianship and cool noises, but it loses the extra three for being just plain terribly written and being no better than a bad Melvins album with added irritating samples.

Here's to hoping Patton realises his limitations soon and makes Fantomas his covers band.They're so much better when they're not writing material. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Quite Good
RBF comes back after three years or so of touring and releases a rock-solid, infectious, bitter, pissy, angry album.There are usually two or three pissed off songs on an RBF album, "We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy" has about eight.

'THE FIRE' 4/5- This song starts in a funky, half time beat and is moderately entertaining, then kicks into a full skank and is awesome.Chorus is especially fun.

'Drinkin'' 5/5- A companion of sorts to the song 'Beer' this song has a fun little riff at the beginning and equal amounts of rock and ska throughout.

'Don't Start A Band' 5/5- I wanted to give them all a hug after this song.It amazes me how RBF can take the most depressing lyrics and set them to the happiest music.

'A-W-E-S-O-M-E' 4/5- I laughed my ass off at the beginning of this song.The song itself is ok.The chorus is the best.

'We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful' 5/5- A Morrissey cover that fits the band quite well lyrically, and I like RBF's version better

'Turn the Radio Off' 5/5- Very angry, very good.The bridge is the best part.

'Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution' 4/5- awesome reggae version of a Tracy Chapman song.It shouldn't have been the first single, but it kicks ass.

'The Bad Guy' 3/5- My least favorite song on the album.It is saved by the brass section in the bridge.

'Story of My Life' 5/5- RBF has made a Social Distortion song sound almost cute, and has gotten away with it quite well.

'The Joke's On Me' 4/5- Starts out kind of new-wavey, is quite sad throughout, and the "never were any good old days" part is downright depressing.

'One Hit Wonderful' 5/5- incredible 3/4 time examination of the success of 'sell out'.the mandolin in the bridge is fun. after the song finishes, you can hear a high school marching band playing an arrangement of 'sell out'.

'The Last Show' 5/5- Makes it sound like RBF is breaking up, but they're not.The lyrics could be seen as Aaron talking to Scott, but i don't know.

'Say Goodbye' 4/5- End of a relationship song.At least it says "feels so good to say goodbye".almost not sad.

'Your Guts (I Hate Em)'10/5- My Favorite song on the album.SO damn funny.

Well, I'm Happy
This cd is honestly, one of my most favorite CDs that I own. They kept the same RBF sound, but somewhat matured a little bit. This is by far better than Cheer Up (mainly because the songs on Cheer Up bring back bad memories), and is my favorite RBF album. With Turn the Radio off in second.

My favorite tracks on this cd are: "Don't start a band", "A-W-E-S-O-M-E", and "Last Show."

Buy this album if you love RBF and want a good CD!

A bit more poppy than the others, but still my RBF
Reel Big Fish seems to be getting more and more pop oriented (melody and tone) as time goes on.Not that this is a negative thing, per se, but it's a step in an unexpected direction.

The opening track starts with a song that reminds me very much of my first listen to "Cheer Up".The song progresses from a lone guitar into a big buildup into more distorted guitar, then the repeating choruses into the big ending.It seems most of the tracks follow this format, though there is some variation.Looking back at "Turn the Radio Off" and "Why Do They Rock So Hard?", I miss the chill groovy tracks that dominated those albums.Most of the songs have a "hit on every beat" feel during choruses.I'm not sure how to describe it, but it feels sort of punk.

They make fun of themselves a bit with "One Hit Wonderful" and throw in their signature hypocricy with "Don't Start a Band".Theme-wise, the album is fairly negative but only lyrically.RBF has a unique talent; they can make the most lyrically negative song into a happy-go-lucky "make me want to skank" smile-fest.Still, I miss the good old days of "Beer" and "Alternative Baby".Maybe they just need more horn melodies, less distorted lead guitar.

All in all, this is about the best I can hope from from this awesome band.I was not disappointed at all, and I can see the songs growing on me.Keep churning it out guys, I look forward to what's ahead.

It was time for this band to grow musically!
While still full of the tongue in cheek, often curt but undoubtedly negative lyrics RBF have become known for, this CD returns the band to its ska roots and mixes in some new production style.The end result is incredible.Every album this band records seems to reflect their state of mind in the industry at any given time.In particular Turn The Radio Off and Why Do They Rock So Hard?This album is no exception. Turn The Radio Off told the story of a small time band that wanted to make it so bad it hurt.Why Do They Rock So Hard dealt with the inevitable backlash from some fans when the band "sold out," though they did nothing of the sort.We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy has its own theme too, but this is a VERY angry, bitter album.It deals with the competitive and backstabbing industry every signed band finds itself in.That state of the band where the music becomes it's own stress, when playing feels like a job. If you can't deal with that anger, however, I'm not so sure you ever really listened to the lyrics of other Reel Big Fish albums, much less been in a band of your own.One of the reasons I like RBF so much is I empathize with a great number of their songs,.. they capture the experience of being in a band so perfectly, particularly the negative aspects which hardly any other group seems to acknowledge (most bands just want to tell you how much they rock).This album is a welcome addition to my record collection.Easily the best CD I've bought so far this year.

RBF Is back Baby!!!
This CD is so good!I've loved Reel Big Fish since I was a littler kid than I am now.That's like ten years or something, and really, this CD is absolutely amazing.I don't know what all you people lambasting this CD are thinking.Obviously somebody ripped the fun out of your ear drums because you suck if you think CD is not a 5 star worthy purchase!

This CD is awesome."Drinkin" is easily one of the top RBF songs ever.So is "Don't Start A Band,""Say Goodbye," "Your Guts (I Hate 'em)" and, well, basically every song on this CD.This is classic rocking awesome funny rad Reel Big Fish and everyone should buy this CD.It's so much better than Cheer Up, which was still a 5 star CD.So maybe, this is really like a 6 or 7 star CD (on a five star scale) because this CD is just so freakin' sweet.Basically this CD rocks harder than when unicorn's have their horns stuck in the rock that was holding excalibur until King Arthur pulled excalibur out.That's how hard this CD rocks!!!

This CD will not stop rocking until King Arthur comes back and rides that unicorn straight into Heaven to the tunes of "Your Guts (I hate 'em)" which will be playing when everyone who dissed this momentous CD is tossed into firey brimstone for their lack of faith, which I find disturbing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Think of Ben Folds as Billy Joel minus the Tin Pan Alley heritage and armed with a sweet, wry, slacker ethos. In a guitar-free trio setting, the Chapel Hill smart guy pounds the ivories with gusto while singing a tremendous batch of funny ("Kate"), poignant ("Brick," "Evaporated"), pissed-off ("Song for the Dumped"), and hugely refreshing (all 12 tunes here) songs. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (223)

Hands down, the BEST CD I own.
This CD deserves only the highest of praise. At one time I mocked Ben Folds Five. That was, of course, until a friend of mine convinced me to borrow this CD. I listened to it once through and thought I was done with it, but songs like "Kate", "One Angry Dwarf..." and "Battle of Who Could Care Less" had me hooked by the end of the week. After buying the CD I began to relaize that there is not ONE bad song on this CD. Top to bottow is sweet, pure bliss put to music. Not only does Ben write beautifully, but his singing can go from graceful and emotion-laden to exciting with a rocking "edge". The songs all have a "reality" to them, as if they are all beliveable stories stemming from Ben and not just lyrics. Although "Brick" earned this album its success, it is only the beginning of the goodness this album contains. It was enough to make me a huge BF5 fan after all! Buy it, you won't be dissapointed.

So So Good!
You almost have to believe that Ben Folds, Darren Jesse, and Robert Sledge were completely unaware of what they had achieved on Whatever and Ever Amen. Presented complete with flubbed notes, after-track commentary, and phones ringing in the backround, Whatever is an undoubtable masterpiece that might never be equalled by its creators.

Some of the best things about this disc are the effortlessly acrobatic instrumentalism, the inspired harmony vocals, the implicit nods to Elton and Billy, and especially the very live production. Ben seamlessly slips in extra keyboards on "Song For The Dumped" and completes three part harmony on almost every track, but the album still sounds as if it might have been recorded in a single live take.

"Smoke" could have been mellow and pillowy, but instead it pushes Ben's unadorned voice to the forefront of its complex arrangement. The pair of kiss-offs ("One Angry Dwarf" & "Dumped") seethe with angst, while "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" softens the edges on a similar emotion. And, famously, the piano on "Brick" echos out as if to fill an expanse left empty by the other subdued performances on the first verse and then melts into the rhythm section to create the backbone of the chorus and the rest of the song.

The only fair critique of Whatever is that the energy of the disc ebbs and flows a little too much... "Brick" is bookended by two of the best upbeat songs on the disc while the raucous "Kate" is surrounded by mellower cuts. However, despite the inconsistent tracking, Whatever is a great example of good music, and will continue to attract new fans for years to come.

whatever and ever forever and ever
i actually burned myself a copy of this album because i'd heard it so many times through the years it didn't feel right not to own it. i hope i never have to listen to it again. not to say it isn't good, just, you know...

Indubitable
This is just undeniably great songwriting, period. If you have any appreciation for good pop music, you should love "Whatever and Ever Amen." There is not one bad song on this record. They are all gems. Ben Folds is one of the best songwriters out there today and I am amazed that he got anywhere at all in the music business. "Brick," the only single to be heard on mainstream radio, is, of course, the worst song on the album. It's not a bad song, but certainly not the best, or even the most commercial.

If you want to hear intelligent pop with great hooks played by a rockin piano trio, this record is for you. These songs are golden.

absolute classic
i absolutely love this album. i discovered ben folds five by finding the "battle of who could care less" single in my brothers room. i loved it instantly (it's now me and my mates "song" lol) and so i bought this album, which has now become one of my all-time favourites.

i think all the songs are fantastic, and the way that the piano has been used to distinguish ben folds five from many other bands with the typical guitar, bass, drums, vocal combo is great. i think they really stand out as something different and its such a shame that they split up.

"Brick" is a beautiful song, with gorgeous lyrics. 'she's a brick and i'm drowning slowly'. undoubtably one of the best songs on the album.

"Battle Of Who Could Care Less" is a great, lively song, which i can never sit still to.

this album is great for any occasion, whether you just want to sit and chill, or to listen to with your mates or anything. it's very versatile and you will be singing the songs without realising before long. i really recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The twisted cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" is a statement of intent, while the cool jazz riffs from the band's trumpet player are part of what makes tracks like "Daria," "It's Coming Down," and "Frank Sinatra" so original. "The Distance" is a funked-up jam with a Chili Peppers chorus.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (167)

Cake's Best Album to Date
Every song on this album has its merits. Obviously, "The Distance" and "Frank Sinatra" rank high on everyone's lists. However, many of the other songs are worth notice. The bizarre "Open Book" is appealing in its odd harmonies and disjointedness. "Daria" gets my vote for the strangest lyric of the album: "[I won't be] smoothed over like milk, silk, a bedspread, or a quilt, icing on a cake, or a serene transluscent lake." "It's Coming Down" is both cynical and humorous regarding a breakup, saying "She's gone and she's wearing your red sweater."

Although much credit has been given to the bassist (who definitely deserves it), the lead guitarist makes this album work. Every song, even ones without a guitar solo, the guitar plays a vital role, often adding biting riffs to otherwise innocuous songs. Listen to "Stickshifts and Safetybelts," "Italian Leather Sofa," or "Nugget."

This is really the only Cake album anyone needs to buy. Quite different from Motorcade of Generosity or Prolonging the Magic, Fashion Nugget is Cake's quintessential work that is sure to remain a classic.

One of cakes best
This cd just has some kinda raw anger energy that is just great. Cake fans should be pleased as well as for new cake commers this is a good place to start....

1. Frank Sinatra - 9.5 (classic song!!)

2. The Distance - 9 (The one on the radio that is still great)

3. Friend Is A Four Letter Word - 4 (some people like it, im not one of them)

4. Open Book - 8

5. Daria - 9

6. Race Car Ya-Yas 9 (short, sweet, funny what more can you ask)

7. I Will Survive - 10 (A awesome remake of a great song. One of my favorte cake songs of all time)

8. Stickshifts And Safetybelts - 8

9. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - 4

10. It's Coming Down - 5

11. Nugget - 9 (Like shrapen knifes to chicken mcnuggets!)

12. She'll Come Back To Me - 7

13. Italian Leather Sofa - 8.5 (very long for a cake song but very good)

14. Sad Songs And Waltzes - 8.5(Doesnt sound like cake to me but good song)

So good
Cake's "Fashion Nugget" is a great, laid-back rock record with a unique sound, clever lyrics, and a talented singer. This is the ideal soundtrack for kicking back on the porch with a cold beer on a Saturday afternoon.

super
This is my favorite Cake album. Yes, I've tried them all. =P

Fashion Nugget never goes stale.

Buy for one song, end up loving the album
So, let's pretend you've heard some Cake. Maybe you've heard "Going the Distance", which gets radio play, or "Short Skirt, Long Jacket", which I think has been in a movie or two. You're sitting here reading the reviews, wondering if the album is worth it. Let me help you with your decision: Go for it. They have a LOT of excellent numbers on this album... several radio hits that you'll remember, and several tricky songs that are waiting to be discovered. I am NOT A CAKE FAN. I don't listen to them terribly often. But this album is almost surreal in how effective and fun it is. Solid reasons to buy the album: "The Distance," "Stick-shifts and Safety-belts," "Short Skirt Long Jacket," "Never There," "Frank Sinatra," "Friend is a Four Letter Word..." and even the catchy yet annoying number that caused me to buy the album: their cover of "I Will Survive." If you've heard some Cake, and like them a little, this is a no-brainer. ... Read more