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Now that Beck has effectively exorcised his personal demons with 2002's hyper-confessional Sea Change, he can get back to the business of being a total fruit loop. We all know what that involves: video game sound effects, random shouting in Spanish, and rhymes about popsicles and vegetable vans. And that's just the second track. Guero is like every Beck album condensed into one, a no-holds-barred collision of two-turntables and a microphone with the added bonus of guitars, bossa nova beats, Jack White, lyrics about spaceships and dump truck full of ideas all fighting to get heard about the ruckus. It's an exhausting and exhilarating listen with lots of peaks, such as the digitized power ballad "Broken Drum" and handclap drench folk freak-out "Farewell Ride," and more than enough to restore anyone's faith in Beck as one of the most chaotically inspired songwriters of our time. -- Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (155)

Phenomenal
Beck is truly one of a kind, and that is what makes his music always enjoyable.You never know what Beck is going to do and that unpredictability factor always makes a Beck album engaging. Too many musicians today are too cliche and you can always predict what direction they are going to take.With Beck, you're in for a surprise ride everytime.

What is unique about GUERO is that it doesn't just appeal to one audience.While Beck may be rocking out with hard guitars on his first single (and notable track) "E-Pro",he doesn't just use a standard drum set.With the Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys) producing he uses drum programming that hints at a very catchy hip-hop edge. Beck goes full fledge alternative hip-hop on "Que Onda Guero" while he chooses a conservative beach rock sound with synth and all on "Girl".

After an engaging three hit track start, Beck disappoints somewhat on "Missing".His follow-up track "Black Tambourine" again uses a Dust Brothers hip-hop beat.While it is a good and fun track, it isn't the caliber of "E-Pro", "Que Onda Guero", or "Girl".

Beck comes back strong with the hip-hop synth arrangement on "Earthquake Weather" where Beck sings with his typical folk/indie-rock style over a genius arrangement."Hell Yes" is another stellar track.Who couldn't say hell yes to that?

While all the tracks on the album are enjoyable listens, the first few and the above mentioned are the best.Beck should definitely be recognized by the Grammys for this. It is an artistic masterpiece.It is a breath of fresh air when an artist doesn't conform to the commercial aspects of music and goes for the independent approach in producing whatever they want to.You keep on doing your thing Beck and hell yes your album is cool!

The Resurrection of Beck
Beck returns in full force and great musical shape with a Cd that runs the gamut from psychedelic Jimi Hendrixlike rock to Jobimish bossa nova travelling through Pinkfloydesque ventures.
True talent exudes from this offering from the first funky single E-Pro,the ethnic QUE ONDA GUERO,the definite next single GIRL and the dark yet inspiring BROKEN DRUM.The presence of BECK in the music world is an inspiring element and reassuring thought that talent lives on,be it hailing from East L.A. or from Topeka

Pretty Good 4 a Guero
EASolinas has the perfect description : Distortion Rock a la Latin Hip-Hop . I made my fantastic edit of Odelay , Midnite Voltures and Guero called : Mixd Emotions ... Six of each ... This Guero is pretty inventive and keeps life a fresh ... Sea of Change I like all of It as it Is ... I guess I am a real at heart 70's child ... Keep it comming ...

BECK RETURNS (AND SAVES THE WORLD)
Alright, alright. We can all get over ourselves now. After months of pointing the Salem-witch-hunt-like finger at Beck and enceremoniously saying that his career has come to a dead stop, I think we need to listen to this album. Because the fact is that if any other upstart band or artist came out of nowhere and produced Guero, we would be hailing them as surefire Messiahs. They would be plastered all over every magazine, poster, t-shirt and record store and would win the Mercury and/or Shortlist prizes before the award ceremony could be put on.

This isn't Beck's best album. But does that really matter? That's like criticizing Abbey Road for not being as good as Sergeant Pepper's. The fact of the matter is we have a truly genious artist (Beck) producing a really great, fun, listenable-yet-challenging and completely original album (Guero) that can only be classified in one genre: "Beck music".

But, "Gasp!" you say. "He isn't creating a wildly new aesthetic and changing the music scene singlehandedly!". "Oh no!" you cry, "Some songs teeter on, dare I proclaim, Minimalism! THE SKY IS FALLING!"

Get off it. This record is just one of the myriad of exciting, buzz-worthy, and unique albums to be released so far this year, so for god sakes, stop debating and BUY THIS ALBUM! And then do me a favour. Sing along to the "na na na" chorus. All three of them. Bask in their carefree glory, and hear them almost speak to you. Do you know what they're saying?

"Forget expectations. Put on some Beck. Be happy."

Best album since Odelay
Beck's mishmash of sound and genre is a wonder to behold, and at times hard to listen to.It requires a patient, open mind and an ability to appreciate artists who are the musical equivalent of Picasso.Guero is not quite as all over the place as Mutations, but it still varies widely from Latin hip-hop to a quasi Country/R&B.Add in some video game sampling and distortion mic and you have Beck.

My favorite tracks on the album are Epro, Que Onda Guero, and Earthquake Weather, but all of them are great.This is one of those rare albums I can listen to from start to finish, and as such, it earns all five of its stars. ... Read more

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Before the Mars Volta made prog-metal fashionable again - with a little help from the Dillinger Escape Plan and My Chemical Romance - Porcupine Tree's 2002 US debut, In Abstentia, had already laid most of the groundwork. For the middle-aged British quartet led by Steven Wilson, '70s rockers like Rush and Yes (with whom the group toured after the album's release) never went out of style but instead left behind grandiose scriptures to be studied for all of eternity. So while tighter and more efficient in spots ("Shallow," "Halo"), Porcupine Tree's Deadwing faithfully keeps the technically proficient epics coming, peaking with multi-tentacled 12-minute "Arriving Somewhere (But Not Here)." --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Deadwing is really good but In Absentia is great, enjoy both
My 15 year son and I just drove 150 miles to see Porcupine Tree and it was worth every penny and mile. Excellent sound and music in a small venue. With songs from In Absentia, Deadwing, and Stupid Dream, it made for a perfect concert. I'd like to think of Porcupine Tree as a contemporary form of the early Genesis with Peter Gabriel (Trespass or Selling England), with a little mix of King Crimson (Bible Black or Red), while throwing in some very nice Steve Wilson (PT) influence that helps set it apart from the those groups. Production work is solid, the music is moving, and the lyrics mysterious. Only wish they would have played Open Car from DeadWing or Strip the Soul from In Absentia in the concert. But Shallow (DW) and Blackest Eyes (IA) made up for it. Check out their schedule on Ticketmaster and go see this group. You'll be screaming for more encores...........

Good News "IT ROCKS!" -Bad News "IT ROCKS"
Well Steven, you've caught a wave to our local AOR grind and crud station. Though a novelty hearing Porcupine Tree trashing Tool, this outing is, indeed, a dead wing - it never gets off the ground. It's a sad day when Adrian Belew has to stand in to carry off the best two guitar solo's on the disc. It never occured to me in my wildest dreams that I'd be giving a PT release the thumbs down. The only redeeming quality is that this may bring (long overdo) attention to a band thats a heck of alot better than you'll hear here. Why one of the truly remarkable guitarists of our time (among other instruments) has been in a retrograde orbit since "Siginify" continues to baffle me. If you want to hear SW in his prime, listen to the classic "Dark Matter." Or better yet, get a hard-to-find issue of "Coma Divine." Now THAT'S a mind blower. My stunning introduction to PT was "In Absentia". It has been played more than any collection I've owned in 30 some odd years. If you're new to PT, don't miss their early stuff. In doing so you'll come to recognize what a truly remarkable band they are. I'll wait hopefully for the next release.

PT De Los Average
All-in-all a somewhat boring release by PT.PT is one of my favorite bands and contrary to other reviewers, I don't think it is anything like In Absentia.....in fact, it feels more like some of the more weaker releases from "up the downstairs" or signify" era, but with more up-to-date guitar distortion.Beautiful melody is generally lacking and replaced with dry, brooding jams.Even though I rated it average, I am rating against the 'PT standard'.....so Deadwing is worthy of attention over most music out there.

Deadwing or how to leave the best song out of an album
I must say that I'm a bit disappointed with this album. I don't know exactly why I'm disappointed because "Deadwing" is not a big departure from the "In Absentia" sound, which at the same time is not a big departure from the "Lightbulb Sun" sound, and I love both albums. Maybe that's why I don't love "Deadwing", because it doesn't break much new ground like previous albums. Do you remember the jump between "Sky Moves Sideways" and "Signify" ? or the one between "Signify" and "Stupid Dream" ? You won't find this here. The first thing you notice is that the guitar solos are moving further away from the Gilmour sound SW had in the past, which in my opinion, is a good thing. The second thing you notice is that the "heaviness" is more apparent here than "In Absentia". "Shallow" is the main proponent here, people keep saying this song works better in the context of the album, but I think it kills its flow badly. The worst song in my opinion. Before you start drawing conclusions about me, I must say that I have no problems with distortion, right now one of my favorite bands is Isis, but, I don't know, this kind of "american" or Led Zeppelin sounding riffs don't work very well with PT, for example, the hard parts in "Deadwing" or "Mellotron Scratch", and that awful Dream Theater impersonation in the middle of "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" feel out of place and ruin those otherwise cool songs in my opinion. "Halo" is the only song where the hard guitars blend in the song perfectly. The haunting chorus in "Open Car" is another example of great use of distortion, but then, the verse, which sounds similar to "Strip The Soul", one of the weakest songs in "In Absentia", kills the mood of the song. Then, we are left with the mellower songs in the album, Lazarus", "Start Of Something Beautiful" and "Glass Arm Shattering" which, in my opinion, are the best songs in the album. But, they are nowhere near the brilliance of "Half Light", which inexplicably, SW has left out of the album. My CD doesn't have the new "Shesmovedon" so I can only comment from a mp3 file. To put it simply, this new version is a clear case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I'm reading all these reviews saying "Deadwing is their best" and "Deadwing rulez", and I'm starting to doubt if I'm listening to the same album as those people, because I don't think it's that great, it's only ok, it ranks below "Signify", "Stupid Dream", "Lightbulb Sun" and "In Absentia" in my list. One thing I'm sure is that this album won't gain new fans outside the prog and classic rock circles, Deadwing has all the elements to please the fans of these genres, and to scare people outside them. I, for one, hope SW leaves this "metal" obsession he has now, and moves into a new direction, and please, not a "back to our roots" one.

A Consolidation, Not a Stretch
Most Americans heard of Porcupine Tree with the release of 2002's In Absentia, and had a lot of catching up to do.Unapologetically progressive, it was obvious that Steve Wilson's musical collective grew up on Yes and Floyd and Tull and Genesis.Yet this being the new millennium, they were also familiar with Metallica-sized riffs and System of a Down-esoterica.Since prog is the new punk, Porcupine Tree are now seen as harbingers. Deadwing, their tenth (I think) studio release, is a consolidation not a stretch.The heaviest numbers are the most concise, especially the one-two punch of "Shallow" and "Halo".Elsewhere, they jam, particularly well on the opening title track.They're superb at it, they are, but they aren't Zeppelin, and they remind me of a wonderful (and obscure) progressive outfit from the late 70's called Crack the Sky, whom I have to admit I'd rather listen to. ... Read more

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The infectious twang and pop hooks of Wilco's former efforts may be fading fast, but A Ghost Is Born is still a rewarding effort that demands repeated listening. The group's fifth album extends upon the experimentalism of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot with angular, blues-soaked guitar riffs ("At Least That's What You Said," "Hell Is Chrome"), a handful of sparse, yet catchy tunes (smack dab in the middle of the disc) that will surely keep college radio stations smiling, and a lengthy track that descends into mere static ("Less Than You Think"). Frontman Jeff Tweedy's songwriting continues to evolve: "Hummingbird" is a dreamy Randy Newman-styled love song; "The Late Greats" is a sly ode to the world of pop tacked onto the end of the album (as if using such a fun song on this understated disc was an afterthought). Meanwhile, producer extraordinaire Jim O'Rourke manages to make the most complicated arrangements here sound minimalist and laid-back. All told, it's another great addition to the Wilco canon. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (142)

Been Waiting Too Long
I'd give it four stars in the LP era, where I'd have to listen through the 15 minute static noises of "Less Than You Think". This is a John Cage 4'33-esque commentary on what can be considered music. I won't get into that now, but it's good to listen to it at least once in context of the whole album. Especially since it contrasts very starkly with the straightforward track "The Late Greats," which is probably the closest thing you'll get to Alt-Country on this album. Anyway, luckily we have the skip track button for casual listening. The rest of the album is incredible.
If you like climaxes, this is your album. Several songs start off slow and progress into some pretty hard hitting rock and dissolve into distortion. There are less dings and pings on Ghost than YHF. Ghost is more minimalist, relying more on primal baselines and rythmic sequences that make you sort of lose time within the song, often before hitting you hard with a jam. "Spiders" is the eiptome of this, and probably is the musical version of Tweedy's well-publicized migraines.
Bottom line; the alt-country fans hoping for Another A&M, the pop fans hoping for another Summerteeth, those in between hoping for another Being There, and everyone else who came on board with YHF hoping for more of the same didn't get your wishes. But that's what I love about Wilco, each album is distinctively Tweedy, but there's always something new to keep you interested.

Don't Judge Too Soon
It's a classic mistake -- a big name band comes out with a new album, and critics and fans alike step in immediately to give their first impressions. If there's one band for which that approach is a consistent a mistake, it's Wilco. Like many, I'm frightened of albums that I instantly like; they invariably begin to fade away sooner than later.

"A Ghost is Born" will leave many bumfuzzled out of the starting gate. Similar in overall style and structure to its controversial predecessor "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", this record depends heavily on brooding atmospherics which envelope the rather conventional melodies. This is Jeff Tweedy's niche; the basic pop song format shadowed and subverted by dissonant, disquieting counter-themes. For those willing to submit to Wilco's own (admittedly wry) internal logic, the rewards will come; doubt will fade like Smarty Jones in the final leg of the Belmont, and the patient listener will be overtaken and surprised by a work of unexpected depth.

Among the better tracks are "Hell is Chrome", which sounds like Paul Simon backed by Dark Side-era Pink Floyd; the breezy yet bittersweet "Wishful Thinking"; and "Theologians," a blue-collar manifesto that supplies the album's thesis with cleverly employed Biblical analogies. But the song that stands out most is "Muzzle of Bees," and astonishingly schizoidal piece whose delicate acoustic elements are trampled by wailing electric histrionics. "Muzzle" best demonstrates Wilco's disparate musical interests while showing off their latently strong musicianship.

Give this one a chance. Odds are it will make regular rounds in your CD changer well into the future.

what are you people thinking?!
This is not going to be so much a cd review as it is a rebuttal to all those who write reviews for this site...including you, Amazon.com.

Okay, forget that Wilco is one of (if not the) most innovative rock (yes, rock) bands that exists today..."Ghost" is simply a very brave and very, very amazing album that any band would sell its soul to even have conceived of, let alone create. What Wilco accomplishes on this album, even more so than YHF, is emotion - hard, raw emotion without allowing the incredible success of said YHF to interfere. Wilco (Tweedy specifically, though not exclusively) is fast proving itself a creative force which relies not on jingles and soon-to-be-radio-slough to sell its albums...in fact, Wilco couldn't care less if it sells albums or not (research your YHF history to see what I mean). Wilco proves to all us earlier non-believers that there still are those artists out there who believe in their music as an extension of themselves, as a reflection of who they truly are, not who their so-called fans wish them to be. They are artists in every sense of the word, meaning they toss critisism to the wayside as the simple opinions of those who can't...or, in the very least, won't. Art does not demand critism to exist, only the critic. So, so-called fans, save all your critisms for the next J-Lo album or whatever piece of trash you're currently reviewing. Wilco is above you all.

Now, on to the achievements of "Ghost" - amazing, spectacular, artistic, and true. That is all.

Okay, this is the Wilco cd I've waited for
I came to Wilco as a fan of the 90's band, Son Volt (and if you haven't heard of them, you are in for treat). After falling in love with those records, I followed Farrar and Tweedy in their musical travels, but Tweedy's records just never quite made it for me. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was okay, but nothing special.

This cd is great. It takes a song or two really get going, but man, it's worth it. The songs are beautiful and dream-like. The lyrics are lovely. The long musical interludes are hypnotic. For me, this is the best Wilco cd by far. Get this one.

Great Music to Fall Asleep to
We have all heard the story before and you will hear it again, about a band that hit it big by being spurned by their record company over what was one of the better albums of the last decade. Problem is that if they had turned this album instead of YHF, I am not sure that anyone would really be complaining all that mcuh.

A Ghost is Born reminds me of the inferior B-Side Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. While I am not one of those Alt-Country Snobs that wishes Wilco would do alt-country again or pine for the days of Uncle Tupelo, I do pine for the Jeff Tweedy/Jay Bennett songwriting and stage presence that is missing on this album. The best three albums by Wilco are Being There, Summerteeth and, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and its no coincidence on each of those albums, Jay plays a crucial role in the music writing process. The problem with this album is that it becomes Jeff Tweedy and the Wilcos. More Guitar strung out guitar solos and ridiculous droning that someone will argue as being some artistic masterpiece. Well Jeff Tweedy is trying to prove something, but you know I just want an album that I can listen to over and over again and not get tired of it.

There are some great songs on this album. Hummingbird is a great song and shows once again that they do still have it in them to write a great pop song. Handshake Drugs sounds like later Velvet Underground material. While I always loved the song it had already been released before (Albeit a different mix). Theologians has also grown on me.

There are a lot of forgettable songs on this album as well. Muzzle of Bees and Wishful thinking just don't really do much for me. Spiders was turned into a huge mistake by making it 10 minutes and do we really need endless nonstop sounds on Less than You think. Maybe you like to listen to bells and whistles nonstop but I surely do not. Im a Wheel is probably one of the worst songs that Wilco has ever written. I rolled my eyes the first time I heard this song live and I was just hoping that they would realize their mistake and make this some odd B-Side.

If you never have bought a wilco album this is not the one to start off with. This band has pretty much done no wrong coming into this album. Each one of their albums they have grown as a band but what we notice more on this album is maybe the dismantling of Wilco. The bands makeup is changing more than Menudo and that has to be worrysome. You cannot have any type of growth when you only have two original members and the others have either been kicked out, fired or just sick and tired of it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you're a prolific band that also happens to be mighty friendly to your obsessive compulsive collector fan base, you wind up releasing a lot of singles and EPs with material that's otherwise unavailable on your albums. And here, for the price of a Japanese pressing of the Fluorescences EP on an auction site alone, you get Stereolab's eight Elektra EPs, from 1993's Jenny Ondioline to 2001's Captain Easychord. The "groop"'s collaborative EPs ( Crumb Duck, Uilab) are not included, but there is a DVD with rarely-seen videos and television performances. This box set serves far more than a plug-the-gaps exercise for trainspotters; as with the singles collections Switched-On volumes one, two and three (did we not mention this band is prolific?), it's an intriguing retrospective of the band in their mature years. And unlike those comps, this set often highlights the band's more lengthy, experimental songs. "Les Yper Yper Sound," for instance, John McEntire's distorted, delightfully repetitious reworking of "Yper Sound" from Emperor Tomato Ketchup, is spine-tinglingly awesome.--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Stereolab-'Oscillons From The Anti-Sun'(Too Pure)3-CD/1 DVD
'Oscillons...' gives fans a real treat,a three audio disc and one DVD box set.Total of 35 songs,of which 28 will be new to most Stereolab followers EXCEPT for those die-hards who put out big $$ to purchase past import releases.Despite it's cheap-o packaging,this box set is very nice to have.Most of the tracks are lesser known singles and B-sides.The DVD is great,with it's live performances,video clips and other visual surprises.Should appeal to fans of Air,Yo La Tengo,Spacemen 3,Mouse On Mars and Tortoise.

God Bless Stereolab!
This box set is a welcome addition for the die-hards AND casuals, and it's nice having all of these EP's and singles in one place. I have no idea why others are having such a hard time opening their boxes however; it's really not that hard! And aside from one tiny little split in the corner, my box seems really sturdy and finely made.

The sticker set is a wonderful addition to this box collection, so make sure and get your box set now before it goes into a second pressing and they disappear! The set includes eight (8) 4x4 inch stickers with great art work. Suitable for framing! At just around twenty bucks for 35 tracks and a DVD, you just can't go wrong with this. Even if you've not heard one single lick of a stereolab song and if you're a semi-casual fan of electronic music, try them out!

Damn That Packaging
I really do like this latest compilation from Stereolab but I do have to knock a point off for the packaging that the band insists on providing.I thought the last two Switched On compilations were annoying with their flimsy cardboard but this one beats them both (although my copy of S.O. 3 did fall apart about a minute after I got it so I couldn't put the disc in with out it falling out).With "Oscillons...", Stereolab gives us an incredibly difficult to open as well as bulky box with cheap sleeves inside to hold the discs, including the DVD.C'mon, are you so against simple plastic jewel cases?Well, other than the box it comes in, I do indeed recommend this latest compilation from Stereolab even like many other fans, all of the trouble we went through to get those import EPs and singles seem to have lost its shine now that a proper domestic collection is out but at least you had them before a lot of others and thus got the pleasure of hearing some of the band's finer material years before a lot of people did.

Ketchup in a box!
Ok, I kid - it's actually "catch up" for all those of us who discovered Stereolab later rather than sooner.I'm sure I'm not alone - my first Stereolab CD was 2004's sublime Margarine Eclipse, which prompted me to search for the earlier CDs and EPs.My advice to fellow latecomers: dive into this box set!As other reviewers noted, this is a great collection.

A few thoughts about the DVD included in this set: one of the first things I heard about Stereolab was that they were exceptional in concert, and I was disappointed that I could not find any DVDs of their shows.The DVD in this collection has eight "promos" followed by three live performances from UK television.With the exception of Jenny Ondioline, the promos are not typical music videos.They are more like surrealistic dreamscapes (think Dali, backed by synthesizers, broadcast on early PCs - a hoot) set to music.Next, the first live video is a superb, driving rendition of French Disko, gone a bit trippy with TV special effects (think Austin Powers).And then come two gems from the Later...with Jools Holland show (ca. 1996).For all those of us who were late to the party, here's proof that Stereolab -- in addition to being electronic, cerebral, political, carefully crafted, etc., etc. -- are terrific live.These performances of Cybele's Reverie and Les Yper Sound are a great glimpse of what we missed, including the late, lamented Mary Hansen.We can only hope that there are more live performances in the vault and destined for future DVDs, and look forward to the band's future tours.In the meantime, I highly recommend the videos and three CDs in this box set.

A final note for the old-time Stereolab fans who already own the EPs collected here, but not the Jenny Ondioline promo: there's a moment in that video, when the always serious Laetitia Sadier starts to smile and turns away from the camera and toward Mary, who's smiling back...talk about a perfect moment. As a previous reviewer said, Mary, rest in peace.And long live Stereolab!

have to agree with the first 2 reviewers..
...but elaborate a little bit on both. The music on this is beyond cool, I can't say enough about it, so I'll leave it at that.

But... the packaging is *extremely* tough to open - mine's already pocked with fingernail marks from trying to pry it open, and the cardboard box seems to be splitting at some of the outside joints. And I've had it for all of 18 hours. It's not enough really to knock a star off of my review, but it's more than a little irritating.

And yes, like reviewer #2 said, it is a bit frustrating now for me to look over the hundreds of dollars worth of import cd's that have now been rendered obsolete by about $23. Have I had $100's worth of enjoyment over the years that I would have otherwise spent without this music? Well, that's debatable, but I'll say "yes, I have."

The stickers of all the various single covers are very cool - I'm tempted to plaster my guitar case with them, but then they'd get messed up. What's an OC (obsessive completist) to do??? ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's little risk of confusing Tom Waits with the gentle pop folk who have covered his songs--Rod Stewart, Sarah McLachlan, Everything But the Girl, just to name a few. That's because even though the eccentric songwriter is capable of summoning the most tender sentiments, his preferred method of delivery is through carnival melodies, crackpot instruments, and a bourbon-soaked bark. Real Gone continues the dark experimental streak of not just its predecessors like Alice and Blood Money, but the past 30 years. Yes, the percussion is sharper, the arrangements stranger, and the voice more ghost-like than ever, but at the center of all the chaos remains an uncanny storyteller--capable of ripping down governments ("Sins of My Father") and building up tears ("Day After Tomorrow"). --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

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Though one of rock's most influential figures, David Bowie's accomplishments are pocked by some distinct ironies. His willful efforts at being a musical and visual chameleon spurred triumphs in genres as diverse as folk, glam, new wave, and electronica. Given the dizzying range and success of his '70s incarnations--from Ziggy to the Thin White Duke to the gaunt, goth-cypher of Low and Heroes--he seemed the artist most well-equipped to weather the changing tides of taste and trend, yet saw his career essentially shrink to cult status after scoring his biggest triumphs when he reshaped the soulless, dance-oriented club music of the early '80s into his own image. This 20-track compilation does little to address the Chinese puzzle that has been Bowie's post-'85 career, but it does deliver an artistically dizzying slate of hits as it skips from one early peak to the next, from evocative cabaret ("Space Oddity," "Changes") through muscular glam-rock ("Suffragette City," "The Jean Genie") to R&B ("Young Americans," "Fame") and post-punk flirtations ("Ashes to Ashes," "Fashion") to the dance-club hits ("Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love") and '80s one-off duets ("Under Pressure" with Queen, "Dancing in the Streets" with Mick Jagger) that essentially marked the end of his superstar reign. Whole eras and at least one classic '70s album (Low) go completely unaddressed, but all of Bowie's signature hits are here, as well as Earthling's powerful, underappreciated "I'm Afraid of Americans." --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Excellent compilation for an excellent musical artist
For over three decades now, David Bowie has been releasing music. And his music is nothing short of excellent. A number of popular artists have named him as one of their major influences, and with good reason. Classic/Alternative rock artists don't get a whole lot better than this. In late 2002, a retrospective of Bowie's career was released, in both one disc and two disc form. Read on for more information.

First of all, here's the tracklist for the two disc version:

Disc: 1
1. Space Oddity
2. The Man Who Sold The World
3. Changes
4. Life On Mars?
5. Moonage Daydream
6. Suffragette City
7. Ziggy Stardust
8. All The Young Dudes
9. The Jean Genie
10. Panic In Detroit
11. Rebel, Rebel
12. Diamond Dogs
13. Young Americans
14. Fame
15. Golden Years
16. TVC15
17. Sound and Vision
18. Heroes
19. D.J.

Disc: 2
1. Ashes To Ashes
2. Fashion
3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
4. Under Pressure
5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
6. Let's Dance
7. China Girl
8. Modern Love
9. Blue Jean
10. This is Not America
11. Dancing In The Streets
12. Absolute Beginners
13. Time Will Crawl
14. Under The God
15. Jump They Say
16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
17. I'm Afraid Of Americans
18. Thursday's Child
19. Slow Burn

As you can see, you'll get all of Bowie's biggest hits on here. (Space Oddity, Changes, Under Pressure, Let's Dance, China Girl, Fame, and the fairly recent hit I'm Afraid Of Americans.) Perhaps one of the finest things about these songs is the musicians who co-wrote or made guest appearances on them. Under Pressure was a collaboration with Queen, Let's Dance and China Girl feature the late Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar, Fame was co-written by the late John Lennon, and the cover of Dancing In The Street is a duet with Rolling Stones vocalist Mick Jagger. Twenty tracks of pure excellence. Just about every excellent track that was omitted from the one disc version of this compilation can be found here. These include Cat People, The Man Who Sold The World (later covered by Nirvana) and All The Young Dudes (later covered by Bruce Dickinson.) But even though this is many times better than its one disc counterpart, I have a major complaint - NO TRACKS FROM PINUPS! Bowie's covers of the Who's I Can't Explain and the Easy Beats Friday On My Mind must be heard to be appreciated, and sadly, they aren't here. This makes me mad, because I Can't Explain WILL fit on the first disc.

David Bowie is an excellent musician, but as I stressed above, make extra sure you are buying this two disc version so you can get everything the one disc version omits. The two versions have identical covers, so be sure to check the tracklist on the back to be sure you're getting this one.

Bowie for Absolute Beginners? And everyone else!
I find it very depressing that Amazon still hasn't put up the tracklisting for this album (the double CD version "Best Of Bowie" for America) so I guess I'm gonna have to do it.

Disc 1
1. Space Oddity 2. The Man Who Sold The World 3. Changes 4. Life On Mars? 5. Moonage Daydream 6. Suffragette City 7. Ziggy Stardust 8. All The Young Dudes 9, The Jean Genie 10. Panic In Detroit 11. Rebel, Rebel 12. Diamond Dogs 13. Young Americans 14. Fame 15. Golden Years 16. TVC15 17. Sound and Vision 18. "Heroes" 19. D.J.
Disc 2
1.Ashes To Ashes 2. Fashion 3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) 4. Under Pressure 5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) 6. Let's Dance 7. China Girl 8. Modern Love 9. Blue Jean 10. This is Not America 11. Dancing In The Streets 12. Absolute Beginners 13. Time Will Crawl 14. Under The God 15. Jump They Say 16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson 17. I'm Afraid Of Americans 18. Thursday's Child 19. Slow Burn

This listing is very unique because it includes the big pop hits (the poppy R&B meets rock guitar "Let's Dance"), culturally significant songs (revolutionary singer-songwriter moments like "Changes" and "All The Young Dudes") and excellent singles that didn't get the attention they deserved the first time (the industrial rocker "Heart's Filthy Lesson"). The fact that "Best Of Bowie" takes songs form nearly every Bowie studio album (except for the cover packed "Pin Ups" and "Buddha Of Suburbia", which in all fairness was a soundtrack) shows all the levels that the man works on musically. The seventies are where Bowie shines with everything from the edgy alien hard rock of "Ziggy Stardust" to the glam rock perfection of "Rebel, Rebel". "Diamond Dogs" (only live track and the longest in length at over 6 minutes) should have been a shorter track, especially since they cut down the stellar cynical lyric with an R&B beat of "Young Americans" to a single edit. The Berlin tracks are a great way to end the first disc. "Low" is represented well by the dancy "Sound And Vision" while "Heroes" is tragic and wonderful. Then there is the eighties heyday from disco flavored new wave of "Fashion" to horn blasting "Modern Love" (which I viewed as a sardonic joke about yuppie culture, right?) to that poppy Motown cover "Dancing In The Streets" (with Mick Jagger adding his swagger). Then there was the nineties peak of creativity of the bleeping drum machine pop "Jump They Say" to the moody introspective AC of "Thursday's Child" to the techno rock dance of "I'm Afraid Of Americans" (the Trent mix) and closing with the passionate soul rock of "Soul Burn".

The unfortunate thing is that it misses with some track placement. I don't understand why "Time Will Crawl" represents "Never Let Me Down" and the obvious not "Day In, Day Out". Also, some tracks take getting used to like the collaboration with the Pat Methany Group with the world music with a dance groove "This is Not America". And now I understand why people dislike Tin Machine with the c-rocker blah bombast of "Under The God", but it shows an interesting side of Bowie. These very few questionable tracks (which I can live with) don't change my overall impression of the set being very strong. Slight omissions (why not "Rock And Roll Suicide" from "Ziggy Stardust..."?) and edits (or non-edits in some cases) doesn't change the fact that this album is filled with some of the greatest transformations from the rock chameleon that Bowie is. He has rocked us in a variety of ways and this album is needed for those who have adored him for years and is superb for those just starting out. Keep in mind that there are about 22 verisons of this CD, most single discs. This is the American double CD verison.

Skip this one... and go to the good records instead...
Bowie probably just had three our four phases in his carrer. The first was up to Stardust and Diamond Dogs (Hunky, The Man Who Sold Space Oddity, can be included into that phase), made up of nice songs and catchy ballads, interspersed with some elegantyl rocking tunes. Then what?... some kind of re-orientation release, Young Americans, doesn't sound or taste like anything in particular, and you wouldn't be worse off if you just forgot all about this record.

And then came an interesting phases in his career, in my view the most interesting one, where he consecutively released a stack of good records, starting with Station To Station, followed by Low and Heroes. Lodger is patchy at most, and doesn't taste like anything peculiar. He then somehow finishes off this great phase of his career with Scary Monsters, a nice reverence and look-back at his past years and early career. And what of Let's Dance, you may ask? Mhh... trendy but a bit in-between... you could well place it in this phase, although it already has a definitively different look-out on things. Let's Dance is definitively already an eighties album, but offers a rather good transition to the preceding decade's collection of works.

What then came, the third and last phase, is altogether different, some good things, and some things not that good. David definitively became an artistic Lodger, but who cares, he had already delivered his best (the first or second phases of his career, depending on your taste.)

All in all, if you want to know the man, I'd recommend you just skip this Best of collection and just get the Station, Low, Heroes albums, and maybe also the Monsters and Let's Dance releases. These were definitely his best and most mature albums. The rest is at times interesting but, in the end, just fills up space...

Mesmerizing Bowie
This is a great album. David Bowie himself might be a little odd. However, I've all ways liked his taste of music.
From Space Oddity to Ziggy Stardust. You'll get allot of good use from this set.
I have several of his CD's. However, this is one of my favorites. It has allot of his good songs on it.
There are just a tun of great choices hear.

Disc: 1

1. Space Oddity
2. The Man Who Sold The World
3. Changes
4. Life On Mars?
5. Moonage Daydream
6. Suffragette City    

7. Ziggy Stardust    
8. All The Young Dudes    
9. The Jean Genie    

10. Panic In Detroit    
11. Rebel, Rebel    
12. Diamond Dogs    
13. Young Americans    
14. Fame    
15. Golden Years    
16. TVC15    
17. Sound and Vision    
18. Heroes    
19. D.J.    
Disc: 2

1. Ashes To Ashes    
2. Fashion    
3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)    
4. Under Pressure    
5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)    
6. Let's Dance    
7. China Girl    
8. Modern Love    

great!
i bought this cd not know many songs from bowie, just wantin a cd that had some good songs. i never knew he did t hat "lets dance" song, which is now constantly stuck in my head. ... 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

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

Amazon.com essential recording

Far more than a novelty jester, Beck is a musical anarchist and bummed-out street prophet whose audience will squirm and thrill to the slacker delta blues of "Whiskeyclone" and urban nightmares like "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs." --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (58)

If you don't like Beck; Buy this record
Hang on loosley people...I know I'm going against the grain here, but hear me out...Simply put, if you are unsure if someone is your Soul mate; Buy them a copy of Mellow Gold...If your meant to be, the future will take care it's course (on the good foot)...This Album is THE Beck album to own! If you want to, go ahead and remove the Radio classic "Loser" altogether from the track listing and you still have a great Album. If your looking for unique songs to add to that perfect mix CD, this album is packed with Nuggets & Doozies such as "Pay No Mind", "Wiskeyclone", "Truck Drivin Neighbors Downstars"...that will blow listeners away and make her/him fall in love with you...Why do you ask? Because, this album is completely original, yet sounds familiar and like a old friend...(snooring...blacked out on your couch). And remember, The DJ is a Con Man

I'm a loser baby! So why don't you kill me?
Mellow Gold is a very odd album. It contains very odd music as well as very odd lyrical material. In the hit song, 'Loser' Beck sings, "In the time of chimpanzees, I was a monkey." This pretty much gives the gist of the entire album. No song sounds the same yet they are all oddly similar.

Though Beck's signature sound comes along with the album, it is vastly different from any of his other material. It contains some very dark songs (Mother....., Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs), some light, happy songs (Pay No Mind, Nitemare Hippy Girl, Sweet Sunshine), and some just plain weird songs (Soul Suckin' Jerk). It's because of the musical diversity on the album that I like it so much.

So if you are a fan of Beck's latter material, namely Odelay, be wary in buying this album because though in my opinion it has some of his best material, the general public might think differently.

Becks best all around album and one of the best of the 90s.
I must have played this album at least 50 times in the last 3 years its that good.Back in 1994 Beck was one of the most unusual and original songwriters around.There hasnt been a record written mostly about pure nonsense since Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart.Yep songs like Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs(my favorite song right now),Whiskey Clone Hotel City 1997 and even the radio friendly Loser have some pretty unusual lyrics.The vocals and music itself is also great to back it up.I wont write anymore because my fingers are getting sore so go out and buy this for yourself.

Beck in the day.
There's a fine line between stupidity and genius. That's what I think when I listen to this album. It's almost indescribable. Lyrically, half of it's absolutely crazy, which is intentional and part of the fun. Musically it's all over the place, somewhere between the "Beastie Boys" and "Neil Young". But all of these things are what make this so incredible. So many things in a blender still make a tasty treat. This is kind of THE essential "Beck" album really. It's kind of the middle ground between "Midnight Vultures" and the excellent "Sea Change", both of which came years later. I guess it's one of those things you just have to hear to believe.

must have..
v. v. dark, almost like a modernized chant in some songs with his low voice and scratchy guitar riffs. i love loser, i know so cliche but i have memorized almost every word its probably my fav. song, not only on the album....
buy this cd i am so serious. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

When the Velvets recorded this debut, they were best known as the protégés of Andy Warhol (who designed the sleeve), and as a grating, combustive live band. Fueled by drummer Moe Tucker's no-nonsense wham and John Cale's howling viola, some of the straight-up rock & roll and arty noise extravaganzas here bear that out. But before Lou Reed was singing about sadomasochism and drug deals and writing lyrics inspired by his favorite poets, he was a pop songwriter, and this album has some of his prettiest tunes, mostly sung by Nico, the German dark angel who left the band after this disc. Even the sordid rockers are underscored by graceful pop tricks, like the two-chord flutter at the center of the classic "Heroin." --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (175)

wonderful rock music
I recently got into Lou Reed and decided to check the original band out. I've heard The Velvet Underground on "The Royal Tenenbaums," and loved the way it was used in the movie.

This album is really good, I have to say. Currently my favorites are "Heroin," "There She Goes Again," "The Black Angel's Death Song," and "All Tomorrow's Parties." This is subject to change upon my next hearing, which will be in probably ten minutes.

I can't get enough of this album. I really dislike the ones who claim this CD is no big deal; nearly all the albums I like are called "overrated" and such. R.E.M.'s "Murmur," for instance. (Coincidentally R.E.M. covered three Velvet Underground songs and released them.)

These songs are perfect, entertaining and enjoyable. I'm not one to look at it from an "artsy-fartsy" viewpoint; as I was and am no great admirer of Andy Warhol. For me, "Velvet Underground & Nico" is a great rock/early-alternative record. It surprised me that it was possible to enjoy it from my view, as it was produced by Andy Warhol. I'm just guessing he had good taste in music.

"Overrated," my [behind]. This album truly deserves all the respect it gets.

Life-changing, mind-expanding
The Velvet Underground and Nico is an incredible, amazing album. It really will change your life, after hearing it, you can't help but look at music differently (White Light / White Heat is perhaps even more so). Every song on the album is great, and some of them are some of the best rock music ever made.

"Sunday Morning" is a twinkling, light pop song which leads into the bluesy rocker "I'm Waiting for the Man." "Femme Fatale" is one of those classic rock songs, but it is nothing compared to the majestic "Venus in Furs." When people were saying all you need is love, Lou Reed wrote this magnificent song about bondage. It is melodic and beautiful but also dark and eery. "Run Run Run" is another rocking, bluesy song.

The next two songs will leave you stunned. "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a superb song, with Nico lending some of the most beautiful vocals you'll ever hear. "Heroin" is not only the best song about a drug ever made, but also one of the best rock songs ever written. Reed's writing talents really shine, even this early in his career.

"There She Goes Again" is a sweet, poppy song. "I'll Be Your Mirror" is another great song with great vocals by Nico. "The Black Angel's Death Song" is quite dark and very, very good. "European Son" is instrumental chaos that was sort of a prelude to White Light / White Heat and the truly apocalyptic "Sister Ray."

In short - The Velvet Underground and Nico is an album that everyone, no matter what they like, should own. So buy it.

all myth...little music
most supporters of the VU seem impressed that this record has songs about bondage and drugs on it with a cover by Andy Warhol. so what? the question is, are the songs any good? not really. Sunday Morning is a sweet pop song. Waiting for the Man is repetitious with a threadbare tune and is only notable for being about a heroin dealer. who cares...the song isn't any good regardless what it's about. All Tomorrow's Parties has an intersting atmosphere bouyed by a strange piano phrase but it just plays that figure over and over. that song really needs a bridge. it gets very tedious. the last two songs are just a bunch of noise. this record is wildly overrated. any CCR lp of the time has better written songs without the pretentious Warhol/drug/pop art connection. bands like REM and U2 cite this album as a major influence on them which isn't surprising because those bands have basically been making the same records musically for the last 20 years with only changes in production, not improvement or variation in songwriting. take away all the sordid drug and bondage ideas and VU is just an album of so-so tunes.

This album beat the crap out of me. And I love it.
This didn't take long to grow on me. Beginning with the paranoically sugary track "Sunday Morning" and eerie malayse of malevolence begins to beset and dog the listener, and starts to percolate instantly with the jarring, driving "Waiting For The Man", which of course, is about the seedy dealings of the drug market. The dead-on cleverness with which the more sinister elements of the human condition are rendered in this album, makes me shake with glee whenever I listen to it. It is an unusual mix of the solemn mysticality of Nico's magnificent voice, and the daunting nasality of Lou Reed's nightmarish balladry, telling tales of drug dealings, sadomasochism, and abstract descriptions in "Black Angel's Death Song" that are so menacing, one begins to cringe somewhat.
But that's the beauty of it.
It bounces from one scenario to the next, with Nico's three songs like hazy oases to cling to, and eventually dissolves into the gloriously maddening cacophany of "European Son".

The perverse passion that makes up this album has branded it into my soul forever. It in no way sounds dated. Songs like "Venus in Furs" and "All Tomorrow's Parties", and of course the infamous description of the prison of "Heroin" addiction should engrain themselves in anyone.

In addition to this album, by the way, do check out Nico's work. She is so often overlooked as some kind of bane to this album, when in truth her brilliance was such that it had to overflow into a solo career.

Just start here, and let it engulf you with atmosphere.

Undeniable Art Rock Genius Album!
Totally an incredible listen every time. From the first sunny sounds of "Sunday Morning" to the crashing intro to "I'm Waiting For the Man, " the songs are arranged in a way that lulls you in subtle pop splendor, and then thrills you with a chunk of ferocious rock. There is no room to get bored, only total intense satisfaction.

"Femme Fatale" is one of my favorite songs ever. The great Nico coyly identifying "here she comes...you better watch your step. She's going to break your heart in two...it's true." She's just a little tease, indeed. Her vocal work on this album is just amazing. The contrast between her and Lou Reed is genius. "I'll Be Your Mirror" is one of the sweetest love songs I have ever heard. It has a such an original and sweet perspective, and is so melancholy in the hands of Nico, whose voice really is so distinctive, warm and charmingly amateur all at once. It really is a pitty that her work with the Velvet Underground pretty much ended with this album. I can only imagine how the Velvet's history may have been different had she stuck around for subsequent releases.

"I'm Waiting For My Man" is probably my favorite singular song on the album. The low-key guitar approach is pure Lou Reed, and I love the imagery he brings to life about New York, and trying to meet up with his dealer. "He's never early...he's always late. First thing you learn is that you always gotta wait..." Amazing stuff, and Mo Tucker keeps it all together with her electrifying drum assault. The song that most people identify as one of the most important contributions to rock history would have to be "Heroin," Reed's droning anthemic ode to the gift's and perils of the drug he so treasured. It is frightening, pretty, soft and loud, and totally poignant.

The beginning of "Euroean Son" is one of my favorite openings to a song ever, with its thick rhythmic bass line, and then the double guitar assault of Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison, which thrusts the song into a riotous noise-piece.

The one song I wish was included in the original album, which was recorded in the same sessions is "It Was A Pleasure Then," sung by Nico and written by Reed, Cale and Nico. It is one of my favorite songs. It is so beautiful, with the main elements being Nico's amazing voice (which has more range in this song than any other), Cale's plugged in viola, and a quietly strumming guitar that slowly builds throughout, filling the song with amazing bits of feedback in parts. It is one of those songs that gives you goosebumps with every listen. Genius!

I only wish I had been born 20 years earlier, so I could have experienced their live performances around the time of this release. I am sure it was like witnessing something from another planet!

Anyway, this album has payed for itself millions of times-over in my collection. Just a truly amazing album, full of some of the most original music in rock. And more relevant today than ever... ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The middle album of the trilogy that includes Swordfishtrombones and Franks Wild Years, Rain Dogs is Waits's best overall effort. The songs are first-rate, and there are a lot of them--19 in all, ranging from grim nightlife memoirs ("9th and Hennepin," "Singapore") to portraits of small-time hustlers ("Gun Street Girl," "Union Square") to bursts of street-corner philosophy ("Blind Love," "Time"). The album also contains the original version of "Downtown Train," which Rod Stewart turned into a smash hit. The image of "rain dogs"--animals who've lost their way home because the rain has washed away their scent--is an appropriate symbol for the entire cast of characters Waits has brought to life over the years, and this album has thus far proved to be his most enduring effort. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Strange but Wonderful
This album has been overlooked. How, I don't know. It has everything to make it a bona-fide classic: it rocks, it lulls, it jars you out of your complacent little world for the hour that it is in rotation. Tom Waits is one of the best songwriters ever to put words on a tape, he's up there with Dylan,Springsteen,as well as Lou Reed, but he isn't ever accounted for.

This album is just a way to show that an amazing mind is capable of any type of musical expression. Beat Poetry, blues, rock..its all here in this amazing melting pot of music. In my opinion, this is the best of all his albums, with apologies to Closing Time. I understand that people get turned off because of his "Cookie-Monster" voice, but all it took for me to get used to it was a couple of listens, and then when he started singing in his "normal" voice, I just wanted him to let it rip again.

At some point, everyone has heard at least one song from this album--"Downtown Train"--as covered by Rod Stewart. Don't do yourself an injustice by settling for that poorly done version. Get the real thing.

THE Waits album to get
Tom Waits wasn't the first musician I loved, but he was the first for whom I felt real passion. Before him meandered a mediocre array of pop stars and one hit wonders; it would not be stretching the truth to say Waits was the first extraordinarily talented musician who got my attention.

I love his early stuff, Closing Time, Heart of Saturday Night, and the like - heck, it was the first stuff I was exposed to - but it was Rain Dogs which really made me realise this was MY musik! I was fourteen.

It's the Waits-style introduced on Swordfish Trombones, expanded on in Frank's Wild Years, and finally perfected on Rain Dogs. There isn't a person I wouldn't recommend this album to (thinking about it, I imagine there would be people who wouldn't like it, but it's difficult to conceive!) It mixes the best of his early style with exciting experimentation, his amazing lyrics, and that incomparable voice. The irrisistable mood conjured up on Rain Dogs - one of underworld darkness, unrequited love, rolling good times and uncertain lives - is unmatched among male artists since 1985.

Favourite on this album are the title track,Singapore, Cemetary Polka, Tango Till They're Sore, Diamonds and Gold, Downtown Train and Anywhere I Lay My Head. But all are classic. Waits is a talent rarely seen, especially in the last 30 years. It's a shame that his refusal to conform has resulted in his being virtually unknown in the popular musik scene today, but it also makes his work all the more precious.

While there isn't a Waits album yet I haven't loved for it's own unique and beautiful charactertistics, Rain Dogs is my absolute favourite, and is, I believe, his best. Please, if you only ever listen to one Waits in your life - make it this album.

"Rain Dogs" is brilliant.
Tom Waits is brilliant. "Rain Dogs" is brilliant. Looking through these reviews, it's very obvious that the record is acknowledged by many as a success of rare proportions. That's a safe statement. After all who can listen to these songs - "Time", "Diamonds & Gold", "Blind Love", "Anywhere I Lay My Head", "Singapore" and the rest - and not be touched by them?

I first heard this album in 1985, or possibly 1986, and it caught me in a real big way. Actually, I've been a confessed Waits fan ever since I first heard him sing his GUTS OUT in Jersey Girl. I remember I was blow away by a concert on TV in 1984, the day before I saw Bob Dylan for the first time. Don't know how many times I've put "Rain Dogs" on over the years and found myself taken by his sensitivity. The feelings in a song like "Time" or "Blind Love" will always be precious to me.

This is an adventure. In fact from the time you go onboard the ship sailing for Singapore to the time you close up the experience Tom Waits give you with "Anywhere I Lay My Head" you'll be quite impressed.

The basis for which all jazz/deadpan music should be judged
This album is amazing. From start to finish, no other Waits' album more clearly defines his talent and expertise. This is a disc you will want to hear for many years to come. I have owned it for more than a decade and I still play it every so often. Waits has a unique voice and his lyrics are unlike anything you've ever heard. If you love this as much as I do, check out Frank's Wild Years, Mule Variations, and Bone Machine for more of his best stuff.

not just tourist music
the bloke sings such good songs, and sings them so good, that i'd like to be him. even if he wasn't in America. otherwise i'm satisfied to be drunk, and here. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not for Repeated Exposure
Rock music at its most experimental has the potential to be thrilling. Think Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets; the first time you heard the romantic mumble of R.E.M.'s Murmur; Laurie Anderson's minimalist explorations of post-modern life on Big Science. These were artists that found structures to communicate their needs: Eno's dense glam-metal; Michael Stipe's open-souled mumble; Anderson's reductive dissonance and humor. Animal Collective, which is comprised of Panda Bear and Avey Tare, are looking for their structure on their second release Sung Tongs. It begins thrillingly with "Leaf House" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit" - songs that might have been written by Philip Glass on acid. After that it's folksy weirdness and sound collages and tape manipulations that sound like a baby singing through a mouth-tube. Depending on your taste for strangeness you might just love it. I have my reservations, and love it after a lot of exposure to the mainstream. But not all the time.

be careful
this album is dangerous. ive had no less than 3 psychic meltdowns in the past 6 days after listening to tracks 5 and 7 over and over and over..............................<

try to have fun
This album is dangerous. ive had no less than 3 psychic meltdowns in the last 5 days after listening to tracks 5 and 7 over and over and over .............................

Fair
If everyone listened to the first few tracks and then ran to the computer to write a review, you'd get a long list of 5 star reviews. The beginning is obnoxious, strong, genius, and completely unique. The majority of the album that follows, however, is comprised of instrumental tracks capable of destroying the beauty of the beginning.

Amazingly Creative ..........
One of the most important releases of the year that most folks will never have the oppertunity to hear. I suggest you simply purchase this essential piece of work and let it work its magic on you.............. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Playing Rock's Greatest Chameleon was a great gig while it lasted, but by the mid-80's, David Bowie found his "Changes" led to an ironic dead-end. Yet this 1974 live album managed to distill his quicksilver nature as few others. Ostensibly mounted in support of Diamond Dogs, but sans Guy Peellaert's Ziggy-as-Great Dane imagery (a trick even the notorious pop changeling couldn't turn onstage), Bowie's image and music quickly evolved on the tour, taking on an American R&B-fueled edge that would seep into every corner of this career-retrospective set. Indeed, the musician would pause mid-tour to record Young Americans with the core of the live band here, setting up his Thin White Duke incarnation in the bargain. Culled from shows at Philadelphia's Tower Theatre, this edition has been both remastered and expanded by the inclusion of "Panic in Detroit" and "Space Oddity," marking the first time the complete show has been available. Also includes insightful notes by producer/longtime Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (17)

This is a great concert.
This album is a great album of Bowie at his best; his voice in the late seventies was wonderful, and the set list on this album is as good as it would ever get. Not essential for causual fans, but an excellent addition for those who can't get enough of David.

By the way, the editorial review of this item seems to be for the "David Live" album of 1974, not for this 1978 release.

BERLIN BOWIE - Heroic, Eno-hued,and magnificent.
After an impossible wait, Bowie's 2nd greatest live recording (after the Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars soundtrack) is finally resurrected.I've been waiting forever for this to be released properly on cd, original concert sequence, superior digital upgrades and packaging, and so on.At long last, he's done it!This performance captures the MainMan and his wicked band at their post-coke, pre-sellout, height-of-punk, best.West Berlin in the 70's provided Bowie with the perfect paranoid backdrop to produce the most personal, ambitious, insular, and creative albums of his entire career, hands down.Some of the best tracks off of them are fleshed out live here, to outrageous effect.For a concert recording, this is as good as it gets!!!From "Station To Station", "Warsawza", "Breaking Glass", and Beauty And The Beast", to "Heroes", "Sense Of Doubt", and "Blackout",this masterpiece nails the bitter end of the 1970's with soaring accuracy and alienated majesty.Get it immediately!

Stage, front and center
I purchased both "David Live" and "Stage" on the date of their rerelease. The remastering of "Stage" points out why "David Live" was such a disappointment, and why my value judgement of "Stage" is two stars higher than "David Live."

Vocally, on "Stage," David is in terrific form. His singing sounds effortless and unaffected, even when he bangs his way through Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "Alabama Song." The songs include Bowie at one of his artistic peak periods, with the albums "Low" "Heroes" and "Station to Station" informing the language of his music at the time. He also had two incredible guitarists on this tour, Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew. Roger Powell (on loan from Todd Rundgren and Utopia) put the life into Bowie/Eno synthesizer epics like "Art Decade" and "Warszawa." Engineer Tony Visconti - as he states in the new disc's liner notes - approached recording "Stage" as if he were miking a studio album. And to that end, the horrific technical glitches that so mar "David Live" are completely absent from this album.

An additional benefit is the restoration of the concert's running order to include to leftover songs "Stay" and "Be My Wife." These repairs makes "Stage" flow more organically than the original album did. When you think of Bowie in concert from the late seventies, this is probably what you would have imagined. From the ominous opening of "Warszawa" to the sing-along catchiness at the end of "TVC-15," "Stage" is prime David Bowie. Highly recommended, and infinitely better than "David Live."

4.5 Stars..... Excellent reissue of Bowie's best live album
David Bowie originally issued the live "Stage" double album in late 1978, after a wildly successful world tour. The album was not received very well by either critics or the buying public, but this reissue will hopefully correct that once and for all.

The reissue of "Stage" (2 CDs, 20 tracks, 84 min.) is vastly different from the original double vinyl album. For one, the sequencing of the tracks follows the actual concert (hence starting off with the somber instrumental "Warszawa"). For another, two tracks have been added ("Be My Wife" and "Stay"). CD1 concentrates on songs from the then-current "Low" and "Heroes" albums, with a great "Speed of Life" and "Breaking Glass" as highlights. CD2 showcases older songs like "Ziggy Stardust", "Station to Station" (this live version also shows up on the "Christiane F." soundtrack), and a truly excellent "Stay" (hard to understand why this was left off the original album, it's one of the best tracks on here). It should also be noted that the remastered sound is a remarkable improvement over the original album.

The packaging of this reissue is first class all the way. The CD opens up very cleaverly, it's hard to explain until you actually have it in your hands. There are insightful liner notes from producer Tony Visconti, and to top it off there is a listing of all the dates on the 1978 world tour (interesting to see how many of the US concert sites of those days are no longer around). In all, the new-and-improved "Stage" is essential for any serious Bowie fan.

Overlooked
This is one of Bowie's most criticized albums.I never understood why, considering the quality of the recording and the talent of the band, which included Carlos Alomar, one of the most important figures in Bowie's work, along with King Crimson member Adrian Belew (who seems to have performed with many important groups, the Talking Heads among them), and an incredible rhythm section, which included George Murray hammering the bass.

Tony Visconti, the producer, made some good points in the liner notes, among them that he wanted the quality of this recording to really shine, so he was very careful with microphone placement, even using four mics for the crowd, initially done for quadraphonic sound, but it now helps today with the surround mix.He also mentioned that there are NO overdubs, and only one edit to make sure "Station to Station" was a good take (he put two performances together).The overall result is a crisp and nearly perfect sounding concert.

Bowie's vocals are quite good, almost perfect, but that's Bowie.Bowie's vocal on "Heroes" is stunning, arguably better than the original, and the ending of "Ziggy Stardust", where he holds the note, is amazing. As Visconti has put it in the past, he's a one or two take singer.He can't help that he sings well.So I never understood the critics who said his vocals were too precise.Does he need to cough?Sing off key?

As for the band, they were on fire.Adrian Belew's guitar work was incredible, especially on "Heroes."Another song improved live is "What in the World", which benefits from a slower reggae swing in the beginning.I also love the electric violin on the instrumental "Warszawa".Give Bowie credit for playing his unusual instrumentals live, considering the impatience of American audiences; personally, I think they add to the atmosphere the show.It was a wise decision to re-sequence the tracks in the order of the concert (past versions were chronological).

One of the gems is the previously unreleased "Stay".The band really shines on this track.I wonder why it wasn't included on past versions.

No, I'm not a fan of "Alabama Song", "TVC 15" is a bit fast, and I do wish the guitars were a little more up front in the mix, but these are minor criticisms. This is an overlooked album in Bowie's catalog.Check it out.

(Also, if you can find the three disc version of "Bowie at the Beeb", disc three is from a stunning concert he gave in 2000.) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

ptree s.m.s. -- essential extacy enhanced
"the sky moves sideways" is absolutely essential (6 stars!) early ptree. this remaster contains the s.m.s. titles from the original uk release (the us release was different -- it dropped "prepare yourself" and added "stars die"), plus this has "stars die" and a slightly longer version of "moonloop" (both were on the uk ep)....so already it has enough to warrant buying it....but wait! there's more -- this also has a 34 minute alternate version of the title cut.

110 minutes of aural gratification.

why are you still reading this? you should be ordering this disc!! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Further Proof that PT is the Best Band in the World
I saw these guys last year in Montreal on the Damnation in Absentia tour with Opeth, so I already knew they were an amazing live act, but I was still shocked by Warszawa. I don't usually go in for live albums, as I prefer the studio stuff, but if it's got PT's name on it, I will pick it up. The best thing about this CD is that it's mostly made up of songs off of the Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream albums, which are currently out of print, so it's a great chance for those who don't own those albums to hear some of the songs. The live version of Shesmovedon is astounding, and it was awesome to hear the crowd clapping along at the beginning of Voyage 34.

The production is beautiful, and I would expect no less from Steven Wilson. Every note is crystal clear, there's enough crowd noise to let you know that they're playing live without drowning out the music, and everyone in the band is in top form.

If you've never heard Porcupine Tree before, I think this is as good a place as any to start. You get a good range of their sound (from accessible songs like the 5 minute Shesmovedon to epic ambient explorations like the 12 minute Russia on Ice, and even the extended jam session that is Voyage 34). The fact that the songs showcased are not readily available (pending reissues on Lava/Atlantic) only adds to this album's value. Also, according to their website, this album is a limited edition, so I suggest getting it while you can.

1. Even Less (7:36) 5/5 *
2. Slave Called Shiver (5:08) 5/5
3. Shesmovedon (5:21) 5/5 *
4. Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before it is Recycled (5:01) 5/5
5. Lightbulb Sun (5:59) 5/5 *
6. Russia on Ice (12:26) 5/5
7. Where We Would Be (3:40) 5/5
8. Hatesong (8:36) 5/5 *
9. Stop Swimming (7:08) 5/5
10. Voyage 34 - Phase 1 (12:37) 5/5 *
11. Signify (5:40) 5/5

* My Favorites.

PS. All the 5/5s probably seem excessive only to those who have not heard this album.

could it ever get better?
As someone who discovered PT in 1998 or so, based only on "Waiting" and the Signify album, which I loved, I have foundthe band to be nearly permanently stuck in my car's CD player. In Absentia became a permanent fixture. The quiet songs just blow me away. The harmonies....how could it get better? I got the Stars Die compilation and Coma Divine, but my latest purchase of Warzsaza sent me into raptures. The opening cut, "Even less", has the most gorgeous guitar riff, anthemic and soaring, and the rest of the album takes off from there. Harmonies, fabulous guitar and keyboard work as always, and SW's beautiful vocals. The guy is a genius!! I cannnot stop playing this CD. I am hoping that Deadwing will be as good.

Even Better Live
I thought that PT would find it difficult to reproduce the progressive feel of their studio albums in a live context...boy was I wrong !! Even though the concert was designed to be recorded, the guys do a magnificent job of giving their sound an additional live energy that leads me to conclude it their finest work. If you only get one album this year this is it ! Quite a few tracks from their Lightbulb Sun album with a good mixture from everywhere else.If the hairs on your neck don't stand up at the spacey keyboard riffs of Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth, or the brilliant guitar on Voyage 34, then you don't have a soul for progressive rock.

A great live recording.
I am one of the many fans who became a PT addict after buying In Absentia.Since then I have bought pretty much any Porcupine Tree album I could find-seems to be the trend with new fans.This was my most recent purchase except for Deadwing.

This is a great live recording of the band after the release of Lightbulb Sun.Lightbulb Sun is one of the most beautiful albums I own (then again most of what I own is extreme metal haha) and the songs on here sound just as good live as they do on cd.They don't sound exactly like the album either, in case you are worried that this isn't worth buying.Stupid Dream is one of the only PT albums I haven't been able to get my hands on, but after hearing the tracks on here I am anxiously waiting for the rerelease.The sound quality here is great and the songs, which are great to begin with, are played beautifully.

I have one complaint with this album, and that is with the setlist.Over half the tracks (6 in total) are from Lightbulb Sun, and they are all played consecutively.Unfortuneately the one song from this performance not included on the album was "Tinto Brass" from Stupid Dream.The inclusion of that would have balanced this a bit better but I guess it was the last song so it was the one to get cut.That's really a minor gripe though.Probably should be 4.5 stars.

2001 European Tour Live In Poland
It's been a long wait since In Absentia until the upcoming new CD, so to help pass the time I snagged this up when I spotted a single copy at the music store.I'm glad I did, but I'm a PT convert so that didn't surprise me.

Steven Wilson and company are fantastic live, away from all of Wilson's studio wizardry.There's bands that can't play live and bands who can, and Porcupine Tree definitely can.The band's inventive arrangements make this interesting even if you have the studio albums.

Wilson's guitar solos take the tastefulness and bluesy tone of David Gilmour and mix it with a dose of acid-rock wah-wah, some strummed acoustic and a dash of metal.Richard Barbieri's atmospheric keyboards range from prog to electronica but stay mostly on the prog side.Colin Edwin's bass is outstanding as always, if a bit undermixed here.The now departed Chris Maitland was a monster on drums.

Porcupine Tree is in my opinion quite simply the best band working in the progressive rock field these days, and this live collection bears this out.Can't wait for the new one! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Canada's Godspeed You Black Emperor raise the ante on their already ambitious orchestral rock by releasing a double CD of material as their second full-length album. The group combines the drums and guitar of typical rock-band instrumentation with horns and strings to create a music built around drones and slowly evolving melodic figures. It rises and falls from delicate introductory passages to unabashed grand climaxes. Their juxtaposition of drums with violins and lush romantic tonality brings to mind Rachel's, but their compositional scale and the pounding repetitive intensity of their dynamic peaks evoke Glenn Branca's The Ascension. Although the two discs are indexed at only two 21-minute tracks each, the package includes a handy road map to the movements into which each is subdivided. The opening piece starts with five minutes of a 15-beat circular melodic pattern that is gradually embellished as the volume swells to an ecstatic roar. The release drops down to a pastoral drone that rebuilds to support an acid-etched guitar solo, which in turn yields to a unified 4/4 kraut rock pound that eventually explodes, leaving behind field recordings of public announcements mingled with wandering late-night Swell Maps piano. The other pieces use a similar set of sonic building blocks to take the listener on comparable journeys. Fans of Godspeed's previous work will be very happy, and the curious might want to hop on board as well. --Bob Bannister ... Read more

Reviews (135)

Awe.
Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s second full length attempt continues their tradition of completely extraordinary, breathtaking music. The songs buildup, climax, and end wonderfully. Especially "Sleep", my personal favorite song on the album. The music can be described as an orchestral effort that combines 3 guitars, 2 bassists, 2 drummers, violin, and cello, with eletronic ambience. It is not like 'classical' in overall sound, but perhaps partly in song structure. It is more of a combination of orchestra and rock. Hence, its usually classification in the "post-rock" genre.

You must have patience. There is a lot of ambience within this album. However, it is definitely worth it to listen to songs in their full length, even though they are quite long songs (usually around 20 minutes each.) The songs also contain much buildup: like an approaching thunderstorm, the clouds come in setting the scene for the beautiful cataclsym at hand. The forceful wind arrives and wrecks the setting that was once full of grace. Lightning bolts with thundering crashes fill the scene with fear but awe at the same time...

If you are into creative, beautiful (but also pensive), complex, outstanding bands, look into this album and the rest of GYBE!. If you love dull, repetitive bands and lack patience, then stay away. Simple as that.

An Orchestral Masterpiece
Since its release in 2000, Godspeed You Black Emperor! has influenced many bands on the art rock scene. When the band formed years ago in Canada, as a nine piece band without any lyrics... well, lets just say Im surprised they made it this far.

The album has the illusion that you are listening to a full orchestra, instead of guitars, basses, pianos, etc. The band has amazing talent, and if you aren't afraid of some odd music for just easy listening, then I think this is a wonderful album.

As 20 minutes go by, you still have the sense that you just listened to about 5 songs, not just one, which is what makes this band so unique. They have the ability to take up so much time, and still have the songs not seem monotonous, which is something which hasnt been achieved since the days of full symphonies that WERE pop music.

This is one of my favorite albums to sit and listen to, especially when I'm reading. You dont get distracted by any lyrics that you have the urge to sing along to, and somehow it is softly comforting.

Comprised of two disks, the first disk to me is beautiful and seems more sculptural. The second disk is more violent, more tomultuous, sadder.

This is a WONDERFUL album, and I strongly recommend it to those fans of art rock or modern classical (oxymoron?) If you prefer something with vocals (okay, so maybe this does have some guy talking about Coney Island and then some little kids singing in French, but im not sure those are "vocals") then I suggest a band like Sigur Ros, who has the same eerie type of landscapes. Rockier, go with Mogwai.

Beautifull
First of all this music is not for everyone, some find it boring and repetitive(i hope that I spelled taht correct). However if you enjoy long instrumental music, this is THE album for you.
I discovered this band through a live performance I heard on the radio, I was so hypnotised by the music, that I went out and bought every album they had out. I have to say that this is my favorite together with the slow riot EP. These two records are simply the best in this sort of music.
If you like bands like Mogwai or Explosions in the sky, you should really buy this album. You can also try any A Silver Mount Zion album, they're beautiful as well.

soundtrack to the fall
Right around 1998, American culture transformed. It became, suddenly, the horrible beast it is today. This is the soundtrack for that era, which I term "The Fall." This is the soundtrack for the few intelligent kids set adrift in a society full of morons and paranoid psychos.

This is music for people that have more going on in their heads than "I need to look cool, I need to ride the latest trend, I need to conform, I don't want to think too much about anything."

Mesmerizing
Godspeed You Black Emperor's are without a doubt in a league of their own. There have been just a few albums that have had such a tramendous effect on me and this is one of them. Its very hard to rightly categorize their work because it is incredibly fresh and original. Their music blends in contemporary classical influences (reminiscent of Arvo Part, Gorecki , Morton Feldman ) with a post rock style. The group consists of 9 members with 2 members playing cello and violin. One word that I can think of to categorize GYBE is APOCALYPTIC. This will be the album played when the the world and human kind will come to a dreadful end. What is remarkable about their sound is that the guitars are not used in the traditional sounding manner. The guitars are used in a droning way, evoking spacious and dreamful sounds that fit so well with the string section. Its very easy to forget that what you are hearing are guitars because of them sounding so full and orchestrated. Another wonderful aspect of their work is the slow ambient soundscapes athe begining of each song that work up to a crescendo that later explodes into a large epical and orchestral blast of music. The field recordings heard on some of the intros fit brilliantly with the bleak mood of the music with one of them being children laughing and playing which creates a contradiction to the whole melancholic feeling of what is heard. Behind their tragic sound their lies a sense of hope in each song. Any of Godspeed's recordings should be without hesitation in a music lover's library. I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to experience dreamy and fresh sounding music. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Released in 1969 to an almost total lack of critical acclaim or consumer interest, the Velvet Underground's third album may well be the finest record of the band's career. Without the sonic terrorism of The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat or the ill-conceived commercial concessions that marred Loaded, the album's songs are free to stand on their own merit. And stand they do: "What Goes On" and "Beginning to See the Light" may be the finest flat-out rockers in the band's catalog, while "Pale Blue Eyes," "Jesus," and "Candy Says" are some of the most delicately gorgeous songs Lou Reed has ever penned. There's no evidence here of any of the psychedelic effects and hippie sloganeering that marked most late-1960s rock releases, which is probably why the record still holds up today. --Dan Epstein ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Five Stars Are Not Enough: This Deserves a Galaxy
For their third album, the self-titled THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, Lou Reed got rid of both producer Andy Warhol and art-rocker John Cale. And the result is a surprisingly melodic collection of soft ballads, thoughtful lyrics, and flashes of flat-out fun rock and roll that echos the sound of the band's previous recordings without actually repeating it in any discernable way.

This is the Velvet Underground's most accessible album, the one that most people first experience and find easiest to enjoy. After opening with the meloncholy "Candy Says," a song suggested by the musings of transexual Candy Darling, the band ramps up into a go-go beat with slightly mid-eastern guitar twists for my personal favorite on the album, "What Goes On"--and then settles into a series of equally memorable cuts that range from the soft beauty of "Pale Blue Eyes" to the mantra-like "Jesus" to the good time "Beginning to See the Light." Whether upbeat or meloncholy, Lou Reed's unique style of talk-singing imparts a chant-like quality to the entire album, and although he has sometimes equaled these vocals in later work, he has never really bested them. Of course, the Velvets wouldn't be the Velvets without out at least one truly far-out-down-right-weird selection, and they offer it with "The Murder Mystery," a collage of conversation-like speech and lanquid singing that changes rhythms from moment to moment and which challenges the listener to sort out the individual voices and words. And then the album wraps up with an unlikely 1930-ish tune, "Afterhours," sung by drummer Maureen Tucker--and her completely unaffected, non-singer and off-key voice has surprising unstudied charm, rather like that of a school girl unaware that she is being recorded.

Even straight-laced pop fans will likely enjoy this particular album--and as such it is the perfect place for the uninitiated to begin a journey into The Velvet Underground. Everything about it is beautifully done, and it is a welcome twist to the band's earlier, much edgier sound. Strongly recommended, especially for first-timers.

Linger On
This is one of my favorite all time albums. This compares with great albums like Let It Bleed by the Stones and Tommy by the Who.

Candy Says: This slow enchanting song that opens the album really is a beautiful piece of music. The guitar melody is very kind on the ears and they lyrics really stand out. Lou Reed was at the top of his game here.

What Goes On: This track I don't particularly love or hate. Its got a nice guitar solo but I just never took to it like many other VU fans.

Some Kinda Love: Really good groove tune here. Almost a country twang to it but of course in Velvet Underground fashion. That's a thing I've always loved about the VU is their knack for getting great tone out of their guitars. Nice job by Reed and Morrison.

Pale Blue Eyes: Greatest song ever written. Wonderful melody and some really deep lyrics. It's too beautiful for words. The line "Down for you is up." really hits home to the self destructive tendency in relationships.

Jesus: For a follow up to Pale Blue Eyes this track is pretty outstanding. Not even about Jesus really. Even an atheist like me can dig this VU gem.

Beginning To See The Light: I've loved this song from the first guitar notes. Everyone in the band is probably at their peak here. Kinda like a better What Goes On.

I'm Set Free: Just gets better and better. A lot of slow ones on here. This is a song that skipping it is not an option. Again, great guitar melodies all throughout.

That's The Story Of My Life: For a song thats a minute fifty-six seconds I think its pretty decent. Not really a deep ballad or up beat track its just sorta its own thing. Just adds to the color of the album.

The Murder Mystery: If you can pick out every line spoken in this song my hats off to you. Doesn't seem to make sense at first but towards the end when the piano kicks in it pulls the whole thing together. A truely original song that no other group has created before or since.

After Hours: Mo Tucker's somewhat child like voice makes this track. An oddity on the album but nonetheless it just seems to fit. You may hate it at first but it will grow on you.

That wraps up this review but I'd like to say again this is a damn good album, its just too band nobody really understood the band its first go-around. I've always loved the VU's guitar sound and particularly Reeds lyrics that only someone who went through the kind of stuff he did as a young man can write (Good thing electro-shock therapy has since been put away with).

4.5 stars - severely underrated gem
Velvet Underground (1969.) Velvet Underground's third album.

The Velvet Underground released their first album in the mid-late sixties, and disbanded in the early seventies. Their days as a band were extremely short, but in that limited time that they were together, they managed to be extremely influential and diverse. The band only released four original studio albums, but NO TWO OF THEM SOUND ALIKE. They went through more transitions in their short career than most artists do in long careers! Their second album, White Light/White Heat, was a complete hundred and eighty degree turn from what they did on their debut, Velvet Underground And Nico, and with the third release the band does another complete turn with their sound. Also, for this album, John Cale was replaced with Doug Yule. Read on for my review of the Velvet Underground's self-titled third album.

When I heard that the Velvets had decided to go on without John Cale, I was a bit shocked. He had been such an important part of the band. But, the band's chosen replacement for Cale, Doug Yule, was a worthy individual nonetheless. Sure, Cale's viola would be missed, but this was a new beginning for the band (actually, all of their albums were like new beginnings!) Because of Cale's absence from the band, Lou Reed became more involved in the songwriting process, and this ended up paying off. The songwriting is much more mature than on earlier albums. This album was released to a fairly large lack of interest, which is a real shame, because it's one of their finest efforts. From the beautiful ballad Candy Says, right up to the closer After Hours (sang by female drummer Mo Tucker), this album serves up some damn fine music. It's not quite as good as their debut (in my eyes), but it's definitely close to being the VU's finest recording.

Like with the previous album, White Light/White Heat, the only version of this album readily available in America is the remastered standard version. I was hoping these remasters would contain some bonus tracks, but oh well. We can't have it all, I guess. There IS a version of the album that contains bonus tracks, but it's only available in the band's box set. So, if you're just a casual or mid-level fan of the band, the standard version will do just fine.

The Velvet Underground is a damn fine classic pop-rock act, and they demonstrate it beautifully on their self-titled third album. If you're a fan of the band, I strongly recommend adding it to your collection. If you're new to the band, though, start with their debut, 1967's Velvet Underground And Nico. Lou Reed and his VU cohorts were all musical geniuses, and you can see why on these recordings.

Greatest Album of the 60's
Seroiously. Sit down in your room and listen. The Rolling Stones and the Beatles got NOTHING after the Velvets made this masterpiece of pop & rock & roll. It's lucky that the Velvets got to release this one album in the final year of the 1960's (it happened to be the greatest period in music history). An easy runner up is the first Stooges record. It's a surprise that the Velvets made their best music surprisingly soon after losing their core member John Cale (of course he was busy producing a record I just mentioned earlier). The first two Velvet albums are essentials as well, but this album just has so much powerful song writing and the very rare moment in music history can you hear pain and pleasure draped in black & white. Can anyone not tear up upon hearing Moe Tucker sing "Afterhours?".

Another classic.
This is a must own for classic rock fans. It is, in my opinion, one of the five greatest albums from the sixties. This is in no particular order, they are all five equally essential 1) Let It Bleed---The Rolling Stones 2) Bringing It All Back Home---Bob Dylan 3) Revolver---The Beatles 4) Highway 61 Revisited---Bob Dylan 5) The Velvet Underground---The Velvet Underground ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Vocal and instrumental music in a brilliant combination
This is the album that finally convinced me of David Bowie's genius. Of course, he has help from people like Brian Eno and Iggy Pop (who sings backing vocals on "Sound And Vision"), but this is very clearly a David Bowie album.

The songs are epigrammatic - short terse lyrics - with colourful and interesting instrumental accompaniment. The instrumental pieces (they are NOT songs! and should not be referred to as such) range from disco styled pieces ("Speed of Life" and "A New Career In A New Town") to more pensive, ambient styled and lengthy works on side two of the original LP.

One wonders what Mr. Bowie was listening to during this Berlin period? Gorecki, perhaps? It doesn't really matter because this is a splendid album from one of contemporary music's greatest figures. I feel that his previous albums became 'mere pop music' after the release of Low.

Launching Pad...
I once thought that I knew everything about synth-music (a term I find myself using more often since "synthpop" is a term that just seems to take away from the real meanings behind songs). I once thought that David Bowie was just another glam-rocker from the early 70s who happened to hit it big with Let's Dance sometime in the early 80s, with apparently no consideration as to what happened inbetween. On a whim, I bought David Bowie's latest album, Heathen, and read about the return of the Berlin trilogy producer-Tony Visconti. Upon hearing that album, an insatiable desire for hearing all of Bowie's "electro" material was firmly established. I took a chance and decided to begin at the starting-point of the trilogy.
Low caught me completely off guard. Early industrial came to mind. Then, ambient soundscapes, then...well, I just gave up trying to put a label on everything. It was all just so unique and different, nothing I had ever heard had really touched upon this particular type of sound. The instrumentals, Speed of Life, A New Career in a New Town, and Art Decade seemed so claustrophobic and yet, so expansive at the same time. The seemingly suicidal despair of Breaking Glass, Always Crashing in the Same Car (great titles!), and Subterranians seemed so comforting at the same time. Finally, this was an album with genuine angst, not the commercialized angst force fed by record companies through bands like Korn, Slipknot, or Blink 182. As far as I'm concerned, there's no better album than Low to throw you into the pit of despair, then pulling you out again by actually enabling you to meditate and move on.
Since purchasing this album, I have bought several other Bowie albums, namely Hunky Dory, Station to Station, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters, and 1. Outside. Even after hearing them all ten times or more, Low remains my favorite Bowie album. There's not a single note on it that I would say was wasted.

Bowie's best album
David Bowie's Low is far from both his "folk" work of the early 70s and his "soul" work of the mid 70s. At its higher moments, Low mixes Bowie's knack for songwriting with Eno's amazing instrumentation ("What in the World," "Sound and Vision," "Be My Wife"), but the best moments of the album are Bowie and Eno's collaborative ambient songs on the album's second half.

Low is my favorite Bowie album. It still sounds like the future more than 2 decades after its release. Most people remember Bowie for Ziggy Stardust, but this album is far more impressive. Eno and Bowie used technology to their advantage to make an experimental pop classic.

Yes, it took >25 years for me to admit it, but yes, 5 Stars
I bought it when it came out. A piece of vinyl; that week's purchase. Played it to my friends; we weren't so sure; we weren't saying 'No', but we weren't saying 'Yes' either.

Slide the timer forward to now.

I can look back and realise it's one of those albums which has been in my brain for all that time. Hovering in the background. Understated , but always there in the subconscious.

How do I know? I just picked it up again afer a long hiatus and found out, for the first time, what I had always suspected ~ what a wonderful, wonderful album this is.

I think I'd better say that again, in case you weren't listening - What a wonderful album this is.

Ahead of its time
"Low" is one of my favorite experimental albums. It was released in 1977 and it sounds like it was released in 1980. Peter Gabriel's "melting face" album is obviously influenced by the type of experimentation here. This just shows that Bowie and Eno were brilliant in making experimental music together. Bowie was doing post -punk new wave on "Low" before anyone else. His rampant experimentation and sound scapes are amazing. I like how the album uses the first lyrical songs as a general introduction to the sound scapes, which are the emphasis on the album. The album seems to move the listener through a continuous experience. You really feel that the order and nature of the songs take you somewhere on this album. The experimentation here will set the foundation for post -punk new wave for the next 5 or so years, and this alone justifies the historical importance of "Low." But music fans know that the real test of an album is just listening to it, and this album passes that test by taking you to musical realms you never thought existed.

If you like "Low" then you will probably like some of "Lodger." ... Read more

Album Description

Belew's latest project is the solo album Side One. It's a "power trio" album featuring Primus bass guitarist Les Claypool and Tool drummer Danny Carey. Side One is also the first of three albums (already completed) exploring Belew's eclectic creative tastes. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Back In Belew
This is not a Claypool or Carey side project.This is Adrian Belew backed up by these amazing musicians (on 3 songs). Belew pulls off a great solo album with each song, though different, carrying Belew's idiosyncratic touches. From composition to performance this is a great album. Reminiscint of King Crimson a bit, but Belew indeed with a great new feel. Love the 3 opening tracks ("Writing on the Wall" is awesome and a bit funky). "Walking around the World","Beat Box Guitar" sounds like two guitarists, as he intended to sound on this album, but guess what...it's just him. Amazing!!!

Top-notch Belew, though almost a teaser
With a wildly impressive range of crededentials - sought-after session man, smart producer, skilled drummer, quirky singer/writer, insanely talented guitarist - and having worked with an enormous cast of eclectic musicians in his time, it shouldn't be surprising that Adrian Belew can pack a whole normal career's worth of prowess and variety into one album without breaking a sweat. So what we have here is a batch of nine tracks that sound nothing alike; I guess some mild schizophrenia is really the least we can expect from such a solo effort. Side One clocks in at only 33:08, Ade's view being that it's better to err on the side of brevity than length, but this is still among the most solid releases of his career. A shame it's priced as an album rather than an EP (especially since there's a Side Two *and* Side Three on the way this year).

Within that short window, however, we get spun through a dizzying mix of equal parts brilliant songwriting and wacky instrumental weirdness that could have easily filled up an album twice its length. Les Claypool and Danny Carey add some power-trio punch to make a super tasty freakout out of the first two tracks, then turn "Matchless Man" into a beautiful semi-hypnotic drone with Indian overtones. (That's all they appear on here, but they'll be back on S3.) AB runs the gamut himself for the remainder. "Walk Around the World" is catchy in that twisted kind of way with some weaving Crimsonesque guitar lines. "Elephants" is all abstract meanderings with softly spoken words. Easy to miss is the abruptly snipped "Under the Radar," which is pure straightforward pop with some odd freaky sound effects. The only slight misstep is the squealing/chugging "Madness," which though interesting, wears out its welcome at seven minutes. But if your taste runs to the atonal, you should still like it for its child-frightening value.

I'd definitely recommend this for the already-converted and probably for those curious about the man's solo work, as it's a fairly small & painless taste of what he can do. I just wish it was priced more appropriately.. especially as one part of a whole with more delicious insanity to come.

Adrian Belew Paints Music
Damn. It's been a while since I found a CD so incredibly self absorbed that it paints a picture through cohesive but complex depth.

Adrian Belew is the artist's musician. That is, of course, an opinion. But listening to this CD is like looking at a painting: a painting that you have no idea what it is. You can see a lot of vibrant color and beauty coming from the painting, but you're not exactly sure how to define or label it. That's sort of how I feel about Adrian Belew's Side One. In a sense, the CD lacks identity, but then again, maybe that helps contribute to its appeal.

Truth be told, I probably wouldn't have purchased Side One had Les Claypool and Danny Carey not been involved. I was expecting a jam-album, similar to The Liquid Tension Experiment, or maybe even Gordian Knot. What I got was a CD that was pretty self-indulgent, but more artsy. Don't get me wrong, the Liquid Tension Experiment is very artsy, but this CD gives off a different vibe.

Of course, I was slightly disappointed to find out that Les and Carey are only featured on the first three tracks, but that is really a minor dilemma.

Side One is no King Crimson album, but that's okay. The material here is still very Crimson-like, and if you have spent any time with King Crimson, you won't be scratching your head in belief very often.

I can't recommend Side One for everyone, but it's certainly a good CD. The album holds up well and paints a musical image. This CD isn't as technically flamboyant as The Liquid Tension Experiment or Gordian Knot, but that's okay - the flow of the CD is consistent and the majority of the CD is very rewarding.

tool fans beware
the music on this disc is fantastic. I was excited about the claypool carey teamup (admittedly not much of a prior belew fan)
I have to say though, the lyrics on this disc seem arrogant and forced, this would have been better as an instrumental only disc.

I think that when you team up some musical masterminds, you have to make sure it is a masterwork. This sounds like it was banged out in a short amount of time.

maybe mr. belew needed a little extra cash : )

THE SIDES OF ADRIAN BELEW
From what I understand, Adrian Belew was interested in releasing a short album like back in the day when you got a 30-45 minute record 'LP' with a 'side one' and a 'side two'. Just enough music to hold your interest for at least a half hour. Problem was that he had enough material for more than one album, so he decided to release the album 'sides' as two separate cd's. But it didn't stop there. He still had enough for a third 'side'. Hence the titles 'Side One', 'Side Two', etc. That's the concept behind this. Like getting only half of Abbey Road on a cd and the other half on a whole other disc. Album sides on CD. Ingenious. Or you could just call them EP's.

Adrian Belew is a clever cat who has many 'sides' to his career: On one side he's an experimental guitarist who can make his guitar sound like anything from a hippopotomus being electocuted to a telephone ringing. On the other he can play the part of multi-instrumentalist one-man show or the hired sessionman or equal bandmate who adds his own input wherever it may compliment the music. He's a singer-songwriter with Beatles sensibilities and a Roy Orbison/David Byrne hybrid voice.


Anyway, Adrian Belew has been busy with King Crimson and The Bears(as well as producing other artists) since the mid 90's, and 'Side One' is his first new solo album studio material since 1996's underrated 'Op Zop Too Wah'. So this was a long time coming. What's it like? Well, it kicks. It jams. It's got a killer power trio on a few cuts(Tool's Danny Carey and Les Claypool of Primus), so it's a more rocking, crunching set of tunes. Lyrics are often minimal. This will irritate anyone more interested in his more melodic, 'Beatles-esque' solo material from albums like 'Mr. Music Head'(1989), 'Inner Revolution'(1992) or 'Here'(1994). Clearly he's after an abrasive, Crimson-type sonic assault here. Keep in mind that this is 'Side One', and the other two follow-up 'Sides' are supposed to be different. We shall see. Hopefully 'Side Two' is an experimental side ala 'Desire Caught By The Tail' and 'Side Three' is more song-based melodic pop. But with Mr. Belew anything is possible. The Trax:


AMPERSAND - distorted and crunchy with the drums very in your face. This and the next two are power trio cuts. Play loud.

WRITING ON THE WALL - this one is roughly a discarded King Crimson jam from one of those Collector's Club discs that Adrian reworked here. This one is funkier. This trio does compliment each other.

MATCHLESS MAN - Tool's Dany Carey supplies tabla here on this more quieter but brief track. Musically this one harks back to 'Op Zop Too Wah'. Very trippy, with Ade's trademark guitar skwawks that you may remember hearing from his Crim/Heads days.

MADNESS - A very Crimson type abrasive and nerve-wracking 7 minute instrumental which sounds like what a king Crimson line-up of Adrian, Fripp, John Wetton on bass, drummer Pat Mastellotto and David Cross(violin) would have sounded like. This is the closest thing to that. Play this at the end of a party where guests are slow in leaving. I guarentee an empty room soon.

WALK AROUND THE WORLD - interlocking guitar textures recall King Crimson's Discipline album. This is the only track that has enough lyrics to make it a traditional 'song'. Man, but listen to his fingers play those guitar patterns. His fingers should be tied in a knot after playing that!

BEAT BOX GUITAR - the sounds of scratchy vinyl introduces this slick and groovy instrumental, keeping with the 'record sides' concept. Actually one of his best instrumentals recalling some of his similar stuff from 'Coming Attractions'(2000).

UNDER THE RADAR - a brief 'song' with just voice, guitar and sound fx. Quite pretty, but doesn't go on long enough.

ELEPHANTS - maybe the only throwaway track, not a sequel to 'Elephant Talk' from Discipline. More ominous animal madness from Mr. Belew. Lyrically it's words with an 'E' this time.

PAUSE - just that. A short sound bit that isn't really a 'song'. More like the end of an album side telling you that time to flip the record over. Intermission.

Not his best but still some interesting work from Adrian Belew. I look forward to hearing the rest of the 'record'. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Eno first emerged as a member of Roxy Music, where thesynthesizer player electronically "treated" the band's otherinstruments, the first indicator that the recording process was itself Eno'schosen instrument.His subsequent career has been one of the most provocativein pop, for not only did he devote himself to such obscure pursuits as"ambient music," but he produced vital albums by David Bowie, TalkingHeads, and U2.Eno made a handful of relatively conventional pop albums in the1970s, andAnother Green World ranks with Before and AfterScience as his most enduring solo work.Another Green World findsEno mixing distorted guitars (courtesy of Robert Fripp) with a variety ofkeyboards and exotic rhythms to create a meditative wash of sound that isnonetheless awash with colorful touches.Particularly appealing is the bubbling"St. Elmo's Fire," with a stunning guitar part by Fripp, and"I'll Come Running," in which Eno shows that even a dedicatedexperimentalist can have a soft heart.From the strange-but-true file, PhilCollins contributes drums and percussion to three tracks. --John Milward ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Eno's best album
This absolutely unique, original work never gets old. Though the Ambient albums get more recognition, Eno's compositions on Another Green World are the best, most interesting music he's ever made. Sky Saw sounds just like its title, as do Sombre Reptiles, Little Fishes, and Spirits Drifting. Eno's band does incredible things with their instruments, and come up an album that served as a pivotal point in popular music. Eno doesn't have the most expressive voice, but it doesn't matter. In the context of these amazing songs, it sounds just right. Everything Merges With The Night is just a gorgeous song.

EVERYTHING MERGES WITH THE NIGHT...
Brian Eno's solo material is an incredibly mercurial mix of styles - some albums are made up entirely of songs, some are more experimental and ambient, some are unclassifiable. This recording, originally released in 1975, is a nice mixture, giving the listener a gentle drift into Eno's world.

His releases have always been about much more than just the audio element - and I'm not referring to cover art, although some great examples of visual arts have graced his album jackets, and have been included as inserts as well. There is a visual quality to his music that is such an integral part of the sound that its presence is that of a powerful, almost subliminal force that is felt indirectly rather than in a more overt manner. The mood conveyed by the various pieces on this recording is tangible and real. With some artists, this effect is an illusion - with Brian Eno, it's a reality. His arrangements, while at times giving the impression that they are thrown together piecemeal, anyone who listens carefully to this music will realize quickly that this is far from the case - a great deal of meticulous care has gone into the works represented here (as well as all of his other albums), and the effect of the music upon the listener is deep and premeditated. This is not to say that this music is void of emotion, meaning and even humor - these and many other rewards fill his work.

Eno performs most of the music on this disc - with some help from several very respected friends, such as Robert Fripp, Phil Collins, Percy Jones, and John Cale. The track 'St. Elmo's fire' contains one of (in my opinion) Robert Fripp's most beautiful guitar solos - it starts right after the line '...and we saw St. Elmo's fire spitting ions in the ether', wonderfully illustrating the lyric. Fripp is also credited with 'restrained lead guitar' on 'I'll come running', and turns in a really nice performance on 'Golden hours' as well - the latter played in a more staccato style, as opposed to his usual sustained playing. Eno tailors the sounds of the various instruments to work them into the canvas of each selection - another example of the 'visual' aspects of his art. He's a master at this - and on this, his third album, it's apparent that his career was going to be a brilliant one.

There are several instrumentals included here, and they're great examples of Eno's creativity and imagination. Each one is imbued with its own distinct personality, and the images called up are striking and memorable. The songs have clever lyrics - oft-times mildly humorous, poking a bit of fun at the perceived elitism of 'artsy' composers and musicians - but the lyrics are just another facet of the whole presentation, and very often the vocals could easily be experienced as another instrument, rather than the primary carrier of meaning in the song. For example, in the first track, 'Sky saw', he sings 'All the clouds turn to words, all the words float in sequence - no one knows what they mean, everyone just ignores them', followed by several lines of apparent nonsense to make his point even further.

Although the album has its 'rock' moments, the overall mood is one of gentle, calm observation and experience - returning to the visual art metaphor, imagine strolling leisurely through an art gallery, taking in each painting at your own pace, undisturbed by the world outside or any issues or commitments that might be weighing on your mind. That's the best way to enjoy Eno's music - give yourself the time and space to be absorbed in it. It's a rewarding experience - it was that way in 1975, when I first heard this album, and each time I return to it, I find that to still be the case.

This is just so perfect...so clean...so true...
I have listened to this CD numerous times. It just doesn't age, and doesn't grow boring. Friends come over and ask "wow, what is that playing..." and can't believe when it was recorded. This one was inspired by the muse. Top 100 of all time, in my humble opinion.

Standout solo effort
Of all of his releases, save his collaborations with Robert Fripp and his duo CD with John Cale, this is the most listenable and the most engaging of the lot. What's true about all of these 70's recordings is that you have before you the blueprints for the aesthetics that Brian Eno would bring to the service of Bowie, Talking Heads, U2, and a host of others. Here are the building blocks that would infuse the sensibilities of Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, both the new wave movement and the new age movement. What would become the revolution in recording evidenced by the Berlin-trio from Bowie is in its nascent stages here. Eno is nowhere near the songwriter of Bowie, Byrne and Bono, but his craft in the studio, and the edginess inspired by Fripp, took what would have been the end of any number of careers and found them new life.
This particular Cd has the best of his writing. Fripp plays as though he were co-writer, and Phil Collins still had something to prove as a drummer. Cale reappears as do a number of other colleagues, but essentially, this will come off as a Fripp & Eno project, with words and a dancebeat to it. Keep in mind, HEROES, FEAR OF MUSIC, LOW, LODGER were next up. GREEN WORLD lets you in on the revolution Eno was about to produce.

From the Enoweb site...
Virgin has issued an official statement regarding the problem on the Original Masters version of Another Green World:

"Subsequent to approval of a correct version of Another Green World on reference CD, there was a DDP image file corruption which has affected the track 'Everything Merges With The Night'. Please take your CD back to where you bought it, and the retailer will exchange it for you. Although working as fast as possible to remanufacture, the new discs won't be ready until the end of next week."

So if you plan to buy the reissue, it looks as though you should wait until 11th June at the earliest. ... Read more