Album Description

1998 Japanese reissue on Geffen of their 1993 album with sixhidden bonus tracks: 'Genius Envy', 'Don's Gone Columbia', 'Chords Of Fame', 'Weird Horses', 'Golden Glades' & 'Older Guys'. 19 tracks total. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A few good songs, but nothing special.
Thirteen marks the last full length Fanclub record with drummer/resident jokester Brendan O'Hare. There are a few good songs here (Radio, Hang On, The Cabbage) but after that, the album seems to fall apart. The production seems to get looser and the songwriting seems to sputter into uninspired, boring rock songs. After this album, the band went on to make "Grand Prix", and "Songs from Northern Britain" which are both stronger and more serious releases in my opinion. Fanclub is a severly under-rated band in North America. Which is a dam shame because they never tour here anymore. There are 2 version of "Thirteen". I'm not sure which one this is, but one of them has about 6 bonus tracks. It's very hard to tell the difference because the tracks aren't listed on the back and they are both DGC releases. The songs aren't that great, but they add value. If this is your first Fanclub purchase, try "Grand Prix" or "Songs From Nothern Britain" instead. Also, keep in mind that "Howdy" is just around the corner: October 23rd, 2000.

Much better than Bandwagonesque
Am I the only one who recalls Rolling Stone originally giving the beloved Bandwagonesque one star? While it is indeed a great album, Thirteen is 100 times better. Yeah, it's self indulgent, but so what? Fanclub made this album for themselves, not the fans or the press. Production-wise, it's a lot warmer than its predecessor, and with songs like "Escher", "Hang On", and "The Cabbage", what could be so horrible? Wake up and listen to Thirteen again.

Great album throughout!! I could listen another 100 times.
If this was still the day and age of records or cassettes, I would have worn this album out. I've listened to it completely through a few hundred times over the last 7 or so years, and I'm still not tired of it. It's that good! Get it.

Underrated
Thirteen really was a good record, and at the same time it is easy to understand some of the poor reviews. I like it because it is long and has a lot of great ideas. I can imagine this as being a classic if possibly some parts were re-written or changed. Some of the songs somehow sound like the tape speed has been slowed down. But with these faults aside, you have to admit that it makes an interesting listen and it ages well. And as always with Teenage Fanclub, there is some truly great guitar playing and songcraft.

Fanclub's the Heat
It is true: this record takes more than one listen to reach you. So much the better, I say. After years of ambivalence, I have come to consider Teenage Fanclub a 'top 5' band -- somewhere just below the Beatles, Kinks, and Big Star. All of their records are good, and all have idiosyncrasies. Missing out on Thirteen is a mistake. The extra tracks belong on their own, but they are amazing, too. ... Read more

Album Description

Posthumous double-disc best of from duo whoseunclassifiable sound combined ancient world musics withindustrial electronics. Critically acclaimed throughouttheir 12-year career, both Brendan Perry & Lisa Gerrardhave gone on to successful movie soundtrack work. Thiscollection is released as a more affordable alternative to2001's lavish box-set 'Dead Can Dance 1981-1998'. 26 tracks & a 24-page full color booklet featuring liner notes, songlyrics & photos. 4AD. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dead Can Dance
I have been listening to Dead Can Dance since I was twelve years old, I am now twenty- five. Dead Can Dance has been, for the past thirteen years, my favorite band. They do not fall under any particular genre of music. They are not "dark wave", world music, new age, or gothic. I bought this album here in Germany for fifteen euro (twenty dollars) not realizing it was an import to United States. I thought it was an import to Germany =). Although this album is worth five stars (I am partial- see above) the best album by DCD is A Passage In Time. Its a greatest hits album with two never before released titles. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Primal Scream's XTRMNTR is one of the most intense andinnovative politically charged musical diatribes since the MC5's1969 debut. Approachingelectronic, funk, and alt-punk-based sounds with equal ferocity, thisis arguably the band's finest record yet. The over-the-top brillianceof "MBV Arkestra" (a seven-minute, Kevin Shields-saturatednoise fest) alone cannot be exaggerated. Really! --MikeMcGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (62)

5 years ahead of their time
With this release, Primal Scream surpass all their previous accomplishments and deliver their most impressive album yet. More weighty than Screamdelia and easier to digest than Vanishing Point, Exterminator continues Primal Scream's constant evolution. This is their political rock album, filled with angry political statements, set to the most rocking techno I have yet heard. The guests the Scream got for this album make it worth purchasing on their own, Kevin Sheilds of My Bloody Valentine, Bernard Sumner of New Order, Death in Vegas, Chemical Brothers, among others contribute to Exterminator. Together with Primal Scream, they make the most forward-looking music heard in ages. Every song is brilliant, and the album hangs together as a whole extremely well. "Swastika Eyes", the albums centerpiece, and heard in two mixes (the Chemical Brothers re-mix is amazingly the lesser of the two), is seven minutes long, but delivered with such force and immediacy that it seems like a brilliant 3-minute punk single. This is truly an album every person should own. Dance music fans will enjoy the great beats, Rock fans will enjoy the pounding energy, and fans of new sounds will be simply blown away. The American release of the album includes an extra track not heard in the British release, a cover of a 60's garge band song "I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time." No other words seem sufficent.

Contender for Most Over-rated album of 2000 ?
The British music press have been fawning over Primal Scream and their latest album since the release of Xtrmntr early this year. In their furious desire to embrace a band 'that matters' they have grabbed on to the incoherent and hypocritical adolescent rantings of Bobby Gillespie and co. The first four tracks on this album are of top quality, if somewhat derivative of the Stooges and Velvet Undergound circa White Light/White Heat. They also owe a lot to Mani's exquisite driving basslines, honed in the early 90s with the Stone Roses. After that however, it falters badly. A terrible attempt at white-boy rap with 'Pills';a jazz-rock fusion which Soft Machine would have been ashamed of; a remix of a track already on the album; and the inclusion of a MBV remixed track which had already been released a year ago. Album of the year? I really don't think so.

Difficult, Uncompromising & abrasive, but Superb nonetheless
Primal Scream have never been a band about conformity, from their humble beginnings as a flowered-up rock 'n' roll band ("Sonic Flower Groove"), to the ultimate indie-pop / Dance fusion of the ecstasy generation ("Screamadelica"), through to a melting pot of Alternative Rock, Alternative Dance & Electroncia ("Vanishing Point")...Primal Scream have consistently delivered vastly deferring albums from what went before, and with "XTRMNTR", they not only hand in their most nihilistic, Aggressive and confrontational release thus far, but have made an album that not only matches their career highlight of "Screamadelica" (but depending on who you speak to, possibly surpasses it). Anyone expecting the freewheeling exuberantly optimistic follow up of Screamadelica with be in for a rude awakening, after the first track "Kill All Hippies" rolls into view. Hard edged electronics, interspersed with dialogue laded the start of the track before a commanding kick drum bursts into action and gyrates into full blown brash and unrelenting alternative Rock, and provides a flawless statement of intent.

"Accelerator" up's the aptitude considerably, with a song largely constructed of immense guitar feedback, with singer 'Bobby Gillespie' yelling like a deranged club singer over a thick dense wall of sound, immediately gratifying & although not an easy listen and uniformly relentless in its approach, each listen gathers a greater appreciation for this musical, change of direction.

"Swastika Eyes" would probably be the song that I'd have to cite as my favourite (if forced for a answer), as it has some of the most visceral guitar playing I've heard in ages, with house-influenced bleeps and Dance rave drums, this is the Dance / Rock crossover songs that Primal do so well, and Bobby holds up his end of the deal with a half sung/half spoken delivery that belies it's political beliefs, yet feels abrasive, hedonistic & gleefully innovative.

"Pills" is shouty punk-Rock done expertly, it's construction is simple and a far more laid back prospect, consisting of not much more than simple keyboard & Drum patterns, with another nod to dance music breaks layered over the top, Bobby Gillespie elevates this track to greatness with vocal of pure shouty apathy & disillusionment, that is a million miles away from the screaming energetic vocal of previous tracks, this is one of those tracks that is either a Love it/Hate it track, possibly appealing to those, with an appreciation of Punk-Funk music in their music collections, especially as the track contains a verse with some of the most concentrated amount swear words in a song.

"Blood Money" again confounds the listeners expectations with an instrumental Jazz/Bass Guitar fusion, the Jazz element in question is a seemingly referencing of many of B-movie spy Thrillers that featured 60/70's jazz as their musical score, all horns and Sax, that is not unlike something off a 'David Holmes' album. Coupled with a sublime repeating, groove laden bass Guitar rhythm. This is amongst the most surprising of the tracks included, not because of a drop in musical quality (if anything it's another personal fave), but because it's so defiantly different from what's gone before on the album, that the stylistic change is undeniably surprising, but for an album this is so rigidly non-conformist & experimental, this should be welcomed with open arms, and those (like me) that actually like the odd instrumental arrangement included in a vocal album, this stands out for it superb composition.

For those looking at making the purchase for this album, the question is.."Is it worth 5 Stars??", and the answer is 'Most Definitely....but is it something I'd recommend to everyone, or buyers of the Primal Scream's earlier albums??. Here the answer isn't so clear cut, and a hefty "Try Before You Buy" warning is the best advice I can give. It's not the quality of the album that in question here, but more to do with the fact that this is so far removed for what went before, that some people will buy this with fond memories of the Rave-influenced "Screamadelica" or the Electronic passages of "Echo Dek" in mind. And this album couldn't be more far removed for those two. "XTRMNTR" is a hostile, unrelenting, abrasive, anxious & Difficult listen. And those not knowing what to expect will be in for a 'Rude Awakening', but if you can handle (or indeed enjoy) this jump of genres from: Alternative Rock, Alternative Dance, Electronica, Alternative Punk & and small heaping of funk, this is easily their most demanding album yet, but curiously also one of their best. If your not prepared to give the investment, then I'd say avoid this, and look elsewhere.....but those undeterred by the prospect of Primal's most confrontational album, will possibly even give this the nod over "Screamadelica".

XTRMNT! XTRMNT!
does this album deserve 5 stars? YES IT DOES.
but, are there any tracks that you'd want to skip after listening a few times...yes there are. The toothless chemical brothers remix of swastika eyes and possibly blood money are 2 tracks that i would have removed from the tracklist. Every other track is filled with venom and spits at you like a cobra..a must buy

Techno-punk?
This is one of the most abrasive and bizzare peices of music i have ever heard, and i can't stop listening to it. This is what i would call new age punk music. Fast dance beats melded with layers of guitar feedback, thumping bass and even free jazz. Top that off with harsh political rantings that would make Rage against the machine take notice. "Swastika eyes" is Anarchy in the UK 2k. XTRMNTR is one of the few true musical statements to come out in recent years. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The bad news: Alone with Everybody, the first solo venture by the Verve's ex-lead singer Richard Ashcroft, is not as good as the Verve's pinnacle departure album, Urban Hymns. The good news: it's really, really close. Urban Hymns's elongated, psychedelic space jams and reflective, occasionally plaintive themes seeped osmotically into the listener's every cell, becoming gloriously inescapable. The melodies on Alone with Everybody remain within the parameters of the Verve's last album, carrying over the massive swells of orchestral strings; mellowed, trippy, blues-influenced guitar licks; and Chris Potter's dense production. Initially, the impact is slightly diminished because Verve fans will find it very familiar. But Alone is less cathartic and more resolute because Ashcroft has found real love. As you'd expect from such an adept and introspective songsmith, Ashcroft's love songs are not schmaltzy.This isn't the kind of love that can be expressed through the ear-splitting wail of a pop diva or the jangly chorus of a college-rock quartet. Songs like "You on My Mind in My Sleep," "Crazy World," and the heart-wrenching "On a Beach," reveal a love that is consuming, complex, fragile, and obtained at the conclusion of an exhausting, painful war with the self. The album sprawls in expansive contentment--a contradiction in terms understood perfectly by anyone who's ever loved so deeply, humbly, and unexpectedly that they've needed nothing else. --Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Long Overdue Return
It seems like an awful long time since I last heard Richard Ashcroft on the Verve album 'Urban Hymn's',but the wait has definitley proved worth it.I was a bit worried before I got the c.d. because many of the reviews were unfavourable.Many critics seemed to cite Ashcroft's use of session bass player Pino Pallodino as a sign that he'd made a bland middle of the road album.They based this on the fact that Pallodino had done much of his work with Paul Young in the mid eighties.Well I have to say that I didn't hear any similarities on this album to anything done by Young.In fact I don't think it is a bland c.d. at all.The up tempo tracks still sound like The Verve.The slower numbers are also excellent.He uses strings quite often on this c.d. to great effect,like on the track he did for UNKLE.The c.d. starts off on a strong note with 'A song for the lovers'.The next four songs are slow low key ballads,with 'I Get My Beat' sounding like any verve song.The session players used on the album are excellent and each of these songs have strings used in the background.The production is really polished-maybe too polished for some peoples liking.Track 5 'You On My Mind,...'sounds like a definite potential single.Track 6 'Crazy World' is a quicker rock song that really reminds me of his previous work. The second single 'Money To Burn' has a catchy,cheerful feel to it ,which goes against the general mood of the album.An even better up tempo song is 'C'mon People' which belts along with along with a piano as the main driving force.This is by far the most commercial song on the c.d. and sounds quite different to anything he's done before.I think it works as it's a nice break from bleaker songs Richard Ashcroft is normally associated with.Even more unusual are the lyrics at the end of the song where he sings 'I feel fine now'.The c.d. closes with the excellent slower song 'Everybody' complete with customary steel guitars.This c.d. is a real welcome return of one of rocks more interesting characters.

An Album For Lovers
Anyone who accuses Ashcroft of becoming the next Paul McCartney (happy, content and rich), ought to re-listen to some of the tracks from his sublime solo CD. If songs like "Crazy World", "On My Mind In My Sleep" and "On the Beach" don't sound like some of the most complex, emotional tales Ashcroft has ever woven about hanging onto love as a means of survival, then I give up. I'm glad to hear Ashcroft hasn't lost his edge despite the high profile and extremely disappointing breakup of The Verve. While the CD doesn't capture the defiant zeal of "Urban Hymns" (a CD hadn't left my CD changer in the two years since I bought it), it cerainly contributes a deeply personal and romantic element to an otherwise bland British pop scene, which has seen the breakup of the Verve and the slow and painful death of Oasis. Ashcroft's love songs are something which has been missing from music for a long time.

Ashcroft's solo debut
Richard Ashcroft's first solo album follows much of the same formula as Verve albums. Most of the songs are leftovers from the Verve days but they are still a very tasty treat. Highlights include "C'Mon People (We're Making It Now)" and "Money to Burn", the latter is six plus minutes of abandonless music, and one of the hidden gems among all the Verve and Ashcroft songs. Ashcroft's solo debut has songs about love and life, and a general embracing of life where the early Verve albums were quite dark and dreary. Either way, good music is good music, and this is much better than average stuff. Recommended for fans of Verve, and fans of Rock/Indie.

POWERFUL-MINOR FLAWS
Excellent solo debut by Ashcroft. I am a huge Verve fan and think Ashcroft is by far one of the most honest, committed, and talented songwriters around- like most UK bands (As compared to money hungry US bands) he lays his emotions on the table for all of us to share.

There were big expectations on this CD following Urban Hymns and he deivered for the most part. The only problems I have with it are that is highly over-produced which sort of takes away from some of the more raw emotion and passion in his lyrics and too many of the songs try to hard with extended jams at end. I'm all for 5 minute songs with extended endings but he tries a bit too hard with some, and since so many of the songs sort of follow that formula it takes away from the real stand-outs. Some should be shorter and left to extend live. Also, he sounds a lot like Neil Diamond on some songs which is a little creepy but not a critism.

But, those are nitpicks and I have high music standards so if you are into artists who care about their craft rather than how to best market and sell CD"s then pick this up.

I think almost all US artists should be required to go to "training" in UK before they release a CD.

This is real music.
The Verve were a great band. This is not Yhe Verve, but it is still great. Do not expect the music on this album to be exactly like The Verve. It isn't. The songs you will find on this album are similar to Ashcroft penned songs written later on in The Verve's career, like History, The Drugs Don't Work, and Lucky Man, but mostly gone are the long dreamy psychedelic jams.

But that's ok. This isn't The Verve. It's just Richard Ashcroft, and that's good enough. In my opinion he is one of the best song writers alive today, and there are many fine examples found on "Alone with Everybody". My favorites are Everybody, I Get My Beat, You on My Mind in My Sleep, and On a Beach. The rest are also very good. There is not a single bad song on this album, I love them all.

I loved The Verve, and though they are gone and will never exist again, I have moved on and am thankful that Richard Ashcroft is still around to amaze me with each new release. Long live Ashcroftism! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Never shy about letting listeners in on their biggest influences--a later Spacemen disc was titled Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To--this British trio crafted some of the most genuinely psychedelic music of the '80s and '90s before splitting into Spiritualized and Spectrum/EAR. The Perfect Prescription should appeal to fans of the former band, with its dazzlingly layered treatment of songs that, when pinned down for analysis, actually prove to be pop in its most majestic sense. The constantly oscillating guitars of Jason Pierce and Pete "Sonic Boom" Kember, seldom shackled to anything as pedestrian as a standard beat, are unparalleled in their ability to take listeners on a journey to the center of the mind. Devotees of the earlier psychedelic era should note the presence of an extended, demented cover of the Red Krayola's "Transparent Radiation." --David Sprague ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Overrated and overhyped, but some good songs
Spacemen 3 are one of the most overrated and overhyped bands of the 80s. Everyone seemed to want them to be the Second Coming of the Velvets, but they truly lacked the imagination, the melodic sense, and the sense of drama. That being said, this is probably their second best album, but only in the TAANG! edition. Its major flaws are that the songs are mostly all in the same key, and their drones are not really that interesting. Pluses: "Walkin' with Jesus" and "Take Me To The Other Side." But in all honesty, Spiritualized is a much, much better band. And the near total absence of any drums does not help at all here. Even the Velvets needed Moe Tucker slamming that bass drum to keep in line. Without any earthbound roots, too often the Spacemen dissolved into empty, purposeless blizzards of feedback. Overall the CD has a numbing effect. Listen to it once a month and you'll get something out of it; more often than that, and it'll seem dead boring.

A Perfect Introduction?
Apart from the Revolution 12" this was my real introduction to Spacemen 3. Some of my friends thought it/I was weird - but I didn't care. What a record. The cover of 'Transparent Radiation' must be one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. 'Take me to the Other Side' is pure rock'n'roll energy and excitement. 'Ode to Street Hassle' (their tribute to Lou Reed) is appealing in its catchiness - but it is no pop tune.

This is a heavily drug influenced record - "In 1986, all I want to do is get stoned. All I want for you to do is get yourself a little higher." What more needs to be said?

Take this gem to the counter of your local record store and say its been prescribed to you - I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

bliss consciousness
Transcendent bliss that takes you way up before you crash hard. . . . Essential.

lost in space, gladly
this was the singular record that flipped my ear over to genuinely druggy noise. the title of their first record (taking drugs to make music to take drugs to) really says it all. this isn't for the A&R hacks or critics or catalog dweebs, it's for the stoners who want to go home and get into a deep nod to something made for just that. comparing it to other things or even really describing it is sort of beside the point; it's not so much music as a situation, an ocean to lose oneself in. the reviewer that says it has little noteworthy musicianship or some such is missing the point altogether. and man if you find anything at all redeemable in Spiritualized, go try this, the real thing (man, did jason go on Prozac or something? what a bunch of fluff they make now, yuck). Sonic Boom continued on as Spectrum, which made some good stuff, as well as some fabulously narcissistic drivel, then later on to become E.A.R., which keeps pumping out top quality leftfield trippiness. This is an essential record if there ever was one.

Not for Everyone
I will not go on about how brilliant this album is, or that any one who is into Brit-pop, Indie, shoegaze, what-have-you, ought to get Perfect Perscrition. Truth be told, it is more or less an inaccessible album that neither features noteworthy musicianship nor lyrics. But, that is not to say that it is not good and quite appealing to a minor contingent of people, myself included. Yes, it is drony. Yes, it is repetitive. And yes, the lyrics are a bit hokey, waxing everything from religious fervor to indulgent drug banter. Yet there remains something immensely appealing about Perfect Perscription, hence its near cult status. In some ways Perfect Perscription might even be the quintessential Spacemen Three album.

Featuring everything from blues to gospel, to quiet ruminations about addiction, and to halucinatory space rock (the only description I can conjure to describe what is in all liklihood the best track and worth the money - Ecstacy Symphony), Perfect Perscription runs the gammut of musical styles while staying well within the confines of the more basic genre of go-lightly indie guitar rock and certainly the more specific Spacemen 3 brand of minimalism.

Perfect Perscription is not pop, but nor is it necessarily experimental. The songs range in length from the standard three to four minutes to the ten minute Ecstacy Symphony and even the seventeen (yes, seventeen!) minute Rollercoaster, making it somewhat reminiscent of the early days of ambient techno like the orb for example. And indeed it is easy to treat Perfect Perscription in similar fashion, keeping it as background rather than as something that one intends to carefully decifer or examine. Hence, the persnickety musician will be a bit disheartened to hear simplistic guitar work. But, as I believe, there are musician's bands and there are listener's bands, and often the two do not meet. Spacemen Three is a listener's band, or, if it is a musician's band, it is one for those willing to take music to a new level and are not afraid of throwing away the rules of rock.

As a last caveat, some may be interested in Spacemen Three based upon their affiliation with Spiritualized. (In case you did not know, Jason Pierce, one half of Spacemen Three, is the frontman for Spiritualized.) While sharing a somewhat similar tone to Spiritualized, Spacemen Three are quite removed from the former's richer and more pop-oriented stylings. However, the other half of Spacemen 3, Sonic Boom, has several releases under the moniker Spectrum as well as his own name that are more akin to Spacemen 3. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Awash in the same Britpop romanticism of their debut Love Is Here, Starsailor's Silence Is Easy strains with the weight of the band's next-big-thing status. In response to the clamor anointing them as the next Verve or Coldplay, Starsailor try to meet the expectations with sheer weight of conviction. They even lured legendary producer Phil Spector out of retirement to boost their sound into new realms of lovelorn sincerity. Occasionally, it works; "Music Was Saved" opens with a burst of sunny, Echo and the Bunnymen-like pop, as singer James Walsh sweetly layers his delicate voice through a brisk, catchy chorus. Also impressive is the title track, thick with tender emoting and soaring melodies. Too often though, the band gets stuck in syrupy sentiment, like a cover band playing to the cheap seats. Ballads like "White Dove" try for melancholy allure, but come closer to maudlin excess while emphasizing Walsh's lack of dynamic range. This may not be the big "statement" record they tried for, but getting the attempt out of their system will hopefully allow them to relax and tap their considerable pop savvy in the future. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Promising
Like The Verve, Starsailor is from Wigan, which is very northern. It's a cold and bleak place. Starsailor hasn't really made an impact in America yet. They are lesser known that Coldplay, Travis, and Doves. Now there are a bunch of American bands jumping on the earnest rock bandwagon. The field is crowded. Starsailor stands out still because of great songs like "Fidelity" and "Silence Is Easy." But the rest of the album doesn't make a strong impression. James Walsh is a talented singer and songwriter. This time out they even got Phil Spector to help out. His bad mullet and all. While The Beatles are busy releasing records without the handiwork of the Wall of Sound man, Starsailor are brining himself back to pop music. Spector must have been affected by the experience. He killed some bartender at House of Blues soon after. Maybe he could have stayed on for the whole record. Easy listening was popular during the 1970s too. Jackson Browne and Fleetwood Mac were very popular for some reason. Songs like "White Dove" are not bad, but I am sure that Starsailor hasn't made their great record yet. It may be a collector item in the future because it will possibly be the last record Phil Spector did.

The band sold out
Ok, I loved the first album by Starsailor. They seemed like old souls singing to the rest of us, tapping into our sub-conscious. This album finds Starsailor devolving into pop stars. The songs are shorter, the music assaults your senses, the lyrics are almost screaming at you.

If you like pop music, you'll love this album. If you liked the dark undertones, deep lyrics and undulating melodies of their first album you'll only be disappointed by Silence Is Easy.

If you're a newcomer to Starsailor, buy Love is Here instead. The melodies in Love is Here sneak up and wind themselves around you, Silence is Easy leaves you feeling like you just ate a McDonalds super sized value meal, you're full, but an hour later you're left unsatisfied.

Overrated
This album could have been good. The tunes are ok, the lyrics are nice, no gripes on that. But the sound is very flat, it lacks depth and warmth (which is terrible for a pop album). And there is a bit too much orchestra in the background.
I was much more thrilled by Turin Brakes' "Ether Songs", or even Moloko's "Statues", which both display amazing arrangments, and an outstanding sound.

-
i'd probably really give 3.5 stars but that's beside the point. when love is here came out i was one of the first to buy it and then no one really had any idea who starsailor was. they promised to make their follow up cd different from the first and it deffinately was. silence is easy wasn't a bad cd really; it just wasn't spectacular. i don't think follow up cd's are ever as good as debuts because by the second time around artists now have a crowd to please. popularity generally wins over creativity and starsailor proved this to be true. there were a few excellent tracks near the end but i predict that with the release of their third album starsailor will become mainstream and cultivated by society into a pop culture disaster.

Coldplay and Doves: watch out!
After a rather succesful debut, which propelled the single "Fever" into collective awareness, the brit quartet came back in 2003 holding hands with legendary produced Phil Spector (who came out of retirement for this one) to shift producers after two tracks were completed: the contagious title track and "White Dove". With their recording engineer, Danton Supple, a disciple of Steve Lillywhite and Brian Eno, taking charge of production, the band completed an album that can be powerful (largely due to the combination of lyrics with the dramatic timbre of singer James Walsh) while it's peaceful in a sense. If there is a band that Coldplay should be "concerned" about, it is Starsailor, precisely because of the delicate balance that they're able to accomplish: almost easy to listen, while being able to easily strike a chord with the listener.

My favorite tracks: the opening song, "Four To The Floor" and "Born Again". So, you may be wondering, after so many positive comments, why don't I give 'Silence is Easy' five stars? Because there's only so much of the same that you can take. The one problem with this album is that it becomes repetitive after a while, so once you've heard 3-4 songs you've almost heard them all. Otherwise, another very nice act to keep eyes wide open for, in the future. Coldplay and Doves: watch out, Starsailor is on your backs! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most bands, when they want more attention, pump up the volume. Not Elbow. The Manchester quintet's second full-length is quieter than their debut, Asleep At the Back, luring listeners into its clutches with weird sonic details: the twinkling electronics that open "Ribcage;" stuttering guitar feedback on "Not A Job." Equally seductive are singer Guy Garvey's vocals, full of hushed gravity as he mutters thumbnail sketches of characters ranging from nasty buggers ("I've Got Your Number") to his band mates ("Snooks"). Underlying all the subtle touches are some deceptively catchy tunes: the clap-along shuffle of "Buttons & Zips;" a love song from the other side of the world ("Fugitive Motel"), and another that spins as slowly as a lonely satellite ("Switching Off"). Thousands also includes cameos from members of Doves and Alfie, and, on the final bars of the swelling "Grace Under Pressure," a Glastonbury festival audience--the second time through, you'll probably join in, too. --Kurt B. Reighley ... Read more

Reviews (16)

"Thousands" is worth it
Manchester band Elbow rose to fame in the UK with their moody debut "Asleep in the Back." In "Cast of Thousands" Elbow takes a slightly different tack. The music is a little smoother, the album altogether a bit more cohesive, and its lovesick melancholy brings to mind a sunny day temporarily obscured by clouds.

The opening track, "Ribcage," is a gradual buildup accentuated with a gospel choir, followed by the vaguely funky "Fallen Angel," the brilliantly bluesy "Fugitive Motel," the magnificent "Grace Under Pressure," the African-inspired "Snooks (Progress Report)," the insanely catchy "Buttons and Zips," before rounding off on the same solid note it started with on the brief "Flying Dream."

"Cast of Thousands" somehow manages the impossible: it hangs on to frustration and dreariness , while managing to shift into a more optimistic space. Basically it's a collection that has retained its edginess, but is able to sing a little wistfully, "I blow you a kiss/It should reach you tomorrow/As it flies from the other side of the world..."

The more typical drums'n'percussion are joined by string sections in such songs as "Fugitive Motel," which adds an extra dimension to it. Not to mention barking dogs, tambourines, accordians and sprawling synths. Only the African drums start to drag. And the music is layered in a peculiar way, shifting the guitar and bass over one another. As a result, the instrumentation is richly layered like a gourmet cake.

Singer Guy Garvey is rather reminiscent of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, but a little more hesitant. He sounds unsure in many tracks, as if he isn't sure how he should sing with the music flowing behind him. And in some of the tracks, the London Community Gospel Choir provides a panoramic sweep of backing vocals.

Elbow is still in fine form in "Cast of Thousands," a rich slice of lovelorn pop-rock that will appeal to fans of diverse, intricate music. A must have.

Moody Ethereal Music for the Soul
Having been turned on to British music for some time, and having purchased many outstanding albums from bands like Travis, Coldplay, Radiohead, Beck, and Oasis, I felt there had to be more bands that so enthusiastically celebrated classic rock sounds. Thankfully, Amazon catalogs people's purchases so that we in the states can sample music that other like-minded people bought. That's how I found Elbow. Cast of Thousands is an outstanding album that deserves to have its tracks analyzed individually...so here goes:

1. Ribcage - (*****): Like the mantras offered ala their previous album, this song builds from quiet and unassuming lyrics and music into a multi-layered experiment in cobra-swaying grooves and gospel choir shimmies. Outstanding track.

2. Fallen Angel - (*****): This ruckus romp is as close to mainstream rock as I've heard from Elbow. It does remind me of Peter Gabriel as other reviewers have mentioned. I love the bass sax sound that is achieved by the guitar player. This song would be best played at high volume while cruising the strip in a convertable...

3. Fugitive Motel - (*****): Fugitive Motel is a beautiful song that has superb music provided by a mix of piano, orchestration, upright bass, guitar, and jazz-style drumming. Simply breathtaking in its breadth of emotionally inspired lyrics and music, this song is a standout among the album.

4. Snooks - (*****): The driving beat of this number is enough to drive an already shaken soul into spiritual submission...then when the Ennio Morricone-inspired guitar and orchestration with interesting synthesized sounds begin, the tune just speaks and the music erupts into sonic jolts--parts of this song belong in the cinema--outstanding.

5. Switching Off - (****1/2): This song begins with simple drum beats accompanied by a tamborine and what I would swear is an old-style reed organ. This motiff is repeated for the primary verses, while the chorus builds musically with excellent instrumentation and wonderful use of volume to evoke emotion.

6. Not a Job - (*****): Probably the most uptempo song on the album, Not a Job is also one of my favorites. The layers upon layers of music and vocals are expertly composed and performed. This track definitely showcases the band's musical and lyric prowess and could be a hit single if great music were better appreciated these days.

7. I've Got Your Number - (****): This is one of the most bluesy/jazzy number on the album. I can almost see the smoke taking various form in the spotlight while the bandmembers, wearing sunglasses, drop ash from quickly disappearing cigarettes. Moog intermission is disruptive, but welcome in this slow-groove. Good track.

8. Buttons and Zips - (*****): Almost a return to the Snooks groove, this ditty is probably the most infectiously groovy one on the album. I immediately loved the way the lyrics are sung in the same pace and notes of the musical accompanyment--the effect is one of voice actually being used as a musical instrument...having all of the same percussive and tonal qualities. This one is definitely a head-bobber. Tops

9. Crawling with Idiot - (***1/2): This is a return to the bluesy/jazzy sound of I've Got Your Number. If you like one, you'll like the other. All in all, not the best track, but one that fits well among the others. I sometimes skip this one.

10. Grace Under Pressure - (*****): Just like the mantra of the first song, this one also builds into a crescendo of magnificent proportions; and just like the first song, accompanying the Peter Garbriel-like crooning is a full gospel choir. This is a standout track on an already outstanding album. An instant favorite of mine, this is bound to be a fan pleaser.

11. Flying Dream - (****): A punctuating song that is brief, to the point, but yet maintains the feeling and musical greatness of the rest of the album.

There you have it. An album that has more than enough 5-star rated tunes to require an overall 5-6 star rating. If you like British bands mentioned in the opening paragraph then you'll love this album. Pick it up today and you won't be disappointed.

a thousand times better
This band should never work. It is a band of misfits. They are from Manchester. They have been playing for years. They put out a very good album a few years ago. They have played to millions. Now they are doing the music that they always wanted to do. Guy Garvey is one of the most interesting dudes in music right now. He sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel. Garvey is no nonense. "Ribcage" comes on like a song played after the party is over. "Fallen Angel" is Elbow at their most intense. There is a lot of noise and experimenting on this record. Elbow is a hybrid of many conflicting ideas. "Not A Job" is a fine song. It combines quietness and mood. They have always been about making beautiful sounds and beauty.

Awesome
Absolutely amazing. Intensely atmospheric, haunting, moving, mysterious, beautiful. I am so glad to have discovered Elbow thru Amazon's "people also bought..." lists! Much more interesting to me than South or Doves, and light-years beyond wanna-be's like Starsailor. I'd class them with Coldplay, though that group is far more pop-oriented; where Coldplay's music washes over you with its lyricism and grace, Elbow's got a deeply quiet forcefulness that makes you lean forward and listen hard. One of the best albums I've bought in years.

Great band, bad album
I'm not sure how anyone who has listened to this band's debut, "Asleep at the Back," could give "Cast of Thousands" five stars. Elbow have taken a decidely different direction with their second album, and that's all well and good. The music, however, is not.
There is nothing on this record that even comes close to the musical, lyrical and ethereal qualities of songs like "Newborn" that made the first album so engaging.
There are a few songs on Cast of Thousands (Ribcage, Not a Job) that merit repeated listens. The rest is simply boring.
"Fugitive Motel" might have great production, but what good is that if the song doesn't go anywhere?
Experimenting is one thing. But making something out of that experiment is something entirely different. I think Elbow have really missed the mark this time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Blowing away any hint of its shoe-gazing past, Catherine Wheel have matured into a swaggering, boys-with-big-guitars outfit capable of turning on the style and mainstream appeal. "Little Muscle" and "Shocking" are standout songs.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Something wrong here, but has moments of greatness
This is the Catherine Wheel's least accessible album. It is just too abrasive for the most part. It has some excellent tracks, though: God inside my head, Heal, Eat my dust..., and Judy Staring at the Sun are some of their best, but the rest are rather tough going. I totally agree with the other reviewer who said that most of the tracks sound like bad Smashing Pumpkins; too fast & harsh. But if you're a CW fan, you'll like at least some of this.

Can't go wrong with this one
As with some of Catherine Wheel's albums, this one takes a little getting used to. Once it starts to grow on you, however, there is no denying the true genius in their music. This album definitely isn't their easiest one to conform to quickly. If you are looking for a good Catherine Wheel starter album, try Ferment first. That was my first exposure to Catherine Wheel and it was one of those albums that you learn to love on the first listen, from beginning to end.

Happy Days has quickly jumped to the top of the list when I think of the best albums from Catherine Wheel. It has a good mixture of songs. I like to consider it a blend of song types from both Ferment and Chrome; some hard songs and some beautiful slower tunes. The gutiar and vocals that are found in almost every Catherine Wheel song makes any album worth the purchase.

I wouldn't recommend Happy Days for the first time Catherine Wheel buyer, but it is definitely a must have for anyone that is remotely familiar with their music. Songs like Hole, Kill My Soul, Shocking, and God Inside My Head qualify this album as money well spent....

"It's how high you are and the time it takes to heal"
Happy Days is the third and last of the great albums put out by Catherine Wheel (IMO, the next release, Adam & Eve, was a few steps backwards for the band). The title is very ironic as this album is the band's most intense, angry, heavy, and abrasive release. As always, they start off with a rocker. "God Inside My Head" is very heavy: "A mushroom cloud!" Almost metal with killer guitar and bass but also catchy with excellent duel vocals. "Waydown" was the first single off this album and I was not impressed with it. Most of the tracks here are much better. "Little Muscle," and "Empty Head," are killer rockers. "Receive" is amazing and offers some of Rob Dickinson's best vocal work: "I destroy myself!" "Hole" is also a highlight in tortured vocals. "My Exhibition" is almost thrash. More accessible tracks include the catchy "Shocking" and "Judy Staring at the Sun," the latter of which features the backing vocals of Throwing Muses co-founder, Pixies and Breeders vocalist, and Belly founder Tanya Donelly. The ultimate gem here, however, is "Heal." I could almost to put this track ahead of "Black Metallic" as Catherine Wheel's best song but...not quite. It's close, though. It is unbelievable and worth a CD purchase by itself. Happy Days broke Catherine Wheel out of the shoegazer mold. It is not their most solid album (was "Eat My Dust You Insensitive ****" really necessary?) but is still excellent. If you like your alternative rock on the heavy side, this album is for you. Rob Dickinson's heavy metal relative Bruce Dickinson may have had an influence on this album!

Sexy, Self-Obsessed, Very Intense
This is heavy, guitar-driven rock. HAPPY DAYS has much more of a conventional rock sound than the dreamier atmospheric guitar wash of previous albums, but the music is far from typical. The album tackles the subject of self-indulgence (not unfamiliar ground for CW) both celebrating it and portraying its ups and downs. Relationships are also explored as well as drug behavior and self-destructive thinking.

As good as the heavy songs are (most fit that description), the slow songs could be the best. "Eat My Dust You Insensitive F***" has a quiet power that really grabs hold while "Fizzy Love" is encircling, sensuous and sexy. Its string section is brilliant, too. Each song is truly great except for the limp "Shocking" and "Judy Staring At The Sun." "Judy" is good but not the greatest. I do like Tanya Donolly's contribution to "Judy" although it was slightly better before Rob Dickenson stole one of her lines (that she originally had on an early promo tape of the album that I have). It just goes to show his selfish trip is for real, I guess! My favorite song is the joyous "Love Tips Up" even though I tend to favor the darker material.

I must admit, I really dig male singers with sexy voices like Jim Morrison, Gavin Rossdale and CW's Rob Dickenson even though I'm a heterosexual male. It must have something to do with imagining the singer is me . . . anyway, I have no doubt I'm not the only one who thinks that Rob fits into this category. There's something hedonistic, almost luxurious about his deep, dreamy voice. His songs sound quite convincing, so I imagine he's singing from a place of experience. It may take a listener who's "been there" to fully appreciate these songs, but anyone can jam on this excellent rock 'n' roll.

Catherine Wheel's most sonic album
I would say that this album would fit into my top ten 90's albums. In your face songs like "Waydown", to the mellow, haunting sarcasm of "Eat My Dust, You Insensitive F**k", to the fun "Judy Staring At The Sun", to the tearjerker (in my opinion) "Heal" where Rob Dickinson wails "I wish I knew ... How to change. 'Cause veryone needs someone..... To live by" will leave you with a lump in your throat by the time he's done. You understand what he's singing about.
Robs uses his smoky tenor voice to perfection on each song, and the masterful production of guitars, organs, etc. make this a top notch album. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a little present....
don't u love unexpected presents?? i was just browsing on amazon to check what's new, then i saw this "album"....well what do u do when u are a fan? u must get it. not only that, the cd is great.... enjoy it (while it's still available) ... Read more

Album Description

Limited edition repress of their 1989 collection, whichcombines the two EPs (1987's 'Strawberry Wine' & 'Ecstasy') that came before the 1988 album, 'Isn't Anything'. 10tracks. Lazy Records. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

just the begining...
First let me justify my 5 star rating. Considering this is an album of the 80's, largely a musical wastelnad, this album easily rates a 5. In the MBV cannon, however I'd say it is about as three or three and a half.
One can hear the freshness Bilinda brought to the group, as well as Kevin finally coming into his own as a guitarist and songwriter; he stops imitating and starts innovating. I love the fact that one can hear MBV all finding their own on their respective instruments.
Simply a lovely album that you should own.

Very Nice Noise Pop
An album of shimmering, shameless pop elegance. The guitars, though not AS noisy or spacey as they would sound on Isn't Anything or Loveless, have a very nice ring to them. The melodies probably mostly were played on 12 string guitars, which gives them sort of 60's Byrdsian feel. And "Clair" rocks! It's one of the noisiest songs on here, with that creepy viola or violin and whatever the hell it is...I can definitely hear the Jesus & Mary Chain influence, and also the Byrds and other 60's folk/pop bands seem to have influenced the band here. It doesn't match up to the grace of Isn't Anything or Loveless, but I really like every song on here, and, if another band released this album, I would consider giving it a perfect score. There's a lot of beautiful songs on here like "Strawberry Wine", "Never Say Goodbye", "She Loves You No Less" among others. Buy it, it'll be good for you.

high cheer, low distortion MBV
My four star rating for this one is relative to other MBV records. This is a far cry from Loveless. It's a little closer to Isn't Anything in the sense of it being somewhat lofi, but this one is much happier than Isn't Anything; a few of the tracks even have a touch of late 60s "flower power" sound. I think this was made before discovered (or could afford?) an arsenal of distortion pedals.

Worth the import price for MBV fanatics.

Is Something Nice
I like this album better than their other albums. I can't really say why. It just strikes a better chord with me. It sounds more akin the music of Half String, Riverside, and some Ocean Blue.

Start here.

This is a great document of what MBV sounded like before they revolutionized the entire concept of recorded sound. In 1987, MBV were a band who really liked the Jesus And Mary Chain's "Psycho Candy" record, and did a nice job of imitating it. "Loveless" this ain't, but it's not bad either. ... Read more

Album Description

Import edition of the British dream pop act's 1993 albumthat's deleted domestically. The Cranes fronted by brother& sister were one of the major trance/pop shoegazing acts of the early 90's. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Compelling...
Alison Shaw's voice....what's the word? Ethereal....haunting....otherworldly. She whisps along in a voice that shouldn't work with the music, but does. Sometimes she sounds lost, but almost deliberately so. Other times she grooves along in a more dramatic fashion. And I don't think I was expected to like it as much as I do. But I do. Ten years behind the times, granted (the album was originally released in 1993), but I'm sure enjoying listening to it. For me, it's the vocals that make it, but the music varies from spooky to more driving beats, which is also intriguing. Plus, there are lots of strings - mostly guitar, granted. But some cello (yum), violins and so forth as well.

Beautiful
A retreat into a dark inner world ... Alison Shaw's voice is haunting as always. The sound is harmonious ... soft yet energetic, dark yet safe ... there are lyrics, but the emotions this album evokes are far, far beyond words.

College Goth Daze
Yeah, this album brings back some real great memories for me. This music seemed perfect for the era and trime in my life that it was released. But enough nostalgia, what is great about this album is how well the music holds up. "Forever" is ethereal and moody and gentle and hard and creepy...all while retaining a very unified sound. It is a perfect album. The follow up to this release, "Loved" is also a great work worth getting. I would suggest purchasing them both with "Wings Of Joy". This is the Cranes at the height of their brilliance before the "Population 4" fiasco. For me, "Forever" will always remind me of the dark, exciting, romantic (in the grand sense) days of my college years. It will always remain the perfect soundtrack for that moment of time.

And Ever Amen
Chilling yet beautiful, much of the appeal of the Cranes' music resides in its ritualistic nature. It is simple, ethereal and primal and not too far removed from the more minimal excursions of Death In June or Sol Invictus, albeit more conventionally "pretty" and with more emphasis on melody. Like those bands, the key here lies in rhythmic repetition and crescendo: the songs tend to start simply, becoming more layered and complex as they progress toward a blunt ending (ie, the music seeks to function subliminally as an analogy to life; a dangerous attempt in less capable hands: portentious can equal pretentious, with unintentionally comic results). And as with those bands, the music ranges from the (morosely) beautiful and resigned ("Far Away") to the intensely defiant ("Clear," "Sun And Sky"). The heavily echoed voice is largely unintelligible but this in itself speaks volumes. Exhilarating and compelling: listen and get cold.

Etherial at its Best
I have yet to hear a bad song by Cranes -- They're by far one of my favorite bands. Alison Shaw's voice never fails to make me smile; she often sounds like a cute (or sometimes demented) doll. She's awesome. So is the music, which is comparable in quality to early Lush, the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, etc. A must for any fan of dreamy Brit pop or etherial music... they also fit well into the Goth genre. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Probaly the best Oasis single ever released
It's a shame Oasis singles aren't released more in the U.S. It's also a shame "Whatever" hasn't been heard by the average american. It's truly one of the best songs they've ever written and this single is one of the only ways to get it.

"Whatever" is a great song. It's such a powerful emotional acoutic ballad. Noel really shows his song writing abilities and he is truly one of the top songwriters penning songs today. He is very underrated and I just about garuntee you'll love him too if you hear "Whatever."

"(It's Good)To be Free" is a great song. You can find it on The Masterplan album. I think it is truly an underrated Oasis song. It's penned by Noel and has a very catchy chorus. I like this song a lot.

"Half the World Away" is another song off The Masterplan. It's a beautiful written song by Noel. It's another great acoustic song. I saw him play this one live and people where crying as he sang. It's a great song.

"Slide Away" is another great Oasis song. It's off there debut album Definetly Maybe and it's one of there classics. It's a great love song and the version of it on this is song by Liam and is the same one on Definetly Maybe. The acoustic version song by Noel on MTV Unplugged is the best version you will ever hear, but this one is a close second.

This is a great Single. All the songs are quality singles and I would reccomend this song to anybody. It's not just something for an Oasis fan. These are all deep emotional songs that anyone can enjoy. It's Definetly a must own for Oasis fans and you should check it out.

I'm in love with Oasis, what can I say!
Noel Gallagher became God to me the day I heard Whatever for the first time... I could not believe why a song as brilliant as Whatever was not included on an Album, but that is what makes the song so special. I honestly think Whatever is their finest work... It makes me feel so good and powerfull that I could listen to it over and over again non stop.
Half the world Away, It's Good to be Free, Slide Away!!!!!! Can't get any better than this Mate !!!!! I'm sure Slide Away will get your head tuned up, a perfect mix of Rock and romantic lyrics sung by the best in the world: Liam of course!!!!!
Half the world Away and It's Good to be Free feature main vocals by Noel, the Genius behind Oasis. The first one is brilliant, I love it when Noel goes Acustic!
It's Good to be Free starts with powerfull feedback and then it explodes in to your stereo!!!
Come on! if you are in to good music BUY IT!!!
Thank You Luis (my older bro)!!! Best present ever!!!!!
I'M MAD FOR IT!!!!!!!!

Though not an album Best oasis single
This is by far the best oasis single very released. Its very cleaver with its lyrics and the music to go with it is alittle to bit of a want to be beatles (eleanor rigby) but its still a great song. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Radiohead's American follow-up to OK Computer is essentially a glorified single for "Airbag," the song that also opens the album, with six new tracks appended (including an instrumental). They're mostly cut from the same cloth as the album, but briefer and flinchier--Thom Yorke's voice, gentle and clear as it is, seems like it can barely push past waves of horror into audibility. Once again, they plumb a few Pink Floydian tricks--the tapes of not-quite-clear voices that open "A Reminder," the pacing, descending riff of "Pearly"--and, though none of the new tracks is quite up to the level of OK Computer (they could well be outtakes), they fit together into a short, despairing suite. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Even the songs that didn't make OK Computer are awesome
While I'd recommend that you buy "OK Computer" or "The Bends" before you start delving into Radiohead's singles, "Airbag/How Am I Driving" is about as good an EP as you can buy. "Meeting in the Aisle" and "A Reminder" are particularly good, assailing the listener with dense soundscapes that Radiohead is known for. What I wanna know is how in the hell "Palo Alto" didn't make it onto OK Computer? Why must it be destined for EP obscurity like the band's taut, brilliant "The Trickster" from the My Iron Lung single? It's almost a shame that Radiohead is THAT good.

Ok computer revisited
They might not be willing to deliver a full-length album sequel to OK Computer, but this EP should tie you over for a little while. Every track on this has been a favorite of mine at one time or another, and to this day I always listen to it beginning to end. Palo Alto is one of the best straight-forward (for radiohead, at least) rock songs I've heard in ages. Polyethelene will pull some emotional strings in part I and then knock your socks off in the aggressive part II. The instrumental piece is ethereal and pure, a wonderful departure. Pearly is haunting, and it gets better and better as time goes on.

When I first heard this CD, I was already familiar with OKC and the Bends and considered Radiohead one of the best bands in the business. This release pushed them to the top of the heap for me. For the first time in my life, I felt that there was a uber-legitimate band in the process of creating musical history. Now, after the release of Kid A and Amnesiac, and having seen this band live at the gorge in Washington in one of the most life-affirming experiences I've ever had, I have to say, Radiohead is the best. Period.

Awesome EP
I picked this up new at a record store last month for 8 Bucks. after nearly dying at how cheap it was i listened to it and was generally amazed. the songs are great and most of them are better then the stuff they actually did put on OK Computor. Palo Alto stands out from the rest by far proving to be one of my personal favorite Radiohead tracks.

Some tracks R even better than some OK COMPUTER cuts!
Radiohead have put out an astonishing number of grade-A non-album tracks. They could be pooled together to make one incredible (double) album. This mini album contains some of their best ever in my view. Features some anguished and soaring vocals by T. Yorke.

"Airbag" is a bizarre yet stunningly gorgeous song loaded with shimmering guitar, a quirky funk beat and who-knows-what-all kinds of electronics. It portrays the rush you would feel having survived a major collision thanks to an airbag. Ostensibly a single in this format, it is also the brilliantly uplifting opening track on OK COMPUTER (widely held to be their masterpiece). *****

"Pearly" - Garage-y guitars plus some spacey ones define this sort of underground sounding tune drenched in anguish. ****1/2

"Meeting In The Aisle" - like the swimming mirage you see while looking down the dark corridor of a building towards a sunlit doorway. Totally spaced-out. *****

"A Reminder" - seems to disengage itself from the reality of a crowded room for some fleeting, deeply felt moment. One of their best. *****

"Polythylene (parts 1 &2)" - Part 1 is a melancholy intro picked on acoustic guitar and sung beautifully by Yorke. Part 2 is intensely dramatic. Seems to portray the hopeless inevitability of modern life spinning out of control. Even Yorke's vocals seem to waver out of control yet they still maintain his characteristic artistic perfection. *****

"Melatonin" - a sterile, almost sickly lullaby washed in synths as a rhythm section plugs along like a wind-up toy. ***

"Palo Alto" - Wildly brilliant Faustian (as in the band) guitar delivery plus a few crunching power chords blast away the grind from "a city of the future." One of their greatest, most off the hook guitar songs. *****

Radiohead-heads who collect their singles and EPs reap some of the greatest rewards!

An aside: The packaging is notable for its rather mocking "questionaire" and 2 short-short stories which are like desperate little slices from an unsatisfied life. In addition, the quote from Noam Chomsky's THE CHOMSKY READER reveals a great deal about the perspective behind some of Radiohead's observations about modern life.

cool stuff!! - 4 1/2 stars
what a cool ep! radiohead's always been a band to put lots of work into their music, and this is no exception.

"airbag" - of course we all know this fabulous song, but this time, there's a surprise! instead of the familiar sounds of "paranoid android" coming after it, we venture into a whole new musical journey.........

"pearly" - yes!! what a great song. a hypnotic rock song. can't ask for more, right?

"meeting in the aisle" - a trancey techno hypnotizing song. very good!

"a reminder" - wow. this song is amazing.. thom wrote it as a kind of letter to his young self, from the perspective of an old unhappy man. lyrics and music are great.

"polyethylene" - one of the most beautiful openings in music i've ever heard, which breaks out into a jam thing, very much like "the aeroplane flies high" by smashing pumpkins.

"melatonin" - so beautiful.

"palo alto" - a pablo honey-sounding straight-up rock song. quite cool. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Asleep in the Back, Elbow's frighteningly competent debut album, presents 11 tracks of rain-sodden misery blown up into the breed of gracefully elegiac fatalism that once formed the essence of, say, Joy Division. Elbow's foggy psychedelic swirl and sewer-deep dub bass lines might recall the prog-rock indulgences of Radiohead, but their grievances are unmistakably aired from the far end of a welfare line. "Any Day Now" veritably fidgets with small-town frustration, with lead singer Guy Garvey (a man with the voice of an angel and the face of a brickie) repeatedly hissing a mantra of desperation: "Any day now / How's about getting out of this place / Anyways?" Should we take it as a given that Elbow will break out of this rut of depression and despair? Asleep in the Back is good enough to suggest so, while also suggesting that fate can be awfully cruel. --Louis Pattison ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Could be the start of something great
"Red" and "Powder Blue". Even if this album just consisted of these two songs it would be worth the price of the disc. Elbow's debut is a spacey, layered collection of songs and sounds that are poppier than most British progressive music, yet much more intricate and less immediate than many of thier Brit-pop counterparts. The "typical" rock instruments intertwine with A variety of strange instruments (wine glasses, horns) to create, at times, delicately beautiful soundscapes that suddenly become interrupted with well placed harder guitar and drum excursions. The first half of the album is not too far off from perfect, starting with the brooding "Any Day Now" (in which the vocals sound a little too much like Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine") which leads into the first masterpiece of the disc, the aformentioned "Red". "Little Beast" takes it back down a level, sort of a rest before you reach the real highlight "Powder Blue". A beautiful ballad lead by a pretty piano riff and ending with a sudden breaking of a glass, this song makes me think that there is tremendous potential for this band and pretty much guarantees that I will be looking out for thier next release. "Bitten by the Tailfly" is a strange, climaxing journey that is even better in a live setting, and the disc peaks with the most immediate song on the disc "Newborn". The second half leaves a lot to be desired, but there is ample proof here that this is a band you should keep your eyes on for a while. Thier approach is similar to Doves, but the music has a different sound to it. If you are a Brit-pop fan, this is definitely worth checking out.

The future of British music is in Elbow's hands.
Elbow's "Asleep in the Back" has been described as the first great album of this century.
And it is hard to disagree because this album, when given time, is the most haunting yet beautiful release from a British band for as long as I can remember.
Garvey and co have managed to produce a finally-crafted, multi-layered piece of work packed with gorgeous melodies and spooky effects, all of which are amplified perfectly by Garvey's inimitable voice which is simultaneously husky, tuneful, powerful and subtle.
With "Asleep in the Back", Elbow have mastered the art of subtlety (except in their choice of band name!).
Powder Blue, said to be a love song about two heroin addicts, is a song which I cannot see being bettered for a long long time. Despite its morbid theme, its build up is gradual, centered around a falling piano sequence and a melody which floats along effortlessly, carrying the track to its goose-pimpling conclusion.
To pick out all of the strengths of this hugely promising band would take me all day.
Quite simply, I have only one piece of advice to you all - BUY IT!

Pretty Awesome
I would give this album 4.5 stars. Not too many people have heard of these guys, and I just happened to stumble upon them one day. I picked this album up at a Newbury Comics, and I must say that the sky is the limit for this band. Their songs are so patient and beautiful, while not lacking a sense of urgency (Bitten by the Tailfly comes to mind). I would say that anyone who is a fan of music should get this. Comparisons to Radiohead and Coldplay are common place, but Elbow IS their own band. Check it out.

face value: wonderful
This album is a good listen if you like alternative rock music. I could say if you like Radiohead, or Coldplay, or any of the other ten thousand brit alt rock bands that have been taking the world by storm, but I simply say rock because when inspected and listened to multiple times closely, you will notice that Elbow is their own band, not just a cheap knock off. Every song is complex, and endearing, and interesting. If you're one who simply labels music by what it reminds you of, you may notice a plethora of analogous bands, but that's because of the archetypal nature of rock in the first place.

So long story short, just because some band sounds like Radiohead doesn't mean it sucks. This album is awesome no matter how you slice it, and no matter what amazing band you compare it to.

this cd is terrible
you have to be a seriously warped elbow junkie to like this misconstrued nonsense. this band could have done so much better. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

"...It's an illusion of life..."
While Dead can dance's first album was already a magical gothic rock experience their second album brings their music to the heights of artistic perfection.
"de profundis" already shows band's new style - heavy medieval wall of sound,Lisa's etheral vocals and creepy atmosphere."ascension","Cumirant dawn","Mesmerism" are really scary and fascinating at the same time,while Brendan Perry's songs have got more traditional new wave rock feeling."The cardinal sin" is very hipnotising with it's dark lyrics,trumpets,gloomy bass riff and ocasionally played piano. "advent" is the most normal sounding song compared to the rest of album. "Indoctrination" is a great ending to the album.
TO be honest at first i didin't liked "spleen and ideal" as much as their other works.at first i thought it is too much raw and uncertain...but after few listenings i got addicted to it. i think that this is the music that you really love when you will already get into it.

Between two worlds
"Spleen and ideal" is my favorite DCD album; the dynamics of the arrangements and the thrilling performances here are amazing. While the drum machines and the doomy atmosphere of their self-titled debut have remained, DCD's overall sound embraces unfamiliar approaches for an essentially rock-based band: European medieval music, featuring Gregorian chants, Celtic, and neo-Gothic. Lisa Gerrard takes a larger share of the vocal turns here than on DCD's debut. Nearly every song has a particular element or edge to it, making it immediately attractive and fascinating, just listen to the majestic trombones of "Ascension", the pulsating dance beats of "Mesmerism", the booming, primeval bass drums of "Enigma..", or the crystalline synths of "Advent". Always employed with rare skill and grace, the medieval elements of this album evoke a deeply touching, ecstatic mood without ever sounding trashy or unfocused. Maybe "Spleen and ideal" is not DCD's most popular album (many fans prefer the follow-up "Within the realm.." or DCD's commercial breakthrough "Into the labyrinth"), but I think the band hasn't sounded so severe and powerful on other releases.

another world
dead can dance puts me in another place, a space outside myself that is very conforting and spatial. Each and every album. I do not own one DCD that I don't love. This one in particular takes me away like meditating. It's very mesmerizing.

....
This has been my extra-turbo favourite cd for the past 7 years.Indoctrination is definitely their best ever song!

Dull DCD
The first Dead Can Dance song I heard was "Towards the Within", which absolutely mesmerized me. So when I got Spleen and Ideal for Christmas last year, I was thrilled (having previously gotten Aion from the library and enoying that)...until I put it into my CD player. This is so different from the DCD music I enjoy. Personally, I can't get enough of Lisa Gerrad's soaring glossolalia, but this CD mostly contained depressing drones in Brendan Perry's depressing, unemotional voice. It either puts m to sleep or gives me a headache. I highly recommend Spiritchaser (my favourite to date) or Into the Labyrinth. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Start Of A Great Band
"Pubic Fruit" is actually a compilation of EP's, that Curve had first released in the early 90's. But listening to this album, you wouldn't even know. The album flow remarkably well from start to finish. Curve is one of the biggest sleeper bands ever. Their trademark thrash metal guitars with techno beats and Halliday's sensual goth like female vocals is so out there, that no one has come close or sounds anything like them. And that's a great thing. Garbage must have been a fan of Curve, because they're are similarities in their music, but I like them both for different reasons. Stand out songs for me are "Galaxy", "Coast Is Clear", "Ten Little Girls" and "Die Like A Dog".

remember you and me, we laughed till we cried...
if you have only heard of curve from the excellent 'chinese burn', then this is a must! all the curve ep's on one wonderful cd!! right from the start till their first album 'doppleganger', 'pubic fruit' is a fantastic buy. listen to the brilliant 'blindfold', their first ever release and the amazing '10 little girls'. once you buy this cd, you will be wanting all of the curve back catalogue. a must!!

Stunning and Essential
For those of you who have not managed to locate the EPs or did not purchase them when they were first release, this is a wonderful way to make up and complete your Curve listening experience. It also includes an extended mix of 'Fait'. Curve's earlier sound is gritty, innovative, and most importantly fun in an "angry girl gets back" kind of way. Of course Toni's voice is completed beautifully by the wonderful noise of Dean, which is the yang to her yin, and the twang and grind in what would otherwise be another chick fronted band with angst (which, as we all know, would be Garbage ; ) ).

Even here Toni's lyrics show a maturity we don't get from many female front persons, where she broods but not without a sense of irony and responsibility. She doesn't blame everything on men like most of my gender do. And how can she, when a man, Dean Garcia, provides the best music a girl to hope to sing with? I envy her, I do. But in any event, get this, because if you don't, you will be kicking yourself over and over later when you chance to hear it at your dodgy ex-boyfriend's house.

Way Ahead of their time...
Hands down, one of the top 25 records of the 1990's, although some may disqualify it on account of it being a collection of the band's first 3 or 4 EPs.

Curve was definitely a studio band, and the production here lacks a peer. From "Cherry", "Clipped", "Coast Is Clear", to (my favourite on the album) the extended version of "Fait Accompli", there isn't a weak track on it. It sounds more abrasive than anything Skinny Puppy could put out, but at the same time, more lush than a Brian Eno wet dream.

Time might have passed Curve by, but a certain band loved them enough to revamp/dilute the formula a few years later to mainstream success (read the other reviews to figure it out); the difference in quality between the two is massive.

Shirley Manson, eat your heart out...

A showcase of Curve's best work
Back in the era of "shoegazing" (late 80's, early 90's), when Brit bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Ride ruled the alternative landscape, there was another band that kicked serious... Curve. Fronted by Toni Haliday, Curve showcased her dreamy, yet occasionally menacing vocal style. She was the sort of starlet who could carry the band - kind of a precursor to Shirley Manson, the face behind Garbage. But the early iterations of Curve were less about the vocals, and more about the smorgasbord of sounds permeating through each track. Swirling, howling guitars intersect with the drum machines and traces of electronica to create sounds that cannot be classified as being dance music or mood music or whatever. Ten Little Girls, Blindfold, Frozen, and Clipped are the stellar tracks.

Public Fruit is a collection of Curve's first 3 EPs. Public Fruit stands out, along side My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and Isn't Anything, as being a seminal CD from a long-gone era. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall is the apex of the Fall's Brix era in which Mark E. Smith, unheralded hip priest of Manchester punk, finally met his match (Smith and young American Brix met at a Chicago gig and quickly wed.) With Mrs. Smith aboard everything upgraded--the lyrics and vocals took a quirky turn as Brix chimed in, and the guitars gained a more streamlined edge. Yes, she could play guitar, and write. Even the cover art seemed to suggest a new Fall, writ large in day-glo colors. This record, their second with Brix, shows them finally ready to grapple with notions they'd scorned previously, such as actual production values (with Rough Trade honcho John Leckie engineering) and commercial accessibility (witness the sawing chords of "2x4" and "Lay of the Land"). This marks a critical moment in the Fall saga as they finally gained some U.S. recognition and prepared to up the commercial ante even more. --Gene Booth ... Read more

Reviews (14)

From the Essential Middle Period
I first discovered the Fall during this period--the Brix Smith era. In fact I still remember hearing "Cruiser's Creek" (from "This Nation's Saving Grace") in a record store while on vacation in San Francisco. I was stunned. I had heard a sound that I would follow obsessively for many years up to the bitter and nearly unlistenable end with "Levitate."

Because of the production role played by John Leckie (also responsible for Magazine's first album) "The Wonderful and Frightening World" was the most disciplined and accessible of the Fall's albums to date. As others have already mentioned, "2 x 4" presents a pile-driver dance tune of a type that the Fall would come up with again and again. "Pat-Trip Dispenser" sounds like a 1960s American garage-punk offering, but more unhinged. "Disney's Dream Debased" turns down the volume and with Brix' echoed backup vocals sounds positively high-production compared to earlier Fall tracks. This does not mean it is an ordinary pop tune. It just represents an expansion of the band's musical vocabulary but the end result is the same as on all great Fall tracks: a bent story with a deceptively simple repetitious musical backing. I usually object to long tracks, but the crazed eight minute rant of "No Bulbs" could go on for 20 minutes and I'd be happy.

If you start your investigation of The Fall at this album, or at "This Nation's Saving Grace" or "Bend Sinister," you will have begun at a very good mid-point. Newer albums cover similar ground but are more polished and occasionally more spotty. Older albums also cover similar ground but are much more primitive and can be wildly erratic in terms of recorded sound. It's all brilliant at its best. Start here and then move outward in each direction.

START HERE
THe Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall is probably the most accessible album in Fall's entire catalog. Along with This Nation's Saving Grace, it is their best work from the Brix period. Actually...it's one of their best works period. It's rather strange hearing Mark E. Smith's familiar snarl in the context of a pop song like "Oh Brother" and "C.R.E.E.P." but it works surprisingly well. But the best song in the album may very well be the opening track "Lay of the Land" which starts off with some strange chanting and builds up to classic Fall punk rock. "God-Box", "Elves", and "No Bulbs" are excellent songs too. In short, this album is the perfect blend of artsy post punk and pop music.

The Fallingnest
I have to say that, as much as I like The Fall and have enjoyed adding many of their albums to my collection over the years, if I could have it all back I would buy this compilation and be done with it. Well, I might have to add This Nation's Saving Grace as well. In fact, the exclusion of Couldn't Get Ahead is the only reason I'm not giving up the 5 stars this best of probably deserves.

deserves all 5 stars
This is one of the Fall's best. Moods are all over the place from derangement to melancholy to anger to drunken fun. I can't think of a modern band capable of covering the ground this band did in one CD.

A true landmark in Rock and or roll music.
One band that comes to mind on this album are the pixies,not in how good the fall are they almost surpass the pixies but rather the fall are so colosally good that they made me shelve my lame [rear] pixies records for good. Brix smith's ravishing guitar work coupled with m.e smith's genuinely literate lyrics, unlike frank black's superficial fluff,is so convincing and moving that they are hands down the best U.K band I've ever heard. This album is so fresh and invigorating that I'd like to pretend that it was made last week,rather than nearly two decades ago. it would have to take a band like the fall to save rock music from its almost certain impending doom. The underground is so lame right now, what with it's deadly prefixation with kitsch and "recycled" sounds that it's at times hard to distinguish it from the mainstream. Deathcab for cutie and stereolab may be fine bands respectively but in turn they're also regressing the groundwork layed out by bands like the fall and PIL. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Following the Rolling Stones-meets-Black Crowes monstrosity Give Out But Don't Give Up three years ago, Glasgow's Bobby Gillespie and pals are back at the cutting edge with a trippy collection that could rightly be tagged analog electronica. Their Trainspotting soundtrack contribution (included here) melded bluesy harp with contemporary beats and it sets the tone for 11 tracks that use thick swaths of dub, Superfly funk, cheesy electronics, and ambient dance to redefine what was once quaintly known as "head music." Loaded with samples from the cult flick Vanishing Point, the killer "Kowalski" is perhaps the best among a batch of highlights ("Burning Wheel," "Stuka"). All that's missing is a freeform FM station or two to turn it into a classic.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (21)

a classic ambient dub venture
This is truly a wonderful outing by Primal Scream. Definitely their best, even if not as influential as 'Screamadelica'. It's musically subtle which some people cannot appreciate but the smoothness, skill and deft layering of sound with which this album is executed is amazing. The track 'Medication' seems a little out of place as a full on Stones' style rocker but it makes up for it by being one of the best straight ahead rock songs made in the past 2 decades.

Sky high six thousand miles away
This is one of the most underated albums of the 90's, it was a real comeback following the Scream's flirtation with Stones styled rock. This is a dense batch of Dark yet uplifting songs, covering but not copying all genres. The most essential Primal Scream album.

one of the best albums of the 90's
This is the best produced recordof the 90's in my opinion, and surpasses the sum of its soul/jazz/dub/garage roots. Another reviewer called this "industrial garbage" - this person has obviously never heard industrial music - cold, digital, 4 on the floor sounding stuff. Vanishing Point is warm, analog, its noise is 3D and spectrasonic - and the bass is warm, and massive. i have listened to this record hundreds of times. An absolute classic. oh - and the late Augustus Pablo plays melodica on a track - awesome. The Scream's best record, and like I said, maybe the best record of the decade - (for reference, the 90's competition would be OK Computer, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, Orbital's Insides - off the top of my head)

Not so great
This CD was a bit of a disappointment for me. Dischordant bits often drag on and on. For those looking for a Screamadelica-style experience, this is not it. "Medication" (depite other reviews) is a good tune. But 1 out of however-many, is not a good ratio. I might not buy more Primal Scream CDs after this, which bums me out.

A Gem
This album tempts one to be fascist about their musical taste. I rarely comment on an album unless it is so good that I am driven to power up my laptop, fire up amazon.com, search for "primal scream" and choose to write a review. There's a lot of talent on this album, and it can appeal to the electronic/dance spinners as well as the "wall of sound/not quite industrial" new-wavers. Pick it up. It's very good. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Storming debut release
Curve's debut album is one of those moments when a band makes a sudden and significant impact on the music world. Their combination of breathy, female vocals, driving rhythms, guitars played as a wall of sound and catchy choruses had been done before but not in such an expert manner as this.

Opener 'Already Yours' sets the tone. The excellent Dean Garcia's frenetic bass combined with his guitar work, and that of Debbie Smith, makes a perfect background for Toni Halliday's vocals to soar through, alternating between the angelic to that of sexy vixen to the vitriolic.

'Horror Head' is one of Curve's best, from any of their albums. Halliday's breathy vocals are the main hook of the song, and they can't but help the listener from falling in love with her.

Elsewhere there are excellent guitar led songs such as 'Ice That Melts The Tips' to the heady rush of 'Think & Act'.

One of the best albums of the 90's.

Already yours
I adore Curve. Last year I rediscovered this excellent band with their latest album "Gift". That album is still in heavy rotation in my cd player. I first discovered Curve with "Cuckoo" back in the early '90s when I was still in high school. After rediscovering this lovely British rock group, I have made it a point to buy their albums before "Cuckoo". My latest Curve cd is "Doppelganger". I was quite taken by how different the sound on "Doppelganger" is to "Gift". The band has more of a shoegazer sound on this album while on "Gift", the band mixes techno, rock and elements of industrial music together. Toni Halliday is definitely one of my favorite rock goddesses of all time. I can hear her influence in Garbage's lead vocalist Shirley Manson. Both women have a sultry voice that melds well with the type of music they put out. The album itself could use a remastering for all intensive purposes but overall the songs themselves are some of the strongest material Curve has ever done. I absolutely adore "Horror Head" and "Wish You Dead" especially. You can definitely hear a Depeche Mode influence on this album thanks in part of Flood as well as in the mixing by Alan Moulder. You can certainly hear the DM comparison in "Wish You Dead" and "Doppelganger". "Doppelganger" definitely confirms to me that Curve ought to be ranked as one of my personal favorite bands, alongside VNV Nation and KMFDM. All three bands have yet to put out an album that I do not like.

Pure thinking power
Perfect music for listening to on a personal stereo whilst on a train journey through some amazing place (like Italy for example), where you can feel connected to something and feel that life is all interesting and cool, as you watch the scenery go by.
Also perfect to put on at about 3 am after some euphoric gathering of like minded friends and then mutually appreciate the immenseness of this band with some left over red wine and maybe other things. Yeah its cool- we should all have a curve party one day uno- we are lucky and privilidged to like and know this stuff!

extraordinary
at the time of release, curve's doppelgamnger was a fresh, amazing piece of music. ten years later, it still stands as a trendsetter. the lyrics are witty ("im cleaner than the air you breathe" is more relevant today than ever) they mix up electronica style music with dreamy introspective gloom. toni halliday's voice is both soulful, passionate, fragile and strong all in one. her range is impressive and the music backs her up accordingly. i see the music as dreamy distortion:different, familiar and unique.
this cd is great. ear friendly and yet intriguing. it gets you moving with each song that has its own catchy chorus. not just mindless ear candy bubblegum but something to latch onto. to really sink into and ten years later i still think this band is one of the most underrated of its time.

Dreamy Distortion
Curve were so ahead of the Curve, one can't but wonder "what happened". Obviously this recording spawned the likes of (and I LIKE) Garbage, but this is a far superior product to most current music (Garbage incl). Toni's voice has that nonchalant druggy air which when mixed with the at times assault of distorted guitar stands in a class of its own. Wish you Dead and Fait Accompli are stand outs, but the entire CD is really a classic. ... Read more

Album Details

The first single from the 2001 album 'Amnesiac'. Includes three non-LP b-tracks, which make this single a must for fans. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Brilliant
Since the release of Ok Computer, Radiohead have been known for their creative song writing and interesting production. This incredible single is a perfect demonstration of how creative they can be both in terms of writing and production, and the result is beautiful.

'Pyramid Song' is an emotive and eerily beautiful piece of music. The song is built upon a relatively simple (but certainly not common) repeating chord progression played on the piano, over which subtly eerie orchestral sounds echo, before Yorke's gentle vocals enter. The timing is unusual yet comfortable, and upon first listen you may think that there's no definate timing at all. About two minutes in, strings become more prominant, and the calmly jazzy rhythm reveals itself on the drums, making sense of the unusual timing you've been listening to. The song builds in intensity and eventually the string ensemble takes the song to it's climax. If you're anything like me, repeated listens will have this song grow on you more and more. Moody, emotive, and powerful.

As usual, Radiohead have treated us to some interesting B-sides, too. This single is quite possibly their most creatively interesting, with the fragmented beats and beautiful harmonies of 'Kinetic', the dark, evil jazz of 'The Amazing Sounds of Orgy', and the schizophrenic 'Trans-Atlantic Drawl', which has the band rock out, before breaking suddenly into a slow, dark, synthesised piece that is somewhat reminiscent of a choral requiem. Overall a very enjoyable listen, and one that you'll get more out of the more you listen to it.

As a musician myself, this single, along with the albums 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac' have been extremely encouraging, demonstrating that there is still a market for creativity and innovation in the music industry. This single is a very good representation of Radiohead's creative freedom.

"do you see the light...?"
yorke and co. have long been infamous for saving some of their most interesting material for b-sides and tossoff collections like this one. while you should already know and love "Amnesiac"'s "Pyramid Song" for the genius that it is (as well as the only demonstrable use of Herman Hesse for any artistic purpose whatsoever), this single provides useful context by introducing fans to some of its ideological cousins. worth it for fans--but who else would be reading this?

really a 5 star single deep down
i can understand why alot of people wouldnt like this single. it has to be listened to alot to be fully appreciated. you have to do that with alot of radiohead's new stuff though. The Pyramid Song is probably one of the most accesible Amnesiac songs with the great piano line and spooky vocals. The b-sides are really good if you give them time to grow on you. I hated Kinetic and Amazing Sounds Of Orgy at first but after a few listens, i heard their potential. Kinetic actually does feel very kinetic, with electric synthesizer fading in and out over Thom's voice, it sounds really cool. Amazing Sounds Of Orgy is kind of a creepy song with a slow and steady drum beat and Thom delivering the lyrics at the same rythm of the drum beat. Transatlantic Drawl has some real fuzzy electric guitar in it. if you liked some of the pablo honey stuff, youll see the guitar return to glory. The vocal delivery sounds like new Radiohead for sure though, uneven delivery and all. Plus there's also some electronic effects in the background.
Like i said though, let this grow on you, there are hidden treasures to be found.
Songs rated in order:
1. Pyramid Song
2. Transatlantic Drawl
3. Kinetic
4. Amazing Sounds of Orgy

Another clue that Radiohead is just trying to frustrate us.
It's a shame the band feels the need to shun such great music to the side for the sake of a "concept." Kinetic (throbbing bass, skittering drums) could definitely have filled the spot of Push/Pulk on Amnesiac. An excellent cousin to Amnesiac's warped yet traditional sound. Methinks that TransAtlantic Drawl may be the start of the next go round for the boys. Their Maxi singles always seem to telegraph the next stylistic move (see Pearly* and Meeting in the Aisle on the Airbag EP. Sounds a bit like Kid A's "soundscapes", huh?). Pick it up! And take a listen to Clinic (Internal Wrangler) if you really like TA Drawl!

Pyramid Song Single Review
Radiohead's Pyramid Song Single consists of four tracks including Pyramid Song, The Amazing Sounds of Orgy, Trans-Atlantic Drawl, and Kinetic. The name "The Amazing Sounds of Orgy" says it all. The background instruments and the combination of Thom Yorke and Ed O'Brien's voices make the song amazing. Big Radiohead fans have most likely heard of "Kinetic" before, and they get their chance to listen to it on the Pyramid Song Single. Although the band modified it slightly before its release, Kinetic is a wonderful song. The more acoustic-like instruments used in Kinetic allows the track to fit perfectly with the others. The lulling voice of Thom Yorke makes the song complete. To many Radiohead fans, Trans-Atlantic Drawl may come as a surprise. This pumped up song actually contains mostly of electric guitar. Trans-Atlantic Drawl is the closest recently released song that has a resemblance to OK Computer. As the climax approaches in the song, Thom Yorke yells over and over again "Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel?" The lyrics to Trans-Atlantic Drawl fit well with the music. Pyramid Song is undoubtedly a huge fan favorite. The song is very well put together. The song starts out with piano and Thom Yorke's vocals. The song becomes rather exciting when Phil Selway kicks in with the drums. An orchestra takes Pyramid Song to the end. Pyramid Song is a beautiful masterpiece that will be enjoyed by Radiohead fans for years to come. As always, Radiohead leaves their fans in awe with excellent songs and mystifying lyrics. ... Read more