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The fact they wear Buffalo Springfield T-shirts and title-one tune "Crown of Creation" (namely, the Jefferson Airplane) says it all about this English quartet's love of psychedelic-era American rock. On their third album, patchouli-scented, suede-fringed fare like "1000 Miles," "Natural Grace" and "Endless Road" are appealing if a triffle lightweight. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A shimmering album from a disintegrating band
Yes, there does seem to be a "love it"/"hate it" division among Ride fans on this album. Recorded at a tense time in the band's (rapidly ending) history, _CoL_ was, in many ways, a departure from previous efforts such as _Nowhere_ and _Going Blank Again_ (which some critics believe firmly put the band under the early '90s "shoegazer" label). Still, this album has some lush standouts (although apparently divided by Mark's songs on the first part of the album, followed by Andy's contributions). As one reviewer has already mentioned, there are Byrds-esque flavors to some of their songs, particularly "1000 Miles" and "Natural Grace". There is the 'old Ride' wall of swirling guitar on "Moonlight Medicine" and "Birdman" (with Andy's John/Yoko-like reference to his wife, Idha). And there is also the wistfulness of "Only Now" and "From Time to Time" (the latter with its incessant, hypnotic electric and acoustic guitars). A standout is the short yet haunting instrumental "Rolling Thunder". For new Ride listeners, give this one a try as you go to purchase a copy of "Going Blank Again"; it will give you insight into the range of music produced by this highly underrated yet influential (many artists cite Ride as a fave) band.

Excellent - best album Ride has made.
Carnival of Light is a progressive, guitar-driven melodic album that compares favourably with the best of the Stone Roses, Charlatans, and The Verve type material. More earthy than their previous albums, and bearing some 70's riffs to drive their ethereally pensive song-writing.

Black bird flying in the sky... Please don't look me in the eye... You are very very lucky. Its never easy to find me...

If you've found "Carnival of Light", you have found a gem which should be a standard in any record collection. The band Ride is one of the best kept secrets of the 1990's.

Ride evolved
Ride always tried to do something different, while most others would indulge and give us incoherent work that get critics raving, Ride kept what I think was their greatest asset: simple, haunting and beautiful melodies. The drums unfortunately take a backseat here in favour of the hammond but it still is fascinating to hear them change their sound in a way I never thought possible. 'Only Now' is probably the most accessible song on the album and represents a rich tapestry of southern rock and British noodling. It's a great album by a great band.

If I could give this zero stars, I would.
When I think back on the great music of that era, this record represents the biggest wart possible. Simply awful.

Brilliant English Psychedelic Rock
True Ride fans dismiss this album as an unfortunate move away from the noisy ambient guitar rock pioneered on the previous releases "Nowhere" and "Going Blank Again". Even the band distanced themselves from it in mid-90s interviews, claiming that they attempted retro 60s style rock when they were not ready for it. This release originally came out in 1994, when the shimmering vocal harmonies, elaborate studio production, and 60s sounding guitars were 100% opposed to the noisy 90s grunge rock aesthetic. While it has ever since been dismissed as wimpy REM style pop, a fresh listen will prove that it is in fact one of Ride's strongest, most tuneful, and best produced albums. Like a good bottle of wine the album has aged quite well, and wears it's 60s rock influences quite well. The album was clearly ahead of its time in referencing The Buffalo Springfield - rather like the denim sheepskin coats that they wear in the liner notes. And the guitars aren't at all delicate or fey - just listen to the crunch of "How Does it Feel to Feel", a cover originally by The Creation, or the blistering backwards 60s guitar solo on "Crown of Creation". In short, this album contains some of their finest moments. If you still need further proof - Andy Bell now calls "Only Now" his best and favorite Ride song. ... Read more

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Bobby Gillespie and band spend much of their third album drifting 'tween side two of Sticky Fingers (acoustic blooze like "Big Jet Plane," complete with Bobby Price-like horns) and the more celebratory hits of Sly & The Family Stone ("Funky Jam").It could conceivably be a huge send-up, but they play it with a straight face and hence should be taken at least as seriously as Lenny Kravitz or the Black Crowes.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Underrated album!
Many critics and fans have been knocking this album because they expected another Screamadelica. I admit, the album was overproduced, but there are some excellent songs on this one. The Scream is my favorite band because they have a punk rock attitude I like but on this one, they sounded like the Stones and wrote some great songs. It is a very moving, bluesy-rock with a country twinge to it, and it has a very soulful sound to it. The more you listen to it, the more you'll like it. Strongly recommended for Scream fans of their latter albums.

Primal Scream Explores Roots Rock and Finds Some Soul
One look at the cover photo and it's obvious Primal Scream were definately in their rock mode when they recorded this album, coming off the heels of their beat happy phase documented on Screamadelica. "Give Out But Don't Give Up" is an homage to American Southern rock, recalling much of the output of the Muscle Shoals era, as well as more modern rockers like The Black Crows. Perhaps it's most closely related breathren is fellow Brits The Rolling Stones stab at Americana, "Sticky Fingers." "Give Out" mixes both guitar driven rockers with slow burning soul and an appearence by George Clinton(?) The formula works vaguely well, especially on the slower numbers, but considering how much Primal Scream has changed over the years it's hard to imagine them as being very authentic purveyors of any type of music, especially American soul. Take it or leave it, it won't really make a difference either way.

Great Album (If you like Rock)
If you like Rock, then you'll love this record. I heard it in a record store 10 years ago and it has remained one of my all time favorites. Songs like "Rocks" and "Funky" are big, beautiful rock anthems that will have you dancing on the tables. Put this CD on at a party, and everybody will ask who the artist is.

The negative reviews you read here are from Primal Scream fans. Be warned-other Primal Scream albums sound nothing like this one. This one is a complete anamoly. Primal Scream fans hate this record. But if you are a rock fan, you'll will just dig it.

Underated+rock+soul+FUNK=MASTERPIECE!
This album is beautyful. From the get off your ass and jam first track to thrack three "Im Gonna Cry Myself BLind" all the way to the heartwrenching "Everybody Needs Somebody" There's a track for everyone. If you want to getting a little bit funky now or wanna ride on a big jet plane or just come out and say I'M FREE! Get this album. Its genious...unlike my horrible spelling.

Bloodless, but not completely without merit
Let's face it, any band [imitating] "Sticky Fingers" has their heart in the right place, but when you're striving for redundancy, what's the point of even trying? It was perfectly done the first time!

The production gets 5 stars from me, but their [version] of the Stones doesn't get much more blatant than here, and while it does have it's moments ("Rocks", "Jailbird"), there are too many over-the-top, ham-handed experiments in balladry ("Everybody Needs Somebody", "I'll Be There For You") for me to take this album seriously.

On "Screamadelica" they carved out their niche; they would have been better off experimenting in that vein. This mine was well and truly excavated a long time ago. ... Read more

Album Description

Great 20 track compilation for a great price. Includes many of their really fine tracks like, 'Southern Mark Smith','The Human Jungle', 'Real Men', 'Caroline Wheeler'sBirthday Present', 'Domestic Animal' and more. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Keeping it on the rails
I bought this awhile ago because I have been fan for many years and misplaced my out of print "The Gift Of Music" disc. I found that most of the songs I missed for so many years were finally available again here. I catch myself listenting to the tracks from this CD more than any others in my collection. One track I was missing most was the JB v. PM. I found my "The Gift Of Music" this weekend at a friend's house (still in great condition) and am still happy that I bought Draining the Glass, and happier I got my disc back with JB v. PM on it. Some tracks are the same but there is enough difference to make this worth the purchase. If you don't own any JB, this is the one to have.

Draining the Glass Grows on You
I bought this one for their 1980s alt-rock hit "Party Time" and really never heard any of the Jazz Butcher's other material. Multiple plays of this CD makes it sound better and better.

Woo-hoo....available at last!!!!
In college back around 1984-6 I was a huge Jazz Butcher fan. I have pretty much everything of theirs on vinyl (until they signed to Creation records in 1987 and the suckiness started). This is the bulk of their PRIME stuff: Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present, Drink, Zombie Love, Real Men, and Southern Mark Smith. A few tracks should've been here such as Jazz Butcher Meets the Prime Minister, Red Pets ("Olga Corbutt drives me mad/I'll buy some vodka for her dad" is a classic line!) and especially the quinessential rare b-side The Devil Is My Friend which was a favorite at their live shows. I dock the collection a star for these omissions, but most everything else is worth the price of the CD. This was the best stuff of the band by far and Max Eider and David J (ex-Bauhaus) were still helping Pat Fish's band. When they left the humor level died down significantly. A must have collection for fans of mid-80's alternative music! ... Read more

Album Description

Fifth single off their critically acclaimed sophomore album, 'The Bends', originally released in 1995, backed with two non-LP tracks, 'Banana Co' and 'Molasses'. Slimline jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nothing Groundbreaking
There are two b-sides here to speak of. 'Banana Co.' can also be found on "Itch," the extremely pricey Japanese import e.p. It's a good song, but not one of Radiohead's most memorable ones. 'Molasses' may be available other places, but not that I am aware of. It also is a good song, but is it worth the price of this single for these two b-sides? That really depends on how much you like Radiohead. 'Street Spirit' is a great song, but you can get it on "The Bends" as well as the other U.K. single for this song which is a lot more interesting. My advice is to buy "The Bends" AND the other single if you're a big fan.

Must have for Radiohead fanatics!!!
I've only been into Radiohead for the past few months. I'm just simply boggled on how I missed this bands evolution through the past years. This single is part of my growing collection of b-side singles and rarities put out by Radiohead. It's getting harder to find these singles so any chance you have now to get a deal you should take advantage while they're available. Street Spirit is a great tune that concludes the fantastic albumn "The Bends." This single includes one of my favorite b-side tracks "Banana Co." Also included on this single is the b-side "Molassas." Pretty cool tune, but the disk is worth it just for banana co. If you're a big time fan/collector of Radiohead, this single is a must. There are other singles and imports, I think, that have these tracks, but it's very convinient and I believe cheaper to get them on this single. Either way, Radiohead rules and this is a great addition to any music collection. Enjoy!!!

fade out again
be a world child form a circle before we all go under

an epic for those who feel the spirit of loneliness and non-love cover art is incredible as all Radiohead work

fade out again and again ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Everybody Including Myself
Read the reviews of 'Levitate', and an unsubtle pattern begins to emerge. Fall fans dig the new breed, yeah! Truly new sounds from a group I thought had done it all. Guitars are all but done away with on this record, which really brings out the gifted playing of Bassist Steve Hanley and Drummer Simon Wollstonecroft. Groovy Bass lines abound from 'Spencer Must Die' to 'The Quartet of Doc Shanley'. I also love the extreme panic-inducing cutting of cuts like '4 1/2 Inch' and '10 Houses of Eve'. There is also the mysterious track 'Tragic Days', which sounds like a very vintage home recording of the first-ever Fall guitarist, Martin Bramah!?!
Not to mention my all-out favorite, the definitely NON-throwaway track 'I'm A Mummy'. This rocks like nobody's business, but in a really tipped way. It's a cover of an old Beatnik-Era tune, but it is a vast improvement over that simple novelty song. Tap Foot Or Check Pulse!

Ambitious, Remarkable
This record came after the remarkable "Light User Syndrome", which has to qualify as a career highlight. The band moves further into processed sound here; their playing is chopped and pressed into unique form by a production team of young, ambitious engineers under the direction of Mark E. Smith.

The music varies and in fact the sound levels jump from track to track. The highlights are inimitable - the highly rhythmic processed drone-noise of "Hurricane Edward"; the prototypically Fall-like funk of "Masquerade"; the scarifying (is that a mellotron in there?) "Old Gang"; the horrifyingly brutal "4 1/2 Inch"; the minimalist jangle-pop of "Levitate"; the house music-meets fall-abstraction experiment of "10 Houses of Eve".

It doesn't all work, but the majority of it does and it sounds like nothing else contemporary. Three cheers for The Fall.

nothing much like this
This album is a wonderful melange of rock and various electronica - jungle, dub, ambient mixed in such a way that I can't say there's much comparable to it stylistically. True, a bit of it is simply because of MES's vocal style but they also match guitar or bass lines in parts of songs other rock-gone-electronic (or vice-versa) bands wouldn't dare. On the other hand the straight-up "I'm a Mummy" is nowhere near a throwaway... much more of a bizarre surf-music sci-fi parable that Frankie and Annette would get down to. It rocks. If you can find it, buy the double disc set which also includes a christmas-ish song with a line from "Deck The Halls" played through a megaphone. Wacky stuff.

A return to form
After 20 years of complaining, frontman Mark E. Smith still finds the enregy for a truly inspired performance. Unlike their previous effort The Light User Syndrome, a throwback to The Fall's straighforward rock style of the '80s, this one finds them tearing up new sonic terrain. Levitate combines rhythm section driven rock and off-kilter low-fi electronica. Smith, with renewed vigor, spews forth his always bitter and usually humorous mix of vocals and poetry. Tracks such as "4 1/2 inch" are so wonderfully paranoid and claustrophobic that you wonder if even the band knows where the song is going (This is a high compliment). The cover songs "I'm a Mummy" and Jungle Rock" are throwaways, but the rest of the album is a fine continuation of The Fall's destruction of old rock forms and exploration of the new.

MUST HAVE MUSIC
The Fall only get better with time, and this CD is great! This CD is sort of like the Sex Pistols breeding with the Chemical Brothers. Most electronic music lacks personality, but this CD gives it a unique voice... ... Read more

Reviews (19)

If you like lotsa guitars, then...
...get this CD. It is a barrage of layered guitars from start to finish. I'm not sure why this album got such a bad rap from music critics. Maybe they were expecting too much as a follow-up to "Nowhere". Granted, this isn't ground-breaking music, but it is a very enjoyable album all the way through. Highlights are Leave Them All Behind, Twisterella, Time Of Her Time and Ox4. Ride defines the "shoegazer" classification in UK music of the late 80's/early 90's.

Lost Classic
Ride was one of the most underappreciated bands of the '90s. From their beginnings as a "shoegazing" white noise band to their later '60s-retro-pop stylings, Ride always wowed critics and fans alike. Oddly enough, the band is more popular five years after they disbanded than they were while active. Surely this is a result of word-of-mouth praise that has followed such standout albums as Going Blank Again (1992).

Going Blank Again was a perfect synthesis of the "shoegazing" elements of their sound and the melodic guitar pop they favored later on. This album is truly a lost classic. Do yourself a favor and check out this underappreciated gem. Make sure you listen to "Cool Your Boots", "Chrome Waves", "Leave Them All Behind" and "Twisterella". All of these songs stand out as a high water mark for the genre.

Going great again
As a follow up to the superb Nowhere, Going Blank Again really does come close to meeting the expectations of being better than the first, but not quite. I am on my third copy of Going Blank Again with the re-issue that includes the 14 minute heaven reaching Grasshopper.
For the CD as a whole the guitars are more stated and the vocals do try to be more prevalent in attempting to be more "song" structured than layered as a concept CD. Still, listeing to Going Blank Again Re-Issue is an experience that gives any day or night a welcome sigh of happiness in enjoying what these guys were able to do. Stand-out tracks are Leave Them All Behind, Mouse Trap, OX4, Going Blank Again and Grasshopper. If you love the airy warmth of a good all night shoe-gazing jam then Ride is the band, and to listen to Going Blank Again followed by Nowhere is about as good as it gets for one band. I like their entire output so I am prejudiced in my opinion about them, but the first two CDs in re-issue format are my favorites.

One of the best albums ever!!!
This is my favourite album by Oxford quartet Ride. The name of the album is a reference to masturbation, and I'm pretty sure the song 0X4 has something to do with this too. There are some excellent songs on here related to space or time travel - the very hypnotic 'Leave them all behind' and 'Time Machine'. There are also more prosaic songs about drinking too much - 'Twisterella' - and dumping girls for no reason - 'Time of her time'. There is not one bad song on this album so I recommend that you listen to it.

Best record of the nineties
Sure, it may be a blunt and arrogant statement yet I stand true to it because GBA is simply put: The most AMAZING thing I've heard! I don't know how ride did to top their amazing Nowhere but they did. It opens with a bang (Leave Them All Behind) and closes with what I think is the 2nd best song of all-time (OX4). There are no fillers here, Mark Gardener's dreamy elegiac vocals, Andy Bell's angry guitar, Steve's dubby saturated bass and Loz's ubiquitous fills all coalesce into a record that truly stands the test of time. No fillers here though conservative listeners might want to be more keen on 'Twisterella' (a lovely toe-tappin' single). I know I am and never mind what the press said in '92, this is already one of the more revered albums of the decade. All hail Ride! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Great single with great b-sides
Knives Out is a great tune to be taken from Radiohead's latest effort Amnesiac, though not their best. Still, it might be the most accessible track which makes it a great choice for a single-release. 'A song about cannibalism', that's what Thom Yorke announced about a year ago. That explains the phrase 'So knives out, catch da mouse, squash its head, put him in the pot.'
The b-sides are terrific too. 'Worrywort' is quite a melodic, nice tune, though probably the least interesting of the b-sides. 'Fog', however, is mindblowingly beautiful. This song is also known by the title 'Alligators In New York Sewers'. Very sweet. 'Cuttooth' is without a doubt the best b-side here. An upbeat track which really make you jump up and down. Too bad Radiohead left this one off the album. Surely this track is much better than, for instance, 'Hunting Bears'. And finally there is a full length version of the Amnesiac classic 'Life In A Glass House'. It's not really special, just a longer intro to the song. Still, this track is superb.

Surely if Worrywort was replaced by an even better track, this single definitely would have had a 5-star rating. Since I'm not able to give it a 4.5-star rate, it'll has to do with 4.

A great single, but missing the 2 best amnesiac b-sides
1.Knives Out - You've heard it. Probably the most popular song off of Amnesiac. Also happens to be the least instrunmentally abstract song on the album. 2.Cuttooth - A solid rock song, which is almost as out of place in the Amnesiac family as "Life In A Glass House" is. Still, a very good song. 3.Life In A Glass House (Full Length Version)- Track 11 off of Amensiac. Only difference is that this version has a much longer horn section introduction. 4.Pyramid Song VIDEO - The video's great quality, and is a definite bonus. I believe this is their first enhanced cd. I'm also pretty sure that it's the only SINGLE since pablo honey that comes in a full jewel case. Basically the only b-side you're getting is Cuttooth, which isn't their best. The single's missing fog and worrywort, 2 of the best Amnesiac b-sides released so far (worrywort in particular, I HIGHLY suggest that you download this song). 4 stars only because it only includes one b-side. Order the 2 UK singles as well.

simply great
There were 2 knives out singles put out because Radiohead wanted to showcase their b-sides, im sure of it. The b-sides are 9 times out of 10 absolutely great. I'm sure you've heard Knives Out if you're buying this single so i wont go into that. Cuttooth is an amazing song, it really does have to grow on you after a couple listens though. The things Thom says in that song somehow struck a chord with me ("i dont know why i feel so tongue tied) ("im going to join the foreign legion"). I think that its just the way he says the lyrics that makes them so effective. the music fits it perfectly too. buy this single simply for cuttooth. Plus, we all know The Pyramid Song was one of the best songs on Amnesiac with that haunting piano line and that the video was great. Life In A Glass House, meh, they attempted swing/jazz, and got mediocre results.
Songs rated in order:
1. The Pyramid Song Video
2. Cuttooth
3. Knives Out
4. Life In A Glass House Video

Cuttooth...
I will recommend buying this if you don't mind buying singles, and dislike mp3s, however, it is 7 dollars for only 3 songs and a video, so unless you really like cd quality, I would suggest just getting mp3s. But on to the single itself, this one is very good. If you're even considering buying this you should already own Amnesiac, so you'll already have Knives Out. Even so, it's a good song and qucikly sets a mood even though the single's pretty short. The reason that I bought this was for one song: Cuttooth. Absolutely splendid song, energetic yet but not loud, I always sing along, you should download this song and if you like it, get the single, but if you don't like it, it's not worth the money. The third song is Life in a Glasshouse (full length version), which is the same as the album version, except instead of the spacey sounds in the beginning, it has a trumpet intro which is nice. I actually prefer this version and it ends the cd nicely. There's one more thing on this cd: the Pyramid Song video. This is an absolutely superb video, one of the best I've ever seen, to compliment one of the best songs in my opinion ever written. However, it's easy to find in the same quality on the internet, so it's not that much of a bonus. But if you're debating whether to get this, the video adds that much more value since you can easily access it any time. Overall a very good single, but a little short for the price.

Wow... Stunning songs! A must have.
I just got this one today, and I am very impressed. Another good single from Radiohead. The piano in Cuttooth is great, and it is very catchy. As usual, though, the lyrics are very strange. "Run away to the foreign legion"? Worrywort, cool electronic sounds, like some of their other songs, and Thom does very good vocals. Fog, a pretty good B-side, not their best, but not lacking really. Life in a Glass House (Full Length Version) really isn't much different, just a very long trumpet solo at the beginning. No new verses, unfortunately, but this is a good song nonetheless. I highly recommend this CD single! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Worst in the Series
Each This Mortal Coil album is a collection of collaborative efforts by (mostly) artists signed to the 4AD record label. For example, their first album, "It Will End in Tears" has such contributers as the Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Modern English, etc. The results are always mixed, largely depending upon who producer Ivo Watts talks into contributing. However, with each subsequent album, the collaborative efforts of This Mortal Coil decreased in quality with the artists. Whereas "It Will End in Tears" is an often beautiful and inventive album, and the second album, "Filigree and Shadow", is an uneven effort that still occassionally reaches the first album's heights, with the exception of the song "I Come and Stand At Every Door", none of the songs on "Blood" (which are mostly covers instead of original songs this time) reach the standards previously set. Part of the problem is that some of the artists, such as Kim Deel of the Breeders (she and Tanya Donnelly being the only "big names" on this one), have a style more suited to quirky pop music. Also, while all three albums have a certain level of pretentiousness (something often unavoidable and forgiveable when the artists in question are trying to take risks), the third album is mainly nothing but pretention with little real talent shining through. While listening to "Blood", instead of being moved, I keep getting comical pictures in my head of things like mustached men in berets saying "I am an ARTISTE!" This album is the musical equivalent of junior high school level poetry: sure, they're trying, and that's admirable, but it doesn't make the result any more palatable. Give the first album a try instead if you are into the better works of the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, but avoid this one.

Fragments of a rainy season
Another reviewer below said that this album lacked the talents of classic 4AD artists like Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. Well, the Cocteaus had already left the label, and DCD were working on "Aion" and "A passage in time". More important, the musical climate had changed since TMC's last effort "Filigree and shadow", and it would've been inappropriate for an avantgarde project to repeat the ideas and sounds of previous albums. And there are still many 4AD artists involved, just look at Heidi Berry, Kim Deal(Breeders), Tanya Donelly(Belly), Pieter Nooten(Clan Of Xymox), or John Fryer(producer). Overall, "Blood" shifts the focus from independent rock to contemporary chamber music and drumless ballads. This album comes up with a great variety of styles, including exceptionally beautiful synth passages ("The lacemaker", "Mr. Somewhere", "Several times"), psychedelic guitar rock ("I come and..", "I am the cosmos"), and several interesting cover versions. "Blood" is TMC's most ambitious effort and represents a singularly charming and disarming album. Only some underdeveloped tracks annoy, the rest is flawless. Personally, I think "Blood" remains the 4AD label's last true avantgarde album.

Dreams are like water
Next to "Twice Upon a Time" by Siouxsie & the Banshees, This Mortal Coil's "Blood" album is one of my first goth albums I have ever bought without realizing it. I haven't listened to "Blood" in a long time. I almost forgot just how enchanting that this album is. I can't really compare this album to any other TMC cds because this is the only cd I own by This Mortal Coil. Unlike some reviewers, I do enjoy this album immensely. It is very dark and foreboding. Ideal music to listen to on a cold, rainy day (or in my case, a cold winter day). I like how there are different vocalists for every song and there are some special guest vocalists from well known sings like The Breeders' Kim Deal ex-Belly/Breeder singer Tonya Donnelly on "You and Your Sister". Since TCM was on the label 4AD label, there is that familiar 4AD sound ala The Cocteau Twins and Lush, ethereal, lush melodies with delicate female vocals. "Blood" is truly a beautiful and underappreciated album.

One of the greats, and TMC's greatest!
How on earth can any fan say this is their lesser material? While listening, those people need to close their eyes and open their hearts. I love this album. The best songs are here, and in the most abundance. Two classics by Chris Bell...etc.

doesn't live up to the previous releases
I felt compelled to write this after seeing another reviewer remark that "only some underdeveloped tracks annoy; the rest is flawless." Are we listening to the same album? Of the 5 or so people in my group of friends who are TMC fans, the sentiment about Blood is unanimous: they were trying to do another Filigree & Shadow, and fell way short. I gave it a couple years' worth of sporadic listens before finally selling it to a used store. Can't say I've ever missed it. Especially when I can listen to Filigree & Shadow and hear what this excellent band was really all about. ... Read more

Amazon.com

On their new album, Evil Heat, Primal Scream set out to streamline the massive sound of 2000's superb Xtrmntr and to combine raw, sexually charged electro with raw, sexually charged rock & roll. That they succeed has much to do with the band's collaborators. Andy Weatherall returns to the fold and transforms "Autobahn 66" into a beautiful meditation that recalls Primal Scream's earlier Screamadelica and the autobahn fantasies of Krautrockers Neu!. Meanwhile, My Bloody Valentine's genius leader, Kevin Shields, feeds most of the other tracks through his disorientation and distortion effects deck, so that even the most punk tracks ("Skull X," "City") sound original. In the midst of it all, there's Bobbie Gillespie, posing furiously. But Evil Heat, perhaps accidentally, captures the paradox at the heart of great rock & roll: that the old ideas can be reinvented, sometimes as comedy, sometimes as revolution, and sometimes as both. --John Mulvey ... Read more

Reviews (13)

It's Good to be Evil.
Manchester's Primal Scream are what hundreds of untalented L.A. bands aspire to be: A swaggering, smirking Molotov of fist pumping anthems and drug induced slow jams. It's the aural equivalent of a back alley knife fight between punk, glam, house, psychedelia, rock, and all out noise. And they make it sound so easy too. Well, in all honesty, if I could get Robert Plant (Led Something-Or-Other), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine), Jim Reid (Jesus And Mary Chain), and supermodel Kate Moss (!?) to pop into the studio one day and muck about on MY newest album, I'd think I was pretty frickin' cool too.

In the two and a half minute first single, "Miss Lucifer," the band effectively grabs you by your nether regions, squeezes tightly and politely asks "Do I have your attention yet?" It's a hyper-kinetic burst of sleazy techno-punk that makes you want to run around the room and break things. (It also marks the first time I ever used the "repeat one song" button on my CD player. I listened to it about five or six times in a row on the way home from work tonight. I'm lucky I made it home in one piece.)

Ringleader Bobby Gillespie screeches and yowls and snarls and poses his way through the album, getting by more on charisma and a good punk sneer than real singing ability. The lyrics are, admittedly, jingoistic and inconsequential, but are nonetheless fun. "Skull X" and "City" are relatively straightforward garage punk tunes. "The Lord Is My Shotgun" sports the distinctive harmonica work of Mr. Robert Plant and a drum machine beat reminiscent of NIN's "Closer" for a song that sounds like the middle ground between both bands. "Deep Hit Of Morning Sun" and "Autobahn 66" offer some chemically-inspired psychedelia as a change of pace from all the breakneck rocking out. "Rise" is a call to action set to a steady, almost military drumming while the delicate, organ-laden "Space Blues #2" ends the hedonism with a nice denouement.

If there's a weak link here, it's in the limited edition bonus DVD. The video for "Miss Lucifer" is awesome (Devil chicks dancing at a rave? A guy shooting lightning out of his hands? How can you go wrong?) and the video for "Autobahn 66" is solid, but the live tracks fall well short of what they could be. Gillespie looks bored out of his mind, standing stock still through uninspired renditions of "Skull X," "Rocks," and "Swastika Eyes." How anyone could perform this music without getting hyped up is beyond me. (A chemical cocktail before the show, perhaps?) But if you want to display the band in the best light possible, why include footage where the lead singer looks half asleep? The band all acquit themselves well enough, but it isn't until "Kowalski" and "Movin' On Up" that Bobby shows any signs of life at all. It's worth watching for the "Miss Lucifer" video, but it could have been much more.

At a moment in time where jock rock is waning and cooler-than-thou garage rock is on the rise, it's a pleasure to hear vets like Primal Scream offer a nice alternative to the same ol' same ol'.

Great Album
Evil Heat is specific album. The songs come fro an old Electronic Body Music tranfered into a psychadelic rock'n roll and alternative electro rock. Primal Scream used no samples when making this album so u can hear a very special tones and melodies.
1. Deep hit of morning sun: Great chorus, excellent vocal, probably the most experimental song on the album 5/5
2. Miss Lucifer; this is just amazing song. It is very samiliar to some nine inch nails songs, its just perfect 5/5
3. Autobahn : instrumental song with beatiful synth melody. 4/5
4. Detroit : This is the only true EBM style song on this record. 4/5. It sounds pretty well
5. Rise : This is the best song on the album. Fantastic rhytm and psycho chorus. One of the psychadelic rock songs here. 5/5
6. The lord is my shotgun : Another great song. Electro blues with nice screaming chorus BURY YOU ALIVE. 5/5
7. City : Avarage psychadelic rock'n roll song with clear chorus and verses. 4/5
8. Some velvet morning : Maybe this is the most weird song on the album. This is like pills from XTRMNTR or stuka from Vanishing Point. Absolutely out of contents. 4/5
9. Skull X : The worst song here. Too avarage. 3/5
10. A scanner darkly; Another instrumental song, with a nice melody. Good song 5/5
11. Space blues: Nice ending, much better then keep your dreams from XTRMNTR 4/5
Overall this is one of the best album of the year 2002.
Primal Scream are very progresive and they are full of energy. Their music is very samiliar to nine inch nails.
5/5

Lucifer
The follow up to Exterminator, which it resembles more or less, I guess Primal Scream now can be seen as a leader in the movement of bands trying to be the MC5. I guess that they may have some more legitimacy since they played with Wayne Kramer on occasion. Things start off with "Miss Lucifer" which gets off to a good electro start. "Autobahn 66" tips a hat to their obsession with Kraftwerk. The two rockers are "City" and "Skull X" which are stand out tracks. The song "Rise" was called "Bomb The Pentagon" before pushing the envelope was becoming bad taste. There is more psychedelia on this recording that previous releases. People as diverse as Kate Moss and Robert Plant show up on various tracks. It doesn't matter in the end. It's a great record, but just another notch in the belt for a band who has rode every possible trend. People in America are still trying to figure out if Primal Scream is a jam band or the English Black Crowes. The American release includes a DVD so you can see the band for itself, which is a great live act, and bridges the gap between rock, soul and techno.

(www.freewilliamsburg.com)

more like "Somewhat Threatening Warmth"
Pretty basic stuff covered in electronic fuzz. It's cool sounding but not that challenging musically. But they do build on this basic bedrock with additional electronic layers and tangents which are kinda trippy. The songs themselves are rather repetitive. "Rise" and "Miss Lucifer" are particularly lukewarm and monotonous. A bit tired really. And the lyrics are pretentious and just try too hard to be cool, but still, they're easy to ignore.

Many will no doubt like the repetition and other aspects I'm criticising. Jim Reed of Jesus & Mary Chain sings on "Detroit" and, although that band made surf music with heavy guitar distortion (the early stuff at least), a lot of their music is basic, simple chord progressions (although my fav album of theirs HONEY'S DEAD has a lot more going for it). Anyway, if you like that band you might go for EVIL HEAT even though it's basically electro.

Things get better starting with "The Lord Is My Shotgun" which is cool and subversively intense. Robert Plant of all people blows some harp on it. None of this album is as good as Kevin Shields' My Bloody Valentine, but he contributes some cool acid-wash guitar to EVIL HEAT. And "Some Velvet Morning" and "Skull X" get a bit more musical, too.

Pretty good album, not bad, but not great.

Sexual and Spiritual
"Evil Heat" is an impressive follow-up to Primal Scream's excellent 2000 release "XTRMNTR". "XTRMNTR" was a very political album, combining a punk rock sensibility with abrasive techno sounds to rage against consumption, capitalism and conformity. With "Evil Heat", the focus seems to be more on sexuality and spirituality, and the sound, although somewhat similar, is a little leaner, tighter, and more streamlined. Songs like "Miss Lucifer", "The Lord is my Shotgun" and "Some Velvet Morning" are so throbbing and sexual that they wouldn't sound at all out of place in a strip club. "Rise" and "City" are more reminiscent of their previous album, with a more straightforward rock sound and rebellious, political lyrics. The biggest surprises for me are the album's opening and closing tracks, "Deep Hit of Morning Sun" and "Space Blues Number 2". Both are almost gospel-like in their themes of spirituality and unity. Overall, this is a sonically excellent and thematically provocative rock album. ... Read more

Album Details

Japanese Version features the Bonus Tracks "Can Y'see it Now? (I Can See it Now)", and "Sittin' Here in Silence on My Own". ... Read more

Album Description

The third single from 'OK Computer'. Pt.1 is backed with thepreviously unreleased tracks 'Palo Alto' and 'How I Made MyMillions'. Slipcase sleeve. 1998 Parlophone release. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

How I Made My Millions?
'No Surprises' you probably already know.

'Palo Alto' is the song that describes the feel of OK Computer too much to put on there. It goes with the theme and style of Airbag, Paranoid Android and Let Down.

'How I Made My Millions' stands alone. The only radiohead songs I can relate it to are 'Lozenge of Love' and 'You and Whose Army' but its quieter and more subtle. There is only piano and thoms voice. A personal favourite. ... Read more

Album Details

Their Debut Album from 1987, Now at a Lower Price. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Madchester Marvel
This debut album of fun, irreverent dance music is unique because the songs are based on jangly guitar riffs rather than synthesizers and drum machines. Happy Mondays' reliance on keyboards and electronic beats would increase over the next few albums. But here the band, as captured by the legendary John Cale, offer a refreshing alternative to the ultra-slick, over-produced sound of most late eighties pop music.

The lyrics are crass, sly, and at times nonsensical, but somehow always endearing. Even though the songs (apart from Russell and Cob 20) have a lot of charm, Shaun Ryder's wildly uneven and unprofessional vocal delivery won't appeal to everyone. In fact, you'll probably either love or hate his approach, but that's part of what made the Mondays so special.

Bez, House music, and the Madchester scene were just around the corner, but this really was the record that started it all!

One of the most important albums ever made
Even if you don't like rave or dance music, you will love this album. The lyrics are dark the music infectious. Without a doubt, Shaun Ryder on his best day rivals Blake on his average days. There really is nothing to compare it to as the Mondays created a genre all their own. This album is what every 80's alt-pop band wanted to be but could not.

I listened to this album and ended up buying the entire Mondays collection (Including Yes, Please and even a Black Grape album). The first three Mondays albums are by far the best.

mint
It's mint...buy it. Madchester rave on. They were born in Little hulton and its rough there...this album captures it all...a bunch of rum manc lads...rave on ... Read more

Album Description

Canadian version of the ethereal Scottish trio's classic 1986 EP. Tracks, 'Love's Easy Tears', 'Those Eyes, That Mouth', 'Sigh's Smell of Farewell' and 'Orange Appled'. 4AD release. 1991 release. Slimline jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

bliss....
The Cocteau Twins "middle" period comes to an end--gloriously. With their next release, 1988's Blue Bell Knoll, Elizabeth and Co. began applying there completely unique sound to a more "Pop" format (not that this was a bad thing).

With walls of blissful, sugary ear candy and Elizabeth's voice never sounding better, Love's Easy Tears is great headphone music. If you're like me, you'll find yourself repeatedly turning-up the volume. I own every EP and full-length release the Cocteau Twins put out, and I would put this in the top five. Buy it!

This is it.
What a perfect, concise (maybe too concise) encapsulation of the very best Cocteau Twins, which is saying an awful lot! Here's what you get:

"Love's Easy Tears", for a spell, was my favorite Cocteau Twins song (now it's "Heaven Or Las Vegas"). I suspect many overlook it, but don't count it out just because it's simple and repetitive. I find it mesmerizing and wondrous. I've always loved songs with a repeated bassline under an ABABAB' structure gathering strength like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis (no, really). All the while, cascades of shimmering sound pour down like blessedness itself. Just listen to the backing vocals during the chorus. Angels exist; you'd better believe it: Liz Fraser is the Platonic form of the reality to which she testifies. As a thematic work, this EP works wonderfully. The title song itself is a good example; just listen to it while thinking of what the title brings to mind, and see if your enjoyment doesn't spike dramatically. If not, I feel sorry for you.

"Those Eyes, That Mouth" is an uptempo, driving hyper-ballad (to borrow a phrase from Bjork) whose triumphant, angular chorus expresses that wondrous sense of the ineffable that Cocteau Twins seem to be able to do without trying at all. Once again, think of the title while listening. Are the hairs on your arm not standing up?

"Sigh's Smell Of Farewell" is one of my very favorites. Robin's guitar doesn't sound like processed guitar, it sounds like an instrument which naturally makes that sound! Like a celestial harp, its blue, faintly elegiac tone is itself completely transporting. All the while, the warm, almost cellolike *thrum* of Simon's bass acts as the perfect counterpart, the warm, reassuring surface of the flying carpet lifting you up through the clouds. Then the bridge-out sequence kicks in, and you know you've arrived. Music just doesn't get any better than this.

"Orange Appled" is a shortish little thing that I once considered one of those Cocteau Twins songs that's just a little too precious. But I eventually got over that, thank goodness. At its glorious chorus (with the Cocteau Twins, is there any other kind?), it seems to be stating some theme from time immemorial, like the advent of spring.

And then it's over. Too bad, but there's lots more where that came from. Don't give up, pilgrim.

At about [dollars] a song, still a bargain
This band is probably the only band in musical history except for Shudder To Think that I do believe I would actually pay ANY price simply to hear one song. I've done it: Cocteau Twins had the assorted here-and-there hard-to-find rarity that caused me to plunk down an exorbitant amount just to hear a three-and-a-half minute slice of musical bliss. Oops, I used a Cocteau word: watch out, I might say "gauzy" or "shimmering" next paragraph.

Anyway, this EP contains four of the most perfect songs ever written by a band that, when they wrote 'em, were at their sonic peak on a par with "Rocket To Russia"-era Ramones or Bowie circa "Diamond Dogs". Not to start an argument, but since I missed the New York Dolls by about three years, and since I was eight when "Exile On Main Street" came out, I kinda feel left out on the "big musical moments", except for these guys. I remember running over to the record store in the rain to pick up "Tiny Dynamine" and "Echoes In A Shallow Bay" both on their day of release, and I remember walking around listening to "Orange Appled" from this EP on headphones during Christmastime thinking that I was a privileged human to be around in the mid-80's when a new sound was not just being created, it was peaking, higher and higher with each Cocteau release, and there was simply no end in sight. If you were around then, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you do not have this EP, you need it immediately. If you have never heard these songs, your life is less wonderful than it oughta be. And if you doubt the accolades I've doled out and the other stumble-over-myself-to-heap-praise reviews below mine here, just get it and hear it. As bad a cliche it really is, there are quite simply few if any words around to describe what a powerful pleasure these four songs are.

Liz's angelic voice in celebratory bliss
The "Love's Easy Tears" EP was the end of the Cocteau Twins mid-80's period, a time of loud production and Liz's voice having a characteristic wail. That era goes out on a high note, and this loud and crashing is remarkable due to its celebratory sound and emotional songs.

The first song is "Love's Easy Tears," which is actually pretty unremarkable, as the instrumentation is rather repetative and lackluster, but the other tracks on the album are spectacular.

"Those Eyes, That Mouth" is one of the Cocteau Twins's most beautiful songs, due to Liz's three-part vocals, one of which is the most glorious and sweeping I've ever heard her at.

"Sigh's Smell of Farewell" is a bouncy rhythmic track that remains at a steady pace for its three and a half minutes. It's a bit of a rest between the second and third tracks.

Last is "Orange Appled," a heavenly song that, through its use of chimes sounds bright and fresh. Meanwhile, Liz is wailing through several overdubs and a counterpoint. It's truly one of the Cocteau Twin's best songs and incredibly addictive.

I would recommend the "Love's Easy Tears" EP above even some of their full-length albums (GARLANDS and FOUR CALENDAR CAFE are no match for this wonderful EP).

the quality of CT's single is as good as their albums.
there're not amny bands whose singles did better than their albums,but CT is exception(also Pumpkins). all the tracks from this EP are so beautiful & dreamy that i think {Love's easy tear} is even better than victorland in a overall view. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Gotta Love the Ostrich!
Quirky, Eccentric, Guitar-Blasted, Melodic, American, and Original - these words best describe the Swirlies.

Although good things are said about Blonder Tounge, this CD is better produced - somewhat less noisy and rough, although there are some very driving guitars on a couple of tracks. They put the most time, money and effort into this one, and it shows. The production value is very high - the only lo-fi bits are the "field recordings" that seem to be inside jokes. (After you hear the French guy talking about his cat Gatsby for the 100th time, you might be rolling on the floor, too.) The fold-out artwork is also much more elaborate and fun, in a child-like way. The mostly instrospective lyrics are softly delivered. The complex song structures and unexpected breaks will tickle your brain. Electronics and oohh-ooohh harmonies add a nice warm poppy feel. The opposing elements never fight against each other, but are more smoothly blended than they are on Blonder.

The band really made their mark on this one. I implore you to buy this first! NOT ONE BAD SONG ON IT.

The in sound from way out
This is the most 'far out' record I've ever heard. If you like guitars then get this.

why is it?
why is it whenever someone plays a guitar with a tremelo bar, people just automatically say "he sounds like Kevin Shields" or "they sound like My Bloody Valentine"? (Did people compare MBV to Link Wray? ) This album sounds nothing like Loveless, or Isn't Anything. To say that it does is just an insult to both bands. The music of the Swirlies and MBV runs much deeper than trivial material comparisons. The Swirlies had, and always will have a unique sound.

swirlies always will be number 1 in my book
most of the recordings are more like isnt anything period my bloody valentine. saw them for the 12th time last month. and although they have improved their live set you still find yourself waiting, yet its worth every minute. album is amazing, and this is their last for taang so now damon can really do what he wants.

Brain candy for the swiling-guitar set
"They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days..." lies somewhere between My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" and the synthesized bliss of Stereolab - lush layers of guitar blend seamlessly with electronic keyboards to weave a soundscape most American bands haven't yet been capable of creating. The vocals are, much like MBV, sometimes nearly incomprehensible, but the sonic sweets are sure to make you forget about deciphering lyrics. Every song on this album is *perfect* - buy it now! ... Read more

Album Description

First single lifted from their 2002 studio album. Includes2 non-LP tracks, 'Just Getting Older' & 'Idler's Dream'. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Oasis' Finest Single Ever!
This single from Oasis is, without a doubt, one of their finest moments. A fantastic return to brilliant form from the band's troubled stage of bloated excess ('Be Here Now') and the, seemed like, the infinite hangover ('Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants'). 'The Hindu Times' is a very class example of what Oasis still represents; straight-laced, feedback-coated ROCK AND ROLL!
Excellent guitar riffs from Noel and Gem Archer, nicely-done rythmns by bassist Andy Bell and drummer Alan White...and of course, can't menton Oasis without Liam. The junior Gallagher bro puts down his raspy, yet unstressed and self-confident vocals with lyrics of pure optimism (I get up when I'm down/I can't swim but my soul won't drown/I do believe I've got flair/I've got speed and I walk on air). Sounding much better since...well, since '...Morning Glory.'
Of course, we can't forget about the B-sides since Oasis are known for their brillance at it. 'Just Getting Older',sung by Noel, is a fine song, kinda reminiscent of 'Sunday Morning Call' but with a bit more of electric guitars. Might take a few listens to get into it, but 'Just Getting Older' is quite good.
'Idler's Dream', also sung by Gallagher senior, is mostly done by a quirkish piano melody. But once Noel hits the chorus, you'll be amazed by it! And it ends on an oddly, but pleasing, organ sound.
So forth, 'The Hindu Times' is a very rocking, uplifting song (Can't wait to hear this one live!). And so far, it's the best rock song I've heard this year; deemed as a Oasis classic and as a triumphant comeback. More importantly, 'The Hindu Times' is an example why Oasis are still one of the best rock bands in the world. This is a well-done CD and it's been on frequent play on my CD players. It was well worth purchasing it, since I got from Amazon UK (I'm not ad-libbing, here.)! And now, 'The Hindu Times' is my favorite Oasis song. This is definitely worth to buy!
I was also luckily enough to listen to a few tracks from the band's forthcoming album, 'Heathen Chemistry.' After listening to those songs, it's safe to say that Oasis are back!

Oasis Is Back (Again! Or So We Hope)
Oasis hit the music scene in 1994 with the incredible debut album "Definitely Maybe". Only 8 years later, the forthcoming album "Heathen Chemistry" is, if I can keep track, touted as their second "come-back" album, after 2000's "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants", viewed by many as a failure but in my book an album with some of their greatest tunes ("Who Feels Love", "Gas Panic!")

But I digress... This is the first single of the forth-coming album. "The Hindu Times" is a hard rocking song, reminiscent of the sound on the debut album, and where the title of the song comes from, I have no idea (it is not part of the lyrics). But a great tune, for sure. The "B" sides are both Noel-penned and sung tunes: "Just Getting Older" finds Noel worrying whether he's "cracking up or just getting older" (hint to Noel: yes are are getting older!), and "Idler's Dream", a beautiful piano-based ballad.

I'm looking forward to the new album, out in July, to see whether Oasis is really, truly back in the saddle. Stay tuned.

5 Stars for Noel
Wow Noel is so under-rated it's not funny. I mean come on the guy is a musical genius but how typical for people to admit to those who have talent as opposed to those who are talentless trying to win over the world on false glory. Give me a break! Noel is just an amazing song writer (period) & I already own most of the oasis albums & I think Noel gets over looked more often than not.

With his sort of genius who needs Liam in the band, just hand over all singing / song-writing not to mention crafty guitar work to Noel & the band will have an album far better than "What's The Story" which is what they've been trying to top but that one Liam (you pulled that off somehow). As for Liam, aren't you always putting Oasis fans to discontent as every time the new album comes out so does your running joke that you are over as a band, man us fans dig people with talent & would only crave to have it yet I think if you went into music than please don't abandon your fans.

In the meantime I am going to acquire as many oasis cd singles that have Noel's B or A sides & wack them onto one disc & have my very own merry Noel Gallagher album because his stuff is in depth on personal levels where one can relate, enjoy & listen to repeatedly without any pessimistic associated stigma.

Cheers Noel & keep up the good work.

oasis version 2.0
It reminds me of "supersonic" quite a bit. To the people who have been slaggin it off for its simplicity, they don't have a point. What makes THT special is the way the riff flows along with the acoustic and electric guitar. I like the way the sound is crisp n clear and not overproduced(or distorted) like some oasis rockers. It goes back to the basics, I guess that is why it reminds me of "supersonic". Now with the b-sides; "Just Gettin Older" is Noel showing that he is turning into a more mature and classy writer. "Idler's Dream" is in my list of best oasis songs. It is just class, one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in my whole life. I was speechless the first time I heard it. "Idler's Dream" is worth buying the single. Their latest album has a lot of better songs than THT, GREAT first single though.

Awesome Bsides- not just for fans!
The aside is nice, but the two bsides are two beautiful numbers. Just Getter Older is a reflective number and Idler's Dream is one of the groups most romantic and most lovely songs. Buy! Buy! Buy even if you are not a fan! This single is brilliant and so is "Stop Crying Your Heart Out". Listen Up before you automatically rule it out! ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Excuse Me While I Pick My Jaw Up Off The Ground...
...quite simply, the best Marillion Album since "Brave". In a week that *finally* saw the release of The Flower King's "Flower Power" CD in the States, I thought it couldn't get much better...then I *finally* found this CD at the local shop and was completely blown away.

H really shines on this album; Steve Rothery's playing is not only back in true form (after the disappointing "Radiation" CD), but has hit new heights; Mark Kelly's keyboards, as always, shine; Pete and Ian's bass/drum combo are better than ever.

What's terriffic about this CD? Everything! The production, the lyrics, the diverse musical styles on display...not one single bad song on this CD. Highlights (imho, anyway): The wonderfully poppy "Rich" and "Tumble Down The Years", introspective "House", the epic "Interior Lulu".

If you thought the band went South with "Radiation" (like I did)...please note that they are back with a vengence! THIS IS MARILLION AT THEIR FINEST.

Do not walk...RUN and buy this CD! Or save yourself the leg cramps, some tax, and (insert shameless plug here) buy it at Amazon...just make sure you get the Overnight Delivery...you cannot afford to wait to hear this album!

This album is brilliant, moving, and catchy!
Marillion are one of those bands that labors tirelessly in the interest of their music, without so much regard for popular success. The shame of it is, in a world where musicians' success was made by their devotion to craft, and their ability to make truly exciting music, Marillion would be very rich and famous people. marillion.com is full of wonderful songs, performed by the tightest band out there, with lyrics that hit you on multiple levels, music that is a thrill to listen to both the first time, and subsequent listens as it grows into your psyche.

This album is a sister to 1998's "Radiation" (two tracks in fact were held back from that album for new treatments here,) and yet is probably more consistently good, and integrated. Pop tracks like "Deserve", "Rich", and "Tumble Down the Years", while full of hooks, don't leave you feeling like you've been played; instead, the hooks make you pay attention to what's really going on in the song--like it should be. Then you'll listen to tracks like "Go", "Enlightened" and the 15-minute "Interior Lulu" and understand this is no ordinary, fad of the week, rock band.

You need to buy this album if you're a fan of good rock music of any kind, from 60s psychedelia, 70s progressive rock, 80's synth pop, to 90's Britpop. It's all here, and yet, never derivative of any of those genres, a new synthesis that is still somehow quintessentially Marillion.

Landmark Album
This 1999 original record is quite symbolic from many points of view. For a start, it marks the beginning of a very close relationship between the band and the Internet. By that, they began providing their legion of fans a world of possibilities, being the most significant one for me the chance to be included on a Marillion album's booklet, something unthinkable before Anoraknophobia came out in 2001. The opposition they face since then cannot be underestimated, but I believe future will see them as artists with vision.
On the other hand, I don't mind watching "marillion.com" as an attempt by the band to reach a larger audience. "Deserve" was in fact the last original video I saw on a music channel since then...

As for the songs, "A legacy" is a quite different start for a Marillion album but it's certainly one of my favorite ones. You won't get tired to listen to "Deserve" or "Rich" but my highlights are definitely "Enlightened" and "Tumble down the years", both beautiful songs. Although not being among my favorite epics from the band, "Interior Lulu" is a quality and consistent one. "Go!" and the final track "House" are both nice and calm, "Built-in bastard radar" is my least favorite track of the album.

Among their best works with Steve Hogarth as lead singer, "marillion.com" is certainly a good way to start knowing a band that's making excellent music for more than 20 years now.

Reinventing themselves once more
Marillion is one of those strange bands that seem to care more about the music than about the money or the fame (although they deserve to have them too!). This CD is no exception to that norm.

The lads have once again reinvented themselves and produced yet another extraordinary piece of music.

As for the tracks:
'A legacy': starts off very slowly and softly, and then breaks into guitar-keyboard riff
'Deserve': not really my favorite, but good nonetheless. Includes the use of a saxophone ("they look like they're having fun")
'Go!': One of the best of the album. Very slow, haunting tune
'Rich': the 'pop' song of the CD (clapping included!). Not what I would call a *Marillion* song, but good anyways
'Elinghtened': Not really the love song, but puts you in that mood. The best lyrics of the album
'Built-in bastard radar': a straight rocker, with some of h's trippiest lyrics. A distant cousin to 'Gazpacho'
'Tumble down the years': a monster track, probably my favorite. Very strong, great chorus and an excellent guitar line throughout
'Interior Lulu' and 'House': two complex pieces of music, lasting over ten minutes each. They're a rich musical experience, with lots of changes, hooks and rythms...

All in all, a great album that you shouldn't miss.

As an additional note, the inner sleeve of the album has pictures of a couple hundred fans who sent them in. Marillion is perhaps the band that relates most to its fans, including us in almost all of their work, asking opinions and feedback. These lads are like family...!

Go! buy it.
Many have derided Marillion for the pop-factor on Marillion.com. I actually enjoy well-done pop music, so I wasn't so apprehensive about getting this. Plus, I thoroughly enjoy Holidays In Eden, which is one of the band's "poppier" releases.

I initially enjoyed Marillion.com, aside from the contrived rock infusing "Built-In Bastard Radar," but I wanted to make sure my satisfaction wasn't ephemeral as it sometimes is with albums like this. So I wanted to give it plenty of time before reviewing it.

Now I can comfortably say that it's a good album, but not quite up to par with the best the band has to offer. Of course, the song in question is "Interior Lulu," the 15-minute epic. Hogarth's singing at the beginning of it reminds of Tori Amos (that's good!). The second passage begins with some off-the-wall keyboards that remind me of a carnival funhouse (that's bad!). All in all, though, it's a very satisfying epic that takes a good deal of time to fully sink in, with a wonderful Rothery solo at about 8 & 1/2 minutes into it and all the tight instrumental interplay that's characteristic of this band.

As for the other cuts, I have no compunctions about saying that Marillion knows how to write good, commercially viable songs (although none of it would ever get on the radio). The opener, "A Legacy," is a great song that's easy to sing with. The ballad "Go!" highlights the emotive power of Hogarth's voice, in sharp contrast to the preceding track "Deserve," which is a more insistent rocker with a great hook. "Rich" is similarly catchy, and "Tumble Down the Years" is a beautiful song with an incredible chorus. The album comes to an end with "House," the 10-minute song that feels much shorter than 10-minutes. It's sort of surreally jazzy and mellow...and great way to bring things to an end. I wouldn't miss "Built-In Bastard Radar" if it suddenly vanished off the face of the album. Although there are some interesting melodies, it seems a little forced and Hogarth's voice on the chorus is suffocated by the arrangement.

It's a little shallower than works like Afraid of Sunlight and Brave, and in some ways it might be a little too unlike their other work, but .com is a great album from a band that continues to grow and impress. ... Read more

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of theDutch alternative act's 1986 & second album for 4AD. Equally as rewarding as their label debut, it contains the original album's 10 tracks, plus three tracks on CD for the first time ever, all of the cuts from their final 4AD release, the 1987 'Blind Hearts' 12 inch EP. Bonus tracks are 'Blind Hearts', 'A Million Things' & 'Scum'. 13 tracks total. 1999 release. NOTE: the versions of 'Blind Hearts' & 'A Million Things' are different than those that appeared on their 1989 album 'Twist Of Shadows'. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

cream of the crop...
It is arguably one of the finest record (yes, they were called that back then) to come out of the eighties. The landscapes that they paint their songs in is just SO lush and to think they did this back in the 80's! The mood and lyrics worked hand in hand to swallow you entirely in their melancholy-ness. the rolling synths gently rolls you into the song and never lets you out till the ending cresendo, each song's definately a journey, great structures... But alas, all things must come to an end, and this style of GOTH are sadly not "popular" anymore. Nowadays, when you say GOTH, you get Sisters of Mercy-esque type of sounds that's somewhat angry. and that's where this band has gone too as well, i guess that's called natural progression. But i digress, if you must pick up just 1 CLAN of XYMOX CD. it's this one. 2nd choice would be their 1st CD, then Twist of shadows. you can tell the drop off in musicianship(sp?) from this cd to Twist of shadows..how sad, i read somewhere they lost 2 of the members who's like mini-gods on syths then.
well good luck to COX and here's hoping they continue to put out music..

A Mysterious journey
Clan of Xymox never made the big time in the UK Goth scene, but this is a superb album, full of haunting atmosphere and gloom, but without the usual cliched references to graveyards and blood that can make Goth pop sound so adolescent. As a result, the album has not dated at all, the songs are beautifully produced, with dark and forbidding crescendos in the fast numbers, and elegaic melancholy in the slow tracks. The production is refreshingly danceable, especially the title track, without the distortion and noisy guitars favoured by other bands of this type. The inclusion of the last 4AD produced ep songs( A Million Things and Blind Hearts) as bonus tracks make this an excellent purchase, as these versions are far superior to the watered down remixes that appear on "Twist Of Shadows"

A lovely Gothic masterpiece!
This, Clan Of Xymox's 2nd release is incredible, a dark, romantic soundscape of breaking hearts.
Stand-outs include Louise (simply devastating) and Back Door.

I had this on repeat for hours while nursing a broken heart. You will, too.

Essential Xymox..
If i were mistaken Id say this were a Best of Xymox cd...this cd really has the best Xymox songs all on one, even though its just a normal LP. But normal is an understatement,...anyone who likes Xymox must get this, or if you havent heard them...still get this. "Masquerade" is my favourite Xymox song...But just about every song on here is great (save the instrumentals, although they are still cool), The only Xymox album almost as good is Creatures...But be aware that after this album came out Xymox started putting out a lot of sh**, so until Creatures (well Twist of Shadows was alright), You might want to stay away from the albums inbetween 1989-1997, those are pretty aweful, too bad. But Creatures is good so maybe they are getting back on track. Just get this...enough said.

A masterpiece
This is a lovely album for which words can not be expressed deeply enough from the start of Theme 1 to Back Door the album just cries genius !

From the sound of the album it feels like a break up in a relationship and the feelings of sorrow . There's a feeling of no ending in this album . Perhaps this can be due to the fact that there is no end to the pain that people suffer and this album expresses it beautifully

If you are thinking of buying it I would recommend it instantly . And may you lose yourself in it's ethereal beauty ... Read more

Amazon.com

Teenage Fanclub were touted as the next big thing for three minutes after its 1991 major-label debut, Bandwagonesque. That album is still the band's best--a sly, effortless approximation of Big Star, capturing most of that band's charm with only a fraction of the emotional turmoil. Six years and a few music trends later, Teenage Fanclub were still writing and singing sunny, optimistic tunes that sound great blasting from a car stereo. Songs from Northern Britain doesn't match the band at its peak, but "Ain't That Enough" is the best Byrds knockoff released in years, and "Start Again" sounds chipper enough to make you believe no romance is too doomed to be saved. The band's three equal songwriters--Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, and Gerry Love--are all incurable romantics. When written on paper, a lyric like "can't feel my soul without you" is easy to make fun of, but when their voices melt together with obvious feel-good sincerity, only a cynic could complain. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Fanny Magic!
There is little one can add to the pop clichés surrounding Teenage Fanclub and their impressive musical catalogue. "Power popsters", "pop perfection", "pop masterpiece" -- indeed, these are all fitting sentiments. Following the release of their much-heralded album "Grand Prix", I didn't think the Scottish quartet capable of exploring their retro roots much further. While lyricist/bassist Gerard Love challenged melodic musical conventions with signature tracks like 'Sparky's Dream' and 'Don't Look Back', guitarists Norman Blake and Ray McGinley showcased their writing talents with songs like 'Neil Jung" and 'Verisimilitude'. As a listener, I couldn't have asked for a more pleasurable experience. Then I heard "Songs from Northern Britain".

"Songs from Northern Britain", though humbly titled, is among the finest pop albums ever created. From its beautiful Byrdsian harmonies to its poignant lyrics à la Big Star, the album is a fitting homage to its predecessors. To categorize Teenage Fanclub as a retro act alone does them a terrible injustice. As with all Fanclub recordings, the album, like the band itself, offers the listener much more than a musical history lesson. Teenage Fanclub fuses traditional pop with their own modern sensibilities. The end result is a familiar but surprisingly refreshing sound.

From the opening chords of Norman Blake's 'Start Again' to Gerard Love's inspiring closing track, 'Speed of Light' -- a tribute to a departed friend -- this is as complete an album as you're going to find. When Love is on his game, expect two to three incredibly catchy songs per album. On "Songs from Northern Britain", Love delivers in spades. In addition to the aforementioned track, Love contributes "Take the Long Way Round", a favorite in alternative club circuits. Love again tips his hat to the Byrds with 'Ain't that Enough' and rounds out his contributions with the haunting 'Mount Everest'. Norman Blake is arguably the most whimsical, introspective lyricist of the decade. While the humor is kept closely in check on this album (no 'Metal Baby' here, folks), Blake is clearly in touch with his emotions. 'Start Again' is one of the most listenable songs I have ever happened upon. Lyrically, the song is simple, but it packs a whallop. Everytime I hear the lines, "Even though it's complicated, we've got time to start again" amplified by the track's powerful chord arrangement, I have an irresistable urge to shake my torso in a manner that would make even Beavis and Butthead proud. 'I Don't Want Control of You' captures the spirit and cleverness of 'Neil Jung', but holds its own as a Blake original. 'Winter' is a nice companion piece to Love's 'Mount Everest', and 'Planets', co-written with former drummer (and recently reunited Fanny) Francis MacDonald compliments the Blake catalogue. Lastly are Ray McGinley's compositions. To use a totally inappropriate comparison, McGinley is the George Harrison of the group. He is a budding songwriter sandwiched between two brilliant composers. As a result, his offerings are sometimes overlooked in favor of the other two artists. McGinley's compositions are generally hit and miss efforts. No misses here, folks! "Songs" showcases McGinley at his finest. 'Your Love is the Place Where I Come From' is a pure gem. As the song fades from chorus, you'll find yourself reaching for the rewind button, just to extend the moment a little further. 'Can't Feel My Soul', 'It's a Bad World', and 'I Don't Care' have traces of McGinley cynicism, though the lyrics never leave the listener without hope. All are superior McGinley tracks.

"Songs from Northern Britain" is an incredibly happy album. Like other reviewers, I place this among my favorite albums of all time. Treat yourself to Teenage Fanclub's quiet masterpiece. Also watch for their latest album, "Howdy&quot ...

This album is underrated.
I remember when I bought this album, as I drove away listening, I turned back immediately to return it because the 1st song struck me as way too syrupy, and I was immediately disappointed. I kept repeating it as I drove back, and ended up listening to the 1st three songs a couple of times, and decided to turn around again and give it a chance. I am not one for syrupy, sentimental music, but the thing about this album, is that Teenage Fanclub is obviously trying to make a well recorded album, bucking the low-fi trend at the time. It's funny that a rock band would have to defend, or isn't cool because, they are trying to write, record and perform as well as they can. If you can look past that, this album is perfect from start to finish, a totally professional A+ performance.

Is that a 12-string in your pocket....................
Yes, yes, yes: Beatles.....Byrds......harmonies....good musicians. Oh, how dull. Except it's not. "Winter", "Aint the Enough": solid gold classics and make no mistake. Eradicate the occasional lyrical clanger ("It's a bad world" Really? Hold that front page)and you've got a very appealing proposition on your hands.

boring
really - lack of good songs and plenty of unfinished riffs and boring vocals.
i thought that Teenage fanclub would be something more english styled but the only thing that they remind me is a third-league american country band

Ain't that enough?? no it isn't...
Teenage Fanclub is playing British Beatles Rock styled music and they are good in it.the only thing is that...it's a bit boring!
it starts with "Start again".nice riff nice vocals nice melody...later another song like this...later another one...i can't remember the titles...it's like one song was going thorugh whole album.fortunately from some place (around sixth song) the music is getting more variety because of more interesting guitar riffs and lyrics.
"Songs from northern britain" is s pleasurable album that you can listen to while reading newspaper or eating dinner or whatever.it features some good tracks but it doesn't stand alone proud compared to their other works.good but not so good. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Out with a whimper...perhaps not.
The two main methods of evaluating a work of art are to either take the work as it is and judge it simply by its own merits, or, to engage in a contextual analysis, considering the work in relation to the context out of which it was produced. While the merits of the Mondays have generally opposed such a contextual critique, since not only does their work stand on its own, but also they were much more trend setters and scene builders than followers, this last album deserves such a treatment. As nearly everyone agrees, including, from what I understand Shaun Ryder himself, this is their worst album. But does that mean it is a bad album? This I cannot say for certain, although I like it enough to play it on occasion, but not as much as the previous three.

...Yes Please! is the result of a waning music scene, the over-indulgence of drugs, internal bickerings within the band itself, a misguided recording session in Barbados presumably to keep some of the members free from H but allowing them open access to booze and crack, and the choice of record producers Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads fame in lieu of Paul Oakenfold (from the Pill-n-Thrills album), who was the first choice, in order to get the album out to help salvage the struggling Factory records. In an interview with Ryder, the erstwhile Mondays headman admits that their fourth installment should have been postponed for a while, letting the members embark on a break from one another and pursue some individual projects, as well as the chance to work with Oakenfold who had captured so well what many might call the quintessential Mondays sound. This, however, was not to be, and as they say the rest is history. The resulting ...Yes Please! is the product of bad circumstances and a lack of vigor and vitality. It's sound is much more forced and contrived at times. (Add to this the fact that Ryder did not have lyrics for the songs until after their return to Britain.) Moreover, again according to Ryder, some of the members of the band were recalcitrant to the direction that Ryder wished to go, which would have been similar to the first Black Grape album. From what I understand, even some of the Black Grape songs were written during this time and could have/should have been Mondays songs.

Nevertheless, ...Yes Please! is not without its merits. Ryder is still on his mark as a lyricist, and to a large extent captures the mood of the time and portends the demise of the Mondays. The music is much more sparse than what the Mondays had done before, and at times captures the tropical holiday feel of the Caribean. (Interesting too, they recorded in Eddy Grant's studio!) Monkey in the Family and theme from Netto are two of my favorites, but others have remarked on Sunshine and Love and Stinkin Thinkin. Actually, it's fair to say that nearly all the songs are solid. What is different, however, from the other Mondays albums is the absence of any track that achieves the anthem-like status of such songs as Tart Tart, WFL, Kinky Afro, Loose Fit, Step On, and, well nearly all the tracks from Pill-n-Thrills. In short, ...Yes Please! lacks any truly memorable moments. While not a bad album, it is also not a really good album, and had it been recorded by any other band it would probably drift off into obscurity.

This is an amazing album!
This is an amazing album! It's for only the hardcore Happy Mondays fans.. like me! STINKIN THINKIN is perfect and so is NETTO!

The grooves are thick along with the beats.. the music is much more funky and disco like that previous stuff.. Too bad it's not as commercial as PILLS and THRILLS but that's kind of why I like it! "ANGEL", "DUSTMAN", "COWBOY DAVE", "LOVECHILD", "TOTAL RINGO" and "SUNSHINE AND LOVE" are all amazing! The beats are all thick and funky and Ryder is out there! ... !

boo-yah!...

PEACE! Todd E. Jones

cowboy dave always duz bad things!
i like it because the song cowboy dave rules! all the other songs get boring.

bad.........
cowboy dave is the worst song yet ... Read more

Amazon.com

Filling the gulf between OK Computer’s epicprogressive rock and KidA’s skittering electronic theatrics, Hail to the Thief borrows equally from each.Its title implies that this will be a collection filled with songs of anger and dissent, but Radiohead no longer howl at the moon like they did on 1995’s The Bends. Instead, they use eloquent metaphors and complicated arrangements to express the uncertainty, fear and anger arising from the 2000 U.S. presidential election and a post-9/11 world. There’s no doubt about where Thom Yorke and company stand; the prog-rock break on "2 + 2 = 5" and Yorke’s terror at the thought of being "put in a box" make that immediately clear. But there's a prevailing sense of powerlessness here. The tinkling piano behind the cold sonic surface of "Backdrifts" and the brief, swooping melody in the middle of "Sail to the Moon" are islands in a sea of confusion. Like all of the band’s best work, Thief requires more than a few listens to fully appreciate, but those who stick around will be richly rewarded. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (900)

To Hear Them Is To Love Them
Radiohead are one of the few bands alive today who have proven themselves to be true musical artists in every sense of the word, and their brilliant new album "Hail To The Thief" more than cements that fact. Here are moments of stark beauty, dark despair, all driven by the bands' masterful insturmentation and Thom Yorke's emotionally powerful voice. I am so glad to see this wonderful band evolve to where they are today, recieving the acclaim and praise they so richly deserve. Real stand out tracks for me are "Sail To The Moon", the semi-folksy "Go To Sleep", the crunchy in-your-face "Myxomatosis", "Sit down. Stand up", the dreamy "A Wolf at the Door"...the whole album is fantastic from start to finish, and you'll want to hit "repeat" once it has played through the first time in its entirety..it's THAT excellent!! Radiohead's newest masterpiece is NOT to be missed and is a definite addition to my list of best cds of 2003...with this stunning new collection of songs, Thom and the boys have nowhere left to go but up~and towards an ever brighter future.

they got their energy back
There is a point as a musician where you stop experimenting with new things and do what you know how to do as well as you can possibly do it. Radiohead is a mature band now, and I would compare this album's mood to the Bends more than anything after that because it takes what has already been done and just squeezes all the possibilities out into what may be their most finely tuned album yet. They are using thier minor failures of the past to make sure there are no missteps here; in other words, structurally, this album pretends Kid A and Amnesiac never happened. The electronic aspect has not been discarded, however, but even in the IDM tracks, Thom Yorke says more than he's said since OK Computer. I think his lyrics are better than they've ever been, and the musical aspect of the songwriting is in top form as well. The key is that, even though the thematic and political element of this album is like OK Computer, each track is in perfect balance with itself, just like the Bends, but this time there is so much more to work with.
2+2=5 is sure to become another of their classic openers, going from a melancholy 7/4 lament to a screaming frustrated rock song that keeps changing. Sit Down Stand Up is hypnotic and unusual, and the rest of the album is dynamite, never repeating itself (like Kid A and Amnesiac did), and having emotions that range from quiet ballads (I Will, Sail to the Moon) to unexpected and very loud techno bits (Myxomatosis). The atmosphere is impeccable on tracks like We Suck Young Blood and perfectly ironic on songs like A Wolf at the Door. I cannot repeat that whether you like every song or not, there is little you could do to improve on any aspect of any of them. No matter when you started listening to radiohead, or whether you never started, this may be their finest work.

Great Album
While I can't say this is my favorite Radiohead album, I give it 5 stars because it's still better than 90% of everything else.

2+2=5 - Starts slow then explodes into a defiant/paranoid rock song. Great opener for the album. (9/10)

Sit Down, Stand up - One of my favorites. It's got that distinct Radiohead haunting/gloomy feeling that you either love or hate. I love it. I also like the song drastically changes about halfway through. (10/10)

Sail to the Moon - Pretty solid song. It's a little slow, but very pretty. The lyrics are nicely done as well. (9/10)

Backdrifts - Atmospheric, but not as strong as the other opening tracks. (8/10)

Go To Sleep - I have no idea what this song is doing on this album. It completely disrupts the flow set by the first four tracks and doesn't seem like it fits anywhere else either. In addition to that, it sounds like a rock song any other band might make. Or maybe something that might have appeared on Pablo Honey or The Bends. Not what I've come to expect from Radiohead. (4/10)

Where I End And You Begin - I've only listened to this one a few times, but I can't bring myself to like it as much as some of the other tracks. The lyrics are hard to make out and the sound isn't particularly great either. (6/10)

We Suck Young Blood - Another one of my favorites. Seems slow and boring at first, but once you adjust to it you can appreciate its musical genius. It's also a little creepy, so it fits in well here. (10/10)

The Gloaming - Not quite on par with Sit Down Stand Up or We Suck Young Blood, but good nonetheless. Sounds kind of techno-ish. (9/10)

There There - It's ok. Nothing special. (7/10)

I Will - Short, but powerful. Has some touching vocal harmonies and great lyrics. (10/10)

A Punchup At A Wedding - I really can't decide if I like this one. I can't figure out how it connects to the rest of the album. (7/10)

Myxomatosis - Another favorite of mine, mostly due to the lyrics. Nice sound too. (10/10)

Scatterbrain - Eh. This is my least favorite song on the album, aside from Go To Sleep. It just sounds...ugly. (5/10)

A Wolf at the Door - I don't understand why this one is so well-liked. Maybe after a few more listens I'll like it more, but at the moment I don't see what all the fuss is about. (7/10)

My ratings might look kind of low for an album that I gave five stars. It's just because I'm hard to please, and I also hold Radiohead to a higher standard. Trust me, this album is well worth your money.

Excellent!!
I have always enjoyed any album from Radiohead, but by far this is my favorite so far. Can be "gloomy", but I love a good gloomy album. The albums flows well, excellently blended along with great lyrics. I find that I could listen to this over and over again. If I had to cut my CD collection this would be a CD that would make it high on the list.

I sat in the cupboard and wrote it down in neat...
The latest Radiohead album, Hail To The Thief, is actually a tricky one to review. While it can't be denied that it doesn't match their two classics, The Bends and OK Computer, it is still a piece of art that proves the genious of Radiohead and shows some real music in comparison to today's majority of acts who are either schematic, uninspired, silly, or absolutely devoid of any talent.

One thing I'll have to admit is that so far I have listened not to britpop or alternative rock, but to American alternative post-grunge metal or, if you will, to much-hated nu-metal. And it is noteworthy that Hail To The Thief was the album that showed me how wrong I was.

The secret of Radiohead's music lies, in my opinion, in its unexplaiable expression. It was of course present on The Bends and OK Computer, but, as the new album is considerably less melodic than both, it is one of the first things that attract the listener's attention and make him fall in love with the music. Radiohead's ability to express feelings or states of mind or to recall situations from life in their music is untopped. Tom Yorke's vocals and lyrics (on Hail To The Thief they are deliberately 'childish' - just read the song titles - but it really helps settle the mood, making the album a slight medieval gothic flavour) suit the instrumental parts ingeniously well and alltogether they paint a wonderful atmosphere.

Some listeners say Hail To The Thief hasn't got a topical unity as OK Computer did, but I have to disagree and point out that the feeling of doom, end, and inevitable danger can be seen in any of the album's 14 tracks, giving the album a universal, apocalypthic side that so far has been absent in the group's catalog. Tom Yorke explained that the main topic of the album, and the second title, is 'the Gloaming', which means that bad times have come to people who were unaware, 'not paying attention'. Just listen to the eponimous track and read the lyrics. I believe you'll get the feeling.

As to the musical side of Hail To The Thief, virtuosity and subtle, layered arrangements remain part of Radiohead's music like on previous releases and can be witnessed on every track. However, some songs include non-electronic instrumentation which is pleasant to hear and, although it is definitely not 'coming back to the roots', it makes the album more adventurous and, yes, more fun. Rocking songs are followed by more electronic ones, or by piano-driven pieces that help the record avoid the occasional dullness of its two predecessors.

The songs themselves are versatile also, and offer different dynamic and tempo changes. While, as I mentioned before, they are perhaps not so melodic and instantly memorable as on The Bends and OK Computer, the songwriting has improved even further. As on Kid A and Amnesiac, Radiohead don't usually use traditional verse-chorus song structures and this only demonstrates their immense imagination. Perhaps the most catchy tunes are 2+2=5, There There, A Punchup At A Wedding and Where I End And You Begin. However, there are songs that show the group's ralents equally well, such as Go To Sleep, Myxomatosis and I Will which all paint emotional pictures that get stuck in your mind. The only song that drags a bit to me is We Suck Young Blood, but anyway it is supposed to capture the feeling of devil's coming which anyone can hardly like.

So the bottom line would be that this album is highly recommended to people who like either Radiohead themselves, today's alternative rock or simply atmospheric, emotional, expressive, beautiful music. One of the best bands in the world. ... Read more