Amazon.com

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

Reviews (233)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Perhaps you weren't convinced of the Verve's staying power until recently. Before the release of Urban Hymns, skeptics wondered if they could ever match the explosive power of their earlier dedications. In 1995, most critics dismissed their offerings of the time as vapid, romantic excursions. To their credit, the Verve have sustained their shadow rock legitimacy while introducing string arrangements, piano fills, and slide guitar. Nowhere are these stirring traits more obvious than in the epic single "Bitter Sweet Symphony." Laying it on thick throughout the rest of the album with painfully engaging ballads, the Verve have crafted their most accomplished album to date, proving the longevity of their cultural resonance. --Lucas Hilbert ... Read more

Reviews (218)

When The Drugs Don't Work Try This Album
This is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the 90's. It contains two megahits - Bitter Sweet Symphony and The Drugs Don't Work. The latter I consider to be one of the best love songs ever recorded. Few other songs also rate very high - Sonet, Lucky Man, Space and Time and Velvet Morning.

The album is very consistent with an excellent sound, brilliant lead vocal by Richard Ashcroft and gentle and often psychedelic guitar by Nick McCabe. Ashcroft, an author of most of the songs, is at its peak as a songwriter. His songs at Urban Hymns are better than on the two previous Verve albums. He can write the most passionate and tender lyrics and then deliver them in his original way.

The Verve only recorded three albums, each of them better than the previous one. Urban Hymns is the last one after which the band broke up. If you like Urban Hymns then I recommend to go back and listen to the previous one called A Northern Soul (the song History itself is worth the money). Ashcroft's solo album from 2000 - Alone With Everybody is a good work too.

All Time Favourite
There are no words to describe "Urban Hymns"--all I can say is that it's the soundtrack to my life. When I first heard "Bittersweet Symphony" nearly five years ago, I almost fainted in rejoice, trying to imagine how any band was capable of such artistic beauty and lyrical perfection. Soon enough, the song became ubiquitous on both radio and TV, and its soaring melody of strings and double-whack beats will always remind me of that glorious time in music and in my life.

Beyond "Bittersweet Symphony," Richard Ashcroft and company craft a perfect, wondrous pop album that clearly outshines anything done by either Blur or Oasis. The songs here are so diverse, so perfect, so melodic, so touching, that they are inescapable after several listens--whether it's the soft acoustics of "Sonnet," the gritty rock of "The Rolling People," or the wah-wah funk of "Weeping Willow," The Verve paint a loose musical portrait with their psychedelic guitars, funky keyboards, and jazzy rhythm section.

To top it all, Richard Ashcroft adds his brilliant, emotionally extravagant lyrics. These are not the empty, meaningless meadenerings of Oasis or the pretenious, distopian musings of latter-day Radiohead, these are the bittersweet stories of Richard Ashcroft's life, his past drug use, and his rediscovery of spirituality and the fragility of life. He sings in a voice that is saturated with emotion and echoing of truth--never before have I heard lyrics that reflect any better the feelings of their writer.

"Urban Hymns" is phenomenal, and its fittingly bittersweet. It's an album that plays more like a giant oil painting, swimming in its color, perfect in its imagery, and undying in its message.

The best in my collection.
I got this CD two weeks ago, and it hasn't come out of CD player since. After I first heard Bitter Sweet Symphony, I knew I had to get it... that song is great on so many levels.

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony (10/10)- The violin music in the beginning sets the tone for the entire piece, and I love it. This has no competition- it's my favorite song.

2. Sonnet (9/10) I think I might be a little prejudiced with this song, because you can see what comes before it... it's a sweet song, but it doesn't really compare...

3. The Rolling People (10/10) I love this song, as well. It shows a different side of The Verve, and it's great, too. This one isn't slow... good contrast.

4. The Drugs Don't Work (9/10)- Very soulful.

5. Catching the Butterfly (10/10) 'I'm gonna keep catching that butterfly in that dream of mine...' great melody, and I love the lyrics...

6. Neon Wilderness (7/10) This song sounds like it wasn't finished... my least favorite. I usually skip through this one.

7. Space and Time (10/10) I love the 'I just can't make it alone' part of this song... makes my want to sing... or perhaps jump up and dance. Either one.

8. Weeping Willow (10/10) You never hear the lyrics 'weeping willow' in this song until the very end, but when you do, they really mean something. Not quite sure WHAT, but something...

9. Lucky Man (10/10)- I love this one, as well.

10. One Day (10/10) The lyrics and the song are both so sweet in this song...

11. This Time (8/10)- I like this one, but not quite as much as the others.

12. Velvet Morning (10/10) I love when the music changes from soft and slow to loud and a bit wilder... It's like, 'dumdumdumdumdum- ANOTHER VELVET MORNING FOR ME.' Kinda takes you by surprise. :)

13. Come On (10/10)- Perfect ending... 'Come along with our sound'. Fabulous.

End rating (drum roll, please): 123 stars out of 130. That's a pretty good percentage. Get this CD... I loved it. And, once you hear Bitter Sweet Symphony, you're pretty much sold already...

Urban CRAP.
Boring typical british new romantic crap. To say this album can stand the test of time is a joke! There are plenty of copies in the second hand record shops already! Anybody into this trash should get a life.

This Will Stand the Test of Time
This is one of those timeless albums that you can listen to now (six years after its initial release) and still enjoy it. Each of the songs still sound as fresh as today as they did back in 1997. With this album, the Verve hit a homerun.

I remember I was browsing through a CD store when I first heard "Bittersweet Symphony." It immediately caught my attention, and I stood rooted on the spot just listening. Very few times has an album jolted me like that, but this was one of those times. I asked the clerk who this was and he said that it was from the new album by The Verve. After "Bittersweet" was over, he told me to hold on and listen to "Lucky Man." It was after that I was sold -- I had to buy the album.

On this album, you get 13 little masterpieces -- there's not a filler track in the bunch. Besides the excellent songwriting, the production is outstanding. I haven't heard such a good mix of strings since Tony Visconti's work with T. Rex -- just listen to "Lucky Man," "Bittersweet Symphony," or "Sonnet" for proof.

The only downside is that the group broke up after this -- their finest moment! Of all the dumb luck. While Richard Ashcroft has gone on to do a couple of solo albums, they don't seem to capitalize on what The Verve had done on this album. Yes, he's the voice, the did much of the writing, but as the old saying goes: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Best album of the 1990's? This one, no question about it. After the Britney's, the Justin's, and all the other drivel from that era fades, this will be one of the albums people look back upon fondly. Rating: A+ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Are Iceland’s Sigur Rós the saviors of 21st-century rock or true heirs to the silk-robed-and-platform-booted, pompous progressive rock of the '70s? On their third album (first for a major label), they are a little bit of both. The group continues to mix the most interesting aspects of U2 (the anthem), Low (the maximalist slow-mo thing), Radiohead (the utter lack of irony in the quest to make meaningful art for stadium crowds), and My Bloody Valentine (guitar as texture), while not sounding like anyone else on this planet. The average song length on the eight untitled tracks is eight minutes, with cascades of moaning, bowed guitars colliding with low-end keyboards while the lovely, alien-registered vocals of singer Jónsi float on top. Dynamics are employed spectacularly, but half of the album is spooky soundtrack music that never really goes anywhere. However, the actual songs on Two Sausages Kissing (or whatever you want to call it)--the third, sixth, eighth, and especially fourth tracks--are mind-blowers, spectacularly worth the price of admission. If they just stopped trying to reinvent the wheel all the time, Sigur Rós could really be a band for the ages. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (262)

a uniquely distinct experience of a record
It's not exactly an easy task to describe Icelandic band Sigur Ros' latest record. For one, it doesn't have a title, other than "( )." "( )" also has no linear notes whatsoever, giving us no song names, or any references to the musicians, engineers and psychiatrists who appear on it. What's more, the lyrics, which are written half in English and half in Icelandic, are sung mostly in an echo-drenched falsetto that makes Jeremy Enigk sound like Paul McCartney.

Then again, no one ever understood Michael Stipe or Kurt Cobain. And the Beatles did the same sort of disappearing act on the White Album. And while we're at it, Bjork's from Iceland as well. And every review of this band ever written will mention that.

What's left is an odd and uniquely distinct experience of a record. Imagine the condensed images of a Stanley Kubrick film put to music that's mostly whispered and played at half-speed. Picture My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth daydreaming away on thousands of crates of cough syrup.

Pianos give way to walls of guitars, strings, and drums that occasionally lift the pulse above a trickle. Occasionally. But Sigur Ros don't work in speed or pop hooks. They work in pure aural texture. They move sideways, and they swell, not into catchy choruses, but into orchestral static and ghostly buzzing. This isn't a record for fans of mainstream pop music. In fact, it may not be a record for listening to at all, but rather it's something to play during science fiction movie credits, or in the background of an opium den.

Oddly enough, this isn't exactly a bad thing. Sigur Ros may just be the first band in a long time to sound so different, so confounding, and so beautiful.

Sigur Ros...A Gift From God
I remember about 2 months ago when I typed in "Sigur Ros" in a alltheweb.com search engine and downloaded the song called, "Untitled 4." I was literaly blown away. This album changed my life. I just sat in my room and listened to it at least 6 times in a row as I lied in my bed and cried my eyes out. The hauntingly, gorgeous music just rips through your emotional barrier, making you vunerable for change and reflection, such as a small child. You can be free again. Just don't be afraid to take an emotional voyage.

I am still in a state of shock from hearing this album. For god's sake, just support the greatest musicians alive and buy this album. If you like Radiohead, Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Bjork, or Pink Floyd, this progressive style of beautiful music will just fill you with the most tranquil feeling of sensational, perpetual bliss, just every single note tearing through your heart as you remember all the sad things that have happened to you throughout your entire life. How could something so beautiful be so sad? That is mystery of the band itself: Sigur Ros. What every these musical prodigies are making next, it is going to change my life. I just know it.

( )
please stop reading the reviews and buy this album. words cannot do it justice--as the members of sigur rós recognized also. you need to hear this work of art for yourself. every single track on this album is just everything more than astonishing. i love every single track. i love the keyboards in track one. i love the singing in track two. jonsi your voice is fn breathtaking. i love the keyboards and melodies in track three. i love track four, hands down. i love the eerieness of track five, oh man i love how he sings. i love the ending of track six. beauty. track seven is just...just close your eyes and listen. you will know. and track eight. what to say about track eight? track eight is fn awesome. all of these tracks are amazing. i am not singling any of them out for a standout or any of them for a track of lesser beauty. amazing album. honestly. get this one.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland
This album reminds me of walking in the blistering cold in the snow. This Icelandic band creates soundscapes that are cold and sterile, yet can bring a tear to your eye. The guitarist likes to use a bow, creating long notes in these slow ballads. Most songs start off soft and slowly build to a huge crescendo. the first 4 tracks are more focused and accessible, the last four are noisier, and rely less on normal melodies. The vocals are in hoplandic i.e. gibberish, but really it is the singer trying to use his voice as any other instrument. Just the sound and inflection are what are important. I think this is the band's best album to date, but all 3 are fantastic.

Unbelievable
This album is simply amazing. Powerful and overwhelming. A fantastic trip. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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

Reviews (135)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (21)

Right now
Ambulance Ltd. is the latest New York band that I have seen that has some promise. I saw them in their early days, and they have become a greater band over time. They are also one of the best looking bands I have seen. They had to kick one member out because he wasn't cutting the mustard. They take all their hard rock influences and make this new hybrid of music. They came out with an EP a while ago. This showed that they had some good songs. After tours with Placebo and Suede, Ambulance Ltd. have improved to become a major league band. They are already well known in Europe. Their instrumental that begins the album "Yoga Means Union" goes in five different directions at once. "Primitive" is a soft rock song that builds and builds into a big chorus. "Anecdote" and "Heavy Lifting" are more folky and jazzy. The voice of Marcus Congleton sounds especially unique. They do a cover of "Ocean" by The Velvet Underground, which is appropriate. "Sugar Pill" is overall the best song. It's a smooth and quiet funk vibe. For a New York band they sound the opposite of some slick garage rock band. Ambulance Ltd. are the sound of the sophisticated music of the future. Some bands are trying to be different so they stand out, and they are trying too hard. I feel that Ambulance Ltd. is being themselves entirely. They are more "right now" then any band.

A simply wonderful debut from a great band
Contrary to another reviewer's incorrect statement, Ambulance ltd is NOT a "manufactured boy band". I've been waiting for Ambulance's debut album for about a year now, and it was well worth the wait. For those of you who haven't heard the EP from 2003, do yourself a favor and get that as well. For those who already own it, expect more of the great things you've come to love. The debut LP is a bit more produced and less raw than the self titled EP, but equally as tasty. Ambulance ltd. is everything you ever wanted in a band, from catchy riffs to the sweet crooning of Marcus Congleton's voice, they get it. There is no pretension about them, just well written music by talented musicians. This album is the teaser to their live show, which is so full of energy and passion that it must be seen to be believed. Living in NYC, I've been fortunate to witness their metamorphisis from a furry little caterpillar into a beautiful,colorful and graceful butterfly. If you have the opportunity to see them, do so as quickly as possible. You'll thank me for it.... just listen to the album beforehand so you can sing along.

A wonderful album
The opening of this album is incredible. Its not very often that a band just plays good music with no lyrics. I couldn't hear one song that I would consider a "filler".
This album is the best I've bought all year and would suggest it to anyone that is into music with no specific genre.
Two BIG thumbs up.

untitled
As far as debuts go, this isn't quite up to par with Led Zeppelin's rookie album and it doesn't match the Stone Roses first opus, but then again I don't care and I'm guessing this NYC quartet doesn't either.

After opening with a gamut-running instrumental opener, the listener gets the swanky bar rock of 'Primitive' as it starts unassumingly before swelling to a thrusting climax and fading out. The cocky bar-rock of 'Primitive' is immediately counterbalanced with 'Anecdote' a sweet folky ballad that sonds like a Jackson Browne outtake, but for all its sugary melody the lyrical sentiments are slightly stinging. 'Heavy Lifting' is a teriffic pounding anthem that would be better if not for the cooing end that feels tacked on.

'Stay Where You Are' is barely audible in the beginning but if the listener waits out the first two minutes s/he is rewarded with a lovely and unforgettable ethereal guitar line that is surrounded by sparse-yet-effective drumming and plaintive lyrics. The song eventually builds to a sun-shrouded summit that is remiscent of Built to Spill's quieter moments or Travis if they sounded like you wanted them to. 'Swim' is a moody experiment that fits in well with the disc's darker sounds. It seems like a waste of a track until the song reaches the soaring (but brief) choru, and then it all makes sense.

'Sugar Pill' is a lazy summer song, and it would be better suited to swap titles with Michigan or Swim as it references the lake state and evokes watery imagery in a song so delicate it seems that it may fall apart at many moment, and it's wonder and testament to the band that it never does.

"Ophella' doesn't really do it for me, but 'Young Urban' comes back as a shoegazer-ish album "closer" that flexes some of Ambulance LTD's musical muscle. The hidden tracks are decent, but don't really add anything different to this EP. Fortunately for us all they don't detract from it either, and the listener is left with a solid and enjoyable debut that burrows its way further and further to the inner ear with each successvie listen. Though they don't do it on this album, Ambulance LTD. show that they have the potential to deliver a masterpiece in the very near future.

nice and peaceful
this cd is just relaxing to listen to. often times when im doing something il put it on for background noice. i wont distract you from things around u but its still enjoyable to listen to. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Simply incredible
This cd is incredible. One of the best I have every heard, definitely best by BJM. Although the flow of the cd is more disjointed than other BJMs, man of the individual songs (evergreen, wisdom, everyone says) are true gems.

If you don't already own this CD, go out and get it. Its takes spaceman 3 psych out blurs in My Bloody valentine drones and mixes in the rolling stones irreverant attitude.

I can't recommend this CD highly enough.

IZ COOL!
I broowed this cd from my brother, as ive been getting into My Bloody Valentine, Labradford, and Bowery Electric. I was blown Away! Alot of really great songs, and its just a fulfilling album to listen to. try it!

This is it, Baby!
It's the Maasacre from a time when they felt things a little bit differently and measured themselves against more contemporary band movements. But this album will be sought after even 20 years from now, GUARANTEED. Timeless as they wanted it and all of their releases to be. ... Read more

Album Details

This is the Definitive Best of Collection from the Verve. The Package Will Consist of Singles Released from the Hugely Successful Albums "a Strom in Heaven", "a Northern Soul" and "Urban Hymns" as Well as Various EPs and B-sides. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

It would be easy to dismiss B.R.M.C. as another bunch of Britpop wannabes. Their amalgam of fuzzed-out vocals and chugging guitars over layers of droning feedback immediately brings to mind the Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream. But the band's wanton attitude easily compensates for its lack of originality. Plucking its name from the Marlon Brando classic The Wild One and digging deep into its weathered copy of Psycho Candy for lyrical inspiration, the leather-clad San Francisco trio picks up where Oasis left off--pillaging the past, regurgitating it shamelessly, and making it sound exciting and dangerous in the process. Imagine the sheer audacity that goes into writing a song like "Whatever Happened to My Rock & Roll (Punk Song)"--all Stooges agitation and Beach Boys melodies--and backing it with a blissful Stone Roses homage called "Awake." They're not the best at what they do, but right now they're all we've got. --Jaan Uhelski ... Read more

Reviews (94)

Beautifully Rendered Melancholic Club
B.R.M.C. is kind of a specialised taste, but it's some d*mn fine music. I first heard about them through Noel Gallagher and David Grohl, who both think they are awesome, if those two names mean anything to you. The band is currently working on the next album, but if you see their self-titled debut at Sam Goody and have the cash, buy it, because it is relatively hard to find and well worth the money.

BRMC glides along at a steady pace throughout the entire disc, while the music varied from song (rock, punk, blues bass) and themes (love, and a lot of Jesus theories), the album sticks together extremely well and is hard not to listen to the entire album rather than skipping tracks or leaving halfway through. The songs stick with you when you do leave, not so much to annoy, but to make you want to comeback and listen again. The vocals take on a soft Beatlesque drawl in some places and early 80's punk at other times, at once soothing and sacrilegious. As beautiful and well-crafted the songs are, the texture is rough and unpolished for a studio album, but that much only makes the grittier sound more raw and heartfelt, rather than the distanced and digitized junk you hear on the radio. You can actually feel and see the band playing rather than some computer.

"Love Burns" is the only US single I know of, but is easily matched or topped in its own special way by any other song on the album.

One hell of a ride
If, on a debut album, you're going to title a song "Whatever happened to my rock 'n' roll" then you better make sure you back it up with something of lasting quality.

Black rebel motorcycle have not only in B.R.M.C created a body of work that will live long in the conscious, but one of the defining albums of the new millennium, which moves the heart, mind, soul and body in equal parts.

The opening "love burns", like all great opening tracks, has that attention grabbing riff and creates the momentum for which "red eyes and tears" and then "Whatever happened...." build and expand upon. The latter is like a dirge with a pulse - an eye bleeding riff combined with an air tight rhythm section as it threatens to roll on and on forever destroying everything in it's wake.

Sure at times they sound like J&MC - especially on track five "white palms" (or is that just because the word Jesus is in the chorus???) and at times they even have that chaotic dense layered sound of My bloody Valentines. Music IS about borrowing from the past, it is about influences and this is what makes bands like the Black rebel motorcycle club so interesting. They take, borrow and recreate with their own angle. For this they are to be congratulated for having such wonderful taste, not lambasted for being short on ideas or originality.

B.R.M.C is one of those wonderful albums that don't come out too often and an asset to any CD collection.

Sounds Good... but Highly Unoriginal
BRMC is a really good album that has some very catchy songs on it. "Love Burns" is a great single and about 75% of the whole album is very good.
For those who have no experience with The Jesus and Mary Chain, this album will seem like a fresh, great sound. This album is almost a complete duplication of the recipe that The Jesus and Mary Chain used to make music in their career.
I was completely shocked when I heard "Whatever Happened To My Rock 'n' Roll." This song is almost identical to "Degenerate" by The Jesus and Mary Chain from their album Munki. The rhythm, the lyrical style and song structure are the same!
All these details aside though, this album is far from ground breaking, but it really sounds good. Since The Jesus and Mary Chain no longer exists, BRMC will satisfy your craving for noisy guitar.

Join the Club
One of the best debuts of the last years, "B.R.M.C." is a fine addition to the new rock movement that has strong ties to the past, late seventies zeitgeist (alongside the Strokes or the White Stripes). Mixing Jesus and Mary Chain with Oasis influences, this band provides a somewhat derivative, yet captivating sound, presenting a compelling set of songs. There`s nothing really new to find here, but moments like the sinister and gloomy "Red Eyes and Tears" or the addictive "Love Burns" are top notch compositions anywhere at any time. One of the few rock bands worth listening to today, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are a strong and solid name worth following.

Intriguing rock.

Leave it on and love it
If you like even 1 band of the comparisions made in other reviews pick this cd up. I thought it was similiar in some ways to the Jesus and Mary Chain at their most drugged out and dreamiest. I had the album for a year before just leaving it on one day and loving every song. Noisy, sweet, soft and loud all in one. Each song has a distinct sound to it as well. Just go buy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Soul Coughing expand their funky free-for-all with El Oso, a sturdy shack of samples rattling around in a boogie cup. No, it's not a disco revival, just a new way of grooving. Showing more muscle than on their previous release, Irresistable Bliss, frontman M. Doughty spews nonsequiturs between the band's airy jams as if he were the blue-eyed hip-hop equivalent of Robyn Hitchcock. Doughty and the band shake hands with the loping "Circles," whisper sweet nothings to the piano-fed "Blame," and create semi-organic drum & bass on "Blame." "$300," the most addictive cut, slips under a raga spell as keyboardist M'ark De Gli Antoni spikes the brew with digital dust. Aside from "So Far I Have Not Found the Science" (a nearly direct rip-off of their own "Blue Eyed Devil," from their debut release, Ruby Vroom), Soul Coughing have pushed their techno-funk sound further, making El Oso equally limber and bracing. --Jason Josephes ... Read more

Reviews (92)

Soul Coughing change a lot, but don't loose their idenity.
I love Ruby Vroom and Irresistible Bliss. Those are damn fine albums! This one is very different. Soul Coughing has gone pop. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. On tracks like "Bus to Beazlebub" and "Paint" Doughty had a lot of alternative chops and a white rapper thing going. Now the guitar work is bouncy and catchy and go are the lyrics. Just listen to Monster Man, Circles and Blame. The vocals sound like a chord arrangment. It works. But I miss the old Soul Coughing. I do get a kick out of some of their new style. Houston and $300 are good for driving to work in the mourning. I have to admit that I like to sing a long a little bit, but not usually to Soul Coughing albums. All in all: They did so many new things that aren't really Soul Coughing, but they did keep their obscerity. Monster Man, The Incubent and Pensacola are all weird. I may like the other two albums better, but they did do something new and pull it off well.

Still they innovate, never stagnate...
Few of us Soul Coughing fans were prepared for El Oso.

Yeah, we're fans, yeah, we think we appreciate the band for their originality and their constant innovation, but still it's a shock when a band refuses to follow a formula. Such is the case with El Oso. Maybe we expected more bass-y hooks like "Super Bon-Bon", or more poetic narration like "Screenwriters' Blues". We forgot: Soul Coughing knows what many other bands out there have yet to discover: innovation is the soul of music.

El Oso raised the bar for the third consecutive time. "Rollin'" started the record off with a straight-ahead, pedal-to-the-metal rock riff. The album then dipped into the funky and head-bobbing "Misinformed". We all heard "Circles" on the radio, but many fans were confounded by the pseudo-electronica of "Blame", a great track with just enough techno spin on it to really throw the listener for a loop.

Other favorite songs on this album are "So Far I Have Not Found The Science", a great little track that recalls some of the humorous nonsense of Ruby Vroom, and "Miss The Girl", an awesome song with many diverse parts all held together by Gabay and Steinberg, AKA the Rhythm Section of Doom (doughty's words).

These songs are very different from previous Soul Coughing tracks. They are in minor keys, they take odd twists and turns, and they demand more from the listener as Soul Coughing has ALWAYS demanded more. Where innovation fears to tread, stagnation descends to roost like a cloud of stench from a rotting carcass. Soul Coughing innovated from their first record to their last, and they were easily one of the premier bands of the past two decades. I say, let El Oso reign as the brilliant endcap to a brilliant (if WAAY TOO SHORT) career.

Thanks, Soul Coughing, we'll miss you.

Sheer funkedy funkedy freshness...
This...disk...is...awesome... I must buy it. Oh yeah, ive already got it! Well? What are you waiting for? Go get it!

Pensacola...
blows my mind. Haven't heard a song so empty since "Something I Can Never Have" by NIN. The moment right after "I can be your baby doll" on St Louis is Listening is a spark of brilliance. This is definitely a collection of songs I (and others I know) hum on the way to work. As usual, great, purposefully overdone vocals.

A different but very welcome sound for SC
This album has a more drum and bass/electronic feel to it, wich we did get glimpses of in other songs on other albums but it seems to be the main style for this album. I have been a long time Soul Coughing fan, but I had never really had a chance to get my hands on this album until recently but I'm glad I did give it a chance. My favorite tracks I'd probably say are "Misinformed", "St. Louise Is Listening", "$300" and "So Far I Have Not Found the Science." But the whole album is a pretty easy to just let play through. Unfortunatley the album was in my discman when it got stolen a couple of days after I bought the album, but I am now trying to find another copy of the album. Personally I think this might be thier best album, or tied with Irresistable Bliss. I might even recomend this to people who are unfamilliar with Soul Coughing, but have an open mind about music, and a slight taste for the electronic side. this is definatley a must buy album for any Soul Coughing fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

This nine-piece Montreal collective sketches large-scale sonic landscapes using everything from strings to samples. Exceedingly plush and atmospheric, Slow Riot funnels a dramatic undercurrent through their music, adding an undeniably cinematic quality--especially in a section featuring the paranoid rants of a street person. The result is a grand and swirling melange with a sweeping scope and an elevating sense of tension. --S. Duda ... Read more

Reviews (61)

25 minutes of Godlyness
Even though the songs and the cd as a whole are relatively short compared to other vast epics on other GYBE discs, the songs are still epic, maybe even more. Both songs ceate an entire spectrum of emotions, mostly depression and sadness but also anxiety, hope, even fear. If you're already familiar with this band you'd know the songs swim through steady and then calm waters, always building up to the next point with cresendos and climaxes. Instrumentation includes cellos, violins, violas, guitars, bass, and percussion. It might be generally described as a collision of rock and classical music.

The first song, "Moya" doesn't have any samples or talking in the background. Nice to get away from it once in a while. This song seems more joyful than the next one, I get images of my head of someone running very fast but sometimes in slow motion or through some obstacles and being very excited to wherever he's going. The general theme of the song stays the same through all 10 minutes of it, but has sort of a hidden intricacy and transformation.

In the second song, "BBf3" there are a lot of subtle vocal parts twisting around with the incredible musical climaxes. You might think this guy talking about his hatred towards the American Government and paying his speeding ticket might get old after a few listens, but it never does. It is always very interesting to listen to it with the soft music overlapping at the moment and you might find new things he didn't seem to say last time you listened to it. You might even be able to "choose" what to focus on-- the talking or the music. The progression and cresendos and overall atmosphere of this song is mind blowing. There are two main climatic points after sections of talking which make the quieter parts better after you listen to them.

If you're looking for something different to get into that you won't regret...this is it.

All power to Godspeed (but ditch the street loony!)
Instrumentally this is probably the single purest expression of the GYBE! gestalt, which given the lower price makes this an ideal first purchase. "Moya" beginns as a heart-rendingly mournful and dissonant violin piece, then switches to guitar, beginning quietly and building step by step in their trademark way into a monster wall of sound that reminds me of classic instrumental surf music run through the full gamut of post-Sonic-Youth guitar experimentation. After several climaxes and collapses it fades into "BBF3", which would be nearly as good were it not fatally marred by the rantings of an anti-[U.S.]-Government gun nut, which they recorded on the street. This is good for a chuckle the first time, and does fit in well with GYBE's general mood of apocalyptic paranoia, but it gets really annoying thereafter. Fortunately the spoken word only appears on about half the track, and nowadays I fast-forward through all of it, even while driving in fast-moving traffic. Were "BBF3" instrumental, I would give this CD the full five stars it deserves. Even in its current flawed state, this is a major piece of music that stands as one of the few things I can think of (along with the works of Rachel's) to show that it's possible to intelligently combine rock with classical music.

A truly remarkable 30 minutes
"Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada," the second release from the brilliant Godspeed You Black Emperor, is a 30-minute EP that is probably the band's most mainstream friendly release.

And when we're talking about 30 minutes that bend, swirl, explode, buzz and drone as an extended wall of sound, that's saying quit a bit. Because this stuff isn't mainstream AT ALL.

It is, however, possibly the best introduction for a newcomer to the band, more rooted in traditional noise rock than their other releases, and easily digestible at just 30 minutes or so.

Trying to describe the music of Godspeed You Black Emperor is like trying to describe a dream. You can offer an accurate description, but actually capturing the essence is difficult. One must experience it firsthand.

So, too, is the music difficult to describe. You can describe the instruments and how they go about their business, but until you hear it, you won't have a clear picture of what this band is all about.

Built upon layers of instrumentation by a band that is at times more than a dozen members strong, Godspeed You Black Emperor, or Gybe for short, mix airy, noisy guitar with strings, sound collages, piano, chimes, and much more. They take fairly simple musical themes and, using this vast array of sounds, build them up over a long period, morphing simple melodies until they metamorphosis into something wholly different than what they began as. This isn't simply droning, lulling music. The effect is a journey.

One could liken Gybe records to soundtracks for films that have never been made. It's a description that works, because their music conjures images in your head.

This second release is more focused that the first album. Here, rather than the mish mosh of smaller pieces and collages strung together on the first record, this EP shows Gybe evolving into what they have become, working out what is essentially a single piece (despite "songs" being listed) over 30 minutes. The music rises and falls. The layers here are dense and thick, rising and falling like a tide. Strings swell up and dominate, and then guitar takes over, and then some twisted sound effect. Transition pieces are overlaid with the spoken words of an insane man.

If it all sounds very anti-radio, it is. You won't find this stuff on a top 40 station.

Godspeed You Black Emperor is a superb band for those who enjoy lengthy songs, sprawling soundscapes and music you can sink into. It's a heady experience listening to this stuff. And it's worth it.

best EP you'll ever hear
"slow riot for new zero kanada" is my favourite EP. its a amazing 30 minutes, two amazing song, one amazing short-length album. its just all great. two songs on "slow riot riot for new zero kanada" with the time to be about 30 min. "moya" is great. you get ten minutes of ambience bliss. but the real winner is the last 17-minute "epic", "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III". its not, not epic here people. people tend to throw that word around. this is "epic". quite possibly one of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's best song. this is easily the best album i got for eight bucks. i don't need to be explaining. if you liked F#A# infinity or any of GYBE's others... this is the next album you need. people seem to pass this up just because its a "EP". you're a fool if you do this. one of the best of 1999.

Powerful, Inspiring, and Despairing
This is by far my favorite GYBE! recording. First of all it is an EP. It only has two songs but clocks in around 30 minutes regardless. Fans of GYBE!'s other works will not be disappointed with this release.
The first song, Moya, is a beautiful and inspiring masterpiece. In typical GYBE! fashion, it starts quite and serene and builds up to quite down again and to finally climax in a massive orchestral crescendo.
The second song, BBF3, which stands for Blaise Bailey Finnegan the third, is the most powerful song by GYBE! to date. It opens with a man speaking to an interviewer. The man is basically expressing his discontent with America and its government. This seems rather old hat for the band, but it is a very powerful statement that the man so passionately presents climaxing in a reading of Virus, a song by Iron Maiden. All during this powerful dialogue the band is playing , first quite and building in intensity as the man gets more and more emotional. When he is done speaking, the music takes over in full force, with more intensity, emotion and despair than any other GYBE! song. After the climax somewhere between 14/15 minutes, a group of stringed instruments takes over and ends the album on a sombre, and thought provoking note, thus ending another amazing Chapter in GYBE!'s amazing career. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Five years before the group's Urban Hymns broke the band into the mainstream, The Verve's first full-length effort, A Storm in Heaven, gave incredible insight into the band's ability to mesmerize it's audience. Hypnotic vocals courtesy of vocalist Richard Ashcroft and layered musical textures from the band make for an incredible, memorable album. This is not the stuff of background music but instead best suited to provide the soundtrack for a candlelit, incense-filled Saturday night. Perhaps the band's best effort to date. --Denise Sheppard ... Read more

Reviews (45)

I'm wondering how long this CD will be my favorite...
...cause its been going on now for 5 years now. I discovered The Verve while listening to our college radio station, they played "Sail Away". That DAY I went out and bought it. Since then I listen to it just about everyday, its a permanent fixture in my car's CD changer, and I've considered buying another one for my home. Each song has so many layers that all come together to form music that is wickedly absorbing. This is by far the best Verve album.

One of my all time Faves
I listen to everything from Slayer to Toto to James Brown to Louis Armstrong, and this is one of my all time faves. This is a life changing album. It showed me that there is so much more out there. It is a roller coaster for the senses which takes you up, down and all around to release you feeling inspired. Northern Soul and Urban Hymns seem as though they are simply albums which this band produced while on their creative demise. Almost as though "Storm" was the Climax. I feel fortunate to have seen this band live many times in Detroit and Grand Rapids in their early to mid-90's hey day. Simply Amazing. Many believe this is the first release from this band. Indeed it is their first full length release, but I suggest getting a copy of their "All in the mind" EP, Or the Verve EP if you dig this album. If it weren't for this band, my appreciation for music would have been so limited. But, it is not for everyone. If you have an open appreciation for true musical art, I would suggest getting a copy of this. LISTEN WITHOUT DISTRACTION!!PLEASE.

What Heaven Sounds Like
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite albums. I, like many others, first discovered the most awesome of modern bands--The Verve--when they released their breakthrough single Bittersweet Symphony and its companion album Urban Hymns.
I do believe that The Verve were one of the greatest rock groups to come along in quite some time, and I find it hard to pigeonhole them into any category or movement, although they had the shoegazer influences of their time, as well as a wondrous penchant for psychedelia that even blows away many of the bands of the late '60s. I have all three of their major albums, and cherish the songs of Ashcroft and Co. but this will forever remain my favorite. I agree with many reviewers who have said that the few who deeply appreciate this album are affected by it, it leaves an imprint on the inner soul.

The entire album is an enrapturing voyage: challenging, nocturnal, twilight-filled, and a perfect chaser for drugs or other substances (if you are the type). In all actuality, this album IS a drug on its own level.

Take the chance and buy this or burn it. In my opinion, this is the closest thing to musical paradise.

Very disappointing.
This album could have been a good one if it weren't for two things. Number one, the sound quality of A Storm In Heaven is just plain horrible. Ashcroft's vocals are just about nonexistant, as McCabe's guitars steal all of the glory throughout nearly the entire recording. Even some of the guitar work in this album is atrocious. As one reviewer said, parts of this album sound like a 'bad bootleg'. Another reason why ASIH gets two stars is because of the poor songwriting by Ashcroft. Before I bought this album I was expecting to hear thought-provoking, heartfelt lyrics and some decent guitar work. Well, the guitars deliver somewhat, but there were no lyrics that brought out any emotions whatsoever. "I must be feeling alone...I talked to God in a phonebox on my way home. I told you my answer...I left you my dreams on your answering machine." These are the kind of lyrics that you'll find on Urban Hymns(check out A Northern Soul too). Giving this album two stars is very generous.

Mind Expanding
I usually read reviews, but I had to share my opinion on this album. Like many other of the reviewers here, this album is an obsession for me. A friend recommended many years ago and gave me a copy but I couldn't get past the atmospherics and jam quality of the music. So it sat on my shelf off and on. A few years later I put this disc on my new upgraded speakers and was floored by the sheer level of power and grace of the music. Up and down the songs push and pull against Richard's vocals and lyrics which fill in the instruments and not the other way around. I've had this album on loop for probably the last 2 years and it never gets tired. It's an album that is not for everybody, but for those who get it are permanently changed.

Side note: I do think that this album lends itself well to drugs especially for those of you who partake. Lights off, volume up, some herbal enhancement and you're Already There. ... Read more

Album Description

Klaus Schulze first attracted attention as a member of the German progressive rock band, Tangerine Dream. Following the release of their debut LP, Electronic Meditation, he departed for a solo career. Klaus' recorded work typically features extended pieces sometimes filling an entire album built around computer-generated synthesizers and other specially programmed electronic effects. Klaus Schulze remains a cult figure in the United States, where the bulk of his prolific output has until now been available only through the import bins. He is widely considered an avant-garde mainstay as well as a founding father of both the new-age space music and electronica genres.

Originally released in 1980, Dig It is Schulze’s first digital album, played and mixed entirely on computer. It garnered strange reception as the world was still recovering from disco and wasn’t ready for a new level of electronic music. Half a decade later, his sound was in fashion and dubbed "techno". This reissue contains a bonus track from the original session tapes, in addition to a DVD track of a live performance at the Ars Electronica in Austria - never before released! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good CD
It's a good CD, not a Great one. It's a reflex od rhe second age in Schulze's music. If you like Klaus music, hear "Picture Music" or "Timewind" instead. ... Read more

Album Description

'U.X.O. is unexploded ordnance is landmines is clusterbombs. Yanqui is post-colonial imperialism is international police state is multinational corporate oligarchy. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is complicit is guilty is resisting. The new album is just music.' Recorded by Steve Albini atelectrical audio in Chicago.Mixed by Howard Bilerman andGodspeed You! Black Emperor at the Hotel2tango in Montreal. Stubborn tiny lights vs. clustering darkness forever ok?Gatefold sleeve. Constellation Records. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Ignore the nay sayers.
I can't figure out why people don't find this album as good as the Godspeed's others. In my opinion it easily stacks up to F#A#oo, which is my least favorite GYBE! release.

This seems to be the most guitar-driven album they've put out, but that's not a bad thing. The reverb and delay laden guitars as well as Efirm's tremoloed screwdriver guitar playing fit the band's compositions (they make compositions, not songs) perfectly.

Yanqui U.X.O. is a must have for any post-rock fan; don't miss out on it. 4.5 stars.

Standout tracks: Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls, Motherf***er=Redeemer (Part 2)

It's music
This is currently my favorite album, and I have a feeling it will be for a long time...
Not having perviously heard any of GY!BE's albums, I picked this one up and listened to it. The first time I heard track 1 (09-15-00) I thought it was ok, but after the third time, I was obsessed. The combination of strings, pianos, e.guitars, and drums has always fascinated me, and this band pulls it off like no other. The strange rhythms and complex sequencing of notes makes it sound different everytime you listen to it.

All in all, a fantastic album, and I will shortly be recieving their other albums.

Darker and bleaker, GYBE turn soundscapes on their head
With their fourth release, "Yanqui U.X.O.," Godspeed You Black Emperor takes a step away from vastly thick soundcapes, creating here a more dense, menacing sound that seems to loom ever closer to the listener rather than expanding outward. It's a different direction than their last record, and it works.

This also marks the band's most overtly political record to date. Those who have followed the group know that have strong political opinions, firmly anti-corporate and left-leaning. Here the song titles, the dire nature of the sound (especially in the context of world events), and the liner notes make it clear the band wants to speak. Yet this is instrumental music, and so, unlike when other bands decide they want to offer a message, listeners who are simply not interested will never find this increasing vocal stance intrusive. But it's there for the grabbing for those who want to know more or get involved.

Built upon layers of instrumentation by a band that is at times more than a dozen members strong, Godspeed You Black Emperor - Gybe for short - mix airy, noisy guitar with strings, sound collages, piano, chimes, and more. They take fairly simple musical themes and, using this vast array of sounds, build them up over a long period, morphing simple melodies until they metamorphosis into something wholly different. This isn't simply droning music. This is a journey.

One could liken Gybe records to soundtracks for films that have never been made. It's a description that works, because their routinely music conjures images. It's epic noise rock on a classical music scale.

But none of that does the sounds here justice. Trying to describe the music of Godspeed You Black Emperor is like trying to describe a dream. You can describe the instruments and how they go about their business, but until you hear it, you won't have a clear picture of what this band is all about.

Godspeed You Black Emperor is a superb band for those who enjoy lengthy songs, sprawling soundscapes and music you can sink into. It's a heady experience listening to this stuff. And it's worth it.

This is a darker, bleaker record than their first three releases, proving the band is not a one-trick pony.

If you're into Spiritualized, Bardo Pond, Dirty Three, Labradford, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, Flying Saucer Attack and others in this realm, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

not quite as powerful as GYBE's others
... while u.x.o. is still great, it just doesnt live up to f#a#, antennas, or slow riot. theirs five tracks - 70 minutes long. GYBE is mainly great for their slow moving music at the beginning then having a big "CRASH!!!" sooner or later. u.x.o. doesn't catch all the thunder. still worth the buy to add to your collection, and has a booklet of other great post-rock bands.

Apocalypse Now
I'm baffled as to how anyone could not regard this as an advance over earlier GY!BE efforts. For one thing, they've jacked the menace element off the charts. This may be--no, undoubtedly is--the scariest record ever produced. It takes real conviction and singularity of vision to produce a record this ominous. One not even need to completely sign on to its specific apocalyptic vision (as I don't) to affirm its brilliance. But who will deny that its digital bits reek peril?

Listen.

There's a deep truth to apocalyptic. This world WILL end. By fire or ice, I don't know. But all things most certainly will be wrapped up. That GY!BE have chosen to focus on apocalyptic menace in what might be called America's Empire is understandable, though problematic, if not outright mistaken. The FACT of apocalyptic can scarcely be gainsaid. That it's (perhaps) wrongly located doesn't vitiate its reality. Yes, indicting the US is somewhat puerile and shortsighted; the larger reality, however, is the truth of the apocalyptic vision brilliantly made manifest in this entirely remarkable disc. Bottom line, specifics don't necessarily matter when thematizing the Apocalypse; the real discussion has to do with the reality vs. the nonreality of Apocalyptic.

And when it comes to the thematization of the Apocalypse, GY!BE rules. Besides, this music just unfolds in pure radiance.

Your credibility as a listener will be sadly vitiated sans familiarity with this entirely astonishing recording event. A truly significant entry into the Vahalla of recorded music. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though The Verve has finally taken its rightful place in the Brit Rock cannon, it languished for years behind such English luminaries as Oasis and Radiohead. During that time, The Verve release several albums that got less attention than they deserved. Mark A Northern Soul as one of them. The 1995 release was perhaps the first album on which the band reeled in its trademark guitar epics and fashioned bona fide pop songs. "On Your Own" is one of the lushest and loveliest tracks never to find a minute of commercial airplay in the U.S. or abroad. No self-respecting fan of modern rock should be without this one. --Nick Heil ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Chaotic, intense, beautiful...The heart of The Verve
While "Urban Hymns" is without a doubt The Verve'smasterpiece, I believe "A Northern Soul" is the heart of TheVerve. While recording "A Northern Soul" The band... hopingto achieve a greater, more powerful sound. The result was a chaoticstorm of sonic blasts of guitar and calm beautiful moments.

Thehighlights are: "This Is Music" a fast number with greatlyrics and set the mood for the album, definitely one of The Verve'sbest louder numbers. "On Your Own" and "So ItGoes" are the best songs on the album. "On Your Own" isa soft acoustic song(One of the only light moments on the album) and"So It Goes" has a lovely dreamy guitar effect."History" a classic Verve single is a possible early hint of"Urban Hymns", lush strings and of course great lyrics."Drive You Home" also is another favorite of mine.

If youbuy another Verve album after "Urban Hymns", then get"A Northern Soul." It can be a little hard getting use tobut when you finally get use to it, you'll see its beauty. Life's AnOcean and "A Northern Soul" will fill the emptiness in yoursoul.

One of the best albums of the 90s, yet unknown by many
If you know of the Verve as the "Bittersweet Symphony" song and the Urban Hymns album, then you're definitely missing out on what the Verve is all about. A Northern Soul is in many ways, even better than Urban Hymns. Soul hads a slightly harder sound, with songs like "A New Decade","This is Music", the title track "A Northern Soul", and "No Knock on My Door". But the album also contains ballads like the excellent "On Your Own" and "So It Goes". It also contains a song that sounds a lot a track from Urban Hymns, which is "History". It also contains a few songs that sound a lot like A Storm in Heaven, their debut album, these being "Stormy Clouds", "Life's An Ocean", and "Drive You Home" All in all, the album has the right balance of sound, and at times, it's simply amazing. The album does have a weak song or two, one of which is "Drive You Home" But one of the best things I like about this album is being able to understand most of the lyrics. In their previous albums, the lyrics are echoed out and tough to hear, but A Northern Soul is much better, with Richard Ashcroft's lyrics coming to the front of the music.

Indie Heaven
This album contains "History", one of the finest indie anthems of the 90's. For that reason only, it gets a 5 out of five from me!!!

Absolutely essential
This album attains a level of perfection few bands ever achieve. Everything is perfect, from construction of individual songs to the over-arcing concept of the record as a whole. Intense, beautiful, frightening, mesmerizing: absolutely superlative. Best part of the album: the two psychadelic jams ("Brainstorm Interlude" and "Reprise") that end each half. And has a guitar ever sounded as simultaneously visceral and spacy as Nick McCabe's? Awesome.

An interesting transistion
The Verve is one of the greatest bands in the world, having been able to weild atmospheric and spacy tunes with soul-searing vocals. However, their third album is a stark change from the charged atmospherics of their first two albums. Compared to their other work, this album is very mellow and dark but pulls it off with swagger (This Is Music, A New Decade), an epic scope (History) and downright creepy instrumentation (Stormy Clouds). Listening to these songs produces imagery of rain, abandoned buildings and desolation, but in the end, it manages to paint a powerful portrait of a darkness. However, the album's true power comes in the fact that The Verve synthesized its atmospheres from its first album and the lyrical power from A Northern Soul and created the masterpiece Urban Hymns. An interesting transistion for one of the most interesting bands in the world. ... Read more

Amazon.com

London-based trio South are envoys of that "new" ethic of guitar-stroking, comedown-friendly rock & roll ambience also practiced by the likes of Turin Brakes and Kings Of Convenience. For the most part, From Here On In makes like a celestial meeting of Nick Drake and the Stone Roses, with South's delicate finger-picked melodies launching out into the outer realms of the sprawling space-rock jam. However, as the first indie-rock band signed to James Lavelle's notoriously hip beats label Mo' Wax, South are a guitar band who do occasionally take in dramatic rolls of DJ Shadow-esque drums, fuzzy Money Mark-style keyboard washes, and moody orchestral strings torn straight from UNKLE's hymn sheet. "Everyone / Will come down in time" promises the harmonized chorus of "I Know What You're Like." Not yet, though; this fine album guarantees a 70-minute trip, so strap yourself in and experience the latest rebuff to the tired chants of "Rock is dead." --Louis Pattison ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Just sit and listen
I first heard the song keep close on much music (the canadian version of mtv). It was on the hour late at night when they play stuff that's not quite mainstream.

The song keep close just got to me and i had to get the album. This band has everything to make it big but i hope they don't. I would hate to see what commercialism would do to something this good.

A Lesson in Soundscape
What do you get when you sign a rock band to an electronic label? The answer is South, and the album is "From Here On In." I bought this the day it came out, but I've been listening to it for more than a week to get the full effect. Needless to say, its not what I originally expected. This album is less a collection of songs (i.e. verse, hook, chorus, verse, chorus, done) and more a soundtrack to life (as evidenced by the many reprises and recurring themes). Not really a rock album in the traditional sense, it owes more to the influence of electronic music than any band. It creates a soundscape (that is a mood or enviroment) unparalleled to anything I've seen outside of Radiohead. But unlike the isolationist, nuerotic attitudes prevalent in Radiohead's music, this is stuff you can bop your head to. The actual lyrics and vocals arent that special, typical Brit pop in most cases with a few exceptions ("I Know What You're Like" for one). In fact, the first time I listened to the album was while I was working, and when it was over I couldnt specifically remember Joel Cadbury (the lead singer)except for one or two times. Its not a bad thing at all if you can live without a lead singer telling you what to think, and I think thats certainly an intent of the album. Everything just sort of blends together to create a series of moods and feelings, though the lyrics are sparse, you know what they are getting at. What I find amazing is the actual performance of the music. The guitar licks, beats, and overall arangement are at times breathtaking, inspiring, and never less than great. The album shows a remarkable depth and quality of music that I would have never expected from "debut" artists. This is a band to watch, I can promise you that. I would reccomend "From Here On In" to just about everybody. Rock fans, Brit Pop fans, Electronic fans, up and coming bands that need to know how to create a soundscape. Anybody with even a remote enjoyment of any of those things will appreciate "From Here On In" for what it is, though it might take a while for it to really take effect. Its a stunning debut, and a powerful album that is certainly at LEAST at "Top Ten" status in 2002, though I know its early. A few people who dont get the concept or have a different musical taste might find it dragging or even boring since a lot of the album is spent instrumental. So you might want to sample a few songs and see how it strikes you. But South has provided an excellent album with "From Here On In" and things can only get better as they find a balance between ambience and message.

Chill Out
I've owned this album for years but I only really started listening to it on a recent cross country plane trip. It's the perfect album to listen to while staring out the window watching mountains and fields beneath you. The lead singer has a "laddish" voice more suited to sitting in the pub watching soccer and drinking pints of lager with his mates than pouring out his heart to music. In my opinion, that's the biggest appeal of this album. He seems like an ordinary, but vunerable, guy. The music does sound a lot like the Stone Roses, although not as "pop"ish, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. The lyrics are not as sarcastic and angry but they have the same emotional quality.

can't review as I haven't heard the whole thing, but...
granted I can't be very objective as I haven't listened to the whole cd, but it must be said (and yes I know they have been compared in the main review) that the song Paint the Silence sounds so much like The Stone Roses I was convinced that they had simply stolen the song note for note and just changed the name. personally if two bands sound that much alike, I'm going to chose the original over the remake every time. The Stone Roses all the way.

South...A band that will be around for a while.
This CD is great. Unlike most CD's where there are two or three worthwhile tracks, From Here On In is great from beginning to end. The sound is melodic but can get pretty heavy with the perfect blend of guitar and drum beats. South is a diverse band on the rise. ... Read more

Album Description

Long awaited U.S. Fatcat Records reissue of the 1st single(packaged in slipcase) off the Icelandicexperimental/alternative act's 4th album, 'Agaetis Byrjun'. Tracks, 'Sven-G-Englar', 'Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa' and 2songs recorded live at the Iceland Opera House on 6/12/99,'Nyia Lagid' & 'Syndir Guds'. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

WOW THEY ARE GREAT
This ep is sooooo good. The live material is extremely good. I would recommend this to any Sigur Ros fan, and any fan of GOOD music. I really think this recording makes Jonsi's voice sound better than in the studio!

History
The direction in my taste in music literally shifted by the end of this album. I had never heard anything quite like it, and never will. Pure Genius.

sigur ros is god
this album is so good. sigur ros are one of the best and most creative bamds of the 21st century. i saw them live in concert here in america, and let me tell you, if you haven't seen them live, you must. a great gift for everyone.

Beautiful Atmospheric Music
Sigur Ros isn't so much of a band as an experience. Having gotten some indie music scene stir going, they've snuck into our conscious and appear to have a future within it. This EP is my first Sigur Ros purchase and is a perfect introductory record for someone new to them. The EP features their 2 most well known tunes (relative to the others I guess) in 'Svefn-G-Englar' and 'Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa' along with 2 live tracks.

Featuring atmospheric, building music, Sigur Ros bring us some of the most outright beautiful, haunting tunes I've ever had the pleasure to experience. Singing in their native, Icelandic tongue the lyrics aren't meant to be deciphered, but to add onto the music as another instrument and it succeeds beyond our imagination in that regard.

The album almost blends together as one large piece and it's amazing how it just flows and before you know it, it's cycled through the complete album. I think any fan of such bands as Radiohead or Godspeed You Black Emperor would fall head over heels in love with Sigur Ros as I have.

Believe the Hype
Sigur Ros is a slow build.

In the same way that godspeed you black emperor! and labradford create sonic swells and beautiful fragility, Sigur Ros has snuck into the music world's consciousness. Their career has followed the trajectory of many of their songs...starting small and quiet and growing to an intense blinding brightness.

The North American indie release of their second record (Ágætis Byrjun) caused more thana ripple in the music press. Although picked up originally only by those "in the know" in ambient music circles, this record became, after a year in circulation, cover fodder for all the main music rags. the Radiohead comparisons came fast and furious, but, because Sigur Ros are Icelandic, the language barrier has kept them from massive over-exposure.

This new EP is a record of the best part of Sigur Ros, their live show. Comprised of two live tracks and two album tracks, Svefn-G-Englar is a perfect starter for somebody who might not be sure where to begin their Sigur Ros foray. ... Read more

Album Description

Originally released in September of 1978, Klaus Schulze’s X (tenth album) cemented Schulze on the forefront of both avant-garde composers as well as one of the absolute masters of the synthesizer. X is a series of musical biographies to the contributions of Nietzsche, Trakl, Herbert, Bach, Kleist and Ludwig II and was originally spread out amongst the four sides of a double LP. This new release is a careful transfer from the original analogue master tapes and contains the full length versions of all recordings, some of which were previously edited to fit the LP format. A remarkable live version of Objet d'Louis is added as a bonus track, recorded in September ’78 with backing from a Belgian classical young people’s orchestra. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wow!
I picked up this deluxe edition for a very good price and I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of this man. A keyboard lover's wet dream to say the least. Washes of mellotron, synthesizers, drums and percussion, strings(real strings!) with the strings sounding like synthesizers at times. Sound quality is very good. A detailed booklet/history/notes from Klaus himself. A must have for fans. Disc 1: 4 tracks/79.45. Disc 2/3 tracks/79.43. The label side of the cds look like lps complete with grooves. Digipack. I prefer Disc 1 over Disc 2 due to the fact that Disc 1 is harder edged, lots of Tangerine Dream stylings and faster paced. Disc 2 is a bit slower but brilliant nonetheless. You may hear some slight distortion in spots on Disc 2 since it is the louder of the two particularly on track 3/the bonus track. Very minor quibble however.

An Excellent Reissue of a Klaus Schulze Classic!!
"X" (or Ten) was the 10th solo release from the pioneering German synthesist Klaus Schulze. Originally released in 1978, "X" has since gone on to become a classic of electronic music. Its mix of orchestral elements, with hypnotic sequencers and progressive rhythms still sends shivers up the spine 27 years later.
"X" was an extremely long album for its time - a double album with each side containing close to 30 minutes of music each. It was also a conceptual effort with each piece of music being named after a specific author of whom Schulze admired. The original LP also included a booklet loaded with historic photos of Schulze's first 10 years as well as an essay (printed in German) by Schulze and his manager/publicist Klaus Mueller.
Since the introduction of the CD, the "X" album has exsisted in what is pretty much an inferior fashion being mastered from second generation tapes with rather tinny sound quality and several seconds of music edited off the ends of the original tracks. Now in 2005, that has all changed with the newly remastered reissue. All six of the original album tracks were remastered from the original master tapes with newly restored clarity and sound quality. Additionally, two of the tracks ("Frederich Nietzsche" and "Georg Trakl") are presented here in their full-length versions as opposed to the truncated versions which appeared on the original album (the full version of "Trakl" had only been previously released on the mammoth limited edition CD set "The Ultimate Edition" while "Nietzsche" is presented here in its full version for the first time ever). To top it off, the reissue concludes with an historic bonus track, "Objet D'Louis" which is a live version of the classic orchestral masterwork "Ludwig II Von Bayern" performed with a full string orchestra. While the sound quality of the bonus track is not up to standard, its musical quality definitely is. This was one of the very few times Klaus had performed live with a full orchestra and to have a recording of this in any form of quality is definitely a treasure.
The CD booklet includes new liner notes from Klaus Schulze himself as well as reproductions of some of the photos included in the original LP booklet. The original German essays are also reproduced (unfortunately without any English translation).
Hands down, this is some excellent synth music from one its leading pioneers. Having it finally reissued with amazing sound quality is simply like having a new album all over again. Also, the fact that the reissue is a double-CD for the price of one makes this a steal. Don't hesitate. This is Klaus Schulze in his prime with one of his very best albums.

Classic KS music
This is the 10th album of KS and it is one of the best album in electronic music and hypnotic drums from the 70s. LudwiG II Von Bayern and Frank Herbert tracks are amazing and confirm KS as a true master of the electronic space music. Better package and well remastered sound. A rare bonus tracks is included from a Live concert. ... Read more