Customer Reviews

Altered Beast

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At the time, people were rather disappointed by this album (if I recall correctly, Rolling Stone even gave it the piddly rating of 2 stars, showing how much they usually know about good music). Everyone expected a straight sequel to "Girlfriend," not a morbid collection of songs about lost love, the loss of faith, and death.

Guess what?

In nearly every way, this is a far superior album to "Girlfriend," especially in terms of songwriting. "Devil With The Green Eyes" and "What Do *You* Know?" are bitter attacks on a (former) loved one, while "The Ugly Truth" and "Falling" deal more directly with the question of faith, or the lack thereof. And then there's "Someone To Pull The Trigger," an unnerving plea for destruction which ranks among the best songs Sweet has ever recorded.

Not all the songs are that impressive, but even lesser songs like "Knowing People" have their moments and pull you along from song to song. Finally, though, there's "Evergreen:" "In every love there is a promise/so baby don't you cry/There's no difference/Between the earth and the sky/there's no reason/we have to die."

On a personal note: I bought this CD the day it was released and rushed home expecting to hear "Girlfriend Jr." I didn't get it, of course, but it ended up growing on me. As I got older and went through some rough times, I often turned to this album in moments of despair and it got me through. I can't express how powerfully emotional it is for me, but I do think it ought to be in any essential music collection. It may not be easy listening, but when was art ever easy?

O.K. here's the deal, I don't know how many people I turned on to Girlfriend when it came out, but it mushroomed into a lot of people. Everybody loved the same thing: the awesome coupling of a great pop hook with psycho guitar work. I guess it simply came down to the quality of the songwriting, but it also seemed "seminal" at the time, and still does. This, however, is a different animal altogether, and it's all the more better for it. Altered Beast is a complete work, best enjoyed as a whole than divided up into pieces. Themes revolve around "Faith" and one's perception of one's self in the world. Musically, it's brutal when it needs to be, and gentle when it needs to be. Plus, the last 7 tracks are absolutely essential, and how many discs can you say that about? And most people are still wishing for a redux of Girlfriend......

I first started listening to Matthew Sweet in the summer of 1993. It was the summer between 9th and 10th grade. I would stay up late every Sunday night and watch 120 minutes on MTV, when the used to play vidoes.
They would play my two favorite songs that summer , "Cherub Rock (smashing pumpkins)", and "Time Capsule (matthew sweet)".
I worked a crapy part-time job making 4.25 an hour. I only worked 8 hours a week. A soon as got my first paycheck, which was only 27 dollars, I walked to the mall and bought "Altered Beast", and "Simease Dream" on cassette. That took all my money because cassettes in 1993 were 11.99. I played it until I wore it out. When I finally got my Cd player for christmas that year, those were the first two Cds I bought.
This Cd is still great 13 years later.
1. Dinosaur Act - great opening track, it shows that Matthew can rock pretty good.
2. Devil With Green Eyes - It's one of my favorite songs on the Cd. It's one his more mellow songs.
3. The Ugly Truth - this the mellow version of this single
4. Time Capsule - One my favorite songs on this CD. It's was his second single on this record. Do you remember the video ? It's just him laying in a grass field with bugs and worms crawling on him.
5. Someone to Pull the Trigger - Hands down the best song on this CD. It's mellow and rocking at the same time.
6. Knowing People - It's kind of an anthem that he doesn't want to become famous. He really never did. A great song.
7. Life without You - your basic slow Matthew Sweet love song. It's an alright song.
8. Intro - It's excerpts from the movie "Caligula". "He's a God Now"
9. Ugly Truth Rock - The single version. This was the first single from this record. The video is Matthew driving a dodge dart, running from the police. There is a dead body in the trunk.
10. Do it Again - a pretty good song. A slow love song.
11. In Too Deap - One the better tracks off this album. Pretty good guitar and vocals in this song.
12. Reaching Out - A pretty good song.
13. Falling - A pretty good song. A slower song.
14. What do you Know ? - A decent track. Show how melodic Matthew is.
15. Everygreen - This is a very dood track to end the record with. It's pretty mellow. He like to end his records on mellow songs.
I higly reconmend picking up this Cd.

I don't know what happened to Matthew sweet when he made this cd, it is heavy metal compared to his early work like inside.I've kind of always hade the belief that there was some very strong motivation that pushed sweet to make AB. This cd is surely not his alone. Like many I discovered Sweet by way of Girlfriend, this cd blows that one away. I still like his more recent work too, but I find myself really listening to Altered beast much more closely.This is not a cd that would give an artist commercial success, but I hoped it would put Sweet up there in terms of what people would consider brilliant songwriting.I tell people about this cd all the time but because most people don't know or remember sweet they just kind of ignore me. Too bad for them. One of my top 5 favorite ever regardless of genre.

Here's a tricky question for you. Say that you happen to be Mr. Matthew Sweet, and you have just made an album called "Girlfriend." That album is so good that there are actually round table disscusions held in the music industry that vainly try to decipher why this is one of the best albums ever made. Such claims about "Girlfriend" are not made in vain, and on top of all the accolades, you have now become somewhat of a household name. So now that you're in this compromising artistic situation, what are you, as Matthew Sweet, possibly going to do next? Retire from music forever? I guess that is feasable. Turn your next album into "Girfriend II?" Maybe the Mtv crowd would like that, but it is not an appealing proposition. The solution to all this drama is to make an album called "Altered Beast." Good move, Matthew: not only is it a great album, it deftly stands up to, and in some ways surpasses the towering monolith you created with "Girlfriend". When "Altered Beast" first appeared I was an absolute Matthew Sweet fanatic, and this album is largely responsible for my admiration of the artist. To me, this is one of those albums, much like Nirvana's "Nevermind," Guided by Voices' "Bee Thousand," or Supergrass' "I Should Coco," that instantly transports me back to a memorable period in my life. Admittedly, much of what I was doing at that time was driving around and incessantly listening to "Altered Beast." But the album had so deeply lodged itself in my psyche that I will think of it fondly for the rest of my life. I realize that might sound pithy, but I will readily admit that "Girlfriend" did not make a similar immpression upon the fabric of my soul, although I do like that album very much. Everything you hear about this album will say that it is very "dark", as though that were a bad thing. The best way that I can deflate this criticism is to ask you to consider the collossal financial success of mopeheads Marilyn Manson and NIN. Nobody complains about oppressive darkness there, and though I don't know for sure, I don't think that their albums contain sad songs that somehow convey a hope for tommorow. Besides, even "Girlfriend" is a sad album. Disagree? Well, then how come that album's song "Winona" is one of the saddest songs ever made? To sum up, if I had to direct a curious Sweet fan to an introductory album, I would have to direct them to "Girlfriend." I do this because "Girlfriend" is a surefire winner, and it will probably leave listeners wanting to hear more. But the sentimental side of me is just screaming to direct that fan to "Altered Beast." It's an all-time keeper, and it shows in every single sweetly ringing, albeit downcast note. And don't be afraid that "Beast" is just another beer to hold your tears: "Beast" is also full of heavy, grinding rockers that are probably going to make your head bop, and are doubtless going to make you feel good. Go there to be inspired, and you will see a talented artist transcending his peers and his influences, and becoming his own artist, and in the process, making an album that will follow you for the rest of your music-loving existence.

I "discovered" Matthew Sweet about a year ago through his greatest hits CD and have purchased most of his work since then.Based on reviews that I have read on Amazon, this is the last of the CD's in Sweet's collection that I bought. It isn't as good as others, but it is still better than 99% of the other junk that passes for music that is out there. I have been a lifelong Todd Rundgren fan, and it was nice to discover that there is someone like Todd who is not afraid to push the envelope, but still write some good tunes.

Beautiful and sad, this is my favorite of Matthew Sweet's albums, along with the related EP "Son of Altered Beast." Perhaps it is my favorite album, period. I almost wish he hadn't later found love and happiness, if it would have meant more like this.

i think i listened to this album 500 times at least in august, 1993. i was fifteen at the time and bought it with money i'd earned cat- sitting. simply put: this blows girlfriend out of the water. the songwriting is more consistently good. the ballads are softer and the rawk numbers are harder than anything on girlfriend, giving the album a larger than life feel. not to be messed with. long live matthew sweet.

Girlfriend. A great album. No question about it. Now, get over it, because Matthew Sweet has bigger, better and more grandiose ideas with Altered Beast.

Sure, Sweet spits in the face of everyone who swoons to the tune of Winona in concert with the turns he's taken on this album. But he has every right to.......and besides, they deserve it.

First off, I have to say that this CD figures prominently in the soundtrack of my life. Each song contained here has helped me through so many tough times it is most deserving of a review.

I got this CD when it came out way back in the day after reading a mixed review of 'Altered Beast'. The way the reviewer described it as a dark, multifaceted and moody piece; I just couldn't stay away.

This CD is a rollercoaster of emotion that will leave you exhausted at the end of it. Many different textures and moods are displayed throughout the course of this album.

I was particularly stunned by the musicianship shown here. The songs are written very well, with excellent skill shown on each instrument. Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd both play lead guitar here, and do one heck of a job. Their solos are very non-traditional to the point of being a breath of fresh air. Throughtout the songs they let their skills wander over the track, yet show restraint by not playing where the song does not permit. With Matthew Sweet on the vocals and playing bass and rhythm guitar on most songs, he provides a solid centre for the songs that he's written. There are so many complex and interesting layers to each song that interact with each other in different ways.

Dinosaur Act is one of 'angrier' songs here. It is a mid-tempo tune that opens up with Sweet extracting wierd dinosaur-like sounds out of a guitar.

Devil With The Green Eyes is an excellent song with an arpeggiated rhythm guitar combined with some lap steel guitar forming the basis of the song. Matt's harmonized vocals in the choruses are hauntingly lovely.

The Ugly Truth is a country-twanged song due mainly to the prominent fiddle. This one features more harmonized vocals... very cool. This song was a single? Not worthy of that in my mind.

Time Capsule... another single. This one is more deserving of that status. There are some excellent plays with vocals overlapping each other in this song.

Someone To Pull The Trigger is a wonderfully depressing little ditty. Matt's fragile vocals get the point across.

Knowing People's chorus should be my personal anthem. This song features some extremely cool lead guitar. At one point Richard Lloyd even makes a noise come from the guitar that sounds like a piece of glass breaking and then a bunch of tin cans falling on the floor! (Does this guy know Jimi Hendrix?) The rest of the song is another midtempo rocking tune.

Life Without You is a yearning tune that, with the lyrics that you hear, would expect to be a slower song. The song clocks in at 2:18, but this one could have easily been dragged out to about 4-5 minutes.

The intro to Ugly Truth Rock features a snippet of the movie Caligula with Malcolm McDowell of A Clockwork Orange fame.

Ugly Truth Rock is a faster and more rockin' version of The Ugly Truth minus the annoying fiddle playing (it is replaced with lead guitar).

Do It Again is a song about emotional warfare within relationships. It features some clean guitar and an awesome solo.

In Too Deep is a dark and evil sounding song. Some heavy, distorted (compared to the rest of the CD) guitar features prominently as well as some interesting leads. Another of the angrier songs on this CD... one of my favorites.

Reaching Out is a melancholy tune that features Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) playing the drums. Very laid back, yet desparate. Another favorite.

Falling is one of my favorites as well. If you could summarize this song into two words, they would be 'Lost Hope'. The solo here smokes and Matt's vocals provide the rain that are trying to put out the fire of the lead guitar.

What Do You Know struck a real chord with me. Having been betrayed in the past, the lyrics really say what you are thinking when a partner has went behind your back with someone else. The music fits the lyrics somehow, but in a strange way.

Evergreen ends off this emotionally complex and draining CD on a surprisingly somewhat positive note. The music and vocals are very sombre but the lyrics themselves provide a hint of optimism. A beautiful song.

This is some great rainy day music to accompany any melancholy mood. This is one of the very few CD's I can listen to over and over again back to back. Matthew Sweet is one of the most accomplished yet underrated songwriters I have ever listened to. Altered Beast is proof.