Ancient Melodies of the Future

Built To Spill | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00005LK6L
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,923 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars new bts..., July 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ancient Melodies of the Future (Audio CD)

the new bts is, i think, the "least good" of all their cds. i say "least good" not to be evasive or awkward, but simply to grant that while i don't think it's bts' best effort, it is still a good record, better than most music out there. still, if i hadn't heard bts before, this probably would not make me a rabid fan. but i guess in order to make a statement like that, i have to establish a frame of reference. up to this point, i think the two best records (i won't say which is better because they are so different) have been there's nothing wrong with love and perfect from now on. the least-good being ultimate alternative wavers. the problem with this album is that it is remarkably unremarkable. there's almost nothing special about this album. songwise, it's closer to perfect from now on than others, as all the songs are slow and melodic. but it lacks the booming guitar and musical variations that made pfno such a brialliant record. as another review said earlier, you know what the song will sound like within thirty seconds. the album's highlights, i think, are "alarmed," "trimmed and burning," "you are" and "the weather." the weather is an a-typical bts song, a more straightforward love song than they've done since the normal years. it's a beautiful song, and really savest the record from mediocrity. mostly, this album is good, but it tastes watered down, like there's something missing, something diluted about the sound. certainly you can sense what is behind it, and built to spill is still a great band. so i appreciate it because it's bts and even average bts is still really good. i think their own line from the album sums it up: "as long as it's talking with you, talk of the weather will do."

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not sure what to make of this one yet...., July 11, 2001

By 

"sceldred" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Melodies of the Future (Audio CD)

It might be an overstatement to call this album a departure, as Built to Spill sounds different on every disc. But these songs feel remarkable simple to me...it seems like more time was spent on the production than on the writing. The first song, Strange, sounds the most like old BTS, but from there it's sort of a mish-mash, sometimes sounding more like the treepeople, other times sounding more like a classic rock album (it seems like there are a lot of backwards guitar sounds).

This isn't neccessarily a knock, every Built to Spill album takes a little getting used to when it first comes out. This one just seems like there is less there to get into. It's also, by my estimate, the shortest BTS album by far, clocking in at under 40 minutes. Obviously, all BTS fans should get it, but if you are new to Built to Spill, "There's Nothing Wrong with Love" and "Keep it Like a Secret" are more user friendly introductions.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's so strange about that?, October 2, 2001

By 

Thessaly (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Melodies of the Future (Audio CD)

Wowee zowee! This was my first Built to Spill album. If this is a letdown, as everyone else seems to think, then their other stuff must be AMAZING. Since I bought this album it's been my most-frequently-played album. At the first listen, it was "pretty good", but then I played it again, and again, and realized, "Wow, this is REALLY good."

Getting to know this album has turned me into a giggly schoolgirl. You know how it is when the next song comes on and you go, "Oh, THIS song!" and you just want to jump up and down and scream with delight. This album almost compares to Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs in that regard. I adore every song, my particular favorites being Strange, Alarmed, The Host (why doesn't anyone mention that one? It's so good) and The Weather (check out that ending...possibly the best ending of an album since that little chime in OK Computer?). Doug Martsch writes such cool lyrics, and he sings them in such a casual, offhand way, you barely catch it before he's on to the next line (see In Your Mind). Then there are certain lines that stand out and make you swoon with amazement. "Didn't know what I'm afraid of, I had to learn it from a dream. There's a light that never goes out, burning a hole inside of me." It's so hard to explain, there's just something about the way he delivers words that's so cool and powerful. I am obsessed.

I love this CD so much, I assumed it was the high point so far of their career, probably Built To Spill's best album yet. (I knew nothing about the band before buying the CD.) Imagine my surprise when I looked it up on Amazon and found everyone saying that it doesn't measure up to their usual standards. All I can say is, Built to Spill's "usual standards" must be phenomenal. I'm going out to buy another BTS album as soon as I possibly can. That is, on Friday. Friday can not come fast enough...