April Uprising

The John Butler Trio | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ATO RECORDS / RED
• ASIN: B0037EDIKA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,357 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

John Butler returns with his first album in three years, April Uprising, on April 6, 2010.

The album finds the multi-platinum Australian artist with a new line up and a new label in the States, ATO Records. Recorded at The Compound, Butler s self-built studio in the heart of his hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia, April Uprising is the followup to 2007 s critically acclaimed and globally successful release, Grand National. This album yielded a number one US Triple A single, 'Better Than,' and rave reviews for its sophisticated mix of guitar stylings, hip hop beats and intelligent, socially conscious lyrics. The release also attracted a global audience and found the former busker-turned-international-recording-and-touring artist appearing at music fests worldwide performing as the John Butler Trio.

April Uprising, is Butler s most focused, diverse and accessible album to date, has already yielded a number one radio song on the Australian charts with its first single, 'One Way Road.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Because It's Different Doesnt Mean It's Not Brilliant, June 10, 2010

By 

Mystic.Flame - See all my reviews

This review is from: April Uprising (Audio CD)

As someone who wasn't happy when John Butler announced he was changing up his band, April Uprising completely blew me away. The album may possibly be one of John Butler's most diverse albums to date.

While there's a lot of criticism floating around that he's "sold out to the man", the album is more an exploration of himself than an attempt at becoming commercial. He hasn't hidden the fact that the last two years or so were a time for upheaval for him and re-discovery (or possibly, just discovery), and this album is a travel log of that journey.

The new line-up is absolutely fantastic and its obvious that all three of them bring different elements to the creative soup. They've allowed John to really experiment with some different sounds - the album ranges from his more traditional sound (Revolution, Gonna Be A Long Time, Ragged Mile), to pop-rock (One Way Road), to dance (Close to You) and even a dabble at punk (C'mon Now). And you can really tell they're having a complete ball playing around with music.

At first listen, yes, the album comes off as a complete 180 from the previous records but I'm not someone who compares or judges new albums to old ones. Part of being an artist is breaking boundaries, dabbling with new sounds and colours, taking the unknown path - and that is exactly what he does here. You also get to hear how John has really grown as an artist: the sound is much tighter, the lyrics are more condensed without losing their meaning. He's still singing out his message of social consciousness but he's no longer wandering through rambling sentences. The inspiration, the originality and the cause are all still there. Even songs like Close to You are an example of this - I don't know why we've never been told/That the life we're living it is made of gold/Spend our whole damn lives trying to make IT; IT's sold/Boy, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry now"

All in all, its a great album. The band is currently touring and having seen JBT concerts with the previous lineup and the current one, their live performances have only gotten better. Nicky Bomba absolutely electrifies the crowd and Byron Luiters enchants them with bass riffs and shy smiles. Byron has also added the sounds of a didgeridoo to Treat Yo Mama and in one word: WOW!

Gold stars all around.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some do, some dont...., September 6, 2011

By 

Micah B. Evans "Bohemianman" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: April Uprising (Audio CD)

I have been A JBT fan since I first heard Sunrise Over Sea. I think with every cd, JB trys something new. Some people like it, some people do not. Hey, thats their prerogative, isnt it? I think its health that artist experiment with their music, art, etc. Who wants to be stuck in a rut. This is a great cd, from beginning to end. Who cares if it does not sound like the others Its still great, but , again, hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Band, New Sound, March 2, 2011

By 

Louie0234 - See all my reviews

This review is from: April Uprising (Audio CD)

I checked out what some of you have said and I understand that April Uprising is different from some of John Butler's last albums. We can all probably agree that Grand National was pretty much a greatest hits album. That being said why does it have to be the same sound as what we are used to. John Butler Trio is an incredibly versatile group and the album starts on a tear with Revolution.

Incredible musicians and their sound is growing as they do.

See them live if you have any doubts!