Customer Reviews

Asleep in the Back (Reis)

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4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Elbow is one of those deeply depressed British rock bands (like South) that don't have a lot of CDs out -- but what they do have is truly phenomenal. The murky, lush music swirls with unhappiness and a sort of downtrodden desperation, making "Asleep in the Back" a morbidly sweet experience.

It opens softly with a spacey electronic backdrop and some solid drums, and Guy Garvey's sweet vocals over it in the solemn "Any Day Now." A hint of piano-rock comes in with the rich "Red," title song and complex "Powder Blue." Other songs like "Bitten by the Tailfly" are more conventional rock song, with funereal chants, muted vocals, sizzling basslines and ominous percussion.

And that's before it gets really dark. "Don't Mix Your Drinks" is an eerily downbeat, almost suicidal-sounding, complete with ghostly feedback popping up here and there. "Presuming Ed (Rest Easy)" sounds like pop for a funeral home. And in the gentle "Can't Stop," Garvey moans, "This has battered me/That's my history/Hold this shaking frame/Pull this back together..."

Only a handful of debuts sound half as good as Elbow's does, especially in rock circles choked by pale imitations of great bands. So to have a band that feels and sounds truly original is a rarity. Here and there are things that remind one of Radiohead or Pink Floyd, but never enough that it feels like they are ripping one of the greats off.

What is really great about "Asleep in the Back" is the instrumentation -- rich, haunting and spacey. Only two songs have that harder rock-y edge; the others are softer, compiled out of piano, some subtle acoustic guitar, and drums that can come to the forefront or melt away into the dense musical backdrop. The most effective touches are the electronic effects, which add an otherworldly edge to already beautiful songs, and the ethereal strings that appear in songs like "Red."

Guy Garvey has an unusually angelic voice for a rock vocalist -- he also is quite a good singer, letting his voice soar and almost burst from the weight of his emotion. Though with these songs he would have to sound emotional -- they drip with darkness and chilliness, inner demons and drugs. "You burn too bright/You live too fast/This can't go on too long/You're a tragedy starting to happen..."

Listening to "Asleep in the Back" is like floating down a cold, dark river in the middle of an abandoned city. Beautiful and awe-inspiring, yet sad and lonely -- not to mention a highly recommended album.

Elbow's "Asleep in the Back" has been described as the first great album of this century.
And it is hard to disagree because this album, when given time, is the most haunting yet beautiful release from a British band for as long as I can remember.
Garvey and co have managed to produce a finally-crafted, multi-layered piece of work packed with gorgeous melodies and spooky effects, all of which are amplified perfectly by Garvey's inimitable voice which is simultaneously husky, tuneful, powerful and subtle.
With "Asleep in the Back", Elbow have mastered the art of subtlety (except in their choice of band name!).
Powder Blue, said to be a love song about two heroin addicts, is a song which I cannot see being bettered for a long long time. Despite its morbid theme, its build up is gradual, centered around a falling piano sequence and a melody which floats along effortlessly, carrying the track to its goose-pimpling conclusion.
To pick out all of the strengths of this hugely promising band would take me all day.
Quite simply, I have only one piece of advice to you all - BUY IT!

I've been actively listening to music for about 45 years and I continue to have a thirst for new music from anyone putting out something unique and challenging. I have purchased over 300 CDs in the last year or so and this is the best of the bunch. Definitely have to give the nod to Coldplay, as having some similarities, but the musicianship, the mix of sounds, and musical textures and well placed experimentation on Elbow's premier are absolutely amazing!

Gorgeous, "dark" lyrics, great talent, unusual haunting arrangements, good production. You can hear Dave Matthews-like vocal quips too, but don't try to pigeon hole this group too much. They are unique and destined for stardom, if they can stay together long enough. Check out NEWBORN, I believe that's the hit single. Hope they have another one coming soon. If you're interested in great vocal "alt-rock" music this is a must have.

This c.d. was very unfortuante to be pipped by P.J. Harvey for the pretigious Mercury Music prize-after a few listens you'll soon understand why!Okay I know it sounds boring at this stage but last year we had Coldplay and Doves and this year we have Turin Brakes as groups who've launched highly impressive debut c.d.'s with a vaguely similar sound.Now most certainly you can add Elbow to this list.They have taken the sound of last years impressive debuts and developed that overall sound.Elbow sound like Doves and Coldplay yet they also seem to have early Genesis and Pink Floyd as an influence.Vocally Guy Garvey is as close to early Peter Gabriel as it gets.This c.d. is as good a debut as any of the others mentioned above but the only thing they lack is the one really catchy song to make their album really big.Yet in terms of overall quality this c.d. surpasses those mentioned above.

Elbow are a 5 piece conventional rock band who are led by the most talented vocalist I've heard this year-Peter Gabriel meets Chris Martin of Coldplay I think.I mean this singer Guy Garvey can do it all,falsetto to rocking loud,sensitive to soaring harmonies-he's got the lot.The songs themselves are not completely New Acoustic Movement-they are mellow but the overall feel to them is far more progressive and experimental.The songs themselves are generally longer then the norm-with many averaging at 5/6 minutes.This c.d. does not have a poppy feel.Many songs seem to have a hypnotic almost "Bolero"effect-start quietly and gather an unstoppable momentum.Lyrically this is quite a serious c.d. with romance not the only issue-but this is a group with something to say on a far broader range then your average group.One listen to the lyrics of the amazing "New Born" and you'll be pretty moved.Garvey stated in an interview that this track helped a young mother recover from the tragic death of her child.

The first song is driven by a harmonised chant like vocal that is very eerie and hypnotic.The second song is really like what you may expect from follow up c.d.'s from the likes of Coldplay and Doves-acoustic guitar and piano as well as cello's in the background-it's the most instantly acessible song on the c.d.Song 3 "Little Beast" is really like Doves-guitar and hammond organ with a sort of grinding percussion-this song takes getting used to.Brass features in the background of "Powder Blue"-piano dominates and the harmonies are truly wonderful.As with most of the songs on this c.d. the tempo would be slow to mid-nothing happens fast on this c.d.-but you've got to give it a few listens to get the full benefit.Song 5 is very strange-the vocals are distorted with really dark and crazy harmonies.The main instrument here is a hypnotic rumbling of percussion which is interupted by loud aggressive guitar.The middle section is a ringer for Pink Floyd type effects-an unusual song but very compelling also.This group seem to have no fears when it comes to ambitious sounds and what's more they certainly can deliver. "Newborn" is very acoustic with some gentle electric-God the chorus just soars in a moment of real understated beauty-a great song.Think Coldplay at their best for this one,but going on for 7 min 36 secs-it's the most understated epic around.The break in the middle sees a shift into a hammond organ solo(not like a prog-rock solo)and some unusual guitar effects.Garvey sounds so like Gabriel at this stage.It's just an awesome track and grows so much with each subsequent listen.Song 7 is very short(Well 3 mins),very strange as regards some of the effects and isn't very memorable.The next song "Presuming Ed" is a very dark affair and is all quite low key except for the vast harmonious chants at the end.The 9th track has that Bolero effect I spoke about earlier-acoustic and mellow building up to a loud sonic-noise fest that Trent Reznor would be proud of.It's mellow,then eerie and just ends up being an industrial mess-but it's an amazing song.The penultimate track is very low-key and mellow-but the vocals are excellent.The final track "Scattered Black And Whites" is simply astounding-the gentle feel of Turin Brakes but with piano,acoustic guitar and great background vocals that you don't focus in on at first-but enhance the song so much-it's the best song on the c.d.Beauty and strength,always interesting it never has to reach a crescendo of volume-it's just a really good mellow vibe that meanders gently for nearly 6 minutes.

This is a really good c.d.If you liked any of the groups mentioned above-well this one is really worth checking out.It's taken the sound developed by these groups last year and developed it to an even more interesting level.It has a certain instant appeal-but the songs have such depth that I think it's one of those c.d.'s you listen to fairly regularly for long periods.I just hope the group get their due reward for a totally excellent c.d.You really should check this one out!Oh yeah apparently Guy Garvey wants to call their second album "Radiohead For Girls"-so it goes to prove that depite all the seriousness of this album,they do have a sense of humour after all.

Guy Garvey and his similarly down-trodden cohorts make absoloutley dazzling music and, though many people are giving them the praise they deserve, they are still a massively underrated band.

Comparing them to Radiohead or Doves is a mistake, for they are a totally unique band and sound like nothing else around at the moment. Maybe some of the songs tread the same ground as Doves (bleak lyrics, ringing guitar, dense atmospherics), but Elbow make it sound incomprehensibly better. They have a greater range and depth than their Manchester contemporaries, utilizing often forgotton instruments such as the mellotron, organ, saxophone and cello. This might give the impression that Elbow are 'Prog-Rock', which may put off some music fans, but their music doesn't employ the bombast, pretentiousness or overt self-indulgence of that most now ill-perceived genre. Using the band's own words, they're ''Prog-Rock without the guitar solos''.

They do, however, use the sometimes legitimately inventive aspect to prog-rock for their own means. The strong songwriting and heartfelt lyrics paired with the imaginative arrangements and often stunning guitar work leaves the listener not depressed, as some reviewers have claimed (wrongly), but intensely moved and uplifted. Another part of Elbow's credentials is Guy Garvey himself, and the amazing voice he possesses. There are points during the album where you think ''is this man for real?!!!'', because of the staggeringly beautiful voice coming from (let's face it) someone that looks totally incapable of it.

By the last track, the stunning 'Scattered Black & Whites', you don't have the urge to get out that old rusty razor blade, but get the urge to get out that old remote control and press play again.

The best tracks on the album (though all are worthy of any band's greatest) have to be the dubby, hallucinogenic 'Any Day Now', the gorgeous 'Red' (with Garvey's most tear-jerkingly beautiful vocal on the album), the epic, and most proggy, 'Newborn', and the afore-mentioned 'Scattered Black And Whites'. Really, this band are one of a kind and need to be fully appreciated. Buy this now or miss out.

There's a reason Asleep In The Back is the most assured, imaginative, crisp and inventive debut album by a UK band this year.

Call it learning from hard experience, unswerving determination or unshakeable self-belief, but since Elbow first signed with Island back in 1998, they have suffered the frustrating sort of career that would have broken lesser mortals. Instead, seldom can any band have turned adversity to such advantage. Elbow were just finishing up their first album with producer Steve Osborne when Island was taken over by Universal, which in it's wisdom promptly shelved the record and terminated the band's contract.

Two years later, Elbow's 'debut' finally appears, and 5 of the complex and brilliant 11 tracks come from the lost album. They may have been remixed, re-edited and otherwise sharpened up as Elbow used their enforced downtime profitably. But they are essentially the same songs which were originally rejected by Universal.

When Asleep In The Back goes platinum and wins prizes, one trusts that heads will roll. There's been a lot of talk about Elbow representing some latter day strand of 'prog-rock', although it's no more true than it is of Radiohead, Coldplay or Doves. In other words, a complete red herring. Certainly there are a lot of 60's and early 70's echoes - The Steve Miller Band's Children Of The Future, Syd Barrett, Genesis and, in particular, Peter Gabriel in Guy Garvey's voice. But there are other, later influences, too, from Talk Talk to , and rhythmatically the album is entirely contemporary with it's dark, rolling beats.

What Asleep In The Back does have in common with the prog rock ethos is that it succeeds as an album project, lovingly sequenced to hang together in a way that makes it far more than merely a collection of songs. Not a concept as such but an holistic listening experience, nevertheless. Elbow have written some highly affecting individual songs - Any Day Now and Newborn [ with it's unforgettable opening line, I'll be the corpse in your bathtub ] from the band's 2 EP's , the sublime PowderBlue and the limped beauty of the closer Scattered Black & Whites.

But, above all, the album has a cohesiveness which means that to add or subtract a single note would be to destroy the record's perfect symmetry.

I bought this CD out of sheer curiosity. Now I'm more than pleased with my choice of giving it a chance. I just can't take it off my ears, marveling at how these englishmen make majestic, deep gloom music that sticks in your head like a mantra. The experience of listening to this CD can be justly compared to diving under aged, cold heavy water. That said, this CD is not for the weak of heart, and certainly not for the bubblegum pop airhead unless he/she/it strives to change. Believe me, this CD is beautiful, and unforgettable, and it will stand in your collection as one of those priceless gems that you will listen to even after you get your fifties. So, check this out. Enjoy.

Elbow's effort on Asleep in the Back is truly astounding. This is a challenging yet very emotionally satisfying album.

Frankly, I don't really understand the comparisons to Radiohead. Sure, Elbow is just as unconventional as Radiohead but beyond that, they don't have a lot in common. Elbow has more in common with some of the classic progressive rock bands - use of varied instruments including the mellotron (how good it is to hear one of those in modern music) and both electric and acoustic instruments, superior vocals and a deep commitment to pushing the envelope. As a matter of fact, when interviewed, Elbow commented that they wanted to make a progressive rock album without the long instrumental passages.

Be warned - this is not a happy album. Its upbeat in parts but overall, the experience can be quite depressing. I think what I admire about this band is that they didn't make an album to please the general public nor did they try to make something that so obviously went against the popular music grain. They made the music they wanted to make. End of story. Thank god they did.

I've heard the comparisons to Doves and the comparisons to Coldplay. I think if you like both these groups you will LOVE elbow. Their musical arrangements much more complex and involved than those of Coldplay. Beautiful and deep lyrics. And that voice. Guy Garvey is what pulls it all together. This album is music, lyrics, and voice coming together in perfect unison.

There isn't a bad song on this record. There are so many influences here but this is not a hodgepode of recycled influences. This is musical evolution. I hear all kinds of influences when I listen to this. Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Massive Attack even.

Can't go wrong. I picked up this disc from England, but you won't be disappointed if you pay the import price.

I just completed listening to the new Elbow CD. I have to first admit it's truly unlike anything I've heard before. I believe they are a European group like their brothers Travis, Coldplay, and others. However, they do not remind me much of any of them other than a small part of the overall vibe. The main vocals are a little rougher around the edges but still pulls off great melodies and on occasion breaks into a falsetto. The vocals are also much darker than their European counterparts. I also get the feel musically they have some classic rock influences. Maybe it's just me, but Pink Floyd and Asia come to mind. In the CD you hear rock, pop, classic rock, and even jazz influences, and perhaps a little new age. I wasn't overwhelmed with the album but I think it will grow. The vocals are much darker and seem to be almost monotone sometimes but I believe that is part of their success, because it works well with their music. This would've been great for the Lost Highway soundtrack or a strange David Lynch movie. If you like Colplay, Pink Floyd, Asia, Chris Isaak, Travis, or Radiohead but with a much darker and strange twist......well for pete's sake check 'em out. THESE GUYS are really hard to label. Here is something different for those who have been searching but have only found the same b.s.