Customer Reviews

Ball

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I've stated in my other reviews, I am a big fan of Iron Butterfly. This was one of the later albums of theirs that I've bought, and I only wish I had gotten it right after "'Vida." Basically, "Ball" takes the sound of 'Vida from "Are You Happy" onward and adds an "edge" to the sound. What you end up getting is heavier, more darkly-tinged music for the most part. This is a very good thing IMHO. The album is very solid as a whole, with everything from early Gothic/metal-sounding songs ("In The Time Of Our Lives," "Her Favorite Style," and "Filled With Fear") to trippy psychedelic excursions ("Belda-Beast" and "In The Crowds") to just plain rockers ("It Must Be Love," "Soul Experience," and "Real Fright"). And to top it all off, there is a beautifully-done rock love song ("Lonely Boy") that would make a great slow dance song. Over all, this is great post-'Vida Iron Butterfly, before the band's line-up changed for "Metamorphosis." I'm disappointed that "Ball" isn't remembered as well as 'Vida is. If you can find "To Be Alone" by the Butterfly, get yourself a copy of that song and a copy of the Ball CD and you have a great pairing. No matter what you do, GET THIS CD!

To round out your Butterfly experience, give 'Ball' a listen. 'Ball' exemplifies their approach to music: the 'light' and 'heavy' in the name Iron Butterfly. "In The Time Of Our Lives" and "Filled With Fear" are heavy tracks, you'd instantly recognize the band in a blindfold test. Listen to the vocals on "Lonely Boy" and tell me you don't hear a little bit of Burton Cummings. And see if you hear maybe a little Santana in "Belda Beast". There are as many music styles as there are song titles, some light, some heavy. Pure flashback for me....I could listen to it til my ears bleed. Oh, and you have to check out the photo on the inside slip cover to understand why it's called "Ball".

Iron Butterfly proves with "Ball" thta they are less than one-hit wonders. In fact, all of their studio albums made it onto the Billboard Album Chart ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was the only one to reach the Top 10.). All the songs rock now and forever. Buy this album/CD IMMEDIATELY if you don't already have it. Keep Iron Butterfly alive forever.

Though this album doesn't have the well-known title track of the previous album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, as an album in my opinion this is a more developed work. Each song has something to offer and often the music is lush and ornate. The style is somewhat similar to The Doors music from the same timeframe. The cd that I purchased did not have the two bonus tracks, and there is a fair amount of tape hiss, but the music still shines through in my opinion.

It took me awhile to get over my disappointment over the lack of any long tracks on this one, until its material grew on me. "In the Time Of Our Lives", for example, is gothic metal in the true Deep Purple sense of the word, but its intro has a sense of humor. Erik Brann's guitar solo ends with an imitation of a steam locomotive whistle, so organist Doug Ingle promptly responds with a chug-chug number on the keys in true theater organ fashion. They did it the same way on the road, as their live album proves. "Soul Experience" has an off-center funk bass riff worthy of anything Sting ever played, and has me wondering why I never heard of Lee Dorman beyond this band. All in all, this album is so consistent with side B of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" that it could have been sides C and D of that album if it had been a double. But a lot of us were so blown away by the title track of the earlier album that we couldn't appreciate that. That's the beauty of records--you get a second chance to appreciate the music if the first time through was colored by preconceptions. They should canonize Edison, I tell you!

heavy sounds great cool you get what you hear trippy effects out of the instruments some fantastic guitar plucking clear as a bell doses of sustained notes triling off into infinity, , kinda hookkey at times boasts of sheer heart piercing note to next next excruciating pretty take note of the guitar solo stuck smack in the middle of Lonely boy corn hear ache vocals then its off to the cleaners the buzz fly like intro guitat warming up to flash knit pickiin semi any kid could play basic chords warm up into some finger pluck one two three do wap hum along branns got what you want or crave basic chords which he ppppleads FORTH violin or oboe chamber classicallUsing amplification not to muddle up but like a rockhet ship surge clear concise pllaying coloured uppp with washes of reveberations,,,vox box stomping pleading howling heavy dated YOU bet best song best intro heartbeat groove of IN THE TIME OF OUR LIVES ONE OF THE BEST VOCALS HEART WRENCHING VOCALS EVER IN THE SIXTIES CHURCHY PREACHY, SCARY AS HAIRY fire with brimstone,LYRICS that sound heavenly in the cosmic SOUL EXPERIENCE ..FILLED WITH FEAR IS PROABABLY THE ULTIMATE EXCURSSION INTO SPPPPPPPPPOOKINESS THAT SENDS CHURNS OF THRILLS DOWN THE SPINE NO REDEMENSION FEELING IT, ITS GUITAR SOLO IS ONE OF THE BEST YOU WILL LIKELY EVER HEAR!

I don't see the title song "Iron Butterfly" Can you explain ? Am I looking to get the wrong album. Thank You, Neal Kirschenbaum