Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle

Kinski | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 2, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Strange Attractors
• ASIN: B000A0GP36
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,236 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. New India - Kinski

2. One Ear in the Sun - Kinski

3. That Helmut Poe Kid's Weird - Kinski

Editorial Reviews

Previously issued on the now-defunct Pacifico Recordings, this crucial document has criminally been unavailable since 2004. Back in print, Be Gentle... is a modern classic that proved that the band was ready to take on the world. Upon its release, Alternative Press enthused "...the disc makes one of the few strong arguments against the claim that rock is dead." Their 1st sojourn into a "real" recording studio, Kinski seized the opportunity & crafted a spacious yet immediate rock album. W/ nods to forbearers past & present, this record finds the band creating their own unique sound & sonic space

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blissed out 'space' rock, September 10, 2005

By 

RockerDad (Renton, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle (Audio CD)

Yes, Kinski are often labelled 'space' rock, but actually their influences reach somewhat beyond just the krautrock (Can, Neu, etc.) and psychedelia (Acid Mothers Temple, Hawkwind, etc.) influences. Yes, those sounds are clearly present here, but you also hear traces of shoegazer (Ride, My Bloody Valentine, etc.) and American indie/noise rock (Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth). What make Kinski stand out (for me at least), is that they take these influences to a new level. Forget Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and all those other 'genre' bands (I find Oneida and Comets on Fire are the only worthwhile contemporary comparisons).

Kinski's song structure, dynamics, delivery, and sheer volume of sound are stunning. I actually first heard them live at Bumbershoot 2003 in Seattle, Let me say that I have seen many, many bands live (in the hundreds), and no one has blown me away like Kinski did that day. Absolutely blisteringly loud, kick-ass noise rock, with a perfectly structured set. Immediately, I went out and bought 'Airs Above Your Station', their new album at the time. Slightly worried it might not live up to their live show, I was very pleasantly surprised. Yes, it has some mellow moments, but nonetheless the album is amazing.

Then I sought out this album (which I am still unclear as to whether it is technically their first or second album??). For me, it's not quite as expansive as 'Airs', but the set of rock tunes are otherwise equally great. From the Sonic Youth-inspired 'Daydream Intonation' to the Yo La Tengo-sounding 'New India', their influences at the time were clear, but they do them justice by taking the music to a new level.

Even though this is essentially an instrumental album (with the exception of 'Newport', with some singing by Chris Martin-an amazing song by the way), fans of indie rock in general should absolutely check these guys out. If possible, every effort made to see them live is worth it. They will blow you away (if you own earplugs, you'd be wise to use them).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know what the title means but I like it anyway, April 22, 2001

By 

John P Miller (Seattle, Wa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle (Audio CD)

I own both this album and their previous album (Spacelaunch For Frenchie), and I have to say that they are a welcome addition to today's music scene. It's good to see that Kinski, along with a few other Pacific Northwest bands, are turning away from the anger, the folk-rock, the glitz and glam, the hey-look-at-me-I'm-a-rocker thing and whatever else has recently been saturating the music scenes. I'm not putting any of that stuff down, well, maybe some of it, but I'm just saying that it's great to hear some intense, psychedelic/atmospheric music for a change. You don't have to sit there and listen to the songs and wonder what they're about, just sit there and allow them to set a mood. It's a primarily instumental album, and if you've ever seen a Kinski show in person, they follow the same formula. Guitarist/vocalist Chris Martin, when he actually decides to sing, uses his voice as an additional instrument and allows the words to wash in and blend with the overall sound. Production-wise, the vocals are mixed low enough that they never really jump out at the listener, and are almost subliminal. Performance-wise, the album starts out very moody, buildings up to a rocking crescendo ("Newport"), and then gradually decends back into the mood, and ends with "Montgomery," a song that lulls the listener into a peaceful state. The band members play well with each other, and no one person stands out above the rest. It's music made for the sake of making music. Overall this album is a great companion to Kinski's live shows, so if you get the chance, catch them while they're in your town.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixes slow, medium, fast tunes to swooping effect, April 10, 2006

By 

John L Murphy "Fionnchú" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle (Audio CD)

Why isn't Kinski more popular? Maybe the name's to blame: do people think it's a solo album by Nasstasja or a reissue of Klaus? This second album, and their first cohesive one made as such, rocks and rests. It occupies confidently a middle ground between Sonic Youth or Mogwai's now-familiar volume ups and downs and the dronier side of lesser known bands like Subarachnoid Space or Surface of Eceon. This sort of alteration in loud/soft goes way back before Nirvana perhaps to Slint's "Spiderland". It moves more fluidly than much of the overly math-rock/post-rock, and knows when it's time's up and the next song needs to take the spotlight.

What Kinski adds is its ability to conduct the various styles without seeming like dilettantes or incompetents. They love their influences, but they mix them for a richer blend: space explorations, meditative minimalism, and propulsive rockers ensure that each song stands on its own well. These three phases of the album each appear, entertain, and then bow out gracefully as the next cut takes center stage. Once in a while they overlap. This ability to play off these different incarnations of the band only improves on later albums such as "Airs Above Your Station" and "Alpine Static." And, they do have intriguing album titles--adding a curious cover pic here!

With no vocals to interfere, this mood music in its variety keeps you involved even in the very slow opening parts as well as the energy of "Newport" (as in Terrascope?) and "Daydream Intonation"--nice nod to Sonic Youth's title there. It's an album that has a great range of emotions and is accessible and engrossing without being superficial or trendy. While some have considered this too low-key, I like that it does not get too bogged down in any one of the three phases I've classified.