Customer Reviews

The Beginning Stages Of...

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This album has absolutely blown me away! I can't stop listening to it! I see a lot of people likening them to artists like The Flaming Lips, the Beach Boys and others but in my opinion they are more similar to classic Pink Floyd than anything. I'm surprised others haven't mentioned this. They just have absolutely sweeping music and it's very powerfull. This is more or less an independant release but the major label version of the same CD comes out in just a bit. The single (the perfectly redone Soldier Girl) is already available here on Amazon. Like Alfie, the Vines and The Cooper Temple Clause I have been recommending this to many many many people as one of the truly great releases of late. Highly recommended!

The Polyphonic Spree has been described as the band that will be playing when you get to heaven. This is a very good way to put it because this cd will make you feel happier than you have been all year. The only thing better than this cd is seeing them live. In my opinion they are the second best band to ever emerge from the Dallas TX music scene. Tim Delaughter's voice is so amazing and trumpet player Chris Curiel has an unexplainable talent. If your in a bad mood this cd will put you in a good mood. If your in a good mood this cd will make feel like you are high on some new drug.

the biggest beach boys sound brian wilson ever dreamed of. this is the bubblegum chamber pop for the ages. an orchestra designed purely for purposes of joy. i understand that this is a demo, and i have not yet seen them live (but will in only a week) but nothing makes me happier than this CD, at least the first 9 tracks. it's the perfect album to wake up to in the morning. i can't think of it without smiling. it truly makes my heart melt. i'd like to be eloquent when reviewing this CD, but it reduces me to a smiling 2 year old. download it, buy it, steal it, do whatever is necessary. it's truly uplifting music.

I'm consistently amazed at the backlash against this band. They're completely non-threatening, but at the same time, they're not afraid to be those weirdos in white (or, more contemporarily, multi-colored) robes.
That being said, the statements and comparisons made in some of the other reviews are absolutely insane. One reviewer compares "The Beginning Stages" to an E.L.O. album. Apparently that reviewer has either not listened to this record or is completely unfamiliar with our electric light friends, because this album is much more in an unpolished Bowie-meets-Beach-Boys (ca. 1972) vibe than an ELO one (don't believe me? Listen again to the instrumentation on "Days Like This" and compare it to anything on "Sunflower" or "Aladdin Sane").
Now this IS a demo, so it's nowhere near perfect. And yes, I agree with the reviewer who believes that "A Long Day" is pretentious crap. But songs like "It's the Sun," "Have a Day/Celebratory," "Soldier Girl," and "Light and Day" (note: the latter two are very different than their single counterparts) are instant-classic pop songs.
One thing I really don't understand, however, is that people are actually criticizing this band because of its NAME. Since when is that a cool thing to do? The Polyphonic Spree is not a description; it's a band name. Have you ever heard of the Quicksilver Messenger Service? Moby Grape? The Exploding Plastic Inevitable? It's a name much like those, folks; if you're too lame to figure that out, you're not going to get this music, and I suggest you go back to listening to whatever garbage J Records is putting out this week. If, however, you're interested in fun and musically uplifing mixes of Bowie, Brian, and Godspell (sorry, I ran out of B's), I highly recommend this album as a starting point, then purchasing their far-superior follow-up "Together We're Heavy."
But nothing compares to seeing this band live in concert. Go see them. You won't be disappointed. Just lose your jadedness and give it a shot.

Wow, this is good music. It's beautiful, happy, and well-written. A great choral sound full of brilliantly triumpant songs, utlizing a vast array of instruments. Track 9 made me so happy that I ordered the album from Amazon within nanoseconds of being exposed to it.
The one flaw, and it's a big one, is Track 10. Thirty-six minutes of repetative, monotonal noise. If it was five minutes of noise, or even six, that would have been acceptable. At thirty-six minutes, it seems almost arrogant. At least it'll be a great tune to put on if I need to clear out a room after a party. I still love the album, but I would have given it five of five if it weren't for the final assault on my ears. Still - I highly recommend this album.

Just the right combination of Smile / Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson and the epic scale of Spiritualized and The Flaming Lips. At their best, great albums have a feel as well as great songs - this is certainly one of those albums.

If you listen to Tim DeLaughter and his voice over effects he used with Tripping Daisy, you catch a glimpse of what was truly the start of The Polyphonic Spree. It was a seed in the mind of a man that lay dormant untill the untimely death of a friend ending the era of Tripping Daisy, and gave way to The Polyphonic Spree.
It's important listening to this cd to understand it was recorded in just 3 days, and that each musician wrote themselves most of what they played. So when you listen to any of the tracks your getting the visions of 20+ people blended together.
Many people quickly disregard track 10 and it's 30+ minutes, if you are one of those maybe you should look up what the word Polyphonic means. For this is truly a Polyphonic Spree...

Voices raised in song. That's the phrase that comes to mind when I hear 'The Beginning Stages Of'. Led by Tim DeLaughter, The Polyphonic Spree arose from the ashes of Tripping Daisy assembling over 20 musicians and vocalists. On one hand the vocals capture the essence of a gospel choir, without the soul but with the same power and energy, along with the intimacy of a Broadway play. And on the otherhand is the music, which combines orchestral/symphonic music, eg, violins, with experimental-type pop (Mogwai, Beta Band, Superfurry Animals, and Pet Sounds era Beach Boys) all in the spirit to achieve some divine enlightenment. Some might consider the white-robes as some subtle marketting ploy, but aside from the ensemble of choruses, I actually found some substance to the music...pretty creative and catchy stuff. Joyous and uplifting. Now I didn't actually feel the touch of God on my forehead, but if the CD manages to inspire you in some spots, then the Polyphonic Spree has achieved what it strived to do.

This is as good an album as could have hoped to have heard in a long time. Each of the nine pop songs are incredible and uplifting, with the (25? 30? - reports vary) piece chorus making it the unquestionably biggest sound around.

As for the much maligned tenth track...I think it's a great way to relax after the intense energy of the nine songs preceding. As long as I'm not driving, that is, because I'll go right to sleep. I don't think it's meant to be "Artistic" with a capital "A", or anything so pretentious. I think it's just supposed to be soothing. A different take on the way the rest of the album just makes you Feel Good.

Don't let anyone tell you that this CD will "blow your mind", because I was expecting something earth-shattering and was disappointed to find that the music is actually just an extremely happy, melodic, feel-good collection of choral pop. That, in itself, is a very good thing. But my expectations had been raised much too high, so I was initially let down.

Having said that, you will have a big smile on your face while listening to these trippy-hippy run-around-in-the-sun sing-along songs.

And then it will all come crashing down with the last track. It's like the group wanted to say, "Hey, now that you are all happy and relaxed, BAM! Welcome back to reality..."