Behind the Music

Soundtrack of Our Lives | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2002)
• Label: Hidden Agenda
• ASIN: B00005OLEQ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,513 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Infra Riot

2. Sister Surround

3. In Someone Elses Mind

4. Mind The Gap

5. Broken Imaginary Time

6. 21st Century Rip Off

7. Tonight

8. Keep The Line Movin'

9. Nevermore

10. Independent Luxury

11. Ten Years Ahead

12. Still Aging

13. In Your Veins

14. The Flood

15. Into The Next

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I dare you to pry this out of your CD player! Go ahead! Try!, September 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Behind the Music (Audio CD)

There's a core group of us here in Middle America who've been following the trajectory of these Swedes' career for the past 5 years or so. Not because we're cool.... but because we're dorks, because we puffy-heart real rock music, because there hasn't been anything else this good around in a long time...

TSOOL, as other reviewers have mentioned, are riz from the ashes, at least partially, of the woefully underknown Swedish fearless ultra-rock Stooges-loving band Union Carbide Productions (but they were so much more than that!). Vocalist Ebbot Lundberg and guitarist Ian Person were both in Union Carbide Productions; former Union Carbide guitarist Bjorn Olsson was also a founding member of TSOOL (he left after 2 records). The rest of the guys have done major time in other Swedish bands whose work will likely never see the light of day (the Nymphet Noodlers, for example... though TSOOL keyboardist Martin Hederos has a lovely, piano/vocal side project with ex-Hellacopter Mattias Hellberg called Hederos & Hellberg that may see release here somehow). As for UCP, though -- the band released 4 classic CDs in the late 80s/early 90s, a best-of compilation a couple of years ago, and rumor has it there might be a box set featuring all 4 CDs, a CD of bonus tracks, AND a video (??!!??) somewhere in the works. They still even get together and play once in awhile. If you find that you like TSOOL, I highly recommend UCP's last two CDs at the very least (if you can find them -- the last CD, Swing, was released in 1992) -- you can kind of see where they're headed. Then, of course, you must also discover TSOOL's first two CDs, Welcome To The Infant Freebase (1996) and Extended Revelation (1998)...

Now that TSOOL, who are sort of, I guess, the "elder statesmen" of this whole Swedish Invasion thing, have accomplished what was previously thought of as impossible -- getting a major label record deal here in the US of A -- it's time to review this re-release, which came out overseas well over a year ago on Warner Music Sweden and was licensed last fall to Hidden Agaenda/Parasol in the States. This release on Republic/Universal is essentially the same as the other versions -- no new songs and no new artwork. Just an updated thank-you list and some logo addition.

For me, listening to BTM with fresh ears is hard. They played in Chicago last month and many of the songs they performed were from this record; they were performed fantastically, of course, but seemed especially meaningful in the context of a live performance. The piano/voice duo of "Tonight", for example -- which on the CD makes me think of an aging scenester with an approaching hangover both celebrating and lamenting his/her status -- has a totally different, loungey feel live. A song like "Sister Surround" (the first single from the CD) has its Stonesy romping riffage totally magnified live. The leadoff track, "Infra Riot" (no, your CD isn't defective) is a killer; it's in your face immediately, reminding you of everyone who was ever good yet sounding like none of them. Feeling just a little Pink Floyd? Try "In Someone Else's Mind". Want some totally modern string arrangements (I can just see keys man Martin Hederos with a pencil behind his ear, arranging) with your gorgeous ballad? "In Your Veins" will do nicely. How about a really intense 60s-style rave-up a la Love? "The Flood" will certainly suffice. And I've recently rediscovered "Independent Luxury", a gem of a 70s-style not-quite-but-almost boogie rock extravaganza. The production and musical sensibility of this band are first-rate; for every show-offy solo, for every bit of rock-star posturing, they offer the small-yet-difference-making touches that let you know they're worthy of all this mushy love stuff -- the backing vocals, the harmonizing, the seemingly-effortless acoustic guitar work that gives the songs more body and soul, and, best of all, the chops to finish what they start... to slay you fully by the end.

You'll play it again. It'll enjoy heavy rotation in yr car and/or home player. You'll find yourself singing -- belting out! -- songs like "Still Aging" and "Mind The Gap" (an anthem if ever there was one). You'll clean your house to it. You'll wonder how you ever got along without it, actually.

Other keywords here: Detroit rock, Union Carbide Productions, Oasis (they toured the US a bit with them this summer), Aerosmith, the Doors, Guided By Voices, Love.

Best damn band on the planet right now. I hear they're returning this fall. See you there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Swedish exports deliver the goods, October 29, 2002

By 

J. Persh (West Bloomfield, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Behind the Music (Audio CD)

Simply put, this record captures the vibe of late 60's/early 70's rock as well as anything I've heard -without coming off as pretentious. A bit psych, garage, folk, punk, rock - this record is all over the place but it melds well as one great listening experience. Very well done.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soundtrack Of Our Lives, March 29, 2002

By 

Wickerlove "Wickerlove" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Music (Audio CD)

I just got 'Behind The Music' by Sweden's Soundtrack Of Our Lives, and it's actually very good. Think of a swirling stew of influences blended together to concoct something palatable, aromatic, and biting. Everything combined creates something completely different. You have your 60's influences like psychadelia and late period Beatles; 70's rockers like The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. And hell, I even detect a bit of Britpop...all under one sparkling/melodic groove-oriented framework. And like most stews, although you know the recipe ahead of time, once it hits your tongue, the intoxicating sensation is more powerful than the sum of it parts. You might know the ingredients, but oh, it tastes so good.