Customer Reviews

The Best of the Icicle Works

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

 

 

This band to me through all its incarnations was very good, as a new wave band they had depth and some real serious musical chops. I thought they were a progressive rock band with a few new romantic hooks. My opinion is that the first 3 albums were great-not just the first two. The last album was very heavy but still good. Founder and guitarist Ian McNabbs's solo albums are well worth checking into as a sidenote.

If you like the first three tracks on disc 1, then definitely check out their first two albums, 'For the Small Price of a Bicycle' and their self-titled album (in that order, i.m.o.). The songs on those albums are full of great couplets, and I'd rate each at 4 stars.

After that, they evolved on to a harder sound, but somehow it didn't take on me. (For reference, I thought Understanding Jane marked their mediocrity's start. And if you don't like Birds Fly or Hollow Horse, then you probably won't like their first albums the way I do.)

I haven't heard any of the songs on disc 2, and having owned a (different release of) disc 1, I'm not tempted to risk any more on their later work.

In reading other reviews concerning The Icicle Works, many times it seems to me that I, alone, am the only person in the world that fully loves their complete albums, with most other reviewers feeling that the albums of The Icicle Works are quite generally a mixed affair. Here, then, is a collection that should rightfully satisfy the both of us. And it does, dear reader.

I suppose that if The Icicle Works are a mere curiosity with you, if you only know a few of the singles, or if you have read just one of the many positive reviews about the group that always seem to mention that these musicians are "very underrated" or "extremely overlooked" then this collection should be your starting point. But please make sure that it is not your ending point, as you'd be missing out on something special and no one would want to speak to you at some of those trendy parties that you attend, and surely, you wouldn't want that, would you?

I dont understand these guys. I remember them as being new-wave romantics, with their most well known songs, Birds Fly, and Love is a Wonderful Color, which are probably their 2 best songs. Their first album, I admit was decent, but after hearing this, Im glad I didnt get anything else by them. I mean, c'mon. They shouldve just stuck to what they did best, instead of trying to do metal, blues, and reggae-ish(!) pop. Im sorry, alot of this comes off as half-baked, mediocre pop/rock at times coming off as a bad REO Speedwagon or some kind of AOR rock, like they lost their way somewhere. The only reason to buy this is for their 2 greatest hits. Its not just one disc, ITS 2. 2 DISCS OF MEDIOCRE MUSIC. Go get yourself a decent Echo and the Bunnymen record or something.

I remember hearing Birds Fly on the radio one time, and I liked the song, so I decided to check out The Icicle Works. Well, finding any material by this band proved harder than I thought. I could not find anything whatsoever (this being in a time before ordering music over the internet was around...) but finally after a very extended period of on and off searching, I stumbled upon a copy of the Greatest Hits. I was very excited that I finally found something by this band, who I had built up in my mind over the long period of waiting and wondering what other great songs they may have. I was finally going to be exposed to the wonderful world of The Icicle Works. Maybe my high expectations of this band helped lead to the letdown feeling I had as each track floated past my ears, each one more embarrasing or dull than the last. I put this album on the shelf immediately after hearing it, dismissing it as just another forgettable 80's band with one or two decent songs. Well, here it is almost 10 years later, I happened to look at the CD again the other day and decided maybe I was in a different frame of mind now, more mature and refined in my musical tastes, and that I should give it another go. Well,listening to it again just solidified what I already knew the first time I heard it long ago. It still pretty much sucks. The vocals are cheesy as anything, and the Icicle Works had that problem where they desperately tried to change with the times, and did a half ass job at trying to blend in with what was popular. Very lame. Understanding Jane is a pretty good song, but the rest of it is borderline pukeworthy. There is a reason why this band never gained popularity in the 80's. They aren't good. Avoid this, it's for a very select few, and if you have any taste whatsoever, it's probably not you.

Unless you are a die hard, and I repeat, die hard fan, save your cash and get MP3 downloads of the three songs that are worth hearing. Big disappointment!