My Bloody Underground

Brian Jonestown Massacre | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: a Records
• ASIN: B00133FOB8
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,462 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #36 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Shoegazing

Editorial Reviews

This is the first Brian Jonestown Massacre album in over 4 years. Recorded with select members from the Brian Jonestown Massacre,
Icelandic musicians, and Mark Gardener (Ride). Recorded in Liverpool and Reykjavik in August 2007 and completed in Reykjavik in October 2007.
This is the thirteenth full length album from the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and released on Anton s label - a recordings. This album offers a mix of the traditional Brian Jonestown Massacre sound with a more experimental and avant-garde approach.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anton Newcombe plows on, April 19, 2008

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Bloody Underground (Audio CD)

Brian Jonestown Massacre, the band started by and ruled with an iron fist by front man and song-writer Anton Newcombe, has had a relatively speaking low-profile couple of years. The previous studio album "And This is Our Music" dates from 2003 and other than some sporadic touring not much has been heard from BJM. Now comes the new album.

On "My Bloody Underground" (a too obvious reference perhaps to My Bloody Valentine/ Velvet Underground?) (13 tracks, 79 min.), Newcombe returns to the shoegazer sounds of the early albums, and to (mostly) good effect. Opener "Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mills' Wooden Peg" (Newcombe will never run short of outrageous song titles that have nothing to do with the song as such) sets the tone, as if the 1960s psychedalia never stopped. The next track "Infinite Widom Tooth" is even better, with a hard driving beat. When an album runs 79 min., there are bound to be weaker (if not filler) tracks. There are several instrumental tracks that seem out of place, although the solo piano piece (another outrageously titled song, "We Are the N*ggers of the World" is quite remarkable. Other highlights for me include: "Who Cares Why" (with a wall-of-sound that goes on forever, 8+ min. in fact), "Golden Frost", and the 10+ min. ambient closer "Black Hole Symphony". Self-indulgent as ever, Newcombe pushes the envelope with this release. Would this album have been better had it been focused (and hence shorter than 79 min.)? Of course, but this is Anton Newcombe we're talking about. For real BJM fans, this is a most welcome addition to the Brian Jonestown Massacre catalog. Be aware: the CD comes with basically zero information, other than the song titles. For more information as to who actually played on the album etc., the CD refers you to a website link.

I had never seen Brian Jonestown Massacre in concert until I had the good fortune of seeing them at the Monolith Music Festival at the famous Red Rocks venue last September, and it was quite the event. Newcombe was his impossible self as usual, berating the crowd and band members alike (and making me think he'd call it off at any time--he did walk off the stage several times, only to return), but when the band played, it sounded magical.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I'm not feeling it, May 9, 2008

By 

Jonathan Dixon (San Fran) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Bloody Underground (Audio CD)

This recording for me a is bumbling, shambling mess. I've loved this band's music for years and there was a magical time during the mid to late 90's where Anton Newcombe was in a zone and he created some incredible music. His prolificity was amazing, and so was his never sell out attitude. I have continued to see BJM play live frequently and while it's always been an adventure (often a train wreck, always with a magical moment or two), I have noticed his sense and musical sensibilities on the retreat. Still, I waited for the new album. Now that it's here, I am sorry to say that it doesn't stand up in any way shape or form to what BJM has created in the past. The band and it's frontman appear to be in a downward spiral that's bordering on total delerium.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Anton's Empty Underground, July 19, 2008

By 

Dave (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Bloody Underground (Audio CD)

This is easily his worst album. Terrible production, repetitive songs, weak attempts at humorous song titles...people may want to think of it as "avant-garde" when in reality Anton seems to have completely run out of song-writing gas. His previous album, We Are The Radio, was a mediocre album for BJM but is a masterpiece compared to this. It has melodies and song structure. This has partial ideas for songs repeated over and over again with some barely audible lyrics. One song is just a guy talking in Icelandic. "Yeah-Yeah" might be worth a download but otherwise don't waste your time and money.