Customer Reviews

My Bloody Underground

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I discovered BJM a little later than the Dandy Warhols (or even more recently, and shockingly how long it took--Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the Warlocks) but lately I have been rock'n out to all of these bands. My Bloody Underground seems to be more Methodrone Or "Strung Out in Heaven" than some of Brian Jonestown Masscre's more recent (if "recent" is the word) releases. In those releases, I liked that signature psychedelic drone reminiscent of Velvet Underground, Spaceman 3, maybe even some of the swirl of MBV. With Methodrone and SOIH always catching my attention in random play, I am finding My Bloody Underground to hold that same addictive, pathway greasing tendency. It is also refreshing that longer droning instrumental songs like Black Hole Symphony made the cut for a release. For me, I think this album was worth purchasing brand new.

I have had My Bloody Underground for many months now and up to about a week ago I had to force myself to listen to it.

Not that I didn't enjoy it, "Bring Me the Head...(blablabla I never liked Anton's penchant for odd named songs) is one of the BJM's best songs. So as you can probably tell Methodrone is right up there as one of my favorite BJM records.

It's just that as pointed out by other reviewers there are NO hooks here. One of the BJM's many talents is to write a very catchy guitar hook. Don't look for them here. My Bloody Underground is devoid of true rock&roll structure, verse, verse, chorus, guitar solo, chorus ain't here!

What IS here is a MIND TRIP! I wasn't sure what to expect with so much time between this recording and BJM's last release so I was holding My Bloody Underground at arm's length.

I have seen the band in concert every time they've been in Chicago over the past four years. So I've seen them what, five times? The band, and especially Anton, have been spot on EVERY time! The concerts range from perfect replica's of recorded songs to twenty minute plus psychedelic opus's. In other words My Bloody Underground live.

I'm getting off point, sorry. Back to why all of the sudden I finally just got My Bloody Underground. The answer is...honestly...I don't know. I threw it in as I said about a week ago, having to force myself to do so. And as the record segued from song to song I just about began to cry, the music moving me THAT MUCH!

So why write a review seriously lacking in constructive criticism? Just this...If you're a long time fan of the band and don't get it, maybe even hate it, GIVE THIS RECORD TIME! My Bloody Underground NEEDS to grow on you, it NEEDS to confuse you, tear you down and re-build you. BE PATIENT!

My Bloody Underground is a MASTERPIECE. And you will see, maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but I am sure you will eventually agree with me!

Enjoy.

All of BJM's earlier albums are great music with hardly a dud among the tracks. I love them all. But this new one is all bad. The general feeling of this music is a woozy, dizzy monotonous drone. It's not psychedelic, it's not trippy, it's just a sick feeling you wish would end, like a bad fever.

Some bands lose their touch when they kick drugs. Jane's Addiction, for example. Their music becomes boring and loses all the spark and fire. BJM's problem is the other extreme, I think. My Bloody Underground seems to be the product of a band that is so heavily drugged they don't know what they're doing anymore.

This album is to early BJM what late period Ozzy Osbourne - Black Sabbath albums like Never Say Die are to early Black Sabbath like Master of Reality. Embarrassing. Anton needs to shape up and get back in his form.

Let my preface this review by saying that BJM is my favorite band, and I was really excited about this new release. My excitement quickly faded with this ridiculous waste of money. Newbies would be far better served with "Take it From the Man" or "Tepid Peppermint Wonderland".

The title is perfect. Sounding like an unholy union of My Bloody Valentine and the Velvet Underground (with a splash of the Jesus & Mary Chain thrown in for good measure), this is the CD I've been waiting for Anton Newcombe and Co. to make. Druggy, messy, dirty and absolutely brilliant! The kind-of-familiar (in a good way) melodies are the most consistent ones I've heard on a BJM album ever. I particularly dig the stranded-in-the-eighth-circle-of-LSD-hell vibe of "just like kicking jesus" (Anton's always had a great knack for titles, my favorite being the first one on this album), the totally out of left field piano piece "we are the n***ers of the world" (a veiled reference to John & Yoko?) and the fittingly titled "black hole symphony", an overlong harsh/mellow instrumental that's totally self-indulgent yet ends the CD magnificently. Bloody good!

i have all of brian jonestown massacre albums. some are uneven , but all have great stuff. the great songs stick in your head and can keep you up all night grinding your teeth to the tune. this album seems slipshod and rushed. i can't say i've heard anyone tune up guitars before a song in years , if ever, on a record. i did't want to start now, but it's there on this. there are piano instrumentals and a lot of noise 'songs'. i felt that this group was on the verge of getting their act together [see the movie 'dig', which is great], and poised to take a well deserved place among the greats, but this record is more likely to sink them than any bad behavior. save your dough , and pick up any of their other albums. this one is going to lose fans. a handful of good songs, the rest are strictly stuff i erase every night when i am recording, because i know better than to let anyone hear it.

The most astoundingly varied collection of awesome music is what you will hear on this latest BJM release. It took awhile to get it done but it was well worth it on all levels. This stands head and shoulders above anything released yet this year and anything previously released by BJM. It took awhile for the greatness of this to sink in but once it does you won't want to listen to anything else. This is what the future of music will sound like and you can experience it today. A true genius doing exactly what he wants to do and we get to reap the rewards. I haven't been so shaken by a recording since the first time I heard "Berlin" by Lou Reed way back when. Anton is who Bowie wishes he could be.