Customer Reviews

Boss Drum

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

 

 

Before The Shamen began making cds in the late '80's, the German band Kraftwerk were already the fathers of electronic music. The Shamen, like others, are heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, and this a GOOD thing. Boss Drum, The Shamen's 4 album, is a masterpiece of electronic beats and synths. It has the Euro-hits "Boss Drum", "L.S.I.", "Ebeneezer Goode" and "Phorever People." It's a step above 1991's En-Tact in that Boss Drum has less repetitiveness and more hook. Whenever I play this cd someone always asks me who it is. After I tell them, and they look at me blankly, they then state that the music is good. This is a must have for any rock collector.

Boss Drum is one of the best Techno-electronika-dance CD albums of the late 80's/early 90's. The title song "Boss Drum" has a beat that you almost can't help dancing too. "L.S.I." and "Ebeneezer Goode" are also outstanding dance music from the height of the Rave era. "Fatman" is probably the only track on the CD I don't care for, but the remainder are all music I like listening too. This CD is frequently in my CD player and I have over 850 CDs at the time I write this.

I used to listen to this CD when I was in high school, sitting in my boyfriend's car with the speakers up. This is a killer CD if you're into synth and rhythm. Just wish I had a good stereo in my car now. I love most of the CD except for the song after Ebenezer Goode. The guy's voice just sounds stupid when he says "Comin' on strong". Most of the songs are killer, definitely not boring like trance.

I recently discovered The Shamen via Internet radio, and I was happy to find that one album that had so many of my new favorite songs - "Ebeneezer Goode," "Boss Drum," "Phorever People," "L.S.I."... But after buying it, I sadly realized that it suffered from the classic "album version" syndrome. The versions I'd heard and fallen in love with were tighter and richer; the ones on this album tended to have boring extended intros and emptier, lighter mixes. I suddenly understood why this CD was out of print.

However, "The Shamen Collection" was exactly what I was looking for. If you've heard The Shamen on the radio, on a dance compilation, or from P2P downloads, you probably heard what's on "The Shamen Collection." The Collection is a more expensive two-disc set, but it's defintely worth it. I know I won't be listening to "Boss Drum" again now that I own the Collection.

I loved this band when they were popular and glad to get the album back.

Well what can be said about a definite formula, eh? Fresh off of the rebound of the En-Tact the Shamen hit nothing new what so ever as they try and drive into yer mind with a sunny hello (sic). Boss drum has a certain tribal flow and L.S.I. is a definate groove with a siren's call to all, to hit the floor and grind; followed up by Ebeneezer Goode's trip at 120bpm to wannabe Anthem heaven. But after that,...pffffft. nothing, no moving mountains here. Boss Drum well just doesn't come on strong at all.

A venerable techno outfit pairs up with Terrence McKenna, venerable psychedelic sage, to whip up an album. How can it go wrong?

You'd be surprised.

I'm an ambient music fan too, so believe me when I say I have a high tolerance for tedium. But this album offers no sonic innovation, no driving groove, no emotion. None. It trots out some uninspired rap stylings that just plod along in a kind of formulaic rave, and it does so to backbeats that wouldn't be out of place at a kid's birthday party. It's a wet noodle.

The high point of the whole deal is when Mr. McKenna gets his chance, but he seems oddly unenthusiastic and the music his rap is set to is more of the same soggy gunk on the rest of the album. I can't recommend paying more than three or four bucks for this. It's nothing special--in fact, it's a bummer.