Customer Reviews

Chemical Playschool 10

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

 

 

Chemical Playschool 10 is yet another in a long string of collections of Dots outtakes, improvisations and meanderings. This one is particularly different in that there are a handful of would-be solo pieces by singer Edward Ka-Spel. Apparently their content and mood fit the overall goals of the release, and we should be glad they are included, as the Ka-Spel tracks are perhaps the best on the disc. "Scarlet Wish" opens the disc up with one of the best tracks he's recorded to date. On the whole this release captures the gloomier side of the band fairly well, along with their more improvisational moments. "The Man with the Cut-Glass Heart" and "Glasshouse" are both much obviously darker than the more psychedelic material the Dots had been recording on releases like "Hallway of the Gods." On the whole, not quite as massive or all encompassing as "Chemical Playschool 8 & 9", but quite compelling in terms of content and mood.

They were awesome in the early 1980's with their avant guard post-punk sound. Moody and dark with glimmers of the absurd, like Kafka put to music. I lost track of them during the late '80s and '90s only to buy this album on a whim and discover they are better than ever. Part gothic, part industrial, definitely out of the ordinary, this album will not disappoint anyone who yearns for something different.

In the continuum of the Chemical Playschool series, Volume 10 does not disappoint at all. Very solid musically and lyrically. It is also a good lead up to Vol's 11/12/13 which are also a must for any Pink Dots fan.

The Chemical Playschool series is apparently very personal to Prophet Ka'spel - and the passion comes through in the songs.

They really are the best band that no one has ever heard of. Amazing that they are still able to pump out the quality stuff at the rate that they do.

breathtaking electronics resonate throughout, ranging from the dreamy to the throbbing. a really terrific record. edward told me to write these paragraphs, but got terribly irritated having to negotiate all these horrid "R's".

This review is for those of you who are /not/ already hardcore Dots fans--this is the only LPD cd I own, and I may or may not get more--we'll see. For the record, I've listened to some other dots material (Nemesis Online, Hallway of the Gods, 9 Lives to Wonder), and this was my favorite. There is some great stuff on here, like the opening track, "Scarlet Wish," which sounds to me like a sort of gothic Syd Barrett, and the wonderfully disturbing The Man With "The Cut-Glass Heart" ("...and when I touch you there, I know it cuts you like a knife..."). The main problem I have with this CD is that it sounds kind of all-the-same, and I get tired of it halfway through. If I stop somewhere (I like to stop in the middle of "Glasshouse" [which covers both tracks 6 and 7 for no apparent reason] just for the sheer mischievous fun of it) and come back to it later, it makes a much more enjoyable listening experience. I have to say, though, that "Premonition 19" is kind of pointless, and I've heard much better sound collages...