Customer Reviews

The Complex

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Until recently, all I knew about the Blue Man Group was based on their series of odd commercials for Intel. I didn't know anything about their music. "The Complex" blew me away.

This is a rock album, make no mistake. BMG's debut album, "Audio," is more true to their live show that's played in venues like The Luxor in Las Vegas, and is primarily a showcase for the BMG's trademark percussion.

"The Complex" couples BMG's percussion and homemade instruments to a traditional song format, with soaring guitars, a pounding rhythm section, and a big percussive sound.

Along for the ride are guest vocalists such as Tracy Bonham, Dave Matthews, Annette Stream of Venus Hum, and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale.

Lyrically, the songs of "The Complex" explore themes of alienation and the dis-connect from society that is so common to the cubicle-dweller society that is the norm of corporate America. There are a few cover tunes here, with the best being a rocking cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," sung by Venus Hum's Annette Stream. It's a brilliant rendition, full of soaring guitars, amazing percussion (the synthesizer sound at the beginning of the song is actually PVC tubing, an instrument the Blue Man Group call 'The Tubulum') and energy.

The album concludes with the haunting instrumental "Exhibit 13." If you've seen "The Complex" tour DVD or have gone to BMG's web site, you'll know that "Exhibit 13" is about the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and some random pieces of paper that blew into a nearby neighborhood.

About "The Complex" tour DVD...buy it! It's amazing to watch everyone involved in creating the show, and to see and hear the Blue Man Group's various homemade instruments.

One Day some time ago BMG decided to try a new experiment: How well its wacky array of make-shift instruments would work in a more traditional Rock Album, and let me tell you it works, it REALLY works. Where ever the Blue Man instruments were put in, it 'fits' like if it was mean't to have always been in there, it doesn't really stand out all that much if you were not really trying to listen for them. It does however start to get exhausting near the end of the album. The amazingly complex music would start to take its toll on the person's brain compelling to stop for time being, this is definately not a once over album if you want to fully appreciate what BMG has made.
Herein is a small review of all the songs and my top 3 songs of the album

Above:(9/10)
A very nice start
Time to Start:(9/10)
An exceptionally humerous number,
Sing Along:(10/10)
One of the covers of the album, the Dave Matthews Band really makes this track shine. 3rd Place
Up to the Roof:(10/10)
The female counterpart to Sing Along. Tracy easily make this the second best song IMO
Your Attention:(7/10)
A remake of a BMG song, the addition of vocals kinda makes the song itself easier to swallow than its original format, otherwise....
Persona:(9/10)
Piano Smasher:(8/10)
Pure BMG goodness for those who like their original style
White Rabbit:(7/10)
Maybe its just me, but I didn't quite like this song as much as the rest of the album, worth a hear if you like Esthero
Shadows 2:(6/10)
Another remake of a previous BMG song, nothing special
The Current:(10/10)
One word: Woah.....1st place
I Feel Love:(8/10)
An exceptional rock rendition of the disco classic
What is Rock:(8/10)
This is where it gets tiring if you try to give it a once over, otherwise its up to stuff with the rest of the album
The Complex:(9/10)
The album thankfully gives you a break with this song, its about a person who's made it to the top yet wants more out of life than just success, great song
Exhibit 13:(9/10)
If the listener wasn't told what this song is about, they would just assume its a nice BMG instrumental with many foreign languages. If they were told that its about the many pieces of paper that fell from the two towers. THEN it gains its exceptional strength and creepyness, and could actually move some people to tears.
The Hidden Mandelbrot:(9/10)
An awesome quasi-western-style varient to the mandelbrot family. A nice way to end the album

If you can't see BMG live on the Complex Rock Tour this is the next best thing. BMG is always amazing and by all means see them live if you can. This CD has so much to recommend it from the amazingly layered percussion (at places there are over 50 percussion tracks simultaneously playing) to the wonderful guest vocalists, particularly Tracy Bonham (although I was a little less enthusiastic about Venus Hum).

There really isn't a bad track on the CD, and the CD proves that BMG can coexist in the genres of rock and dance music in addition to their own individual, indefinable niche that only they can occupy. The sounds you hear here are like no other on any other CD, and that's a wonderful and refreshing thing.

"Your attention please. Please yell if you are paying attention."

As a huge fan of the Blue Man Group's debut album, "Audio," I eagerly awaited listening to this new album. I knew it would be a departure from their previous work, as the silent, blue men had never included vocals in their music before. I, and other Blue Man faithfuls, were skeptical about this approach, but luckily this album does not dissappoint! Contributions from artists like Dave Matthews, Gavin Rossdale, and Rob Swift give appeal to new listeners while the music has enough of the beloved "Blue Man Vibe" to keep the devoted fans happy.

The album was written by the Blue Man Group founders Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink, among others, with its translation to a live rock show at the forefront of their attention. Therefore, many of the songs have concert-like crowd involvement features integrated into them. In some places this works, especially in the track Time to Start, but in other tracks, including Your Attention and parts of What Is Rock, I think these features would be better left solely to the rock concert arena. The founders also wrote the lyrics on the album save for the two covers, I Feel Love and White Rabbit.

I'll briefly point out some of the definate high points of the album:

Sing Along, featuring Dave Matthews, is the first single off the album, and is perfect for the airwaves. And its sound, featuring the Tubulum and Air Pole instruments the group is famous for, is unique enough for it to stand out on the airwaves. I look forward to this song coming up as a sleeper hit. The lyrics are simple but thoughtful and quite singable.

I think my favorite song on the album at this point is Persona, with vocals contributed by Josh Haden. The haunting beat of the music is perfect to drive the urban paranoia featured by the lyrics. Its quite a relevent song to the insecurities and loneliness that has arisin in urban life.

The Current, with vocals by Gavin Rossdale, is a throwback to 90s alternative with guitar that just makes you want to rock.

Exhibit 13, followed by Hidden Mandelbrot round out the end of the album. Exhibit 13 is a deep instrumental that was written as a tribute to September 11, 2001. It was inspired by the pieces of falling paper that littered Lower Manhatten following the collapse of the towers... and proves to be a touching but eerie rememberance of that day. For the Blue Man-committed, your favorite song will probably be Hidden Mandelbrot... it has all the rockin' goodness of the rest of the Mandelbrot pieces in the Blue Man repertoire.

An all around fun, ecclectic, and abnormally intellegent album in comparison to what's out there in the music world today... I highly reccomend this album to anyone with an open mind.

While the Blue Man Group's debut album, "Audio" was a good idea, "The Complex" is that idea put into motion. The addition of vocalists delievered a much-needed punch to the BMG's music. For example, "Sing Along" is a wonderful ditty featuring Dave Matthews, in which he sings the song's basic melody, then adds another layer of Dave singing scat to it. "I Feel Love" is a great remake featuring Venus Hum to full extent, giving the tune a rock edge.

Which brings me to my next point in comparison with "Audio". "The Complex" just rocks harder than "Audio" ever could. Especially with tunes like "Up to the Roof", which has an excellent chorus as well as carefully subdued lyrics. Also worth mentioning is "The Current", which will appear on the "Terminator 3" soundtrack sometime soon.

Another thing that didn't translate well between show and album is how "Audio" lacked the Blue Man Group's trademark wit and humor, something that made up the bulk of their "Tubes" show in New York. Thankfully, "The Complex" rectifies this with hilarious romps like "Time to Start", "Your Attention" (which, unfortunately, is just a remix of "Synaesthetic" off "Audio", but still good) and my favorite track on the whole album, "What is Rock", a radio-friendly tune that rocks as hard as most great rock songs, but still finds time to make fun of it.

Of course, this wouldn't be a Blue Man Group album without some instrumentals putting the famous BMG instruments to the foreground. "Above" kicks the album into high gear and never lets go while "Piano Smasher" gives the group a chance to show some new inventions. Finally, "Exhibit 13" is a solemn tune paying homage to those who were killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (my pick for the best 9/11 tribute song ever).

Lastly, any doubts about the group's ability to write true songs will be erased once realized that they wrote every note of every song (except the covers, of course). Overall, a solid release from an excellent group.

(Added bonus: Check out the video for the song "Sing Along" as well as a hilarious behind-the-scenes video.)

Blue Man Group's second album walks a fine line between the experimentation that in my opinion defines them, and a surrender to the poppiness that unfortunately dominates the airwaves today. In The Complex, BMG attempted to meld their group's unique sound with vocals--in some cases this works, and in others, it was a disaster. It simply was not as creative as Audio, and if it is the experimentation you prefer, you may wish to reconsider.

"Sing Along" grated on my nerves from the start. I did not care for Dave Matthews' vocals (a shame, because I HAVE liked some of his work that I've heard on the radio), and I also felt I could not hear the Blue Man Group at all. How could I possibly distinguish this from the average radio swill? And "I Feel Love" has the most annoying female vocals on the album--that breathy sighing just about makes me want to scream. I could hardly stick it out the first time I tried to listen to it all the way through in order to give this review.

But other tracks were much more successful experiments. "White Rabbit" was amazing. The mysterious, Eastern-tinged vocals of Esthero very much suited the experimental nature of BMG's music. I would gladly listen to an entire album of her and Blue Man Group. I also enjoyed the tone of the guitar, which took on a very retro quality, and again created this wonderful mystique.

"The Complex" was a MAJOR surprise. As the song began, I was expecting another annoying "Sing Along", but the promise slowly began to reveal itself. First there was that quirky, clever lyric: "I saw my picture on the bathroom door today". But as the main vocals ended, the magic started, and it began to gain "altitude". Suddenly, "The Complex" had erupted into a soaring, glorious instrumental! I then realized the beginning of this song had been deliberately constrained, in order to make this part all the more majestic. The thought that went into this definitely makes this a worthy title track for the album. THIS was the successful blending, the successful experiment. If they could have ALL been "White Rabbit" and "The Complex", I would not have had such a problem with the idea of introducing vocals.

Unfortunately, some of the instrumentals lost something due to annoying speech clips that in my opinion distracted from the music. I think of this as a sort of "techno syndrome". "Time to Start" probably would've been funnier if so many of the other tracks had not had these kinds of intrusions, and this is the one I'm most likely to pass over. "Your Attention" was all right, and the spoken effects (especially the crosstalk portion) were actually entertaining...but it was a "Synesthesia" remix! I was sorely disappointed to see BMG resort to something so uncreative.

"Exhibit 13"--this is the one place where the sound effects have PURPOSE. This song is in remembrance of September 11th, and the voices come from the words on papers that rained over New York City that day. They are very deliberately, tastefully used. I even find this use of sound effects worthy of a Pink Floyd album (and PF are the masters of using sound effects). And one more good thing about this song...it is apolitical--it does not argue; it simply *remembers*. We have far too much conflict about these issues on the news for me to want to hear it in my music, which I go to to *escape* from the tension. "Exhibit 13" is a definite success.

"Piano Smasher"...now THAT is the Blue Man Group I wanted to hear! This track was absolutely stunning, and I just could not stop listening to it! It had the rhythm, the unique BMG "signature", and I could listen to it forever. The same goes for the "Hidden Mandelbrot"--excellent work again, and true BMG! I only wish there had been more like this on The Complex.

I was almost tempted to award this album 4 stars, in honor of the good tracks, but immediately reconsidered when I discovered this album would not play on my PC, nor could I take any tracks from it to put on a personal compilation album I had planned to make ("Piano Smasher" is worthy of a Greatest Instrumentals album). I am extremely disgusted; I should have full access to what I *paid* for--I should be able to play it on ALL of my equipment, and to copy tracks for my own *private* compilation use. This is a factor I do think potential buyers should consider before shelling out the cash.

It's a shame--this album has tracks that I very much enjoy, but I find myself using the skip button far too often--some tracks were annoying, others simply did nothing for me. And, to top it off, I cannot even create a *personal* compilation CD from the thing I paid for! Even so, I wouldn't trade it in--the good tracks are good enough that I could never bear to part with them. Therefore, I give this album 3 stars.

Two words - Extreme Energy!
The Blue Man Group has provided a dynamic and energetic second album. Part of the new energy was the addition of vocals on some of the tracks. A new facet in the Blue Man genere since the "Blue Men" communicate through body language and their music. The energy comes from several tracks that are fast paced, balanced with the new lyrics. Additional "stretching" takes place on "Persona" which may give an insight in the daily grind of the "Blue Man" lifestyle. "White Rabbit" offers a dynamic spin on the 60's classic with modern themes and fast paced background sound (is it synthesizers or the Blue Men playing the Pipes). I look forward to hearing "The Current" on radio as it's definitely a track worthy of airplay not to mention it's contribution to the Terminator 3 movie. Finally, if you've always wanted to learn how to "dance" like the Blue Men you'll enjoy "Time to Start".
After seeing the live performance (twice) in Las Vegas I was hooked. I look forward to see how this album is integrated into the Blue Man Group live performances in Las Vegas, Chicago and New York and wherever else they man go. If it was anything like what was on "The Late Show with Jay Leno" 4/22/2003, the new album will engage Blue Man Group participants (audience) to a new level of excitement and intellectual stimulation.

I love the Blue Man Group. I've seen them perform live 3 times, in 3 different venues and each show was unique. They have to be the best performance art/musical act I've ever seen in concert. I really enjoyed their first CD, "Audio", because each song took me back to their live performance. But, the new album is much more than that. With the guest vocalists the songs become something completely different for the Blue Man Group. They have combined their unique percussion sounds with the voices of unique vocalists. To be able to hear such familiar voices as Dave Matthews and Gavin Rossdale makes the songs that much better. "The Complex" CD includes songs that you'll want to listen to over and over again. You'll even find yourself singing along.
If you weren't so fond of "Audio" I can gaurantee you'll find such a different sound on "The Complex" that you'll can't help but appreciate the Blue Man Group sound.
I loved the enhanced portion of the CD because you get to see live clips of them on stage, which is like nothing you've seen before. Well worth the money!

You're darn right i am! This is an album i passed up because of the 'professional' reviewers trashed it more often than not. I was drawn back again and again because of simple curiousity. I grabbed it, crossed my fingers, and placed it in my cd player. Unbelievable. Those critics,in my opinion, are dead wrong. Vocals, at least this time, DO add to the blue man group. These 'creations' are well crafted and colorful. So much fun to listen to. Their 're-do' of DONNA SUMMERS' "I feel love" was juiced up so strong that it actually overshadowed the original. So much power in this music. So much energy. And a nice selection of songs with incredible vocals. This is truly a great follow-up album from a group i will now stay true to with their every release. D*MN the critics.

My wife actually picked up this album a few months before I ever listened to it. We'd seen BMG in Chicago twice and I loved it. However Audio is not a CD that I found myself frequently sitting down to listen to. For our Anniversary I got us tickets to The Complex Rock Tour. Wow! I was totally blown away. These songs are just awesome. They've taken the percussion and odd instruments that BMG are known for and combined them with some great driving rock songs. Christ, they even got me to enjoy a song with Dave Matthews on it :-) This album has a nice mix of tunes. Some mellow and some rocking. For me The Current and Up To The Roof are the highlights, but I enjoy literally every song on the album.