Customer Reviews

Dopamine

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

 

 

It grows on you. It's wonderfully weird. I wish Mitchell made more of these thingies. Don't look at the average rating, look at the spread. You either love it or hate it.

Imbalanced dopamine activity can cause brain dysfunction and disease, and is linked, at least theoretically, to a host of conditions---in this case art imitates life on "Dopamine." Mitchell Froom, although better know as a prolific producer and sometimes session player, crafted quite a collection of tunes on his first CD release.

An array of guests (no point running them down here because, for the most part, what you hear here is not what you would expect from most folks in this crew) take the spotlight on each track---some sing, some play guitar, some play other instruments.

The results cry out for adjectives: loopy, eccentric, tribal, bizarre, funny, and disturbing . Songs zigzag from one extreme to the other, threaten to melt speaker coils, or lull one into a false sense of security. It's as though Mr. Froom has chosen to unleash some suppressed forces that he keeps in check during his typically well-mannered and orderly productions for others.

Clearly this CD is not for everyone and depending on one's mood and setting, possibly for no one. But it's only rock `n roll, sort of, and I like it.

This album should be looked at as collection of tracks that would be best listened to by their lonesome than as a pack, which is a problem because the majority of the record buying public likes to hear an artist's album that flows in some sort of manner. I found that by throwing these songs in a mixtape that they wonderfully contrasted the other material, and at times turned out to be among the favorite songs for my friends.

I can agree that others may find this music messy and/or uninspired if taken in as a whole (even though the thing is only like a half hour), but try to peep them as singles and hopefully you'll dig it more.

Hey, you want real art or do you want some over worked "album?" Yeah, it's a little warped and edgy, but that's where the real value is. After working on many of my own recordings, my favorites always turn out the be the ones with the colorful, quirky, artistic content rather than the ultra groomed ones. Mitchell's CD keeps returning to my CD player and I enjoy it every time. So, burn a fatty and tune in yo' Monkey Mind!

I've loved nearly every record Mitchell Froom produced (Crowded House, Suzanne Vega, Latin Playboys, etc.), but this album is a disappointment. It just wasn't very catchy or cohesive. If you want to hear Froom at his best, buy Suzanne Vega's "Nine Objects of Desire" or anything by Crowded House.

This is a cd that I keep coming back to- creative, reaching music with a simplicity that makes it all even more complex.

i really like the textures and flava. but the guest vocalists can be quite annoying. Froom may want to listen to some Astor Piazolla if he wants to pick up some dope authentic dark evil slow latin grooves.

if you want a more cohesive choice, pick up some of the recent tom waits cds. or maybe nick caves first two solo cds. or some barry adamson or prince charmings first cd.

This cd is a big disapointment. Mitchell is a talented producer but this cd lacks intensity. I personally feel the only 2 good songs are Wave by Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori and Suzanne Vega's Dopmine. Hopefully Mitchell will stick to producing others music and not his own!

Why is the worst album Mitchell Froom has made the only one available? He should have re-released the classic "Key of Cool" album on CD.

this is a sort of depressing record, not because it's bad, but because it makes abundantly clear that good ears and reasonable ideas are not enough to make a great record... it's full of cleverness, and quite interesting, but it's not actually satisfying.