Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing album, amazing band., November 22, 2004
i have to admit, i had never heard of the velvet teen before this past summer, when i was invited to see them perform when they came around DC. a friend was visiting town from LA, where he had seen the velvet teen several times, and was very much a huge fan of theirs. i trusted his taste in music, so came along, however hesitant i was to see a band i knew nothing about.
as soon as they began their set, i was immediately hooked. their music is so incredibly unique, and they are beautiful live. elysium, is not, as others have stated before, something you just grab to listen for the sake of listening to music. you honestly have to LISTEN to this album, it's so amazing. each track has its own mood, message, and judah's voice soars through each and every one. hearing this great album is one thing, but seeing them live, and that being the first i have heard of their music, was a real luck of the draw. they are superb live. they really bring in the emotion to the music, and i admit, i loved watching judah pour his heart into his voice.
this album is truly one of my favorites now. great music, great experimentation with a new sound unlike their previous albums, great lyrics. can't recommend it enough!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prententious? No. Thom Yorke Ripoff? Absolutely Not. Beautiful, Brave Album? Yes., July 23, 2006
An awful lot of these reviews keep coming back to the point that this album is pretentious. Honeslty, I could not disagree more. Losing guitar in place of piano is not pretentious, its a brave move. Judah Nagler, a guitar player, wanted to make an album without guitar. Welcome to The Velvet Teen. In regard to the stickers on the front of the album, maybe slowdance records wrote about The Velvet Teen in glowing terms because they are close friends and TVT is their flagship band. Why anyone would criticize him for that is beyond me. As far as Thom Yorke similarities go, Thom and Judah have similar voices, Judah is inspired by Radiohead. Saying that Judah "rips-off" Yorke is rediculous. Lastly, in regard to poor lyrics all i have to say is when was the last time you wrote something better then this?
"half-full loses weight once you taste it / so for now my empty glass must mean i've chased it / but i'm not wasted and i'll not waste it / the dealer laced it with a new decree of our separation / how many have you taken? / and i could run off at the mouth / for hours on end, like i'd gone senseless / but i'm just speechless / rendered me defenseless / barred from your presence, my name from present-tenses "
This album is a beautiful deviation from the norm in this genre. The Velvet Teen proves through Elysium that they are a well rounded group who are capable of anything. This album is one of my top 5 albums of all time. I recommend it HIGHLY to anyone who enjoys good music.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The end, October 7, 2004
The band stated on their website before this CD came out that "this may be the end of music as you know it"...or something to that effect....i must say that is totally correct!
I first hear the velvet teen on the show subterranean on mtv. They were playing the video for Prize Fighter off of Out of the Fierce Parade CD. I skipped over it for the first few seconds and let my mind wander, for it wasnt that interesting in my ignorant opinion, but within the first half of the song i realized this was nothing like i had ever heard...it was worth watchin and listening to...and so i did...and by the end of the song i was totally hooked, this song never left my mind, when it wasnt at the forefront it was entertaining the memories and thoughts a little less used....
And now, here we are with Elysium. This is the first album i have bought by them and it is, no joke, the end of music...you will never need to hear anything ever again! i bought it after downloading Forlorn from their website...if they choose a single from it i think it should definately be that song, but the whole cd is fantastic...i listened to it once through the night i got it, before i slept...and then as soon as i woke up i listened to it again...thouroughly enjoying every second of it....i couldnt leave my room and continue on with life...i eventually wandered away only to find myself in my car with the cd in my hands driving and listening to the whole thing yet again...this CD is it! its all over! it is magnificent....
There are entirely two different experiences to it...that which is listening to it on a minor stereo in whatever order you see fit...and then when you listen to the whole thing, from absolute start to finish on headphones or a great system with no outside noise...you find yourself lost in it...the tonal emotions are as vivid a painting before you eyes....
I cannot recomend this to anyone who doesnt take music seriously, for this is one hefty spoonfull to swallow, but if you are a true music connoisseur then you will need to buy this album...listen to it over and over again...and you will never need to hear anything ever again, these songs have been in my head every waking hour of every day just as thick as if i were listening to them at that moment, and it is glorious....
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