Fab Four Suture

Stereolab | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 7, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Too Pure / Beggars
• ASIN: B000E6GC7U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,500 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #43 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Ambient Pop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Beveled puzzle shapes on the cover art of Fab Four Suture beg the question: where does Stereolab's tenth full-length fit into the prolific act's fifteen year career? Is it a bold new direction, a weird misstep, or are the avant-pop tastemakers treading water? Fanboy internet sites seem disappointed with this one, but that's perhaps because their writers are still in college and they think that thinking too much is what it's all about. (Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar, you know.) Laetitia Sadier's uplifting lyrics may sound lifted from bad translations of Situationist graffiti, but even the band doesn't take that side of things too seriously, especially at this point. To answer the previous question, Suture treads water, yes, but marvelously so. This is the sound of one of the best and most important indie bands of the last 20 years reveling in their own, neat universe. It's like a genre novelist playing with characters and situation at the end of a trilogy, if that doesn't sound too silly to say. They've yet to fully heal from the horrible loss of keyboard/vocalist Mary Hansen, but it's just wonderful to hear them having fun again; they fully deserve it. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

Spin Magazine hailed Stereolab as one of pop's 50 most influential ensembles. Over fifteen prolific years, the band has produced qualitatively consistent and unique music that has been instantly recognized by media. In addition to over a dozen glittering LPs, their back catalog is littered with fan-pleasing gems: limited editions, one-off collaborations, split singles, etc. This CD/double 10-compilation also includes songs from the previous 7-inch series released in September 2005. "England's lounge-pop heroes" - Blender. "Stereolab's unmistakable cosmonaut pop...was a trademarked stamp of the '90s. No one else managed to duplicate their retro-futurist harmony or even come close to naming their albums with the same pre-Fridge Magnet Poetry serendipitous absurdity" - Fader.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Core Lab people will not be disappointed..., March 27, 2006

By 

Ross D. Strommen (minneapolis, mn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fab Four Suture (Audio CD)

It's funny how fickle people have been about this album (which is actually a compilation of 7 inch singles). It's almost a shame Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Dot & Loops were so great because people just can't seem to move beyond them. Fab Four Suture is an utterly flawless evolution of the groop's sound. The new songs and impressive tour have proven that Stereolab hasn't missed a beat, despite hardships they've known in recent years. Personal highlights of the album: Plastic Mile, Whisper Pitch, and Interlock. Don't hesitate about picking this one up.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Lab!, April 20, 2006

By 

Vitamino (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fab Four Suture (Audio CD)

Only Stereolab could do this. They've been together for well over a decade and still manage to produce truly wonderful music. This collection grows over a couple of listens then suddenly blooms in the most excellent way. Lean and sophisticated, this album get it's hooks right in and doesn't let go. Not since 'Peng!' have they been so hypnotically beautiful. This really should be the soundtrack to the summer.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a welcome change in weather, December 9, 2007

By 

Mantis (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fab Four Suture (Audio CD)

CD
After "Margerine Eclipse", Stereolab's 2006 "Fab Four Suture" shuffles the deck a lot more and offers something completely new. This is a compilation of singles and EP's that the groop had released in the previous year with the intention of putting out as an album, which kind of ticks me off in a few ways. I saw them in Detroit the same week this album came out (great show) and bought several of the singles (vinyl), having no idea that they all (except one) appeared on this disc. Had I bought the album before the show it all could have been prevented. The disc was for fans who may not have had access to the 45's. Not many people still buy vinyl.

Though this is technically a compilation, it flows like a regular album and if you didn't know, would be none the wiser. They seem to have taken their songwriting prowess and stripped down the instrumentation to more of a raw, live feel. All the percussion sounds like it was recorded on a 5 piece kit (except "Excursions Into 'oh, a-oh'"), the bass is high-pitched and funky and the guitar and keyboards are catchy as hell. Laetitia Sadier's vocals are lovely as always. They also add some well-placed french horn on quite a few tracks. I think maybe they had been listening to Alan Parson's Project's "Turn of a Friendly Card".

All in all this is an enjoyable album from start to finish. Although, ironically, it begins and ends with my least favorite song, the instrumental "Kyberneticka Babicka" pts 1 & 2, everything in between is a joy. So pull the meat off of the bread and chow down.

2006