Free

Negativland | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 1993)
• Original Release Date: April 13, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Seeland Records
• ASIN: B0000038YL
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,966 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Cadillac Hour!, April 1, 2007

By 

S. A DUNN (Chehalis, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

Although in this album theree is no coherant "glue" holding the songs together like there is in Dispepsi, still this is one of their finest works. Each song lampoons and attacts our plastic culture in it's unique way.

In "Freedom's waiting" they have a discussion of the meaning or the word Free. They talk about the power of words and how words can affect actions. While they reminate on the meanings of Free, a voice constantly sings "Freedom's Waiting." At the end those samples are joined into the recognizable 7-11 ad slogan! The moral: Do we truly know the meanings of words past commercial jingles?

In "Cityman" they sing about the torturous life living in a city, while in the background a sample from a Cadillac ad plays over and over, reminding us that all we need to cope is the "escape hatch" of our "Cadillac Hour!"

"The Gun and the Bible" is a crowning achievement! The sampling is brilliant, starting very disjointed, then merging into a harrangue reminding us that it was "The Bible, axehandles, pistols, bayonets, knives, brass knuckles, and a submachine gun" that carved this nation out of the wilderness!

"Pip Digs Pep" slams Mike Wallace's public service infomercials. Mark Hosler sings very melodicly and wobbly in it. Very catchy tune

"I Am God" is my favorite! A deep voice keeps repeating 'I am God, you are God, we are all God." And Negativland plays dozens of samples of angry televangelists responding to the challenge of their authority!
"Preposterous!" "Ridiculous!" "Hell!" "Belzebub" "Bottomless Pit!" "Burn!" "Consume!" "Fire!" "Flame!" "Our churches today are full of a bunch of spiritual retards..." It goes on for a while, till an authoritarian voice sets us straight that there is no other Gods but Allah!

Is nothing sacred to Negativland? :) Apparently not, considering on the last song they slam our National Anthem by reporting factual info that even The Star Spangled Banner's melody was plagarized from an old Irish drinking song! But I guess, that it is more important to preserve legends than the facts. It is better to believe George Washington chopped down a cherry tree than to find out he owned slaves and that he died in a barber chair while being "bled," a common medical practice in the 18th century.

As a special treat, our Clorox Cowboy, The Weatherman tells us the story of "Happy the Harmonica" interspliced with Alka Seltzer jingles!

Althoug at first listening Negativland's "music" sounds like a jumble of disjointed cuts from a bad reel to reel, there is a definate method to their madness. Each song on this album precicely explores an aspect of society and culture, using the very words of it's proponents juxtapositioned into the true meanings of their implacations that even the proponents don't realize! That is the genius of Negativland.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Less coherent than I'd prefer, January 9, 2000

By 

Andrew Gill (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

This album is very different from the other N'land albums that I've heard. There seem to be three themes (corresponding to the three covers of the album): Guns, cars, and God/country. The album seems to be about the ways that we are all not free. For example, a man uses his car as an isolation booth. It's very witty, but the theme has very little to do with the traditional anti-business, anti-marketing themes. This album is definitely a good outing for the band, and something that I recommend very much.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A concept album that wanders, July 17, 2005

By 

P. Couture (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

This is their most overtly political album and one of my favorites. It's concise and funny, like "Escape From Noise", but the issues are more important. It's a mishmash of "idea" pieces, odd stories, and surreal songs that seem like inside jokes. Overall it's a good place to begin with this band. The social engagement keeps this from getting too self-indulgent.