Customer Reviews

Hello Vertigo

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this after seeing a comercial on TV playing a 45 second clip of Bombshell, one of the more catchy tracks, and loved the disk. Every song has a fresh and different sound. It's too bad these guys don't get the radio play they diserve up here in Seattle, yes, we are still playing lots and lots of Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, ect. Not that those bands are not good (All of them Are on my top 20 bands list), but their sound if old, and burned out, though still one the best around. Back to the CD, each song feeds on the last, and improves any mistakes, making it an enjoyable list. Also, many of the songs keep going through the transition of track numbers. What I mean is that, at the end of Bombshell, there is a whinny guitar, and a slow frum beat for the last ten seconds of the song, and the first three seconds of track three, ending with a loud thund from the drummer, and then the track starts up. So, in this way, many of the tracks are connected. I can't wait for their new album (which they are currently writing some material for), and for some of the tracks to be on single, hopfully with a B-side or two. I also have been tracking down a copy of their very first EP, on an indie label, and I almost have found it.

This was an excellent album... when I heard them open for the Verve Pipe I could tell that they had a good sound, but had no idea that the entire album would be this good. There isn't a bad song on the album.

After seeing Papa Vegas open for the Verve Pipe (this is an awesome show, btw, see these two bands if they're playing near you), I was so impressed by their performance that I ran out and bought this CD the next day. I was not dissappointed at all. PV has a relatively unique sound, and all of their songs are well-written and well-played. Overall, this is an excellent CD, if you're even pondering buying this, buy it!

This really is an overlooked CD. I remember it vividly from my middle school days, where it seemed like me and my friend were the only people on earth who knew who Papa Vegas was. Reading these reviews provoked me to break out the CD and rekindle the memories of my youth (haha). On a serious note, amidst all of the pop, rap-rock and swing garbage of the late 90's I must say that Papa Vegas did something great. They made a different, engaging CD that was devoid of all lame, late 90's influence. Songs like "Mesmerized," "Long Days (aka: 10,000 years!)" and "Resolve" are forever embedded in my childhood memory banks.Why? Because they weren't mainstream. They weren't average. And they certainly weren't written to catch a "target demographic". To me, Papa Vegas wrote these songs for themselves and hoped that someone would latch on, like myself. I did and I thank them for the gift of making my youth a little more enjoyable. So, as I grow old and withered, I will at least know that I wasn't a victim to the surge of terrible music at the end of the 20th century, and that my friend and myself did have a little sense to recognize the inspirational hymns of Papa Vegas. And if anyone else in Louisiana still owns this CD besides my friend and myself, e-mail me and we will become instant friends for life.

Papa Vegas is truly one of the most underrated, undiscovered gems in rock. With only one EP and one album to their name, Papa Vegas easily got lost in the musical vacuum of 1999. But they had something more than the 1999 music scene, they were on a different level. While Hello Vertigo was released into a year where most of the music wasn't that good, Hello Vertigo could have easily been the best rock album of 1998, or 1997, almost 2001 even (Tool's Lataralus might take that award). Being released in early 1999 along side Vertical Horizon's Everything You Want and The Verve Pipe's "froggy" s/t album, Hello Vertigo made a little splash and not much more, a loss to music. But remember that Britney Spears came out the same time, so maybe it was just bad timing. Nothing could really come close to Hello Vertigo (the closest was the "froggy" album), and I haven't seen much lately, although this could have been a better time for Hello Vertigo's release. I apologize on that so far I haven't talked about the album's content, I just wanted to explain the time period of this album. Buy this album, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed, it's a masterpiece. The tone of the album is very atmospheric and spacey, something I personally love, and the tone connects with me. If you have a fascination with atmospheric vibe, than this is the best band since Pink Floyd. The opening track "Something Wrong" is worth the album's cost alone; it's one of the best songs in that genre. It draws upon an atmospheric mood that is too good for just one listen, and the guitar tones and vocals sore above a dark musical landscape. Then the song fades into "Bombshell," The album's only main single that really got some attention. "Bombshell" is an amazing song, that should've done better, but it's definitely not the best track on the album. Papa Vegas does have versatility, and it shows on the mellow, laid back "Mesmerized," only to recede to the surging "Long Days," the heaviest track on the album. I could say so much more about all of the tracks on this album, but you might as well just buy it; however, the best tracks on the album are the brilliant upbeat "No Destination" and the swelling storm-like masterpiece "On Your Own." Hello Vertigo ends on "Resolve," which is the gentle rain after the storm, the album's only true Ballad. It leaves you with a sense of wonder, and a yearning to travel to a distant planet, or to a bleak desert, for there is beauty in open landscapes. Papa Vegas was only given one chance really to show the world what they could do, and they forged a masterpiece drawing upon the darker side of rock, without the hate or anger of industrial music. It's just too bad that this treasure is still buried.

This cd is one of the best cd's. The lyrics are very thought provoking, and the music is great! They write all there own songs and music and it is all really good. It is the best cd that I own! It's great if you like rock, or any type of music. Just because they aren't very popular doesn't mean that they don't rock! Listen and decide for yourself!

Well, time has passed since the release of this CD in April, '99 and I am still hooked! It has a great impact on everyone I have played it for and they have purchased it for themselves. Not the typical alterna.....but far better. An album with substance and fine tuning. These guys are awesome live too! Saw them twice on stage opening for other bands and believe me...they blew the star band away. I highly recommend this CD and am waiting for the next one to come out. Check these guys out if you can--live or buy the CD!

I picked this up used after hearing "Sermon Underground" on a CMJ sampler disc. The rest of the album is just as good. Imagine a successful fusion of the best qualities of The Smithereens and Blue Oyster Cult, with the digital sheen of Depeche Mode ( though otherwise the DM comparison is pretty invalid, IMHO )and you've got some approximation of this band's sound. It takes two or three spins to get fully acclimated, but there really aren't any clunkers on this album. If you like catchy, spacy alterna-pop, get it.

Evidently Heather from Chicago saw a different band-maybe "Papas Fritas" or something. These guys play one of the most energetic, musically professional shows I've ever seen. Furthermore, songs don't have to be fast to be good. The harmonies and effects used by Papa Vegas only enhance what is already a great group of musicians. Just wait for "Something Wrong" to come out as a single........hopefully?!?!

Never thought I had ever heard Papa Vegas until I went to a concert. They were really awesome to hear. When I heard the song "Bombshell", it jolted my memory. THAT was who did the song on the radio! (Our station hardly announces the artist) Well, what can I say........bought the CD on the spot and have listened to it since. Heard someone refer to them as a "baby band" (guess that means first CD). With a show like they do and the sound of their music.....they'll drop that name real quick. You won't be sorry for the investment!