Customer Reviews

Kasabian

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read some online reviews that slag on this album as being unoriginal or derivative of other bands. But I say Kasabian sounds better than 99.9% of the so-called "original" bands out there. And besides, you're kidding yourself if you think The Strokes or White Stripes are anything but derivative.

Kasabian is a welcome update of the late 80's/early 90's Madchester sound. The album is absolutely flawless from beginning to end, and I can say that about VERY few that I've heard or purchased in recent years. Trust me, I would never take the time to write a review unless I truly felt this way.

The critics can have their totally-esoteric-Icelandic-electro-atmospheric-flavor-of-the-week-BS. I'll take Kasabian any day.

Well, it's about time Manchester got a revival -- it's been around fifteen years since bands like the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses erupted onto the music scene. Now with late-70s and mid-80s music being revived in newer, trendier bands, it's about time we got to England in the late-80s and mid-90s.

Enter Kasabian, a Leicester band who put out catchy, synthy, and extremely entertaining rock'n'roll. What does their self-titled album sound like? Well, it has some echoes of those Manchester greats, except that it has a synth edge over those heavy riffs. Add in some very radio-friendly melodies, which are almost guaranteed to get these guys noticed by the media.

Not that that's a bad thing -- they resemble fellow electro-Manchester band South, which happens to be among my favorite Britpop bands. Kasabian is just lighter. They kick things off on a strong note with the expansive "Clubb Foot," which pairs gritty rock with sweeping synth, over Tom Meighan's languid vocals.

Fortunately this is not one of those albums that has one good single, and then gets lazy. Things stay catchy and gritty, all throughout the album, with heavy riffs and steady rhythms, and Kasabian keep their style varied enough that listeners won't be left thinking, "Oh man, are they playing that riff AGAIN?"

Not to mention the singing: Meighan has a very strong, melodious voice. In almost every song, he sings slow and lazily. He sounds either stoned or inattentive, except for a few wonderful songs where he sounds completely into what he sings. "John was a scientist, he was hooked on LSD/Interested in mind control and how the monkey held the key/Said that all life is experiments somebody's planning for the heir/It's for the unexpected citizens who hallucinate in fear," he purrs happily.

Yeah, it can get pretty heavy. but the music is also tempered with an ethereal edge -- there's a brief interlude which is all muffled riffs, deep synth and angelic vocals. At the very least, all that synth serves to lighten up what could have been a dark album, and adds an epic edge to what could have been terribly ordinary music.

The flaw? It gets a bit fragmented, with two peppy electronic "interludes" sitting between harder rock'n'roll. They're pretty, but they feel out of place.

Things climax with hints of another possible direction for them to go in: "U Boat," a rich soundscape that fades away into silence... before fading back into a different mix of "Reason is Treason." It's all hard angles and explosions, and if anything, this mix is even better than the radio-friendly original. (Talk about having your cake and eating it too)

One of the few albums that is catchy and musically rich, Kasabian's debut is one of the best releases this year. It's reminiscent of Britpop greats, but somehow that doesn't matter -- they're original enough to have their own fun sound.

Chances are if you're reading this you've heard a Kasabian song one place or another (Probably "Club Foot" or "L.S.F.")and liked it. If this is in fact the case then you should buy this album immediately because you will surely like the rest of it. For those of you who haven't heard something by them, Kasabian are a U.K. band who dable in rock and electronic beats which produces some very good rock/pop songs with beats out of this world. This CD truly rocks and even though the band has put forth a dark mysterious image, it's not "heavy" but any means. It makes you want to get up and MOVE. The lead singer's voice is infectious and just begs for you to sing along with him. There's not a bad song on here either. This is one of those rare CD's you can listen to all the way through, in fact, it's better that way. It's a cohesive album and songs blend right into one another. Kasabian truly created a soundscape on this record that is pure joy to listen to. I gave this album only 4 stars however, because of the lyrical quality. But really that's not where Kasabian win their audience; they excell in the music and they are very very good at what they do.

Yeah this band can kick everyone's ass...They really look like a young rock'n roll band goin' out of jail ...But definitly there's a very impressive sound behind those 4 "delinquant" shapes. There's not a single bad songs ,they play like if they were the original soundtrack of a movie 'bout the futuristic excess of electronic in our world with rock'n roller rebels back to fight the "2much" high speed level of our evolution.
But those guys don't play in 2020 ...this is now for our pleasure to dream... that the music can move the world as in the late 60's and beg. of 70's a time were rock'n roll and psychedelcs was really dangerous for people maniac of order and brutal democracy. Yeah this band is the revelation of the (second part of the) year 2004 with maybe a band called The 22-20's in a more 21 century blues rock style for them (infl. by the stones or the cream...etc). Kasabian are very european in their electronic approach and sound a little like kraftwerk or david Bowie(77-79era). But with a singer more in a Stone Roses,Oasis, Happy Mondays mode...but Primal Scream (XTRMNTR is a classic LP from 2000)...is probably the nearest of the Kasabian sound but Kasabian still have a very unique vision of music...this is dangerous...this is real rock n'roll

i hope you've understand my average english
thanx

Kasabian is one of the best groups to come out of the UK in the past few years. I simply cannot get enough of this cd. The band's sound is original and the songs are so catchy, making it an awesome debut cd.

Here's how I would rate the various songs:

Club Foot (9/1o)
Great song, it was an excellent pick for radio single. One of the best songs on the album, good sond to start off the cd

Processed Beats (8/1o)
Almost as good as that last one, the only reason it doesn't score as high is because it doesn't have as many lyrics.

Reason Is Treason (8.5/1o)
What can I say, I love it. Stays in your head all day.

I.D. (6.5/1o)
It's not as great as the songs preceding it. A bit slow and not very 'sing-a-longable.' Not much in terms of lyrics, but still not a bad song.

L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) (1o/1o)
Easily the best song on the album. So catchy, so brilliant. It is a true testament of what Kasabian is capable of at their best. I cannot say enough about this song it is just SO GOOD.

Running Battle (9/1o)
Another hit. Friggin awesome. I don't know what else to say

Test Transmission (7.5/1o)
A near miss. The chorus is pretty good, but what ruins the songs are the wierd verses. It is also one of the slower songs. It's not bad, but not a "oh skip to track 7 I can't wait to hear that song" song.

Cutt Off (9.5/10)
Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant. My second favourite song

Butcher Blues (8/1o)
Its good. Very catchy. Yeah.

U Boat (7/1o)
Not bad, not good. Very (...). Not a very good ending song...

Apart from the three lowest scoring songs This is an amazing Cd. I strongly recommend it. BUYBUYBUY. :D

Let it be noted that I created my Amazon.com account after noticing there were so few reviews for this album. Please don't take me for a fanboy, however.

Anyways, on to the album. I am not a personal fan of the track Club Foot, due to overplay on the radio, but past that track it's all excellent. Once you get past L.S.F. you may hear a few hints of a "Hail to the Thief" Radiohead sound. That's not a bad thing, by any means.

I will go on record as saying that if you like traditional british rock anthem cds (The Bends, Morning Glory, Park Life, Joshua Tree) more than a mildly electronic album (same bands as contrast: OK Computer/Hail, Think Tank, Achtung, Shoulder of Giants), you would probably prefer something more like Oasis' new record or Franz Ferdinand. The general sound is one of the club and post-club. Some tracks just beg you to dance - the front six mostly - while others just make you want to indulge in that after-party glow when your best buddies are over after clubbing chilling out before crashing at yours.

Alternatively, lying down in a dark room and putting this on as loud as your neighbours will allow can be an extremely gratifying experience. When you reach I.D. you will almost certainly feel a few chills as the soundscape shapes up - for a tension building minute or two - and then a smile flit accross your mouth as the beats kick in and don't let go until sometime in Running Battle when the guitars and synth sounds turn it up a notch (volume, that is). A very subdued, essentially *chilled out* seven or eight minutes of music.

I look forward to seeing this group live soon, as well as a subsequent album.

Four > Kasabian/Kasabian < four and a half stars.

Kasabian is looking to revive that magical period of British music that desperately needs to come back: the Madchester sound. Synthesizing elements of the Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, and Primal scream, Kasabian truly succeed at doing what bands like the Strokes and Hot Hot Heat have done: taking an aesthetic and applying it to the present day. The singles from this album - 'Club Foot', 'Processed Beats', 'LSF' - are golden but it doesn't end there. The album cuts - 'Reason is Treason' and 'Cutt Off' especially, make you want to get down and shake what your mama gave ya.

Though released in late '04, this disc will get all of its mainstream attention in early '05 and I'm making an early call on this being the top disc of the year.

Without getting over my head in detail, the first six tracks are all pure hits and the last four are defintely listenable. If you're Madchester fan in any form, buy this disc.

Well, it's about time Manchester got a revival -- it's been around fifteen years since bands like the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses erupted onto the music scene. Now with late-70s and mid-80s music being revived in newer, trendier bands, it's about time we got to England in the late-80s and mid-90s.

Enter Kasabian, a Leicester band who put out catchy, synthy, and extremely entertaining rock'n'roll. What does their self-titled album sound like? Well, it has some echoes of those Manchester greats, except that it has a synth edge over those heavy riffs. Add in some very radio-friendly melodies, which are almost guaranteed to get these guys noticed by the media.

Not that that's a bad thing -- they resemble fellow electro-Manchester band South, which happens to be among my favorite Britpop bands. Kasabian is just lighter. They kick things off on a strong note with the expansive "Clubb Foot," which pairs gritty rock with sweeping synth, over Tom Meighan's languid vocals.

Fortunately this is not one of those albums that has one good single, and then gets lazy. Things stay catchy and gritty, all throughout the album, with heavy riffs and steady rhythms, and Kasabian keep their style varied enough that listeners won't be left thinking, "Oh man, are they playing that riff AGAIN?"

Not to mention the singing: Meighan has a very strong, melodious voice. In almost every song, he sings slow and lazily. He sounds either stoned or inattentive, except for a few wonderful songs where he sounds completely into what he sings. "John was a scientist, he was hooked on LSD/Interested in mind control and how the monkey held the key/Said that all life is experiments somebody's planning for the heir/It's for the unexpected citizens who hallucinate in fear," he purrs happily.

Yeah, it can get pretty heavy. but the music is also tempered with an ethereal edge -- there's a brief interlude which is all muffled riffs, deep synth and angelic vocals. At the very least, all that synth serves to lighten up what could have been a dark album, and adds an epic edge to what could have been terribly ordinary music.

The flaw? It gets a bit fragmented, with two peppy electronic "interludes" sitting between harder rock'n'roll. They're pretty, but they feel out of place.

Things climax with hints of another possible direction for them to go in: "U Boat," a rich soundscape that fades away into silence... before fading back into a different mix of "Reason is Treason." It's all hard angles and explosions, and if anything, this mix is even better than the radio-friendly original. (Talk about having your cake and eating it too)

One of the few albums that is catchy and musically rich, Kasabian's debut is one of the best releases this year. It's reminiscent of Britpop greats, but somehow that doesn't matter -- they're original enough to have their own fun sound.

I've been wanting this cd for some time now but didn't want to deal with the copy protection stiff the record company was nice enough to impose. I saw that Amazon didn't label this import version as copy protected, so I thought it might be worth a try. This is NOT the case. This cd is copy protected just like the American version. I don't know if there is a direct connection, but the sound quality on this cd sounds a bit muffled as well. Kasabian should be distraught over this sleazy attempt to make money.

The music on this cd isn't bad, but please don't support this ridiculous ball and chain technology the record company is pushing. They are just going to keep adding it to cds in the future if people buy them.

That's my two cents.