Liberation

Trans Am | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 17, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thrill Jockey
• ASIN: B00013VI52
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,664 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trans AM: Liberation, June 1, 2008

By 

Steward Willons (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Liberation (Audio CD)

I'm a fan of most of the different directions Trans AM has gone over the course of their career and, from this perspective, the album does not disappoint. The songs are perhaps more traditional in their structure than some of the previous Trans AM albums, but that is not to say this is just another 'post' rock album. It's less experimental, but more immediately accessible. I would imagine most listeners will enjoy "Liberation" right from the start.

A couple points of criticism are in order. First, the songs are thematically related by their textual component alone. That is, their political message is the strongest connecting thread through this somewhat scattered album. After spending a fair amount of time listening from beginning to end, I'm not picking up on strong specifically musical connections. One review points out that this feels like a collection of b-sides. I would go that far, but I agree that a coherent musical direction is lacking in this album unlike, say, "Future World" or "Surrender to the Night." At the same time, the variety of music directions keeps things interesting and unexpected. I'm not counting the issue of focus against "Liberation," but it's worth noting.

Second, I realize how unpopular G.W. Bush's administration and policy is, but it is such an obvious theme. Without taking a political side, I'd just like to say that this dead horse needs to be put to rest. Trans AM is smarter than to make an album that so directly deals with post 9/11 political unrest. For one thing, we've heard it done plenty. There's nothing new here. Secondly, there is a distinct lack of subtly, especially with tracks like "Uninvited Guest" as if their point wasn't obvious enough so they feel the need to spell it out for us with doctored Bush quotes.

For me, one of the beauties of art is how it can aestheticize an idea to present it distinctly different from how it would be presented in a speech or in a news article. When one's thesis becomes too obvious, you have to wonder why they're communicating these ideas in such a direct manner, when they should be doing it mostly through the music. This isn't always the case, but with "Liberation", I feel like I'm being constantly reminded of something that was all too transparent from the beginning.

At this point, I've become more critical than I initially intended. This is a strong album, and a fun one as well. If you can forgive the cookie-cutter political messages and just rock out to the music, you'll probably enjoy this a lot. Even though it continues to receive mixed reviews from Trans AM fans, I think it's worth checking out for yourself. 30-Second previews on iTunes or Amazon give a sufficiently clear picture of what's in store. Overall, this is a strong addition to Trans AM's discography, but one with a few flaws that will undoubtedly date the album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best yet, May 13, 2004

By 

Ralph Muench (Mellonville, Saskatchewan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Liberation (Audio CD)

Okay, these guys aren't for everyone, as you can see by some of the butthead reviews, but generally if you liked 80's pop, the good stuff that is, and instrumental synth bands like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, you should give them a try. In my opinion this is their strongest offing yet. Especially loved "White Rhino" and "Washington DC".

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trans Am hit their peak.., March 18, 2004

By 

Takis Tz. (InYourHead) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Liberation (Audio CD)

Trans Am have spent quite some time making deeply experimental electronic albums albeit for very experienced ears. Suddenly they unleash this beauty of an album on us which, yes, still has the trademark electronic oddities in it, but at the same time it's absolutely impossible to categorise.

On the initial listen i thought that this is one of the first rock ground-breaking albums i've heard in a long time (last 5 years)..Or maybe i should call it post rock, or as one UK magazine labelled it: "post-post-rock". Then as i listened to it more and more i realised that there's so many influences and ideas masterfully at work in it, that any attempt to put a label on it is futile. There's one song in the beginning which (minus the vocals) could've come straight from an Anne Clark album in the 80s. There's other songs that sound like a bizzare fusion of indie rock with electronica that remind you of a lot but not specifically something. And, there straight electronica songs which could have only been made by Trans Am (or maybe one or 2 other groups at best) .

For people who are familiar with Trans Am, what stands out in "Liberation" is that it's a merciless political album. One that hits the nail hard and at the same time has a healthy dosage of irony and sarcasm to go with it. That's actually essential because it doesn't come at you as an album with an agenda to sell but rather as very sharp and accurate commentary.

This is not simply Trans Am's best album todate but also one of the most important releases in recent time. Musically speaking, this is in my opinion the way rock music should go if it is to salvage itself from the stagnation it's currently suffering in. Who would've thought that ti would be Trans Am at the helm?? But then again, when you really start thinking about it, it makes perfect sense....