Customer Reviews

Lido

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

 

 

A friend popped this album in during a drunken night in Oakland, California. No plans for going out...just relaxing outside on the "patio" with a bunch of friends. After awhile, I began to notice the initially subtle background drone that began to encompass the outdoor space. What the hell is this I asked my friend? Th' Faith Healers he said. Damn this is good!! I bought the album the next day at Amoeba for $$$(!!), along with Mogwai's 10 Rapid--another amazing discovery from the prior night. So, Lido...what can I say? I hate to use this abused, cheesey term....but this album ROCKS! Long, heavy guitar drones with superimposed looping, sultry vocals...over and over again. A true masterpiece. Shocking that it never became more popular, at least in this country. By this album, sit back, have a few drinks, or whatever else you are going to do, and pop this album in. It will blow you away.

Sounding truly massive and monolithic with a big stinky groove to propel it along, "Spin 1/2" was the track that introduced me to this band and led me to this release in 1993. Sometimes very heavy on the distortion throughout ("This Time"), guitarist Tom Cullinan knows how to create dynamic tension through building its presence within many of the tracks, be it combined with purposeful noodling ("A Word of Advice", heavily modulated feedback ("Reptile Smile"), or fluid, amplified, in-the-pocket grooving ("Don't Jones Me"). Muddied heavily at other times, it serves as an aural counterpoint to the mantric lyric chanting of vocalist Roxanne Stephens ("Love Song", "Moona-inna-Joona" and "Hippy Hole).The group also serve up an inspired cover of Can's "Mother Sky". There is a hypnotic, trance-like quality to "Lido" that demands replay to reveal the textures hidden underneath, and it does reward an attentive listener with (while not sartori) something close to a state of temporary elevation.

I am english, so naturally I have the english copy. Lido was mainly writtan by tranced up guitar guru Tom Cullinan, now in the avant garde popsters quickspace. From the opening track 'this time' to the zinging seven miniute closer 'spin 1/2.' Sounding like a cross between maria callas and Can (Funnily enough they cover Mother sky...), this album winks and nods at many artists sounds, like Serge gainsbourgs rolling basslines and sonic youths, well, sonic freakouts. Offbeat and beguiling this album is perpetuating a sound of London avant garde music without ever disapeering up its arse and keeping tight to their own ideologies without ever becoming precious, and the cover photograph of a camping site adds mystery to english holidays without ever becoming nostalgic or sentimental. Cullinan and his chums - perfecto. BUY!BUY!BUY!

Dip.xxx

Spry and twisted grunge/thrash (sorry I know it doesn't really fit any categories) from some idealic, crystal meth polluted English meadow. The magicians are so chromosome ruptured they think they're affable flowerchildren even as their souls contort in a snarling clamor. Brilliant atmosphere and some powerhouse ditties that you'll catch yourself humming placidly after your eardrums heal.

Trouble is, some of the songs don't quite connect, like "It's Easy Being You" and "Don't Jones Me." They could've been great but the band seems to have doubted themselves (or got distracted) right before completion. Still, the rhythms work their way into your brainwrinkles until finally, no matter how weary you were of the vagueness and repetitions, you put the disk back on.

It's a very good cd, but I'm opposed to the almost universal practice of giving every cd you like five stars.

I believe I was about the only American to buy this record when it was released back in 1992! And man were the rest of you fools! But you can fix that right now and get this record.

"Lido" is a sonic wall of grizzled guitar, electronic fuzz and ethereal vocals. The sad thing is Amazon doesn't offer sound clips of the two songs I feel are the best on this outstanding record, "Love Song," and "Spin 1/2." "Spin 1/2" is an especially satasfying nearly 10 minute slice of heaven! One CAN NOT listen to this song on anything but the loudest setting on your stereo! By the end of the song the guitar is screaming and the rhythm section is pulsing faster than a mad hare!

My Bloody Valentine is a similarly sounding band from the time of th Faith Healers (late 80's early 90's), as are The Major Stars from the current set of Shoe Gazer, ne.psychodelic, bands.

While the reviews are few here at Amazon, notice most have given this record five stars. There is a reason for that. This was truely a masterpiece rock and roll record that deserved to give th Faith Healers great fame. But th Faith Healers fell fast through the cracks and disbanded in the mid 1990's.

th Faith Healers record "Lido" is well worth the used price here! Buy it today and rediscover what your shoes look like!!

Just buy this album for their version of Mother Sky. It's even better than the original Can version. Along side of Pussy Galore's Yu Gung, it's one of the best R&R tracks ever made.

Because of them, I made a trip from Far East to Europe. They're the best. And you have to hear them by yourselves.

It seems like The Faith Healers were The Raveonettes even before there were a Raveonettes. The Faith Healers were always lumped with early 90's shoegazing, but their sound tends to lean more toward the rawness of The Jesus and Mary Chain. 'Lido' combines the swirly whirlwind riffs of The Raveonettes, sonic-plucking of Swervedriver, pumped at the pace of a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The vocals tend to shift from pre-Loveless My Bloody Valentine drones to the boldness of a PJ Harvey or Justine Frischmann. This debut hasn't lost it's bite as it would foreshadow The Raveonettes and the retro-psychadelic scene which bred BRMC, The Warlocks, and The Dandy Warhols. The Faith Healers will exorcise you of your music complacency with it's electricity, down and dirty trippy wall of guitars. The soundtrack for travelling fast up a dusty road or for burning incense while lounging in a room.