Customer Reviews

Love

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

 

 

Obviously this wasn't exactly what the fans were expecting after the first two Aztec Camera records. Roddy Frame went from indie to more mainstream, soul-inspired music using numerous American session players - and that's just the good thing with Roddy, you never know what he will do next. Each new Aztec Camera album seems to take a completely different direction. Granted, some of the songs on 'Love' aren't Roddy as his best, but this album does include a couple of real gems. The smooth, funky ballad 'Working In A Goldmine' with Will Lee bassing, 'Paradise' featuring Marcus Miller and Steve Gadd, and 'Deep And Wide And Tall' are my personal favourites, with brilliant guitar solos from Roddy on the last two. 'How Men Are' is also a melodic soul pop effort, and 'Killermont Street' is the typical Aztec Camera acoustic guitar ballad. And a suggestion: Check out his following albums 'Stray', which has everything from pure jazz to harsh guitar rock on it, and 'Dreamland', his most consistent album brilliantly produced by Japanese keyboard wizard Ryuichi Sakamoto. They show Roddy at his peak and are must haves in any record collection.

This album suffers from overproduction. Roddy often sounds overwhelmed by the horns, female backing vocals, and big drum sound. "Everybody Is A Number One" and "One And One" are pretty much unlistenable. Other tracks fare better, despite the kitchen sink/sledgehammer production. "Deep & Wide & Tall," "How Men Are," and "More Than A Law" sound pretty swell. I just got this import CD to replace my domestic cassette version, and was disappointed to find that "Deep & Wide & Tall" here is in edited form. The full version is definitely better.

There are some unbelievable songs on this album, most notably Killermont Street and Somewhere In My Heart - and How Men Are is amazing as well. Yes, Everybody is a Number One is worth skipping over, but as a whole, the album isn't as bad as some people might want you to think. And if you've given up on Aztec Camera, Roddy Frame has now "gone solo" and released an album in the UK called The North Star, which is a return to the sound used in High Land, Knife, and the songs on the Covers & Rare disk (Bad Education, Jump). You can find it here on amazon.com - and it's definitely worth a listen (or 10!) Also, the website has some audioclips from the new album to give a taste of what it sounds like.

Roddy's first two were brilliant, at his age, a musical genius. When I first threw on 'Love' my expectations were high. I was blown away. My initial thought: 'He's not bringing in the dough, he's gone pop.' There was one good song, and one cool guitar lick, but to put things in their proper place, the album was trash, and even worse when you consider that the first two 'High Land, Hard Rain' & 'Knife' didn't contain a song that failed to touch on briliance, what a heartbreak. Well, that was '89 or '88. About three months ago, now living in Luxembourg (that's not in, but near Germany) I came across a cd in a record shop called 'Dreamland' with this young kid resembling Roddy on its cover. This was not the same face as the guitar bearing genius of lyric and harmony that graced the back cover of 'Knife', looked more like a hard-rocker. In Europe, most record shops let you listen to an album before you buy it. I did, it was Roddy, the album was strictly 'Aztec' and I asked the guy to throw it on for a quick spin. It took about 3 and a quarter seconds to make the decision of whether to buy or not, I did, ran home and proceeded to heaven for the next hour. What that album did to me has changed the last three months of my life. Then came 'Frestonia', a bootleg 'Sketch for Winter', my first listen at Roddy, live. What had happened since 'Love'? This was music that was mature, scalding hot, throw away that pop can and bring on an albums that mix High Land and Knife. I go through phases, and in these phases a single band dominates, it was the Style Council and before that, The Smiths and so on. Roddy, you've done it again. Perhaps that young genius of a boy got burned out after Knife. Maybe 'Love ' came too soon, but the following albums make up for everything we were disappointed in, in 'Love', just wait, no more burnouts, albums that will chill your spine and reassure you that Roddy is back. Don't think that just because the albums I mentioned aren't listed at Amazon, that they don't exist. Do what you have to do, get them and be pleased beyond belief. Gansch (in Luxembourg)

I really like this CD and have been looking for it for sometime. I am so glad to have found it. It is really enjoyable and tender romantic music.

This record shows that as an artist matures in his work, they will often EXPAND into a more collaberative and polished effort. This is by far the very best album by Aztec Camera....showing postive melodies and bass lines with a hint of jazz and soul that aren't normally in minimalistic euro-pop. There's nothing wrong with good production....I am an artist and I know exactly where they are coming from.

I've had this CD for at least 10 years. Sometimes we value an album for its longevity. This is such an album. It stands the passing of time and it is as fresh and vibrant now as when it was made. Beautiful melodies, funkiness, and a great voice from the lead singer. I would miss it if I lost it for some reason.

yes this effort has a few over-produced piles of crap . . . but it is SO 1987 it's almost over-whelming

It's very poppy, yes; but it's a hell of a ride for those born from '64 to '69 (college in 1987, was there a better time in your life ?)

A ++++++++++ get it

Aztec Camera started out so brilliantly with Hard Land, Hard Rain, and the great but lesser album Knife. Then they came out with this album. Was this supposed to be the breakthrough album? It is certainly a departure. Overly produced, the sound to most of the songs have an adult AOR feel to them, losing the great pop touch of the prior albums. What happened? Studio execs? There are still some good songs on this album like Killermont Street and Somewhere in My Heart, but its really a weak effort, not worthy of Roddy Frame's great genius. Luckily, the first 2 albums are so good, its easy enough to dismiss this one and give Roddy the benefit of the doubt and the chance to redirect and get back on track.

Learn to be a critic. Ignorant comment to claim to never again listen to another album made because one may be unsuccessful in your eyes. Don't ever listen to U2 because October was shallow lacking content in their lyrics utilyzing easy guitar licks and chords.