The Machine That Cried: The Band's Official Version

String Driven Thing | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 9, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ozit Records UK
• ASIN: B000024HYJ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,573 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Heartfeeder

2. To See You

3. Night Club

4. Sold Down the River

5. Two Timin' Mama

6. Travelling

7. People on the Street

8. The House

9. The Machine That Cried

10. River of Sleep: The Sowee/Search in Time/Going Down

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The machine cries: the heart answers, September 16, 2010

By 

Sentinel (Essex) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Machine That Cried: The Band's Official Version (Audio CD)

String Driven Thing originally were just that: their first album is drumless. At the time it was the more critically acclaimed than this, their follow-up, but time works its magic, and this is now seen as their best album beyond doubt. There are still some reservations: the production job gives a muddy,edgy quality to the album, which maybe benefits the rockier numbers, but doesn't help the softer pieces. However, enough apologies: there is a consistent quality to the material here, both melodically and lyrically. 'Heartfeeder' begins the album with a bang, melodically and lyrically, driven along like an anguished quest, with Smith's wonderfully searching violin building the emotion. 'To see you' is one of Chris Adams sad tales of lost love, and the empty yearning which accompanies this, embellished by some sympathetic violin, works beautifully. 'Night club','Sold down the river' and 'Two timin mama' all begin deceptively slowly, but crank up into insistent rock, and the 'Machine that cried' concluded the original album with the same glorious magic as the opening track: insightful lyrics, great driving rhythmn. 'People on the street' meanwhile, is an attractive memorable dark elegy for the passage of time, and the casualties swallowed up through the decades.
'The House' and 'Going Down' are soft ballads well suited to Pauline Adams' wistful tones; lyrically the latter has echoes of 'not waving, but drowning', the note of despair incredibly moving.
Give yourself a treat, and explore this underated little wonder from the distant past.