Customer Reviews

Mass Distraction

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just listened to this all the way through for the first time and my head's still spinning. It's a little hard to describe all of the varied influences that converge onto what is Span, but the result is rich and novel. This is the second time a CD has made it onto my "10 for a desert island" list after its inaugural spin (the first being Elliott Smith's XO).

A gun-metal band whose energy level never drops below just above the speed limit, Span finds the time to be subtle and nuanced somewhere amid the controlled chaos: powerfully rich harmonies in "Stay as You Are," melodic voicings in "Missing in Stereo," the innovative chord phrasings in "On My Way Down," and a trip to the moshpit with "Baby's Come Back" are a few of the treats on this explosive-but-professional effort. It's seamless.

And as someone who thinks that the neoconservative corporate-conformist anti-intellectualism (the one that's got Americans thinking it a good thing to quietly and uncritically nod along while the bible usurps their Constitution and warmongering trumps diplomacy) sends a bad message, Span seems to have a good message: Conform at your own risk.

I have a 91-year-old friend whose birthday is coming up in May, and I'm getting her this CD. It's *that* good.

When I heard "Stay as you are" for the first time in a car commercial I thought "WOW! I gotta find out who these guys are!" After a little internet research and getting the CD I found that the rest of Spans music grabbed me with equal voracity. In my 30 some odd years of music buying (I'm 43)I've had a love at first listen experience only 3 times. That was Aerosmith "Rocks", Jeff Beck "Wired", and Primus "Anti-pop". I haven't been this excited about a band in years. I'm sure that younger listeners will find newer bands to compare Span to that I'm unfamiliar with, but to me they have a "Toys in The Attic" era Aerosmith vibe goin' on. That is not to say that these guys are a knock-off band, they have their own sound. And there's a number of other influences I hear, most notably (at least in my head) Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick and Joe Satriani. But they have that same swagger and strut confidence and cockiness that Steve Tyler and company have. It's headbanging and at the same time toe tapping music.
As a long time lover of progressive rock (Steve Morse, Jeff Beck, Dream Theatre, etc.) most straight up rock and roll bands don't keep my attention. But Span, while having a straight up rock and roll energy to them, also have a highly developed sense of composition. They masterfully turn phrasings and change up beats without interrupting the flow. They know how to contrast pauses and silence with the heavy stuff to create an even heavier feel; something that few bands, even some great ones, understand. And you gotta love the singers voice (I wish I knew their names); this guy sounds like he's got some nads and he doesn't have to scream all day to prove it.
I also have to compliment the producers of this CD. Over the years I can't count how many bands I've heard that had great material that was either drowned in effects or had production values that made the sound thin. "Mass Distraction" doesn't have any production distractions. All that comes through is the music, loud and clear.
All in all, Span has every ingredient to become a HUGE success. Because of the diversity of musical tastes these days it's hard to say how huge, but having that perfect combination of brains, heart and balls I think Spans appeal will pull alot of people out of their boxes. This music sounds like it comes so naturally to them that they must have been doing it since the craddle.
P.S. to Chris Hanks: I whole-heartedly agree with your music review. But how about saving your silly-ass, simple minded political opinions for MoveOn.org or the blog zone. Just a suggestion.

I decided to fork over the money for the double cd and I'm damn glad I did! This skany-gorgeous boy quartet from Norway combine the lyricism of Rob Thomas, the stalwart vocals of Steven Tyler, the industrialism of Rage Against the Machine, the melodicism of Marilyn Manson and the energy of Linkin Park (if their 3 performance videos are any indication) to produce an unlikely sound all their own!

Highlights include the incredible catchy and driving "Stay as You Are," (which scores the 2005 Nissan Xterra Car Commercial, "Guts + Dirt," where they sing "Stay as you are/And you won't make a difference/ Stay as you are/ And you`ll never mean a thing/I hope your fool's control in your little hole is worth it!"), the Foo Fighters-ish "Always Ends," and the Pearl Jam-esque "Jerome" (both of which are only on the bonus disk) and the stunning "Found" (which fortunately is found in 2 versions and in video form on the limited editon release). In one of those RARE CD Purchase Moments, I realised that there is not a single sleeper song on this disc! Damn, these boys are GREAT!

This cd has great rock-n-roll guitars, good beats and wonderful vocals. I absolutely cannot stop listening to it!

I caught a brief clip of "Stay as you are" on a Nissan Xterra commercial and set about "Intergoogling" to figure out who wrote the song. A 10 second clip of this song was all I needed to know that I was hearing rock-n-roll the way it was meant to be played ... around 11 with the tweeters blown.

I listened to every track - brilliant, each one. Span swings for the fences with each tune. The real standouts are: "Stay as you Are" - a scathing political commentary of Tony Blair's relationship with the Bush administration, "Papa", "Found" and "Peaceful". A B-side track, "Cuts Like Diamonds" is IMO their best song, but difficult to find. This band is primed to break into the American mainstream, but just isn't quite there yet. Think of Span as Smashing Pumpkins, con huevos.

I won't give a deep introspective into each musician in Span and what each song attempts to accomplish. All I can say is that this band is the best blend of vocals and driving rock and roll music that I've heard in quite some time.
Some of you may have heard Span without even knowing it. Their hard charging and very tight "Stay as you are" is featured in one of the 2005 Nissan Xterra ads, and it's a perfect fit for the truck.
Catchy lyrics and high energy music is what will bring this band ashore in the states. I'm just fortunate to have been able to listen to them before they become overplayed.
I'm writing this in March, 05. Check back by the end of the year and we'll see where Span is at.

I'm just sorry these guys broke up. Now I have to figure out how to get their second album - which I believe is being sold only in Norway.

This is the first album of the Norwegian band Span. This music, is straight forward rock, with a hint of spice, which was the reason why I like this album so much. The songs from the album, including their hit-singles; "Found", and "Don't Think the Way They Do", all vary from drop-D heavy tunes, fast-rhythm rock songs, to relaxed and laidback ballads. The voice of their lead-singer and guitarist, Jarle Bernhoft, is all together great, whether he expresses himself in a loud rock'n'roll scream, or in a calm, sensitive way. Bernhofts great voice, together with guitarist Fridtjof Nilsens excellent backing, and the precise work of the bands "spine", drummer Fredrik Wallumrød, and bass Vemund Stavnes (later to be replaced by Kim Nordbæk), gives this band something special, and it is a shame they only made two albums, before their split-up in 2005. But I definitely recommend this album to anyone who still enjoys smashing guitar-riffs and driving bass-lines and drums, together with a promising rock'n'roll voice.

As with most people in the States, I found Span through a Nissan Xterra commercial. A quick internet search uncovered the fact that [...] would stick with me for hours after I caught the commercial was owned by a Norwegian band named Span. After finally locating and purchasing this CD, I was completely surprised to find that the song in the commercial isn't a fluke. This CD is littered with incredibly energetic, melodic, soulfully-written rock tunes. Don't make the same mistake that the US record companies did - give Span a try and you won't be disappointed. They also have a second CD called "Vs Time" which I've not yet been able to get a hold of (STILL not available on Amazon), though I found a video of a cut off the recording and it is equally great.

Jarle Bernhof, the singer, has since moved on and is now working on a solo project. It's a far cry from the machine-gun style of Span - it's a funk/soul endeavor. If his single pre-release is any indication, the States will have yet another chance to sample some Norwegian musical brilliance.

This is a GREAT cd. Unfortunately, according to their website,
SPAN's last concert was 10/28/2005. They have disbanded and moved on to bigger, better (I'll believe it when I hear it) things. They do have another, more recent, CD, but it may not be to easy to find. Oh, well.