Customer Reviews

Mind Bomb

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Not often, but once in a great while, a truly fabulous work of art is created. It is not a feat that is only achieved by artists who are known to be great; as evidenced by The The's "Mind Bomb", it is sometimes done by artists who are little known at all.

Ranking very near, if not at the top, of the greatest albums of the Modern Rock era, 1989's "Mind Bomb" is not merely a collection of eight songs, but a seamless, flowing journey through the darkness and light of the human condition. Matt Johnson, an emotive vocalist and lyricist at his worst, shows here that he can reach deep into his own soul to retrieve and give voice to sentiments and suspicions that are rarely touched upon in polite company, but are commonly held by many. The objective of the album, achieved completely, is the taboo act of tearing away the shrouds that guard religeon, race, sex, society, and love. The whole world is laid bare at your feet in "Mind Bomb", a testimony to the desperation and cynicism that people enforce upon themselves in order to rise above nature. It is at first not an easy listen, but one which will eventually become a part of the listener's being; that is, if he or she is sympathetic to the cause of finding some shred of meaning in life.

While the star of this show might not be a household name among those who were fortunate enough to grow up in the amazing alternative rock culture of the late eighties and early nineties, one of the supporting actors certainly is. Johnny Marr, former guitarist of The Smiths, is far more in the background here than in the places we know him best, even appropriately adding background vocals to his repertoire of enormous musical talent. Only in the one song co-written by Johnson and himself, "Gravitate to Me", is any sign of Marr's signature guitar style obvious and near the forefront. That is not to take anything away from his contributions to the work as a whole - quite to the contrary; they are ever present, only very different from what we have come to expect. Moreover, the music of "Mind Bomb" is symphonic in nature, and not centered on the guitar-as-primary-instrument. Far more prominent are sounds which do not typify the everyday music of that time, or in truth, anytime.

Point in fact, Mark Feltham's harmonica and Wix's piano and organ contributions create the ambience that defines this album's feel. There are also horns and strings, shadowy vocals both evil and ethereal, odd percussions... all special and necessary, lent by almost innumerable guest artists. David Palmer's drums are as polished and perfect as could be, not generally dictating the meter of the music - but instead adding punctuation to the poetry of the arrangements. James Eller's bass brings elements of warmth and simplicity which balance well against the occasional harshness of both the music and the message. Together, they all speak as one.

Of course, it cannot go without mention that Sinead O'Connor performs a haunting duet with Mr. Johnson in "Kingdom of Rain", which is the last scene in the first act of a two act play; meaning it is the song that would in another time have been called "the last song on side one". A gentle comedown from the fear and anger of the first three tracks, it is our resigned introduction to sadness through the broken dream of dying love. The song though, excellent as it is, is not the standout. All tracks are standouts here; all are equal to the album, and form together the essence of a story.

After over a decade of consideration, I am still grappling to understand exactly what that story is; that is, in my opinion, the true genius of "Mind Bomb", beyond the music itself. After listening to it in it's entirety what I would estimate to be about 3500 times, I am still fascinated by it. It is aptly named. Perhaps there is nothing more than essence, maybe no story to tell at all. But few albums make the listener perceive one in the way this one does. I won't make any suggestions regarding what I believe that story to be - every person should be entitled to their own. But do listen, and find it. It is life changing and profound, while still sounding new after fourteen years.

In summary, The The's "Mind Bomb" to me represents one of music's finest hours. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the towering Modern Rock works of that period, like U2's "The Joshua Tree", The Cure's "Disintegration", The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Blood Sugar Sex Magick" or Nine Inch Nails' "Pretty Hate Machine", it is one of those albums you simply MUST own. When ultimately I die, it will be one of the CD's(?) that play in perpetuity in my mausoleum; I could never find peace without this music.

Thanks for reading - Love to All.

K

Geez, how do i begin to express how much i LOVE this CD...10 years later it is still one of my VERY favorite CD's. EACH and EVERY track on this CD is pure gold.

Matt Johnson has one of the sexiest voices around. The music is soooo perfect. The lyrics are so literate.

Kingdom of Rain is a duet with Sinead O'Connor....fab. I just love the way they juxtapose the biting lyrics of "Armaggedon Days are Here Again" with this lite, upbeat music. Geez, if the Ayatollah Khomeni were alive he would issue a fatwah on each of their heads.

I tell you this CD gets me turned on faster than any other music.

Who else could combine soooo ELOQUENTLY a muzzin's call for prayer and rock...with bitting, witty, sexy, irreverent lyrics.

I have heard a lot of music but never one so well put together as the CD. If I were on a deserted island I would have to have this CD and a player with me...to preserve what is left of my feeble sanity.

YOU MUST OWN THIS CD IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A SERIOUS MUSICPHILE.

On Mind Bomb, Matt Johnson achieves a sort-of Bob Dylan meets Atilla the Hun level of songwriting. Perfectly dark lyrics complimented with perfectly upbeat music. Take for instance, the song Armageddon Days Are Here Again, where Johnson proclaims that "If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today, he'd be gunned down by the CIA..." Pure genius. Or the song The Beat(en) Generation, where Johnson says that we're "reared on a diet of prejudice and misinformation". My favorite song on this disc has to be The Beat(en) Generation. I also really liked the Matt Johnson / Sinead O'Connor duet Kingdom of Rain. She's got such an amazing voice, I might add. In my review of Nakedself, I compared The The to NIN. Now, after hearing Mind Bomb, I think that Matt Johnson and Trent Reznor are in completely different leagues. After one listen to Mind Bomb, you will begin to question Johnson's lyrics, but I think he meant it to be that way. This album does go back a bit - to 1989, but it's still better than about 90% of the garbage that frequents our radios and MTV. If you need proof that there was good music that came out of the 80's, look no further than The The.

When alternative was alternative, I heard Gravitate To Me and was mesmerized. After I bought the album I was in awe of the range, emotion, and complexity of Matt Johnson's voice and brilliant writing. It is in my favorite CD of all time and will enjoy it for years to come. August & September is my favorite because it just gives you goosebumps when you listen to how beautiful and romantic the lyrics evoke out of you. A definite must-have for any music aficionado!

this is possibly one of the most amazing pieces of art i have ever been exposed to. . .and i was a fan of the the before this hit the market. soul mining and infected are classics <say vinyl>. this recording is more revelant today than it was in 1989. in light of 9.11 this shows that matt johnson thinks, pays attention to what is happening in the world, understands feelings and KNOWS how to translate the aforementioned to music.
just get it. this is a conceptual piece, as are all of the the's work, think pink floyd in twilo. it's that good. i don't think that it has ever left my play list. i've owned the cd longer than i've owned the equipment to play it. . .fall in love with the the. you won't be sorry.

This is a great little album. Songwriter Matt Johnson has always been considered 'prophetic'. When he penned the words to "Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)" in 1989, Matt commented that "The time is not quite here, but in 12 years or thereabouts, this will be reality." (NME, August 1989)

Look at the lyrics to Armageddon Days Are Here (Again):
"... Islam is rising
The Christians mobilising
The world is on its elbows and knees
It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds...
It's war, she cried, It's war, she cried, This is war...
If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today
He'd be gunned down cold by the CIA..."

Not only a great songwriter, but a true modern-day prophet. Good beats and a groovy voice, too.

I second what the other reviewers have said, but wanted to add an additional observation. The lyrics for this song Armageddon Days Are Here "Islam is rising, the Christians mobilising..." came to mind: the theme of religious conflict, and in particular of the rise of Islam and of resulting wars...While listening to the news about al Qaeda wanting to spread sharia across the world, Israel vs Hezbollah, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the US war in Iraq...and the lyrics to "ships sail out the harbors, and the bodies come floating back"

Matt Johnson is just PERFECT, his music/lyrics are bi-polar, yin -yang, war - peace, love -hate, male-female, earthly - ethereal, imperfect - perfect. He always comes through for me, every album is where I am spiritually, personally, emotionally, he is my expression, my soul...

That liner note suggests just about all you need to know about this offering from Matt Johnson et al. This is the release that turned me on to The The. 1989 was the perfect time. So many things in the world were really on edge that year, some sad, but so many hopeful and euphoric (in retrospect naively so). Mind Bomb's a good kick in the gut.

The music is fantastic, but not in the way that anyone would expect. I would classify it as a musical journey from beginning to end (from hard to soft). But with truth embedded in every word that will "blow your mind".

I was asked if I worshiped Satan while describing this album to a friend. I replied, "If you consider anti-religion, anti-government and anti-society as Satan....then yes. However, I prefer to think of it as a musical path to the truth."

Define yourself and you are free, otherwise...freedom lies in the barrel of warm gun.