Customer Reviews

Movement in Still Life

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This US edition hardly measures up to BT's ORIGINAL UK RELEASE of this album, last November. Tracks are cut short to please American tastes, tracks are dropped, order is changed...what is truly a great album is reduced to cut and paste. Beginning with the great track (but bland opener) "Mad Skillz/Mic Chekka," the order is insecure at the least. "Mercury & Solace" is reduced from around 7.42 to almost 5.00! Every other track follows suit.

The import edition is a mixed disc (done through Pro Tools much in the same vein as PVD's latest "Out There And Back"), representing a very musically mature BT. Breakbeats, hip-hop, trance all carry his mark of smoothness (yes, even the breakbeats!)...Transeau is one of the few electronic artists whose style is instantly recognisable (DJ John Kelley is another).

In summary, "Movement in Still Life" is a truly wonderful album, but this watered down edition is not. Sorry.

For those looking for a disc like that of BT's past, i.e. "Ima" and "ESCM.", be careful...not only does BT stray from the formula he is so known for, but he even ventures into areas such as (GASP!) pop and rock. Tracks such as 'Satellite' and 'Never Gonna Come Back Down', which features vocals from Soul Coughing frontman M. Doughty, show that BT is a tremendous musician capable of much more than terrific melodic trance tracks. Following the commercial success of Moby's "Play," it seems as though Americans are starting to take notice of the electronica scene with great interest for a change. Enter BT, with perfect timing and a near perfect compilation of tracks that have something for everyone. Not only does he cover his usual trance anthems in this release, 'Godspeed' and 'Mercury and Solace', but he continues his venture into breakbeat, 'Madskillz' and the title track, and completes his journey ending with a very hip-hop song entitled 'Love on Haight Street'. I believe that this album will have a larger impact much like that of "Play" and introduce electronica to new and more diverse groups of people. BT's producing abilities are flawless in taking songs that were much longer such as 'Dreaming' and preparing them for the short attention span of the states. I applaud BT, because along with Moby, and Fatboy Slim, he has been a pioneer of electronica...taking it to new levels, and new masses. This album is a must have for any music lover.

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a rock fan, more inclined to buy an album from the Smashing Pumpkins or Radiohead than anything from the various techno genres. In fact, the only other "techno" album I own is Moby's "Play," and that was a gift from a friend! That is precisely why I was so shocked that I absolutely loved BT's "Movement in Still Life," which crosses over nearly every musical border out there. Tracks like "Never Gonna Come Back Down" (the reason I first bought the cd, because I saw the video on MTV2and was swept away by it), featuring M. Doughty, formerly the lead singer of Soul Coughing, are silly, breakbeat oriented, while others, like "Dreaming" and "Mercury and Solace" make me feel as if I was floating away on a cloud. BT also tosses in some hip-hop influence with songs like "Madskillz" and "Love on Haight Street." Bottom line: buy this cd, either the import, the domestic, or both. You will not be disappointed unless you are so rigid in your musical tastes that you refuse to accept anything new and different.

I don't see how these people here have rated this cd so highly! We had this stinking thing back-ordered for weeks and rejoiced when it arrived. But we were misled. Frankly, I'm very disappointed in BT. Ima and ESCM were very, very good, but the only redeeming quality of this work is the Mercury and Solace track (a track we already owned on another compilation). I usually love BT. This is different; like a poor attempt to break into mainstream trip-hop or something. Oakenfold, Van Dyk, and BT: all very talented artists. I have to wonder if the record contract is responsible for this nonsense. Sorry, BT; this is just the way we're feeling out here.

Mostly the reviews of this cd is from the UK release of "Movement in still life'(which I own,both)The US version is too 'edited' I want the music to last, I'm used to Bt's song's that start to build up and connecting flawless to each song. this album sounds straight to the point, last minute deal. it has 4 new songs, comparing to the UK release, one sounds like 'satelite', 'Come back down' is great, the other two is mish-mash. If you want the never ending BT sound buy "movement in still life" the UK version, the US release, is for people who dont like long repetive trippy songs.

Get the import (the yellow-covered one with the fetus) because this US release is a HUGE disappointment. I bought it because of the 4 new songs (tracks 2,4, 10 and 11) and figured that I'd be happy if only one or two of these new tracks were good. NONE OF THEM ARE GREAT TRACKS AND I WILL SAY WHY IN A SECOND...This album fails where the import shines.

The import is sequenced so that everyting flows together - it begins with a hilarious answering machine message left by a BT wannabe and dives into some killer new skool breaks. You'll find more breaky stuff on the American release, but the additional songs are not quality - these new harder tracks have too many lyrics, and really foolish ones at that (example: "Smartbomb and "never gonna come back down").

Songs on the import melt together as BT slows the breaks down with "Dreaming" and sequences that into "Mercury and Solace" using a ticking sample that stradles the tracks. No such luck with the US release as songs stop abruptly and there is no overall arc.

On the import, BT hits the throttle after the trancy female vocal section with songs like Godspeed and then downshifts into Satellite to help complete a journey. But dammit, the US release takes lame swipes at hip-hop and jumbles that up with hits from the import for a jagged, clumbsy overall composition that insults me as a listener.

Trust me, BT fans, the new songs are NOT worth buying - I would pay $12 for even 1 new BT hit, but these songs are real filler crap. Stick with the import and you'll love the tracks that the US version left out - "Ride," "Hip-Hop Phenomenon," "Giving up Ghost" and "Namistai" - It all flows and it's gorgeous - it doesn't have the re-occuring themes that the epic ESCM has (BT is a classically trained musician and seemed to incorperate the operatic-like signiture of re-occuring themes in that work), but it has an arc, it has a journey, and all tracks are good enough to play on shuffle mode if your're feeling sacreligious. The US release would be forgiveable if BT had sacrificed flow in the name of great tracks - but he didn't - the tracks are worse AND there's no journey! buy the import! it's supurb!

I agree with other reviewers of this CD. I happen to have bought this US re-release prior to getting the Import version (it's only the 1 CD German Import, not the 2 CD UK version which I'm sure is even better!). The US version has 3 weaknesses compared to the Import version: 1. The exclusion of excellent tracks like Namistai, Giving Up The Ghost, and Ride, to be replaced by weaker tracks like Smartbomb. 2. This album's track order is anything but smooth. BT's albums are normally a journey in itself from start to end, he blends tracks so seamlessly it's scary. But this version mish-mashed the tracks such that listening it from start to finish is not as enjoyable. 3. The Import version has longer, better mixes of the best tracks on the CD (Mercury and Solace, and especially Godspeed).

Bottomline is, get this if you must have every BT release, or don't mind having an 'unmixed' collection of his singles. Otherwise, I strongly suggest you get the Import version, the higher price is more than justified by the overall quality of the CD. Heck, even the Import cover and sleeve notes are better!

Movement In Still Life (MISL) is, arguably, BT's best work, but the US release on Nettwerk Records is simply an inferior version of the original UK release.

There are 4 completely different tracks ("Never Gonna Come Back Down", "Smartbomb", "Shame" and "Love On Haight Street"), but none of them are as good as any of the 4 tracks from the UK version that they replaced ("Ride", a collaboration with Sasha, "The Hip-Hop Phenomenon" with Adam Freeland & Keven Beber, "Giving Up The Ghost" with DJ Rap, and "Namaste" with Paul van Dyk). The rest of the songs are HORRIBLY edited down, some by as much as 3 or 4 minutes including club favorites like "Godspeed", and the breakbeat masterpiece "Madskillz-Mic Chekka". The US version also breaks the songs up from their sequenced form, removing any sense of cohesion.

The UK version is a must-have album (especially the 2 CD version that contains extended versions of many of the album's tracks, plus a few extras like the brilliant "Fibonacci Sequence"), but this US version is only truly likeable by someone who has never heard the original UK version. Trust me, seek out the 2 CD import version instead - it's well worth the extra money.

Let me put it this way: If I were to be stranded on an island, with a CD player, and batteries grew on the trees there, and was only allowed to bring five CDs with me, two of them would be "Movement In Still Life".
Yep, I said two.
Some goof decided to release this album twice with slightly different versions of the same songs, and put a couple of SLAMMING tracks exclusively on each one. "Namistai" and "Giving Up The Ghost", 2 of my favorite tracks on the yellow cover version, have been conveniently left off the BT cover version. Vice versa with the best track out of both versions in my opinion, the almighty "Smartbomb". Not to mention the yellow cover version is a continuous mix of tracks, while the other version has each track separated by a couple of seconds of agonizing silence. When I love every single track(and I mean that) on an album, I want the experience to be a never-ending trip. What good is getting laid if you're stopping every 5 minutes?
I didn't care much for Ima, ESCM was fantastic, and Emotional Technology, his next full album after MISL, was nice, but none of them compares to MISL. EITHER version. So I say, if you have the dough and can find both versions, get them. It's worth it.
BT is a classically trained musician, and it shows most of all on this album. This is far from the "bum-sss-bum-sss-bum-sss-bum-sss" drivel. This is driving, soothing, peaceful and violent all at the same time, with beats that will nod your head straight off your shoulders, and melodies that twist, turn, and groove. Songs you can cruise to ("Love on Haight Street"), pop-lock to (title track - watch for that funky-ass break!), or put the moves on that first date to ("Satellite") - and while that may sound like your average pop album (keep in mind BT DID do a track for N'Sync's "Celebrity" album, called "Pop"), once you listen, you realize - BT cannot come wack with his music. It's damn near impossible. Vocals - meh, those could use some work, but the music is that good, I don't care about the vocals. Most of these songs could work on a movie soundtrack or commercial, as well.
To put it quite simply BT/Dance=Dr. Dre/Rap. Both know their craft, and can crank out a hit on a whim. It's a shame this album wasn't promoted more, but that makes it all the more a gem. If you like dance music that's not just for dancing, don't sleep. If you want an introduction to BT, don't sleep. And if you like this album, and want to hear more, try "Emotional Technology", an album that's not quite as good, but is closer in style than say, ESCM, an album from which BT seemed to begin his evolution from Enigma to who he is today.
An amazing album.

I bought the european version of this album about six months before it came out in the U.S. I liked it so well that I bought BT's other two albums. When this album finally came out in the U.S. I noticed that it had several different songs than the european version. At first I was excited that there might be some new songs that I would like. However, I found that, basically, all the "european" trance songs had been replaced with rock/hip-hop crossover songs. I guess the producers or BT were trying to make the CD more appealing to the U.S. market, which is probably less trance-savvy than Europe. But, I liked the european version much better. If you like Sasha or Paul Van Dyk, you'd probably be surprised that two of the songs cut on the american version were collaborations with these two artists. Overall, the european version has a many more trance tracks. Though it may cost more, I think getting the european CD is the better deal. I would give that CD five stars.