Customer Reviews

Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By: Instrumental Version

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Fans of the Automator's work shouldn't be surprised by the consistent greatness of this album. Dan Nakamura - under pseudonyms including Nathaniel Merriweather and the Cantankerous Captain Aptos in addition to The Automator - is pretty much far and away the best producer working today in hip-hop; he has a little more competition in the more rockish/alternative end of the musical spectrum, but his less rap-oriented projects almost never miss the mark, as evidenced by the massive success of last year's Gorillaz album and its ubiquitous summer single, "Clint Eastwood." "Lovage," in its original form, was one of those genre-hopping, border-crossing experiments that the Automator is so good at: featuring vocals from Elysian Fields' Jennifer Charles and Faith No More's Mike Patton, it was even better than the Gorillaz album, if more eccentric and vaguely lunatic. Often instrumental versions are merely completists' treasures, relatively worthless without the accompanying vocals, but the instrumental Lovage is well worth hearing. Patton and Charles' vocals, excellent though they are, can distract sometimes from the far-out soundscapes the Automator delights in crafting; on this instrumental album you get all the clever samples, all the subtle turntablism (courtesy of wax wizard Kid Koala), all the sharp humor and irony (who says the nineties are dead?), and, most importantly, all the eminent grooveability. The beats are incredible from start to finish, and listening to the instrumentals one picks up on all sorts of little quirks and craftings in the music that pass by the wayside when put under Patton and Charles' compelling voices. Listen to the original vocal Lovage, or any Automator-produced album, for some of the best and most solid music this century, with the wild collaborations that are his trademark; listen to his instrumental albums, especially this one, to realize what an undeniable genius he himself is, alone.

I've played this CD for literally thousands of Chicago area high school kids over the years. Of all the music I play in my classroom, this gets the best response. The first time a class hears it, inevitably the 2 or 3 most interesting kids in the room ask who it is. No matter whether they're going to Yale next year, or going to junior college, whether they grew up on hip-hop or metal, whether they're white, black, or latino -- IT DOESN'T MATTER. The music hounds are ALWAYS interested in this disc. The version with the guy on the cover (the one WITH vocals) isn't NEARLY as good. This is great music for when people are just showing up at your party, for studying, for reading the New York Times, or of course, for making love to your old lady. Buy it for yourself, or buy it for someone cooler than you who thinks you're a square. Abjure disappointment. Trust me.

buy this on sight.

nathaniel merriweather (dan the automator) sets the groove. mike patton (faith no more/mr. bungle/etc.) croons. jennifer charles (elysian fields) plays the sultry chanteuse. lovage could make barry white and the entire love unlimited orchestra rise to attention. it could make beth gibbons weak in the knees. it could remind r. kelly of his jeep.

a friend of mine dropped this album on the system at his work, a major corporate record store, and watched the customers transform from mindless drones to players and play-ettes -- numbers exchanged and stories of tawdry scenarios popping up left and right.

lovage has the power to stroke your soul. enjoy, baby.

I love trip-hop, and I love Mike Patton's work. Dan the Automator is also a guy who deserves respect. So, when I first read about Lovage, I was amazed with the possibilities.

The real thing, though, was not what I expected, but the sound is still good. You can find a good mix of humour with innovative beats, but there are 3 or 4 songs in the disc that you can name "excellent", so the general sentiment left when you finish hearing it is: "Man, this should've been better..."

The major problem is that Lovage had too much potential, and was unable to use it all. Songs like "Pit Stop" are nice, but just too average. I think that when you see a name like Mike Patton on the cover of a disc, you expect to hear something with the quality of Faith no More. And Lovage is not THAT good.

I recommend it, it's a nice sound -- it's worth it, I think. But lower your expectations, as there is much better stuff out there.
And I criticize based on comparison with the real excellent stuff.
If you are already familiar with bands like Portishead and Monk & Canatella, then I say you should buy this CD. It's good (not excellent or superb, though) stuff, and you won't regret it.

This album is one of the best instrumentals I've ever heard. Dan the Automator sold the beats off and the non-instrumental version is ok at best. This album flows together nicely and is timeless. It is one of those albums you can listen to often and not get sick of. It will impress your friends and improve your work day. The problem is it had limited printing and is hard to find, but well worth the purchase!

I like Dan the Automator as much as anybody, but this album doesn't get it for me. I love that he's one of the few artists who thinks his music is as important to his hop-hop-ish offerings as the lyricists that they warrant instrumental releases, but most of these beats and tones just don't sing on their own. Not anywhere near as solid an offering as his "Dr. Octagon: Instrumentalyst" record, or the stripped-down "Deltron" (which actually sounds better without the vocals). The music just isn't hitting.

Yo you're stupid if you don't get this Album. Automator, Kid Koala are the illest duo and you drop in an ill female, and a dude from Faith No More and you got eargasms for days.