Customer Reviews

Music for People

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Due to poor marketing, VAST (Visual Audio Sensory Theater) does not receive the recognition it truly deserves. Music for people is a monumental original piece that takes styles from many areas of music. The album opens with "The Last One Alive", a song that starts with a simple guitar rhythm, but then the piece explodes into a song that holds many harmonic sounds on top of the main melody. It's wonderful.

The album progresses from that song into other variations of styles and rhythms. The second song, "Free," retains the original sound from VAST's wonderfully moody first album, while the song "A Better Place" seems to hold strong alternative roots embedded into the guitar melodies and string harmonies. Once the album is complete, it is easy to see that it holds musical tastes for anyone that loves any type of rock. The key to what makes the entire album so good though is that VAST keeps their signature moodiness in their lyrics and overall tone. I highly recommend it for everyone (along with their self titled first album- "VAST").

I can understand how some people can be disappointed with this album but it certainly doesn't deserve any bad reviews. I myself wasn't thrilled with the utter change in Music For People but I also wasn't pulling my hair out in tears. To be terribly disgruntled would be an exaggeration but when I first heard Music For People I remember detesting it almost as much as I had their first release, just because it was so completely different. Orchestration was present on Visual Audio Sensory Theater but it was never in the forefront like it is here. The first album consisted mostly of sinister goth rock with deep profound lyrics (most of which were questioning Gods existance) with gregorian monk singing to give a slight Enigma feel. My views on their first album, however, have desperately altered since I first bought it back in 98, ranking up there now with my ten favorite albums. The whole gregorian influence is still present in songs such as "What Else Do I Do" and "Song Without A Name" but they are less apparent as they bleed into the background to the point of nonexistence. In many aspects this album is more rock oriented with tunes that could have easily been sung by artists such as Queen and Pink Floyde (namely on "Land Of Shame" and "The Gates Of Rock 'N' Roll"). Jon Crosby's gorgeous male vocals (which sometimes remind me of frontman David Gahan of Depeche Mode) really shine on slower ballads "I Don't Have Anything", "We Will Meet Again" and "Blue" which swims with flowing strings. The darkly lavished "Lady Of Dreams", however, closes this album with the same atmosphere that his first album carried, only with a purer more instrumental awakening.

First, I must say that Jon Crosby has an artistic mind that is unsurpassed in popular music in the last 20 years. How rare a find is a CD that you can listen regardless of your mood? That is what Vast's first self-titled release was, absolutely brilliant. Edgy thoughtful and prescient... if you don't have their first CD go buy it and savor every minute. If you are listening to it for the first time I envy you because this second release is nothing of the sublime epiphany that VAST was.

With this latest release I believe the hardest thing to swallow is watching an ingenious artist slice and dice his music into perfectly square 3-minute chunks. I am sure this will assist in getting the band's name out across a myriad of radio stations but at what artistic price? And where has all the sampling gone? Could it be that a project created in a year will never be as good as a well simmered 4 or 5 year cogitation?

So why do I still recommend this CD? If your tastes run towards more introspective acoustic guitar and a mostly natural created sound then you will find this a good release. There are several cuts that really do stand out but over all it has a much slower gate than the previous release. If you are expecting to add another mellow mood music CD to your collection of; Morrisey, Tori Amos, Siouxsie Sioux, The Cure or others of this genre buy it now. But if you were expecting a repeat you will be disappointed. Don't get me wrong I still recommend it. But you will not listen to it for months straight without taking it out of your CD player like you did with the first one.

I think we are in agreement on a few things: 1. The songs are not lengthy. Almost everyone would like songs to be longer, aside from Blur's "Song 2" which was appropriately short. 2. The CD is not as brash or hard as the 1st.

However,look at it this way: 1. Don't take each song as an individual. They seem to work together, almost telling a mood changing story, from the highs of "Free", which rocks, and the lows of "Blue", which is the most BEAUTIFUL song I have heard. 2. If you wanted "Music for the People" to sound exactly like the first CD, then why buy this one? You should have bought "Visual Audio Sensory Theater" again. This CD should stand on it's own.

And to anyone saying VAST is trying to go mainstream with this release and are trying to be "radio friendly", COME ON! On the first release there were 3 or 4 songs that were "radio friendly", except the morons that listen to the radio for music, wouldn't get it.

In conclusion, this CD stands alone as a wonderful and beautiful piece of work!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks guys for giving me hope that there are groups out there that actually care about music.

I find it incredible a man so young as Mr. Crosby could have both the pain and the talent to create this masterpiece. My 14-year-old nephew turned me on to this work, and I must say, I'm much the better for the exposure.

I'm amused at the reviewer who didn't hear U2 influence: my first listen had me thinking U2 sings Pink Floyd. Subsequent playings triggered thoughts of Revolver-era Beatles, REM and Collective Soul. The need for comparatives may be a failing of mine, but it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of Mr. Crosby's work. If Classical music got him to this point, I say "study more!" I await his new work with much anticipation.

I fell in love with Vast the moment I first heard the song, "Free." Its heavy guitars give it a fabulous mosh-worthy quality. It's strong and straightforward. It's angry and triumphant.

I soon discovered that there's more of Vast's music to love than just "Free." Music for People is a musical masterpiece - the perfect album for those days when you just feel like you need to scream (and that's pretty much every day, isn't it?). The album is full of emotion and energy - full of the questions that everyone asks at some point. The songs deal with doubt and despair, hopelessness and anger, and - through it all - victory.

Vast's music is entrancing and creative. You'll be captivated by the slow, haunting, "I Don't Have Anything," the poppier "Land of Shame" (which sounds almost Beatles-like - only much darker), and the beautifully symphonic "A Better Place."

Music for People is one of the best albums I've tripped over in a long time. Once I put it in my CD player, it didn't leave for months - and it still makes frequent returns.

If you ever heard an album from VAST, you know exactally why they're/he's so great. It's like NIN, but then not at all. It's equally as beautiful as NIN's Fragile album, but less dark and more like chillout stuff. Monks are sampled much less here than on the debut, and the orchestra is more like what it was replaced for.

VAST's albums are so different, it's not even that easy to tell that both are the same. Either way, this one's pretty unique itself, as "Free" is the only thing that's any heavier than the debut, and "My TV and You" is the only real industrial song.

Chants appear everywhere on the debut, but this time, it's left to only two tracks: "What Else Do I Need?" and the excellent "A Song Without A Name". It isn't really gothic despite a high Cure influence and is more of a melodic album, doesn't sound so much like Sisters of Mercy.

However, I think that everyone should own it. This music deserves to be heading on the music charts, and I think that they rival Queens of the Stone Age at times, and that's saying something. Inspired stuff, I swear. I think that someday VAST's word-of-mouth name will get him high album sales, though it really hasn't mattered recently.

"Free" got me into this CD, as the album DID need a rocker. When I heard it on the radio, I loved the lyrics and I'd keep an interest with VAST.

Crosby is also very good on "The Gates of Rock 'N Roll", a song that has this interesting beat to it, and the bass lines sort of represent The The. The melody and guitars are what rock most.

Don't believe it's beautiful? Listen to "Lady of Dreams", the instrumental. I just love listening to that every day before I go to sleep. As well as the album, and I've just really been blown away by VAST... This is poetry, and music for people is an appropiate title if you've heard anyting by VAST before.

VAST, jon crosby could not have picked a better title for his music experience. Music For People is a truly refreashing album that picks you up and takes you to new found heights of awareness. Not many other artisits can combine so many music styles and sounds and produce genuinley amazing music. From hard rock(Free) to complete chill(Lady Of My Dreams) this album is worth a listen to as there is so much manufactured junk out there. Some may say the MFP is not as good as the first album(VAST), I disagree. It is different but it is still VAST and the lyrics, Johns voice and musical arrangement will make you want to wear this record out. ENJOY.

If you're into music in a big way, you'll love this album. I don't even want to give it a genre because it surpasses genres. I'll just go to say that it's not only good music, it's spectacular music! Well worth the investment, the songs are simple yet intricately arranged to perfection and they're all very introspective, and have room for individual interpretation. Jon is just an incredible musician, and the band as a whole creates the most magestic rock I've ever heard (oops, said 'rock' genre, oh well) you won't regret it, I promise. ~Lauren Ashleigh

His first album was one of the most increadible peices of work i have ever heard. It was intense, moving, driving. . . breaking ones heart everytime you listen to it. The vocals are beautiful and they music itself innovative and like nothing else.

This new album is a rock album, lacking the characteristic sound of the first. His voice is distorted, his lyrics less poignent. I was dissapointed. I guess the first one was for him and this one for us?

It's still a good album, if you can stand feeling cheated. That Jon could've given us so much more. I fear so much that he will fall into the trap of so many other artist and give us only one jewel when we hope for a necklace of wonders.

If you absolutely loved the first album, listen to this one before you buy it. You may not want to.