Customer Reviews

Nude

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ever since my accidental purchase of Jon Crosby's phenomenal debut 'Visual Audio Sensory Theater' back in '98, mistakenly thinking it was a different group I'd heard on the radio, I've fallen head over heels in love with Vast - now one of my all-time favorite musicians (funny how things work like that, huh?). At the time my ears had never indulged in anything, let alone rock music, quite as profound or as beautiful before and I was absolutely stunned, to say the very least, at the intense emotions coming through in soundwaves. I'm always seeking artists that aren't afraid to push the boundaries by experimenting and Vast has done that time and time again. He continues to further impress me with each new release and I doubt he'll ever disappoint me with his awe-inspired, trademark fusion of Delerium meets...classic rock refurbished? (It's hard to describe his sound). I consider his albums to mostly be rock oriented but his songs never cease to innovate with unique sensibility. He was dropped from Elektra because his last piece of work didn't sell enough by mainstream standards, but did he change his sound to fulfill the requirements needed to possibly become a commercial success? Heck no! He found another, less recognized label and stayed true to himself and to his fans who already appreciate the wonderful music he composes. Vast is definitely rock n' roll but he infuses a lush orchestra with the occasional world influence. The melodies are harmonious yet rough around the edges with many different guitar layers, and Jon Crosby's singing can be describes in much the same way. He's got a gorgeous voice but the man can also write! The lyrics are extremely thought-provoking, adding to the well execution of his third release, 'Nude'. But, just to warn you, if you want the words than go to his official website to buy a slightly more expensive version because you won't find them in the flimsy booklet provided here.

I have been a large fan of VAST since I heard 'Free' back in 2000. I bought VAST's (Jon Crosby) first album 'Visual Audio Sensory Theatre', and the second 'Music for People', and I love them both.

Back in August VAST decided to release there new tracks to download for a very, very reasonable $3 an album. They were called Crimson and Turquoise. The 20 tracks were split between the 2 downloadable albums. I liked and loved every track.

The best songs from these 2 albums make up the New Studio Released Album - Nude. (Although it is a shame that `I woke up LA' wasn't included, because that is a good song!!)

I got the album through the VAST website in mid January (by the time it arrived in England), and I haven't stopped listening to it (ok I've also listened to Razorlight, The Delays, and Franz Ferdinand a little)!!

The songs have been modified from the downloads, and are generally an improvement, `Lost' in particular. I loved Candle from the download but it has been changed and is missing the last verse which was quite a shock when I first heard it!! The song is still great though!

VAST fuse guitars and drums, with electronic and orchestral arrangements. This for me makes great music!

With a great voice and some really beautiful songs (Check out Candle, Lost and Desert Garden in particular). This is an album I believe that anyone who is into music should listen to. I don't think for one second that they would regret it.

Rejoice, fans of gothic electro-rock band VAST: Jon Crosby is back. After the epic "Visual Audio Sensory Theater" and the somewhat disappointing "Music For People," Crosby returns with third album "Nude." It's a slew of polished symphonic rock, ranging from ethereal laments to gloomy power rock.

Roiling chords open the album in the thunderstorm rocker "Turquoise" and gritty, soaring "Thrown Away." VAST then dips into richer turf with ballads like the gentle string-led "Lost," the Middle-Eastern-influenced "Be With Me," the chilly "Winter In My Heart," the surreal "Japanese Fantasy," and the percussive "Ecstacy." Crosby closes on a quiet note with the stripped-down acoustic -- and very off-key -- "Desert Garden."

VAST's angst-rock isn't quite at its peak here; "Nude" doesn't have quite the raw quality of the debut. And it's not nearly as epic, with a distinct lack of choirs and chants. But he's definitely in good form as Crosby sings heartfelt songs about love, loneliness, disillusionment, burning forests, sex, and being far from home.

Crosby's songwriting isn't at its best here, but has dropped some of the angry-young-man edge. But he sounds more mature and poised in "Nude," as if he's pondering his life. And the instrumentation is outstandingly good -- shattering percussion and roaring bass, all backed up by Crosby's dark electronics. It's hard not to get swept away by this stuff.

Crosby's voice uses emotion to make up for lack of quality. It's not a bad voice, but the more unpolished songs like "Desert Garden" have him wobbling all over the place. But he sounds in top form as he wails, "Thrown away, have I been thrown away?" or says wistfully "Saw you lying on the soft bed I had made for you/Words unspoken are the only words I know are true."

While these songs lack the scope of VAST's early work, this is still a powerful and vibrant album. After three long years and a label shift, VAST is still going strong in "Nude."

I was looking at VAST's new CD "Turquoise & Crimson" which is a 2 CD set... I've heard some of "Nude" before and i like it, but i noticed w/ their new 2 CD one out right now... every single song that is on "Nude" is on their cd "Turquoise & Crimson" EXCEPT for the song "Japanese Fantasy"... so you could save yourself the money and just buy "Turquoise & Crimson" which has alot more other songs on it as well the ones on "Nude" and just by that one instead of buying "Nude"..

Also their other cd called "A Complete Demonstration" is up for sale as well.

Here is their website.... amazon doesn't sell these 2 new ones yet...

VAST --> http://2blossoms.com/acd.html

the release of NUDE i have been awaiting patiently; the wait-well worth it. Jon Crosby has created a beautiful piece of work-an excursion for those open and willing into the vast spectrum of human emotions. NUDE is theatrical in its structure-its ups and downs woven together seamlessly, creating a glowing resonance to be felt.

i purchased the first set of NUDE demos entitled "Crimson" a few months back from realvast.com. the mixes on the actual album NUDE are mixed and mastered nicely... the industrial-standard quality you would expect from a talented musician, such as Crosby.

on a personal note and also something i find worthy of mentioning... with the first listen to this cd created intense emotions between myself and a close friend listening... maybe it was the ups and downs... maybe it was the synth pads in the background luring the music along in its state of passionate exchange. i am extremely pleased that the demo mixes that i previously heard on "Crimson" are now available in a quality and setting that allow the music to really shine... and to play in my home cd player as is the case now.

'Nude' is probably one of the most refreshing albums that has been released in a long time. Vast ,also known as Jon Crosby, just seems to impress the listener with every song one after another. While he is not an exceptional vocalist, his raw and gritty style seems to blend perfectly with the music. On Certain tracks he makes use of orchestral arrangements in a way that has been heard before; but he seems to have perfected the art and has found a way to make it seem brilliantly beautiful in every track. These Tracks include 'Don't Take Your Love Away' & 'Winter In My Heart'.

Not all his songs have orchestras though, so all who were afraid that this was a male Vanessa Carlton who frankly just abused orchestral arrangements to the point where you sat in a corner banging your head against the wall hoping that it would stop...don't be afraid. His music can be generally classified as alternative rock...most of the songs here are of that sound. However he seems to add more depth to his songs making them more than just whimsical rock songs. He makes good use of his keyboards to add some synthesised sounds and he also adds in chanting as ways of innovating his music.

While his lyrics aren't too bad either, the main attractions of all the songs on this album is not his singing ability or the meaningfulness of his lyrics but rather the beautiful music made that he had a great part in. His true talent really shines on his musical abilities like the producing (some by himself and others with Josh Turner), the mixing, the scores and the instruments played (some or all in certain tracks) on the songs presented on this album. He has made his music more atmospheric and more interesting to listen to. This is truly a musical experience that one needs to encounter...it is worth it! Believe me!...this album is extrememly phenominal and everyone should hear it!

There's a lot of good music on this cd, it just sometimes seems devoid of life, as finding a progressive tempo in any song can be rather difficult. "Music For People" was definitely a better album. Still, if you really enjoyed the slower and quieter songs on that album, there's a lot of good music to be found here... the low rating really just reflects my expectations for more energy... I wanted more of a rock record than this is.

This album perfectly captures the feelings of desire, hope, and loss, it brought back a flood of memories, it stirred my heart, something I desperately needed. Not many bands have the ability to do that any more, even if they have catchy riffs and decent coordination between members of the band, so much creativity is being thrown down the drain by so-called Pop Culture. Jon Crosby has the creativity and more, the heart to make music that has real feeling. Maybe its the fact that his work is a little rough around the edges (I am not talking about production, which is very smooth). His lyrics are poetic but almost unfinished, as if he is trying to communicate something beyond words. It is a very human quality that is lacking in most other bands. He begs for second chances in "Dont throw your love away" and confides secrets in "extacy". I can feel the anger and confusion in "I need to say goodbye". It takes a true musician to take emotion and turn it into music. It takes a genius to write music that creates emotion.

my favorite thing about vast: you never know what to expect.

none of vast's albums sound alike. Visual Audio Sensory Theatre was a heavy industrial like album. Music for People was pretty much a standard alt-rock album. this one...takes the electronic from the first album, but leaves the heavyness behind. it's very bass-y. his vocals sound awesome. the musicianship is very good.

if i had to have one complaint, it would be the lyrical content. really, i've heard enough bands tell me what they "feel inside". it's time for a new phrase. almost all of the lryics are just reworded versions of his old songs.

but it's easy to overlook that. not even significant enough to take it down to 4 stars.

probably not the easiest vast album to start with. if you're a new fan, you MIGHT want to start with either of their first 2 albums. long time fans will love this.

Yes, you read right. Jon Crosby is an artist who does what he likes the way he likes it. Instead of simply going by what bored fans want him to do, he doesn't mind making a record that has songs that didn't use recording proficiencies. That's what makes Nude so great. But that's only the beginning, seeing as this is an artist who's not yet approached 30 and still has some room for growth. Every single time it makes you wonder what's coming along the way. You get something electronic, acoustic, heavy, chilling, and otherwordly at the same time. This type of music is an acquired taste, but once you get into it you start to be hooked. Just give a listen to the songs and that's reason enough.

It took about a month but it's my favorite album now from any artist. I mean, I liked The Fragile by NIN this much, but I think I like Nude *even* more. This album is twelve basically flawless songs. It doesn't follow the same pattern that the previous two albums did and most complainers spent way too much time listening to 'Turquoise' and 'Crimson' which weren't even supposed to be official. Nude is many things: Calm, heavy, coy, conceptual, etc. You can find something to like on this album no matter what you listen to.

If you like it heavy and electronic simultaneously, which I do, "Turquoise" is the perfect way to start things off. It's got Jon's most confident and powerful vocals on any VAST album, with one of the greatest choruses. His spiritual imagery is brilliant. There is nothing else like out there. By contrast there's the piano pop of "Don't Take Your Love Away", which also has nice strings that go along with it. It shows that Jon is great when writing music as well as the lyrics. Sometimes it's simple but at least it makes sense and he doesn't try to make it something that it's not.

New VAST territory is broken with "Lost" which has a nice choral sample and electronics. In addition there is an alto sax which gives a nice, soothing feeling to the song. It's really pretty and is one of Crosby's really good tenor tracks vocally. "Japanese Fantasy", while short and repetitive is really good and he does good things with his influences. There is a clever double-chorus and cool keyboards. "Candle" is a good guitar track and has a nice vocal melody. There is a lot to like here, and the stuff just never wears off. Then there's also the bass-heavy "Ecstacy" and the nice downtempo electronic track "I Can't Say No (To You)" which you can hear Jon's emotion in and it's an easy song to relate to. It's songs like this that ask for the "repeat" button on CD players, because they exist and good albums like this are invented for it.

Songs like "Be With Me" and "Thrown Away" are standard VAST affairs but do not fail to impress like everything else done. The former has this cool Eastern feel to it and the latter is catchy both lyrically and structurally, which is also why "I Need to Say Goodbye" is so good. Lyrics such as "You took me for all the other fools in your life/now I don't care about your pain anymore" sound really good, showing that this isn't the emo type thing where he'd cry about loss. Instead it's kind of a "f--k you" type song and is done really well.

I'm not an emo fan, but I even thoroughly enjoyed "Winter in My Heart" and "Desert Garden" which weren't too far off from that sub-genre. The former is more orchestrated, yet in a good successful way. It's also got some of Jon's more memorable vocals. The other is simple, just Jon and the acoustic guitar. It sounds really good and shows that he can make a stripped down song sound just as great as a multi-layered one. Once again the imagery of the lyrics is brilliant, search the lyrics on Google and you'll see what I mean.

Some people just need to get used to what this is. It's not dark like its predecessors but not every great album is dark. I feel like I've been around those people ever since I became a NIN fan, and some VAST fans aren't too different. I mean, if you want it to be the first record, listen to the first record and don't waste your time and money. This music is done for Jon's good and I can't wait to hear what the future of VAST is. Every record is basically flawless, 5-star good. I'm sure some critical people gnash their teeth when they think of the rating for VAST records. Note that one thing about being a VAST fan to begin with is a thing called having an open mind. If you give this the time it needs, you will realize that even having to read reviews like mine is unnecessary when you can get such wonderful albums like this.