Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
TSOOL in top form , March 16, 2005
Gathering their influences from various branches of rock'n'roll, TSOOL creates an original album full of melodic riffs, captivating melodies and killer playing that easily matches their stateside debut from four years ago. Yes, you can hear echoes of the Beatles, the Who, Pink Floyd, Love, the Stooges, the Stones, the Buffalo Springfield and the Kinks but they're just that--echoes of past sounds. Shorter, sharper and easily as big as their last album, "Origin 1" doesn't plough any new ground per se but continues to hone their distinctive sound.
"Transcendental Suicide" literally jumps out of the speakers with the manic energy of Keith Moon like drumming and crunching guitars. Hooks abound on the marvelous opening track midtempo rocker "Believe I've Found". In case you're concerned that they've forgotten their past (lead singer/songwriter Ebbot Lundberg was in the Stooges inspired band Union Carbide Productions), "Mother One Track Mind" recalls the fury of UCP, the Stooges but still manages to incorporate the tricky, slippery melodies that have become a trademark of the band. "Lone Summer Dream" dominated by the sound of an organ and with its Beach Boys/Beatles layer of backing vocals instantly sucks you into its bright fun vibe. "Headed for a Breakdown" borrows the riff from Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and pounds it into submission with a solid rocking beat.
There's a couple of flawed tracks such as the Lou Reed inspired "Midnight Children" which sounds like a parody of Reed and The Velvet Underground. "World Bank" takes us into territory previously occupied by The Move with its neopsychedelic touches including what sounds like a mellotron in the background. Although it isn't my favorite track (it lacks some of the punch of the other material), it still has its moments. Still, two or three weak tracks out of 14 isn't bad.
A terrific and welcome return from one of the few bands able to recall the past without repeating it. Yes, there's tributes to other important 60's and 70's bands but it's filtered through TSOOL's unique sound. Like Tom Petty, TSOOL can acknowledge their heroes and still create something memorable all their own. Take a listen to the preview tracks here you might just like what you hear.
|
|
|
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, Some Great New Music, June 12, 2005
For those of you who don't live in California, should you ever decide to visit us, please make the effort to go to one of the Amoeba Music stores, two of which are in the Bay Area and one in Hollywood. These are huge warehouses filled with bizarre people and infinite stockpiles of incredible music. Well, the colorful employees of Amoeba are probably the foremost music experts in the world based in large part on their work environment and what they see coming and going all day long through their music bins. Amoeba decided to capitalize on this cultural resource and they now publish a cool little publication called "Music We Like." It's a free little booklet wherein the Bohemian employee-ranks of Amoeba tell us commoners what is the must-have stuff in today's music scene. Well, in their latest issue there were numerous mentions of this CD, and despite the lack of reviews here on Amazon I decided to give it a go.
Wow. I must first confess that I'm one of these people in my forties who is constantly claiming that there is no good new music anymore, or at least very little. Yes, there is Cake, Monster Magnet, the White Stripes, and Elliot Smith (another AMAZING artist I discovered via this little Amoeba booklet), and a smattering of others here and there, but most of the music I buy and listen to is twenty to forty years old. So, when I discover a new music group which hits me between the eyes, it is big news that I want to shout from the rooftop. Consider me now shouting, because this here CD is first-rate. I listened to it about ten times upon getting it, and it is almost like I didn't want to put it with my other CD's; it deserves some special place of ceremonious rest until I listen to it next time.
As I read the other Amazon reviews (which are largely favorable but not numerous) one concern I have is that you may fear that this music is overly derivative. Actually, the connections to earlier bands is apparent, but not overly conspicuous. (I didn't really make the connection until I read these reviews and thought further about it; to me, this music is more than sufficiently original and fresh in every respect. I don't think you'll feel as though you are merely rehashing the past when you listen to this.)
Indeed, I see this as awesome, progressive music. These guys are super talented and this music is delightful and inspired and inspiring. Yep, I've already one-clicked their other albums, I want everything they've done. What I can't fathom is why "Nine Inch Nails" has 615 reviews for an album which I consider to be pure junk, and this has only six reviews??? My Nanny was right, it ain't necessarily a just and fair world. Too bad, really. I know these guys will be rewarded in Heaven, however. Or at least I hope they will if they don't get the Earthly recognition they deserve.
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who Do These Guys Have To Blow To Get On The Radio?!!, July 11, 2005
Soundtrack are a great Swedish band who have been championed by Noel ( Oasis ) Gallagher, which is how I first came to hear about them and buy their last CD, "Behind The Music", which I enjoyed very much. Now, they have this great new album and it has already come and gone. The only place I heard it get any attention was Little Steven Van Zandt's Underground Garage radio show. It is full of great riffs( some borrowed of course) and great melodies and should have fit right in on American radio along with The White Stripes, The Ceasars,(fellow Swedes), The Hives (ditto) and Oasis themselves. But for some reason the garage rock retro revival seems to be passing them by. It's a shame too, because they are armed with some great rock songs like "Transcendental Suicide", "Mother One Track Mind", "Heading For A Breakdown" and moody, slower jams like "Midnight Children", that sound better than half the crap on the radio these days. If you like classic rock and gagrage rock, do yourself a favor and check these cats out.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
~ Soundtrack of Our Lives
~ Soundtrack of Our Lives
~ Soundtrack Of Our Lives
~ Soundtrack of Our Lives
~ Doves
by The Soundtrack of Our Lives 
