Customer Reviews

Outrospective

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm new to Faithless, and Outrospective is my first album. After hearing it, I decided to go on and collect all the Faithless albums. Yes, Outrospective is that effective.

The album as a whole is flawless. It's a work of art. The album contains 12 rich, dreamy, and some trance tracks, and even my least favorite is very hearable, just not my taste.

The album starts with the track "Donny X". All kinda of things are going on the background, and very ambient. It's upbeat and a bit dark. The sound is almost 3-dimensional actually, which is very interesting and pleasing to the ears. Towards the end of the track, Maxi Jazz does his little rap. PLEASE - don't be shunned by the "rap", it's quite different than any other rap you have heard.

The second track is "Not Enuff Love", which is great for me. It's a good, sad song that may actually make you think a bit, sang by Dido's (which sings on a later track) brother, Rollo.

The third track is one of the hits, "We Come 1." It has the enigma, it has the instruments, and even the ambience. Trance and dance in one. Maxi Jazz does his rap (which is very cool), and the song actually has a deep, deep meaning(s). Try to figure it (or them) out. The song than takes momentum into a very danceable tune that will leave you tired; surely you'll starts busting a move to it. This track is 8: 14 minutes long - and every second is worth it! The track mixes into the next song...

..."Crazy English Summer", which is no more or less than beautiful. The song is actually sad, and it really touched me. A song most of us can relate to. Zoe, the vocalist, sounds like an angel in here. Her voice is deep and thick, yet retains a very attractive, sexy, and an angelic nature.

Track five is "Muhammad Ali." Just by the name, you might think it's not a very good song, but actually, it is. It sounds like a retro-70s/80s song. Unless you're an all around music lover, you might not like this song.

Track six, "Machines R Us", reminds me of Delerium's earlier, darker works. This track actually annoyed me a bit, with a bit of redundancy, but nothing that's too revolting. This track, luckily, mixes into the next wonder track...

..."One Step Too Far", which is sang by the angelic Dido, whom you might know from her song "Thank You" and her album "No Angel". The song is heavenly, and Dido sounds like an angel. Her voice is very romantic. The song, like all other songs, has a meaning and a common theme with all the other songs. All around good and rich, and it even mixes into the next energy-filled super move-buster...

..."Tarantula". Maxi does a his magic rap, which gives the song something to connect with, with the other songs and the album's main theme. The song than becomes one of the most energized songs I have ever heard in a long time. Close to perfection. This track is one of my favorites. The track even mixes into the next song...

..."Giving Myself Away", which isn't much for me. It's good, nonetheless. I haven't figured out how to connects to the theme of the album, but I will...meanwhile, the songs connects to the beginning of something that is amazing...

"Code" is the next track, which is nothing more than a cool, special opening for the next track...

..."Evergreen." Zoe sings once again, and her voice sounds haunting this time, yet retaining it's deep and angelic qualities. This song gives Enigma fans something to look for in Faithless, and although the whole album is amazingly satisfying, Evergreen hits just the exact buttons...so exact, that this song alone would inspire me to buy this album.

The final song is "Liontamer", which is not only very ambient and danceable - it's trance, haunting, dark, has a great message, and also will build up even more so in amazingness as you listen. Zoe and Maxi both sing in this amazing piece of artwork, and it's very impressive how rap and beauty both could entwine to create an atmosphere so rich, and so pleasing.

The album is great. It's like a book. There's a common theme that develops, and the songs will soon start making better sense. The more you hear, the more you find out, the more you think, and the better the songs will become.

Give out some of your faith to Faithless; to Outrospective. Regression is far away.

In my opinion, this is perhaps their best work to date. If you enjoyed their previous works, you'll really get a jolt out of this new offering. "Outrospective" combines Fatithless' eclectic and funk laced beats with Maxi Jazz's vocals and deep lyrics yet again. But this time, the band has a couple of twists thrown in to keep you hitting the repeat button (listen to the vocals, there's a theme.) This album will fit any mood you're in, because it serves whatever need you have, mood-wise. From high-energy dance to music to just chill by, Outrospective is it!

In addition to their Maxi Jazz's voice, this new album offers a new female voice to the Faithless faithful: Zoe Johnston (whose voice is gorgeous) is on tracks 4 "Crazy English Summer" and 10 "Evergreen". Of course, Rollo's sister Dido, appears on track 7 "One Step too Far" along with Maxi. Like Dido's other Faithless works this song is just phenomenal, (it's a nice treat to hear her voice in a new song!)

Despite all of my accolades, the album will of course draw some to say the band has changed, and perhaps not everyone will be attracted to every song. But, alas, these 12 tracks that will keep even the most ardent Faithless fans glued to the CD.

Bottom line, "Outrospective" is a must have for any Faithless fan. I haven't heard music that can morph so well in a long time.

I have been waiting for new Faithless music for the past year. Their contribution to the "Back to Mine" series was a mere tidbit for me. I was somewhat worried that the band could not outdo the masterpiece "Sunday 8pm". Thankfully my worries were put to rest. "Outrospective" is perhaps the band's finest album to date. The first single off this gorgeous album is "We Come 1", another dance classic to go along with "God is a Dj" and "Insomnia". New bandmate Zoe Johnston makes an excellent addition to the band especially on the songs "Crazy English Summer", "Liontamer", and "Evergreen". It is quite evident that on "Outrospective", Rollo chose his role to be in the background and give Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz bigger roles. Of course Dido makes a couple of appearances on this cd. I should note that Dido was never a full time member of Faithless as some people might think she is. She was more of a part-time member of the band. "Outrospective" is definitely one of the brightest highlights of this year and is most certainly one of the top 5 favorite cds of this year for me.

All I can do as I write this "review" is skip back over and over to track 4, "Crazy English Summer." The simplicity of the song lays bare the field for vocals so beautiful I can't think of an appropriate metaphor. And this is just one gem on an album full of them!

All the elements of previous Faithless CDs are here: the heartfelt coolness of Maxi Jazz, the keyboard prowess of Sister Bliss and Rollo's legendary programming skills. But "Outrospective" has a new element: Zoë Johnston. She has a voice so sweet and an obvious musical talent that she almost steels the CD. Her original voice, style and sound are so rare in today's music world.

"One step too far," a track which features Dido, is perhaps one of the best on the CD; only with Faithless does Dido have such amazing music to sing by! However, it is "Evergreen" and "Crazy English Summer" that impressed this humble fan most. "Muhammad Ali" is great as well. The dance tracks "We come 1" and "Giving myself away" are predictably great.

Just wish there'd been more of Zoë's stunning voice...

After two incredible albums (Sunday 8pm, in 1998; and Reverence, in 1997), and seeing his sister (Dido) succeed in the eyes of the world with the release of her solo album 'Thank You' in 99, Rollo comes back full force with a production by Faithless as exquisite as he has us used to. Outrospective continues to place the band in a unique site that stands somewhere between the crowd of dance and ambient artists of the world.

The album is a very successful lyrical combination of Maxi Jazz's rap vocals with the mellow voices of Zoe Johnston and the one and only Dido you've come to love. Musically it's filled with so many layers of sound, that it promises to keep the attentive listener busy for a good time discovering them.

My favorite tracks:
'We Come 1' has all the power that the super dance hit 'Imsomnia' exhibited back in 1997. A certain segment in it reminded me a lot of the 80s theme 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'.

'Evergreen' sung by Zoe Johnston. Simply one of those themes that leave you speechless, because of its beauty.

'Liontamer', the final track: up tempo, filled with overdubs, and an incredible atmosphere. Very Enigma-sounding (Zoe's beutiful voice does this job) at times, but with that rap touch that Maxi brings in. This song summarizes what the whole album is about.

Faithless has returned in top form with their third release, Outrospective. Fans will not be disappointed; the group sounds better than ever, though they remain true to their eclectic mix of intense techno, soulful vocals, lyrical rap and smooth production values.

The similarities don't stop there. As she did on Faithless debut, Reverence, Dido lends her distintinctive voice to a track on Outrospective: One Step Too Far (the best track on the CD, in my opinion). In another subtle tie-in to their first album, Maxi Jazz reprises a few lines from the first track on Reverence in the first track of Outrospective.

However, not all is the same. The group has grown up musically and lyrically. Maxi Jazz sounds much more confident rapping through his usual mix of unexpected yet powerful rhymes: Trantula and Liontamer are simply amazing to listen to and reflect upon. Sister Bliss's instrumentals are sometimes blisteringly upbeat (as on the track We Come 1) and sometimes mellow and introspective (as on Evergreen), but always masterful. Zoe Johnston's vocals add yet another beautiful sound to the mix; Crazy English Summer and Evergreen are great showcases for her work.

Though the gospel influence that was evident on their second release, Sunday 8pm, is missing from their latest, the album still offers a positive message in tracks like Muhammad Ali.

Overall, this album offers a wealth of brilliant music that will please long-time fans as well as entice new listeners to their varied, electronicly-influenced sound. In short: buy this album.

"Fields of fire that passed the train
The sky is victorious but here comes the rain
Friday is taking me home again,
And I've nothing but you on my mind."
~Crazy English Summer

If you want to escape into mind numbing beats, Not Enuff Love may not be the track to listen to as it will often draw you deep into thought. There is however a sinking into musical pleasure as the contemplative lyrics roll along in addictive grooves.

"Crazy English Summer" stands out as a stunningly beautiful piece of musical perfection. The first time I heard this song I stopped in my tracks and replayed the song for what seemed like hours. The depth of emotion is quite profound and notes seem to float in a musical ether, echoing across night skies. "Evergreen" also has a similar ecstasy and gives me shivers. I find myself turning up the volume and feeling a little breathless.

The various styles on this album range so dramatically that you never remain in one mood for long. Except listening to this album tends to make me feel happy, young, energetic and free.

"The Birds are calling to me and
All the leaves I came to love are falling
Ribbons on evergreen, owls that pull them apart
I can hear you singing my funny valentine
Oh you know that breaks my heart
Hold the choirs of winter,
The Birds are calling to me and
All the leaves I came to love"
~Evergreen

~The Rebecca Review

I have had this CD for over 2 years now and I listen to it quite a bit, I am surprised that I haven't had to replace it yet!! I have everything they have ever put out and this is by far the best one that they have ever produced. Your collection will not be complete without it.

Such an excellent album. Zoe Johnston offers an incredible addition to this super talented collective. There is a balance between dance and chillout tunes. Maxi Jazz out does himself a few times (especially on Muhammad Ali and Not Enuff Love). Dido makes a lovely guest appearance. Perhaps their best yet!

This CD is a hidden treasure...A Surprise in a world of commercial beats and CDs that focus on record sales instead of true music that sounds good! I am a traditional R&B, Hip/Hop, Jazz, Neo/Soul lover with a penchant for euro/Fusion and other funky world flavas. This CD will appeal to anyone that loves good music no matter what the Genre. Don't miss this piece, it's poetic, deep, funky, captivatingly fresh...it's unbelievably TIGHT!!!