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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cinematic, Passionate, and Challenging, February 23, 2004
Perceptual Distortion is one of those rare albums that takes time to appreciate. Unlike most of today's pop music, which aims to grab the listener on first listen, this disc's reach goes beyond the superficial level on which most pop records attempt to communicate. Musically and sonically, as one of the reviewers below notes, Perceptual Distortion has a cinematic quality about it, particularly in its use of world music elements and club-friendly rhythms. Lyrically and vocally, the songs are almost nakedly passionate, their protagonists struggling to maintain a sense of hope in a world gone awry, where war, hunger, and disillusion are the order of the day. You'll never hear Britney singing about any of this stuff, that's for sure. The disc, which I've owned since last summer, has taken time to grow on me. On the first couple of listens, I really liked the instrumentals, but cringed a little at the songs, which initially sounded too earnest to these ears. On further listening, I've come to appreciate the album more and more, though, to be honest, the last three tracks still don't do much for me. Oddly enough, "Elsa Green", the song that I liked least on first listen, is now probably my favorite - or at least it's now the song I most identify with this album. In any event, R-Three clearly are not content to simply entertain; they want to engage the listener on a deeper level. They want you to care as much as they do. The choice is yours...
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
relax and enjoy!, April 27, 2006
This album was recommended by a friend. I was not disappointed. The hauntingly beautiful instrumentals appear to become more complex with every listen. The tv/radio bulletins in the background of several of the songs really add to the overall experience. It reminds me of the scene from Pink Floyd The Wall when Bob Geldof was in his easy chair during "one of my turns". It is subtle but adds to the depth of the message being portrayed.
Speaking of which, the lead singer's vocals remind me of Bob Geldof as well. Imagine the Boomtown Rats with more passion and darker undertones.
This material is deep and more on the dark side, but you only notice it if you are paying close attention. I am aware of the lyrics yet find myself just listening and relaxing to the music.
My favorite tracks would probably be Breathe Memoria and The Golden Center, yet I like the work as a collective whole.
I look forward to future releases, messages, and passion. To me this story is not complete.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perpetually Contorted Most Satisfactory, January 30, 2003
By A Customer
Boy oh boy... this is one eclectic cross genre piece of work that is neatly stitched together on a centrally themed cut of silk. It's probably the most interesting work I've heard in the past year. The number of instruments on it speak volumes for the experience you're going to have listening to it. Keys, Vocals, drums, Percussion loops, samples, Theramin, Radio, Guitars, Loops, Violin and more. It definitely has parts that remind me strongly of Roger Waters' 'Amused to Death' which was probably my favourite and most listened to album of the 90s. Not only in it's sound - lush arrangements mixed with static bursts of pointed radio excerpts - but also in it's central themes. These being man, religion, civilization and just how messed up everything really is but not without a dash of humour. Vocally I get strong shades of Peter Gabriel's earlier albums, but this is only conveyed in three centrepiece songs. The rest is really rather mindblowing stuff. I kept getting reminded of Stanley Kubrik's 2001. You know the bits that have that great big monolith lurking menacingly and enigmatically. It's a highly cinematic soundscape with strong leitmotifs throughout that give all the tracks a strong omnipotent coherence. They all blend with each other exceptionally well while not being the same. The delivery appears suprisingly easy given the complexity. With the mixing of styles, the sheer detail in the textures and the lush depth that is presented here, this an album that serves as something of a masterclass in production values. It's a seriously hard album to pinpoint to any particular genre with the eclecticism contained in it. World, jazz, rock, electronica, dance, pop, ambient, classical: it seriously knows no bounds, but the crucial thing is that R-three really pulls it off masterfully in a way that few artists could. I suppose if I were to create a genre for this it'd have to be 'cinematic' as it definitely goes a long way further than soundtrack music in the fact that the visuals are so contained in the music itself. Go grab yourself a copy, lay down in your cozy armchair and let yourself drift into this celluloid technicolour extravangaza for the ears. A real recommended trip it is indeed.
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