Customer Reviews

Plano

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Upon coming across "Plano," their 1st release on the very hit and miss Minty Fresh, I knew I was listening to one of my favorite bands of all time. Hearing Plano was like hearing the Blue Nile for the 1st time; that feeling of having been swept away by a lover who new exactly how to touch you. A little erie yet relieving at the same time. I was instantly transfixed by their marriage of Everything But the Girl-like melodies, harmonies, and vocals with the ironic electronics of Magnetic Fields, and by the sheer addictiveness of the whole thing. The result was a collection so perfect that it could almost pass as a greatest hits record. Do they wear thier influences on their sleeves? Absoulutely. A little dated? a little. Pretentious? a little more so. But aren't these "critisms" true of all the best in pop, EBTG and Magnetic Fields included? Do what ever you can, but get yourself a listen to Plano---the most addictive pop record of the 90s. Period

Every track on this album is solid. I love the delivery of the vocals, and annunciation. Faves include "Storytime" and "Star Wish" and "Steam". I dont find it loungey or shlocky at all. I can hear the "Frazier Chorus" comparisons at times, but this is quality stuff.

Okay, this is the kind of music I wish I could write. At first listen, this album may appear to be so lite and fluffy that it might just disappear in your large CD catalogue without another spin. But take a few more listens (make sure to read along with the lyrics) and you will have a whole different view. Very few bands these days can pull off such a mix of old vs. new, acoustic vs. electronic, lite vs. romantic -- the list goes on. They also have a very real talent for tastefully lush arrangements.

If you are into the loungey sound but not just for the retro trend of it all, this is for you. These guys write perfectly crafted pop songs with sad, romantic lyrics. I can't wait for their next one.

Now that the Navin brothers have recorded a new album to distract me, I realize how groundbreaking "Plano" really was...What other band has written about class differences between gay suitors in the suburbs? Perhaps the Smiths, circa "Hatful of Hollow," but not as plaintively. Musically, it's as if an early sixties fraternity choir suddenly reappeared on the scene with Eno as their producer. Not every song on this album is great, but the overall mood, the subtle sonic pleasures, and the groundbreaking themes make this an essential album of the 1990s.

It's appropriate that the first song on this album is called "Chocolates" - it's sugary and sweet and oh so very nice...i read some critic describe this album as "crystalline pop".

I happened upon Aluminum Group while I was working in Banana Republic - bored out of my mind, folding clothes - then all of a sudden "Chocolates" started playing, filling the stores and my mood just totally changed...i went out and bought this cd right away and listened to it multiple times for years.

i recently rediscovered it playing in an art house movie theater -- i have to say this album is by far the quintessential one out of their offerings - like the lyrics in "Star Wish" - "star wish, you made a mess of my life
cause I wasn't thinking clearly when I saw you falling out of the sky" ... love it!

plano is one brilliant album!
from beginning to end, every song is thoughtful, provocative, and touching. "chocolates", "the mattachine society," and "9 months later" are brilliant tracks illustrating the group's ability to speak at several levels. the songs are both humourous and melancholy and apply to gay and straight audiences alike. a clean, beautifully packaged album of gems.
the picture on the cover is mies van der rohe's farnsworth house, an architectural icon of the modern era. like saint etienne, the aluminum group brings their music into all aspects of life. a piece of brilliant construction, an article of clothing, a musical composition; the aluminum group expertly weaves a way of life into their music. they have further evolved since plano to creat a very distinctive, classy, almost sexual sound. boys of modern class indeed.

I immediately bought this CD after hearing "Angel on a Trampoline" (reminded me of a good Pulp song) on KCRW and was initially disappointed because the rest of the album didn't sound like this one song. However I quickly grew to appreciate the album as a whole. Songs like "Star Wish", "Photograph" and "9 Months" capture the attention. Buy this CD and just let it play in the background .... it will grow on you and you will love it .....

Well it's a remix of "Angel on a trampoline" (japan mix). Minty Fresh gave me the guy's name who did the mix, sorry, i dont have it handy to print here, it wasn't someone i had heard of before (in my infinite musical wisdom - sic), but how is the mix? cool. its about 5 mins long. Not really an 'extended mix', its almost like what one might call a 'radio remix', there's a little more production added, the drums maybe brought forward, a little more energy, backing vocals brought forward. Definitely good / thumbs up. Oh yeah, and the cover/typography is different, the blurry back-tray picture from the US cd is the cover for this one, and titling is arranged differently.

This is the future of American music: smooth, smart, sexy. This release by the Aluminum Group is all things to all people. This is the definition of Chicago music: intelligent, undefinable, unmarketable. Bravo Aluminum Group! Bravo! Viva Las Navins!

The Navin brothers have definitely studied hard at the school of pop. Lush, complex harmonies and inventive arrangements make this a must for anyone smitten with the charms of The Devine Comedy, Momus or Pulp at their most romantic.

Fans of Jimmy Webb and Burt Bacharach's orchestrations will be able to admire the songwriting craft. It may be too sugary sweet for some palettes.