Customer Reviews

Precious Time (Dig)

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

 

 

I bought this CD after hearing "Back Against the Wall" on KCRW a few months ago--the nasty guitar riffs set to electronic beats intrigued me. But over time, what has emerged from many listens--and what still stands out for me--is my impression of how rich this record actually is--contributions from Tracy Thorne ("Anyone Can Lose") to Tina Dico (the amazing "Blue"), tracks that traverse very different worlds, the record is quite an amazing blend of style, guitar, and moods--it has very easily made it into my 'Top Five' of 2006, a feat considering how much music passes through my ears annually. It's also a fabulous listen with the top down. Highly recommended!

With the release of Precious Time, Ken Ramm, the leader of Euphoria, has returned with what I think is far and away his best album yet. The album flows beautifully from instrumental track to vocal track and keeps up the pace throughout. Standouts include the fiery opener, "Back Against The Wall", with it's Jimmy Page inspired riffing and fabulous harmonica playing from harp great Howard Levy;"Blue",a monster vocal track, sung and co-written by Danish super vocalist Tina Dico;"The Getaway", an inspiring David Holmes meets Massive Attack instrumental and "Anyone Can Lose" a stunning ballad sung and co-written by Tracy Bonham. There are 12 tracks in all, with eight insrumentals and four vocal tracks (Dico and Bonham are on two tracks each). Euphoria have put together a great collection of songs on this album. Add to that, fine cover artwork and you have a great package.Well worth the price of admission to the innovative world of "Guitronica".

Having grown up in Texas, I have a static image of this state, one shaped by its cities and suburbs which are much like the cities and suburbs you find anywhere but with more barbeque restaurants and Tejano music. Living now outside of Texas, I am also familiar with the Texas of popular imagination, filled with cowboys, Cadillacs, and people like President Bush (for better or worse).

Popping this CD into the player conjures up an image of Texas entirely different from the other two. And in particular, I'm referring to the tracks featuring slide guitar prominently: #1, 3, 5, 6, and 10. I've never been on Highway 90 which goes through West Texas about 50 miles north of the border with Mexico, but I imagine these tracks might make a perfect travelling companion for a drive out there at sunset. You can almost smell the dust being kicked up.

Personally I find the other tracks to be more standard-fare, but at least they're done with high production values. On another CD they might be perfect, but following the aforementioned tracks, they rift the mood, like someone pulled the curtain back on my drive out in West Texas.

Overall, good stuff. If you like this CD, you might also want to check out CDs from the group Lanterna, such as the CD Sands.

nice intro of instrumental sound, blended with the vocals, but wishing for more variety. still a nice listening for wishing to just be laid back and relaxing for the afternoon.

This third CD by Euphoria is sensuous, exotic and other worldly, unveiling a broad expanse of bliss and Utopia and enlightenment. It also delivers generous playtime. Cleansing waves wash over and within the listener topped off by an uplifting shampoo titled "Vapor". Lush and nurturing, an orgy of dreamy vocals, percussion and electronica, i was transported to exotic lands. Only the first track did not fit in with the rest of the landscape...the chaotic, brash "Back Against the Wall". The unique Guitronic wave of the future is here now. Welcome it. I'm looking forward to another CD by Euphoria. Enjoy.

The fundamental song-type from which the album is built is a 3-5 minute instrumental, featuring gritty slide guitar reinforced by heavily-produced drums and a strong synthesized bass line. "Cowboys" is my favorite of these. While this is a really cool sound, one song at a time is enough. It seems that producer Ken Ramm knows this, since two of this type are never placed consecutively on the album.

Among the more varied fare are "The Glendale Train," an acoustic guitar solo, and "The Getaway," which is reminiscent of Massive Attack. "Blue" and "Saints and Sinners," featuring guest-vocalist Tina Dico, and "Anyone Can Lose," featuring guest-vocalist Tracy Bonham, would be at home on Balligomingo's Beneath the Surface or Conjure One's Extraordinary Ways with their electronic foundation and supporting guitars. The title track, "Precious Time" (another Tracy Bonham contribution), would unfortunately fit more comfortably among the song's of Delerium's Poem. The final song, "Vapor", is a long (over ten minutes) atmospheric experiment that reminds me of the Donnie Darko soundtrack, with a synthesizer drone and what I'm guessing is a guitar track played back in reverse. Apparently, "Vapor" is the result of an Brian Eno-style Oblique Strategy session (look that up if you don't know what it means - its an interesting concept).

I really love the 1st song (Precious Time) and song # 6 is ok, but not really crazy about the rest of the music on this CD. Euphoria should do a CD with 13 songs in the same vane as Precious Time. I think that is the name of track #1.
Thanks
Lori Sherrill
Salisbury, NC

Vocals: two tracks Tina Dico, two tracks Tracy Bonham, eight instrumentals. I guess it's rock with various influences - whatever it is, they do it well. Competent music and musicianship, I can't there's a bad track here. The lack of lyrics is really going to limit interest, but really, is your album collection really complete without an instrumental album?

For starters let's just say this. My musical tastes go all over the spectrum. I purchased this CD along with a King Crimson disc from 1982 and once upon a time I wrote jazz and blues reviews for a small, local paper.
So what got me onto Euphoria? I haven't really been listening to the radio for several years now. Just too much junk out there that gets too much airplay. "Bovine bands" I call them. They're good because everyone else says they are. Just like TV - most people really can't think for themselves.
So I'm actually LISTENING to the radio a few weeks ago and hear Back Against the Wall on WXRT out of Chicago. The "bluesy" feel of the song grabs my attention so I get home and check out the samples on Amazon. Wow! 30 second samples and they all sound good! Reckon I gotta get it so I do.
A wonderful CD! Can't say what category you'd put this band into and that's half the beauty. Shades of blues, jazz, country, new age and more.
I'm not big on vocals but Tina Dico and Tracy Bonham lend themselves to the music superbly!
I can't honesly say that I could listen to all of their CDs in a row from what I've heard as it does start to mesh together but the music is VERY refreshing. It IS an excellent change of pace and I hope this band does well without going "commercial". In other words don't go "bovine". This world needs a lot more original bands and there are so few out there.
Close your minds to the "popular" stuff and listen to artists. Who cares what everyone else thinks? After all, if I jumped off a cliff with a "hit" CD in hand would you do the same?
Open your mind to real music. Buy this CD.

I try not to review cd's right away.
I've owned this one for 3-4 months and re-listened to it, and wonder why I don't put it on more often. The song structures, tones, and overall sound textures make this one the one that needs to be heard through those expensive earphones, ear-buds, or ear monitors that you spent your money on.