Customer Reviews

Rock Action

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

there has always been something about mogwai. i can distinctly remember the day i bought my first mogwai disc (young team), popping it into my car, and being blown away. soon after, one by one, i purchased the mogwai discography. and there hasn't been any purchases i would take back. i enjoyed all their releases and i respected that they proved with each album that they refused to stay the same. they were a great example of how a band should evolve.

so you could say i had incredibly high hopes for "rock action". i wanted another great album that showed yet more progress. there hadn't been too many "great" albums released yet in 2001 so i set even higher expectations for it.

and this album exceeded every single expectation.

from the opening hum of "sine wave" to the final guitar strumming on "secret pint", this album is pure musical bliss. never before has there been a mogwai album that sounded so varied, yet so focused. they incorporate more electronic elements into the mix on some tracks, and the accoustic guitar line on "dial: revenge" is beautiful (as are the guest vocals from gruff rhys from the super furry animals). and speaking of vocals, there are more on this album than previous releases. this actually made it harder for me to get into at first, but now after more listens i appreciate it so much more, as they used them very tastefully and never overdo it.

"rock action" has no spots that lag, and some of the songs are catchy even...but still beg you to listen to them over and over. this is an album that will stand up to repeated listening (as all mogwai albums do) and should become an important part of your music collection as there is not much that sounds like it.

this album does not sound like come on die young. if you're expecting them to revert to the sound on young team, think again. but if you are expecting them to progress again and make more great music, buy this album, as you will not be disappointed in the least.

and if you've never heard mogwai, this would be a great starting point, as it is probably the most accessible for untrained ears.

Do not listen to the nay-sayers. This is the very best Mogwai album, period. It is the most varied and most focused work they have done. This allows the songs to garner an intensity that simply was not there before or was buried along with too much of the same. From the swelling "Sine Wave," to the hauntingly beautiful "Take Me Someplace Nice," the mighty Mogwai will cause the hair on your neck to stand. Plus the vocals here are so perfectly in place that you hope the band produces more vocal tracks in the future. Personally I think this is the best album of 2001...anything that contains the ominous power of "You Don't Know Jesus," has to be. Please do yourself a favor and get this masterpiece.

"Rock Action" picks up where "Come On Die Young" and "EP+2" left off. And for those of you wondering, yes there are indeed more vocals on this album than the last. But this isn't a bad thing. Repeat: this isn't bad. If anything, the largest improvement over previous efforts is the lush arrangement of the album. Gone is the sparse and sometimes dry formula of the past and thrown together are organs, strings, synthesizers, and get this, banjos. Don't panic quite yet. Rock Action arguably boasts three of the most lush, soaring, ethereal, and best Mogwai songs recorded yet. The first of these is the opening track, "Sine Wave". It's a relatively quiet number with sparse drums, hypnotizing subtle guitar lines and popcorn like synthesizer bleeps that run around and through every speaker, reminiscent of some Trent Reznor bad dream. When it's all said and done "Sine Wave" is a cautious, beautiful opener that sets the sharply defined tone for the album. Number two of the Rock Action power trilogy is "You Don't Know Jesus". I never thought I knew him, but Mogwai seems to think so. In more of a traditional sense, "You Don't Know Jesus" is the most comfortable track on the album. Long, ominous, and saddening, it's a track that reminds us who we're listening to, just in case anyone forgets. And finally, there is "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong". You'll immediately refer to this song as "the one with the banjo". Perhaps the most poignant comparison to make would be with the opening track of Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven". Both tracks are, gasp, uplifting epics that actually make the listener feel good rather than casually deliver the token post rock melancholic disposition. The other tracks on Rock Action aren't exactly weak either. Gruff Rhys, frontman of the Welsh supergroup Super Furry Animals, lends his voice to "Dial: Revenge" and the result is a particularly haunting piece, nicely equipped with a tragic acoustic guitar and vocals sung entirely in Welsh. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Rock Action is its length, a tart 38 minutes. When the album ends, unfortunately with the weakest song on the album, "Secret Pint", perhaps the most appropriate response would be a sigh of relief. They've added more instruments and they've added more voices. Nevertheless, Mogwai has done it. They've made an album that survives their own musical evolution.

I've given five a lot stars before, and it seems now I was a bit careless, because it's a time like this when I wish I could give an especially high rating. I would give seven or eight stars if I could.

This is Mogwai's most focused and sophisticated album, and shows a lot of progression and maturity for the band, while still retaining the ability to do what made them successful in the first place (check out "You Don't Know Jesus," in my opinion their greatest piece yet.)

There's not a weak song on the album, of course not counting Robot Chant, which isn't really a song. I don't mind that the album is relatively short; it feels just right to me. It's a wide and coherent range of new ideas for Mogwai, and I just can't wait to see what they do next. I think they're the greatest band of our times.

Other songs of note are "Take Me Somewhere Nice," which is just beautiful, and "Dial: Revenge" which is truly inspired.

This is one of the most flawless albums I've ever encountered; being short is actually an asset to that, rather than a detractor. Just look at Nick Drake's "Pink Moon"; 29 minutes and every song is unique and perfect.

Mogwai are one of those groups whose sound develops and progresses with each album release.This latest release sees them develop the slow,haunting crescendo driven sound of their last c.d.,but this time they've added new instruments and there is also far more vocal involvement.

The c.d. is quite short-38 minutes,but this means the tracks no longer meander in a way that you get the feeling they're just killing some time.In fact there are no real weak moments on this c.d.Guitar instrumentals still dominate this atmosphere,but several of the tracks now feature the gentle almost whispered vocals that were only on one track of the previous c.d.Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals makes an absolutely glorious vocal appearance on track 4.I think this song is sung in Welsh and when added to the strings of Dave Fridmann of Mercury Rev fame it's just a most beautiful track.In fact string backing and even brass or horn section appear on 3 other tracks.The first track also experiments with Radiohead type distorted machines going mad sound.Almost all the songs have a slow tempo and the guitar work is a mix of soft acoustic building up to ever louder electric.This is a group who excel in creating a eerie and melancholic atmosphere and this c.d. is best suited to one listen in it's entirety.

This is Mogwai at their most rewarding and also their most accessible and this album should not just be stuck in the confines of the post-rock market.If you like music that's laidback and yet has tons of atmosphere,well then this c.d. is for you.

Mogwai's latest offering has received many indifferent reviews, but to these ears it sounds even more adventurous and inventive than any of their previous releases. What has changed is that their compositions sound a lot less monolithic, themes are stated with less regularity and tones and textures are explored with far greater subtlety. "Rock Action" also bears a newfound aura of inner calm, remniscent of the more mellow rock music from the late '60s and early '70s. This doesn't make the album the least bit retro, instead it softens the "math rock" element and bodes very well for Mogwai's future appeal.

At times too intense to hold back the clutter of emotions this album gives. Hypnotizing, mezmerizing. This album will blow you away.

This is their album I feel that is both a gift and a curse..A gift in being some of their most focused, sincere, well produced songwriting and a curse to not hear nearly enough of it..If this was an ep, it should get a freakn prize, but it simply leaves me wanting more as a full length..Is it right to put out a few lush, gut bustingly beautiful songs coupled with other tracks of ambient and instrumental minimalism? Only if you have enough tracks to somehow justify it to the listener...It would have been great if instead of several nice ep's, the band could have tried harder for such an important transitional release..I say that with the utmost respect for the band and for at least half of this album's tracks, but to come off of the brilliant effort Come on Die Young, and announce a huge stylistic change with electronics taking much of the foreground as well as guest vocalists helping to "clean up" mogwai's sound, should have garnerd more attention to a total product..Thankfully it did not; in retrospect one can see the band was merely trying on different outfits and knew deep down that what got them to that point was an unflinching attention to fluctuations in repetition

Anybody who hasn't heard Mogwai, and is looking to get into them should buy this album, as in terms of Mogwai's outstanding ability to create gorgeous tracks, this throws you right in at the deep end.
Personally my favourite album by the band, closely followed by Happy Songs... I beleive the music contained on this CD is Mogwai incarnate, as it is almost perfect, delivering spine tingling explosions of sound that will never leave you, and it's amazing that every time you hear these songs a new noise or layer becomes apparent, which adds the overwhelmingly simple complexity of it all - never before have I heard such a technically simple album with so much to offer (being a fan of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge to name a couple).
Also, along with all the praises I've attached to the album so far, it has an unairing ability to put you in a reflective mood as soon as it starts, and is great to listen to if you need to think about something or reminis to... it's THAT powerful.
This is without a doubt one of the best albums I have heard, if not 'the' best!
The only problem with this album is that it is to short, which makes it less than perfect, otherwise it would be - but if, nay, WHEN you want more after hearing this album, move onto Happy Songs For Happy People!
Buy this album, you will never be sorry and these timeless songs will never fail to impress you. Ever!

Why do people complain that a bands new cd doesn't sound like their last one? If you want something that sounds the same cd after cd,go buy some Offspring or AC-DC. Thank God we have bands like Radiohead and Mogwai,among others, who are talented enough,and brave enough to explore new territory. Do we want to live in a world full of Limp Bizkits? Mogwai are evolving in a nice direction. A little more "polished" than their last release,but that isn't always a bad thing. In this case especially. They've added strings to a few songs,and also some vocals,but it doesn't make them sound commercial or mainstream at all. They still have their edginess and that beautiful,spacey sound. I like it as much as their last cd. Pure Mogwai...with the courage to play what they feel. If you like these guys,check out the new "Unwound" cd also.