Schubert Dip

EMF

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 14, 1991)
• Original Release Date: 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000007MVQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,585 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One brief shining moment, February 19, 1999

By A Customer

Ah, how the early summer of 1991 boded well...a new British Invasion seemed in the offing, what with Jesus Jones' "Right Here, Right Now" and EMF's "Unbelievable" flooding American airwaves. While the Manchester-based Jesus Jones definitely had a catchy hit with "Right Here", their album came up a bit short on material to surround it. Not so with the cider-chugging lads from the Forest of Dean: "Schubert Dip" is one of the single catchiest (and most overlooked) albums of the decade. From the sirens that announce "Children" (the album's opening track) to the chugging guitar/synthesizer-fuelled ending to "Longtime", this is a sonic trip abandon. The use of sampling is remarkable--samples ranging from Andrew Dice Clay to Bert and Ernie to a recitation of T.S. Eliot add additional character to the incredible fusion of guitar riffs over disco-like beats. While "Unbelievable" is the stand-out track on here (as it is one of the stand-out songs of the decade!), no song on this album is less than good. For a time, some of us thought that these guys would be the next big thing from the UK...attaining success on the Oasis level...but grunge moved in and EMF got looked over. An EP and a second album would come out, but they invariably lacked the creativity of "Schubert Dip", and would lead to EMF being dropped by their label in the US...but for those who can remember this band and for those too young to remember (heck, even those who ignored them!), this is a ride worth taking. (It is also among the five best albums ever to work out to). So there, my two cents, hope you give it a shot!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant First Album, October 25, 1999

By	"epsonmad" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

EMF will always be remembered for Unbelievable(track 6). This is rather unfortunate as even though Unbelievable is a great song, it's not even the best song on this album, much less their later albums. This is the album that sealed the band's fate. After a "perfect" pop album like this, EMF found it impossible to break out and become the heavier, electro-metal band they seemed to prefer to be. Some clues of the direction they seemed to want to go in are on display in the wonderful "Long Summer Days" which is the hardest song on the album. But dance is the word of the day, and I can't see many people not wanting to dance to virtually every song on Schubert Dip. I recommend you give this album a listen if you want to hear how dance music really should be, want to remember the days before grunge, or just want to hear some really good tunes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oh come on, it's not that bad, May 17, 2006

By	G. S. Ruben (Manhattan Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

About a year ago I decided to go visit some nearby pawn shops to look for a drum set. While I didn't find the drum set, I noticed that this CD was pretty much ubiquitous throughout the stores. I later noticed it for (re) sale at Goodwill and decided to give the album another listen to see why people hate it so much and are so willing to sell it.

Frankly, I don't really get it. Half the album sounds exactly like "Unbelievable" so it seems like the people who bought it after hearing that single (probably like 90%) would like the rest of the material. It's great, poppy-as-hell, alt-dance music. I listened to it again today and noticed all the layering that they did. In a way that's similar to an album which gets slightly better reviews but is still slightly controversial, "Smile" by Brian Wilson, hooks and themes are repeated throughout the CD. Some call this repetitive. I agree, however, in the way that it's presented it is really quite creative. I think EMF sort of broke the mold for pop acts at the time and are still more or less an oddity that deserves real attention. For all you naysayers, give this CD another chance, preferably on a large stereo so you can hear all the layers. I'm just hoping that someday it gets produced as a 5.1 DVD audio, I think it would be a great candidate for that format.