Customer Reviews

Sleeping With Ghosts

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before I got this album, I knew nothing about Placebo. I had heard a couple of the songs from the album on msn radio, and the music store I was in had nothing on my wish list other than this and a Chemical Brothers album. Feeling more in the mood for rock than electronica, I went with this, and I know that I made the right choice.

Placebo is a rock band with a definite punk influence, great guitarwork, occasionally repetitive but poetic lyrics, and an incredible lead singer. Brian Molko has what very people in the industry seem to have: an original voice. His voice can best be described as feminine, especially in a world full of Eddie Vedder soundalikes. But because of this soft edge, combined with the bass of Stefan Olsdal and the drums of Robert Schultzberg, some pretty amazing results turn out. The last track on the album has the most beautiful vocals this side of Radiohead. And unlike Thom Yorke, who sounds more pained than angry, Molko has a real intensity in his sound, which pays off in the harder songs.

The album starts out with the instrumental "Bulletproof Cupid," which is nothing phenomenal, but its a dang good intro into the sound that dominates the rest of the album. "English Summer Rain" is the first track to exhibit Molko's vocals, and it was the moment that my love affair with this album began. Its combination of basic rock components with the ethereal trip-hop sound just clicked with me. "This Picture" is a more straightforward rock song, but it showcases some of my favorite lyrics on the album. "Farewell, the ashtray girl, forbidden snowflake." It definitely sounds like a good concert song. The titular "Sleeping With Ghosts" goes back to the surreal ambience that makes the album for me. Like many of the songs on the cd, "Sleeping With Ghosts" is a tragic love song. It would be horribly depressing if it didn't sound so good. "The Bitter End" is the single that was released for this album, and I understand why. Lyrically, musically, vocally...its the most radio-friendly song on the album, and unusually, one of the best. No one can sound begging and bitter like Molko can. One of the best parts of the song is in his incomprehensible rant near the end of the song, and the song ends still angry, before dropping you into the Massive Attackish "Something Rotten". My only argument with this song is that the lyrics are, for some reason, not written down with the lyrics to the other songs. It has a pseudo-sexual, diseased feel to it that I adore. "Plasticine" feels like a major departure from the route the album was taking, but it works nonetheless, especially with the guitar lick accompanying Molko's "Don't forget to be the way you are." The next three tracks are the weakest parts of the album, but only by comparison. "Special Needs", on the first hearing, struck me as very weak lyrically, but on later listenings, the incredible use of the piano made up for the lyrical faults. "I'll Be Yours" is the worst song on the album, but it still has a great feel to it, and the repetitive "Second Sight" has an awesome refrain. "Protect Me From What I Want" is the track that made me want this album, and I still can't get enough of its poetry and its distant-sounding vocals, despite its repetition and even after more listenings than I dare to count.

This only leaves the last track, "Centrefolds". One of the things that for me makes a great album is if it gets you started right, and then lets you off properly. Just as Track 1 is a great intro, Track 12 paves the path for Placebo's exit. Its the most vulnerable track on the album, the least angry, and without a doubt the most beautiful. Hearing that surreal sound you've become used to through the album, with Molko pleading for you to "be mine", its hard for this album to end without you smiling.

Wow!...What an album!.
After all that androgin, glitter-punk rock begining, this got to be the most mature, finest album this english trio has ever made, i mean, Black Market was close, but this is , by far my favorite Placebo Album.
Ok, you wanna best album songs, dont you?...forget it! listen the whole cd and check by yourself the deep lyrics and the balanced sound of the band: Brian's guitar rocks as good as in early times did, drums are pretty good mixed with rhytm machines which, by the way, doesnt suck at all as in some electro-industrial rock crossover bands' albums, bass is simple, straight and smooth. And if you enjoy Brian Molko's provocative nasal voice,you are gonna ask for more.
Maybe Black Market was better accepted than Without You Im Nothing because its mature songs, but believe me, this one sounds like coming from better songwriter musicians.
I dont wanna be pretentious but Sleeping With Ghosts could mean for the band what Songs Of Faith And Devotion meant for Depeche Mode: their highest and finest moment.

I'd like to preface my remarks by saying that I am a huge Placebo fan. I went out and bought this album yesterday and have been listening to it ever since. Of their three previously released albums, I'd say "Without You I'm Nothing" consisted of some really great songs alongside a couple of less great ones, and "Black Market Music" was more consistent, but the best songs there weren't as good as the best ones on WYIN. I'd say "Sleeping With Ghosts" is more like "Without You" in this regard. Of the 12 tracks here, I'd say there are really only two songs that I'm not wild about-"Something Rotten" and "Protect Me From What I Want." The rest are great.

As for the sound of the album itself, I think this record shows Placebo starting to move away from the largely punk-influenced songs they've had a lot of in the past (i.e. Brick S---house, Days Before You Came, etc.) and more towards more ethereal, beautiful ballad-type songs (i.e. Ask For Answers, Peeping Tom) although there are examples of both here. I have noticed a lot more synthesizers and electronic noise on this album than on anything else Placebo has recorded in the past, but, unlike a lot of artists who do this, I think the addition of synthesizers help, rather than hinder, the music.

My favorite tracks: English Summer Rain, This Picture, Sleeping With Ghosts, The Bitter End, Special Needs, Second Sight, and Centrefolds. There is a lot here for Placebo's current fans to like, and a lot more that should hopefully attract some new fans to the fold. This is a brilliant band that seems to only get better with age. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Let me give you some of the history of this band. Placebo started off as a post-grunge act with a touch of glam, on the other end of the spectrum which has the Pixies, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. in the fore (as proto-grunge), and Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins in the middle.

They first crashed into the UK charts in 1997 with their number 4 smash hit 'Nancy Boy', a phenomenal tune. They are a great singles band - their 3 studio albums up until this one are all very good, featuring some great album cuts too, but lacked consistency. I'm not going to be overly critical; it's simply that I'm a perfectionist and also feel that every Beatles album I've heard (quite a few), to take a prime example (as we are talking about great music here), lack consistency - this doesn't stop the Beatles being my favourite band.

This album ranks up there with just 3 others in my (large and ever larger) collection - Nirvana's Nevermind, the Pixies' Surfer Rosa and the Smiths' The Queen is Dead - as simply flawless. It starts off with the blistering instrumental Bulletproof Cupid: it's just what you want as an opener; melodic, but high-charged. It moves through a range of styles, I'll give you an idea of two of the less well-known tracks: Something Rotten is Brian Eno-like ambiental, while Second Sight is simply catchy guitar pop with great hooks. I won't bother doing a review of each song as you can listen to samples of them right here on Amazon and get your own idea.

Placebo have already hit the singles top 20 in America (Pure Morning in 1998), and I'm still hopeful future albums will bring them more success. I'd just like to let the American public know that they're already huge throughout Europe, as I do feel that some of the time commercial success is an indicator of greatness.

In summary, I highly recommend this album.

Placebo's fourth album is their "mature" album because our favorite eyeliner wearing boys have grown up. This is my least favorite album by Placebo for a couple of reasons. This album is a mix of punk and electronics and I'm not into the whole electronics thing, but it's more punk than electronics so don't worry. All so the lyrics and songs are all good, but nothing daring. Nothing that really touches feelings and makes you take notice. That's not to say that this is a bad album because it's not. It's just different. Newer Placebo fans will love it, because it is good, but old fans like myself, may find it a bit wimpy for Placebo, who has grown up.

1. "Bulletproof Cupid" 7/10 Rocking Placebo song that is entirely instrumental.

2. "English Summer Rain" 9/10 Fun song. It's the most electronic on the album, so don't expect anything more electronic

3. "This Picture" 8/10 Good song. I love it because Brain is able to use the word "semaphore." How great is that? This song has the Placebo sex tone because it has S.M. imagery in it.

4. "Sleeping With Ghosts" 10/10 I really like this song even if it has a tad of political feel to it. Pretty song.

5. "The Bitter End" 10/10 The heaviest rock song on the album. Very good song with a dark side.

6. "Something Rotten" 6/10 A strange song about child abuse. Not sure of what to make of it.

7. "Plasticine" 9/10 Loud and rockin'. Classic Placebo theme in the lyrics... "Don't forget to be the way you are" How very true.

8. "Special Needs" 8/10 Slower rock song, like most on the album. Different lyrics.

9. "I'll Be Yours" 9/10 Great song. Dark obsessive lyrics.

10. "Second Sight" 8/10 Nice song and makes your foot tap.

11. "Protect Me From What I Want" 8/10 Brian uses his wit to sass social conformity and his own flaws.

12. "Centrefolds" 9/10 Best part of this song is the uniqueness to the ballad. It kind of sounds like Brain is making up the lyrics as he goes. It's cool.

I'm a Placebo fan since 2000, when I heard Without you I'm nothing and was instantly hooked.
Although I liked WYIN, I thought that Black market was their best. So my expectations were really high.

The first time I heard this CD, I was a little disappointed. I didn't expect album to open with instrumental, I didn't expect 'I-need-you' love songs and I didn't expect the piano closer (my girlfriend almost thought it was a Nick Cave's music! :) ). When you -expect- something, the thing usually goes the way you didn't expect.
However, the album is excellent and that was expected and proven! This was the first Placebo CD where I had to give album a try (I don't count their debut, as I don't quite like it). That's because the songs are now much more sophisticated and takes time to fully understand or appreciate them, unlike their earlier pure energy, instant-hooker stuff. The pure-energy rocks, of course, but this adds more depth. And oh yes, many of the songs are heavily layered - which means loads of sounds and electronica! I didn't even dare yet to hear it on the headphones. :)

I LOVE this album as a whole and my favourites so far are: English summer rain, This picture, Sleeping with ghosts, Something rotten, Special needs, Centrefolds.
One side note - I really think they should've used that ending part of Special Needs as another song. It's just amazing! I was sad when I saw that was the same song. Sniff..

Every Placebo (or electro-rock) fan -must- have this CD. Some of the best Placebo songs ever are here and it is also their most mature and emotional record to date.

P.S. Their concert in Serbia was just AWESOME! The crowd, the group - we all had some memorable time together! Thank you guys!

A problem with the music industry today is that artists are portrayed - both by the media and through their music - as being larger than life. This image can often create a barrier to the listener when hearing their music, which stops them from connecting properly with the emotions being evoked. The beauty of "Sleeping With Ghosts" lies in Placebo's ability to remove this metaphorical barrier and expose the listener to the full impact of the emotions being evoked. Listening to "Sleeping With Ghosts" is an experience I find to be akin to talking with a close friend, in that the band make no attempt to salvage the "rock star" image amidst the tender, unpretentious beauty on offer.

Many people would be fast to label Placebo as an indie or pop-rock act, but personally I see them as a more progressive band. Their quietly hypnotic quality feels to me closely reminiscient of Pink Floyd. Part of Placebo's capability to really closely connect with the listener actually stems, I feel, from their musical simplicity. The guitar and drum lines on offer are far from being technically complex, but they do have an ambient flow to them which promotes the soothing nature of the music. Brian Molko's voice is also not what would be traditionally considered "beautiful". On the contrary it's actually quite nasal, and if it were used in the wrong way would certainly fall on the wrong side of annoying. However, in the way his vocal lines glide gracefully over the music, they too adopt a quietly ambient hue. A few piano lines thrown in here and there don't hurt either; in fact, they give the album a new layer and serve to magnify the experience.

The song structures too, play a large role in creating "Sleeping With Ghosts'" hypnotic atmosphere. Most often they start out with a normal verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, but as the song gains momentum, this structure is abandonned for an uninterupted flow at a fixed tempo. However, this transition is managed so smoothly that you'll hardly notice it until the song is nearly finished. You'll often find Brian Molko repeating the same line over and over (not irritating at all, surprisingly). It's easy to lose yourself in the graceful, hypnotic tunes and end up drifting away. What's even more impressive is that this structure never gets old, as is is fitted to each song's individual style.

The production too, plays a small role in creating this work of art. The guitars are in no way produced to be loud or raucous and thus their soothing quality remains untainted, while the drums are just loud enough to give the music backbone, while not so loud as to be obtrusive. If any fault is to be found, I would say that Brian Molko's voice sits too highly in the mix. If his voice was a little quieter and given a bit of reverb, it could have a distant quality (akin to Garm's on Ulver's album "Bergtatt") which would have made the music even more ambient. However, in the grand scheme of things this is a small complaint.

So, if you've read this far you already know what my verdict is: "Sleeping With Ghosts" is a masterwork, possibly the best piece of alternative music to grace our world for years. It offers us something genuinely rare; a chance to sit down for 46 minutes and visit a place inside our own heads where all of our rushed, hectic lifestyle ceases to exist.

I don't typically review CD's on-line, so this will be brief. I'm giving this a five for one reason: I'm on buying this CD for the 2nd time because I wore out my first copy. Enough said.

It feels a bit weird writing a review for this album, prely because it was this album that turned me off of Placebo.

well...

It's not a *bad* album perse... it's just not good. Background info: I've been a Placebo fan since 1998, swept up in the "Without You I'm Nothing" haze and the common 13-year-old "ooo... pretty boy!" mindset. And it wasn't unjustified. Mr. Molko was in his make-up drenched, long-haired heyday, writing quirky pop songs with the subtle dementia and histrionic ambivalence characteristic of many great post-punk bands (as well as many great bands of all kinds). The first album is essentially bursting out of the seems; energetic and defiant pop music with a camp edge, which was a breath of fresh air amongst the earnest drone of some many bands of the era. The music was fresh and alive... it had a life all its own and embodied a world of drugs, sex, and an acute existential awareness and expressiveness as affected by drugs and sex, all filtered thru the corpse of camp rock n' roll. Then came Without You I'm Nothing. A wonderful album. Probably their best. Much darker and slightly ethereal - strangely imperminent, as if the same thoughts in the brilliant minds giving us the first album were twisted and contorted in fun-house mirrors and dizzied by the fumes of black nail varnish. A beautiful and evokative album by all accounts (I still think "your smile would make me sneeze/ when we were Siamese" is one of the best lines ever).

That was the end of an era. Black Market Music followed suit, bringing them tons of new fans, but showing an "aging" (for lack of a better term, though seems akward considering most of the music I listen to is courtesy old or dead people) Placebo. The artistic and intellectual vision and intensity of the previous two albums was lacking, but it was (and is... why the hell am I using past tense? oh well) still a wonderful album, despite its often confessional nature. But there was still a spark, a certain intangible something, and the album seemed to create a life (albeit a slightly more boring life).

So along comes Sleeping With Ghosts. When news of the album hit the internet, I was thrilled... just the title of the album is genius... it sums up so much of what I feel (see the old/dead musicians comment above) and what I felt Placebo's early music possessed. So, I bought the album expecting MY Placebo to be back. So wrong. The album is drenched in mundane filler, as if, in the process of aging, their souls died or decayed or something. The album possesses no soul, no spark, nothing... no expression or life, only a trail of sad confessions and "used to be"s. The lyrics are vapid and one dimensional ("this happened to me... it was bad... be sad" sums up most of the songs) in meaning, not to mention the almost complete lack of word play and logic twists that once defined Placebo. The music is also bland alterna-rock BS... very few of the awkward rhythms and interplay of yore, much more straight-forward, well, alterna-rock.

And no, I don't dislike the album because they changed... Many bands change and do it well (they manage to change their style while maintaining a universal spark of some sort), and even Without You I'm Nothing is quite different from the self-titled. I dislike this album not because the style is different, but because there's nothing there to define Placebo... nothing to give the album life. That being said, "This Picture', "Sleeping With Ghosts', and "Special Needs" ARE great songs. The only problem is, they're the only great songs on the album, and only 2 or 3 other songs are even good (to be honest, half the album is unlistenable garbage... what the hell is "Plasticine"?).

I'm giving the album 3 stars just because I can't bear to give them lower... they were once one of my favorite bands, and may be again. We'll see what happens with the next album.

I have to be honest, and say I wasn't overly impressed the first time I listened to this CD. But the second listen made me prick up my ears. There's a lot of soul bearing in the lyrics as well as some hard rocking music. I keep hearing little bits of other bands in there - Radiohead and Bush come to mind immediately. But this isn't, by any means, a rehash of those bands. My favorite cuts are the title cut "Sleeping With Ghosts", "The Bitter End" and "Plasticine". These are angry young men, and they play their music that way. And believe me, they do it very well indeed.