This Machine

Dandy Warhols | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The End Records
• ASIN: B001TH4KNG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,453 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sad vacation

2. The Autumn Carnival

3. Enjoy Yourself

4. Alternative Power to the People

5. Well They re Gone

6. Rest Your Head

7. 16 Tons

8. I Am Free

9. SETI vs The Wow! Signal

10. Don t Shoot She Cried

11. Slide

Editorial Reviews

2012 release, the eighth album from the Northwest Alt-Rock superstars. In 2001, the band rose to international attention for their song "Bohemian Like You" and was featured in TV advertisements for Vodafone, Ford, GM, and more. They return with This Machine recorded over the course of 2011 at the band's own epic rock clubhouse and entertainment megaplex/studio The Odditorium. This Machine was mixed in the UK by Tchad Blake, well known for his recent work with the Black Keys.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Old people rejoice! April 25, 2012

By Robert Gary Valiant

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really like this record! I'm an old guy (actually a year older than Mr. Taylor-Taylor, so that makes me REALLY old) so you have to take that into account. I don't find the songs particularly grungy or gothy - two labels I've seen floating around - and I lived both those scenes, so I should know. The songs are eclectic, like all of the previous records, and there are some really great tracks - some of the best DW tracks ever! I can't see how anyone would like all of the songs (I don't), but I think fans will find much more here to enjoy than to dismiss. This record holds up to the best of the DWs. Highly recommended!

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for Fans of the Dandy Warhols May 20, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

Post-greatest hits life is a strange spot for any band, and the Dandy Warhols seemed to have fought back against obscurity with a whimper and a shrug. The album's 11 tracks rarely come close to any kind of sweet pop-nugget that would have been featured on any the band's first three albums. Instead, we've been left with a handful of nice moments, but largely, the album is forgettable. The instrumental track "Alternative Power to the People" lacks any memorable mood or instrumentation, the cover of "16 Tons" sounds like an afterthought created after the rest of the album was written, "Don't Shoot She Cried" sounds like a self-indulgent exercise. Other tracks aren't bad, but they never seem to capitalize on their promise: "Well They're Gone" has nice moments, but the lack of any differentiation or dynamics (along with low-hanging lyrics) squander the opportunity. "SETI vs the Wow! Signal" feels like a B-side from ODDITORIUM, and the braindead lyrics nearly ruin some nice melodic moments. "Enjoy Yourself" sounds like it was written to be a radio single, but questionable choices in production and delivery lets the song lose any chance at crossing over to other audiences. Unfortunately, none of the songs released on THIS MACHINE would really have deserved a place on their greatest hits. None of these songs feel like they received the same delicate attention that "Godless" did, the hooks that "We Used to be Friends" has, or the fun felt in "Boys Better".

I don't want to bash this album completely though, because it's not terrible. It's just forgettable. It's definitely more consistent than ODDITORIUM, and it has some songs that should outlive this album. The closer, "Slide", for example comes pretty close to being a great song.... This song, feels free of any attitude or irony; it's the only song on the entire album that feels earnest. It feels like the band is writing music that they would actually listen to in this song. Most of the rest of the album feels like the Dandy Warhols are trying to write Dandy Warhols songs, which is a shame. At this point it seems that every member of the band has an external side-project to which they contribute music -- without the focus that some of their previous albums had, THIS MACHINE sounds like a band going through the motions.

Since 2003, the band has been retreating deeper and deeper into its own head, and I'm afraid that THIS MACHINE is no exception. I would say that this is an album only for fans of the band, but I think that it will only serve to make the audience pine for earlier, better, brighter times. Read more ›

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Dandy Warhols are eclectic OK ? November 10, 2012

By chris

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Dandy Warhols seldom do the same thing twice. Each album is unique & morphs their sound into something different ( but , always reconizable as the Dandys ). This release just packs that philosophy into 1 album. It's varied , interesting & fun. The mix of styles is not a distraction , but , a pleasure. The trademark lyrical wit is here as always. The Woody Guthrie referance is cheeky & not something you would necessarily associate w/ the Dandys. I like it more w/ each listen.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Without a Doubt the Worst Dandy Warhols Album Ever Released June 29, 2012

By Kirk A. Gauthier

Format:Audio CD

With that said, I'd like to open this review with the following statement: I've pretty much been a die-hard Dandy Warhols fan since 2003 when they released "Welcome to the Monkey House." I have all their albums and a good chunk of their singles. To say they're one of my all-time favorite bands would not be an understatement; these guys rock, and they rock pretty freakin' hard. In my opinion, they're the Rolling Stones/Doors/Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett-era, anyway) of the 21st Century, all rolled up with a '90s attitude!

The reason I titled this review the way I did is because that's how I feel about this record. I love all their previous albums--especially "Earth to the Dandy Warhols"--but this record was lacking that fuzzed-out, spacy, psychedelic '60s pop feel for which the band's so well known. Read as many reviews of this album as you'd like, and they'll all pretty much say the same thing: this record is far more stripped-down than any of their previous albums. Quite true, and it's a palpable difference. Maybe it's because each individual member of the band has his/her own side band, each of which plays a rather different style of music than that of the Dandys. Maybe it's because Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the consummate rock star, has mellowed out a bit with age. Maybe it's something else altogether, I don't know. Whatever it is, the band definitely sounds different on this record.

Long-time fans will still enjoy the record, though. Some of the stand-out tracks for me are "Enjoy Yourself," "Alternative Power to the People," "Rest Your Head," and "I Am Free." These feel the most like "classic" Dandys tracks while the rest feels like the band is looking for a new sound or is simply trying out something a little different.... Regardless, this is still a strong album and can hold more than a candle against the vast majority of what's coming out elsewhere in the music world. And don't dismiss "This Machine" if you didn't like it the first time; it's one of those albums that grows on you after a few listens. Read more ›

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dandys' Best in Years April 25, 2012

By Brandon J. Smith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

"I Am Free" stands out as the big highlight for me, but on This Machine, The Dandy Warhols have finally delivered another album that is rock solid from start to finish. I liked their last couple albums well enough, but Odditorium and Earth to the Dandy Warhols were sloppy, to say the least. They both had some great songs, but listening from start to finish could be a bit draining. That's not the case this time out: It's not as electro-slick as Welcome to the Monkey House, but it's not as rootsy as Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia either. It's somewhere in between those two albums, perhaps closest to my favorite, Come Down. That's a good thing: Though it's clearly a Dandy Warhols album through and through, it's definitely not a repeat of their earlier albums.

There are things that Courtney Taylor and company do better than any other band around, and this has been so since the late 90s: extraordinary harmonies and great rock and roll grooves. They find sonic spaces, get you in their grip, and hold you there for as long as they want. This is not easy to do. They create textures while other bands may simply drone on and on. Despite often being labeled "ironic," I've always felt a great deal of emotion in the Dandy Warhols' music, and this is perhaps best represented on This Machine.

I think longtime fans will not be disappointed. Newcomers, this is definitely worth checking out. If you like it, there are plenty more great albums by this band, too. This is a band well worth your while to get into.