Customer Reviews

Three Ep's

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Those of you wanting to know what all the hoopla is about, here is what you can expect in a nutshell: First off, "Dry the Rain", in the High Fidelity soundtrack, is most definitely NOT representative of this band. The film actually did the band a bit of a disservice by showing actors bobbing their heads up and down and saying how good it sounds. What John Cusack should have said then is "The rest of the CD doesn't sound anything at all like this, folks."

Think "Revolution #9" with a funky back beat. Though that's not entirely accurate either, because there are a bunch of songs on here that don't fit that description. Most of the time you'll get nice bosomy acoustic guitar strumming and monotone singing mixed very low on to of it, then lots and lots of baroque touches of sampled sound effects to add a sort of millefleur of color behind it. Bird chirps, record scratches, kitten meows, 70's synth bits, and about a million other inch-long snippets of random recording tape populate what are at their core just basic indie-rock grooves repeated for 5 minutes. I wholeheartedly agree with another reviewer who said that the recording quality is to be admired. These guys really know how to use all the buttons on their recording equipment.

Essentially, this is very minimalist music, but their amazing attention to detail keep it always interesting.

Last impression, imagine you're looking down at a simple spotted blanket. But then as you bend down closer, you realize they aren't spots at all, but little charms, gems and trinkets. Suddenly, what you thought was just a blanket becomes an incredibly complex collage of hundreds of tiny, beautiful things.

Despite being early in their careers, the Beta Band is probably the best band to ever come out of Scotland. The 3 EPs shows them at their best and not the self titled debut album. If can listen to song Dry The Rain, and not fall in love with these guys, i cant help a case like you.

The 3 EPs has such a amazing variety of sounds and genres within. I remember trying to describe them to a friend of mine. it went like this- "well, they have a sort of alternative folk-rock sound to them, but they also bring in electronic, hip-hop, and avant-guard. oh yeah , they just love to jam out". his response-"wow.... thats alot"

The best Ep on here is Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos. Its very somber with a hint of light at the end. I enjoy it more than most full length albums.

A review though really is useless for the Beta Band. just try to get a listen of some of their songs (Dry the rain, Inner meeet me, Needles in my eyes) and see for yourself. You will either love it or hate it with a 4:1 chance of loving it i bet.

I recently stumbled upon this recommendation in one of those 25 desert island discs lists and thought, "whoa there, the Beta Band? who the hell are they?" After a bit of web surfing, I found page after page of accolades and was tempted to purchase both the 3 eps and the self titled long player. Wonderful. How refreshing. These will last years and years of enjoyable playing under all sorts of circumstances. They will just keep on growing. Without repeating the other reviewers, who I think have captured the sentiment pretty accurately, I guess, what else strikes me is the competency of the recording mix. Given the huge ambition of the soundscape they are attempting, they have technically blended their exotic aural masala deftly. This is not a slacker, throw away piece. it is deliberate and artful and it works beautifully. Comparing the two cds, the 3 eps has more funk - a more head bobbing backbeat, shimmering hammonds, fuzztone layers etc. The self-titled is a more deeply referenced tapestry. Compared to 99.999% of the rubbish out there in the music place, this excels. P.S. throw away your new Gomez cds after this - they just sound like a clumsy pearl jam.

Whether or not this band is "brilliant" is entirely besides the point... What the Beta Band are about on these early EPs is HAVING FUN. These are goofy, indulgent, purposefully repetitive psychedelic grooves, music to space out to and enjoy. The End. If that sounds good to you, pick this album up and see what you think. Leave the fanboy "they rock" vs. "they suck" debates to the teenagers, indie nerds and would-be giantkillers who have too much time on their hands and think they have to prove themselves everytime a popular record comes along. If listening to music is more important to you than being part of a "scene" then you might like this a lot.

This album seems to get either one star or five stars from Amazon customers. As with anything where people have such strong feelings, it's probably worth a listen to form your own opinion. I couldn't possibly say that you (whoever you are) will actually like this album. You may have found The Beta Band because you heard "Dry The Rain" in High Fidelity, or you may have found them from hearing "Squares" on the Six Feet Under soundtrack. If you like "Squares," or "Dry The Rain," then I think you will like this album. But maybe not. I don't know. I can say that I read the reviews, and I bought the album anyway. At first, I was disappointed. I didn't like most of the songs the first time I heard them. But I left it in the CD player, and listened again, and then again, and now I am utterly, utterly in love. It is (in my opinion) some great, great stuff.

How can one say that a small, underappreciated, terrific band was done a disservice by having their music disseminated by a fairly good movie soundtrack? Dry the rain happens to be a great song that isn't necessarily in the same vein as monolith, but a good representation of the band nonetheless. After all, the band wrote it, recorded it, and made it the A side to their first EP. So who cares if their latest albums are more spacey, less poppy. The fact of the matter is, all of their output, including Dry the Rain, is amazing and interesting and innovative. To whoever is reading this 'review' - buy everything you can find by The Beta Band - it's worth it. And don't listen to those who seem to think this music is esoteric and above those who were initiated through Dry the Rain. I bet a good deal of those fans wound up loving the crazy and out stuff the band has to offer as much as the popcraft.

So the Beta Band broke up. This brings me deep sorrow, I tried to just brush it off, "hey, at least they left some great music for me to listen to, right?" Yes. That's correct. But still.... I don't know how to explain it, but I thought it would make me feel better to write down how amazing they were in my eyes for a bunch of people I will never meet to read and not care. Or not even care enough to read.
So, High Fidelity. Best movie ever. Bar none. Top 5 Movies: 1) High Fidelity. 2) High Fidelity. 3) High Fidelity. 4) High Fidelity. 5) High Fidelity. That's the list. I said to myself, "that song by that one band was really sweet, yo" (I sometimes refer to myself as yo.) And then I downloaded it, Dry the Rain, I fell in love, downloaded Needles in my Eyes, I fell in love. I was not satisfied with my love triangle, so I purchased the Three EP's hoping for more greatness. I got it. I love it. Top 5 albums: just kidding. But it's definitely on there. Each song makes me feel different but at the same time they all make me feel happy.
-Dry the Rain - happy and all tingly inside. Kicks off the album perfectly. One of the best songs ever written.
-I Know - happy and nice and mellow. Super cool and seemingly effortless. It just flows through me.
-B+A - happy and groovin'. I said groovin'. Instrumental that builds and pleases.
-Dogs Got a Bone - happy and kinda sad. Excellent all the way through. The doo doos at the end are so wonderful I could just eat 'em up.
-Inner Meet Me - happy and spacey. Just a fun, sing-a-long track
-The House Song - happy and weird. Just a plain cool song. The rap makes me crack up each time I hear it.
-Monolith - ok, i lied. This song kinda sucks. Maybe I just don't get it, but it bores me so. 15 minutes is too long, especially if nothing happens. Sorry.
-She's the One - happy and ... happy. I love the lyrics. Repitition just makes them better. Brilliant epic song.
-Push It Out - happy and sleepy. People who don't like this album usually cite this song. Those people suck. This song is pretty boring at first but it gets good, just put it on and drift away.
-It's Over - happy and in love. The whole thing makes me melt. The imagery. I am in love with this song and we will be wed one day.
-Dr. Baker - happy and nostalgic. Reminds me of A Day in the Life by ... what was their name again? Oh, the Beatles. Yes. This song is worthy of comparison.
-Needles in my Eyes - happy and relieved. The real reason I bought the album. The chorus is so good, I could die and be satisfied. Excellent closer.
Well, that made me feel better. If my review helps you on your way to buying the album, you will not regret it. If you do, then I give you my condolences. You sadden me. And then I listen to It's Over, which suddenly has new meaning, and i melt. I only wish I could have seen them live. Toodles.

this album is considered to be the best of the beta band, and i can see why. this original sound and interesting lyrics make the long songs not long enough (average length of a song is about 6 minutes). i admit the middle EP (songs 5-8) are not the best but i love inner meet me and she's the one is pretty good. i admit you kind of have to be in a special mood to listen and appreciate them (some describe them as "boring") but being a mellow person i indulge myself in their nostalgic and kind of detached yet emotional sound. i would highly reccommend this CD to anyone who enjoys lying on their bedroom floor and listening to heart moving sounds.

Pardon me, Mr. Owen, but weren't you a character in "High Fidelity"?

"Dry the Rain" is as representative of the band as any other song, and I often bob my head while listening to it.

That notwithstanding, this is an excellent, quirky cd. Some songs are more straightforward, others are weird instrumental fun. Kind of like Cornershop without the South Asian influence.

I've had the good fortune of driving in Scotland, an excellent method of refining ones sense of humor. Scots themselves, The Beta Band are great fun. And thus, incredibly serious. I pay a bit of attention to detail, and I noticed on the back of the CD box the cut and pasted lines "another bee god will be operated at a maximum of 150mph". How can you not love such surly madness. And the music is better. Everybody knows the good stuff: Dry the Rain, Inner Meet Me, etc. 'Please listen and you will see' the deft and subtle power of Dogs Got a Bone. The deconstructed harmonica solo and the repeating chorus stand in stark contrast to one another, a feature of TBB music in general. I can't get over the cheezy intro to Inner Meet Me. Perfect.