Customer Reviews

Timeless (2 Disc Set)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Look no further, lads and lassies, this is the album that defined "jungle," that unsteady skittery mix of breakbeats and deep dubby base; rhythm, but no distinct rules for it. That's jungle. No mainstream artist has ever produced anything like "Timeless." The title (and first) track consists of three parts: "Inner City Life," "Jah," and "Pressure." Twenty minutes long, but it's instantly accessible. Probably one of the only jungle /drum 'n bass tracks where the instrumental part is actually more interesting than the vocal (All of the other tracks follow suit, particularly "A Sense of Rage"). No other MAINSTREAM jungle artist can do this! C'mon, we're all grown up enough here to admit that the only interesting tracks on Roni Size's "New Forms" were the ones with vocals!

A brief history on the man himself...Goldie discovered breakbeats at London's Rage nightclub with his then girlfriend Kemistry and her DJ-ing partner Storm. Rage utilised reggae soundsystems and DJs like Grooverider to push breakbeats to new heights. After exposure to this, Goldie created "Timeless" in 1995 (if I may correct the previous reviewer), and formed the Metalheadz label, now one of the premier labels in Jungle and Drum 'n Bass. Metalheadz is now also a club in London where Goldie is king and top-notch jungle can be heard every week. LTJ Bukem, Alex Reece, Roni Size....nothing these guys have produced can touch "Timeless"...well, because it truly is.

This is one of the finest cd's I've ever heard. I have a collection of over 400 cd's (and ever growing) and I would rank this one in the top 5. This cd is to drum 'n bass what "Kind of Blue" is to jazz, the standard by which everything else is measured. Goldie composes these songs with great finesse and tremendous emotional impact, at one moment subtle, the next lush, even trippy. The singing is beautiful and ethereal, the instrumentation well crafted, and effects are used smartly, such as the sounds of ocean surf and seagull cries in "Sea of Tears" that help impart a sense of loss, these effects blend in seemlessly and it's sheer genius. I've listened to this cd for 2 years now and it never gets old. The three part song "Timeless" alone is worth the price of admission with it's slow steady build, frenetic middle piece, and ghostly, delicate ending, just a wonderful musical movement. The flow between songs is superb, the production is excellent, and the song structures are inspired. If I had to sum this cd up in a word it would be "haunting". Hauntingly beautiful.

I had heard of this album on numerous occasions by many fans and online reviews as being the cornerstone of the Drum 'n Bass genre. So when I got time I looked through several of the local music stores to find this album, and to my surprise I ran out of luck and out of places to look (For some reason this is one tough cookie to find!). So I ended up downloading the entire album through a file sharing network and burned it.

So one night I was stoned out of my mind and I put this sucker in, having not heard one track until I put it in my car stereo, and let me tell you......

....I was in pure awe.

I listened to both discs without skipping a single track, and the eerie silence of the time it took to change discs made life feel almost naked. It's that good.

The dark,lush soundscapes, the atmosphere that surrounds you, and the feel and the concept of the album is absolutely fantastic. It nearly made me feel as if I were transcending into space, it sounded so unreal.

From the opening crescendo of the epic 21 minute "Timeless" to the closing electonic beats of the Rabbit's Short Attention Span Edit of "Inner City Life," it's hard to believe that something made ten years ago can sound so refreshing. Some of the material on here is very moving and surreal. If you don't know what it's about, it still somehow manages to speak to you. And that is something very few artists have the ability to do, and Goldie does it. Phenomenal.

Take this "Timeless" journey and have your every sensation warmed, chilled, and turned upside down. Whatever it takes, by all means get this album.

This cd should be hanging on a wall in some museum because it's not just a collection of songs, it's a musical work of art. The emotion and creative effort that Goldie put into this cd is evident on every track. Each track has a story to tell, starting off with the 21 minute epic journey Inner City Life/Pressure/Jah that is worth the price of the cd by itself.

But don't stop there. I've had this cd for many years and every now and then I "rediscover" it and find something new. It's hard to pick favorites but I've played 'Sensual' more times than any other song in my entire life. The track is so unique in it's structure that I've never heard anything quite like it. 'Sensual' is a perfect title but there are sounds that also invoke a profound sense of longing. Just an incredibly emotional song, a piece of art really.

'Sea of Tears' is stunningly beautiful and complex. Birds, ocean sounds, and guitar give this song a nice atmospheric quality. Another unique and startlingly original composition.

'Kemistry' is a drum n' bass tour de force. Rapid drums and deep bass lines pound away and become increasingly intense as the track progresses until a frenzy of bass and drums is pounding you into submission by the end.

I could go on. There's not a weak track on the whole thing. This cd should never be out of print and it is as I write this. Goldie can be proud that he's forever left his mark with this masterpiece of modern music.

Goldie's Timeless CD is a CD I was given for my birthday this year. As a fan of Drum & Bass, Jungle, and other forms of Electronica, I wasn't displeased. This is quite the album. It defines the genre of music, literally. Goldie proves there are no boundaries and no rules to follow. It all flows nicely. The 21 minute mini masterpiece "Timeless" which features 3 tracks i. Inner City Life ii. Pressure and iii. Jah is just the beginning of the icing on this cake. The other seven tracks are part of this journey and compliment each other quite well. Each track is distinct, yet not too different. "Saint Angel" "Sensual" "Kemistry" and "Sea of Tears" are other highlights, although I assure you there are no bad tracks on this cd! This is a nice buy, especially for fans of Drum & Bass and Jungle, which he pretty much began with this cd. You'll see why its such a must have once you listen to it!

It's hard to call this album drum n bass. There's so much more to it than what most drum n bass gives you. From lush, rolling nature atmospheres to hard hitting pitch shifts teamed with female vocals to rnb piano type thing, this album tries everything. Goldie probably got mobbed by a lot of stupid hardcore dnb fans after the release of this album, but that doesn't matter now. He's supplied the people with one of the greatest CD's of electronic music, and taken "drum n bass" about a zillion steps forward. After this came out, a new breed of dnb artists popped up, throwing more emotions and soul into their previously boring and calculated stylings. Think Roni Size and LTJ Bukem. Two of the biggest names in dnb, and I think they were greatly inspired by Mr. Goldie.

Every facet of this album cries individuality and humble importance. It starts right off with "Timeless". 21 minutes? Yeah, that's right. It really doesn't have "three parts", it is all really just one big mix of cool stuff. It has a bit of a hollow feel, actually. There aren't many things backing the song up, but in that sense, it has a drifting and freelancing quality. After that, you're bombarded with heavy dnb beats on "Saint Angel". But this bumbling yelps and wacked drums last long enough to be enjoyable and entertaining, and it runs into "State Of Mind". This is a rnb inspired track with full female vocals. It has this cool warm rain feel, supplied by harp, and it makes you feel warm inside, as well. Enter "Sea Of Tears". This is quite possibly my favorite track on this album. Piano and vocal samples paired with nature sounds to supply a moving experience. You have to really hear it to understand. "Angel". Somwhat similar to "Saint Angel". But with cool vox. "Sensual". Hard hitting pitch shifts and a female vocal sample. Quite cool! "Kemistry". Apparently dedicated to the recently deceased Kemistry and Storm dnb DJ, Kemistry. She was a mentor to Goldie, and in the insert it says she gave him much inspiration. A touching song. "You and Me" is next. Great song to close with. Cool warm piano with some piano.

Yeah, I know I'm bad at giving song descriptions, but when you listen to this album, the whole thing will be like one song. The whole thing flows quite nicely, stopping occasionally only to showcase it's superb qualities. This is one of the great albums of my generation, and it should be remembered as a classic. Or even, maybe, Timeless. (yeah, I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true).

"Inner City Life" and it's various mixes must be one the drum & bass anthems anyway. Heavy beats and bass combine with soulful vocals and productions combine to make this arguably album of it's genre and it's a double CD set too. Also check out Roni Size's "New Forms", the fellow king and his legacy.

Everyone agrees that this is a classic of jungle or drum n' bass, but be aware that this is really almost a modern jazz or jazz fusion record, spiced or driven, with jungle percussion. Now drum n' bass is really the child of free form jazz drumming anyway, so this makes sense, but if you are looking for a clubby or high energy kind of jungle, you won't find it here.

Much of this disc is quite orchestral in nature; and you are aware that you are listening to skillful arrangements of actual songs--most of which have real singing--not just "tracks". In particular, most songs have lengthy one or two minute jazz keyboard or string explorations before any percussion hits in. Case in point, the opening opus, where nearly two minuts stretches out before a groove kicks in. Depending on your mood, or where you are listening, this can be a bit frustrating.

You could go as far as to say that there is almost more emphasis on the underlying melody, arrangements and on the soul laden vocals, than the percussion. Take the jungle beats out and you would have a nice jazz/soul record that stands on its own. That said, the beats are quite superb, and even stunning in parts, when they arrive.

None of this means it isn't great, but perhaps you need to know all this before you buy. Really, this disc is "art jungle" or "jazz jungle" and its heart is not in the club. Rather, its a late night record, a litte esoteric, a little exploratory, representing the mournful sound of the alienating city and all that. That said, enjoy.

at first when i saw this i thought that i wouldn't like it because it's jungle. You might feel the same way, but have you listened to it yet? Well then... So i listened to all the sample's and thought that it didn't really sounds like something from the jungle at all. But that's the thing, jungle doesn't really sound like something from a jungle, it's just called that because the beats aren't allways in a perfect pattern, and sound kinda junglie, that's all. This may sound kinda corny, but...this music doesn't come from the jungle, it comes from Goldie's heart. You've gotta get this one! It's one of my favorite albums of all time!

Goldie was one of the biggest artists of Drum&Bass or Jungle as it also is called and this is his life work. A real Drum&Bass classic, it's meliodic and beautiful with great samples and female voices on some songs, far from the hardcore stuff you might think of when you hear about Drum&Bass. "Sea of Tears" is a good example of that. Another good song is "Sensual" with a female voice and slow sound mixed with fast drums. The real classic is however the 21 minute long masterpiece "Timeless". Actually it's 3 songs in it but anyway, if you just like parts of it then just listen to "Inner City Life" which was a quite big hit for him. It includes female voices, haunting sound and ofcourse the obvious drum sound. Not all songs sound the same, and that's why i like this album. If you want a rougher song, then you'll like "Saint Angel" with a weird electronic sound and fast drums. Many artists have been influented by this album, Roni Size is probably one of the biggest Drum&Bass artisst out there right now with another good album in "Life Forms" on ATB's new album there was a song called "Cabana Moon" with clear influents from this album. "Timeless" is indeed Timeless.