Customer Reviews

Trans-Continental Hustle [Vinyl]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard to continually raise the bar on a genre that you create for yourself and yet still remain fresh or creative. That said, there's something missing on Trans-Continental Hustle that was so eye-opening on Gogol Bordello`s Gypsy Punks, so explosive on Super Taranta! that it's hard to pinpoint. The energy is here, Hutz is still Hutz, the pace is frenetically balanced between traditional punk, gypsy, and Carnaval atmosphere, with the immigrant-centric worldliness still representing the core of the band. And despite the difficult task of incorporating a more discernible Latin sound tied to punk, there's still something missing.

Many have noted the now infamous photo of the band wearing matching garb promoting the release of the TCH, a ominous sign of something completely antithetical to the core of GB and punk itself, a band comprised of wildly diverse elements too unrestrained to be coerced into uniformity. It could point to the more polished nature of the album as a whole. For since this album is under the purview of mega-producer Rick Rubin, I suspect that GB's talents, and perhaps its greatest asset, raw unpredictability, may be sacrificed for family-friendly airplay. Take the songs Uma Memina, Last One Goes The Hope, Rebellious Love and To Rise Above, for example. The backup singers sound distinctly bored with their restrained wailing. Gone is the occasional though necessary explicit lyric, and less predominant is the evocative gypsy violin from Sergey Ryabtsev in favor of the strumming of acoustic guitar.

That's not to say there are unworthy tracks here. Rebellious Love, My Companjera, In the Meantime in Pernambuco, and the epically momentum building When Universes Collide are all worthy of addition to the elite GB songs. GB's songwriting has always been intelligent, fun and belligerent, and it doesn't deviate much on TCH. In fact, the lyrics are probably as tight as they have been on previous albums; the fever to which they're musically set simply isn't as wild or spontaneous.

For the handful of standouts in this album, for me it doesn't match the intensity of Super Taranta! and Gypsy Punks. I don't blame the band for going in a more polished direction; it was bound to happen that someone influential with the promise of a big payday would try to latch onto GB. I'm thankful that it didn't detract too much from Trans-Continental Hustle, and that it happened after two supremely powerful releases. Trans-Continental Hustle is a fine, if perhaps too well-produced album that while not as overwhelmingly definitive, continues Gogol Bordello's recognition in the realm of worldly punk.

I was surprised when I first read several user reviews of Gogol Bordello's new album that criticized it heavily. After having listened to this album several times over, and being a long time listener of Gogol Bordello, I feel comfortable saying they were quite wrong. I suspect they wanted the band to just rehash the sound and beats that they had gotten used to. The thing is that Gogol Bordello has a stated purpose of constantly innovating and changing up their music in order to prove an aesthetic argument. And I think they succeed here. There is the same underlying passion and energy, but it is at times more subtle or subdued. Furthermore, they once more find ways to incorporate new folk traditions from around the world and emerge with a sound that is novel and refreshing once more. If you only like the punk sound of the Gypsy Punks album, maybe this is not for you. If you enjoy interesting and innovative music, than I would suggest this album. One user was trying to declare Gogol Bordello's music dead with this album. Fortunately, they seem to be in good aesthetic health.

This is what happens when you take a good punk rock gypsy Balkan band (or whatever descriptors fit it best) with a great formula, and try and change the formula by over-producing it. The soul has been stripped out of this band by mediocre backing instrumentals that could easily be a "one sound fits all other rock bands", namely acoustic guitar.
I was eagerly awaiting this new release, and so much wanted to like it, but there were too many things that did not sound right.
Stripped of the debauchery, humour, screaming backing vocals, Sergeys energetic violin and the accordion, this album is sadly lacking - a lot.

The publishers blurb says "...primal energy...Ska, Metal, Punk, Rap, Dub". Unfortunately, in my opinion, these have all been produced right out of the original sound of Gogol Bordello. What is left is a mediocre rock/pop sound. You would be hard pressed to find anything Balkan or danceable (in the crazy style of Eugene Hutz) here.
On the good side, the vocals and lyrics are still great, and definitely have potential. If the album was redone with the wildness of "Gypsy Punks" it could still be a great album. No doubt when performing this album live, some of the wildness will creep back in. I will await the remake...

Okay, so anyone who owns a Gogol Bordello album will most likely automatically purchase this album, but for those who don't know who Gogol Bordello is, this is one of the best albums they have put out. Trans-Continental Hustle is a little more mellow than anything they have put out before, but still maintains the frantic nature of past albums. They will never be truly radio friendly, but this album is close. Yet another home run by the Gypsy Punks!

TCH is a brilliant synthesis of what, at first, appear to be contradictions. GB is a punk band, but the instrumentation is often acoustic. They are a fiercely political band, but lyrics sometimes explore the interpersonal rather the sociopolitical. They're from Eastern Europe, but one hears rhythms from South America.
The contradictions are superficial. The album is deeply rooted. The bands's heart, head, and spirit are right where they've always been: revolution punk.
You might question this on occasion during tracks 1-4, which sometimes display an unexpected delicacy (esp. "Sun on my Side."). But then, like mindreaders, GB address your concerns with "Imigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)," a ferocious declaration-of-purpose. The following track, "When Universes Collide," is like the Clash's White Riot in reverse: These are people who *have* a riot of their own, and dare you to join it. "Break the Spell," a compelling call to action, affirms the band's punk roots; the track ends with a subtle tribute to the Sex Pistols. (In case you missed the reference, Percussionist/MC Pedro Erazo wears a Never Mind the Bollocks shirt in liner photos.) When, "just because [he] came from Roma camp on the hill." Eugune Hutz is "put . . . in a school for mentally ill," you know there's a problem, and the problem is not the immigrant punks. The problem, society, is you. The fact that Mr. Hutz's guitar is acoustic makes the lesson no less powerful.

After settling on the current format, Gogol Bordello released the revolutionary Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike (2005) followed by the brilliant Super Taranta! (2007), both 5 star records with the former introducing a new raw hybrid sound, grounded in the vibe of a raucous Gypsy /Eastern European Wedding but drawing influence from a wide variety of musical sources, with the latter record a slightly more refined version of the same formula. By the release of Super Taranta!, Gogol Bordello had arguably ascended to the throne of "Heavy Weight champions of the World" ...the highest energy, most compelling live show on the planet. After having seen 15 or so concerts in the aftermath of these releases, I remember the scene vividly of Gogol Bordello tearing the roof off of Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont in August 2009 (the former home of frontman Eugene Hutz) the show ending with percussionist Elizabeth Sun crowd surfing on top of her bass drum and Hutz climbing aboard while hanging from the rafters ...it was as if the feedback loop between musicians and audience, and resulting energy, had red-lined ..and one had to wonder if it were possible for the band to sustain this level of intensity.

Enter legendary producer Rick Rubin ...an important creative force in the rock and roll influenced hip-hop that launched Run-DMC and The Beastie Boys and of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" where the expanded songwriting and vocal scope of Anthony Kiedis combined with the integration of the melodic genius of guitarist John Frusciante produced an ingenious record, for which he almost certainly should derive significant credit. Simply put, this man has been a big, active part of some great music.

However, in the case of Trans-Continental Hustle (and the ensuing live performances of the band) the addition of Rubin may be viewed, in some way, as a negative. While Gogol Bordello owes its success to the powerful, collective musical vibe of the band members, Rubin's influence seems to have placed greater emphasis on the dutiful execution of some carefully constructed songs ... and the result is a collection where, in many cases, the intensity of the raw energy, peak output and the optimum performance of the players has been compromised. While it has its high points, the magic appears only sporadically on this record. The best indication of this is recent live performances, where shows (formerly two solid hours of mindful euphoria..comprised of roughly 90% material from the GP:UWS and ST! records) have blocks of lower energy with the crowd fidgeting, sometimes paying only fleeting attention to the performance.

So, in summary, this record is worth buying, because Gogol Bordello is one of the best acts in the world, and everything that they do has merit, but in this case Rubin over-tinkered with something that wasn't broken and the result is a small step down from previous efforts. If you want to get in touch with this band, explore first the records mentioned above. While I consider Trans Continental Hustle (and the music of Gogol Bordello) to be a wonderful gift, I would certainly welcome a return to the formula which best represents their strengths.

I'm not good at reviewing music because I feel like I treat a subjective topic as if it was objective a little. I act as if my personal tastes should somehow effect other people's subjective desires.

So I'll try to keep this short and sweet, and be adaptive even for people who don't share my tastes.

Personally, I like Gogol Bordello a lot, in case you can't tell from the 5 of 5 star rating for this particular album.
Before buying this album (which I'm verified to have purchased through Amazon.com), I already had Underdog World Strike and Super Taranta. I was hoping for songs along the quality of those two albums, and I got what I wanted.

There are two categories of people.

1) People who have already heard of Gogol Bordello.
2) People who have not.

If you're in category 1, you should already know if you like the band, in general.
If you already like Gogol, then this album is for you. They haven't lost any talent or song writing ability since their last few albums, and if anything, have made minor tweaks and improvements to their way of doing things.
If you don't like them already, then this album is not for you. It's not radically different, and won't offer you something you'll like, compared to previous albums of theirs.

If you're in category 2, I think I can still help you.
Try looking up Gogol Bordello up on video sites online (like Youtube) and watching a few music videos.
Check out the "Pala Tute" video. It's a song from this album. If you like what you're seeing and hearing, then you'll like most of their songs.

They are not the kind of band that has only one or two good songs on an album. They ARE the kind of band where you can listen to an album start to finish, and feel like you went on a musical journey. All that's left for a new person is to decide is if they like that journey or not.

I was a little concerned when I heard Gogol Bordello had made the leap to major labels (Colombia/American). Would the suits at CBS tamp down the energy of Eugene Hutz and his cross-cultural/generational band of music makers? Would Rick Rubin enhance these guys or suck them dry?

My fears were allayed as soon as "Pala Tute" kicked in. It's as ferocious and as fun/funny as anything the band has done to date. And as a reality check to the folks that have given "Transcontinental Hustle" tepid reviews, nobody, and I mean no-one, rocks an accordion and fiddle like Gogol Bordello. The buildup that climaxes "When Universes Collide" is new even for GB, showing that the band is still fine with taking risks. And both "Raise The Knowledge" and the title song continue to mine a fierce political streak.

In short, any band that claims to find their inspiration "in my headphones is Bob Marley and Joe Strummer" is going to have a hard time watering their sound down. "Transcontinental Hustle" is already one of my favorite albums of the year, and I'm really happy that GB survived the transition with their soul intact.

If you're buying this album in hopes that it is as fun and energetic as Gypsy Punks or Super Taranta!, you will be SORELY disappointed. Its a somewhat mellow album, and actually kind of boring compared to the ones I listed. Don't get me wrong, there are some good songs on the album (Sun is On My Side is absolutely stunning), but I'm not sure I'd recommend this album to others. Of course, it could be one that you really have to be in the mood for. I'm not against a band evolving, as its to be expected, but I just thought this was kind of a weak album. I definately expected much more.

Ever since I first heard this band on the Henry Rollins show I was hooked. On a world where most music is a repetitive approach, so many out there playing but so very few that are truly hot, these people are a much needed breath of fresh air. Their particular style, the blend of cultures one hears and their frenetic but controlled approach to their sound. Accordions, fiddles violins?, guitars, bass and a group of talented musicians driven by a different drummer. Come to find out that this singer is truly a man of the world, living in Brazil nowadays. He is music personified and yes, I can see him playing by himself with an acoustic guitar anywhere, anytime. This is truly a music troubadour with eastern europe foremost on his makeup. Those gypsies over there are serious business! Their code of living is not your 9-5 got get promoted type mentality. They roam, they suck the marrow of life because they are genetically disposed to travel and they sure value music and dance. This is not your Pink Floyd, immersing the listener on themes of alienation and systematic pulses where the listener, hopefully blissfully high at the moment, listens to Money, Us and Them, letting their music, played to perfection, transport one completely into an extension of their sound. I do not know why I bring Pink Floyd into the picture because they are and have always been at the top of their game when it comes to sheer entertainment. No, Gogol Bordello is never the norm of what the Billboard reflects on their ritualistic tabulations of who is number one (Justin Bieber?) and who is down the line. Gogol Bordello don't play for the accolades that Billboard promotes, they are probably more from the streets than from the glamour of TV guide and American Idol. This you can call underground music, fiercely melodic, world savvy and a lead man with a flare. Great album, it appears their evolution as a group has only got them tighter. I am not sophisticated enough to be able to pinpoint the influence that Paul Rubin (famous producer or something?) has had in the band or if this new management has detoured them from their suspected path. All I know is that I was feeling frisky, cold beer happy surrounded by the craziest but coolest company, a nice desire to party on and when this whole album came out of the above average speakers at a very nice volume (there are times when you just have to crank the volume up!) it had enough of what was needed. This is not fake music and Mr. Eugene Hutz? (I am a wreck at last names!) is a rare find. I give them 5 Stars for their kind of music incites something on me that is sorely required. To me they are a band of gypsies doing what they do best and more people should take the time to give them a listen. They are something else, Hot Stuff, way past the boring zone.