Customer Reviews

Uneasy Listening 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

LYRICS...LYRICS...LYRICS!! Rock stars of the future take note! You can write all the head banging fender laden tunes you want, but eventually you will be asked to sit on a stool and strum out an acoustic version of your top 10 hit, and guess what...if the lyrics ain't there you look as foolish as Britney (even with underwear) at OZZFEST. To its credit Uneasy Listening VOL. 1 would stand on its own merits even if the listener was never exposed to any of HIM's other releases. Goth, Metal, Love Metal, call them what you want but HIM is first and foremost a ROCK band and the great thing about their music is that the rock sound is combined with lyrics that aren't of a typical rock sensibility. They sing about more then sex drugs and rock-n-roll. OH! that's in there, but they also make statements about love, death and all that's in-between. That's what sets HIM apart and also what makes this CD so worth listening to. The lyrics, and the chameleon like vocals of lead singer Ville Valo, take on a much deeper and other-worldly meaning when stripped down. And I do mean "stripped down". I dare anyone to pop this CD in on a quiet night with a loved one and not be "Belly-bouncing" by track 4. The passion of the lyrics and Ville's voice takes the material and the listener to a higher level. Favorite tracks and lyrics on the CD are: The Sacrament ("My church is not of silver and gold it's glory lies beyond judgment of souls the commandments are of consolation and warmth"), Join me ("So before life tears us apart let death bless me with you"), Close to the flame (The smile kindest in this world so cold"), Buried alive by love ("The kiss of vanity blessed me with spiritual murder"), Gone with the sin (I love every single tear you cry"), Please don't let it go ("Loves singing our song but we fail to sing along").

Well, I'll try not to make this a biased comment, only because I'm a huge HIM fan, and their music is probably the most down to earth stuff my ears get to catch.
The acoustic version of "The Funeral of Hearts" is incredible, along with "Buried Alive by Love." You can really hear Vallo giving his all to both of those, and not to mention the Apocalyptica hauntings in "Gone With the Sin." Definitely worth buying, and a must-have for anyone who liked even one song of His Infernal Majesty.

This cd was pretty good. I have to disagree with the other review about the vocals not being good, because they are. I think its nice to hear a song in a different way. One of the best tracks is the "Salt in our Wounds" remix. It took forever for HIM to be released in the US, so now I think they are trying to get new fans to listen to their older tracks. If you like the first couple of albums, then you will probably like this one as well.

I've been hearing about H.I.M. for quite a while now from friends, the buzz from internet radio stations, and from those helpful Amazon.com recommendation that continully tell me what they think I might like. Always willing to try new music, I picked up this album and gave it a listen. I am very pleased that I did.

Since this is a compilation of remixes with some live performances, this cd gives a nice, if incomplete overview of the band's catalog of work. I found most of the cuts very appealing, though in some cases down right mellow. Most of the tracks are excellent; a few that stand out for me are THE SACRAMENT, CLOSE TO THE FLAME, IN JOY AND SORROW (string version), and FOR YOU.

So, is this Goth? Emo? Metal? I don't know what label best describes H.I.M. Various songs remind me of Nine Inch Nails, Chris Issac, The Cure, Nick Cave....kind of all of the above. In any case, it's well worth a listen if you aren't familiar with this band, and I imagine that long time fans will love this work as well.

P.S. I love the Art Nouveau artwork on the jacket! A very nice touch.

I have been a HIM fan for the better part of the past 4 years, and was fortunate enough to see this band from Finland live in South Carolina at the Myrtle Beach House Of Blues. This Cd is a very nice addition to any true HIM fan's collection. Some of the tracks are already on the singles box set, but there are some new versions of some that really are awesome, including "the Path", one of my personal favorites of all their songs. For the definitive and passionate "True" HIM fan, you wont be dissapointed.

Well for starters I'm a Very big HIM fan, but not just of HIM, but of Gothic rock and Finish music. So I guess it's hard to say, but this was a let down. Not because of quality of tracks...but the selection used. Most of these can be found on the Singles collection box set. Which includes the vast majority of these and MANY other great tracks. So if you can drop the extra $$$, go for the box set. The Rock version of Beautiful is worth the price alone.

My daughter was thrilled to get this cd- she loves H.I.M. and this cd was an awesome one to add to her collection.

HIM is the best band ever! All the other music is crap. The lyrics are kind of stupid about dying but the love songs are good. Best music with percussion, acoustic guitar, even strings makes this the best music in the world.

As a HUGE HIM fan (seriously... I drove over 600 miles ONE WAY over 1,300 miles round trip!! to see them in concert, waited in line all day to make sure I was right in front row on the main floor..then had to stand there through 3 bands b4 HIM came on! and.. I went by myself..drove alone, went alone and nothing was going to stop me lol .. and so you know-- my spine surgeon said absolutely not was I going to this much less main floor in front being squished.. I have a spine disease that keeps getting worse & there's nothing they can do..so I was in severe pain, but when Ville as singing his amazing lyrics I felt zero pain.. you become sucked into it and he has much to say deep, and so poetic.

I promice to try my hardest not to go overboard, but I want to give an example of how Ville gets his feelings and emotions across without ever using "plain" words as other bands.. he's deep and makes you stop and think about what it is he ust said, what is he telling you, what is he giving all of us as a gift because he also puts his soul into everything and exposes his innermost thoughts with his voice..

QUOTE from: "The Sacrament" I hear you weep so far from me, I taste your tears like you're next to me...And I know...My weak prayers are not enough to heal. Oh the ancient wounds so deep and so dear..The revelation is of hatred and fear.....
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QUOTE from:"Buried alive by love" The kiss of vanity blessed me with a spiritual murder,And fed the gods of war insatiable.Your home is where the dark is. I should have told herEmbrace the fire indestructible.......
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QUOTE from: "Salt in our wounds" Here we are In the maelstrom of love, Waiting for the calm To soothe our hearts....
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Soooo you could say I'm hopelessly addicted he has captured me completely. ....... Of all their albums I absolutely LOVE this one and uneasy listening 2 also more than Razorblade Romance ect. This is more raw as is Volume 2. It's them before this big wave of the Finnish Band invasion swept over the globe :) Villes voice is different as are the guys in the band. Also it is very very cool to see which songs they chose to redo for studio albums that kind of took that rawness away and made it "smooth?" IDK.. what I DO know is that any music library isn't complete without these 2 albums. They are really inexpensive if you search here enough and I'd really love to hear your opinion!

Heartagram Hugs and Razorblade Kisses
ENJOY!

HIM has some really good haunting,sad-sounding,yet hauntingly beautiful tracks on this album, some even acoustic. I love "The Sacrament", "Gone With the Sin", "Salt In Our Wounds", "For You" "The Path" and "Lose You Tonight" the best out of this this album. Add it to your collection!