Customer Reviews

Vertigo

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First and foremost, anyone who is expecting a fat-boy slim album, read the next review. Secondly I'd have to say that this album is superior to any fat boy slim album yet released by a wide margin. It's an album that deserves to be taken on it's own terms, in that it is different from anything else out there. Yes, there are comparisons to air, moby(?), and whatever else. But, anyone who makes those comparisons obviously listens a little too hard to find similarities because it makes them comfortable. Upon listening to this album more than ONCE, one should come to the conclusion that it really is cohesive, flowing, and well put together. IF one is looking to make a comparison, i personally would say Alpha (on melankolic) with the rhythmic sensibility of Basement Jaxx, and even that's a stretch. The chill-out tracks are better than the up beat ones. JUST BUY IT.

Groove Armada has achieved cult status...with people like Elton John and Madonna prasing their worthiness. And madonna has roped them to do a remix for her forthcoming single, so there must be something great about this dance/electronica duo. Well at first listen, it may be nothing impressionable. However, repeated plays will have you craving for more of the funk in Groove Armada. Don't let the Fatboy Slim-ish sounding I See You Baby fool ya, cos GA is very different. They are rooted in heavy beats & rhythms and draw their influences from dance/electronica to triphop & hiphop. The recommended tracks are of cos, I See You Baby, If Everybody Looked The Same, At The River, Dusk You Dusk Me and more... A bonus CD that surfaced in some editions contains the infectious FATBOY SLIM remix of I See You Baby, Elephant remix of Inside My Mind, plus 2 other remixes of Chicago & A Private Interlude. GREAT STUFF!

first, you have to be ok with the fact that these guys are all over the place. if you have any subgenre obsessions or hangups, don't bother with groove armada. but if you like a little funk, a fair amount of house, and a whole hella-va-lotta air-esque atmospheric groove, then these are your guys. as long as it's this well done, they can mix in whatever they like. definitely one of the best things in this style since moon safari (which will, of course, probably never be beat), but distinctively more british. if you're trying to decide whether or not to buy this one, don't try to scan through the first minute of each track. that would be a terrible gauge of the cd...it demands a little more, but it gets so good and it's oh so worth it.

Rarely has a word in a groups title been so apt.If I was given only one word to describe this c.d.,it would have to be "Groove".It's a chill out album,it's a dance album-it's poppy yet never over commercial.It's disco but it's also got that funky sound.

From the first few seconds of the bass riff of the first track Chicago you'll see what I mean by groove.It's nicely laidback yet also powerful enough to make the floor vibrate when turned up loud enough.The disco comes in with the Chic style guitar riff.It's a berautiful 7 minute opener.Track 2 is straight out of D.J. Shadow-so they've got good taste.Track 3 is a real chilled instrumental piece.Track 4 has a brassy,funky feel that groups like Weather Report would be proud of.Then we have two really poppy,dance songs-If Everybody Looked The Same-already hugely popular over here on t.v. adverts and also in clubs.I See You Baby is even heavier on the rythhm-strong dub bass riffs and excellent vocals-just a great dance track.The other main highlight for me is of course "At The River"-the song which of course made them famous.Everything about this song is simply stunning.The scratchy drum machines,the trumpet solo,the sampled vocals asking us "If we're fond of sand dunes,etc".It's just a song that has to be destined for lazing on a beautiful beach while watching the sunset.

This is a c.d. of amazing variety.It has tracks of every type of D.J. influenced music.List any type of music of this particular genre and it's here.What's more it's able to change styles without the c.d. ever sounding like a disjointed mish-mash.Basically this is a c.d. that caters for all tastes and one which I would have no doubts recommending to anyone.Buy It!!

This album was a pleasant surprise. It'd been recommended to me as chill-out music, but there's a lot more to it than that. Hip-hop fans will go for 'Whatever, whenever', dance freaks will like 'If everybody looked the same' and 'I see you baby'. Personally, I think you can't beat 'Dusk you and me' (excellent horn work from Andy Cato) and 'Serve Chilled' (nice summer evening chill-out music). Not particularly strong in any one area, Vertigo's big strength is that it will appeal to almost everybody in one way or other.

The great thing about this album is the mix of dance and musical styles it contains. Tracks like 'If Everybody Looked The Same' and 'I See You Baby' will fill the dance floor while 'Dusk You and Me' and 'Serve Chilled' will keep the chill out zone happily occupied. Best of all is the single 'At The River' which samples the unique vocal talent of Petti Page - best known for singing 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window' (bizzare!) - from her late fifties single 'Old Cape Cod'. If you like your dance music to cover all bases and styles but to never lose sight of melody and tune then this is the album for the summer.

...I love everything this band puts out, but this truly is their seminal work. A heady and intoxicicating mix of ambient chill and thumping, infectious club tracks. Grove armada have a knack for making tracks people recognise and yet don't recall the name of, this adds a certian cache which gives the tracks mass appeal and longevity. Treat your ears, they'll love you for it!

I'm not sure that I thought this was an instant classic like Air's Moon Safari, but some of the tracks are incredible. After listening to it a few times, I'm beginning to really get into the different colors and textures this CD creates. The trombone solo in track nine is great when it finally gets added to the song byte that goes along with it. Anyone who likes Air, Underworld, Morecheeba, or Moby should have no problem getting into this CD. It's well worth your time.

Dancable grooves sit shoulder to shoulder with some beautiful ambient tracks 'Dusk You & Me' 'Inside My Mind (Blue Skies)' are of paticular note. It plays perfectly well in the background at a party or accutely listened to, becoming a down-tempo the soundtrack to whatever you're doing. The over-all tone is layed back, though cranking things up occasionaly for beat-heavy tracks like 'If everybody looked the same'. If winter's ever getting you down, stick this CD on and be warmed up as the esscense of summer emenates from your speakers and wraps round you.

To look at the two artists on the inside cover, I thought they were just some "young slacker types" just out to make music, and not necessarily "intelligent" music at that. However, after a few listens, I realized I was very wrong. I'd equate this CD with Crystal Method's Vegas, but I'd also consider this a more intelligent and "fine quality" CD in comparison. The first two tracks are very interesting, with a combination of a jazzy/electronica feel. Track three (Dusk You & Me) is very beautiful, and the piano work is delicate, and almost dreamy at times. Track 5, "If Everybody Looked the Same".... "we'd get tired of lookin' at each other..." ..... while a somewhat dorky refrain, you cannot deny the infectious beat, which is definite "club material". Track 9, "At the River" is another very "interesting" song, with a hint of Burt Bacharach kinda lounge to it... My favorite track however is Track 10, "In My Bones". The beat is VERY funky. Overall, this is a very well-executed CD, with enough divergent types of music that it doesn't sound repetitive, and keeps the CD interesting.