Customer Reviews

Vision Valley

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

 

 

The Vines came out of nowhere with their debut album "Highly Evolved" which got a lot of buzz due to several high-energy tracks, and they followed that up with the "Winning Days" album, which "evolved" naturally from the debut album. But then Craig Nicholls, the Vines' singer-songwriter, couldn't handle the pressure of touring and without that, the album kinda fizzled. Two years later, the Vines are back.

"Vision Valley" (13 tracks, 31 min.) continues the proven formula of short, high-energy tracks, mixed up with more reflective tunes, only now to the extreme. Yes, 13 tracks, in just 31 minutes, with most clocking in under 2 minutes. There are several irresistable sing-along, head-bobbing tunes that grab your attention, including "Don't Listen to the Radio" (first single), the opener "Anysound", and "Gross Out". Then there are the more reflective tracks, such as the title track "Vision Valley", "Take Me Back", and the 6+ min. closer "Spaceship".

The album whizzes by in no time, and before you know it, you want to play it again. Musically, there is no radical departure from the previous albums, and that's a good thing in my book. The Vines have a "winning formula", and they do it well. What remains to be seen is whether the band (and Craig Nicholls in particular) finds the stamina to go on the road. Stay tuned....

If there's one thing you can complain about with The Vines' third album, it's the length. Only 31 minutes? It took me about ten minutes to get home from the record store, and by then I was already midway through "Gross Out"--that's halfway through the album. Of the 13 tracks, seven fail to make it over two minutes. And, if you exclude "Spaceship" (the 6-minute, epic closer), none of the tracks make it past 2 minutes 44 seconds. (In retrospect, their debut was 12 tracks, 43 minutes; Winning Days was 11 tracks, 38 minutes.) But, to be fair, even though the album's over before you know it, it certainly rocks you... Hard.

The great thing about The Vines is how they balance out their albums with the perfect amount of hard rock tunes and the perfect amount of ballads, with a couple of in-betweens. Vision Valley is no exception. "Anysound", "Gross Out" and "F*k Yeh" headline the bang-your-head-and-shout-yeah! tracks; the title track, "Going Gone" and "Spaceship" give you a chance to catch your breath; and "Atmos" gives you the best of both worlds. Sadly, the only thing missing is an "Autumn Shade III". With all that being said, it's obvious this album can compete with their others for your favorite Vines record, albeit in the long run they'll be hard-pressed to outshine the success of their legendary debut. I will say, though, of all 2002's infamous 'The' bands (i.e. White Stripes, Hives, Strokes), The Vines are oodles ahead of all of them in consistently putting out rock-solid albums, without dabbling in some other genre. There's not a bad song on Vision Valley; and, even if you don't like a particular track it'll probably be over in no more than two minutes.

It appears the first single for this album is "Don't Listen To The Radio", which, besides being an amusingly- and ironically-titled first pick, is a great example of the overall sound you're going to get from the entire album. The smart, catchy lyrics and simple message (and let's not forget that it rocks, too) are what we've come to expect from Craig Nicholls and The Vines. So even though Vision Valley may be just a tad over a half-hour in length, it makes up for it with stunning ballads and ear-piercing resonance that can 'damage your health or manage your brain.'

After three albums, it's hard to believe that The Vines' music has not changed one bit. Still recieving comparisons to The Beatles and Nirvana, these energetic Aussies haven't changed anything but bassists since their explosive debut Highly Evolved in 2002. For diehard fans, Vision Valley was just another great album by the band, but the critics obviously disagreed. I think by the time they'd heard Winning Days, the band's sophomroe album, they had had enough and wanted to hear something new (I think we can all agree that it was a breath of fresh air after Winning Days). I'm sure these guys don't care what critics have to say now that they have such a loyal fanbase, but some of us fans would like to hear something new. Vision Valley was a pretty solid album, but I'd like to hear a little bit of experimenting. Also, it would be nice if they could make more songs that last for more than two minutes. It seems that all of their best songs end before you want them to, and when they are long, like "Spaceship" (6:07), they end up sounding dull after a minute or so. I guess that could be my answer...

The Vines have to be one of the most overrated bands out right now. I'm not saying they're talentless, but I've never been able to give any of their albums higher than three stars. And Vision Valley is no different.

Don't get me wrong; this is better than Winning Days, but there just isn't enough there. I mean, look at the album as a whole: thirteen tracks in 31 minutes? There's not even time for songs to go anywhere. Many of the songs seem as though they're building up to something, but instead, they just end. The only song that even surpasses the three-minute mark is the final track, "Spaceship", but the thing is that it's six minutes long, and only the first two minutes is singing; the rest of the song is just music.

While it's good that Craig Nicholls overcame his Asperger's Syndrome (although he sounds the same way he always did), he and the rest of the Vines need to take time to expand their material so that they can produce a truly listenable album. They have the talent; they just need to broaden it.

Anthony Rupert

Never has an opening line of an album been more apt. "I am a vine so twisted and frayed," Vines frontman Craig Nicholls drawls on Anysound. After laying a boot into a female member of the media at a club show in 2004, Vines frontman Craig Nicholls became a marked man. Only Michael Hutchence had previously experienced more local Australian media backlash after kicking a photographer, with The Vines' decline in status being compounded by the defection of bass player Patrick Matthews to the far less volatile Youth Group. In the wake of the tumultuous period - which also saw Nicholls diagnosed with Asberger's Syndrome - The Vines could have released Pet Sounds and the response would still have been muted. While Vision Valley isn't up there with Brian Wilson's greatest moments, it's still a victory considering the circumstances.
Whether it be fired up and rewriting Nirvana's Aneurysm on Gross Out and F*k Yeah or working on slower melodies based on The Beatles' Across The Universe on Vision Valley and Going Gone, The Vines' modus operandi hasn't changed a great deal since their 2002 debut Highly Evolved. The crackling blur of snappy rock and mellow dreams is well executed on Vision Valley, which features guests such as You Am I's Andy Kent and The Go-Between's Amanda Brown.
Although economic on lyrics, Nicholls presents his defence for his autistic erraticism on many of Vision Valley's tunes. F*k Yeah ("People are full of hurt and so are their friends"), Anysound ("Damage your health or manage your brain") and Take Me Back ("There's no point doin' what I've done. Live are goddamned ruined like the runts.") all display signs of despair at how The Vines have unfurled, yet it's this honesty that makes Vision Valley a remarkable document.
In Vision Valley's booklet Nicholls is photographed laughing while reading KLF founder Bill Drummond's manual How To Be An Artist. Although they're yet to burn a million dollars, dress in horned monk costumes or fire machine guns above the heads of their audience, The Vines are proving to be as enigmatic, intriguing and musically enthralling as The KLF's short reign in the early 1990s.

the vines are back and its good to hear from them. Vision Valley is a great cd with short songs that get to the point. the music and guitars are very good, and this is something to sing along to for a long time. The albums opening song "anysound" is one of my favorites and I really think that song is so underrated. Dont listen to the other hateful fans who set themselves up for a let down with once again to many high expectations. this cd deserves alot of credit and its well written. this cd was alot of fun to listen to, and as for you people who are concerned with the length... 31 minutes? thats awesome and I wish more cds were like this one... all of these repeated songs with verses and chours's get boring after a while. you can listen to this cd twice in an hour, and thats something different and unique. this is a great cd. its a great cd, its a great cd. that simple...

Well, hats off to the new Vines album. I've been waiting forever. Hmmm...like other reviewers said, it is a very short album, only a half an hour. In my opinion, this album isn't as great as highly evolved and winning days. But I still like it. I also noticed that most of the songs are like one minute long. Too short! And what happened to Autumn Shade III? But the one thing I always like about the Vines is that they always manage to have a great balance of rock songs and softer songs. I definately like the song Going Gone. And I didn't really find any songs that weren't that great.
One problem, I have no idea if this has to do with that the album is 'content protected' but it won't let me put any songs onto my MP3 player. :(
All in all, a good album. If your a Vines fan, you won't be disappointed.

The new album from The Vines is amazing! Vision Valley is more like the bands first album Highly Evolved, what I mean by that is that there is a lot harder songs on the album then the bands 2nd cd Winning Days (but still an amazing album!). But for those fans who like the acoustic stuff as well there is plenty of that on this album. So you have the best of both worlds on the CD!!! My favorite tracks would have to be Don't Listen to the Radio, Gross Out, Going Gone, Vision Valley, and one of the best songs I have ever heard Spaceship (this song alone would make you want to buy this album!). But every track is just amazing so you cannot go wrong buying this CD. So fans of The Vines and fans of rock music or just plan great music in general Keep rock alive and get this CD! One other thing I want to point out is that the lead singer Craig Nicholls was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, so to think that they made a new album is amazing and rewarding to its fans, but due to this he cannot promote the album as other bands do like touring, TV interviews, etc and I have yet to see their new Video for Don't Listen to the Radio on MTV or MTV2 which is very sad. So pick up this album not only is it amazing but you are showing The Vines that they are still loved buy the fans and the public

This is just the best album i've heard in years and i think anyone will enjoy the songs for years to come.. Don't listen to the Radio is a song you'll love bouncing around in your head. Trust me, you want this album.

Short and sweet -- some would say too short, but in a world of shortening attention spans and sound-bite news, the Vines may be onto something. This CD delivers without lingering. Check-out the first two tracks and the pop-sounding "Don't listen to the radio." Yes, the lyrics are sometimes ridiculous, but it's pretty clear that Craig Nichols has always been more about the sound. He's not penning manifestos; he's writing great-sounding songs. I liked this CD better than "Winning Days" though it lacked that CD's monster hit, "Ride with Me" as well as the beautiful title song. There's enough genius in Craig Nichols to produce a truly complete CD that meets all the promise of his first 3 CD's. Hopefully, he'll overcome his personal challenges and demons to realize that prospect.