Customer Reviews

War Stories

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

 

 

I won't review the music (love it) as only a Unkle Fan would be reading this anyway, so you are predetermined to buy it. Anwyay, this package worth every penny. The first disc is the single disc version, the second disc is all intrumentals starting with the track "Hold My Hand." The packaging is fantastic and really looks great on your CD shelf (make sure your shelf has some extra head room because the case is bigger than most normal cases, think book format). The shrink wrap on the case is a pain to get off though (its on there EXTREMELY tight), but here is the instructs from the offical Unkle site on how to get that stuff off w/o damaging the case:

Step 1: Pull the sides apart for about a minute to loosen up the outside package and let air in.
Step 2: Grab the box with the sliding end facing away from you and shake it hard for a couple of minutes.
Step 3: Once the inner case slides out a bit, grab it and pull.
Step 4: Smile because you've opened the new UNKLE treasure chest.
Step 5: Put the CD in, turn up the volume, check out the artwork in the booklet and enjoy!

Despite being underrated by professional critics who were expecting a progression from the hip-hop, electronica and orchestration of the revered Psyence Fiction, War Stories- which takes UNKLE's influences to acoustic rock, desert rock, and downtempo while maintaining their signature style- is an excellent addition to the UNKLE discography and, depending on your musical tastes, a must-have album.

While it is not as much of concept album as the dark, downtempo orchestral and acoustic masterpiece that was Never, Never Land, War Stories does have moments of sheer haunting cinematics- such as the longing "When Things Explode" and the haunting "Burn My Shadow"- which rival not only Never, Never Land but anything UNKLE has ever done before (or after, now that it's been five years).

Like all UNKLE albums, this is a concept album. A few tracks- most notably Burn My Shadow, Hold My Hand, When Things Explode, and Chemistry- stand out from the album completely and all could easily be singles without losing any of their meaning or effect (as the many TV/film appearances by them suggest).

While I won't go too deep into the meaning of the tracks or the album, I will say that Burn My Shadow, Hold My Hand and When Things Explode are very deep and dark tracks- like Lonely Soul, Rabbit In Your Headlights, Eye For An Eye, and In A State before them- and deserve a listen regardless of anything else.

The rest of the tracks- from the jazzy intro, the ethereal Price You Pay, the soulful Twilight and Persons and Machinery, the driving and open-sounding Keys To The Kingdom and Broken, and the dark yet driving rock of Lawless, Restless, May Day and Morning Rage- stand up well enough on their own but are best understood as part of the overall concept of the album. The tracks flow into one another very well, and listening to the entire album is a smoothly transitioned roller coaster ride of emotions from song to song.

The art, both with this special edition and the standard edition, is fantastic and helps to convey not only the overlying concept of the album but also several of its musical influences. The hidden track- seven minutes in to the last track of the album, about two minutes of silence after When Things Explode's last note- also provides a cathartic conclusion.

In my highly subjective opinion, this could be UNKLE's "Led Zeppelin III" moment- releasing a record whose tone and influences weren't what critics were expecting, but was actually an important step in the evolution of the artist and a great record- including some indispensable songs such as Burn My Shadow- as well.

In short I can't recommend this record enough. It is a conceptual and thematic powerhouse, flows from tone, style and emotion easily, and contains some very meaningful and strong tracks.

it is nothing like the last cd, that is still a good thing. these guys really have not ever made a bad cd. this one is great because they went (again) in a different direction. the locals are great, and about three of the songs have been on csi n.y. i give it 5 stars, and cant wait to hear a remix lp...... killerblack hit me up

I love UNKLE, love the music, love everything, but I had to take a star away because of how damn DIFFICULT it is to get the product out of the packaging! It took me 1/2 hour and TOOLS to rip it out of its case! Now I have a ruined case and torn apart book even though it was brand new. I am so angry that I want to throw this thing out the window! If the packaging was their idea of a joke, it's a really bad one.

For those of you sleeping on the "Post DJ Shadow Era." Psyence Fiction is no longer the best UNKLE album, in fact it's a very distant second place compared to War Stories. This is not only the best album of 2007 but one of the all time greatest albums. I'm not kidding, I've been listening to this disc constantly for over six months now and I'm not done yet. A day without War Stories is like a year without any other album. I simply can't get enough of it. If you want something different, catchy and down right good, then this is for you. I honestly recommend this album for anyone.