The Richest Man In Babylon

Thievery Corporation

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 1, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eighteenth Street
• ASIN: B00006CY6H
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,201 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton and Rob Garza have always treated the line between acoustic and electronic music as a drunken sailor might, unpredictably falling on one side or the other with equal frequency. By this measure, The Richest Man in Babylon is their soberest effort to date, striding confidently into jazz, soul, world beat, and other styles with a direct, reverential approach. The band's last record, Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi, featured a set of classic jazz tunes unadorned with remixes or reinterpretation. But the songs on Babylon are originals, incorporating not just jazz but Afro-beat, Brazilian dance, Persian and Indian music, reggae, and psychedelia, all while making expert use of new and old collaborators like Sleepy Wonder, Lou Lou, and Shinehead. Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini makes an instant impression on the first track, "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes," her voice freeing the song's melody and structure with just a few hypnotic bars. It's hard to call this an electronic record at all; even their dub-influenced tracks miss a certain studio sheen, as if Hilton and Garza simply waded into a sweltering Jamaican beach party and hit record. But while it misses the ambient, ethereal edge that made The Mirror Conspiracy a downtempo classic, Babylon satisfies with organic energy and tasteful eclecticism. --Matthew Cooke

Product Description
Rob Garza and Eric Hilton consider it their most introspective work to date. Existing somewhere between rock, dub, psychedelic, Latin, and electronic music, this 2002 album finds the duo elevating their signature sound with more contemplative and thought-provoking songwriter. The jewel case is housed in a slipcase along with a 40-page black & white photo booklet. Eighteenth Street Lounge. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Records of 2002., October 19, 2002

By	The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Eric Hilton and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation are two undisputed masters of cool who have released one of the richest and most engaging albums of the year: "The Richest Man in Babylon." To call these guys mere chillout gurus is to do this duo a disservice. On this album, they've taken cafe lounge to exciting heights, incorporating reggae, Eastern influences, and African styles into their already tightly-woven grooves. "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" gets things right with its frosty vocals from Emillana Torrini. "Facing East" grooves along thanks to its (surprise) Eastern flavor and its sitar, while the electro-laced "Omid (Hope)" delivers airy vocals, mid-tempo drum loops, and light touches of synth bleepery. Reggae gets tossed into the mix in the form of "Exilo (Exile)," and the stellar title track stands out wonderfully. Using both electronic beats and real instruments, Theivery Corporation weave together a multitextured album that cements the duo's reputation as one of the classiest recording acts around. "The Richest Man in Babylon" is more than just music to listen to. It's also music to live by.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thievery make it their own, October 1, 2002

By	George Beardsall (London) - See all my reviews

The Richest Man In Babylon shows Thievery's style crystallised; the influences that have all been prominent on 'Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi' and 'The Mirror Conspiracy' are here made Thievery's own, being incorporated with Thievery's smooth measured breakbeats and synth atmospherics. The production is uniformly excellent and sounds even slicker than 'Mirror', and is more cohesive. Rob Garza and Eric Hiltons unflinching attention to detail is apparent everywhere.

The presentation has changed from 'Mirror's spying 'n' flying references - the outlook is more earthy, less technical. The CD came with a booklet of excellent black and white photojournalism images on good quality paper. The images feature people from areas which have inspired Thievery's music.

Their early dub style of 'Sounds' is most apparent in the 'Outernationist', and also appears in 'State of the Union' and the 'Richest Man in Babylon'. The title track is certainly the most commercial track here, featuring some Wailers style horns and a regular song structure.

The latin/bossa influence which came to the fore in 'Mirror' is represented by 'Meu Destino' and 'Exilo', both featuring male singing (as opposed to MCing) by Patrik De Santos and Verny Varela. The sound is lighter than previous Jazzanova-esque grooves such as 'Samba Tranquille'. 'Meu Destino' features nylon acoustic guitar by Ramon Gonzales.

Eastern music is represented by 'Facing East', and 'Interlude'. 'Facing East' features santur and tabla, and vocals, which are joined by a breakbeat a minute in.

However Thievery's strongest developing style is in the ambient-pop-breakbeat style which this album confirms as their trademark. The sublime, Cocteau Twins echoing 'Omid' is the direct descendant of the superb' Shadows Of Ourselves', LouLou singing on both. `All That We Perceive' is sung by Thievery regular Pam Bricker, and bears resemblance to `Lebanese Blonde', which she also appeared on.
'Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes', the first track, was initially a surprise in that it bears resemblance to Air with it's string machine and heavily compressed bass. Thieveryness is restored by a trademark breakbeat 2 minutes in. With repeated listening this sits well as an intro to the album.

There is a new direction in the form of Liberation Front, a funk track with excellent horns credited to Rick Harris. This is a standout track.

The only filler is From Creation, and this is not bad, just dull.

Is this a better album than `The Mirror Conspiracy'? It is certainly more polished, easier to listen to in one sitting. `The Richest Man In Babylon' is more able to put Thievery Corporation in the mainstream, and this is music that everyone should hear.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Return to greatness, February 24, 2003

By	Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Well this is plain and simple just another fine production from the Thievery Corporation. Masters at showcasing their talents for remixing, the duo of Hilton and Garza have created yet another masterpiece of electronica in the laid back vein of music that is transglobal, far reaching and innovative. Their eclectic tastes manage to manipulate Middle Eastern sounds alongside of bossa nova, soul vocals, Latin rhythmns, reggae and jazzy inflections that make for nothing short of a delightful mixture. Listening to this disc is like a fresh soundtrack to the National Geographic images of your mind.Sitars and tablas drive the beat as the elctronica bends and weaves amongst the colors, people and places the music creates. The echos of past greatness is stirred by this recording. If you liked the classic " The Mirror Conspirancy" and have been disappointed by some of their releases that are not remixed than this disc will more than satisy your longing for more. It is a laid back disc, very mellow and perfect at just about anytime of day. It has that lounge lay back and groove sound to it that soothes and satifies the soul. The dreamy qualities are highlighted by the exotic layers of music that create an ambience suited for candles and good company. This is a highly recommended disc that you will never get tired of. Each listening reveals new images, textures and sounds that make for an excellent listening experience. I've been listening to my copy for over a year now and it sounds as good now as the first time I heard it. It is one of the best releases in it's genre in the past few years. Buy it now you won't be dissapointed.