Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fab Brit Pop, March 29, 2004
`Magic & Medicine' comprises melodic tunes, and begins with the Beatles-ish `In the forest', a short, delightful strumming number, followed by the catchy `Don't think you're the first'. In fact, many groups come to mind as you listen to this, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Super furry animals to name a few.`Bill McCai' is a bouncy sing-along tune with a sharp twist to the tale. `Eskimo lament' is a tender ballad with great vocal harmonizing and a superb horn break. Other standouts are `Secret kiss' and `Confessions of A.D.D.D', a psychedelic rocker with a great instrumental finale. `All of our love' would not sound out of place on a Radiohead cd, with it's barely audible, brooding vocals. The bonus cd 'Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker' sounds like it was recorded by an entirely different group. It is in no way a throw away, all the songs are brilliant. The sound is darker, more experimental, Radiohead-ish (`Song of the corn', `Sorrow or the song', `Keep me company') and Super Furry Animal-ish (`Precious eyes'). The standout on this disc is the superb, upbeat `Grey Harpoon' with its X-Files/Twilight Zone-like sound effects. Another great track is 'Migrane' with it's twisted finale. A splendid slice of Brit pop.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magical "Medicine", March 28, 2004
Say bye-bye to the Coral's frenzied pirate-rock from their self-titled album. In "Magic & Medicine," the British rock band takes a more conventional, low-key approach to their music. And it pays off, with raw rockers, sweet love songs and dark tales. It starts off with ghostly love song "In the Forest" ("Out of the forest to the church's gate/By her grave she awaits her fate"). Folkier material follows in due course ("Don't Think You're The First"), along with catchy suicide stories ("Bill McCai"), lighter pop-rock ("Pass It On"), slow songs (piano-led "Eskimo Lament") and solid psychedelica ("Don't Think You're the First"). Accompanying "Magic & Medicine" is the bonus CD "Nightfreak & The Sons of Becker," possibly the weirdest title of the past year. This is a solidly lo-fi album, sort of a halfway point before their next release. It's stripped down and solidly scratchy, like a demo album, with acoustic gem "Sorrow or the Song" and psychedelic ka-bam "Precious Eyes." It takes a little time to "get" fully into "Magic & Medicine," especially if listeners expect more of the same. Rather than use a theme or gimmick (like the pirate thing), they go through some solid songs where their musical worth can shine through. They do stumble with some of the lower-key songs, like "Secret Kiss" or "Confessions of A.D.D.D." They're not bad, just lackluster. And that is "Magic & Medicine"'s biggest flaw --they lost some of that sizzling intensity. One thing that hasn't changed is the delicious weird edge of their songs. The evocative semi-psychedelic lyrics are well-suited to the music. The music itself is somewhat less intense, but now more acoustic and earthy. There's even piano and organ here, adding a richness to the music. James Skelly's shouting vocals have also toned down, showing that the man can actually sing. The evolution of the Coral pays off. "Magic & Medicine is less intense than the Coral's debut album, but more musically rich; "Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker" is less polished, but has that delicious rock bite. Definitely worth checking out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Movin' and a groovin'............, February 28, 2004
I bought this CD because the editorial review was interesting. I wanted something different than what I usually listen too because I don't want to get stuck in a rut.... I find this CD to be so enjoyable!! There are many songs that remind me of the 6o's psychedelic era and there are some that are just plain fun. I find myself dancing in the car while I drive... It's a fun toe tapping, hip swinging experience which makes you feel good. I would indeed call it "happy" music. It is also "light and airy" with catchy beats and a snappy rhythm.. The voices are well tuned and the instumentals are groovy. I made a good choice in picking up this circle of song....I would highly recommend it and I look forward to picking up more of their tunes.....
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by The Coral 
