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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Astounding Work Of Art, December 7, 2008
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's third solo studio album is completely different from his first two (and from all albums released after it), it is heavily based on a mixture of experimental, spacey synthesizer textures, jazzy bass lines, Latin-American percussion, raw, catchy woodwind and psychedelic electric guitar.
The album starts with an atmospheric little composition made up of synthesizers, what sounds like small children making agitated noises and a guitar riff in 5/4 time. The piece (titled `The Lukewarm') lasts just 25 seconds and may seem unnecessary but does act well as an introduction to the next track.
`Luxury Of Infancy' is also a relatively short piece, but shows off some of Omar's playing and reminds me somewhat of the 1971 epic `Maggot Brain' from `Funkadelic' in that there is a gentle guitar playing a simple broken chord progression and a fuzzy guitar solo over the top in a completely different style.
The third track is the first of three official `songs' on the album as it features fantastic vocals from Omar's close friend and colleague Cedric Bixler-Zavala. `Rapid Fire Tollbooth' features possibly the catchiest riff I have ever heard from Omar, a funky bass line doubled by smooth woodwind throughout in 17/8 time (and although it is in this irregular time signature, it is more than easy to nod your head to it). The song plods along at a relaxed pace for a few minutes, alternating between the verse and chorus (the latter being in common time and including trippy, delayed vocals) until a brilliant wah-wah guitar solo lasting until almost the end of the song. The composition is a masterpiece that would go on to be reworked as a `The Mars Volta' song with the name `Goliath' at a much faster pace.
`Thermometer Drinking The Bussness of Turnstiles' is a 3 minute long mixture of eerie synthesizers, Wurlitzer and electric guitar. It is too structured to even be considered as `ambient' but does act as a short instrumental `bridge' or `break' between `Rapid Fire Tollbooth' and the song which follows it, an interesting view into Omar's imagination.
And the song which follows is it is the title track which includes the second appearance of `The Mars Volta' vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. It starts with an intro featuring Money Mark playing piano (which he does fantastically throughout), some treated electric guitar from Omar with Cedric's haunting vocal `oooohs' over the top, before starting the main riff. The atmosphere in the verses stays rather empty with the same instrumentation as before with only the addition of the bass guitar until the drums break in, it as at this point that the vocals are simply irresistible, I'm not sure what effect is being used on Cedric's voice but it goes so well with the style of the piece. We eventually land at a solo guitar section, which is when Money Mark's piano part becomes much more prominent, before arriving once more to the gorgeous `chorus' (if you will) of the song which is where it ends.
`If Gravity Lulls, I Can Hear The World Pant' is similar to the fourth track in its relevance to the album and that it acts as a cross-over between its bordering tracks but it is very different in style. It again features synthesizers and guitars (with contributions from John Frusciante) but also strongly features percussion from Omar's younger brother Marcel and band-mate Adrian Terrazas-Gonzalez (as well as woodwind from the latter). Although the composition is fairly short, I feel it is as important to this album as any other track.
`Please Heat This Eventually' is the longest track on the album and is worth every minute of it, a fast-paced bass line repeated over and over with fantastic drumming from Marcel combine to form the background for free-form, jazz-based, improvised instrumental solos from saxophones, electric guitars and clavinets. There is also a lot of synthesizer work going on in the background as well as Latin-American style percussion, creating a very interesting mixture of sound. At around 8 minutes in, the bass guitar (which is just about the only instrument not to have been featured in a solo) takes its turn and produces a work of art, it sings above (and below) the madness that is going on around it (which is gradually building up in both volume and texture) for several minutes before joining in with the rest of the ensemble for the last few hectic moments of the piece, simply fantastic.
`Lurking About In A Cold Sweat (Held Together By Venom)' is a beautiful composition, a subtle blend of smooth electric piano and synthesizer with bass guitar begins the piece but as guitars join in, the mood becomes tenser. The timbre of the sounds created becomes increasingly abrasive and interruptions keep getting in the way, more and more frequently until the piece almost grinds to a halt (only to restart again moments before finishing), you might think there is something wrong at first but don't worry, this is intentional. The piece can make one uneasy (especially after the gentle opening) but that is the beauty of Omar's work, it doesn't always make you feel comfortable.
The penultimate track, however, makes me feel very comfortable; `Boiling Death Request A Body To Rest Its Head On' has a real acid jazz feel to it, a brilliantly simple but gorgeous bass line with more saxophones and Latin-American percussion and another really catchy guitar riff which is then `hummed' along to (as many listeners I'm sure will too) later by (I believe) one of Omar's recording engineers, a real gem.
The final track, the last of the three which feature Cedric's vocals, is hilariously good. `La Tirania De La Tradicion' is a blend of raging punk rock bass, synth lines that border on cheesy (in a good way) and simple, child-like piano parts played by Omar, Cedric's vocals are just mad but actually very attractive. The mixture probably sounds absolutely ridiculous (and in many ways it is) but it works surprisingly well. About half way through the song, it breaks down and we are treated to a barrage of loud, electronic sounds with pounding drums in the background, it is like some sort of crazy march that ends abruptly, leaving the listener stunned.
This album will certainly take some getting used to, just as all of Omar's music does, but it will reward in ways you couldn't imagine. If you are new to Omar, then this is probably the best place to start as the songs are not as long as most of Omar's and don't feature the extensive soloing that his other works do. If you are looking into Omar because you are a fan of `The Mars Volta' then you may be surprised, but it is definitely worth the time and money, if you give the music long enough to grow on you then you will be able to understand that the best music IS the music that requires the time to do so and you will forever thank yourself for your efforts.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This isnt a vent fest for the mars volta, November 12, 2008
I don't recall the cd saying "the Mars Volta" on it.
But if it did please tell me because this does not sound anything like the mars volta to me.
I must've been fooled!
This album is by far my favorite Omar solo album. It has this very latin, heated, quick paced theme to it. There's hardly time for you to stop and think about it. Songs like Please Heat This Eventually and Boiling Death Requests a Body to Rest It's Head On are straight examples of what i'm talking about. There so enthusiastic with there playing. Everything sounds perfectly in it's rightful place (even if it really is all over at any given time). You'll feel so appreciative of this album, you'll wish you could go back in time and listen to it for the very first time again.
I totally and completely wish i could.
So give it your full attention.
And dance! Because this album will make you want to dance!
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16 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Feels Like Half of an Album, May 31, 2007
I've been a fairly faithful Mars Volta fan since the band's first LP debuted back in 2003. However, to say that my admiration for the group has never wavered would be a lie. In fact, with each full-length album that the Mars Volta releases, my love for the band deteriorates just a little bit more. This downward trend is caused largely by the group's insistence on forgoing the largely prog-rock stylings of their debut in favor of more experimental paths. The "Hey, instead of a song, let's just play random crap for 8 minutes" approach was fresh on 2005's "Frances the Mute" but it felt unbelievably stale on their most recent album, "Amputechture." It should be of no surprise then that "Se Dice Bisconte, No Buffalo" is not my favorite of albums. In many ways this album is the embodiment of everything that I've grown to despise about the Mars Volta.
That's not to say that this is an unimpressive collection of songs, however. Quite the opposite! Despite my waning feelings for Omar and Cedric, I can still recognize talent when I hear it. It's just that the talent of these two individuals has been misplaced in recent years. "Buffalo" is just another example of that. For example, the first two tracks on the album "The Lukewarm" and "Luxury of Infancy" are utter throwaways. The first being a 26 second exercise in changing the pitch of your voice, while the second is just more of Omar's signature electric guitar "scribbling." These two tracks serve no purpose on the album whatsoever, as they're pretty much over before you realize it.
"Rapid Fire Tollbooth" may sound familiar to Mars Volta fans who have been to the band's live shows. Cedric Bixler-Zavala lends his vocals here, and as a result the song sounds very much like a Mars Volta song that couldn't find a home on "Amputechture." In fact, several of the songs on "Buffalo" that features Cedric's vocals sound like they were made during the production of that album, but just weren't good enough to make the cut ("Se Dice Bisonte, No Buffalo," and "Please Heat This Eventually" to be precise). "La Tirania De La Tradicion," on the other hand, is a fantastic song, and the highlight of the album. In this frantic 5-minute long song, Cedric's vocals are all over the place, and the end result is amazing!
In the end, the best moments on "Se Dice Bisconte, No Buffalo" are the ones where Omar and company play actual music as opposed to just random noise. Tracks like "The Lukewarm," "Luxury of Infancy," and "If Gravity Lulls, I Can Hear the World Pant" only serve as a reminder to how self-indulgent these musicians can be. However there are a few others that remind you why you fell in love with these guys in the first place. As a result, "Buffalo" feels more like half of an album than anything else. While some devoted fans may find it to be worthy of a purchase, I'd be much more inclined to download my favorite tracks and live out my life pretending that the others don't exist.
Recommended for fans of The Mars Volta and the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet.
Key Tracks:
1. "Rapid Fire Tollbooth"
2. "Se Dice Bisonte, No Buffalo"
3. "Please Heat This Eventually"
4. "Lurking About In a Cold Sweat (Held Together By Venom)"
5. "La Tirania De La Tradicion"
5 out of 10 Stars
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