War Stories

U.N.K.L.E.

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 2007)
• Original Release Date: July 2, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: surrender all
• ASIN: B000RHRGNA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,973 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Limited edition two CD pressing of their 2007 album features a bonus disc containing instrumental versions of all 14 tracks featured on the album. Unkle return with their third album, War Stories, on James Lavelle's new label, Surrender All. Co-produced by themselves and Chris Goss, guests vocalists include Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ian Astbury (The Cult), and 3D (Massive Attack), while there are also full band collaborations from Autolux and The Duke Spirit. James Lavelle makes his vocal debut on 'Hold My Hand' as well as dueting with Richard File on 'Morning Rage'. In a departure from the previous two albums, most of the instrumentation on War Stories is played live. Unkle enlisted a variety of players to contribute: Jeordie White AKA Twiggy Ramirez lends his bass playing skills to 'Burn My Shadow'; Nada Surf's Matthew Caws contributes guitar riffs to 'Broken', while Eagles of Death Metal's David Catching plays guitar on various tracks. Surrender All. 2007. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Yet, August 15, 2007

By	Fd Marshall Moore (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The third proper release from UNKLE shows Lavelle departing from his previous aesthetic and moving toward a more "rock"-oriented sound. After a good few weeks of listens, I think Lavelle has reached rarefied air with War Stories. War Stories was painstakingly crafted in the studio, yet the recording sounds effortless, almost inevitable. The tracks gain momentum as the record proceeds. The blending of electronica and rock feels unstudied, and I think gels even better than his work with PF and NNL (no hate mail please). No question War Stories is a different album than its predecessors, but no doubt a progression in both production and songcraft. Several contributors lend their pipes, and there is not a single misstep. And notably, it is a genuine pleasure to hear Ian Astbury, especially for those of us who have been starved for something from him for years. Any fan of UNKLE's previous albums probably has a taste that spans both rock and electronica--War Stories is well worth your time. Best UNKLE album in my book. Consistent from beginning to end.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock on, August 31, 2007

By	Daggers "Daggers" (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

I find it hard to see why some reviewers have characterised this as bland or unoriginal. From first listen it was clearly an UNKLE record - slow melodic intros followed by discordant guitars and thumping drums or electro bass sounds. Not the classic that NEVERNEVERLAND was, but how could anything match the brilliance of that album? What you get is a great collection of electronic infused rock songs that blows most of the current indie competition away. This is not a singalong album, but a pulsating mix of atmospheric rock tunes that should be played in the evening and enjoyed with a glass of good wine.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars UNKLE - War Stories, August 1, 2007

By	T. Snyder "TS" (AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After being monumentally disappointed by DJ Shadow's last release 'The Outsider', I must say that I am pleased with UNKLE's latest 'War Stories'. I am sad that this album isn't being plugged more. I randomly stumbled upon it at my local record store.

In college, I was a huge fan of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, which lead me to UNKLE, due to Shadow's semi-involvement. Whereas Shadow went in a completely different direction on his last album, UNKLE/James Lavelle sticks to what got him here in the first place, which I have always liked.

I was giddy as soon as the fast-paced mashing of the drums kicked in pretty early on. The album has a really dark edge to it, hence the War Storiese name. The music, as always, is great. Lots of layers/textures; it's very impressive for an "electronica" act.

I did not expect so many vocals on the album though. When I initially opened up the booklet before listening, I saw Vocals on almost every track and though "Uh-oh, this might be a bad sign." But have no fear, the vocals are all very good and complement the music nicely. The vocals are almost used like another layer/texture in addition to the music.

A very solid album start-to-finish. It feels more like a big cohesive piece of music more than it does a collection of individual songs. If you're a fan of UNKLE's previous work, or a fan of DJ Shadow's pre-Outsider work, I recommend picking it up.