Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Particle Rocks Your Soul - Hop on to the LAUNCHPAD!, March 29, 2004
Particle has been taking us on musical journeys for the past three years - improvisations stretching and warping genres into a fresh progressive rockin' funkin' jazz jams. Energy from the madly dancing crowd drives the band higher & farther into a maelstrom of sound that swirls bodies into an ocean of motion.I wondered how they would transfer that energy into the structure of a recording. The ten tracks reflect the range and diversity of Particle's sound. Steve's prances from piano to synth to organ to ??? cohesively layering complex joyful composition. His inventive keyboard work darts around Gouldy's funky soulful heartbeat - you feel bass lines on a mission to stretch the envelope of the instrument - and Darren's slick sense of syncopation - he makes full use of the drum kit employing creative phrasing & accents. All the while, Charlie soars on searing solos and explosive fills - his lines define taste and sonic adventure. My only wish is that Charlie's guitar was more prominent in the mix. Live, he is a monster player; on the recording he shines but could be turned up a notch. This is minor point, and the CD earns its 5 stars. The CD is polished focused & tight, a real accomplishment given this is the band's first release; first attempt to harness that wild stallion that is Particle live! See 'em NOW when they're in your town! particlepeople.com
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoy the Sonic Journey, April 2, 2004
Sometime in the seventies a funk rock band went missing. They were taken on board a space ship and shown the universe by some friendly alien beings. Keeping their funk and rock roots they were enlightened by the electronic world they found onboard the space ship and inspired by the vast expances of the universe. Next thing you know, the band was teleported back to earth only it was a new millenium. The inspiration of their journey led them to rock out show after show. Finally they decided to make a studio CD musically documenting thier time on board the space ship and thier wild times with the ladies of the universe. This CD, which they coincedently called Launchpad, is a funky, rocky journey through space. Its filled with so much funky space porn music it would make Ron Jeremy tired. Soon the CD was played in the cribs of party people everywhere, as this is great party music. It's fun for outdoor barbeques, house parties, booty calls, cruisin' the lake or ocean in a speed boat, flyin' down the highway on the roadtrip to end all roadtrips, and of course getting launched off in a space ship. Particle audibly illustrates the wild life of the party world, so if you are unfamiliar with that world, you probably won't fully appreciate Particle's journey into space. However if you are well on your way to a spaced out party let Particle take you there. You won't be disappointed.
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19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An aural tonic, May 3, 2004
I purchased "Launchpad" on a whim, curious about what constitutes "funktronic" rock. I have a somewhat better idea now, and would have to say it's a bit better than I thought. Particle, a quartet, relies heavily on guitar and keyboards to make its case, and sometimes quite convincingly. When they click into a groove, the band cooks along quite nicely, more like a new age funk fest than say something by Hawkwind. The tracks Sun Mar 11, Roads A Breeze, and title cut Launchpad sound like they might have been good fits for the Matrix movies. The Banker skirts around some of the same territory as E.S.T. or the Gregory James Band except with guitars out front instead of keyboards. But sometime the synthesizers and drum-based induced sense of urgency (think King Crimson colliding with Alan Parson's Project and with Hawkwind) become a bit too much for the frontal lobes, fraying ones nerves and tracks such as The Elevator may generate a mild headache. The key, for me, is to listen to "Launchpad" in small doses, for it offers an aural tonic even if it does not sustain as a main course. Those who really like this CD might want to check out the more complex work of Land on the CD "Road Movies."
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