GF music review club

[Carvalho Diablo]

Come on fellas, get those reviews in. Any more In Rainbows ? Mindcrime ?

 

Redtalisker up next with his first AOW, due in a few days time, Monday or Tuesday. Looking forward to it mate.

[Boss]

Radiohead – In Rainbows

 

15 Step – It starts with a electronic drum loop. The guitar enters left side in stereo. Jonny Greenwood is playing dissonant intervals to add an uneasy feel. This is a really beautiful song. The bass glues everything together as it arrives in the pre-chorus. Then it hits a minor before repeating. At the end it morphs into a drum break with a vocal percussive accompaniment.  9/10

 

Bodysnatchers – Guitar riff enters. Jonny Greenwood guitar stabs. Ed O’Brian enters in the chorus with a warbling Theremin-esque slide part. The song is really about the synergy between the three guitar players and them all finding their lane with differing melodies. Jonny Greenwood goes off at the end with a signature distorted pitch shifting guitar solo to a manic sounding Yorke. 8/10

 

Nude – Reversed music makes way to a bass. O’Brian enters with a haunting guitar part. Greenwood fingerpicks a sad melody. Yorke sounds otherworldly. A vocal melody starts right side, raising pitch slowly before resolution. Vocal harmonies soar above the transcendent guitars. 7.5/10

 

Weird Fishes / Arpeggi – Dissonant fingerpicked melody carried by the bass. The vocals have a delayed echo on them which creates an almost hypnotic feeling. “Your eyes, they turn me”. It starts to build at the midway point with each juxtaposed melody merging and complimenting each other. Then it drops to an underwater synth pad and Yorkes voice.

Then it builds again. There’s a weird guitar glitch sound that happens about 1 minute from the end that adds a counterpoint. 8/10

 

All I need – Synth pad makes way for a distorted synth. Very NIN. A glockenspiel creates the lead melody line. The song gets going in the last minute and a half. 6.5/10

 

Faust – Weird song this one. Starts similar to Sting’s “Shape of my heart” and then takes an inversion. The guitars sound regal and medieval. There’s a reference to Blackbird Pie which takes you to that place. I’m getting Beatles vibes with the strings and the lyrics. 7/10

 

Reckoner – The guitar starts the track, played as gently as a whisper. The drums sound like tambourines in a giant room. Then the vocals come in and I instantly feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The vocals take me to a different place in my mind. At the end the strings take over and the songs fades out slowly. 9/10

 

House of Cards – This might be the most thoughtful track on the album lyrically. The vocals are drenched in reverb. Everything about this track is magical. It’s got a Daniel Lanois quality to it. Masterful. 10/10

 

Jigsaw Falling into Place – The bass on this is fantastic. It’s one of the catchiest tracks on the album. It builds like a Fall song. It has that locked in repetition. Each instrument gets added one by one. The structure actually mimics a jigsaw falling into place. 9/10

 

Videotape – The song sounds like the skipped memory of an old VHS video tape storing footage of a first love. The drums sound like the repetition of tape magnetising. It’s mechanical and uneasy. It has an arrhythmic quality but there’s beauty in it. 8/10

 

I downloaded this when it came out and I'll be honest I didn’t think much of it then. I’ve never really sat down and listened to it from start to finish until now. I’ve heard certain songs and appreciated them but listening to the whole thing is a different experience. I gave this album three full playthroughs trying to dissect it for the review. My opinion is it’s technically outstanding. The production is virtually flawless and the songs work on multiple levels. It’s a masterful record.

 

8.5/10

[Guest]

Radiohead – In Rainbows

 

15 Step – It starts with a electronic drum loop. The guitar enters left side in stereo. Jonny Greenwood is playing dissonant intervals to add an uneasy feel. This is a really beautiful song. The bass glues everything together as it arrives in the pre-chorus. Then it hits a minor before repeating. At the end it morphs into a drum break with a vocal percussive accompaniment.  9/10

 

Bodysnatchers – Guitar riff enters. Jonny Greenwood guitar stabs. Ed O’Brian enters in the chorus with a warbling Theremin-esque slide part. The song is really about the synergy between the three guitar players and them all finding their lane with differing melodies. Jonny Greenwood goes off at the end with a signature distorted pitch shifting guitar solo to a manic sounding Yorke. 8/10

 

Nude – Reversed music makes way to a bass. O’Brian enters with a haunting guitar part. Greenwood fingerpicks a sad melody. Yorke sounds otherworldly. A vocal melody starts right side, raising pitch slowly before resolution. Vocal harmonies soar above the transcendent guitars. 7.5/10

 

Weird Fishes / Arpeggi – Dissonant fingerpicked melody carried by the bass. The vocals have a delayed echo on them which creates an almost hypnotic feeling. “Your eyes, they turn me”. It starts to build at the midway point with each juxtaposed melody merging and complimenting each other. Then it drops to an underwater synth pad and Yorkes voice.

Then it builds again. There’s a weird guitar glitch sound that happens about 1 minute from the end that adds a counterpoint. 8/10

 

All I need – Synth pad makes way for a distorted synth. Very NIN. A glockenspiel creates the lead melody line. The song gets going in the last minute and a half. 6.5/10

 

Faust – Weird song this one. Starts similar to Sting’s “Shape of my heart” and then takes an inversion. The guitars sound regal and medieval. There’s a reference to Blackbird Pie which takes you to that place. I’m getting Beatles vibes with the strings and the lyrics. 7/10

 

Reckoner – The guitar starts the track, played as gently as a whisper. The drums sound like tambourines in a giant room. Then the vocals come in and I instantly feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The vocals take me to a different place in my mind. At the end the strings take over and the songs fades out slowly. 9/10

 

House of Cards – This might be the most thoughtful track on the album lyrically. The vocals are drenched in reverb. Everything about this track is magical. It’s got a Daniel Lanois quality to it. Masterful. 10/10

 

Jigsaw Falling into Place – The bass on this is fantastic. It’s one of the catchiest tracks on the album. It builds like a Fall song. It has that locked in repetition. Each instrument gets added one by one. The structure actually mimics a jigsaw falling into place. 9/10

 

Videotape – The song sounds like the skipped memory of an old VHS video tape storing footage of a first love. The drums sound like the repetition of tape magnetising. It’s mechanical and uneasy. It has an arrhythmic quality but there’s beauty in it. 8/10

 

I downloaded this when it came out and I'll be honest I didn’t think much of it then. I’ve never really sat down and listened to it from start to finish until now. I’ve heard certain songs and appreciated them but listening to the whole thing is a different experience. I gave this album three full playthroughs trying to dissect it for the review. My opinion is it’s technically outstanding. The production is virtually flawless and the songs work on multiple levels. It’s a masterful record.

 

8.5/10

Amazing that an album can come out and you think it's a bit meh and years later find out that it really isn't. I'm sure there are other albums like that too.

[Boss]

Amazing that an album can come out and you think it's a bit meh and years later find out that it really isn't. I'm sure there are other albums like that too.

 

Yeah, it's pretty weird. It works both ways I guess.

[Carvalho Diablo]

So are we all ready for some new music ? Are we ?

 

Redtalisker, over to you...

[REDTALISKER]

You would think having the longest possible time I would have it already sorted. Probably have it narrowed it down to a 'you lot made me listen to too much hard rock' angle. Really tempted to go for something radically different to what we have had so far this round. Give me half an hour to change my mind a few more times and I'll be back.

[REDTALISKER]

Likely to go down like a lead balloon but before I change my mind again......

 

[ZonkoVille77]

I'm familiar with that album. It's been quote some time since I've listened to it. Same guys who were/are Future Sound of London if I'm not mistaken?

 

No harm to change the styles around a bit. Nice one.

[REDTALISKER]

That's right. I believe this particularly album were out takes from the Lifeform album that didn't quite fit with the sound they were going for.  

[Guest]

Interesting choice, just read that a couple of songs on Noel Gallagher's new album are with this outfit and also they recorded an entire album before and Noel was unhappy with it so destroyed the masters. Will listen to this...

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I should have my In Rainbows love in sorted by tomorrow. Might even get it finished tonight if you are lucky.

[Guest]

I should have my In Rainbows love in sorted by tomorrow. Might even get it finished tonight if you are lucky.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Well, I didn’t realise I had wrote much of this on the buss to and from work today. So I only had the last two tunes to complete. 

 

 

Another thing, unlike you lazy bastards so far, I have reviewed the full fucking album. Disk 1 & Disk 2!!

 

 

In Rainbows by Radiohead.

 

Well, isn’t this nice. A totally different vibe then what has been the last few albums to review.

 

Now, I’m a big, big lover of this album. 

 

Disk 1

 

15 Step - I always get a vibe of a nursery rhyme vibe when this starts, or when you see kids playing skipping ropes and jumping in and out. The guitar is beautiful on this with a lovely soothing bass line that compliments the hip-hop style drums. The last segment of the song were it picks up the pace is a great demonstration of building things up slowly to a teasing crescendo that leaves you wanting more. And more.

 

Bodysnatchers - Fuzzy start with a heavy riff on the guitar and bass. It’s a boss riff to play on the too. It’s old school Radiohead mixed in with the modern. One of my favourite Head tunes, and that break in the middle that takes away all the fuzz for a while is almost epic. Then the fuzz comes back with a vengeance and a swagger that a fighter would give when he’s just knocked his  opponent. Then the teasing comes back for a bit then he’s down again with a flurry of punches. 

 

Nude - An absolutely beautiful piece of music. Haunting, powerful, anger, hurt, resentment and pain. The way Yorke sings “You’ll go to hell, for what your dirty mind is thinking” is one of my favourite deliveries of a lyric. And that string arrangement sitting underneath that lovely soft guitar, delicate drums and bass. Perfection. 

 

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - That ginger picked guitar duelling with that drum beat opening up the track really grab you and make you listen. Then another guitar starts picking behind that and the slow build up of everything coming together just keeps you interested throughout. The backing harmony by Ed O’Brien always stand out on this for me though. It perfectly compliments what Tom brings (again) to this one. “I hit the bottom, I hit the bottom and escaped” another brilliant line.

 

All I Need - A tune that helps me really mellow out. That deep bass on the synth, keyboard or whatever. The whole song really grips me every time. It has the feel of someone who is trying to convince someone that they are infatuated with someone to the point of being almost stalkerish. The way the second verse carries the line “I’m a moth, who just wants to share your light” Wow!

 

Faust Arp - A nice folky guitar with another fantastic string arrangement sitting under it an not taking too much attention from York and Greenwood’s duet. Beautiful.

 

Reckoner - Lovely spacious drums with another hip-hop feel. The original title for the album as well. Which gives its name. Some Pop trivia for you there. I really like the vibe on this one.

 

House of Cards - Kevin Spacey this is not. It’s lovely, it’s friendly. It’s got a little bit of lazy swagger about it that allows you to float away in some dark room while experiencing some hazy mindfulness brought on by the old Jamaican Specials. 

 

Jigsaw Falling In To Place - This the tune that got me excited about this album. I remember seeing it on some channel back in the day and just looked bing the riffing on an acoustic. It’s got a fast and frantic pace but is so mellow to listen to. The rhythm section Selway and Greenwood on this is exceptional. Greenwood’s bass work is phenomenal. Yorke’s vocals sound smug and delighted with a hint of lazy arrogance that works ace. Fucking love this tune. 

 

Videotape - Proper haunting track. It has that similar vibe to The Pyramid Song from Amnesiac  (but not as good) That drum beat sounds like a funeral march of a slow train. This would explain the lyrics being described about a dying individual making a videotape for a loved one before he passes away. 

 

Disk 2

 

MK 1 - The transitional track between disk 1 and disk 2. 

 

Down Is The New Up - Strong piano pounding, sounds more upbeat. Yorke serenading with a lovely “ooohh” at the start. “Pour yourself a hot bath, pour yourself a drink” I love the chord sequence on the piano throughout this. That change where it goes from moody and melodramatic singing to Yorke going all crooner and (once again) those fucking string arrangements. Amazing. And that off beat beat. Then the cello’s kick in making it a bit more epic in sound. Got the vibe of a Bond track at times. 

 

Go Slowly - I do love a good haunting track me. And Go Slowly is no different. That slow picking/playing hook on guitar and keys is so soothing. York becomes almost angelic as he sings “Over Here, come slowly. Come slowly to me” hairs on the back of your neck standing up that shit. I get a feeling of yearning and wanting with this track. I can feel it’s essence in the centre of my chest every time I hear it. Then it throws in a higher level when the acoustic comes in and hat strumming pattern and sound is beautiful. And a good old fade out at the end.

 

MK 2 - Has the feel of a Sci-Fi movie this. Always brings me back out whatever distant place I’ve allowed my thoughts to go to after listening to Go Slowly.

 

Last Flowers - Another beautiful piano track that slowly builds up till the final section where It really takes it up a notch, again without too much effort or being too loud.

 

Up On The Ladder - Another guitar riff I never tire of hearing. Again, I adore the bass on this and the controlled and precise percussion. I really do think Selway and Greenwood are an understated combo. This reminds me of an Faith No More type of tune were it always leaves you wanting that next step to come but it just leaves you more than delighted with what you were given. I love that effect that gives it the old vinyl sound vibe just over halfway. Got to love some synth strings too. 

 

Bangers + Mash - The maddest tune on the album. It really does shake you awake and make you take notice, The majority of this album is chilled and melodic. Bangers + Mash is exactly the type of stuff the greatest band that never was, Pork Trousers, aspired to compose. Brilliant.

 

4 Minute Warning - I get the vibe at the start of this that it’s a 4 minute warning till our body stops being the vessel it is and our pineal gland starts pumping out that DMT to send us on our next journey. Making us comfortable and know that it’s all going to be ok.  The rest of it doesn’t, it’s warning that I am due to go into a Jamaican Special haze again and savour all that I have just experienced. For about the 100th time. 

 

Overall, it’s a truly great album. There is not one fault on it. All killer, no filler. 

 

10 Mutha Fucking Rainbows out of 10.  

[Skidfingers McGonical]

That's right. I believe this particularly album were out takes from the Lifeform album that didn't quite fit with the sound they were going for.  

 

I used to listen to Lifeforms on repeat back in the mid 90's, aided with speed, weed, tablets and sometimes acid. It was some experience. Not actually heard that album since about '99. 

[REDTALISKER]

I listened to it over the weekend. I was really torn between several of FSOL early 90's albums but discounted Lifeforms due to the double album nature of it and also because it's probably better known. We almost had Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works too. That was a strong contender. 

[TheHowieLama]

Alright - I am in for a review of Radiohead, then this...

[ZonkoVille77]

Good stuff, Skids. Happy camper reading that.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Redtalisker's AOW Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephidrino

 

Spotify album : https://open.spotify.com/album/4SNliyiumphhCLF7mPnAaJ?si=Ki9SubjgScGBuOOjPhjwIQ

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Redtalisker's AOW Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephidrino

 

TLW Music Club playlist : https://open.spotify.com/user/carvalho666/playlist/3k64dON6XvCI1W9GFNH8Gr?si=QaUbfby7TUOSIcbSVgYxPg

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Redtalisker's AOW Amorphous Androgynous - Tales Of Ephidrino

 

TLW Music Club YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmD81dOULR2dlVx03buDBQ/playlists?view_as=subscriber

[Carvalho Diablo]

Thanks to Redtalisker for posting his debut AOW, Tales Of Ephidrino by Amorphous Androgynous. Looking forward to giving this a spin today, never heard AA before, never even heard of them ! Will prove interesting, but that's what this club and this thread is all about.

 

Thanks for your reviews of In Rainbows fellas, some cracking reviews, and hope you enjoyed writing them as much as I enjoy reading them.

 

Next person up to choose his AOW is Shooter In The Motor. Shooter's selection is due around Tues 26th May.

 

That gives us around a fortnight to do justice to the current AOW and it should also allow Boss, Moofy and Winston some time to drop in their own outstanding reviews (should they wish).

 

Thanks lads.

[ZonkoVille77]

Amorphous Androgynous - Tales of Ephidrino

If I had one word to describe this album -  'Soundscapes'. Lots of excellent ambient moments throughout. Love the natural sound effects used throughout (the running water for example). It's such an organic album, flowing from track to track. It really has to be taken more as a complete body of work than an album of individual tracks. Some of the programmed rhythms are clearly of their time and haven't aged well, but it doesn't diminish the album in any way. Could this be considered Prog-Ambient perhaps?

Track by Track:

Liquid Insects - Sounds like it should be in a Predator film. Some unsettling sounds panning left and right, creating tension. I feel like I'm being hunted. Then that beat kicks in. Sound effects are great. There's some sort of woodwind sound - I'm picturing primitive people firing poison darts out at their enemies. Excellent start.

Swab - First track segues into the next, all tracks do. Not as strong as the first track. Weird synths and tom toms rattling throughout. Nicely paced though after the opener.

Mountain Goat- Great acoustic sounds starts it, adding a fuzzy warm and colorful feel to this track. Subtle percussion tipping it along. Brooding string like effects. This is ambient music at it's best.

In Mind - Nicely claustrophic track. Could picture myself in a jungle with this playing around me and absolutely shitting myself. The hand claps and screams add to the sense of paranoia. Then all of a sudden it breaks into a bit of merry piping at the end. Celebrating capturing me in the jungle, ready to skin me?

Ephidrina - Livelier track than the last few tracks. More warping, pulsing electronics. Doesn't really go anywhere for the first 3 mins, very laidback. But then picks up with more intense layers of hi-hats, the percussion is more pronounced. Gets quite 'dancey' then. Can imagine hearing this in the chill-out zones clubs on Ibiza. Good track.

Auto Pump - this is my favourite track on the album. It beeps and blurps it's way over a techno beat, with bouncing, reverbed, guitar effects overlaid. Synths galore at the end.

 

Fat Cat - Love the bassline on this one. Track doesn't really go anywhere. Not as memorable as previous tracks

Pod Room - Sounds like a whale screaming out at the start. Or someone in a jungle in pain screaming out through their hollowed, severed limbs. Reminds me a bit of my mate Moby. Tips along without really going anywhere, track could be 2 mins long or 20 mins long and I wouldn't notice. Bassline good. Gentle enough ending to the album.

I was already familiar with this album but hadn't heard it in years. It's a good album and was great for it's time. I like other artists from this genre better, like Boards of Canada or Orbital. I'd have no problem listening to this chilling out in the garden, but I'd probably reach for my Air albums first.

6.5/10 - Nice to hear a bit of ambient / electronica. It has been a while.

As an aside, I would have loved to hear the album they did with Noel Gallagher. Apparently Noel pussied out of it because it was too far out for him.

[REDTALISKER]

Thanks for the review. I might rate it slightly higher than you but think on the whole it was a pretty fair assessment if I am honest. Was listening to both Boards of Canada and Orbital over the weekend trying to whittle it down. My problem was I like them all and don't have a overwhelming favorite. Ultimately went for the least well known one(at least what I thought would be).

[ZonkoVille77]

REDTALISKER, on 13 Jun 2018 - 1:09 PM, said:

 

Thanks for the review. I might rate it slightly higher than you but think on the whole it was a pretty fair assessment if I am honest. Was listening to both Boards of Canada and Orbital over the weekend trying to whittle it down. My problem was I like them all and don't have a overwhelming favorite. Ultimately went for the least well known one(at least what I thought would be).

It's a good album, no doubt. I just think it may have started to age slightly in parts. I'm glad I listened to it again because it will probably set me off on another listening spree of ambient electronica. I do remember listening to it before but it never stuck with me as much as other albums of this type of genre.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Tales of Ephidrina by Amorphous Androgynous

 

Having spent 50% of the 90’s adoring grunge and other alternative bands. I spent the the other 50% listening to dance music. I went through a nothing but trance listening binge for a solid year. And with being a big fan of Future Sound Of London’s Lifeforms, I was expecting big things from this.

 

It starts off with the nostalgia of those ecstasy and amphetamine fuelled nights in some random persons flat on the outskirts of town. Chatting shit about how we are all small insignificant compared to the wider context of the universe. Debating the credibility of Ulysses 31 compared to the likes of Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors.

 

Liquid Insects opens up the album and I automatically get thrusted back to 1993. A Sunday evening at around 9pm. Sat playing Road Rash on the Mega Drive and listening to Stu Allen on Key 103. It feels good. It’s got pan pipes and banging beats that don’t bang too hard, just right.

 

I’ve listened to this album for 6 days solid now, and I can’t get past the phrase “It’s all a bit samey” it’s hard to sometimes differentiate between track titles there is a feel of it all mixing in to one big track at times. I’ll be honest I’m left feeling a tad disappointed by it.

 

It’s not poor, it’s far from excellent. That could be down to it being compared to what’s been released since. It is 25 years old after all. Which isn’t an issue. The issue I have is that it sounds like it’s from ‘93. I don’t think this has aged very well compared with the other older stuff we have listened to as part of this. I can take myself back and see that it was something good when it first came out. I’m just not feeling it like I would have.

 

It’s definitely something I could put on in a dark room to relax and give the mind some rest. I struggled concentrating on it when listening on the bus on the way to work or in the car. It has its time and place to listen to, and that is late at night when you’re looking to wind down. Especially ‘In Mind’, ‘Fat Cat’ and ‘Pod Room’.

 

Electronic music has obviously come a long way since it’s early days and this should not be forgotten in the foundations laid back in those early days. It just doesn’t have that classic feel that I was expecting it to have.

 

I’m going to give this 6.5 Gary Abletts out 10.

 

One a side note when the album finished and Spotify goes into Album Radio mode, Yantra from The Peppermint Tree & The Seeds of Superconsciousness came on.

 

Now that is what I was expecting.