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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Old Flame |
| 2. I'm Sleeping In A Submarine |
| 3. No Cars Go |
| 4. The Woodlands National Anthem |
| 5. My Heart Is An Apple |
| 6. Headlights Look Like Diamonds |
| 7. Vampire/Forest Fire |
Product Description
Digitally remastered and reissued! Rare debut 7-tracker from 2003 by the Montreal ensemble, released prior to the "Funeral" album.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although the recording of this ep is somewhat quiet, you still manage to be completely lifted by these songs. Each one filled with adolescent imagery and promises, Arcade fire possess an unbelievable talent at writing music. From their live shows to both of their recordings they create an almost complete wall of sound, nothing seems to be missing. Each and every song contains all the best bits of music thrown in together in perfect order and every song evokes a multitude of emotions, and with each listen you feel as fresh as you did when you first heard it. The amazing thing about this band is the fact that although they make emotional music, the drum patterns they use and melodies they sing are reminiscent of many northern soul songs, meaning that this stuff is great to dance too. After seeing these guys live a couple of times, and having listen to both this and the album many many times, i'm still completely in love with these guys and it doesn't seem too be fading in any way like it would with so many other bands. This is a band that really is genuinely worth a lot of your time, please try and give them some of yours.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Solinas is right when he says that "it's hard not to be smitten" with this band. Having listened to Funeral, a few months after its release -lost months I feel, given how grand that album is!- and in the absence of any new material, I felt compelled to buy this EP.
Certainly, although I would not give it five stars, I was far from disappointed, and I believe that in it you will find some of the basic musical DNA that made their first full album such remarkable feat.
Although their sound does not have the emotional conviction that Funeral exudes, there's enough here to expect greater things from this band, which indeed they proved to be the case with the above mentioned full-length release.
For instance, "Old Flame," the opener, already shows some of the band's trademark arrangements and carries you away with the kinnd of fierce nostalgia they will perfect later.
As far as the alledged missing confidence of this debut, you may find that that's not quite the case. Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's vocals are passionate and poignant respectively already, although they may not reach the urgency and deep murning that informed Funeral.
For me, there are two gems that deserve enough praise to warrant purchase of this EP, "My Heart is an Apple" -that grows in intensity as the song develops and includes a touching passage beautifully sung by Régine- and "Vampire / Forest Fire," probably the best song in this EP and worthy of the best of Funeral's, in which Butler sounds like Neil Young circa OnThe Beach.
All in all, this is more than a respectable debut, and worth having, if you fell under the Arcade Fire's spell.
Certainly, although I would not give it five stars, I was far from disappointed, and I believe that in it you will find some of the basic musical DNA that made their first full album such remarkable feat.
Although their sound does not have the emotional conviction that Funeral exudes, there's enough here to expect greater things from this band, which indeed they proved to be the case with the above mentioned full-length release.
For instance, "Old Flame," the opener, already shows some of the band's trademark arrangements and carries you away with the kinnd of fierce nostalgia they will perfect later.
As far as the alledged missing confidence of this debut, you may find that that's not quite the case. Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's vocals are passionate and poignant respectively already, although they may not reach the urgency and deep murning that informed Funeral.
For me, there are two gems that deserve enough praise to warrant purchase of this EP, "My Heart is an Apple" -that grows in intensity as the song develops and includes a touching passage beautifully sung by Régine- and "Vampire / Forest Fire," probably the best song in this EP and worthy of the best of Funeral's, in which Butler sounds like Neil Young circa OnThe Beach.
All in all, this is more than a respectable debut, and worth having, if you fell under the Arcade Fire's spell.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Arcade Fire are attracting the kind of Furiously devoted fans that pretty much guarantee cult status from the get go, on the strength of 2004's 'Funeral' they deserve it. Goood for them. And it was a good idea to make this earlier material more readily available as the Album clearly isn't enough.
The Arcade Fire EP is a little rougher around the edges than last year's debut but the quality of the songwriting is almost as good. No Car's go in particular would be worthy of inclusion on most new Band's debuts and it's by far the most interesting. The Woodlands National Anthem, while a little one dimentional, is also intriguing in it's production. Tinny guitars are low in the mix while shambolic drums and screatchy vocals are pushed to the forefront. It certainly sounds unlike any other band around now.
It's the vocals and the lyrics however, where EP shows cracks. The vocal splits and inflections that were so charming at first on 'Funeral' are totally overblown here. While it may constitute emotion to some, it quickly becomes irritating and gimmicky. Especially on the rather poor Bjork impression that is 'I'm Sleeping in a Submarine'. It's a good job both Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's vocal ticks had been reigned in for the full album since they both have interesting voices, EP shows them coming to terms with them.
Lyrics too can seem a bit Naive from time to time but that's no real obstacle to your enjoyment of EP. The truth is, while it may be interesting at first most of The Arcade Fire EP's tracks lack the emotional punch and excitement of 'Funeral.
Still worth a look if you're a fan but if you're looking for a starting point the full album's a much better bet.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A taste if the early arcade fire
Having bought Arcade Fire's later albums, I wanted to sample their earlier offerings. Thoroughly enjoyable - I really wasn't disappointed
Published 18 days ago by Mrs T
Old Git
My musical tastes tend to stop at around 1985 but....I heard my youngest playing Arcade Fire (Wake Up from Funeral) and it gripped me! I had to get the lot! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Neil Young
Brilliant band!
This band is simply amazing and Amazon has the complete range of their CD's at the best price - I shopped around and Amazon came up tops! Read more
Published 15 months ago by ShellB
Before the Bang............
Funeral is one of the best Albums ever, showing Arcade Fire to be a band of genius, with more musical ideas per song than most bands manage in a lifetime. Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by Les Ireland
Arcade Fire EP
Arrived punctual but not in Good condition, nothing glue couldn't fix, but still a bit disappointing, ace album all the same.
Published on 14 Nov 2009 by Mr. Paul M. Joyce
in the beginning.....
...there was this EP. And a fantastic EP it was too. Sure, 1 or 2 of the tracks aren't amazing, but the original version of 'No Cars Go' (better than the later album version IMO)... Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2008 by mookster
Shows the band's potential
First off I have to say that Arcade Fire are one of my favourite bands ever but this EP really doesn't compare to Funeral and Neon Bible. Read more
Published on 6 May 2008 by Shorty11857
woooooooo
Upon first listen you may well get a bit freaked out. I thought it sounded like the whole thing had been dreamt up and created on a rainy Sunday afternoon, but after a while I... Read more
Published on 21 Sep 2007 by apostrophes&arcadefire
grab all the arcade fire you can
I'm not so crazy that I would say you should grab every ep or bits n bobs release by every good band but when you consider how good Funeral and Neon Bible are you'd have to admit... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2007 by C. Allen
In the beginning
It's hard to believe that one of the hottest new indie rock bands first debuted with an unknown EP. The first collection of the Arcade Fire's music -- self-released at their... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2007 by E. A Solinas
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