- Audio CD (30 Mar 2010)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: One Little Indian UK
- ASIN: B003IQVNX6
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Before Gomez got a taste for tequila and campfire blues there was the Alabama 3. Led by Reverend Dr D. Wayne Love, aided by the gospel choir of The First Presleyterian Church Of Elvis The Divine and the bleeps and beats that they call "sweet, country, acid-house music", their debut album, Exile On Coldharbour Lane, was both ingenious and intentionally comical. For the follow-up, La Peste, the humorous caricatures have been toned down--Dr Love is now just Rob Spragg--and the blend of hobo folk and electro eccentricity has been refined to the point of perfection. Spragg still does an amazing impersonation of a fallen preacherman looking for redemption with his Southern States drawl (although he's actually from Brixton, South London) and the bible-bashing parables of "Too Sick To Pray" and "Wade Into The Water"--coming across more disturbed than his previous slapstick incarnation. Even the hobo-house cover of The Eagles' "Hotel California" rates as inspired. La Peste is brilliant, beat-fuelled, Jack-Daniels-drenched hillbilly techno. --Dan Gennoe
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album will stand the test of time as a hugely enjoyable collection of anthemic songs that worm their way into your head, even after the first listening. They got into mine and haven't left after far too many album plays for my own good.
Whilst missing some of the superb insanity-feel of the debut album "Exile on Coldharbour Lane", this album is more mainstream in its appeal with future classics such as "Wade Into The Water". This is the leader amongst song giants such as "Mansion On The Hill" and "Sad-Eyed Lady". It is not often you can buy follow-up albums as good, if not better, than a brilliant debut.
If you ever get the chance to see these intelligent nutters live - take the opportunity because you'll never forget it.
The first album had dark humour with foot-stomping rhythms and you need to get the joke for a truly great listen. This album has great music, foot-stomping rhythms and you need to get the album for another truly great listen.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I had heard that this was the poorer of the two Alabama 3 albums, so deliberately listened to this one first. I was not disappointed, and the style throughout is a country-acid-house-gospel one, with some abstract tracks and a level of originality that you don't normally find in one genre. They may have created their own style of music, and fine tuned it since Exile..., but now it seems that they are sticking to it. I like this album a lot, with some quality tracks like 'Too Sick to Pray' and a trippy remix of 'Hotel California', along with a number of other grand tracks, and on its own I would almost be tempted to rate it 5. However, it is a little bit repetitive in style, and a few of the tracks sound a little similar [not really a bad thing...]. The real downer was when I heard Exile On Coldharbour Lane. It was only after to listening to that a lot that I realised how this was not quite so brilliant as the debut. My gripe with the lack of variety on this album is so contradictory to the first album, and it's really only the slight restraints on the imagination and the lack of appearances of such characters as IV Lenin that stop this album from being quite up to scratch. It almost seems that A3 searched for a style in Exile, with some diverse results, but after finding it they did stick to it...and the result is great, but no longer quite so revolutionary.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Ok, so there are plenty of reviews for this record and I agree with most of them. Just thought I'd add that this band are like a darker version of Gomez with more beats. (More accurately Gomez are a lighter version Alabama 3 as these were here first.) If Gomez were reformed Junkies who had grown up in the backsteets of Glasgow rather than reformed middle class metal heads, their records would probably sound like this. Anyway, I'd recommend this to any Gomez fan who also likes darker records like Radiohead's OK Computer or Massive Attack's Mezzanine.
The other thing is that though I agree that Too Sick to Pray, Mansion on the Hill, Wade into the Water etc. are fantastic tracks, everyone has ignored Sinking... which is a haunting, epic of a song. Dark and moody and exceedingly beautiful at first it morphs into a jubulant gospel choir chant of "It's gonna be alright". Very uplifting and certainly a contender for best track of the album. Anyone agree?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Alabama 3
They're not from Alabama and there's more than 3 of them! They are from London & they are brilliant. Too good for mainstream, this niche band never disappoint. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2009 by Mr. Stephen A. Wells
For Rock, Dance & Parties!
This album will stand the test of time as a hugely enjoyable collection of anthemic songs that worm their way into your head, even after the first listening. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2007 by Richard Hounsfield
One of the greatest!!!
This albumn is the most awesome ever!!!! If you like rock, blues, and Texan weirdness - this one is a big must!!!!
Published on 3 April 2003 by Sandra D Ross
Dark Side of Alabama 3
Although not instantly accessible, like Coldharbour Lane, this is a masterpiece of hypnotic rhythms, growling whiskey sodden vocals and lyrics full of dark paradox. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2002 by Stephen R. Binns
This is an ablum to hit you where it hurts!!!
OK, I bought this because I am a fan of the Sopranos and looked for who sang the theme song. When i went into the local record store, I saw this album and noticed "Woke up... Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2002
Darker than Exile... and not a bad thing
I think its a bit unfair comparing this to the first album. Exile... is great, but deliberatly wacky and tongue in cheek. Read more
Published on 24 May 2001 by Steve Morrell
Acid rock
Take the huge acid surge of long ago and combine with some pretty smoky blues rock, and you've got La Peste. A solid LP. Nothing less, nothing more.
Published on 30 Dec 2000 by dan.rees@ntlworld.com
occasionally exceptional stuff from Brixton's finest
The Alabamas are one of those many bands who are brilliant live but have somehow failed to harness that energy in the studio. This though is a little closer to the mark. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2000
Sweet country house acid music
If you are going to buy one new album this month, then this is the one to buy. Although not the inextinguishable light of the first album, it brings the very best of the group... Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2000
This album is a craking good piece of shiny plastic
This album is something completely different to what i usually listen to but its still really compelling, the only thing i find wrong with it is that the first and last songs 'too... Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2000 by tonyadams_appreciation@yahoo.co.uk
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