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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
The Music gives a sideways nod to baggy beats and the Stone Roses' Second Coming, but is mainly a wild, almost desperate mix of Led Zeppelin blues-metal histrionics, and the stadium end of 1980s alt-rock, particularly the Chameleons, the Cult and U2. The lyrics are little more than excuses for Harvey to howl and wail, but the constant twin-guitar invention of Harvey and Adam Nutter, taking in everything from bluesy riffs through funky wah-wah to Edge-ish atmospherics, keep you endlessly guessing and enthralled by their sheer recklessness. Put simply, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a British "indie" band who are so unafraid to rock, so blatantly uninterested in choirboy self-pity, and so almost comically in thrall to chest-beating Big Rawk. --Garry Mulholland
Review
First off, ten tracks on an album that spans over sixty minutes. Do the maths. If you have to use your fingers prepare to save a suitably low number to wave in the direction of three-minute snappy pop.
The Music rock out, yet, despite the Led Zep riffing, most stark on "The Truth Is No Words", and heavy guitar layering, they resist the temptation to fully regress into "progressive".
This is due to their use of beats and song structuring that borrows significantly from dance rather than classic rock. The finished product does at times resemble one of those b-side re-mixes of straightforward indie tracks by reputedly edgy but essentially populist techno outfits.
However, it contains none of the embarrassing connotations. With song titles that include "The Dance" and "Disco", it is far from surprising that the dance influence is deep set. Indeed, it appears natural and pivotal at the point of song incarnation much as it was for The Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
The Music's mature sound can in part be attributed to the production of Jim Abiss. He has constructed similarly polished efforts for DJ Shadow and Bjork. It is this smoothness that perhaps supplies the album's only major downside.
In touring with the likes of Oasis and The Charlatans, The Music have rapidly acquired a fierce live reputation. The studio stifling of their live energy and raw edge seems a senseless waste.
Guitarist Adam Nutter deserves respect both for his endurance of the inevitable crank "are you A. Nutter?" phone calls, and for developing a classic rock guitar sound that still sounds fresh and vital in the 21st century.
The band boasts a rhythm section that punches and lifts Robert Harvey's vocals in their vibrant, shrieking celebration of joyous exuberance. The cry rings out "hey little lady, see what you're missing..." Well, woman, man and beast - if you miss out you have only yourselves to blame.
Rock music you want to leap about and dance to minus any cynical crossover contrivance. But what about our shoes? Who will gaze at them now? --Daniel Pike
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Customer Reviews
As someone who's not too much into dance music, or much towards electronica either, I was quite pleasantly surprised by this album, for its sheer experimentalism, into combining fine rock with good riffs and hooks, with dance music with terrific beats and making the word 'dance' be acceptable in the same sentence as 'music'. This is indeed a much coveted and widely failed genre, if you will, to try to actually penetrate, as the only bands who have done it fairly successfully are Primal Scream, and Jane's Addiction, who you have to say The Music do have more than a passing resemblance to, particularly in the vocal department; a cross between Led Zeppelin's charismatic Robert Plant, and more so Jane's Addiction's even more charismatic front man Perry Farrell, who is also a big fan of the band. Indeed I am sure that many Jane's Addiction fans would actually like The Music's debut, particularly tracks such as 'Take The Long Road And Walk It', the terrific, 'Human', the rousing single, 'The Truth Is No Words', the chanting 'The People' and a mass assortment of others.
... Read more ›Befor I go on, I should stress I have a bit of a soft spot for anything with a psychedlic twist and a dancey beat. Not that this should put you off. I at first thought The Music were a bunch of pretenders - enthusiastic, earnest, but lacking the touch of class necessary to do the business.
How wrong I was. This album starts well and just gets better. Take the Long Road and Walk It, The Truth is no Words and Too High are all fantastic tracks, but even the slow ones such as Human and Turn Out the Lights show a real sophistication in the song structure, and ultimately, a sense of melody far in excess of anything else being done at the minute. The way Disco moves from big bluesy riffs to a funky house just makes you grin from ear to ear.
If you want comfy three minute pop songs about how the world doesn't understand you, go buy a Coldplay album. You probably don't have the attention span to appreciate this album.
Otherwise, let us rock.
I was not disappointed. The Music have got a perfect blend of instruments in their tracks. 'Take the Long Road and Walk It' is a very 'funky' song, which exudes their potential and overall 'coolness' as a band. 'Turn Out the Light' is at the other extreme, providing a more introspective look at the band and what they want to say.
Many have said that the lyrics are sometimes confused and not clear. However, with instrumental skill as good as this, this simply adds to The Music's charm. Harvey's voice is as if it is another instrument, and moulds into the overall sound of the tracks.
My one disappointment was that some tracks like 'Let Love be the Healer' and 'Alone' for example have been left off the album, it just seems a waste not to include such great songs onto their debut album.
Despite this, The Music's debut album is a triumphant success. Those who like Led Zeppelin and the Stone Roses should try this band out, they have equal potential in my opinion, and similar sound, which makes it great for fans of the bands mentioned.
Other tracks that impressed are 'The People' 'Getaway' and 'Disco'. As a final point if you buy the record go and see this band LIVE, it brings the album to life. I saw them at Rock City in early 2003 and they were awesome.
It is hard to discribe their sound but it lies somewhere between the swirling experimentalism of later day Stone Roses, the vocal wail and guitar distortion of Led Zepplin and the dance mentality somewhere in the middle of Screamadelica and XTRMNTR era Primal Scream. Notice how all these bands are English? I've not heard an American band capable of this brand of psychodelica yet.
When The Music go slow, it's drawn out subtle guitar and emotive singing to sink into. When they go into full flight it is time to dance to the funky beat! The likes of 'Disco', 'Getaway', 'Take The Long Road An Walk It', 'The People' and 'Float' all take you over - and even if your can't dance your body won't let you say no.
The Music are refreshingly carefree about the current musical climate and for that along with their soul consuming music we should cherish this band.
The guitarist has a tight edgy style which you can hear in Turn out the lights and the instrumental at the end is... Read more
a must have
its that simple. i very much doubt that anyone will ever cram so much into a debut album ever again. Read more
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