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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
There are few things in life quite so liberating as the opening track on an Elbow album--they're like airlocks between the plainness of the outside world and the elaborate melancholic heave-ho that you are likely about to submerge yourself in. Following predecessors "Any Day Now", "Ribcage" and "Station Approach", "Starlings" opens their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid rising from a bed of tumbling electronic subtlety like a depressed Atari game loading up, adding bare touches of piano, glimpses of ambient guitar, out of body background vocals, an understated pulse and a wisp of strings, before--EXCELSIS!--a fanfare avalanche of horns crashes the gate and elevates things to gasping palatial heights, before Guy Garvey's inimitable gravel tone and wrenchingly poetic reinterpretations of the everyday announce their arrival proper. It's astonishing, by far the most progressive moment on the album and if anything it sets the bar too high. But even when the pace dips, and songs like "Mirrorball" and "Weather to Fly" don't distinguish themselves quite enough, their textural peerlessness remains. This is a beautiful sounding record. Their collaboration with Richard Hawley may be more of a curiosity than a thing of beauty, but the highs, the riffing cross-stitch of "Ground for Divorce", the desolate grandeur of "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver" and the enlightened string-laden anthem "On a Day Like This" (like their own Sound of Music--only substitute the Alpine peaks for a Manchester high-rise) number amongst the best of their career. --James Berry
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CD
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you enjoyed the album, this is a must-purchase.
Elbow very much support the idea of an album rahter than cherry-picking tracks off iTunes and this production tells you why. A complete and coherent album, no fillers, taking you on an emotional ride with the atmosphere of a live orchestra making the hairs stand up on your arms at times.
Originally released as a limited box package, this is pretty much now the definitive version of the album for me - I haven't played the standard album since I received the Abbey Road one. Buy it if you are a true fan of real music, crafted tunes and meaningful lyrics - or just if you want to listen to a truly special moment in British music.
Elbow very much support the idea of an album rahter than cherry-picking tracks off iTunes and this production tells you why. A complete and coherent album, no fillers, taking you on an emotional ride with the atmosphere of a live orchestra making the hairs stand up on your arms at times.
Originally released as a limited box package, this is pretty much now the definitive version of the album for me - I haven't played the standard album since I received the Abbey Road one. Buy it if you are a true fan of real music, crafted tunes and meaningful lyrics - or just if you want to listen to a truly special moment in British music.
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Wendy Cutler
Format:Audio CD
While live performances can wow you with exciting energy, there are times when I have listened to live music and come away feeling that something just did not have the impact of the recording. Could be the vocals are not quite right, the balance of sound has not been mixed very well, the timing is a bit rushed etc.
A live version of the Seldom Seen Kid (my favourite album from the last couple of years) could so easily have disppointed. How wrong I was to even think this! The dynamics range from the most gentle and intimate to a sound that makes your whole body vibrate. The lyrics and musicality of Elbow is amazing, and this is not swamped in any way by over sentimental orchestral arrangements, but somehow taken to a new level that wonders the merging of the two.
If you are a fan of the original and are unsure about owning two versions of the same songs - I emplore you to get this. I really do think that this is the best live performance of any band that I have heard.
A live version of the Seldom Seen Kid (my favourite album from the last couple of years) could so easily have disppointed. How wrong I was to even think this! The dynamics range from the most gentle and intimate to a sound that makes your whole body vibrate. The lyrics and musicality of Elbow is amazing, and this is not swamped in any way by over sentimental orchestral arrangements, but somehow taken to a new level that wonders the merging of the two.
If you are a fan of the original and are unsure about owning two versions of the same songs - I emplore you to get this. I really do think that this is the best live performance of any band that I have heard.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By M. J. Walker
Format:Audio CD
My experience of Live albums has been a compromise in the production and vocals, but often made up for the raw energy of the event.
This album has it all! I can't stress enough how good this is. If you were a fan of the original, you won't be disappointed buy this. The albums feels as if it was written for an orchestra. Guy's vocals are spot on and if anything, there is more emotion in them than on the original.
The DVD is the cherry on top.
This album has it all! I can't stress enough how good this is. If you were a fan of the original, you won't be disappointed buy this. The albums feels as if it was written for an orchestra. Guy's vocals are spot on and if anything, there is more emotion in them than on the original.
The DVD is the cherry on top.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"The Seldom Seen Kid" was my favourite album of 2008, bar none. It is an incredible piece of work - romantic, touching, sentimental, intelligent and truly magnificent. This live performance of the album in its entirely at Abbey Road together with the superb BBC Concert Orchestra doesn't only do the original recordings justice - in the case of many of the compositions, it takes the tracks to new, even greater heights. The orchestra just explodes on "Starlings", the choir is amazingly beautiful on "The Bones Of You" and the band themselves give an absolutely flawless and impassioned performance of their greatest studio album so far. There are so many talking points. The way the orchestra builds towards the climax of "Weather To Fly" is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous. "Grounds For Divorce" sounds twice as powerful with the orchestra augmenting the hard-hitting guitar break to hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck rising in appreciation, spine-tingling effect. The version of "The Fix" with Richard Hawley is vastly superior to the studio version, infinitely more atmospheric and underlining the underhanded nature of the lyrics wonderfully.
Listening to (and watching) this live album is a truly emotional experience. I find myself close to tears at various points of the performance as Guy Garvey's sensational voice delivers his superb poetry with such passion and at such a timbre that it seems to bypass your ears and go directly to your heart. I can honestly say that there aren't many songs on this earth which have the power to move me as much as "The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver" when Guy hits those high notes, soaring above the sweeping strings of that incredible orchestra and the magnificence of that choir. "Some Riot" is almost equally as stirring (the strings are just...... Read more ›
Listening to (and watching) this live album is a truly emotional experience. I find myself close to tears at various points of the performance as Guy Garvey's sensational voice delivers his superb poetry with such passion and at such a timbre that it seems to bypass your ears and go directly to your heart. I can honestly say that there aren't many songs on this earth which have the power to move me as much as "The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver" when Guy hits those high notes, soaring above the sweeping strings of that incredible orchestra and the magnificence of that choir. "Some Riot" is almost equally as stirring (the strings are just...... Read more ›
221 of 237 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. D. J. Brindle
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
Rumoured to be Elbow's last new album in the traditional sense of the word (the band have hinted that future releases may be in the form of EP's / singles only) they return here with what can only be described as a beautiful, masterful, heartbreakingly delicate collection of simply brilliant songs.
It's an album on which Guy Garvey, lead singer and lyricist, seeks to address the big issues of life, love and loss and the resulting collection of songs is perhaps Elbow's finest to date.
"Starlings" starts the album off with aplomb, a hushed harmonised intro of vocals, glockenspiel and piano giving way to a huge burst of horns before Guy Garvey begins his vocal. Garvey has the sort of voice that could sing the entire telephone book to you and you'd still find it deep, and meaningful and melancholically beautiful.
"Bones Of You" with it's flamenco influences, details lyrically that moment whereby you're rushing around a town centre when suddenly you catch a few bars of a song you last hear when you were happy, and somewhere else, and it blasts you back to that time. And back to the love you felt then; "And I'm five years ago/and three thousand miles away". Musically it's quite a commercial and accessible song, like a few on the album. And there's a bitter lyrical under taste in the fact that it becomes apparent that the singer of the song has been lying to himself to a greater or lesser extent, all these years. Brilliant stuff.
Mirrorball is a typically stunning and beautiful Elbow ballad; "Dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller. All down to you. Everything has changed." over acoustic drums and semi-whispered, right in your ear and head vocals. Gorgeous strings too. Stirring and yet romantic.... Read more ›
It's an album on which Guy Garvey, lead singer and lyricist, seeks to address the big issues of life, love and loss and the resulting collection of songs is perhaps Elbow's finest to date.
"Starlings" starts the album off with aplomb, a hushed harmonised intro of vocals, glockenspiel and piano giving way to a huge burst of horns before Guy Garvey begins his vocal. Garvey has the sort of voice that could sing the entire telephone book to you and you'd still find it deep, and meaningful and melancholically beautiful.
"Bones Of You" with it's flamenco influences, details lyrically that moment whereby you're rushing around a town centre when suddenly you catch a few bars of a song you last hear when you were happy, and somewhere else, and it blasts you back to that time. And back to the love you felt then; "And I'm five years ago/and three thousand miles away". Musically it's quite a commercial and accessible song, like a few on the album. And there's a bitter lyrical under taste in the fact that it becomes apparent that the singer of the song has been lying to himself to a greater or lesser extent, all these years. Brilliant stuff.
Mirrorball is a typically stunning and beautiful Elbow ballad; "Dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller. All down to you. Everything has changed." over acoustic drums and semi-whispered, right in your ear and head vocals. Gorgeous strings too. Stirring and yet romantic.... Read more ›
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elbow poets with amazing music
Elbow a sound for our times I nevewr grow tired of their music. I have been a fan since they played at Uni bars!!
Published 5 days ago by Allison Swan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!
Bought for my husbands birthday in May and he loved it, i will get him the other CD's for Christmas!!
Published 13 days ago by racytracy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elbow
Brilliant version.
My favourite is of course - On Day Like This.
I am taking this to over sixties meeting this afternoon.
My favourite is of course - On Day Like This.
I am taking this to over sixties meeting this afternoon.
Published 28 days ago by Anne
5.0 out of 5 stars
CD
QUICK AND GOOD SERVICE GREAT PRICE FOR THE BEST ELBOW CD WITH THE BEST TRACKS WOULD USE THEM AGAIN IN FUTURE
Published 1 month ago by john
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Buy
Boought with Build A Rocket Boys....Love it Love.....simply adore this band and the lead singers amazing voice. One of my all time favourites.
Published 1 month ago by moocow
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb album of great songs
I bought this CD using a gift card given to me by my brother at Christmas. I loved the song 'One day Like This' which was sung by Elbow at one of the 2012 Olympic ceremonies. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Fi
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Buy
Bought as a present for my wife and she has been very pleased. Will probably look at more of their work.
Published 2 months ago by Brian Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great album
This is a good album with a nice mix of Elbow's music. Isn't their most recent album, but definitely doesn't sound outdated in any way. Read more
Published 2 months ago by elephants_never_forget
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good stuff
This album appealed to a sixty-plus rocker who first heard "One day like this" on Jools Holland and was hooked thereafter.
Published 2 months ago by J. G. Fardell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Album
This a great album and I am so happy to be able to listen to it on vinyl which makes it even more special.
Published 2 months ago by Kim Levin
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