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The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
ALBUM REVIEW
by All4one

RATING - 10/10

(Standout tracks - "Lucifer Sam", "Flaming", "Interstellar Overdrive", "The Gnome", "Bike")

(originally written 9/28/12)

What do you think of when you think of the best albums of 1967? I know that's a bit of a doozy, since there were more great albums than you could stuff into a refrigerator, but just think. The first things to pop into your head will probably be Sgt. Pepper's by the Beatles, The Doors' debut, or Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?. But there is another album from this year that many casual listeners disregard, and that is the Floyd's fine debut, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn".

Which Floyd you may ask? Erm, the pink one, of course.

If you're expecting something along the lines of the smooth, leisurely paced, eerie elegance of "Dark Side of the Moon", then you're in for a completely different ride. This album was the only Floyd album to be made under the full leadership of original frontman, Syd Barrett, and it's safe to say that his writing style differed greatly from the somewhat sour and downer mood of Waters' output. In fact, you could almost call the two polar opposites. Syd was known for his odd, whimsical, cheery, nearly childlike form of writing that addressed topics as strange as gnomes, bikes, and scarecrows.

Er, in fact, those are all song titles in the album ("The Gnome", "Bike", "The Scarecrow"). But nonetheless, the universe that his lyrics create are downright charming.

Many people didn't understand the ways of Syd, and that's pretty much because he lived in his own little world, complete with all the strange things he wrote about.

Unlike Pink Floyd's later work that had a haunting, quiet tone, the style of this album is frantic, and, a lot of times, out-of-this-world weird, and not just because of Syd's lyrics. The music itself is just as strange - Rick Wright's spacy organs are compliented by Nick Mason's jogging drumbeats and Syd's almost raw-sounding guitars.

This album isn't all whimsy and wonder, though. When Syd isn't rambling on about all the oddities that would spew from his mind, the rest of the band offers a chaotic alternative - extreme freak-out instrumentals that showcased the band jamming live in the studio, in a largely experimental manner that matched their live performances of the time. For the most part, these are all condensed down to the standard song length of around 3-4 minutes. However, Pink Floyd break their time-restraint chains on the 9-minute epic, "Interstellar Overdrive".

This song is pure madness. Madness. It's the song where all chaos breaks loose in the magical world of the album - dissonant key riffs, furious guitar lines, unabashed drumming.

But as influential and important as these songs were, these kinds of jams are mostly what make the album so inaccessible to the average ear, and possibly the reason why it has been forgotten by so many listeners.

The Beatles or The Beach Boys, for example, were all based around melody and flawless song structure. However, for most of Piper, there seems to be no structure at all. Even on more conventional tracks, the song can occasionally trail off into something else - into a distant, spacy solo of some sort, or a sudden guitar break.

But, by no means is this a flaw. In fact, the distractedness of the album happens to be the key of the album, and is part of what makes it so exciting. It never wears out, because like any great album, you find something new with each listen. Every song is like a different world you get to explore, with countless things to be found. And that is what I call a masterpiece of an album.

Besides, if you got through The Doors' "The End", you'll surely be able to get through "Interstellar Overdrive".

Last edited by All4one (2012-10-25 16:14:26)

With the Beatles - The Beatles
ALBUM REVIEW
by All4one

RATING - 8/10

(Standout tracks - "It Won't Be Long", "All My Loving", "Till There Was You", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "Not a Second Time")

When the Beatles' debut album, "Please Please Me", came out in early 1963, the band became one of the biggest success stories in their hometown. They were four boys just out of their teens who could play their own instruments, pen their own hits, and had a serious drive for music. They were the darlings of everyone in Liverpool - and it seemed that they were unstoppable.

As 1963 came to a close, the boys' manager, George Martin, decided to end the miraculous year by recording another album with the Beatles, right in time for the holiday season. Thankfully, the Beatles seemed to have an endless goldmine of brilliant songs to record.

The album starts off with a bang on "It Won't Be Long", a surefire, confident opener that right off the bat tells you that this will be a different record from "Please Please Me". You can tell that the songwriting has been refined a bit since we last heard it.

The album rolls right along, not wasting any time, with the ballad-turned-rock-tune, "All I've Got to Do". Now you find that the ballads are a little bit different, too. They've also been given some spit and polish in the last couple of months.

That's not to say that "With the Beatles" is an entirely different record from its predecessor - you still have an equal share of covers (which are still as impressive) and originals (that are more astounding than ever). The foundation is still rooted firmly in rock & roll, but there also seems to be more variety this time around.

For example, you go from an unabashed rocker such as "Little Child" right along to the gorgeous ballad, "Till There Was You", a showtune originally from a play called "The Music Man", given the all-around perfect Beatle treatment. Paul's swooning vocals fit in perfectly with the rest of the song, showing his versatility as a rock singer; and the beat has been given a somewhat Latin tilt that really benefits the entire outing.

Even underdog George Harrison gets his hand in writing a song, with "Don't Bother Me", a cold, paranoid rocker that fits right in with the Lennon-McCartney originals. In fact, in some moments, it's hard to believe that this is the first song George has ever written himself - the melodies are spot-on, the beat is uncontrollably catchy, and the guitar solo truly gets you pumped up. Most British rock and roll singers would give everything away to write a song this close to perfection.

As for the Lennon-McCartney duo, it seems like the two have finally blossomed as rock and roll songwriters. "Please Please Me" had excellent songs, too, but that was just the starting point. Because on songs such as "Not a Second Time" and "All My Loving", you get a much more personal outlook from the two; and you can tell that musically, they've started incorporating bits and pieces from other genres, such as the somewhat baroque-sounding piano solo in "Not a Second Time". And of course, the rockers are better than ever before - the driving beats, the fluent harmonies, the keen sense of craftmanship - everything is flawless.

"With the Beatles" was undoubtedly an excellent follow-up to their pristine debut. It has something for everyone; anyone could enjoy it, both then and now. Even if one didn't like rock & roll, even they would probably fall under the charm of the Beatles.

The record was yet another number-one success in the UK, but the band still had yet to make it big in the rest of the world. But in just a couple of months, everything would change.

Last edited by All4one (2012-10-30 21:03:33)

NeilWest wrote:

Odd how my album review is underneath this, still. Great reviews - though I don't really enjoy the genre that you specialize in, you still add great detail though!

I know, that's pretty ironic.    Glad you enjoyed it!

For Lack of A Better Name - Deadmau5


To show my appreciation of Deadmau5 to all of you, I thought I'd give a review of the album, track by track. Deadmau5 is the mastermind who produced such hits as I Remember and Ghosts N Stuff. So, I thought I'd review my favourite album of his: For Lack of A Better Name.

For Lack of A Better Name is Deadmau5's second studio album, with Random Album Title being the first and 4x4=12 being his third. It explores more atmospheric and ambient sounds, from the haunting, but beautiful melody of Strobe and the realistic crash of sounds in FML. One thing is certain, it's one of the best.

It contains such hits as Ghosts N Stuff, Deadmau5's successful collaboration with Rob Swire (the lead vocalist of Pendulum) and Strobe, Deadmau5's best song (in my opinion) to date. Then there is also Hi Friend!, a song with the vocals of the vibrant MC Flipside and Moar Ghosts N Stuff an extended mix of the critically acclaimed original.

FML
Deadmau5

This song begins the album with a hectic drum beat, with a slowly progressing electronic beat interlacing. And soon, we get to the club beat that is so prominent to Deadmau5's album, which is catchy and - most of all, has a great vibe to it. When people say that a great song kickstarts an album, Deadmau5 shows the proof like he did before.

9/10
Great start to the album, showing a club beat vibe that's prominent throughout the album.

Moar Ghosts N Stuff
Deadmau5

And extended mix of the hit Ghosts N Stuff, and features no vocals and an interesting sample at the beginning. Which really adds to the atmosphere in this song, as a funeral (from the organ at the start) gone happy. Many of you classic heads will recognize that the melody is based off the instantly recognizable 'Funeral March' by Chopin.

9/10
A great extended mix of Ghosts N Stuff, and makes great use of a famous piece of classical music.

Ghosts N Stuff
Deadmau5 ft. Rob Swire

This is what made this album famous. A heavy, catchy beat (based on Chopin's Funeral March as said in the Moar Ghosts N Stuff review) playing alongside the vocals of Rob Swire. He adds extra depth, as if the song were his own. The only problem is, that Rob Swire touches on the over-used theme of going to the club and having a good time.

7/10
The original, vocals version, but the lyrics touch on a subject which has been used too much.

Hi Friend!
Deadmau5 ft. MC Flipside

Where to begin? This has everything that progressive house, a controlled electronic drum beat keeping the pace, a slowly progressing tune - what else? Well, this has MC Flipside's catchy lyrics to boot as well! However, then tune only catches it pitch, making it quite repetitive for 5 minutes.

8/10
A catchy tune and catchy lyrics, but too repetitive, even with the increasing pitch.

Bot
Deadmau5

Bot is part of the three songs which interlock perfectly, as if they were one. This begins with a simple tune, which could be easily recognized as one from the For Lack of a Better Name album. It also has bot repeated occasionally, just add that extra atmosphere and ambiance that makes the songs from this album so great.

10/10
Perfect in every way, and changes into Word Problems perfectly as well.

Word Problems
Deadmau5

Word Problems begins off sounding like Bot for a minute, but instead of bot being repeated occasionally, it's 'word problems'. But soon, the song changes into something new, but still keeping the ambiance and atmosphere that Bot had. And once the song ends, it becomes the last of the three middle songs: Soma.

8/10
As long as you can put up with it sounding like Bot for the first section, this song really does have potential.

Soma
Deadmau5

This song is beautiful in every way, as unlike Word Problems, it doesn't take a while to switch melodies. What it does offer, is a beautiful and clearly atmospheric tune that makes you feel like you're in paradise. The ambiance of this song is similar to Bot and Word Problems, but adds to the beauty of this song.

9/10
A beautiful song that isn't a shame in the For Lack of a Better Name album.

Lack of a Better Name
Deadmau5

Like Soma, thia song has a heaven-like ambiance, but unlike keeping it, it goes to the bouncing club beat that was reminiscent in the first few tracks of this album. And does so well, incorporating some sounds from the beginning, but mainly focussing on the song itself. The name is the album's, but this is the album in a nutshell.

8/10
Nothing new, but uses highlights of the album's mix of songs.

The 16th Hour
Deadmau5

This is true progressive house in the album, but however, is very repetitive. The same sort of beat for nearly 10 minutes? Not even Cthulu Sleeps (from 4x4=12) could do that well. Becuase of it's extreme repetitive sounds, it doesn't do well in this excellent album by Deadmau5.

5/10
A good beat... stretched to 10 minutes.

Strobe

Here we are, the end of this album, and Deadmau5 knows how to end an album. And he proves it by giving us the masterpiece of the album: Strobe. It starts with a hauntingly beautiful piano melody which slowly transforms into a thriving club beat, but still keeping the magic melody. This, this is Deadmau5 at it's best.

10/10
The best song out of the album, either you love this or you hate the whole album.

View the BBC's review of the album here

I've uploaded both of my reviews onto this thread, seeing as I'm a member! (could you change the title now?)

Last edited by NeilWest (2012-10-29 14:54:07)

A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
ALBUM REVIEW
by All4one

RATING - 10/10

(Standout tracks - "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", "Can't Buy Me Love" "Any Time At All")

The Beatles were known for releasing records at an alarmingly rapid rate; their third album, "A Hard Day's Night", was released only nine months after their previous outing, "With the Beatles". But inside those mere nine months, the entire world had changed for the band.

The Beatles' name had started to become more familiar to those outside of their hometown, especially when their 1963 Christmas single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand", became a number-one blockbuster hit in America at the beginning of 1964. The band, who had sworn they wouldn't tour in America until they had their first number-one there, finally flew down to New York on February 7, 1964, to be greeted by seemingly thousands of young fans. To even further cement their popularity in the U.S., two days later, the Beatles performed on the prestigious Ed Sullivan Show to a whopping 73 million viewers, at the time the most viewers to ever tune in to a U.S. television program.

These four lads from Liverpool were on the top of the music world, when American director Dick Lester decided to capitalize on their success by bringing them into the movie world as well, with the 1964 film "A Hard Day's Night". The movie was a black-and-white "mockumentary" that exaggerated a day in the life of the Fab Four (a nickname that the Beatles had earned by the press), complete with slapstick, wry and witty dialogue from the band, and of course, excellent music numbers from the Beatles themselves. Not only did the sophisticated and arty comedy of the film gain the Fab more respect from the press, but it also seemed to encapsulate the confidence and energy of the youth at the time.

The album that accompanied the film was just as energetic and brilliant, with Side 1 of the album featuring songs from the film, and Side 2 with songs that were recorded for the film, but didn't make the final cut (but are still as good, anyway).

The Beatles' confidence and musical vision seemed to be growing by the minute, and "A Hard Day's Night" is no exception. The album kick-starts with the sudden, startling 12-string attack of the title track - the song is an exciting craze of a song that perfectly captures Beatlemania at its fullest, and it also tells you that the Lennon-McCartney duo is back and writing better than ever.

That's right, the two are the authors of the entire album - no covers of any kind, just a full-on blast of Lennon-McCartney; and considering that the album never seems to come across any filler, the whole thing seems like an artistic triumph.

The record flows beautifully, the unabashed title track rolls right along into the heartfelt yet ever-so upbeat "I Should Have Known Better", followed by an Everly Brothers-inspired ballad titled "If I Fell", and so on.

Though Lennon-McCartney were the primary control of the album, that doesn't mean the others get some room of their own. George Harrison gets to sing on the gorgeous rocker "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", and his blaring 12-string proved to be an influential sound in the development of the impending folk-rock movement.

Meanwhile, Ringo, though he doesn't get to sing or write anywhere on the record, he is credible for coming up with the title for "A Hard Day's Night". The story goes that the Beatles had just returned from a long, hard day of performing. As Ringo put it, "I came up still thinking it was day, I suppose, and I said, 'It's been a hard day...', and I looked around and saw it was dark, so I said, '...night!'"

John elaborated, "It was an off-the-cuff remark. You know, one of those malapropisms. A Ringo-ism, where he said it not to be funny, just said it. So Dick Lester said, 'We're going to use that title.'"

In short, "A Hard Day's Night" captured the Beatles at the peak of their popularity, and was quite possibly the point where the band started to show signs of a blossoming artistic vision. But, it would soon turn out that the constant touring, performing, photo shoots, and press conferences might have some kind of toll on the Fab Four.

Last edited by All4one (2012-10-30 21:03:16)