The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

This was an album that that passed me by back in the day as I was more of an indie kid. However, I was also one of the ones who liked FSOL etc and a few others. I don't know why I didn't bother with this album really! The only thing I can think of it that no one in my circle had it and I couldn't copy it :)

Anyway, as you'll have seen from my other nominations, as I've got older I've become a big fan of ambient music. I can't explain it easily, but I do find that sometimes 'words get in the way'. Planetary Unfolding has no words in and yet manages to conjure up a massive sound that would take a million words to explain! I feel classical music is the same - imagine putting words on the Moonlight Sonata for example. I forgot who it was, but I'd also agree about Tangerine Dream - Phaedra and Rubycon in particular are magnificent ambient albums. I think ambient is a fascinating genre though as it's so difficult to do well.

I actually liked this album though and will definitely be giving this another listen. There's plenty of variation for me and I could happily listen to it loud, or in the background - essentially what a good ambient album is! :) I think my favourite track was "Ptolemy" as that drum sound just took me back to being a kid with my cheap Yamaha keyboard trying hard to copy the sounds from the much more expensive Roland drum machines :D I also really liked "We Are the Music Makers" and I think the voices did help to break it up a bit. Strangely, the track I was most familiar with was Delphium though which I've heard many times but Spotify suggests it's one of the least played! To be honest, I felt the back of the album was better than the start.

However, I have a gripe - I'm not sure what it's about - is there a story in here or is it (as the title suggests) just a collection of ambient works? It's only a minor gripe though.

Overall, I enjoyed this album and it's nice to have something different to listen to.

8/10
 
BlueHammer85 said:
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My thanks to @BlueHammer85, as I too found the video quite necessary (mandatory?) as background for me on the ambient techno genre and the history of this artist, Richard David James.

My first thought after hearing this album was the closest thing I had listened to was probably Radiohead's Kid A, and lo and behold, "Idioteque" was quoted in the video as being inspired/borrowed from James, as I could hear similarities with it in "Pulsewidth" the first time on that track. That said, that one from Radiohead was not one of my favorites at all, but at least it was something I could see as influenced.

I like the fact all of his music is original, and these works span 7 years and old technology from a cassette, some of which was compromised by a cat. I can also understand how @LGWIO 's initial enjoyment of this album takes him back to a time and place that is unique and special. I have many of such albums, one of which I hope to be rolling out in a couple weeks (unless nicked!).

Is James brilliant? Absolutely. In this genre he sounds almost unmatched in not borrowing or sampling or selling out to other artists (Madonna) or anyone else. He's making original music on his own terms and probably has thrown hundreds of sounds and tunes away more than he's put out in a release.

The fact he's made some of his work into commercials doesn't surprise me as that would seem a perfect backdrop and medium for some of these tracks. And "Green Calx" sounded directly out of an action movie as I previously described.

If you are into ambient music, it is no wonder this album got recognized on the lists mentioned and the top album of the 1990's by Fact.

“Ageispolis” as Rob mentioned sounded like something out of an early 80's computer game. The first thing it reminded me of was "Popcorn" from Gershon Kingsley's 1969 Moog breakthrough classic I remember hearing as a kid. I can still hum that one from childhood memories despite not hearing it for years. That was strangely weird!

I really do like the calmness of one of his original songs in "I", but again, that next track really is a shock to the system! ;-)

"Heliosphan" and "We are the Music Makers" also had a good beat to them, and sounded good as well. Not a fan of the Willy Wonka lines, but I realize that was the latter's song title inspiration.

"Ptolemy" sounded good too, but that was 7 minutes of similar beats and sounds, so could we cut it down to a radio friendly 3:05? :-)

The album ends well with "Delphium" sounding pretty good, again, maybe in our hero making his way to get the top secret files from the Park with the Dogs in fast pursuit?

"Actium" too had a nice mellow mood and constant rhythm to end the album too. That sounded like if it was used as the backdrop to a cool laser show, it would be in its perfect place.

I'm going to split the difference on this one too. From an artistic point of view, I'll give it a 9. If I ask myself if I'm listening again, it's more like a 3, unless to selectively edit out Green Calx for the Zzzzs. I'll split the difference for a 6/10 for a genre I feel totally unqualified to weigh in on.
 
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The first couple of listens, it was not for me, and I did not find myself enjoying it. I listened to it as I do most of my music, while working. It bordered on distracting, which is rarely the case. While I can appreciate the layers and some complexity here, there was not much that I got out of it.

Then on Saturday night I had an empty. A few mates came round with drinks, and at some point, this got put on. And you know what, it was quite a different experience. One guy loved the album back in the day, hadn't heard it in some 20 years and was delighted to talk us through some of it. One was all WTF's this doin here, and one wasn't bothered. It made for good background music, that caught our attention here and there, but mostly provided a decent backdrop.

So I gave it another go back in the daytime, and it was better than at first, but not quite what it was in the previous context.

Ultimately, we are a group of middle aged to older men, listening to an album not written for middle aged to older men, in settings and routines it was probably not intended to be listened to. Unless of course we mayble liked it previously and already had that connection with it, which is different, and I can relate to. So with all that in mind, slightly better than a down the middle cut, a 6 seems fair.
 
Coatigan said:
The first couple of listens, it was not for me, and I did not find myself enjoying it. I listened to it as I do most of my music, while working. It bordered on distracting, which is rarely the case. While I can appreciate the layers and some complexity here, there was not much that I got out of it.

Then on Saturday night I had an empty. A few mates came round with drinks, and at some point, this got put on. And you know what, it was quite a different experience. One guy loved the album back in the day, hadn't heard it in some 20 years and was delighted to talk us through some of it. One was all WTF's this doin here, and one wasn't bothered. It made for good background music, that caught our attention here and there, but mostly provided a decent backdrop.

So I gave it another go back in the daytime, and it was better than at first, but not quite what it was in the previous context.

Ultimately, we are a group of middle aged to older men, listening to an album not written for middle aged to older men, in settings and routines it was probably not intended to be listened to. Unless of course we mayble liked it previously and already had that connection with it, which is different, and I can relate to. So with all that in mind, slightly better than a down the middle cut, a 6 seems fair.
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Nice! I'm only able to listen to Music properly nowadays on my commute to and from work and the odd run.
At home it's a mad house with the kids and weekends i'm just to busy to get time to sit and listen to Music. If i was just putting it on here and there in the background there's no way i could appreciate so many of these nominated albums - especially within a week.

So many need a couple or more real listens
 
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There's been a few quick and seemingly harsh dismissals of this week's offering but then who am I to talk? My initial reaction, if not exactly visceral was pretty much of the "when will it end?" and "do I really have to give it three listens?" variety.

I'm probably repeating myself when I say that "ambient" isn't really my thing and I'd go so far as to say I don't really know what it's for. I got an inkling when my son strolled into the room on one of its airings and did some weird fingers in the air thing and moved other parts of his body in an uncoordinated way. Apparently it was just the thing during his uni days. Of course this isn't aimed at 60 year olds like me, even though I'm a hip old fucker...

I did persevere and the damndest thing. I'm not sure if it was the third or the fourth outing but I started to enjoy this. There's elements of it being a bit samey and I can't say it all hit the spot but for the most part the repetitive rhythms and extended plays were fine in a few different circumstances. I'm not sure if it's my brain but it did seem like he had borrowed from himself on a few tracks, speeding things up, stretching them out, adding a bit here and there. Not on all tracks but certainly a few sounded like variations on a theme.

Highlight, by a long way was Heliosphan which gets everything about right. Maybe the fact that it followed the lowlight, Green Calx added to it's appeal, who knows.

I couldn't listen to the entirety of Green Calx, it stood apart from the rest as being g truly vexatious to my soul with it's cheap sounding effects and every time I thought it couldn't get any worse it did by throwing something else in.

Let's not focus on the negative though. There were a couple of other tracks that felt too long, too insistent, too repetitive and for some reason put me in mind of that thing you do when you draw circles on a cat's head with your finger to draw it into a state of stupefaction. Or something. Sorry, I said let's not focus on the negatives.

The positives. This was well worth persevering with. Take out a few tracks to reduce the length and offer more consistent quality we'd have a very good album here.

As a bottom line will I listen to this agin in the future? Probably not to be honest, I have my go to background and relaxing music. But I'd have no objection to it coming on random play when I can't be bothered thinking about it. Apple Music followed it with Cocteau Twins and Slowdive and it sits fairly well in that company.

A score? Would have been down there with the 2s and 3s after the first listen but it's edged up to 6, or is it 7? Amazingly it is. Not to say that further listens would have taken it higher, I don't think they would but it's been a pleasant surprise to me to have this worm its way in. 7 it is.
 
Ptolemy, ptolemy...why have they all got it ptolemy?

It's about the only song I like on this album. There's bits here and there that spark a raised eyebrow but on the whole it all passes me by. It got me thinking though. Why? Not why it got me thinking but why didn't it click? I love late 70's/ early 80's electronica. I love swirling keyboards, odd bits in the background, Heaven 17 with their paving slab sample springs to mind and drum patterns done by a finger. I love later electronic music. Minimalistic. Sometimes. Instrumental. Often. And yet...

It didn't click. And 5 listens in I suspect it won't ever.

3/10
 
journolud said:
I got an inkling when my son strolled into the room on one of its airings and did some weird fingers in the air thing and moved other parts of his body in an uncoordinated way. Apparently it was just the thing during his uni days. Of course this isn't aimed at 60 year olds like me, even though I'm a hip old fucker...
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Wow, glad it's not just me that gets that from their adult kids about what is playing. I'm feeling better already! Parallel lives and all that...

BTW, congrats on not "knee-jerking" out this week's selection. But I'm still not able to move my "hip" to this one, to borrow on recent reminders of age (and feeling better every day). ;-)
 
BimboBob said:
Ptolemy, ptolemy...why have they all got it ptolemy?

It's about the only song I like on this album. There's bits here and there that spark a raised eyebrow but on the whole it all passes me by. It got me thinking though. Why? Not why it got me thinking but why didn't it click? I love late 70's/ early 80's electronica. I love swirling keyboards, odd bits in the background, Heaven 17 with their paving slab sample springs to mind and drum patterns done by a finger. I love later electronic music. Minimalistic. Sometimes. Instrumental. Often. And yet...

It didn't click. And 5 listens in I suspect it won't ever.

3/10
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Penthouse and Pavement would be a storming nomination.
 
First, I get now that the title is a bit of a joke and reading up on the history of this musician I recogniz(s)e there’s little you can trust about him so all you’re left with is his music. I say music and not songs, because reading a bit of the rapturous fawning by music critics over the differences among the “varied” tunes when this came out in 92, I struggle to understand it. What’s the same (and good) song to song is a reasonably solid backbeat, and the melody and layover sounds and atmospherics do vary, true — but in quality, not interest. Some are intriguing and even approaching beauty, but a few are grating (bad industrial vs. good industrial) or even awful, raising suspicions that the artist is clowning about on purpose. I don’t view that as “different”; it’s just variations on a theme, and plenty of experimentation to see what spaghetti sticks to the wall (and ignoring that sometimes it doesn’t). In fact if over seven years (if it really was seven — again, you can’t trust this guy) this is the tip-top, absolute very best he could come up with, whilst sleeping only 2-3 hours a night (if you believe him) then honestly this output is a bit feeble and some of what made it on this record wouldn’t have had he worked harder.

All this said — I liked a lot of it — especially the first three, Music Makers, and Heliosphere. What I didn’t like as much was Green Calx and and Schottkey. All else was listenable enough, as befits ambiclubhousedance and my sensibilities. What I liked best was that there was a conflict within me as to whether I should move or sit. The ones I liked best also kept my intellectual interest — tracking tempo or note changes and enjoying them when they (eventually) occurred. And that tension between move and sit appears to be what he’s going for here, and pulls off admirably.

I come away thinking 75% of this was a quite pleasurable listen and I’d happily put it on when the mood strikes, not expecting more depth in the music, but adding depth to whatever I happened to be doing at the moment. The other 25% — eh, where is that skip button, let’s get to a better one?

Put it this way — I was listening to Pulsewidth (my favourite) while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset on a clear day, and it did lift an always pleasurable experience (when there’s no traffic) to a somewhat ethereal one.

So I guess it’s an ambient after all.

7/10 and a nice selection.
 
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FogBlueInSanFran said:
Put it this way — I was listening to Pulsewidth (my favourite) while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset on a clear day, and it did lift an always pleasurable experience (when there’s no traffic) to a somewhat ethereal one.
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To quote from the ever quotable Life of Brian:-

"You lucky, jammy bastard!"

It probably wouldn't have the same effect driving on the M60 bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal.
 
Good pick that raised a few interesting points but I'm not going to be able to post a review till later as something has come up but for now I'll chuck in my score as 7/10, which if I'm being honest reflects me playing the man not just the ball.
 
As predicted abit marmite this one, but glad some here discovered something new, as I have with many of the previous selections. So thank you all for giving it some time and your ratings.
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Put it this way — I was listening to Pulsewidth (my favourite) while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset on a clear day, and it did lift an always pleasurable experience (when there’s no traffic) to a somewhat ethereal one.
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As Rob said, you lucky bastard, that in itself did give me an instant image and a tinge of jealousy. I cant quite match the Golden Gate, but shall try that going over the Glenshane Pass on my way to work this afternoon. That image alone almost made my nomination worthwhile.
Coatigan said:
Ultimately, we are a group of middle aged to older men, listening to an album not written for middle aged to older men, in settings and routines it was probably not intended to be listened to.
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Certainly agree with that a case of "old dog, new tricks", but I was present with an image of you making the most of your free house and you and your mates enjoying a nice game of Cluedo with this playing in the background...and I am betting it wasn't a few cans it was Harveys Bristol cream.
 
Auden night mail said:
I'm not part of the review club but like to check out what you are looking and saying about it, some good insight. I'm listening while working and feels right for this, just enough up and down tempo for me and doesn't sound too dated. I'd give it a solid 7.
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The "doesn't sound too dated" is important here.

This album came out 30 years ago, and one of the reasons it doesn't sound too dated is that he's been such a massive influence on electronic music since.

I can see a lot of people are listening to it for the first time here, and that does take away a lot of the context. Under various pseudonyms he released multiple EPs and albums within a year or so of this, and, while some songs sound like he's just recorded the hoover for two minutes, there were enough new ideas to sustain other artists' careers for years.
 
Auden night mail said:
I'm not part of the review club but like to check out what you are looking and saying about it, some good insight. I'm listening while working and feels right for this, just enough up and down tempo for me and doesn't sound too dated. I'd give it a solid 7.
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You've given it a review and a score, so technically you are a member now!

Feel free to join in the discussions and voting of any of the albums - new voices are always appreciated.
 
LGWIO said:
As Rob said, you lucky bastard, that in itself did give me an instant image and a tinge of jealousy. I cant quite match the Golden Gate, but shall try that going over the Glenshane Pass on my way to work this afternoon. That image alone almost made my nomination worthwhile.
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GlenShane Pass , that brings back a few memories,X was from Derry.
 
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