Release Date: 15 February, 2005
Audio CD
Tracks
- daft punk is playing at my house
- too much love
- tribulations
- movement
- never as tired as when i'm waking up
- on repeat
- thrills
- disco infiltrator
- great release
- losing my edge
- beat connection
- give it up
- tired
- yeah (crass version)
- yeah (pretentious version)
- yr city's a sucker (12" version)
|
Rating 3.5
Miles to go.James Murphy has released a fairly disappointing CD. Some stuff is interesting, and there are even a few real diamonds to be found, but it's a pain and a half to find them. Mainly, the disc just vanishes into tedium. Song by song:
Daft Punk is Playing at My House:
This song is not playing at my house. It's long and boring and consists of: 3 notes on a bass. And someone strumming the 12th fret harmonics. It's long, and boring, and repetitive. I hate this song. 1/5
Too Much Love:
A little better. There's some interesting harmony stuff and cool twinkling notes that play while someone apparently bangs on garbage cans. 3/5
Tribulations:
HERE it is. A good song. Indescribably catchy, from the octavy techno-bass to the heavy echo on the voice, to that one repeated note on a guitar. I like this song a lot. A whole lot. 5/5
Movement:
Not bad, not good. Nothing makes this song stand out except the clapping at the beginning. Then it just turns into noise. If this were playing in the background during a movie, it would be during a timelapse scene where unimportant extras run around a city doing unimportant tasks that have no relevance to the plot. 3/5
Never as Tired as When I'm Waking Up:
The first time I heard this song, I thought it was only so incredible in comparison to the songs around it. Later I listened to it again to find that, no, it really is as incredible as I thought. It's a beautiful, sexually charged Beatles-sounding tune, that deserves the only improper fraction on this disc: 6/5
On Repeat:
Not. 1/5
Thrills:
The only thrill in this song is the fact that it ends. James, if you read this, never put blaring static in a song again, ever, please. 1/5
Disco Infiltrator:
Yay. We get to surface for air! This song is catchy too, and makes me want to dance. "STOP! Ya got to shake the waist-a!" (waster?) I have no idea what this means, but I'll sing along anyway. 4/5
Great Release:
This sounds like something Wilco recorded and threw out. It's almost as boring as "Daft Punk is Playing..." and longer by a minute and nineteen seconds. It's two chords on a piano that play over and over while about five Jameses, all of whom need Autotune, sing the boring melody. 1/5
Losing My Edge:
Yeah you are. 2/5
Beat Connection:
Interesting once. This is probably the closest James comes to pure techno on this CD. He has some Talking Heads style drums in the background, but they only make me want to turn off this CD and put on a Heads album. Then he speaks too close to the mic for the rest of the song. 2/5
Give it Up:
Good beat. That's all. Then James yells "take it!" about 500 million times. Boring. 2/5
Tired:
I actually cannot listen to this song all the way through. 1/5
The Yeahs:
They sound remarkably similar, except that "Pretentious" is better, and more musically interesting. Not a bad song to play in the background during a really chic party with lots of fashion types. 3/5
Yr City's a Sucker (Full Version):
If there were a half, quarter, or 2% version, I'd like that one better. This song is kinda cool, but not 9:22 cool. Which takes me to my conclusion after the customary rating: 2/5
The songwriting on this album apparently followed the process of: Find an okay hook, and put it on repeat for like a year. Then write a line or two of lyrics and speak them over and over. The fact is, the hooks and lyrics just aren't interesting enough to justify their endless repetition. This is one of those albums that all your friends will tell you they love just cuz it's cool to love it, and you'll tell them you love it back. But you won't, and nor will they, and you'll both be sick to death of it LONG before that comes out. When you do both realize that you hate it, however, it'll be a really funny bonding moment of honesty that you can laugh about later while you burn your copies of the album together.Put Your Dancing Shoes OnReview by Tyler Wagnon:
Dance music is an intricate and very eclectic genre of music that plays host to several sub genres and styles. There are dance punk bands, raver artists, simple electronica, etc. For the most part, dance music does little to nothing for me for several reasons. The main issue is with the repetitious beats that just thump thump thump with no point or purpose. However, when done right, you would be hard pressed to find a more rump shakin' infectious style of music.
That is where LCD Soundsystem comes in. Within this self-titled affair, LCD takes the listener on a (fantastic) voyage of funky basslines, infectious beats, and quirky vocal arrangements that will have you humming along for sure, if not shakin' that thang like you know you want to.
James Murphy, as part of the production duo DFA and main man behind LCD, shows that he can do more than twiddle behind the knobs. Vocally he covers ground between soft cooing and shouting with his always witty and insightful lyrics. More than a one-trick pony, Murphy takes the listener through simple two-step beats, disco chord progressions, and beats that are always danceable.
For a dance rock album, LCD Soundsystem has already gotten more plays in my stereo than most would stand a chance at. The beats are fairly repetitive, but the music and vocals make up for it with an eclectic, but fitting mix. Listen to this instead of The Faint please.Ups and Downs -- It's A Good ListenFirst things first; following the motions of many other reviewers here, LCD Soundsystem earns big bonus points for including a second disc of earlier singles to accompany this 2005 debut album.
With that said, the new material is quality stuff in its own right. It's a mixed bag with some nice surprises, and its share of letdowns. "Daft Punk..." and "Great Release" aren't nearly half as good as they are made out to be. On the other hand, there are some supeb tracks on the first disc, most notably in my opinion, "Movement," "Never As Tired...," and "Disco Infiltrator."
I'm not entirely sure what genre to plunk LCD Soundsystem in with... I don't think there is really one appropriate genre actually. Some of the tracks sound like what is considered "house" music. I'm also unsure of what sounds something has to consist of to be granted that label, but I suppose this record partially fits the description. Then you have the track "Never As Tired," which brings to mind for me, an experimental Syd Barrett flavour. Certainly not "house."
The first disc on its own merits a 3-star-rating, but the singles disc kicks it up a notch. The entire disc is excellent material, all of which is mind-bending. "Beat Connection" and "Give It Up" are on opposite ends of the spectrum, the former being very drawn out with building, acidic beats; the latter being an all out assault, but both fitting into the mix seamlessly.
"Losing My Edge" is just an undeniably fantastic track. I am at a loss for words describing it... it just remains painfully good every time I listen to it. Both versions of "Yeah" could be the best pieces of music I've heard over the last five years. The Crass version reaches over nine minutes, and the Pretentious version almost stretches out to twelve. Yet they both hold your attention for the duration. "Yeah (Crass)" is definitely the more danceable version, and will be keeping heavy rotation among my current playlists.
Overall, the spotty first disc prevents this album from being a classic. But between the worthwhile stuff found there, plus the duration of the second disc, LCD Soundsystem is well worth the price of admission. |
|
