... Upbeat with rapping vocals and the sage advice: 'Don't go F**king in the streets'!
"Black-eyed" about a broken home life is fast-paced with a typically mournful chorus.
The best known track is probably the hit single "Slave to the Wage" - a great thumping number with a catchy tune ... Read review
Forget the crumpled post-coital comedown ofWithout You I'm Nothing. Placebo's third ... more
album,Black Market Music, sees the London trio with a predilection for debauched hedonism back at the top of their form. Molko has wised up, realised that there's more ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Variety in music and tracks Disadvantages: Vocal style may be an acquired taste.
...in being a very black, dark album musically, especially lyric-wise. This is Placebo's third album again written entirely by the threesome that is Placebo: Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Hewitt.
This appears to be something of a "coming of age" album seeing them more mature and more intense than their previous albums but just as good and well-crafted as their songs always are. Very open lyrically about Molko's gay/bi-sexual ... ...demonstrating a good range. His vocals may not be to everyone's taste, verging on whining sometimes, but they sure complement the music well.
This album sports the now common "Parental Advisory" sticker as they are very free with their language and lyrical content.
OK, let's take a look at some of the highlights and lowlights on this album:
...in being a very black, dark album musically, especially lyric-wise. This is Placebo's third album again written entirely by the threesome that is Placebo: Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Hewitt.
This appears to be something of a "coming of age" album seeing them more mature and more intense than their previous albums but just as good and well-crafted as their songs always are. Very open lyrically about Molko's gay/bi-sexual lifestyle and past with his trademark nasal but soulful vocals demonstrating a good range. His vocals may not be to everyone's taste, verging on whining sometimes, but they sure complement the music well.
This album sports the now common "Parental Advisory" sticker as they are very free with their language and lyrical content.
OK, let's take a look at some of the highlights and lowlights on this album:
The opening track, "Taste in Men", was a single so may be instantly recognisable although it is by no means an outstanding track, some what mournful and mid-beat, about broken love. 'It's been this way since Christmas day....'
"Spite and Malice" is one of the high points. Upbeat with rapping vocals and the sage advice: 'Don't go F**king in the streets'!
"Black-eyed" about a broken home life is fast-paced with a typically mournful chorus.
The best known track is probably the hit single "Slave to the Wage" - a great thumping number with a catchy tune featuring a sample from the band "Testament" and urging us to reject the 9 to 5 rat race.
We find a slower, more guitar based 'ode to mother' type song in "Blue American".
"Commercial for Levi" is a lighter, again guitar-based, track very vocal with light backing and very sexual lyrics as a plea to beware of a life of drugs and loose-living - 'please don't die...'
"Haemoglobin" is one of the low points for me. Rather unmemorable although with heavy backing the vocals are very background and indistinct and the track doesn't quite hit the spot like many of the others.
Finally "Peeping Tom" gives us a keyboard orientated, slow, mournful song again. Very tuneful and poppy but slow and dark with it - 'been on my own for far too long'...
Placebo are often billed as a metal/rock band but they have many trademark melancholic songs with light backing particularly on their last two albums and so people shouldn't be put off by the idea that they are going to be blasted out by rock music - there is a fine blend here.
Advantages: EVERY SONG IS AMAZING Disadvantages: Only 13 tracks WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
...on with the review.
Black Market music, a good name. It sort of fits the songs on the album, and adds a certain mystique to it. When I bought this album I could not stop listening to it and subsequently spent a few days sleeping at school. I know, naughty me.
Tracks: (Im not going to bother saying which ones my favourite because it will end up being the same for each track lol so bear with me. Every song on this album is good in its own way, so ... ...lol. 9/10
Track 6- Black eyed. A song aboput betrayal, a great song, lots of memories. Great to play to yourself when you have just asked a girl out and she says no then you want to convince yourself that your great with the ladies lol. Ah memories... Its not repetitive, it has a good beat, not so great in the vocals this time i dont think but its still incredible. 8/10
Track 7- Blue American. The saddest song on the album and also one of my favs ...
vampiresthirst 15.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Black Market Music - Placebo
Advantages: variety big choruses and lovely soft moments Disadvantages: some tracks seem to be little more than filler
...that the trio possess.
Black Eyed
Another great track, the bouncy guitars during the verse and huge falsetto chorus belying the obviously personal lyrics. These seem to sum up Molko's disjointed look into his past. "I was never faithful, and I was never one to trust, border-lining schitzo, and guaranteed to cause a fuss, I was never loyal except to my own pleasure zone.....". Certainly there is a hint of remorse at the pain he knows he has caused. ... ...in your head for weeks.
Blue American
A very dark insightful track, with some clever crafting of Brians lyrics. It is very similar in style to 'The Crawl' from 'Without You....', with mournful piano interspersed with low down and dirty guitars. Brian seems to be thanking his mother for her help in showing him right from wrong, although how much of this is meant to be taken literally I'm not sure.
Slave to the Wage
Pure Placebo! not really any ...
mabaker 18.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Black Market Music - Placebo
Advantages: All songs flow yet stand out on own Disadvantages: Some adult subject matters
...sound and the result is Black Market Music. Right from the opening track Taste In Men, you know you're listening to something very interesting. There's so much going on in this one track - lots of background noise to listen to whilst remaining melodic and Brian’s distinguished vocals on top. Days Before You Came opens jumping head first into a lively guitar riff and at just two and a half minutes long finishes a little prematurely. But no matter ... ...hidden track which I'll call Black Market Blood. They also did a cover of Robert Palmer's Johnny & Mary as a b-side on the Taste In Men single which was the closing track on my mp3 playlist. It's an excellent upbeat cover and makes a great closing tune which I'd recommend getting hold of if you can.
You can listen to this album loads - the tracks flow almost seamlessly. Rare for an album with so many songs that stand out on their own right. Playing ...
vmb1 05.02.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Black Market Music - Placebo
Advantages: Moody, dark, Disadvantages: A few dodgy tracks
...also a hidden track called Black Market Blood which isn�t really worth the effort, like so many of these hidden tracks, yet isn�t too appalling either. It�s very hypnotic and atmospheric, but also a bit dreary and repetitive.
Summary Not a very consistent album, but some good tracks and each song meets a certain standard of songwriting, even if it�s a relatively low one. Worth at least one listen if you like the band ...
lost_in_muse 20.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Black Market Music - Placebo
Advantages: Individual, Strong, Intresting Disadvantages: Not PLacebo's best album
After waiting for this album for so long...I recieved it last week. I found the tracks varied and overall good, exactly what you'd expect from Placebo. The tracks are as follows: 1. Taste In Men (previously released, This track strikes me as a more modern song complete with Brian Moloko's signature moping voice. ) 2. Days Before You Came (Catchy, great beat yet rather repetetive lyrics) 3. Special K (fantastic lyrics, listen to this song but be prepared ... ...the day, this a personal favorite It varies in beat throughout making it a very intresting song to listen to.) 4. Spite & Malice (Slower in beat with occasional breaks of faster beat yet a more dramatic use of Brian's fantastic 'warbling' voice.) 5. Passive Aggressive (I adore this song, emotional slower than the others and makes you think.) 6. Black-Eyed (Original, upbeat, fast) 7. Blue American (Very intresting lyrics...) 8. Slave To The Wage (previously ...
Grey_whispers 08.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Black Market Music - Placebo
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Quality and consistency...
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Advantages: The bands most versatile album to date; crosses genres quite well Disadvantages: There are bland moments to behold and some messages are a bit hazy
expected it to be from the first time they wrote an album and the coming down period after their drug fuelled rages was another difficult element to contend with.
Following nine months in the studio, 'BlackMarketMusic' was released in the October of 2000 with the promise that it would be a lot less about lead singer Brian Molko's own personal shortcomings and more about telling a story through an array of characters, a notion that was to certainly be expanded on from 1998's album. Not being aware of the band back when it was first release, in all of my innocent glory, it wasn't until a couple of years ago when I received this album.
It has to be said that I wasn't instantly captivated by 'BlackMarketMusic'; I'd adored 'Sleeping With Ghosts' - the follow up record to this one - and thought that the dynamic of 'Placebo' was a good ...
Advantages: Refreshing Disadvantages: some songs sound similar
instrumental track)
this picture
sleeping with ghosts
the bitter end
special needs
centrefolds
in a very marketing sense, the album cover definitely caught my eye (i'm not a pervert).
After buying, I was looking through the album inlay contents, and listening to centrefolds, brian molko definitely knows how to create a somewhat sad and eery atmosphere.
Other albums by Placebo:
Placebo
Without You I'm Nothing
BlackMarketMusic
Once More With Feeling (Singles)
Placebo's music is mainly angst-filled and their style of music has now gathered a huge fanbase in europe (mainly france and germany). There are songs about drug abuse, sex, relationships, teenagers, and unhappiness in general.
placebo fans will like this album, as i have done. ...
Advantages: Placebo rock, haunting lyrics, loud guitars, reflective melodies, everything is here. Disadvantages: none
guitar anthems and for their beautifully crafted confused and reflective strolls through human experience. Its not as loud of confrontational as "BLACKMARKETMUSIC" neither is it as new or energetic as "PLACEBO" but it accomplishes everything is sets out to do and is a must buy for any Placebo fan. Anyone who enjoys Lowgold, Radiohead or Muse might also enjoy this album.
James ...
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