It's hard enough remembering my opinions without having to remember my reasons for them. More music ...
It's hard enough remembering my opinions without having to remember my reasons for them. More music reviews soon!
Member since:17.04.2005
Reviews:3
Members who trust:1
This is my first review, so I have chosen to review my favourite CD in my collection!
I have had this album now for almost six months and if anything I think more of it now than I did when I first bought it. I can now say, hand on heart, that this is my favourite album and has been since I bought it.
I saw Bloc Party's "So Here We Are", which was on MTV2 in early December 2004. I had heard "Helicopter" on the radio but it was this song that inspired me to find more by them, I looked on their official website, I downloaded the free tracks they offer and after hearing four or five Bloc Party songs, I was hooked.
I managed to wait until about 9.04am on Valentines Day before I bought the album. And just what an album!
It starts with "Like Eating Glass", probably one of my favourites on the album and the song Bloc Party often open with at their fantastic live shows. The fantastic guitar introduction is followed by Kele Okereke's hauntingly good voice singing "it's so cold in this house". It would be one of Bloc Party's more accessible songs, and another highlight of the song is Russell Lissack's fantastic guitar part at the end behind Kele's "we've got crosses on our eyes".
Then we come to "Helicopter",
a popular single with lyrics cursing George W. Bush, one of the lines is "just like his dad, the same mistakes". Like many Bloc Party songs, this builds up to a fantastic finale, and I have to say watching "Helicopter" live is out of this world.
Next we have "Positive Tension", which was released with "So Here We Are" but bizarrely got very little publicity. This is a song Kele said is about boredom, well, there's nothing boring about this song! Kele sings "something glorious is about to happen" just before a glorious part of the song, Kele repeats "why'd you have to get so hysterical?" then Russell does a fantastic guitar solo. In my opinion one of the many highlights of the whole album is the end of this track.
Now onto track four, "Banquet", I don't think I need to say much about this song, it was re-released earlier in the year and got a lot of airplay, so hopefully you will have heard it. If not, it is a very memorable tune and like most, builds up as a crescendo of sound and plays games with your ears. A fantastic song.
"Blue Light" is next, with a slightly slower tempo than the first four tracks. It shows Kele, Russell, Matt Tong (drums) and Gordan Moakes (bass) can do a slower and more beautiful song, but even this song builds up into a more upbeat style and ends with "you are the bluest light". Very nice song, it's definitely not a filler!
Now we come to in my opinion their best live song, if just for the chorus. "She's Hearing Voices" was an early Bloc Party release. The chrorus line "she's got a red pill, blue pill, red pill, blue pill, red pill, blue pill..." will go around in your head for ever. Kele does a verse speaking in this song, but carries it off impeccably.
"This Modern Love" is up next. I find it hard to explain this song. The best I can do is say that it's a fantastic song to play in the car, though I'm not sure why! Its chorus of "this modern love - breaks me!" will make it an instant favourite for anyone new to Bloc Party.
Now is their recent single "Pioneers" or "The Pioneers", I'm not sure which it is. "We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" is the chorus, my favourite section of the song. Like many Bloc Party songs its ending is outstanding. "We will not be the last" is repeated to great effect and is another line you will never forget.
It's hard for me to criticise a song on Silent Alarm. "Price Of Gas" is probably my least favourite track but even it is a fantastic piece of music, with sublime lyrics. I know someone who would definitely call it their favourite Bloc Party song, it's definitely just tastes here.
"So Here We Are" is the dancey single that got me hooked on Bloc Party. It is apparantly about Ecstacy, but don't let that put you off... It has one of the best videos I've seen, you have to just watch it. It builds up to a fantastic ending of Kele screaming "I figured it out" and is a surprisingly fantastic live song. I have to also mention Matt's drumming, which is as energetic in this song as drumming gets. I'm not sure how he does it live.
"Luno" is next, a song I thought maybe would have made a great single. By this far into the album you're just waiting to play the whole thing again! This is one of my favourites, the guitars combine well to create such a brilliant sound you will want to play it again just before you play the album again!
Penultimately, we have "Plans" a quieter and fresher song, which has grown on me considerably since I bought the album. If I had to give a favourite at this particular moment in time, it would be this one, but such is the quality of Silent Alarm, it's always changing. "Wake up sleepy head it's happening without you" is one of my favourite lyrics on the album.
The last song on the album is "Compliments" another quiet and, I really dislike the word but, "nice" song. It's a fitting end to the album, it's a quite hypnotic song, fantastic to calm you down. Kele's voice sounds great on this song, as do Russell's guitar parts.
I really don't think this is a balanced review, it's just very hard to find negatives in such a fantastic debut album! The only thing I would say is when you get this album you also have to find somehow other songs. "Little Thoughts" was a outstanding single and Tulips, The Marshalls are Dead and Staying Fat are just a few of the other songs they've done that are worth checking out!
Get this album, you will not be disappointed. And if you have the chance, see them live, and you will definitely not be disappointed.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Styled more along the lines of a revolutionary cell than a band, Bloc Party approach the ... more
medium of rock'n'roll with the sort of high seriousness usually reserved for philosophy lectures. Yet on their debut album,Silent Alarm, this "autonomous unit" of ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Styled more along the lines of a revolutionary cell than a band, Bloc Party approach the ... more
medium of rock'n'roll with the sort of high seriousness usually reserved for philosophy lectures. Yet on their debut album, Silent Alarm, this "autonomous unit" of...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: It's an excellent album, totally different to everything else. Contains one of the best song's I've heard in years Disadvantages: A few tracks take their time to grow. Instantly compared to bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Killers, without being judged on its own merit
Advantages: Lyrically and vocally compelling.Sounds bit like Joy Division, Sonic Youth, The Cure and such like Disadvantages: The vocals can sometimes bit a bit shouty and musically they aren't that impressive or different.
Aug 9th, 2005
very helpful by (79%):
helpful by (21%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
