... "The Sophtware Slump", their best album, is better than OK Computer by miles.
It takes a few listens though, just like Radiohead do. Grandaddy are a more accessible and upbeat band than the Oxford bunch, though, with band leader Jason Lytle proving to be a gentler and more understanding ... Read review
Grandaddy, for the uninitiated, are best thought of as belonging to a loose association of ... more
American bands who have risen to a modest prominence in the lean post-grunge years. Their confederates would include such determined mavericks as Mercury Rev, Fl...
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Grandaddy, for the uninitiated, are best thought of as belonging to a loose association of ... more
American bands who have risen to a modest prominence in the lean post-grunge years. Their confederates would include such determined mavericks as Mercury Rev, Fl...
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He's Simple He's Dumb He's The Pilot Hewlett's Daughter Jed The Humanoid Crystal Lake ... more
The Chartsengrafs Underneath The Weeping Willow Broken Household Appliance National Forest Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) E. Knievel Interlude (The Pe...
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Advantages: A disjointed masterpiece of dystopian story-telling Disadvantages: See "advantages". It's not the easiest listen, certainly.
...of experimentalism within them. "The Sophtware Slump", their best album, is better than OK Computer by miles.
It takes a few listens though, just like Radiohead do. Grandaddy are a more accessible and upbeat band than the Oxford bunch, though, with band leader Jason Lytle proving to be a gentler and more understanding vocalist than the kinda preachy Thom Yorke. Lytle's voice doesn't hold a candle to Yorke, but stands on ... ...will. A lot of The Sophtware Slump is spent discussing the idea of robots, technology, and more importantly, it is focused on the idea of these robots breaking down, and what kind of life they would lead. Do they have feeling? Lives? Emotions? What effect would that have on our society? These are the offbeat questions the band puts to us during the record, a record which is made completely effective by the mere fact that the band doesn't supply answers ... more
There are only two albums which match up to the standards set by Radiohead's OK Computer, which was perhaps one of the most brilliant, complex and endless albums that the last fifteen years has produced. In terms of equalling the dystopic future laid out in the concept for that album, and the tone, sound, and quality of the music, only one band equal and improve upon Radiohead's best album. Grandaddy. They were an American band who explored similar themes to Radiohead in a vaguely similar way, and had the same streak of experimentalism within them. "The Sophtware Slump", their best album, is better than OK Computer by miles.
It takes a few listens though, just like Radiohead do. Grandaddy are a more accessible and upbeat band than the Oxford bunch, though, with band leader Jason Lytle proving to be a gentler and more understanding vocalist than the kinda preachy Thom Yorke. Lytle's voice doesn't hold a candle to Yorke, but stands on its own as a subtle and effective way of allowing the band to explore themes that no other band will. A lot of The Sophtware Slump is spent discussing the idea of robots, technology, and more importantly, it is focused on the idea of these robots breaking down, and what kind of life they would lead. Do they have feeling? Lives? Emotions? What effect would that have on our society? These are the offbeat questions the band puts to us during the record, a record which is made completely effective by the mere fact that the band doesn't supply answers to the questions they ask. The music is haunted and weighed down by the heavy themes and musical arrangements, yet lifted by the lightness of the vocals from Lytle, and the optimistic stance that the album ultimately takes in. Lordy, I sound like an idiot. Let me put this simply: this is one of the most complete albums I have ever heard. Along with Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and OK Computer, it's one of the three most 'finished', if that makes sense, records ever made.
When I say best, I mean most technically complete and emotionally fulfilling. Sgt Pepper is more important to music, of course it is, but from a personal viewpoint the tingling rhythm of "Under The Weeping Willow" is an audio experience that has never been matched. Everything clicks so thoroughly, that the gentle nature of the music is mesmerising. The vision and scope laid out throughout the album is stunning, with no song more exemplary than the opening "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot", an eight minute track that fades from a quiet jangly beginning into a crossfaded synthetic vocal ballad, before going on to hit more emotional beats that sparkle alongside the ploughing acoustic guitars that form a cohesive backdrop for the song. It's a special piece of music, is what I'm trying to get across to you here. Download it! By the time the pianos have sprung up to turn things into a hushed ballad, you'll agree with me. It's perhaps the most experimental piece on the album, and a cracking opening that sets the tone for other songs such as the not-so-good "E. Knievel Interlude (The Perils Of Keeping It Real)", a short instrumental with a worried keyboard melody and grandfather clocking ticking in the background, and "Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)". A bitter and weary-sounding keyboard tiresomely repeats itself over and over while heavy guitars and bass hold out long notes over the top, and Lytle laments the loss of natural habitat because of industrialisation.
The theme of nature Vs science is repeated often during the album, most notably on the other song to feature the 'Jed' character: "Jed The Humanoid". The plaintive notes of the song play against the empathetic recital of the story by Lytle, as he tells the story of Jed, a robot who drank himself to death - it's odd, but there is a kind of poetry behind the story, and the way he tells it is spellbinding, rain falling in the background. "Last night something pretty bad happened/we lost a friend/all shocked and broken/shut down, exploded" - I can tell already, you want to hear this album. Not everything is so odd and experimental, though, don't worry. In fact, with the two singles "The Crystal Lake" and "Hewlett's Daughter", the band have written two indie-rock gems. The former in particular has dreamlike quality as twinkling keyboard rhythms are accompanied by slow and low growling guitars which rise as the chorus approaches - "I gotta get out of here", Lytle intones. "Hewlett's Daughter", on the other hand, is a slightly more immediate and rocky tune, but still has that dreamy, endless guitar sound stretching behind a discordant piano. Both are superb, as is the jarring guitars of "Chartsengrafs" (which is pronounced 'charts and graphs', obviously), which blare out together in no particular rhythm, adding noise to the song before they add melody. The tune is then provided by Lytle's soaring vocal and an extended keyboard solo which evens out the song nicely.
The album switches moods quickly, following acoustic-y ballads with heavy distortion as is the band's wont. "Broken Household Appliance National Forest" manages to switch those two moods within the same song, being all about the way technology is destroying our wildlife - think about the title for a moment, actually try to make sense of it, and hopefully you'll see the poetry in what is really a series of words thrown together. The song mishmashes wonderfully, going into jam sessions on a structured basis, taking a quiet verse and turning it into a heavy, dystopian chorus. The best part of the album, however, is the ending. A lot of albums run through their length stunningly well, but then flub the finale. This album, sort of like Dark Side Of The Moon, does not. The last two songs flow from one to the other easily, and provide a proud and poignant end to a great album. "Miner At The Dial-A-View" jumps straight into it, with a wonderfully unhinged, slow acoustic guitar strum forming the backbone for a song that incorporates all the anti-technology/pro-technology feeling the band have pushed into the album with machine noisies, dreamy keyboards, washing guitars, glorious harmonies, and the disembodied voice of the 'Dial-A-View' itself. It leads into the marvellous "So You'll Aim Toward The Sky", a song so beautiful and dreamlike it deserves to start the next paragraph.
"So You'll Aim Toward The Sky" is, like "Eclipse" from Dark Side of the Moon, a song which completely fulfils the rest of the album and leaves you in such an emotional and haunted place that you need to listen to the album again, as quickly as possible. An off-kilter guitar introduces the song, which itself runs on the thin side of madness as Lytle harmonises and philosophises over a sparkling set of notes from the keyboard and lush strings setting the song in an airy background. You can hear the sound of wind rushing round the music as the song goes on, and especially as the music winds up and leaves with the faintest hint of heavenly ascension implied at the finale. Just the slightest hint. You know what these musician-folk are like, they never want to spell things out for you. The song finishes off the album is grand style, and after listening all the way through (which may test your patience; this is not an easy album to settle in to) you should hopefully realise that, yes, you've just listened to one of the best albums ever made. Far better than OK Computer. The Sophtware Slump is one of the most superb things you could ever buy, and I include spaceships in that assessment.
Advantages: It is a classic Disadvantages: May sound strange to others
...The Sophtware slump also has this value for money. It does not have as many well known songs, only Trigger Happy T.V. have made use of a track on T.V.
You can tell just by the cover of the Sophtware Slump that the album is totally original and going to be like nothing you have heard.
Every song on the album has a spark to it and that is why I can compare it to O.K. Computer. There are so many albums out there which have terrible songs, B-sides ... ...I first listened to the Sophtware Slump I did not fall in love with it immediately. But then again I did not fall in love with O.K. straight away. You need to let the music grow on you. Many people are turned off to Grandaddy when they hear any of the tracks. What they here is a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle. They don't see the whole picture, and so can't appreciate it for what it should be. Those type of music listeners, who like Shaggy and what ...
the_wise_camel 28.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sophtware Slump, The - Grandaddy
Advantages: Guitars are cool. Disadvantages: Beards are not.
...for the grandeur of the Sophtware Slump. Grandaddy may give off the impression of being uncultured hicks but they have it in them to create intelligent, fragile tunes that are likely to knock you sideways. That they have not achieved mainstream success is beyond me. It seems that unless you're under 23 and have glossy magazine type looks there isn't a hope you'll crack the charts. Then again though they may have appeared in Hunter monthly, Grandaddy ... ...music over matter persuasion, The Sophtware Slump is a rare treat. It's the type record that creates that Christmas feeling all year round. Each track has it's own kaleidoscope approach that is very hard to dislike. Maybe it's Jason Lytle's gorgeous vocal rasp or that the rest of the bands unearthly racket never sounds out of tune that reels you in until submission is the only alternative available. Opening with 'He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the ...
indiecater 25.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sophtware Slump, The - Grandaddy
Advantages: Great lyrics and some great tracks Disadvantages: Some tracks don't stand out.
...bone structure, while Grandaddy's encompassing voice laps over a repeated pattern. The lyrics themselves are a mosaic of modern imagery.
'The Sophtware Slump' is a tidy work of art. While it progresses from the amusing to the emotive, it is bound together by its theme and Grandaddy's undisputable excellence. ...
jintyjoonyjengajoe 10.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sophtware Slump, The - Grandaddy
Advantages: A great musical exporation with relaxed tunes through-out. Disadvantages: Its perfect I can find no fault
...this band really is. The sophtware slump literally drips in the gooey alternative style. Even the spelling of the title shows this. The album is set with a theme of technology failing or not doing what it is supposed to. If you could not guess this from the lyrics then the pictures on the insert should give it away (smashed keyboards). The album does start with a mammoth song He's simple He's dumb He's the pilot is around 7 mins. It seems to me to ... ...a more uplifting part. These could be mistaken as two different songs but they are blended together. The album continues with slow relaxed tunes about Jed the humanoid and the Crystal Lake (Crystal Lake is a song played on trigger happy TV, incidentally). However, my two favourite songs are Underneath The Weeping Willow and Broken Household Appliance National Forest. Underneath The Weeping Willow is a slow ballad with gently piano. Broken Household ...
big_roy_lwc 25.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sophtware Slump, The - Grandaddy
Advantages: Simply a great record on all fronts Disadvantages: None.
...Rev and Flaming Lips, 'The Sophtware Slump' has had a lot of hype and a lot of expectation to live up to. Jason Lytle and co's study of the relationship between man and machine could just be the record to live up to the hype. Recent-ish single 'The Crystal Lake' shines like a polished jewel, even amongst the other assorted gems on the album. It's certainly more complete than their debut album 'Under The Western Freeway,' and, from start to finish, ...
radarmaker 31.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sophtware Slump, The - Grandaddy
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Advantages: SUPERIOR RELEASE FROM SUPERIOR BAND Disadvantages: THE SECRET MACHINES STILL A SECRET
three, The Secret Machines (TSM) seemingly out-Grandaddy Jason Lyttles most ambient moments, including the SophtwareSlumps sublime, Weeping Willow. A reminder of TSM earlier September 000.
Track four, epitomises perfect sleaze-soaked, L.A disco-pop rock. Real sing-a-long stuff inter-cut with an urgent and undeniably cool dance-floor groove.
Track five, acting as a sequel to track one, daring to discover the source of a world overcome with war and all of the horrors which lie there within.
Amidst which, " Blowing all the other kids away " is sang, stealing the song.
Track six, a track happy to amble along with it's serious lyrics, with it's music neither reaching great heights or fragile lows.
Nothing too epic here, just TSM going through the motions and shedding some more of that underlying cynicism.
Track seven ...
Advantages: pleasing to the ear Disadvantages: shallow
go away". Now sorry to Stephen(vocalist)if this was written in a tounge in cheek way, but this is begining to smell like cheese to me, a promblem consistant throughout this album.
Track three- "when logics die" piano ballard type of a song, sounds like a weak imitation of Grandaddys "underneath the weeping willow"[though its unfair to sugest plagarism as the sophtwareslump and this album are contemporanious]
The first three tracks of the album set the tone of the whole album, very catchy tunes but on many occasions a little shallow.
Soul wax have tryed to hard to be cool with this album, attempting to earn brownie points by including all which is currently vouge. These genre busting tactics will prehaps leave Soul wax without a niche in a industry which is currently(and unfortunately) driven by fashion, the cd like a fashion ...
Advantages: You can get a copy quite cheaply Disadvantages: May take a while to find
Under the Western Freeway was the first album to be produced by the Californian band Grandaddy but it still remains one of their best.
I bought this (£10.99) after buying the SophtwareSlump so I did know what to expect. It took a while to get it, I had to order it from my local CD shop which took a month, but it was well worth the wait......
If you are into alternative music and you see a copy in a shop buy it there and then for I am sure you will treasure it as I have done.
I got the CD just in time for the last weeks of school- during my A-Levels, and the album was played continuously. The songs are definetly alternative, but because of that there is an underlying originality that fleshes out the lyrics and delivers feelings that few other albums come close to acheiving.
DO NOT be put off by the amatureish album ...
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