Constellation

1. Constellation

2. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You

3. Webb City

4. By Accident

5. Ray's Idea

6. Casbah

7. It's Magic

8. Topsy

Constellation,Sonny Stitt,Muse Records,Bop,Jazz

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: A Grower Defining Dull Glorious Noise! An Unfairly Criticised Masterpiece Wonderful new wave of prog-rock!

Yanqui U.X.O. Godspeed You Black Emperor , and Godspeed You! Black Emperor Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Takk... Young Team ASIN: B00006RJ1I Release Date: 2002-11-19

Tracks:

1. 09-15-00
2. 09-15-00
3. rockets fall on Rocket Falls
4. motherfucker=redeemer
5. motherfucker=redeemer

Album Description

'U.X.O. is unexploded ordnance is landmines is cluster bombs. Yanqui is post-colonial imperialism is international police state is multinational corporate oligarchy. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is complicit is guilty is resisting. The new album is just music.' Recorded by Steve Albini at electrical audio in Chicago. Mixed by Howard Bilerman and Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Hotel2tango in Montreal. Stubborn tiny lights vs. clustering darkness forever ok? Gatefold sleeve. Constellation Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

A Grower.......2007-06-01

I own 3 Godspeed You! albums this one, F# A# (Infinity) and Lift Your Skinny fists Like Antennas To Heaven. On the first listens to all of them I thought they were good albums, but never truely grasped how good they were until you listen to them from start to finish. (I think that you must do this with these albums to truely appriciate them.)

With this album the main thing that I cannot decide (from the first listen to now,) is whether it has an upbeat sound or a creepy eerie tone to it.

This album unlike the other GY!BE albums is that there isn't any extracts of speeches in any of the tracks, this may sound petty but this for me was some of the reason why I went back to GY!BE, these speeches were how I remembered the individual tracks and how good they are. They set the tone for the track to come and they fit very well with the songs.

As per usual in this album this build the tracks beautifully. (I find that as soon as the drums become more aggressive you know that the band will soon follow.) But some tracks are very slow to build such as track 3 rocket falls on Rocket Falls, which is over 20 minutes long and takes a while to get anywhere.

I feel is the only down fall of this album is the length of the build-ups in the tracks half way through the album. (Espically tracks 2,3,4 althought the last quater of track 4 builds and mixes into the final track excellently)

At 72 minutes long on one disc you can feel as if it's a laboured listen but I feel that to enjoy this album you need to slug through that and re-listen to the album many times and you will be won over.

This album will never be my favourite GY!BE album. It shall be the least listened to album of theres but you must appreciate the time effort and sheer talent that this band has.

Defining Dull.......2007-03-25

The music on this album is intensely repetitive and boring. I tried mopping my floor while listening to the album, thinking it might be useful at least for that. But no, it is too boring even as background music for domestic chores. The CD clocks in at 75 minutes.... what it contains is so paper thin it might be compressed into five or 10 minutes tops. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Glorious Noise!.......2007-03-04

It is difficult to express why this ensemble of 9+ musicians from Montreal and their collection of music truly deserves the many five star ratings you read here at Amazon, but the ratings are accurate. This is not hype, this is not a cult following. The five star assessments are completely justified. The sound of Yanqui U.X.O., as well as the other GYBE albums I own, consistently deliver a refreshing dose of sound in the midst of a world chock full of formulaic groups being passed off to the consumer as cutting edge. With so many marketing-driven copycat clones and non-talented hacks with hair gel repeating chorus after chorus of predictable tripe, here is a much needed slap in the face for those of us who love alternative and progressive music. So, what makes Godspeed You Black Emperor so unique? For one, they are talented at their craft. Secondly, they obviously strive to be original. Finally, and most importantly, their compositions reveal a strong awareness of their listener, which is why this artful and glorious noise comes together into such a coherent experience.

Some Sound Metaphors To Consider
In my mind, what makes a great wine or tremendous coffee stand out as a memorable experience is the depth of the flavor profile: The way multiple layers converge upon the palette in waves. This is precisely the method by which "Yanqui UXO" engages the ears of the listener from beginning to end. It might be difficult at first to imagine a combination of so many unique sound elements blending into a salient format, but the complexity and layered sound textures really succeed! I offer you my highly subjective list of sound analogies I encountered throughout this album, sounds reminiscent from my own personal listening past (not presented in any particular order):

+The analog timbre found in early King Krimson (reminiscent of old Mellotrons!)
+ The syncopation and relentless arpeggios of later King Krimson
+ The driving fuzztone and harmonic minor guitar of Hawkwind
+ The gothic romanticism of Dead Can Dance
+ The mind-bending dissonance of the Residents
+ The warm sound textures of Pink Floyd
+ The minimalist tonal modulations of Phillip Glass
+ The gentle ambient voyages of Robert Rich and Brian Eno
+ The acid trip sound experiments of Aphex Twin and Cabaret Voltaire
+ The silent spaces and "chance music" of John Cage

...all of these elements and many others collide into a beautiful yet entirely original soundscape. Other reviewers have previously described GYBE's use of tonal dynamics, especially the "layered build-up-into-cacophonous-release" technique, but unlike others from the so-called post rock genre of music, GYBE does not rely solely upon this device. The group makes many adjustments to timbre and texture along the way, and are fearless and relentless in their pursuit. There is a sense of purpose to their compositions. These musicians really want to take the listener for a ride, they actually want to touch your emotions. At times they are mellow, at other times energetic, and they pull this off without sending the listener through an auditory rollercoaster. Every progression, every shift in direction makes sense to the ears.

Five Stars for sure. Upon my very first listening I thought to myself. "Well, it's about time a group like this came along!"

An Unfairly Criticised Masterpiece.......2007-01-10

This album seems to get the most criticism out of all GY!BE releases, mostly due to the lack of samples (there is in fact, no samples in "Yanqui"), and some songs not building to climaxes. I believe that while "Lift Your Skinny..." is GY!BE's best, and possibly post-rock's best album, "Yanqui U.X.O" is a fantastic piece of work and my second favourite from the band.

Personally I found a lot of the samples rather grating on other releases, especially the samples AFTER climaxes, which seemed completely pointless to me as it just draws out the song. And the argument that this album doesn't have enough climaxes seems a little unfair. There are five tracks on the album, and really only one, "09-15-00 Part 2" lacks a climax, and serves as a 6-minute after-thought to the opening part of the song. I don't see much wrong with this, as the opening song has two HUGE climaxes that are as powerful as anything GY!BE has created in the past. This album also contains one of my favourite GY!BE songs to date, the sprawling "Rocket Fall On Rocket Falls", which starts with a swirling, often trippy section, then giving way to minimalist timpani playing, and then builds to the peak climax of the album. This song is simply stunning and will please any fan of the band and genre. The two-part "Motherf****r = Redeemer" song is a little different from the rest of the album, and the usual GY!BE structure, in that it opens with quite a lot of instrumentation, setting aside the extreme quiet/build/very loud structure. While this is the weakest part of the album, it is still excellent when put into context with other post-rock bands, but not quite up the standards of the rest of this album.

My big point is that I think this album is unfairly treated. It has everything I was looking for in a GY!BE album, and I would go as far to say it includes some of their best work to date.

Wonderful new wave of prog-rock!.......2006-08-10

GodSpeed You Black Emperor are simply incredible. They create melodies that are strongly influenced by the complexity of progressive rock, but they also add twists of post-rock, ambiant and sound clips, which brings you into onto a different reality plane.

This together with "List your Skinny Fists like Antenna to Heavens", are my favority post-rock albums.

Average customer rating: Listener-friendly DMST -- quite a good album YEAH, THEY ARE "THAT BAND" Yet another consistent and engaging album from the group Doing, making, saying and thinking their most consistent album to date

You, You're a History in the Rust Do Make Say Think Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: And Their Refinement of the Decline Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun Cryptograms Mirrored Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? ASIN: B000KB49OM Release Date: 2007-02-27

Tracks:

1. Bound To Be That Way
2. A With Living
3. The Universe!
4. A Tender History In Rust
5. Herstory Of Glory
6. You, You're Awesome
7. Executioner Blues
8. In Mind

Customer Reviews:

Listener-friendly DMST -- quite a good album.......2007-05-22

I've been listening to DMST for some time now but this I'm enjoying this new CD more than any of their others. Apart from the ridiculous song titles, this is a great mix of jazzy, catchy but not simple- or "pop"-sounding songs; and the vocal parts are actually very well integrated into the songs. Not one track that I skip. Bottom line: if you've ever been "on the fence" with DMST, this album is a good one to hear. Too many post-rock outfits are little more than Mogwai sound-a-likes (e.g. MONO), but DMST has a unique sound. And by the way, DMST is surprisingly good in concert. --- P.S. Other lesser-known post-rock outfits to sample: SAXON SHORE, MASERATI, GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT, and EL TEN ELEVEN.

YEAH, THEY ARE "THAT BAND".......2007-05-18

The music here belongs pretty well solely to DMST. No need for comparisons. At times raw, at times elegant, majestic, upclose or remote and never afraid of the odd harmonic outcome, the CD not only sounds very live (pretty remarkable recording and mastering job for those who enjoy evaluating production) but the music itself is very, very alive: to the moment, to the ideas, to the possibilities this band pursues with such unvarnished alacrity. The result is music -- no matter how long you've followed the ups and downs of rock and postrock -- that can still make you turn your head and let you know you're listening to something different enough and smart enough to actually keep on listening and then listen again.

Yet another consistent and engaging album from the group.......2007-03-28

Many years ago, I took a chance and bought three albums on a little upstart label from Canada. At the time, the only band that I'd actually heard on their roster was Godspeed You Black Emperor, but that was good enough for me, and I picked up releases by Exhaust, Sofa, and a group called Do Make Say Think. The rest, as they say, is history, and after a series of steady albums that little unknown group with four verbs as their name became artists that I could simply count on to release great music time in and time out with every album.

Times change a bit, and with seemingly every member of the group participating in about 3 other projects, there was bound to be a period where their other obligations would pull them away. With several members sharing time in the successful Broken Social Scene and other members having children and generally living their lives, it's been almost four years between the release of Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn and the long-awaited You, You're A History In Rust. Like previous albums, there are places where the release doesn't sink in on first listen, and yet in most places it's like they haven't skipped a beat.

Opening track "Bound To Be That Way" is a perfect example of the group falling right back into things, as the song mixes gorgeous heavy strums of guitar with more propulsive sections that incorporate everything from banjo to buzzing bass while peaking in two delightful crescendos. "A With Living" follows, and it's a slight curveball, with vocal contributions from Akron/Family that really flesh things out in places while at the same time running a bit overlong at over nine minutes in length.

A nice mixture of upbeat and more measured instrumental work, the release shows off some nice dynamics from the group, with everything from cranked-up guitar workouts like "The Universe" to hushed acoustic guitar and ambience pieces like "A Tender History In Rust." In some ways, the release feels like sort of a fifty-minute compendium of all their work done to date, with songs that have similar feels to different tracks off past albums without sounding directly like anything else they've done before.

As a fan of the group, it's simply hard to argue with propulsive pieces like "Executioner's Blues," which scatters their insanely lush guitar chords and crisp polyrhythms over more guitar parts and synths that cascade and build to gleeful blowouts. Like their previous album, they even end things with a downright poppy track that's upbeat while holding just a hint of resignation (and an insanely loud ending). In the end, You, You're A History In Rust is eight more songs from a group who as mentioned above has become one of the more remarkably consistent and adventurous ones out there, especially considering the crowded playing field that they inhabit. One of my favorite albums so far in this very young year.

(from almost cool music reviews)

Doing, making, saying and thinking their most consistent album to date.......2007-02-27

Impressive combination of growth and retrospect help earn DMST's latest their most compelling spin yet. It is a highly balanced album, never feeling drowned out in artistic grandeur, rarely missing an appealing transition in the band's collective array of melodic assaults, and hardly rambling on any of their thoughtfully constructed jams before producing some of post-rocks most non-generic musical celebrations. In short, their tightest album to date, as eclectic in band member's unique musical insight as it is unilaterally appealing in a non-pretentious way, quite the accomplishment for this rather pigeon-holed genre of pseudo-epic, mopey mope constructs.

It may not hold all the cathartic release of previous master-tracks, but side-by-side this album is a more musically captivating whole then anything previous, all we could have asked for is a longer album with more cuts. Unfortunately, the band may even be trying a little too hard to branch out into the uncharted territories of, gasp, vocals, bleeding through their BSC influence on the disc's only lapse from an underlying constructive integrity all other songs provide (which in the latter half, so blatantly molds an awesome guitar line after Enemy Airship's "Apartment Song" that I hope it was some sort of intended reflection, but probably isn't). Rest assured, everything else manages to keep this band completely relevant, confident that they remain in an awesome state creatively.



1st impressions track by track:

1.Powerfully tight, fluid opener capitalizing on all their upbeat strengths

2.Plodding, vocal laden track, latter half paying homage? to an earlier album's riff

3.Melodically intricate, spirited, unrelenting rock flow predicated upon the bombastic simpleton chorus

4.Spacey intro giving way to acoustic melancholy of an introspective order

5.playfull yet mesmerizing, beautifully woven soft/loud dynamics amidst the romantic, historical musicality

6.convincing synthesis of past album's drugbore cowboy essence

7.another hypnotic new-school psychedelic jam caves in a little on itself before rising to the bombastic level of genius the band has cultivated and rides it to a sunrise end

8. winning down-home ditty that blasts off and manages to use it's other vocal section effectively despite an overbearing distortion fading out

Average customer rating: Found an Easter Egg The world's a mess, and so are we. my favorite ASMZ Ecstatic !!!

He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms A Silver Mt. Zion Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Finally We Are No One Come on Die Young ASIN: B00004RGC8 Release Date: 2000-04-03

Tracks:

1. Broken Chord Can Sing a Little
2. Sit in the Middle of Three Galloping Dogs
3. Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning
4. Movie (Never Made)
5. 13 Angles Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed
6. Long March Rocket or Doomed Airliner
7. Blown-Out Joy from Heaven's Mercied Hole
8. For Wanda

Album Details

Band is Comprised of Members of Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Customer Reviews:

Found an Easter Egg.......2007-04-18

On first listening to "Long March Rocket or Doomed Airliner", the 5 second track, I heard nothing and was like, "what's this all about?" So I turned up the volume on my speakers to full blast and replayed the track. The first 2 seconds sound like one of the 'moaning angels' from the previous track, then quickly fades into the sound of an airplane... weird. But pretty cool stuff.

As for the CD itself, I find parts of it enjoyable to listen to and the instruments well arranged, but didn't find it nearly as compelling as other reviewers. Maybe I'm not in the right mood, but I got bored a few times after listening to the same musical notes five minutes at a stretch. Perhaps it'll grow on me over time and catch me off guard one day. :P

The world's a mess, and so are we........2006-09-22

This is 'ASMZ''s debut album -- a despairing, fatalistic perspective of the world and all that's contained within it.

Rarely -- so rarely -- is music this day in age put out with the ambition of creating an all-encompassing 'experience'; music for the sake of communication, rather than some sort of self-gratifying manner of egocentric show. Here, rather, 'ASMZ''s selves are transporting the message, but our selves are participating equally. It's not an 'act'. And so, the information transferred within the first twenty minutes is as such -- in the bowels of this strange, detached world we somehow came to exist in (He didn't plan on telling us how or why!), a distinct concept appears and continues to be a vague theme of the album: the contrast of the scared, confused, alone Human (conscious of it or not) unable to have a choice in the matter of being swallowed hole by this infinite, ever-changing beast called reality. The album is so assaulting in portraying this predatory force (evolving technology, mental illness, social alienation, starving countries... simply mass suffering on a global scale -- very flexible with interpretation), it ends up establishing a heavy, repeatedly deterministic way of looking at things. Though we are at heart Loving creatures, placed here by the very hands of God, the end is ultimately coming about before our very eyes -- whether we're consciously aware of it or not -- and we have little else to do but endure it 'till the end. At least, that's what I get from an album like this. Whether they're getting at the nature of suffering at large, or perhaps specific Human cause/effects and their relations to the 'chaos' of the post-modern world, I think it matters a great deal not, for ultimately the concluding emotional response turns out to be the same. Though, I do beckon, without the subtext focusing on the various ways we have been mutilated for the worse as a collective, thus really giving way to a more personal and immediate feeling towards those existing with us currently, it would not have quite the same impact. And, you know, I believe this sort of black and white approach, and its tendency to convey such an impenetrable, undefeatable force conquering helpless, alone, confused individuals within Humanity, without regard to any real sentient concerns, is probably the most romantic way in portraying the album's ultimate redemptive quality. For, at the very heart of nature, we have such a theme anyway; we come, we go, with no say of our own. But, personally, I prefer to interpret the entire work as an ode to all of us facing the hardships of a changing, bewildering life where things once known are now disappearing into oblivion. Ethics, morals, technology, identity, nature of family. Things that weigh on the mind to a hugely diminishing effect, displaying their prowess quicker and quicker with time... And how the hell are we supposed to manage all of it? It's depressingly heavy material, with things both novel and deep in implication, but instead of being allowed to think about it, we're told to drink Coors, go to McD's, watch football and F*@# each other like rabbits.

Now, for anyone who proposes the idea that 'ASMZ' is a band of nothing but false pretense -- I proudly present '13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed', the boldest, most moving piece the band has ever written, bringing to light the fact that all three of the albums following this one have been phenomenal -- it's got only the starkest competition. So, I'm entirely, 100% honest when I say this, guys:

....never, ever in my life, have I heard a piece of written music that so divinely captures the entity of Love with such heartbreaking magnificence. While I do believe the foreshadowing cloud of darkness the album maintains 'till the track's entrance provides for an even more affecting crescendo effect than what '13 Angels' provides on its own, it is completely possible, and more than likely 'probable', that one who finds the rest of the disc unappealing may still find themselves breaking down emotionally as it dives into the soul. It is the greatest musical embodiment of pure compassion I've ever had the most grateful pleasure of listening to. Why it works the way it does, I won't even attempt to try and rationalize, because it is not a piece of analytical concern, but of the heart's yearning. When I listen to it, I for the time being view every Human being I share this strange reality with in the most empathetic light achievable, guided by none but the heart. If I don't cry while I listen to it, I feel like I want to. Keep in mind, too -- I'm no crier. In fact, I'm often a crass, obnoxious piece of flesh to the adorning public -- but there's that part of me, that child buried within, who's heart is broken in however many ways, and '13 Angels' brings him out for momentary catharsis. The track is a meditation piece of the most sincere form imaginable, and in my case, it produces an overall effect that, no matter how many times I let it nurture me for but seven minutes, becomes a 'part' of my entire being -- a representation of me and my heart; the emotionally fragile, struggling being that I am, and that you are, too. It is, love.

my favorite ASMZ.......2006-03-07

This is ASMZ's first album, and in my opinion their best. It is the most like GY!BE, epecially with the strings and background voices and samples; most like "lift your skinny fists..." to be more specific. What I like alot about this album is what made it hard to get into when i first heard it, and that is the reoccurence of similar melodies. The whole album is like one long song that revisits certain parts. Even though most of their albums seem to be concept type albums, this ones music really reflects it. The vocals are alittle rough in the beginning, but they grow on the listener. But all in all i like the emphasis on the strings the most, which is also one of my favorite aspects of Godspeed. Never a dull moment with Efrim.

Ecstatic.......2006-02-02

This album is phenomenal. Musically trimmed down compared to Godspeed You Black Emperor. Some of the most beautiful music I've heard, haunting and bereft of hubris. I don't mind the vocals but the only part I don't care for is near the beginning with some of the sound effects or recording noises at the beginning of the album.
All in all, I'd consider it one of the best albums I currently have and recommend it to those who can sit down and allow themselves to truly listen to the piece. A piece which should be enjoyed in its entirety.

!!!.......2006-01-29

Eight tracks of pure genius.

While it's a little spooky at times, and mystic in some ways, I love sleeping to this album. It's reallllly good to listen to when I'm in a contemplative mood or just thinking. It's both chaotic and melodic, which normally wouldn't sound nice but this sounds amazing.

This isn't my favorite ASMZ album (Born Into Trouble As The Spark is), but it's definitely high in the ranks.

If you're thinking about not getting this album, I'd definitely think again. It's... uplifting, almost, as long as you're not depressed. Don't listen to this if you're depressed.

Average customer rating: Some of their best music Musicians are Cowards! Close to my heart. Yeah, It's Alright In many ways, tops their first album

Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Come on Die Young Sings Reign Rebuilder ASIN: B00005Q62R Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

1. Sisters! Brothers! Small Boats Of Fire Are Falling From The Sky!
2. This Gentle Hearts Like Shot Bird's Fallen
3. Built Then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!)
4. Take These Hands And Throw Them In The River
5. Could've Moved Mountains
6. Tho You Are Gone I Still Often Walk With You
7. C'mon Come On (Lose An Endless Longing)
8. The Triumph Of Our Tired Eyes

Customer Reviews:

Some of their best music.......2006-07-03

The music on this album might be the best flowing of all ASMZs releases. The tracks are almost all linked together to give the listener a very smooth listening experience. The vocals are superb with more effects on them, which set these vocals apart from their other releases. The music also sounds as if they are trying to uses a different approach, the album starts off very much like the other ASMZ releases, but as it progresses, the sound slightly alters to give the music a different kind of feel. It still sounds like ASMZ, but it is intriguing how the structure has changed since the band started.
The music on this album (like every ASMZ) is beautiful and slow moving. It takes patience, like the others, but once again seems to fulfill more than most music (in my opinion). The last track, titled The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes may be my favorite ASMZ song. It is terribly beautiful with some incredible lyrics.
All in all, a truly phenomenal album that will be appreciated by anyone who likes ASMZ.

Musicians are Cowards!.......2006-05-11

So screams Efrim in the closing track of "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward," closing an immaculately desgined and created album. Begun as a side-project of the huge Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion was really just Efrim's way of trying to express more gloom and less doom. Godspeed makes black records, but its black on a grander scale (read: the end of the world). ASMZ focuses more on the lonely, sad, and personal aspects of...well...sadness.

Similarities to GY!BE run rampant. Starting with the name of the band itself, there is an implied level of pretentiousness to this music. The band name that just keeps growing, the syntactical non-sequiturs, etc., serve to throw a distancing spike between the music and the listener. I think that's just what ASMZ are trying to do. By not allowing the listener to connect with the band, the focus is placed on the music, and not those creating it. They become a caricature- larger than life- and thus can serve as adequate vessels for a haunting message. The sentence-long song titles (i.e. "This Gentle Hearts, Like Shot Birds Fallen," one of the shortest titles) serve the same purpose.

As most GY!BE and ASMZ records, there are few words, and those that are present are spoken. The album opens with tape-effects, slowly layering in dual violins, playing a dissonant, terribly sad piece. A 3/4 piano joins as the violins fade out, a minor-key waltz that promotes anything but dancing. Sophie re-joins with her violin, and a cello provides the low-end back-up.

And that was the first four minutes of track 1. Honestly, I could write paragraphs like that for every 4 minutes of this album. For the next 54 minutes, ASMZ take you though sorrow, joy (small amounts), loss, gain, pain and finally...hope. The transitions are perfect, and the music simply drenches you with the slow, sad melodies. The record bends and swirls around a few key hooks, and the instrumentation is all but flawless (as can be expected from these guys).

Time is taken at the beginning of the third track for a monologue read by a young boy. It is, at its surface, a happy message ("Lets have a parade! Its been so long since we've had a parade"), but I think it is being used ironically in this position in the record. The title of the track ("Built then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!"). The parade is only on the surface, but below the jubilation is still a Jericho waiting to fall, and fall it does. I still can't decide how I feel about it. When I'm alone in my chair in the dark, listening to this entire record, it fits perfectly. When I try to listen to the song itself, however, it seems pretty silly. I suppose it is a thematic device, and its really my fault for trying to consider it as a singularity.

The record's final track is entitled "The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes." Honestly, the record would be worth buying if this was the only track it contained. Yes...its THAT good. It is the only track on the album with lyrics...and also the only track on the record that I could call hopeful. The loss and destruction found in the previous seven tracks are finally met...with defiance and hope. "C'mon friends...to the barricades again.."...perfect.

The record (like most of GY!BE and ASMZ's work), is ultimately a political statement. They are fiercely anti-American, and much of their works revolve around what they see as the evil of the United States. Railroads are torn up to build strip malls, and things of beauty are torn down to build Wal-Marts. There is futility in fighting, they realize the bulldozers will eventually come to tear up what has been built, but they build in spite of it (to paraphrase the liner notes). The "barricades" are defiance itself. The message is both disturbing and hopeful, and one worth thinking about

Of course, your appreciation for Efrim's vocal stylings will ultimately determine if you can even find it listenable, but read below, and perhaps you can get past his voice. There is also much debate on the inclusion of Efrim's singing on this album (as opposed to HHLUABSOLSPTCOOR, which was purely instrumental). Though it is dissonant, most often flat, and thin- I think it is perfect for its thematic role. There needs to beauty in the song itself, only in that the message gets through. It is sung by a man tired from the long and losing fight, yet still hopeful through his tears. I love it.

Close to my heart........2005-06-15

This is probably my favorite Silver Mt Zion album, the other two registered within my brain being their debut "God Has Left Us Alone..." and their recent, more vocalized "Horses in the Sky". Though I 'might' dare say the other two albums have more climatic moments individually (re: 'might'), "Sparks" is all around the most enjoyable listening experience to be had, and is probably the first album I'd give to someone introducing the band, for multiple reasons.

Simply put, it's gorgeous. The first track is stunningly beautiful. Amazing. Romantically charged and haunting. Silver Mt. Zion simply compose beautiful melodies -- more beautiful than virtually every other band around -- and 'Sisters! Brothers!..." is one of their prettiest. Thereafter, the album follows with another beautiful piece, the angelic and mystical, somber and devestating 'This Gentle's Hearts'... Wonderful, haunting stuff. The third track, likewise.

After the album's initial twenty minutes, however, things change a bit. "Take These Hands..." is a ferociously charged vocal piece filled with various dissonant layers and echoed voices. If anything, it comes as a great change of pace, if not impressing as much musically (though it's still a great piece). 'Could've Moved Mountains', the next piece, might be the slowest on the album, and one definitely need a decent pair of headphones to hear the intricies here; harmonized vocals in different channels makes it a far more interesting listen on repeated, closer listens.

Unfortunately, however, tracks 6 and 7, while admirable, don't do much for me. They recall more of the mood of Silver Mt Zion's initial album, and are a bit too abrasive for me. Furthermore, they simply clash with the generally timid nature of the first half of the album. The latter of the two has some wonder within the chaos, but it's just not enough.

The album ends with a soft, high note, and recalls the beauty of the strongest points of the album. The thing with this album is that there are highs and lows, but the highs are truly high -- near heavenly -- and that's why I award such an album five stars. You've got at least 30 minutes of amazing music, and probably 45 minutes of great music.

If you're a fan of Godspeed you Black Emperor!, get it.

Yeah, It's Alright.......2005-05-14

When I first got this album I was mildly obsessed with it but I abstained from writing a review with the hopes that someday I could view it a little more objectively. That day has come.

This album is certainly not A Silver Mt. Zion's best, but it's definitely not their worst. Efrim's voice is more prominent on this album than it was on the debut, but is less prominent than on later releases. It may seem jarring at first, but it eventually does become endearing. Besides, some of the world's most renowned singers have horrible voices, but they're great writers and why shouldn't they be able to sing their own words? (See also: Bob Dylan, Jeff Mangum, Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst...) That being said, the second track is the most monotonous piece of music I have _ever_ heard. The transition between tracks three and four is superb, but my favorite part of this disc is the birds at the end of track four. I don't know why.

Overall, it's an average album from an honest, hardworking group, but it is certainly not their defining moment. I'd advise getting A Silver Mt. Zion's albums in order of release just so you can see the evolution of the vocals (and because they get progressively worse).

In many ways, tops their first album.......2005-04-26

The most obvious thing about this album (aside from the expanded name and band) is that the group is moving further away from godspeed's sound. While there are still similarities between the two groups, mt. zion really establishes themselves as a separte band with this record.

All of the emotions that the group pulled out of you on the first record are pulled out again with this record, but it's a much more intense experience. There's more to the music and to the instrumentation. Of course the artwork is amazing, just as it is with almost everything Contellation releases. If you're just piddling around with a few of this label's releases, you need to stop it and start buying up everything they've released. Some albums are better than others, but they've yet to release a bad record.

Average customer rating: Perfect fusion of jazz, rock and art Deep leap forward Incredible... they just keep getting better and better Among the best in this 'genre'

Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn Do Make Say Think Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven You, You're a History in the Rust f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Young Team ASIN: B0000CD5I3 Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

1. Fredericia
2. War On Want
3. Auberge Le Mouton Noir
4. Outer Inner & Secret
5. 107 Reasons Why
6. Ontario Plates
7. Horns Of A Rabbit
8. It's Gonna Rain
9. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Customer Reviews:

Perfect fusion of jazz, rock and art.......2007-05-12

The packaging is amazing. The songs are awe-inducing. Constellation Records has released some amazing albums in their short five year exsistence. Based in Montreal, Canada (DMST are from Toronto)they have turned that city into the Mecca of artful, engaging music. For crying out loud the label still asembles the records by hand. "Ontario Plates" and "Inner, Outer & Secret" are incredibly brilliant. It's hard to classify these guys but they are ABSOLUTELY worth checking out.

Deep leap forward.......2007-02-28

Sprawling, cyclic and ambitious, the album is also not without excess. At the time, this was a huge step in a positive direction for the band, stretching out so many of the musical concepts they had just started toying with in their past releases. With a more epic take on songwriting however, came certain lulls in the album that sounded hip and jazzy as always, but fell prey to mechanical spaces of underdevelopment. Still, the trio of passages shine as bright as anything they have recorded, rarely lapsing into self-indulgent pretentiousness, just not completely coming across crisp in every melodic intention. Whatever minute pockets of aimless musicality distracts here pales in comparison to the compositional leap the band made since their previous experimentations. Producing their first truly great work, I look back at it and can totally see an argument being made in favor of this one being better then their newest, less ambitious but more refined disc. They are both amazingly assured releases, one slightly more mature.

Incredible..........2006-10-12

This entire album is amazing. It is divided into three sections that are noticeably different, but they still flow together well. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! is the perfect song to end the album with. That song alone is worth buying this cd for.

they just keep getting better and better.......2005-11-26

When a band just keeps getting better and better with each release, it's easy to start expecting unrealistic things. Even after their first Self-Titled release, I somehow knew that they were a band to keep tabs on. While that first disc wasn't amazing, it had moments on it that gave me chills and marked the band in my mind as one to watch. Over the course of the past couple years (with just about one release per year), the group has quickly grown into one of my favorite bands making music today. With Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead, they uppped the ante, breaking off into realms unforcasted and completely shrugging off any mentions of them being a Tortoise-clone. With last years & Yet & Yet, they got better again, and when I discovered that members of the group had a hand in both Broken Social Scene and K.C. Accidental, I wondered if they could do any wrong.

With Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn the group has created an album that pushes forth will leaps and bounds while still restraining itself at the same time. There are songs on this 9 track release that will split your head open in a good way, and easily the best work that the group has done. There are also several meandering ones that simply bide their time until the next amazing moment comes along. Maybe the easiest thing for me to say is that while Do Make Say Think has recorded the best tracks they've ever done with this release, it's still not quite their best overall.

That's not to say that the release isn't great, because it is. Some of the blame may simply be traced back to myself with the aforementioned statement of expecting unrealistic things. It's not fair to expect something and even though you aren't quite sure what that expectation is, somehow things don't match up to it when you finally hear the finished product. Simply put, I'm rambling, and this is a great album nonetheless. Broken into three 'sections' (hinted at by the album title) recorded at different times, the disc brings in everything you've come to expect from the group and more. The opening track of "Fredericia" is one of those tracks I mentioned above that will leave you swimming in joy. Opening with a pretty guitar melody over warbles of a bassline, it progresses into a medium-tempo rambler that builds slowly before a (dare I say?) funky bassline unrolls itself and horns and guitars swirl together through a digitally-processed haze before coalescing into one of the heaviest moments that the group has ever laid to tape. The whole thing saws off into quiet before building up into an even louder, frenzied ending, rivaling just about anything labelmates Godspeed You Black Emperor have done.

After a quiet bridging track, things are back full steam with "Auberge Le Mouton Noir," another guitar-driven track that marches steadily along with blinding moments of punctuation before launching into a double-time ending that again lays waste. The longer of the first three tracks are easily some of the most stunning work that the group has ever done, and although the middle, slightly slower and jazzier section is somewhat of a cooldown, it's by no means boring (especially the huge swells on the 10-minute "Outer Inner And Secret"). Just when you thought the group has gone too laid-back on the horn-filled "Ontario Plates," they come right back again with what might be their best song ever. "Horns Of A Rabbit" opens with backwards guitars before building in a huge beat and buzzing synth bassline that layers in horns and delicate guitars in subtle ways before again building to a grand explosion of controlled rock noise that again blows the album open. It all happens in 4 minutes, and it might be the most mindblowing instrumental pop track you hear all year.

The album closes out with a nod to Steve Reich (I think) on the filtered noise of "It's Gonna Rain," before closing things out with their poppiest track ever in the celebratory "Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!" Layers of bubbly keyboards wind around delicate horns and guitars before bursting into a hopscotch synth singalong that ends things on a bright note and makes you want to hear the whole damn thing all over again (just like the quiet voice at the very end of the release states). After all my worries, I guess I had nothing to worry about. Do Make Say Think are still one of the best bands out there, and if you haven't yet discovered their work, it's about time you get on it. Go. Now. And tell them I sent you.

(from almost cool music reviews)

Among the best in this 'genre'.......2005-07-23

There's so much different stuff on constellation/kranky these days that it's impossible to lump it all under 'post-rock' (if it ever was possible). This is one of the best records I've heard in this so-called genre -- like Godspeed if the world wasn't about to end or Tortoise with soul. Warm, fuzzy and full of life and interesting (but not gratuitously odd) sounds. Play it after F#A#oo if you want to feel better; do it the other way round if you don't.

Average customer rating: - He should consider voice lessons Stunning, heartfelt, raw masterpiece. "Oh my broken lamb, I worry when you cry..." Pretty good

Horses in the Sky Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra , and Tra la la B Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static Sings Reign Rebuilder ASIN: B0007W221G Release Date: 2005-04-05

Tracks:

1. God Bless Our Dead Marines
2. Mountains Made of Steam
3. Horses in the Sky
4. Teddy Roosevelt's Guns
5. Hang on to Each Other
6. Ring Them Bells (Freedom Has Come and Gone)

Customer Reviews:

-.......2006-09-18

I do not understand how some can be so quick to judge this album. The very first track is one of the best they've recorded / one of the best I have ever heard, and it definitely would not be the same without efriam's beautifully crafted lyricism. I do not think the lyrics are whining at all, but if one was to use such terminology, I would think they are only so whining as the other instruments used to create this orchestral brilliance.
& how could you possibly say Canada is not an oppressive country? Just because America isn't quite Nazi Germany that doesn't mean America is not oppressive, & just because Canada is not quite America, that doesn't mean it is not oppressive.
But to get back on track, this is a wonderful album! & if you ever have a chance to go to one of their shows, you should definitely take it up. I couldn't move out of sheer awe.

He should consider voice lessons.......2006-05-30

I've followed the progression from GYBE! and i like the instrumentals because they have a beautiful cryptic flow. His voice, which is really added to this album more than any other I have run into, is not. He sings off key and whines and complains and throws away anything entrancing or entrenching about the music. I find myself skipping through entire tracks trying to find tracks where he's not singing so I can feel I haven't wasted my money, but to no avail.

And as for the lyrics, I'm sorry, sir but Canada is not an oppressive country. Stop fooling yourself and get some voice lessons.

Stunning, heartfelt, raw masterpiece........2006-05-15

There is no better (post?)modern band than A Silver Mt. Zion. Not musically, mind you, but as an overall emphasis on sheer, unadulterated emotion; I have yet to come in contact with a band of the past half decade that holds a candle to the immense, affecting fire ASMZ sparks, and that includes the wunderkind known as Godspeed You Black Emperor! from which they spawned.

Like Godspeed, ASMZ is one of the more ambitious bands I've ever encountered. Unlike Godspeed, however, ASMZ is not only epic in scope, but as personal and intimite as the highest art forms. Simultaneously they manage to evoke both of these senses.

I think it's as simple as this. Godspeed is from the brain; ASMZ is from the heart. Shallow and blasphemous, really, but I think that vague analysis gets the message across. Godspeed, great as they are, could never even DREAM about writing anything as haunting as "13 Angles Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed", from ASMZ's debut album. That particular piece, for me, is perhaps the most personal and loving that I have ever heard in my entire life, and I'm not overstating in the least. While nothing on Horses in the Sky reaches that level of ardor, it's this same sort of sentiment that makes it such a masterful work.

The first song on the album will probably be the first listener's will cling to, primarily for it's pop-nature within the first ten minutes. At least, this was the case with me. However, from the moment that a harmonic chorus shouts "When the world is sick, can't noone be well", the album begins to really become a raw, glaring testiment to the soul.

Efrim's lyrics here shine more than ever before, in my opinion, and I personally never had one problem with his vocals. Don't see why one should, honestly; they fit the tone of the music too well. He is a poetic, expressive singer who never resorts to schlocky, melodramatic lyrics.

This album is the best album I heard in 2005, and one of my favorite albums, period. With this review I try to write as impressively as I can, but in truth that is exactly the antithesis of what this music is -- selfless, infinite Love.

"Oh my broken lamb, I worry when you cry...".......2006-03-12

This album is pure beauty. Words cannot descibe my love for this band and this album.

Pretty good.......2006-02-08

This is a very good albums. I think the lyrics add alot, especially when thinking about the difference in the music between Silver mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The vocals are alittle rough, however, and need some getting used to. The whole downbeat style of the album is amazingly supported by the minimal strings that are added. My biggest problem with this album is the track entitled "Teddy Roosevelt's Guns" i find the line "oh Canada, oh Canada, i've never been your son" to be kind of lame. And being that that is the core of the whole song, i find it hard to get into. However, the harmony at the end of "God bless our dead marines" is phenomenal, and really what made me initailly purchase the album. Except for track four though, i find this to be an excellent album, and if your into this sort of music, then it is a must buy.

Average customer rating: Baptism by the light of Hell's glowing coals Love and mercy A broken beauty pervades.

Evangelista Carla Bozulich Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: I'm Gonna Stop Killing Burial The Red Headed Stranger Ys A Life Without Fear ASIN: B000EMSY52 Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

1. Evangelista, Pt. 1
2. Steal Away
3. How to Survive Being Hit by Lightning
4. Inside Sleeps
5. Baby, That's the Creeps
6. Pissing
7. Prince of the World
8. Nels' Box
9. Evangelista, Pt. 2

Amazon.com

On an old boat, maybe a raft--slowly floating under a canopy of overgrown trees lining the river bank--sultry but cool, with rays of sunlight sporadically breaking the tree shade--coming up on a dilapidated house--getting closer, the house takes on personality--sad but strong and defiant, melancholy with more than a hint of smirk. This is what I thought after one listen to Evangelista, and the album proves just as provocative with each successive listen. Working with members of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Silver Mt. Zion, among others, this album is both experimental and melodic, both disjointed and cohesive in its approach. In former projects--Ethyl Meatplow, Geraldine Fibbers, Scarnella, and her version of Willie Nelson's Red-Headed Stranger--Carla Bozulich has always forged her own path, and Evangelista is a beautiful addition to that catalog. From the opening strains of the aptly labeled title song, to the soft churning of "Steal Away," to the chaotic "Baby, That's the Creeps," this album focuses on love and mercy and the importance of sound. Silence or scream, sound as a word as well as the force behind the music is vital. Imagery and music float in and out, showcasing flashes of story, tone poem, and impressionistic scenes in music and vocabulary, all anchored by that truly amazing voice. Evangelista makes me want to lie down, close my eyes, and simply listen. I can't think of a higher compliment for a piece of music. --Robert Arambel

Customer Reviews:

Baptism by the light of Hell's glowing coals.......2007-05-05

This album is intensely visual. I exercised patience last year so I waited on this one so it could be on my Christmas list. On the one hand, thank goodness I received it. On the other, "waiting" was a bonehead maneuver. I'm trying not to say anything here that may make someone come to think of this as an album in the "a collection of songs" sense. After the first time I listened to this, I was just like "good lord what just happened?"... and I mean that in a good way. I didn't listen to it very often for those first few months I had it. Like I said, it's not just a cd with some songs on it. Evangelista is an event.

Track one was initially (for me), and remains, the pinnacle of the album. The pictures in my mind when I listen to this track... indescribable. There is a scope and size to this track that is Beyond. Track 1 could and should be made into a movie. It is THAT big. I don't mean an action-packed Hollywood rave-up. There is what's been described as the boat noise, but I don't get any nautical feelings at all during any of this album. Track 1 is satan's cowboy preacher preparing you for what she possesses. This is Carla as the Hell Plains Drifter, but no scene of a blood-red western town has the power of inner destruction inherent to this track. Most importantly though is that this isn't a put-on. This isn't like the fake evil of bad metal. This is the emotional honesty of feeling trapped in darkness.

One thing that has changed for me is that now I can't spread out my listenings anymore. Evangelista is still an event, but it's one I'm craving so often that I've given in to it. I loved Carla before, but this... if she has more of this inside her... I can only wait and wonder "what's next?". She's often times not "singing" on this album in the way she does (did) with the Geraldine Fibbers or Scarnella, but the vocalizations here... the preaching... it is, for me, monstrously powerful stuff. Her voice is incredible.

My review focused on the first track, but there is indeed much more. That track though... it fully wraps the hellish blanket of the Evangelista around you, and from then on out it's a murky world of fear and foggy beauty. I'm giving this 4 stars for no other reason than this is a new pinnacle for Carla. She seems to have stepped into a whole new (or long trapped) part of herself. I'm saving that 5th star just because I bet she's going to surpass even this in the future.

Love and mercy.......2006-07-10

I've loved Carla Bozulich's work forever - The Geraldine Fibbers, Scarnella, Ethyl Meatplow, her solo work - and this is my favorite work of hers. In fact, it's the cumulation of her work including her recent performance art work. Dense, evocative... even without the vocals, this album would be mesmerizing. Carla co-produced the record with Shahzad Ismaily, and even though Efrim from Godspeed You! Black Emperor recorded most of it, Carla had final cut and final say on everything. She's a master of expressing visual images through sound and lyrics, going back to Lillybelle and The French Song with The Geraldine Fibbers. Here, you can hear the inside of a creaky country church, feel pulses beating, rain falling, lightning flashing and for a weird moment you can almost hear the sun rising. But there are vocals, and they are filled with pain and pathos, love and passion. The album begins with a nearly ten-minute song in the form of a sermon. The evangelista presents an epilogue in which she promises to free people of the sorrows and lies that drag them down. The rest of the song cycle fulfills the process through cathartis. It is grown-up stuff about real pain and real experience with love and loss. And it is genuinely good for what ails an aching heart. A record I'll pull out every time my heart breaks. Beautiful stuff.

A broken beauty pervades........2006-06-10

Wow, this new album from Ms Bozulich is her darkest yet. With members of Godspeed You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, Gowns, Black Ox Orkestar and Mae-Shi in attendance, Evangelista find her exorcizing all of her demons. Her wails match those of the church organ with a fraction of Diamanda Galas' tormented severity -- which taking into consideration the extremities of Ms Galas is still quite potent. They perch atop a smoldering bed of strings and unsettling sounds that are reminiscent of Nurse With Wound's creaking ship on Salt Marie Celeste. Further on in the album things simmer down to a disintegrating lullaby pace as though all emotions and energies have been spent. A broken beauty pervades. Recommended.

Average customer rating: Some profoundly moving lows, and some not so profound ones Great stuff A Note on Theme Just listen to it, without prejudice Why sing?

"This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band with Choir Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static L' Eclat Du Ciel Etait Insoutenable ASIN: B0000AKPM9 Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Sow Some Lonesome Corner So Many Flowers Bloom
2. Babylon Was Built On Fire/Starsnostars.
3. American Motor Over Smoldered Field...
4. Goodbye Desolaterailyard

Customer Reviews:

Some profoundly moving lows, and some not so profound ones.......2006-04-11

Marred by unneccesary repetition in lo-fi sing alongs with effrin's confusion with equating vulnerability with consciously garbled vocals, there is still some triumps to be found throughout, expecting at least nothing less from this crew..I hope the constant creative output from effrim on these projects does not water down his intake with godspeed, as unfortunate as it is, the most amazing moments on this disc come when he ushers in that beautifully doomed gutair sound he has crafted and articulated so well for his true band...

Great stuff.......2006-03-10

This is a fantastic album by a very intriguing band. The beginning of the album is practically flawless, the first two of four tracks are amazing beyond belief. Tracks three and four take some getting used to, but are almost equally good. What is so fascinating about this band is the similarities yet profound differences between Godspeed You! Black Emperor and ASMZ. There are members from GY!BE in ASMZ which would make up for the similarities, but the sound of ASMZ is such more minimal than the epic sound of Godspeed. Not to mention the lyrics. What sets this album apart from the rest of the ASMZ releases is the choir, which is most closely seen on their newest release "Horses in the Sky". I personally love the choir, but i can see where some wouldnt. As good as this is, i think any new listener should start with "He has left us alone but..." because i believe that that is the most easily accessible.

A Note on Theme.......2006-02-13

Trying to lay a hand on describing the music created by Canadians Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion is like trying to summarize a cubist painting. It is simultaneously beautiful and haunting; mesmerizing and disturbing; gleeful and despondent. At times it is chaotic and tumultuous, at others a single melody drifts through the speakers. If no other descriptor fits the entirety of their discography, it is brilliant.

The history, philosophy, and politics of this nebulous group of Canadians are well-known, so one can focus on this album as a singularity of their work. The opening track, perhaps my favorite on the album opens hushed, with what sounds like a dance instructor repeating eight-counts. Guitars then drift ever so slowly in, rounding around a few central themes. In typical post-rock fashion, new elements are introduced in a rounding fashion, including voices and the "complete amateur choir" ASMZ assembled for this record. The vocals done in the first third of this track are, for me, one of the highlights of the entire album. Something about the tone and rhythm of that section really strikes a chord with me. The rest of the album bends and swirls in much the same way, with elements added and deleted almost seamlessly as the record wends its way though to its conclusion.

The common complaint, it seems, is the tonal quality of leader Efrim Menuck's (Gasp! A last name!) voice. Unfortunately, we have to look back at the record itself to understand where his voice fits in to the mix. This is most assuredly a concept album, and one with a political agenda. Unfortunately, I can't find a review anywhere that has really parsed out the meaning behind the title of this record. The entire concept of the album is metaphorical; this is rusted satellites gathering together to sing punk rock, songs against the establishment that created them. ASMZ are commenting on the futility of our race for technology, and the waste and disenfranchisement that it leaves careening in its all-consuming wake. We throw satellites into space only to forget about them and let them rust. What was once the pinnacle of our technology becomes an unwanted, outdated, and scorned byproduct. This is those satellites coming to sing a requiem for their own existence, and lash out against their creators.

So we have, in essence, a dirge sung by a group mourning itself. It mourns its own being, and it mourns those who see nothing but creating more of them. It is in this spirit that Efrim begins recording his voice. It is in a spirit wrecked by a crushing grief, and he does a shockingly amazing job of conveying that grief aurally. To record perfectly pitched vocals sung through trained pipes would be to ruin the entire spirit of the record. This record touches on the uselessness of our society's attempts to section our lives off from eachother and nature (The fence around your garden/wont keep the ice from falling), and in doing so shows the loneliness we are having to deal with as a result of this compartmentalization.

All this is done through masterfully woven guitars, strings, percussion, and voices. The music is as lovely as it is haunting. There is even hope woven into the key changes in the final song. This is not only an amazing record, but a shining example of how music can be art, politics, and religion all simultaneously. Go buy it.

Just listen to it, without prejudice.......2004-09-04

Do so, and you will find that this album opens your mind. I find myself lost in this music. The singing part makes it all complete, it's an extra. I really, really like this album. It's a little more human than the GY!BE cd's.

So, if you vote the right way and REALLY listen to it, you may find yourself buying it..

Really G*R*E*A*T album. Sorry folks, but I like it!

Why sing?.......2004-08-05

The music is of the same caliber of GYBE, but it's hard to pay attention to because Efrim's annoying voice is crooning. I really wish they would have just stuck to instrumentals... what they do best.

Average customer rating: Different.. Amazing. Well I USED to be a Silver Mt. Zion fan... Strongest Silver Mt. Zion Release to Date Good album. Once or more and you can start to see what's going on.

Pretty Little Lightning Paw Thee Silver Mountain Reveries Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static L' Eclat Du Ciel Etait Insoutenable Sings Reign Rebuilder f#a# (infinity symbol) Aurora ASIN: B0001YL62Q Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. More Action! Less Tears!
2. Microphones in the Trees
3. Pretty Little Lightning Paw
4. There's a River in the Valley Made of Melting Snow

Customer Reviews:

Different.. Amazing........2006-03-24

Although the band name is different for this release (Thee Silver Mountain Reveries), it's still A Silver Mt. Zion. Now before I review this album, I'd like to add that A Silver Mt. Zion is not a GY!BE side project. It is an entity in its own and should be treated like one. So if you're just looking for another post-rock machine or GY!BE-sound-alike, look elsewhere.. or try out ASMZ's first album, "He Has Left Us Alone.." and you can make an attempt to progress on through their discrography. The band took me a while to get used to until it became my favorite band. I love them more than GY!BE now, and I hated Efrim's voice at first.

Now to discuss the EP. Some of these songs were recorded during the sessions for "This Is Our Punk-Rock", and I can see that they weren't released on that album because of the different feel. In fact, this album is very different from all other ASMZ releases and should not be considered as a foreshadow of future releases. It's dreamier, but also more tired and hopeless. It's more ambient and the first track is more rock-inclined.

The first track starts off with someone yelling about a meeting and then turns into an amazing rock out, marking perhaps the most uplifting part of the EP. Next is "Microphones in the Trees" with Efrim's vocals echoing against a mellow rock sound and a piano. The song transitions to static in about two sections and a chorus is also heard. From this song you realize that the idea of the chorus used in "This Is Our Punk-Rock" has been cut down in use, and the scarce use makes the effect even more powerful. The title track begins with an interesting drum beat backed by ambience, and here is where the "dreaminess" effect is used the greatest. After a while, Efrim simply begins yelling "Lightning Paw... Pretty little Lightning Paw..." and may sound very offbeat at first and painful to listen to.. but you get used to it. It ends off with the most powerful use of a chorus, ambience, and a sample of birds chirping. "Pretty Little Lightning Paw" should grow on fans of "Babylon Was Built on Fire / Starsnostars". The final track, "There's a River in the Valley Made of Melting Snow", is an oxymoron. It's the most hopeful thing Efrim's ever written, and also the most hopeless. At first it may sound mucky, but it may eventually grow onto you. It's become my favorite ASMZ song now.

If you didn't realize it by yet, ASMZ takes getting used to. The first time I tried them out, I bought three of their albums and was at first thinking, "Eh..", but some things intrigued me and as I kept listening, I realized how amazing this band is. Since then I've bought the rest of their releases and I love every one of them. If you loved other ASMZ releases, you should probably not skip this one. At least give it a chance. Also, another song from the "This Is Our Punk-Rock" sessions is found on the Constellation Compilation "Song of the Silent Land", entitled "Iron Bridge to Thunder Bay." You may want to check that out, too.

Well I USED to be a Silver Mt. Zion fan..........2005-06-29

And I still hold "He Has Left Us Alone" in my top ten albums category. I have been following this band with great interest ever since then only to be more and more disappointed with each release. "Born into the Sky," for example, while not as good of a cohesive whole as "He Has Left Us Alone" has some of their standout best tracks such as "Could've Moved Mountains" and "Triumph of Our Tired Eyes".

This is an experimental band, which, due to over-experimentation, has lost its musical uniqueness, much in the same way that Radiohead has. Each album retreads previous material with less unique emotion and certainly no vocal development from Efrim. Sure weak vocals are emotional effective when placed into the proper setting (i.e. the desperate communist pleas on "movie (never made)"- one of my favorites), but other singers (take for instance Will Oldham) work specifically on the power and range of their voices to better their songs. I have become bored by Efrim's same old shtick.

As far as the instrumentation goes, there is nothing here to lick anything on their first two albums. Simple note progressions with more effects rather than better playing. I recommend getting a hold of Sufjan Stevens' new release ILLINOIS for an example of growing musicianship in the indie community.

2 stars only because I like their first album so much.

Strongest Silver Mt. Zion Release to Date.......2005-02-27

While on previous efforts Efrim's vocals weren't very dependable, this EP marks the first time where he really succeeds without sounding like nails on a blackboard. Also, the music is drastically more cohesive than before, and we get actual rocking out on the first track. Short, but very sweet.

Good album........2004-07-30

Up in that mysterious land known only as Canada, experimental musicians seem to switch bands quicker than aspiring actresses switch movie producers' beds. Efrim, the founding member of A Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor is back with Thee Silver Mountain Reveries' Pretty Little Lightning Paw.

Efrim continues to grow as both a composer and a poet, making Thee Silver Mountain Reveries, as well as A Silver Mt. Zion, forces to be reckoned with-not only instrumentally, as with previous releases, but also now vocally.

"More Action! Less Tears!" opens with a raw burst of jovial energy. Sounding more like a bittersweet fanfare for one of life's precious memories. Because "this track" was recorded during the Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band's This Is Our Punk Rock..., sessions, most would think of it as a b-side unworthy of making the final cut, however it is not only more consistent but also better than the tracks found on This Is Our Punk Rock....

Despite only containing four tracks, Pretty Little Lightning Paw clocks in at over 30 minutes. The remaining three songs were recorded by Efrim during late-night sessions at hotel2tango in Montreal. All three tracks began with Efrim's initial vocals and guitar arrangements, with co-founding member of A Silver Mt. Zion, Thierry collaborating on instrumental and backing vocal arrangements, along with Jessica on violin. Also joining the mix is a four-voice choir including two members of Frankie Sparo.

The overall organic feel to Pretty Little Lightning Paw is similar to free-form noise acts, Jackie-O Motherf***er and Animal Collective. However, where these groups rely more on "semi-improvisational primitivism," Thee Silver Mountain Reveries embrace traditional rock form while only stepping outside of the box to emphasize the set song structure. That's not to say that Pretty Little Lightning Paw isn't an experimental piece of work. There are few albums that make dissonance and maelstrom sound so carefree and vivacious.

Once or more and you can start to see what's going on........2004-06-04

Since this is an E.P. you can't judge it entirely on the same basis as a full length album (even if godspeed's "Slow Riot" E.P. was impeccable). The album, if you can call it an actual album, is pretty synth heavy. I just don't remember any other mt.zion cd's sounding this muddy, which I honestly blame on the over-use of synth's and time in the mixing room. But it doesn't really suffer that much.

The only track without vocals is "More Action! Less Tears!" and is probably the most catchy and undoubtedly most happy sounding song. The next two tracks are based on a repeated chant (redundant) which fit the song perfectly for the most part. Well, the chants are the titles of each song, so fitting indeed. However, the lyrical phras of "pretty little lightning paw" strewn throughout the third track is slightly off beat, or seems so, and on first listen is actually a little annoying. I almost didn't think I'd make it through the song, but on listens afterwards it came together better and it did grow on me as most things from constellation do. Efrim's voice is really almost too muddy to even understand in the closer track, but also becomes clearer as you spend time with it.
The only reason I give this a four is because of single movement and receptiveness of most the tracks. Even if it is Mt. Zions, or I guess the Silver Mt. Reveries, style they could have spent a little more time to polish things out further. But this is very much worth picking up, especially for a gy!be fan or just a music fan in general.

Also, do purchase the album from constellation themselves, which is the independent record label godspeed and mt. zion, and a host of other awesome artists are on. Every artist on there is so good I'd say you could purchase any cd at random and it will be quite enjoyable to say the least. Besides Don and Ian hand writing a message to you, it's $10 even. No shipping. I really can't say enough about the music coming out of Montreal right now except "wow," and anything synonymous.

Average customer rating: A Must Have Hard to Beat Potent Package Stitt was never better than on these Cobbelstone dates. Sonny Blows Up A Storm

Endgame Brilliance: Constellation & Tune-Up Sonny Stitt Manufacturer: 32. Jazz Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio The Complete Original Quartet Recordings Goin' Down Slow Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson Just In Case You Forgot How Bad He Really Was ASIN: B000005BE8 Release Date: 1997-04-01

Tracks:

1. Constellation
2. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You
3. Webb City
4. By Accident
5. Ray's Idea
6. Casbah
7. It's Magic
8. Topsy
9. Tune Up
10. I Can't Get Started
11. Idaho
12. Just Friends
13. Blues For Prez And Bird
14. Groovin' High
15. I Got Rhythm

Amazon.com

Of all the saxophonists that would be touched deeply by the genius of Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt came away from the experience indelibly marked. Endgame Brilliance finds Stitt decades removed from Parker, recording in 1972, fronting a ready-to-rumble quartet rounded out by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and either Alan Dawson or Roy Brooks on drums. They play with palpable sizzle on both the sessions here (originally released on Muse Records as Constellation and Tune Up!), tackling an array of bop cornerstones and more. Stitt blazes through the title track to "Tune Up," alerting the ears that he's not one to pull punches. But he also plays with late-night romance in his heart on "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance with You" and strutting soul in his hips on "By Accident." In all, the 15 tracks of Endgame Brilliance amount to a primer on bop, blues, and balladry at once. It's some of Stitt's finest playing on record, and all of it comes off as an extended simple, inspired, game-winning jump shot. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-01-14

This hard-to-find CD, containing the tracks from TWO even harder to find vinyls, is an absolute must-have. Sonny takes all other players to school on the tenor, and in passing shows himself to be a jazzman of the first rank. This recording, along with Boss Tenors, and Sonny Side Up, shows you what Sonny Stitt can do in a variety of settings. I never could see why being in the Bird tradition was like some kind of fault. Listen to Stitt then to Parker-- well it's a very near thing. Endgame Brilliance is the CD your friends will beg to borrow. I'm thrilled I was able to grab a copy! Beautiful beautiful stuff.

Hard to Beat.......2005-07-01

Out of the hundreds of jazz CDs that I own, this is one of my favorites.

Barry Harris on piano,
Sam Jones on bass,
Roy Brooks on drums.

This album is actually a compilation of 2 of Stitts previously released records. From the cover:

Tune-Up! and Constellation are among the best records Sonny Stitt ever made, and, without question, are the two finest examples of his late period work. Aside from their inherent musical brilliance, they go a long way to show just why Stitt was so respected by his peers and revered as one of the giants of modern jazz. Both records were originally released on the now defunct Muse label. Even though Constellation was nominated for a Grammy and Tune-Up! was as critically acclaimed, both records have been relatively hard to find. Now they're both on one disk.

Tune Up! and Constellation were originally released 1972

Potent Package.......2005-02-19

It's always bothered me that the world's most ubiquitous and prolifically recorded saxophonist, not to mention arguably the most "perfect" tenor and alto player in the history of jazz, was not "discovered" by many critics and listeners until two no-nonsense, straight-ahead, blistering sessions that he recorded for Cobblestone records in the mid-seventies: "Tune-Up" and "Constellation." Both of these stellar sessions are collected on this CD, but how frustrating that not only has the original label gone under but its successor, "32 Jazz," has folded as well. Fortunately, I've been able to locate a mint LP copy of "Constellation" to go along with the earlier session, but this music would admittedly receive far more playing time from me if it were on a single CD.

If you can locate "Endgame Brilliance" (and at a time when you're not too strapped financially), by all means grab it up. These may be Stitt's best recordings during the last ten years of his career; they're certainly among his most uncompromising. On "Tune-Up" Sonny turns in a tour-de-force on "I Got Rhythm" changes, using two tempos and both of his horns. On "Constellation" he uses the same changes, ups the tempo a notch, and sticks to alto, once again confirming my slight preference for his work on the smaller and lighter instrument.

[Addendum: The two sessions are not yet available domestically but can be ordered in a single-CD format from Spain (do a search for Fresh Sound Records). Listening to the disc now, I'm going to say that it's quintessential, not necessarily the "best," Stitt. In effect, these two 1972 dates represented Sonny stripping his horns of his Selmer Varitone device, announcing an aversion to the Hammond B3 organ, and moving beyond the '60s "funk/soul artist" tag. It was an inspirational moment to keepers of the flame at a time when country, fusion, and disco ruled the day.]

Stitt was never better than on these Cobbelstone dates........2001-11-14

After several years of indifferent recording sessions for a variety of labels, Sonny Stitt walked in and blew the house down on these two early 70's dates for Cobbelstone Records (NOT "Muse" as was stated above--"Muse" put out LP reissues in the 1980's!). I think Stitt was invigorated by the tour he had just done with the "Giants of Jazz" and was pushed harder by this swingin' combo than he had been in years. There was never a more fluid and melodic sax player than Sonny Stitt--and that INCLUDES Bird. I can't reccomend this reissue highly enough.

Sonny Blows Up A Storm.......2000-02-21

This disc is mistitled - it should have been called "Sonny Blows Up A Storm". This is 78 minutes of some of the best straight-ahead jazz I've ever heard. It rolls from one great song to the next without ever giving you a chance to catch your breath. I started listening to jazz about 6 months ago and this disc is easily my favorite. Every note is right on the money and there's none of the screeching and growling you get with Coltrane. If you like this CD I also recommend "The Champ" and "Sonny Side Up".

Jazz Music:

1. Cool Running
2. Cool Saturdays
3. Dear Mr. Basie
4. Distant Dreams
5. East Side Suite
6. Easy Like, Vol. 1
7. Empirical
8. Featuring Joe Newman
9. Featuring Joe Thomas and Vic Dickenson
10. Forman on the Job

Jazz Music

jazz music