abasio Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Western Rebel Alliance Western Rebel Alliance Backroom Beat Recordings 2006 Tracklist 1. Feeling Blue (4:34) 2. So Strange (4:54) 3. Waiting for the Day (5:02) 4. Falling (5:40) 5. Medititty (6:05) 6. Crazy (6:31) 7. Spaniard (6:24) 8. Fly (6.31) 9. Outerspace (6:48) I've been waiting a long for a western rebel alliance album. After hearing their tracks on some of the old flying rhino comps, I could never understand why they didn't bring out an album. Well here it is. At last!! So How is it? 1. Feeling Blue A nice atmospheric start to the track with a lovely soft beat and nice trippy sounds. It's more of a trip hop track though with the singing it's a proper song. The singer has a nice voice but it was far from what I was expecting. I would have probably preferred it if this had no singing as the song distracts from the really quality music behind it. 2. So Strange This is not a new track. It's just Duke It! from flying rhino's freestyle sofa compilation with vocals put over the top. I loved Duke it! It was my favourite on that comp and the vocals do make it a lot different. Again I prefer the instrumental original. The vocals distract me from the AMAZING tune in the back ground. Beautiful chiming sounds, long soft synths and a very trippy beat is of high high quality. 3. Waiting for the Day A strummed guitar a what sounds like a monster in pain start this track slowly. Then the song and the beat kicks in. It sounds again, very trip hop in style (zero 7 or the like) but the sound is quite different from the previous two tracks. It is faster for a start, with more prominent beats. The vocals go better because the music behind them is more in the trip hop feel too. 4. Falling This track definately has the best vocals on the album for me. It starts off very ambient for a minute and a half. Then chords and slow soft drawn out synths create a more complex soundscape. Bird noises and acoustic guitar lead into softer, more melancholy vocals than before. At first it just "keep from Falling down" repeated over and over before it breaks into quite a sad song. I think this is my favourite on the album. It's a very nice ambient tune with (for me) excellent vocals. 5. Medititty This was on another flying rhino comp, Wabi. That was a very soft beatless ambient album and this is the same as that version. Bird song floats through the chilled sound scape at the start. Vocals (not singing ) are soft and subtle. Lots of strange background sounds give this a very eerie atmosphere, added to by the out of place but perfectly placed electronic sounds. Nice piece of ambient. 6. Crazy Jazzy. This is very jazzy. Very jazz style beats and singing. Some flute and sax in it. It's quite a difference from the lovely soundscape painted before. As far as jazzy tracks go it's quite good but I don't like jazz so it's crap. 7. Spaniard Spanish guitar opens this and it's just about all you get for about too minutes but when the rest of the tune kicks in, the beat, flute and English/Spanish spoken word. This track does exactly what is says on the tin. It just sounds very, Spanish! The spanish guitar continues through the whole track and sounds really nice but the Spaniard speaking is annoying. Annoying saxaphone makes it even worse near the end. 8. Fly This track was released on CD1 of flying rhino's re:evolution II. It's pure class. If you don't have it I would recommend buying this album just for this track. Quite a prominent beat to start, fantastic atmospheric noises lead into a nice melody over great classy trippy beats. Subtle vocals and acoustic guitar make this a track one of the best I've heard. 9. Outerspace A nice track to end the album. Again this track is well named, it has a spacey feel. Even the vocal sample is science fiction. Some of the better beats on the album and lots of floaty sci fi sounds around it. Sounds like a track that could have been longer and progressed well, but it just stops. Overall I think this album is OK. I'm a little disappointed, I knew it was never going to live up to what I wanted, but I just feel like if they had put more effort into this and made a few decisions differently that this could have been fantastic and a contender for album of the year. It just seems a bit lazy, 2 previously released tracks and 1 which is basically a previously track, shortened and vocalised. The 6 new tracks (at least new to me) are all very varied and apart from the too jazzy 'crazy' I do like them all in there way. Although they are varied they still flow together quite well. Not amazingly but better than random thoughts just thrown together. Another disappointment was the length. The tracks get progressively longer throughout the album but the last and longest track is still under 7 minutes and being only 9 tracks the album is just 52 minutes in length. Having put 3 old tracks on the album I wish they put Slewake on it too as that is my favourite Western Rebel Alliance track ever and one of my favourite all time tracks too. This could have been a lot better. If they didn't ruin tracks vocals, didn't used old tracks too much & got rid of the Spanish guy jabbering away it would have been great. As it stands it's just okay Favourite Tracks are #4 Falling and #8 Fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveller Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 I want this one so bad I'll edit my review here then. And why the hell is Solstice releasing twisted records albums? Especially before Twisted has released them?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Journey Man Project Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 got this one yesterday and have listened to it twice already... once on the stereo and when I was heading to sleep on my headphones... was much nice on headphones... an eclectic mix of soft dubby beats and oh so sweet vocals... this is definitely not very psychedelic but it is perfect in so many other ways... the vocals compliment the beats and fxs, acoustic guitars and other instruments including flute so well... a kind of old school jazzy vocalistm with some ultra sweet lyrics that just make me miss my girlfriend so much more... I find only one track annoying, that is Spaniard, the voice just shits me up the wall, feeli like telling the dude to can it and let the music play!! Crazy is the bomb for me... such gorgeous lyrics and funky mood... this one will be a constant play for me for a very long time and of course Fly which has been a dream to hear ever since the F.R compilation... I'd give this cd 9/10 for being a fun pleasurbale listen, but if you are after something psycedelic and dubb go elsewhere, I can see the hardcore Shulman\Shpongle fans canning this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abasio Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 And why the hell is Solstice releasing twisted records albums? Especially before Twisted has released them?? 498732[/snapback] A lot of labels use different distribution companies. For example arabesque distribution is used (in japan anyway) for Tip records. Some record labels here also distribute other labels releases. Aleph Zero used to use Vision Quest and half my twisted collection was released by Solstice records. Why twisted allow them to release albums before twisted themselves release them I don't know. I'm still loving Falling (I just wish it was longer) and of course I never get tired of hearing Fly. So Strange has also grown more on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 I want this one so bad I'll edit my review here then. And why the hell is Solstice releasing twisted records albums? Especially before Twisted has released them?? 498732[/snapback] Have you got it yet, if so what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Journey Man Project Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 it is jazzy pop style stuff. and to be honest... it just makes me depressed in my current situation... it is happily collecting in dust if you are willing to trade for something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 I seldom have anything to trade because if I like a CD I'll keep it forever, if I don't I usually sell it on ebay within a week of buying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abasio Posted June 25, 2006 Author Share Posted June 25, 2006 a bit late but it's now available from the Twisted website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapinho Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Had one listen and hated it so far. Will give it at least one other try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaFeel Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 is just a good release!!!Nothing special in this disc!!! My rating 6/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.