Freebass EP and BL remixes

Ok so I've recently been listening to both the BL single remixes and the Freebass EP and am wondering what others think.

My take on the single remixes is that they are actually pretty good...and in many ways I prefer them to the jangly folk rock of NCAT...I think that while much of the music of BL is far more advanced than NO (or other side projects) it almost seems too formulaic...there is no edge for me there at all.

While I'm glad that Barney is happier it still doesn't make NCAT a standout for me. WFTSC and Get Ready are miles ahead of BL IMO...Out of the 14 BL tracks I really like only 4, and find only another 3 really listenable on a regular basis...

Now...on to Freebass. I was really looking forward to hearing this as I'm a huge fan of Hooky's bass...but I can't help but feeling like this has gone horribly horribly wrong.

As I was driving the other day with the EP playing in the family car (for the 3rd time) my teenager remarked that this music could be on Youtube's "worst music of the year"...and he actually generally likes NO/JD/Electronic etc.

I kind of had an epiphany...and the more that idea grew...the worse things got. Here it is:

Freebass = Spinal Tap

No, I'm not joking...lets start with the "concept" of 3 bass players...it almost sounds comical..."most bands only have one bass player...some have two...but we have 3!!"...almost like the amps that "go to 11"

Now on to the music:

Intro: the ticking clock...WTF...is this where the band comes on stage and is locked in their transparent pods?...oh the anticipation builds...Again...this seems way overthought out.

YDKTAM: This sounds like a peter murphy throwaway track that not even he could foist onto his minions of late 80's goth chick followers...yes there are some nice melodic moments but its super cliched.

The milky way...unbelievably overwrought prog rock crap...pompous lyrics...and did I really hear "we left our blue monday behind" in there..this track would fit right in with the real spinal tap. At first I thought this was a joke. The reference to "women from venus/men are from mars" makes me chortle every time i hear it.

Dark Starr: This is one of the funniest things I've ever heard...it could seriously be played as standup comedy...the rantings of some oversexed hippie thinking that his oblique references to shakespeare, railings against religion (sooo original), and his attempt at being sexually edgy are just pathetic...the band maybe thinks that they are dangerous or creative...and they are just super super cheesey...I will add that the rumbling background track is decent). Howard Marks would come onstage to perform this as the mini stonehenge dropped from the rafters as he growls "I'm a pagan...and I love you!"

Tomorrow you go down...ok I love hookys bass...but the lyrics "nowwwww"..."nowwww"...."nowwww" are almost as bad as his talking over the teaser clip on his website...this has to be the "new electro track" that all the kids will really dig...yeah...ok...not so much.

And what would a "concept" EP really be without a denouement of an "outro"...just to cleanse our palette.

Dude...I may be the only person that doesn't get the joke of what this EP really is...but I really feel like PH has dropped a turd. Everyone has a crap release in their career and I really really hope that the next issue from Freebass is something listenable and that I don't feel like I should be smirking at every turn.

Ok there's my rant...had to get it off my chest.

What say you?

Completely agree with your assessment on BL, its too formulated, and only the first half is listenable. Other than the single, i have yet jumped into my car thinking "I need to put BL in today!".

As for Freebass, I haven't downloaded it because of all the issues, figure they could straighten everything out first. Plus, sorry Hooky, but the review is about what I expected from the project, so its not like I've been on pins and needles over here.

Love YDKTAM Hate the dark starr rant the rest is ok Love Hooky.

To Hydrapelican, are you seeing but not looking? are you listening but not hearing?

Lets be honest now,most of the ncat album was ok,but not neccessarily good, the few stand out tracks for me were ,this is home,poisonous intent,twist of fate,and dynamo,the rest were very POOR in my honest opinion. stranger still is that B.L played all of the above on the tour and the rest of the songs were J.D /N.O.

The Freebass E.P

when was the last time we heard from Hooky musically wise?

admittedly,i wasn't really convinced with the whylie track,albeit a good track.

YDNTAM, Burgess carries on from the Charlatans last album as far as i am concerned,the last alb was New Order through and through.

dark starr,i like this one,very strange at the start and he does waffle on a bit,but have you actually examined the lyrics? poet laureate?

TYGD

very good track,you also expect that Hooky's bass is going to be in there somewhere and it is a very eclectic and movely directional trance/house track.which is quite strange,as we expect that the bass is going to be in there somewhere but is still quite a surprise in the context and start and "trancelike notion"of the track.

The B.l remixes are o.k but not brilliant

i'm surprised there aint been no more comments about the E.P tbh,i've been watching from afar waiting for someone to post but have held back.

I do know that the peeps at Hacienda recs have had a nightmare with the downloads etc but bear in mind that this is a totally NEW field for all the peeps involved.

I had the same trouble with the downloads misel,and was swiftly sorted out by Chad the legend,many thanks Chad

Ok so I will admit that ydktam is growing on me with repeat listens.

No denying that PH's bass playing is good/listenable...if only I didn't have to wade through the other components.

Obviously I'm a fan...and I'm certainly going to buy/listen to future releases but I still struggle to make it beyond YDKTAM

...what I would be willing to shell out some more $ for would be the instrumentals!

BTW wanted to add my thanks to Chad who was very helpful indeed in fixing the bug that allowed those not in the UK to order/download.

Hydrapelican, I think you're reading way too much into it, skip the intro and dark star if you don't like them, not too keen on them myself, but YDKTAM and Milky way are great tracks, the reason your son doesn't like them is, he's your son, he's not supposed to like everything you like, do you like everything your dad likes?

YDKTAM could really do with a remix though

Tucker wrote: My honest opinion....

The Bad Loot stuff is consistent, melodic and a bit of a grower but the album suffers from a few issues. For one, there's probably too many songs. I reckon they should've consolidated about 8 or 9 and really doted on them. Secondly, the production in places sounds a bit lacking; there are some really fucking good tunes on there let down by sounding a bit flat. Comparatively, parts of Twisted Tenderness sound like a big drug trip in audio form; very fucked up and imaginative. Overall though, I like the BL stuff; Barney still knows a memorable tune when he writes one and the recent Tintin remix of Poisonous Intent is pretty good too.

Freebass (so far) has a lot less stuff to compare but I gave the EP a good chance and must say I do like the Burgess and Wylie tracks. They're both really good and I hope the album is more of the same. The Marks track didn't work for me, 7 minutes of him doing a Lord of the Rings impression made me hit the skip button. The last electro track sounds a little bit tired and I've not felt the need to listen to it again. To their credit though they put out a varied EP.

Mixed bag but one or two really good tracks in there from both groups.

Good review!

As for me, I liked the BL stuff, but I admit I don't love every song. Generally, I think the album was quite good. I used to overlook the TT album by Electronic---they were some songs I liked, but I admit TT was easier to listen to after I started listening to BL. ('Haze', 'Vivid', 'Like no other', 'Breakdown' especially.)

I can't say much about Freebass, however, I did hear some of the songs off the EP on some blog. The Pete Wylie track didn't sound too bad, but as much as I love dance music/electro stuff (old school 80s&90s as well as newer trance/house/electro), Hooky's song didn't really do much for me. I think Hooky did a better job on some of the dance related tracks off the two Monaco albums ('Sweet Lips', 'See-Saw').

I think it's hard to please everyone, I guess. But I don't criticise those who like a certain band or song, cause everybody should listen to what they like.

leather_girl wrote:

Tucker wrote: My honest opinion....

The Bad Loot stuff is consistent, melodic and a bit of a grower but the album suffers from a few issues. For one, there's probably too many songs. I reckon they should've consolidated about 8 or 9 and really doted on them. Secondly, the production in places sounds a bit lacking; there are some really fucking good tunes on there let down by sounding a bit flat. Comparatively, parts of Twisted Tenderness sound like a big drug trip in audio form; very fucked up and imaginative. Overall though, I like the BL stuff; Barney still knows a memorable tune when he writes one and the recent Tintin remix of Poisonous Intent is pretty good too.

Freebass (so far) has a lot less stuff to compare but I gave the EP a good chance and must say I do like the Burgess and Wylie tracks. They're both really good and I hope the album is more of the same. The Marks track didn't work for me, 7 minutes of him doing a Lord of the Rings impression made me hit the skip button. The last electro track sounds a little bit tired and I've not felt the need to listen to it again. To their credit though they put out a varied EP.

Mixed bag but one or two really good tracks in there from both groups.

Good review!

As for me, I liked the BL stuff, but I admit I don't love every song. Generally, I think the album was quite good. I used to overlook the TT album by Electronic---they were some songs I liked, but I admit TT was easier to listen to after I started listening to BL. ('Haze', 'Vivid', 'Like no other', 'Breakdown' especially.)

I can't say much about Freebass, however, I did hear some of the songs off the EP on some blog. The Pete Wylie track didn't sound too bad, but as much as I love dance music/electro stuff (old school 80s&90s as well as newer trance/house/electro), Hooky's song didn't really do much for me. I think Hooky did a better job on some of the dance related tracks off the two Monaco albums ('Sweet Lips', 'See-Saw').

I think it's hard to please everyone, I guess. But I don't criticise those who like a certain band or song, cause everybody should listen to what they like.

I prefer Hooky's bass on pop rock songs

I haven't heard the BL remixes, but I agree that BL is too bland and formulaic. I listen to Poisonous Intent a lot, and I like Walk on Silver Water, but I don't find the rest of the album interesting. It seems uninspired.

As for Freebass, I like YDKTAM and Milky Way. Dark Starr is just silly. I want to like Live Tomorrow because its the kind of sound I would expect from a Hooky project, but its not as edgy as Revenge, or as melodic as Monaco.

In spite of these mixed feelings, I still have high hopes for Freebass because this is just and EP (and of older material). We have a full album coming in a month (or so wer're told). Hooky hasn't let me down yet, so I trust that he knows what he's doing.

Besides, I give Hooky credit for taking a chance creatively and trying something new. BL could use a bit of this approach on their next album.

Chris