Platypus: When Pus Comes to Shove
|
Our Price: $49.98 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $13.79 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Platypus: When Pus Comes to Shove
Free Music Review: A classic
Hit: 5 Stars
Of all the albums I bought in 2000, this is the one I keep coming back to. It has it all: monster rock grooves, awesome vocal harmonies, tight songwriting, cool themes, and complex Dregs-like instrumentals. As such, it is wildly inconsistent: the vocal songs are VERY hooky and melodic and awesome; but the long, proggy instrumentals are excellent in a different way. This makes for tough going if you are not used to listening to different styles of music. But if you are enlightened, and like the Dregs and/or King's X (not much Dream Theater influence apparent), you'll dig this one. By the way, this disc contains what may possibly be the best rock song ever recorded: Standing in Line. It's a short little number that takes no prisoners, has an incredible hook, and it absolutely KICKS. Check out the snippet online and see for yourself. Too bad the follow-up album didn't have anything like Standing in Line.Free Music Review: This album rocks!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is about as close to pop music as I get. The songs are very accesible with a progressive edge. The musicianship is excellent, except for the fact that the bass is buried in the mix. (That seems to be the way John Myung likes it!) There is a lot of variety here: some instrumentals, some pop songs, and Willie Brown - a song that starts off with a killer 9/8 riff! Highly recommended. This CD practically camped out in my CD player when it first came out.Free Music Review: Worth the time and money!!!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
it's good to see and hear great musicians mixing it up a bit. I have always been a great fan of Ty's tone and song writing and then combined with John Myung, Derek Sherinian and Rod Morgenstein well in my opinion it doesn't get any better. All influences are present yet gel to create something unique. I even hear hints of early Kansas on "Platt Opus" or was that "Magnum Opus" hum!?!?Free Music Review: More Prog than I usually go for but fantastic
Hit: 4 Stars
4 out of 5, why? short album, barely 45 minutes, John's bass is also very low in the mix... OK, on with the compliments.I am a huge King's X fan and would say this album appeals more to my KX taste buds than "show me chops" material from Dream Theater. If you're only looking to be impressed by "musical wizadry" this may not be the album for you. That said there is some outstanding material here. "I'm With You" might be one of Ty's best released songs vocally. "Willie Brown" is a kick ass blues driven roller coaster ride - AWESOME. "Blue Plate Special" is as smooth as silk, really has great atmosphere. Rod's drumming is solid throughout this platter (not as dynamic as The Jelly Jam though imo). This album is a lot of fun, has plenty of mood changes (see: 'chimes' which slowly builds into ty doubling the keyboard part on guitar). A great album to not take too seriously - just have fun with it, good stuff. Definitely the better of the 2 Platypus CDs (although some would argue that Ice Cycles is not as "all over the place" as this one)
Free Music Review: Good Album with a few minor faults
Hit: 4 Stars
Overall this is a pretty good album. There are other prog supergroups (like Transatlantic and Liquid Tension Experiment) that are better, but the music here is nice. As others have pointed out, I would say that the album defintely has a 60's and 70's pop/prog/hard rock feel to it. Influences from The Beatles, Deep Purple, and even Kansas can be detected.The instrumentals on this album are definitely the best parts. "Platt Opus", "Chimes", and "What About the Merch?" are standout songs. The drum work is excellent througout, and the bass work is great most of the time. Keyboard quality tends to vary from song to song, as does the guitar playing, though overall they were both good.
On the down side, I didn't really care much for the songs with vocals. "I'm With You" was good, as was "Willie Brown", but all of the lyrics seemed rather weak. I also wasn't a big fan of the singer's voice. Perhaps it would grow on me with time.