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Post by maintheme on Aug 18, 2017 20:32:10 GMT
So is Carl Craig on the album? Yep, co-wrote and engineered the first Iter track.
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Post by Dale Cooper on Aug 18, 2017 20:33:39 GMT
Wonder if it's the same but with less files? I'd say exact same USB stick with no stickers, magnet fridget and fanzine?
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Post by Dale Cooper on Aug 18, 2017 20:34:25 GMT
So is Carl Craig on the album? Yep, co-wrote and engineered the first Iter track.
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Post by NNY on Aug 18, 2017 20:40:45 GMT
Anyone else noticed that the deluxe 2CD packaging is almost identical to End Titles...Redux?
front cover, font and embossing being the exceptions
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Post by Dale Cooper on Aug 18, 2017 20:50:26 GMT
Well, enough with the jokes, it's an UNKLE fan forum. SO, what do you all guys really think of this album? I've been listening to it since it leaked and it has never ceased to grow on me ever since. The highlights for me are the two Keaton Henson tracks (disclaimer : I'm a big KH fan...) especially Sick Lullaby which caught me at first listen back in January. Actually, it's one of the best songs I've ever heard, one I can listen again and again and still don't get bored of. I really, really love Arms Length and Stole Enough. Farewell is beautiful, but it's not one that I'll love forever I think. All in all, it's a great album. It definitely sounds like an UNKLE album, I can hear a lot of classic UNKLE elements in it. And after a lot of listens I started to understand what James means when he says it's a "solo album". However curiously, to me it sometimes sounds like Rich was somewhat involved in it. Maybe it was just James since the beginning?
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Post by kocomputer on Aug 18, 2017 21:39:11 GMT
For me - ANY new Unkle music in 2017 is still a highlight (i like the art & Mowax etc, but it was always about the music for me). Ive repeatedly convinced myself there'll not be another album since PF.
Im rather amazed at how "Unkle" it sounds given theres been yet another change in personel.
Ive also been listening since the leak. Theres clearly 4-5 great tunes on here (which those are depends on your own taste). A couple of radio-friendly "hits" - to help get the profile back up, and some deeper pieces of music to keep surprising on repeat listens.
Personally, I find it sags a little in the middle - Stole Enough/Arms Length/The Road aren't doing it for me, but ive changed my mind about songs on previous albums so sticking with them - i like James to challenge me occasionally.
Also (pretty sure its the piano drop to the minor-key) i cant hear Nowhere to Run without my brain mixing in Climbing Up The Walls by Radiohead.
Genuinely this has been my most listened to album in AGES, despite other bands i really like also releasing stuff.
Overall, its not replacing NNL/PF at the top of the tree, BUT its a great starting-point for a new era... a tour, and hoepully parts 2&3 follow without much gap. Just hope if Matthew Puffett & Jack Leonard join the touring group, relationships remain fruitful this time.
I have a feeling James' brief to them was probably "make an Unkle record"... theyve done a great job at that, looking forward to seeing where they take it from here.
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Post by unklefloyd on Aug 18, 2017 21:51:07 GMT
So let's geek out shall we....def want to know all your thoughts. Based on initial listens, this is without a doubt James' most personal and mature album to date. It does have elements from all of his UNKLE incarnations and yet also very much feels like this was James' vision fully realized. I also think this is him at his most humbled and vulnerable. In a way, this is like James' "Like Clockwork" album...he went through his darkest period and emerged renewed. I think it shows on this album and "The Road Part 2 will hopefully be a bit more uplifting with more beats. That being said...I'm loving this now and agree with Dale that it will be a grower.
Track Rundown (interludes excluded)
Farewell - the most subdued UNKLE album opener yet. Not bad, but def doesn't grab you like say Eye for an Eye or Chemistry Looking For Rain - Channing Ian Astbury with Lanagan. Sounds like a post apocalyptic western movie closing credits song. Love it Cowboys or Indians - We know this one well by now but sounds even better on the album. Lavelle finally gets to work with Tricky haha No Where to Run/Bandits - Lavelle on the mic and sounds like a slowed down Hold My Hand/War Stories cut. It's a grower, but the best bits for come during the one minute closing where Lavelle gives way to the female vocals and added electronics. If they built the track around those elements, this would be a classic. Stole Enough - Mink's voice is everything on this stripped down track. Haunting. Arms Length - Finally some BEATS! Needed a couple more like this on the album Sonata - This is absolutely beautiful and clear nod to Radiohead. Instant classic. The Road - This is what WDTNF should have sounded like! Guaranteed to be massive when mixed into the live show. Those rolling drums are so heavy. Sunrise - We finally get the spiritual sequel to "In a State" - this is classic UNKLE and I really wish there was at least one more track like this on the album Sick Lullaby - Gorgeous way to close the album with another striped down Keaton Heston track. I would have liked a more uplifting ending a la Sunrise, but James decided to go the melancholy route.
So where do you rank the UNKLE albums (official releases) at this point? For me, I've got:
NNL PF The Road Part 1 War Stories End Titles... (this should count as a full album) WDTNF (all versions)
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Post by Dale Cooper on Aug 18, 2017 22:11:26 GMT
Also (pretty sure its the piano drop to the minor-key) i cant hear Nowhere to Run without my brain mixing in Climbing Up The Walls by Radiohead. Ah ah yes, been saying this on this thread since it was played for the first time
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Post by evil:cat on Aug 19, 2017 1:25:53 GMT
Is there any guarantee the other parts of The Road will be albums? If part 2 was an EP with three hip hop style tracks and three remixes of part 1 tracks, would that be a disappointment?
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Post by Kee on Aug 19, 2017 6:35:12 GMT
First run though of the album this morning, I like it a lot Farewell, Arms Length, Sonata, Praying for the Rain, Sunrise, Sick Lullaby are stand out tracks and some others are certainly growers.
With having heard at least 4 tracks before the album landed it hasn't impacted on me as a whole (yet).
Looking forward to hearing the Instrumental versions as that's always an opportunity to hear bits missed elements without the vocals.
One thing, for me the skits do nothing for me.. I was hoping the Brian Cox opener was going to be something more profound/humbling. The "All artists are either Cowboys or Indians" spoken word was missing... Maybe they are designed to just pad the album out because effectively there are only 9 tracks on the album.
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Post by unkl77 on Aug 19, 2017 9:13:05 GMT
So first impressions- it's sounds more Unkle than I thought it would!
Apart from the Leeds exhibition I've kept away from every bit of music so all pretty new to me, sounds very NNL crossed with WS.
Quite liking, Cowboys sounds Like massive attack and Sunrise is def In a State Part 2 (in a good way!), it's the one that's grabbed me the most so far. Production sounds nice and atmospheric, makes me want to listen to the original Unklesounds mixes.
On a negative, I know James has a load to sign, but we are bank rolling him and the signature/scribble is disappointing (not that we all haven't got loads that we've pestered James for, it's just the principle for me).
Also didn't they say that every preorder of the vinyl would get a fanzine?
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Post by tee on Aug 19, 2017 12:27:58 GMT
Personally I rank them 1. PF 2. NNL 3. The Road 4. WS 5. WDTNF After repeated listens I'm sticking to initial thoughts. It's a great record, standout tracks for me are: Arm's Length Sonata Sunrise Looking For The Rain Impressed with Lavelle, clearly personal and as a result much more cohesive. I don't think it will pull in waves of new fans like PF or NNL but it's an undeniably beautiful piece of work.
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Post by rps on Aug 19, 2017 16:07:28 GMT
I'm so underwhelmed by this album in every way. Please tell me what I'm missing??? The music Feels like another venture into a different genre a'la war stories, that personally I feel already sounds dated rather than future classic, and don't get me started again on that artwork! Random artist that few have heard of... check Unkle font... check Futura aliens... check War stories graphic? ? Check Confused release... check Sadly thats exactly what this feels to me. It feels like Lavelle sitting infront of his pc in the evening just posting and releasing whatever he feels happy about. 1. The release is so confused. 100000 different CDs, tapes, vinyles via pledge music, annonced over the time. In the end this is the first unkle record I'm not buying, only listening to on spotify, just because i dont know what to buy. 2. He released almost all songs before the record. 3. Everything he is doing on facebook feels just unprofessional and confusing. Multiple changes of the titlepicture in different resolutions etc. 4. The record for me is boring. I can sleep to it. Only song that works for me is "Arms Lengh" which is very nice. All the other songs are like oooohhhh ahhhh uhhhh churchs chor to slow musik. Gorillaz made it this year. They released songs like Saturnz Barz which sound fresh, new, 2017. Unkle sadly continues its tradition after War Stories. Uncoordinated boring church chor. Old Unkle Font and some Futura Pointmans on it. Done. Some boring shirts with old artwork, price tag 200 Pounds, done. Sorry if all this sounds a bit rough, but I'm a fan since PF and I'm just disapointed.
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Post by Dale Cooper on Aug 19, 2017 16:38:37 GMT
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Post by unkl77 on Aug 19, 2017 22:02:33 GMT
No green cassette yet to Sheffieldland- any other UK folk got cassettes?
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