ALBUM CLUB 06.12.2011 Galactic (Ya-Ka-May) 2010

[Jac Hawk]

Originally formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Mercurio&action=edit&redlink=1), drummer Stanton Moore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanton_Moore), Hammond organist Rich Vogel, the sound is New Orleans Jazz/Funk and this is their latest Studio Album, which is Available on CD, Vinyl, or download
In my opinion they are totally awesome! enjoy:)

On Spotify
http://open.spotify.com/album/0SdAXRrRjqgKeoJUWmtqSZ (http://open.spotify.com/album/0SdAXRrRjqgKeoJUWmtqSZ)

Their Site
http://www.galacticfunk.com (http://www.galacticfunk.com/)

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[Alex_UK]

Oooh - featuring Trombone Shorty... :) Looking forward to giving this a try.

[Marco]

Hi Mike,

Sorry for the first reply being a negative, but this sort of music does nothing for me whatsoever. To my ears, it's just repetitive tuneless noise, devoid of any musical merit.

Unfortunately, Alex's Britney Spears pish aside (;)), it's the only album so far, submitted for the album club, that I wouldn't consider buying. In fact, I'm afraid to say that I had to switch it off after listening to the first 3 tracks, as it was doing my head in...

Sorry, matey, 1 out of 5 for me, and that's only to be polite!

Marco.

[Jac Hawk]

fair do's mate, to be honest if you only listened to the 1st 3 tracks you missed the best of what the album had to offer, tracks like cineramascope, heart of steel, dark water and liquor pang are my personal favourites, and Stanton Moore's drumming is awesome, basically 5 guys who have captured the New Orleans jazz/funk sound, but with a modern twist, anyway, if you ears can stand it, try listening to the 4 tracks i mentioned and see if that changes you view;)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Thanks for sharing your choice Mike.
On first listen, I thought I might feel the same as Marco appears to have done, but I'm thinking a bit differently now the album's progressing a bit. There are some very mixed influences and styles here & all is not what it first appears to be!

I don't think I can do it justice by playing it a) on Spotify and b) at this time of the day - the performance of the rhythm section demands that it should be turned up to much higher volumes than I dare at the moment!

Hmmmm, interesting......I'll be back!


EDIT: Ahaa, I see that while I was typing, you were telling Marco more or less what I had discovered!

[MartinT]

Like Chris, I'm playing Cineramascope at work on Spotify and I can hear that I need to play it on the 'big rig' tonight. So, I'll hook up the laptop and do that, then report back.

[Marco]

Hi Mike,


fair do's mate, to be honest if you only listened to the 1st 3 tracks you missed the best of what the album had to offer, tracks like cineramascope, heart of steel, dark water and liquor pang are my personal favourites, and Stanton Moore's drumming is awesome, basically 5 guys who have captured the New Orleans jazz/funk sound, but with a modern twist, anyway, if you ears can stand it, try listening to the 4 tracks i mentioned and see if that changes you view;)

Okies... I'll give the tracks you mention a listen and report back. Don't be too surprised, though, if I don't change my mind much! ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

Ok, having listening to the tracks you recommended, the only ones I could bear listening to all the way through were Cineramascope and Dark Water; the latter I really enjoyed, as it was funky sounding and had a groovy bass line, which I love :)

Had the whole album been in that style, I may have given it a 7, but I'm afraid that the annoying, 'teenage gangsta rap' vocals, and that even more annoying trombone, which for me performs an almost disparate role in the musical proceedings, annoy the shite out of me!

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Ok, having listening to the tracks you recommended, the only ones I could bear listening to all the way through were Cineramascope and Dark Water


:lolsign:

[Audioman]

This album varies between decent funk to totaly banal. They would be better sticking to mainly instrumental music as this is where their strengths lie. There are 3 or 4 pretty listenable tracks and many that are banal rap/funk rubbish. Overall I have to say not my cup of tea but deserving better than 1. It is a couple notches up on the Brittany Spears musicaly and even more on sound quality. However on a 1 to 5 scale I can only give it a 2.

[Marco]

Lol! 'Speaks His Mind' is also ok, but I'm afraid that this sort of stuff isn't really my scene. I think I'd go with Paul's summary of the album:


There are 3 or 4 pretty listenable tracks and many that are banal rap/funk rubbish.


Ok, change my vote to a 2! It's the banal rap/funk rubbish (as you put it) that badly lets it down, IMO.

Marco.

[Marco]

Btw, how do you get the browser data in order to post Spotify links to specific albums?

I'd like to link to the album 'La Peste' by Alabama 3, which is similar in style to what Mike has offered up for our, erm, 'delectation', but for me is eons more tuneful and groovy. Their stuff is a bit like the Fun Lovin' Criminals, but darker and deeper in tone.

Check out the awesome bass line in 'Cocaine (killed my community)' and 'Woke Up This Morning', the theme tune for the TV gangster series, 'The Sopranos'! :eek:

Marco.

[MartinT]

Hi Marco

Call up the album you require on Spotify (make sure nothing else is showing, e.g. other albums as a result of a search), then right-click on the album name and select Copy HTTP Link. Now you can paste it in AoS as a link in the normal way.

[Thing Fish]

I too struggled with the vocals in places but quite liked the funky punch from the horns.

Wouldn't buy it though.

[Marco]

Hi Marco

Call up the album you require on Spotify (make sure nothing else is showing, e.g. other albums as a result of a search), then right-click on the album name and select Copy HTTP Link. Now you can paste it in AoS as a link in the normal way.

Cheers, mate! As an example of a slightly similar style of music that I'd consider as more acceptable than Galactic, check it out. For the two 'bass monster' tracks recommended, keep them for your big rig!

http://open.spotify.com/album/2uLuSUZOoWjhUgtt3v5D65

:cool:

Marco.

P.S Next question, who do you stop those bloody annoying adverts on Spotify spoiling the music at regular intervals? :steam:

[Jac Hawk]

Hmmmm I can sort of see where you're coming from with regards to a couple of the tracks marco, the 1st track "friends of science" I would say was the weakest on the album, the other banal funk crap as you put it grows on you, I suppose the reason the styles are all over the place is that they are an instrumental group who ALWAYS have guest performers play or sing on their tracks.

[Audioman]

Cheers, mate! As an example of a slightly similar style of music that I'd consider as more acceptable than Galactic, check it out. For the two 'bass monster' tracks recommended, keep them for your big rig!

http://open.spotify.com/album/2uLuSUZOoWjhUgtt3v5D65

:cool:

Marco.

P.S Next question, who do you stop those bloody annoying adverts on Spotify spoiling the music at regular intervals? :steam:

'Cocaine (Killed My Community') - not much better IMHO except to test your bass capabilities.

To get rid of the 'bloody annoying adverts' Marco you've got to fork out money for the premium service. It's free as long as you put up with the ads. That's how Spotify make money from 'free' customers. Presumably they make more from the ads than the royalties paid for tracks played.

PS It's playing the next track now - much better !

[Marco]

Hi Mike,


Hmmmm I can sort of see where you're coming from with regards to a couple of the tracks marco, the 1st track "friends of science" I would say was the weakest on the album, the other banal funk crap as you put it grows on you...


Aye, like an unwanted rash! :eyebrows:

Btw, that was Paul's description, not mine... Seriously though, I understand what you mean and also agree that 'Friends of Science' is one of the weakest tracks (why do bands so often put the weakest tracks at the beginning of an album? :scratch:), but for me the worst track of all is 'Do it Again', which is just HORRIBLE!! :spew:

Unless of course you're 17 and driving a pimped-up Fiesta around the streets of your local town, acting like an arse, with blacked-out windows and your 'bitch' beside you, playing that shit at deafening levels, with a sub housed in the boot, so all outsiders can hear is 'boom, boom, bloody boom'!! :mental: :wanker:

Anyway, what do you think of Alabama 3? You probably hate it!! :lol: :lol:

Marco.

[Welder]

I think I’m going to buy this :eyebrows:

I’m a bit surprised at your reaction Marco. You’ve usually got a very wide taste and while I can see the Hip Hop aspect of the album may irritate some of the elderly here you obviously like Alabama 3, La Pesta and Fun Loving Criminals. I’m a bit surprised this does your head in :lol:
How can you not like Heart Of Steel :eek:
I’ll vote once I’ve got rid of the feckin adverts and listened at the proper bit rate and frequency :steam:

[keiths]

I'll give this a proper listen later, but must admit it isn't sounding too promising so far...

[Marco]

Yo John,

Lol - what are you like :eyebrows: And don't go lobbing me in with "some of the elderly here"! I is just a youngster ;)

'Heart of Steel' is one of the more listenable tracks, but for me the tunes just don't have that elastic-funky bass-line, which makes the music bop along in an addictive foot-tapping way, as does, for me, the stuff from the other bands mentioned.

Hey, if we were all the same, it'd be a bloody boring world! Anyway, thanks to Mike for alerting me to this album. It's certainly been an interesting listen :)

Marco.

[Welder]

Yo John,

Lol - what are you like :eyebrows:

Marco.

Tasteless :eyebrows::ner:

Yep, it takes all sorts mate. ;)

[John]

I am just going to draw my pension

[Jac Hawk]

Hi Mike,

Anyway, what do you think of Alabama 3? You probably hate it!! :lol: :lol:

Marco.

Actually no i like their sound, you can tell they're not American though.

I suppose the reason i like Galactic so much is that they can all play, and they are even better live, with the drummer Stanton Moore shining through.

[Marco]

Good point, dude. Besides, I've heard a lot worse!

Anyway, sorry for putting a bit of a downer on your album choice... So enough of what I think, what about everyone else? :)

Marco.

[MartinT]

Nope - I really tried but discovered to my disappointment that Cineramascope is the exception rather than the rule. I really can't listen to it with anything resembling enjoyment. However, thanks Mike for making me listen to something different as expanding ones repertoire can often be very satisfying. 2/5

[John]

I liked a few tracks but on the whole I generally wanted to move onto the next track
Sorry I give it a 2 but really I think its closer to a 1 for me

[Bazil]

Don't do Jazz, Funk so I was always going to hate this but hold the front page Danno......I like it, in fact its brill. :dance:
I won't be buying it mind you so its a 4/5.

[Jac Hawk]

nice one Barry, i was beginning to think there was something wrong with me, so that makes 4 of us including Jamie Cullen who like Galactic:eyebrows:

[SCIDB]

Hi,

I like this. I like the variety, I like the groove. I'll give it 4/5.

I have heard of this band before but don't have any of their stuff. I'll get this one.

[Welder]

I would have bought this album just for Heart Of Steel. I just love Irma Thomas’s vocals.
I think Galactic would be a great band to see live. If they get down my way they’re on my list.
The album, well its interesting; not particularly original, but a good go at a difficult mix of styles.
I don’t like it all, but what I do like, I like a lot.
4 out of 5 from me purely on the basis that I bought it and I cant say that about any other album features so far.

[The Grand Wazoo]

No, I'm afraid it didn't really do it for me in the end, this one. It did get better in the middle and I stand by my earlier comment about the rhythm section. It was better when played quite loudly, but the upshot was that the stronger tracks were badly overshadowed by the rest. So it was a ho-hum for my vote.
However, I saw Trombone Shorty playing support at a Jeff Beck gig earlier this year and was impressed!

[keiths]

I actually didn't dislike this as much as I thought I would. :stalks:

Had it all been instrumental without the rap I'd have probably liked it more - I can't do with all this muthafukkin' stuff - but some of the other tracks were OK. 3/5

[Jac Hawk]

Keith that would have been my only criticisms about the album, there was no need for all the mothafukin

[Marco]

I have to say that, although this album wasn't my cup of tea, it was an excellent selection, from the point of view of getting people talking, and introducing folk to an interesting style of music many here wouldn't likely have heard (which is what the album club is, or should be, all about), so thanks for that, Mikey! :cool:

Marco.

[Jac Hawk]

Cheers for that marco

[aquapiranha]

this is not really the tyoe of stuff I can relax to and so for me at least I would not be seeking it out, but I can see why some here would enjoy it.

[RichB]

Now I'm all spotified I can catch up on the old album club suggestions I missed, this gets a 'hmmmm, very interesting' from me. Currently listening on the spare room system. Dont mind it it all, in fact its quite good for motivating the brain into getting some work done at this late hour!