Search - Beta Band :: Heroes to Zeros

Brilliant, Genius, and Pure Art!!!!!

Bunster Gorbin | West Texas (Love's Truckstop) | 11/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once in a while a good band takes a risk and tries something a little different. Sometimes it comes out great and becomes a classic, and at other times the sound becomes dated or it may be looked back upon as trendy. Look at Sgt. Peppers for example. Some insist that Sgt. Peppers is the Beatles finest moment. I disagree, I think it sounds trendy and has some great songs, but is not the Beatles finest moment. Look at Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix. Some say this is the ultimate Hendrix album. I would be much more inclined to agree with that. It may have been his best album, and it's really a true piece of art in every respect, and it is looked back upon as a brilliant achievment. Look at the Moody Blues "Days of the Future Passed". An orchestrated pompous overproduced recording which became their finest moment. An experiment that is looked back upon as a piece of art by many music critics. I still love that album by the Moody Blues, but unfortunately I don't listen to much of their other stuff.



I chose the Moody Blues for a reason. They remind me of The Beta Band in a lot of ways. I don't know if they were an influence for the Beta Band's music, but I wouldn't be suprised. I always liked the Beta Band, but I never really felt that any of their work was a true piece of art in the sense of a timeless classic. That was before the release of "Heroes to Zeros". "Heroes to Zeros" may be one of those classics. I don't know for sure, you can't tell the future. I do know that it is a brilliant album and an all-time classic in my opinion. It's just a great album from start to finish. It's experimental because it's NOT EXPERIMENTAL by Beta Band standards. It's experimental because its more mainstream and more polished than their previous efforts. Normally this would have grave results, but in this case it works effortlessly and perfectly. That's what makes this an all time classic.



Congratulations to the Beta Band for keeping art alive in a time of junk music and big money garbage. Maybe the Beta Band are split up now because of money, album sales, or whatever. But look at bands like The Velvet Underground, whose albums didn't sell very well at the time and whose music was very underappreciated at the time. The Beta Band will be remembered in a very respectable, artistic and groundbreaking manner, and "Heroes to Zeros" will one day be referred to as "Zeros to Heros".

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