Visionary kings
0=0 | Earth | 02/25/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's been a long time since Grand Buffet put out a full length, being the now classic "Sparkle Classic", from 1999. They had another, as a trio, entitled "Scrooge McRock", from 1997 or '98. Between "Sparkle" and now, a solid string of great eps and compilations were released. Honestly,though, after the long wait, I felt kind of let down by King Vision at first. Maybe because their previous ep, "the Haunted F*&king Gazebo" was so good. With the exception of "Scrooge" and "Dicer", all of G.B.s cds have had a shorter running time. It makes sense, since they pack a ton into those brief but potent tracks. Still, I guess I was hoping for something slightly more "epic", this only clocking in at around 35 minutes. I even had another review for King Vision up here for a day or so, and shortly after, after a couple more listens, it hit me how good this one is.
There is indeed a slightly more indy-pop sound going on, which makes sense after they toured so much in recent past with various bands of that sort. They do it well though, and don't discard the good ol' hip hop and raps. After listening closely to the lyrics, there's some real wisdom and deepness going on even, despite the humor and strange cool that is the G.B. sound. On a couple of tracks, I don't know what the hell they're talking/singing about, and that's not necessarily a bad thing at all!
Even though I would have hoped for a longer running and better produced release this time, it's still a solid addition to the awesome musical legacy that is Grand Buffet."
LP Number 2
Don Walton Jr. | Albuquerque, NM United States | 01/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Grand Buffet returns with their first full length album in nearly seven years. The record as a whole offers more singing than their previous releases. Some tracks follow a bit of an indie rock formula, with lots of melody and guitar driven backing.
I've only had the record for a short while, but it already seems more layered and 'full' than usual. With each new project, Jackson and Jarrod keep building and growing, becoming more complex and experimental. 'King Vision' feels like a natural growth after a long series of strong EPs.
'King Vision' features 13 new tracks."
One of their best
K. Gonzales | Austin, Texas | 11/20/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Grand Buffet is best live. It's hard to capture their energy and humor on cd. That being said, this is one of their best albums and a must have. Buy the cd, listen to it multiple times a day, and keep checking for when they come to your town."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1