Search - Semuin :: Circles & Elephants

The best Factory release, period

Christian Bonner | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States | 06/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"During their existence in the early 1980's, Factory band Crispy Ambulance was dismissed as a Joy Division ripoff. It's true that C.A.'s early singles did sound an awful lot like J.D., but on The Plateau Phase, C.A. came into their own. On this incredible album there are hints of prog-rock, ambient, and eerie electronic effects combined with tense, shimmering guitar work and a bludgeoning rhythm section. Obviously Crispy Ambulance were pushing the boundaries, and their experiments with sound and texture paid off in spades. Listen to tracks like "Are You Ready", "The Wind and The Season", and the perhaps the bands finest song "Chill", and hear what I mean. As much as I love Joy Division (as well as many other Factory and post-punk bands of the time), for me The Plateau Phase stands as the most original and captivating album of the entire early 80's era. There has never been an album like this before or since."