Search - Stereolab :: The Groop Played "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music"

Lovely

ckdexterhaven | toronto canada | 05/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Don't listen to Stereolab fans. A good review from a Stereolab fan means that an album makes good background music while cooking, dancing, or talking--in other words, a beat to listen to + music to completely ignore. They love fluff, and almost all of Stereolab's albums provide it in quantity. The band has an unfortunate ration of cheese/fluff to musical merit, but at the same time, they reliably place at least one positively sublime track on every album. There are exceptions of course--Emperor Tomato deserves it's reputation for its startling originality, and Switched On is powerful though simple, and completely fluff-free. This one belongs with those. It's lighter, but don't be misguided by the title. It's not "lounge" music, it is thankfully free from the emptyheaded groovy tripe that so often overwhelms the band. This one, like the earliest albums, owes more to the Velvet Underground. It's VU element is quite subtle, but the connection is unmistakable--perhaps moreso than on any other album. But it is nonetheless quintessentially Stereolab, and not a dull rehashing of the VU. This is no masterpiece--it's a bit of a stretch to say that any of their albums are--but it's a strong, lovely album, and certainly belongs among their best--Emperor Tomato, Switched On, and Transient Random."

It may take getting use to, but its well worth it.

R. Reviewer | Canada | 02/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to this CD is like meeting an old friend and wondering later why you lost touch with them. On my first few listens of this CD I thought I had bought a real stinker and put it aside for quite awhile. Then, after listening to 'Mars Audiac Quintet' again recently (which is a great 'Lab' CD!) I decided to give 'Space Age' another try. Well, the second time around was a pleasant surprise and I'm glad I found this music again. Clearly first impressions are not always the most accurate.There are many things that I now like about this CD. The CD is organized like a vinyl record album with the music divided into Sides One and Two. Side One juxtaposes several beautiful vocal melodies with quirky yet very pleasing techno melodies. 'Avant Garde M.O.R.', 'The Groop Play Chord X' and 'Ronco Symphony' have great vocalizations that remind me of the band 'The Cowboy Junkies'. 'Bachelor Pad Music' Mellow' and 'Foamy' versions are techno instrumentals interspersed between the afore mentioned vocal tracks. Side Two then beautifully blends Laetitia Sadier's great vocals with the bands techno drone with wonderful results such as in the CD's last track 'We're Not Adult Oriented (Neu Wave Live)'. This CD accomplished a lot with only 28 minutes of music, but I think every minute is excellent.What I also like about this CD - and the band in general - is the titles of their songs. They give the music odd titles that evoke a 2001 Space Odyssey mood. I also like the mod techno computer artwork that adorns the CD case of this and other albums like 'Dots and Loops' and 'Mars Audiac Quintet'. Again it evokes a fun retro Space Age kind of theme."