Search - Third Ear Band :: Macbeth

Unique score to Polanski's Shakespeare adaptation

Steev Proteus | nowhere in particular | 01/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Director Roman Polanski worked closely with the British psychedelic trance-rock outfit Third Ear Band (obscure in the states but more widely appreciated in the U.K.) to produce the music for his film of Shakespeare's "Macbeth". This is the only music of Third Ear Band that I've heard, but it certainly makes an excellent score for Polanski's vivid (and often lurid) visuals, and perfectly compliments the director's treatment of his subject matter as a horror film. Often unbearably creepy, this music may remind some of Pink Floyd or King Crimson, and is a definite addition to my music collection. Third Ear Band are still together today, and continue to tour and produce music. Now, if Amazon would just come through with that ERASERHEAD DVD..."

Third Ear Band - 'Music For Macbeth' (Beat Goes On)

Mike Reed | USA | 09/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'd give it a 3 1/2 star rating.'Music For Macbeth' was originally released in 1972 in order to be the soundtrack for director Roman Polanski's film 'Macbeth'.It was the band's third lp.Word has it the movie is considered to be quite strange as so is this CD,that is IF you fail to understand it.What I am able to perhaps make out about 'Music...' is that the Third Ear Band was trying their hand at creating a piece of memorable 'experimental progressive' that would hopefully be remembered as a most obscure album in the years to come.In my humble opinion,that mission was completed.TEB was very obscure and practically unknown in the states,but more successful in the UK.No surprise there.A total of sixteen songs and I notice that most of them are short in length.I happen to like their self-titled lp(often refered to as the 'Elements' lp) better,maybe that's because violinist Simon House plays on the album.Believe it or not,Third Ear Band has been back together for awhile now and is STILL active."

The biggest disappointment in music history?

mianfei | 09/06/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"After having adored the mysterious and utterly unique folk/jazz of Third Ear Band and the soundtrack to Abelard and Heloise, it was only natural that I should buy the subsequent soundtrack to Macbeth, which proved the last album Third Ear Band would release before disbanding.



However, the one thing I can say is that "Macbeth" must rank as one of the most sudden - if not the most sudden - fall from grace of any artist I have ever experienced in over a decade listening to music. Instead of the epic, atmospheric and dark oboe-driven sound that was so enchanting on the long pieces of Third Ear Band and Abelard and Heloise, the group seemed to be trying their hand at commercial pop music - which ought to shock any reader and is certainly not what a band operating far from the world of even out-there rock would be expected to try. Yet that is exactly the impression that sinks into me after hearing "Macbeth": there is so little depth to the playing that one cannot believe they were ever something other than an instrumental pop band. The electronics drown out the oboe and strings to such an extent that all individuality - and they had plenty - was gone. Moreover, the numerous track on "Macbeth" are so alike that they lost all individuality even compared to the six parts of Abelard and Heloise.



Say what you may, Third Ear Band was for a couple of years one of the best avant-garde folk or jazz groups - whatever you might call them. To the surprise of me, they decided it seemed to try for commercial success, and the result is a record whose disappointment can hardly be imagined. It is perhaps fitting that Third Ear Band soon disbanded - and when they did return with albums like Hymn to the Sphinx - which I once saw in a store in Australia - they were the same worthless bland outfit here.



Stick with their first three albums, which are as big a contrast as you can imagine."