Being one of the earliest Dots recordings available, Brighter Now stands as more of a stepping stone for the rest of the Dots career. At the time, you could say the band was technologically impaired, as their equipment couldn't have been exactly top of the. However, as with any Dots recording, it's the quality of the songs that shines through. Though most of the latter day Dots albums are more in key with my tastes, this is of course a decent listen that only shines more light on the musicial enigma of the Dots.

3/98

1. Red Castles
2. Louder after six
3. The wedding
4. Apocalypse then
5. Legacy
6. City ghosts
7. Hanging gardens
8. Soma bath
9. Premonition 4

Another fine reissue of an early Dots LP, Curse contains much the same mood and psychedelic style that marked most of the early days of the band. Though limited somewhat by fairly cheap technology, the Dots have always been remarkable in their ability to craft entrancing songs no matter what instruments were at their disposal. Creativity has long been their calling card. Much of Curse is in the same field as 80's new wave, as "Wall Purges Night" or "Aarzhklahh olgevezh" demonstrate. But as with much of their early material, the certain innocence to the music entails a lot of simple catchiness. "Doll's House" and "Lisa's Party" both are very memorable pieces. As with many of the early Dots albums, Curse is great for historical purposes and the occasional fun listen.

10/98

1. Love puppets
2. Wall purges night
3. Lisa's party
4. Aarzhklahh olgevezh
5. Pruumptje kurss
6. Waving at the aeroplanes
7. Hiding
8. Doll's house
9. The palace of love
10. Stoned obituary

By far one of the all time best unknown bands, The Tower is a dark and exceptional trip into their warped and bizarre musical psyche. Compared to other Dots records, this one doesn't quite have a whimsical feel that marks quite a bit of their style. As always, there is tons of musical inventiveness in their use of exceptionally low-tech drum machines matched with dissonant guitars (such as they use in "Break Day") and the ever-present violin of their earlier years. "A Lust for Powder" and "Poppy Day" are the catchiest of the lot, while all the Tower tracks tend to move into ethereal territory. Soleilmoon has done quite a favor for the underground world by rereleasing these gems.

4/98

1. Black zone
2. Break day
3. Tower 1
4. Vigil-anti
5. A lust for powder
6. Poppy day
7. Tower 2
8. Astrid
9. Rope & glory
10. Tower 3
11. Tower 4
12. Tower 5

Possibly in the same spirit of the Residents' Commerical album, the Dots have a great, jingle filled album that is quite madcap and downright uplifting in spirit. Edward Ka-Spel (known as the Prophet Qa'Sepel here) has honed his lyrics to razor sharp perfection (especially in "Kitto", where he laments "You could have left the cat, a little company to talk at/He never said a word except when he was hungry"). And his sexually laden "Love in a Plain Brown Envelope" is downright fantastic, bolstered by the excellent droning (alternating with great violin work) music. (Besides, who can deny the poetry of "Heaven is hole/There's a whole lot of heaven in your cavern, in your avenue...enjoy it?".) The biggest flaw in this album is that it's WAY too short.

3/98

1. Blasto
2. Love in a plain brown envelope
3. Sleezo
4. Neon gladiators
5. Kitto
6. Eight minutes to live

Oh the joys of another Dots CD. Somewhere in the past several years it seems that the Dots have finally gotten their due and many of the older releases are starting to find their way on American shores. This particular CD was released during a rather trumultous time in the Dots long career and the strange nature of the music indicates a lot of tension.

With any band that has this prolific of a career, it is hard for a new potential fan to figure out which album would be a good jumping in point. This particular one is not recommended for a new listener. Rather, it is a very well-earned listen for the longtime Dots fan. Filled with more strangeness than usual, it took me quite a few listens before I really appreciate the album as a whole. Some of the songs, such as the operatic but macabre "Femme Mirage" are difficult to assimilate. Others are whimisical (almost as if the Residents had snuck into the studio), though quite dark in content ("The Hill", which describes a sniper outside a schoolyard, is a good example of this). Fortunately, the excellent usage of violins and strings creates a very trancelike mood and by midpoint in the album you are hooked. As with any Dots album, Edward KaSpell's amazing lyrics are worthy of a doctorate thesis and his accented voice immediately lets you know this is indeed a Dots album.

2/98

1. Echo police
2. Gorgon Zola's baby
3. Fifteen flies in the marmalade
4. Femme mirage
5. The hill
6. Demonism
7. Prisoner
8. So gallantly screaming
9. I'm the way, the truth, the light
10. Agape
11. Golden dawn
12. The last straw
13. A message from our sponsor
14. Go ask Alice
15. This could be the end

An exceptionally fine piece of work from the mid-era Legendary Pink Dots. Easily the best thing about this period for the Dots is the lush and remarkable violin of Patrick Wright and the way the band so flawlessly melds it into their psychedelic pop format. Tracks like "True Love", "Under Glass" and "The Plasma Twins" are instantly memorable, profound and lush with a full sound. Compared to some of the other Dots albums, this one is definitely more pop-oriented, though still containing the signature Dots sound. It is certainly an album that will continually grow on you, the same way The Golden Years (released not long afterwards) did. Good, good stuff.

1/99

1. Casting the runes
2. A strychnine kiss
3. Laguna beach
4. The gallery
5. Neon mariners
6. True love
7. The peculiar fun fair
8. Waiting for the cloud
9. Cloud zero
10. Under glass
11. The light in my little girl's eyes
12. The plasma twins

A very intriguing journey through various soundscapes.  The Dots have always relied heavily on musical texture, employing different instruments and very strange song arrangements to create their music.  Of course, the focal point is Edward Ka-Spel's bizarre lyrics and dry speak-sing voice.  While at times I don't want to like this album due to the somewhat disturbing nature of the music, I am compelled to listen anyhow.  "Hotel Nior" is the most prominent, memorable song, though "And Even the Vegetables Screamed" gets points by title alone.

7/97

1. Maniac
2. Th talent contest
3. The more it changes
4. Hotel noir
5. Stille nacht
6. The month after
7. Lisa's separation
8. The golden age
9. Black castles
10. And even the vegetables screamed
11. Regression
12. Black list
13. Methods
14. Our lady in Cervetori

A 2-CD collection of various early Pink Dot tracks.  The songs run the entire gamut of Dot styles, from oddly accessible to wry wordplay selections (always a Dot special) to atmospheric pieces.  Not a bad place for the new fan to start, assuming you can find it.

7/97

1. Pearl moon
2. Tanz der China doll
3. Obsession
4. Thursday night fever
5. Time dance
6. The blessing
7. God speed
8. A day at the dreamies
9. Close your eyes, you can be a space captain
10. (Still) Defeated
11. Voices
12. Hauptbahnhof
13. Closet kings
14. Clean up
15. Government health warning
16. Film of the book
17. Ego tripper
18. Curse (the sequel)
19. The plasma twins
20. Apocalypse soon
21. Rapunzel
22. Black highway
23. Swordfish lament
24. Premonition 13

Certainly one of the more eclectic of the Legendary Pink Dots albums in their catalogue. Malachai (which follows up the Shadow Weaver, which I have not yet heard at this date) tends to be quite deconstructed in terms of songwriting and defintely sports some seriously disjointed arrangements. On most Dots albums, you can count on at least a couple songs that stand out as very friendly and cozy psychedelic pop gems. Here, only "Joey the Canary" will take your little hand and hold it. The rest of this trip is very unusual and complex. Relying somewhat on echoing sounds, sparseness of arrangement and just flat-out weirdness, Malachai is not the Dots your daddy drove.

2/99

1. Joey the canary
2. Kingdom of the flies
3. Encore une fois
4. Wildlife estate
5. Pavane
6. Window on the world
7. On the boards
8. We bring the day
9. Paris 4 AM

Overall I'm not precisely sure what to make of this album. It's probably the most subdued and reserved album of theirs that I've heard, as they seldom turn up the insanity meter at all. (Well, actually the bit about the girl searching for pyramids in Belgium in "Oasis Malade" was kinda zany.) Most of the album features live drums (several tracks worth of ex-Skinny Puppy and Tear Garden cohort Cevin Key and the rest supplied by Ryan Moore and Martijn de Kleer) and less electronic devices than in the past. The result is an airy, organic feel that is multiplied by the quiet nature of most of the songs. Edward Ka-Spel gets so low-key in his approach that you, as a listener, can almost forget it's on. Out of all the many listens I've given it, it is still hard to really pick out any key moments (aside from Cevin's...ha ha). It is definitely quality Dots material for the long-time fan but this wouldn't be a good first album for a new inductee to the Dots Cult to try.

7/98

1. Madame Guillotine
2. On another shore
3. Softly softly
4. Crumbs on the carpet
5. Hotel Z
6. Oasis malade
7. A crack in melancholy time
8. Siren
9. The angel trail
10. Nine shades to the circle
11. A terra firma welcome

This is actually one of the more difficult Dots CDs to wade through. Featuring two full CDs of various experiments in ambience, outtakes and otherwise unused recordings throughout the nineties, the sheer peculiarity of much of the music is unsettling at first and requires quite a few spins before one gets an inkling of what's going on here. In comparison to normal Dots albums, there is less centering on identifable songs and more on mood. The twenty-five minute opus of "Andromeda's Suite" is the prime example of ambience before compact songs, while "New Shoes" is a bit creepy in a private-eye soundtrack sort of way. At times the use of electronics is downright annoying (check out the incessant buzz on "The Ballad of Ron and Popo", but not for too long because it'll drive you bonkers). Again, as with some of the other compilations of Dots outtakes, this release is recommended for longtime Dots fans rather than a newbie rushing to find out what this amazing band is all about.

8/98

Disc One
1. A Triple Moon Salute
2. Cease Your Lonely Mourning
3. Little Oyster
4. Catch A Match
5. Invaders In The Raita
6. The Artificial Silence
7. A Chrome Zone In Powder Park
8. Pandora's Socks
9. Andromeda Suite
10. Pastorial

Disc Two:
11. A Pause In A Melancholy Silence
12. Burned At The Steak-House
13. New Shoes
14. I Dream Of Jeannie
15. She Gave Me An Apple
16. Stirred But Not Shaken
17. The Ballad Of Ron & Popo
18. Where No Man
19. Premonition 7

Exploring some of the more airy, ambient sides to the Dots, six of the seven tracks presented here are from a couple live shows recorded in 1988. I've found that this particular album is best listened to late at night with headphones and a relaxed state of mind as you will find yourself lightly floating away. The seventeen minute "Premonition 11" is a strange ride through sonic textures before Edward KaSpell implores us to "Pretty pretty please me" over and over. I know I'm disturbed now. But hey, it's worth it.

Incidentally, this CD was originally released under an Italian label as Greetings 9 & Premonition 11. There is no difference between the two titles except for the name. This is a case where I wish Soleil Moon had left the original title intact so that there could be no confusion between the two discs.

2/98

1. Puppets apocalypse
2. Poppy day
3. A lust for powder
4. Only when I laugh
5. La cazza nova
6. Lyriex
7. Premonition 11 (full length version)

The Legendary Pink Dots, though long familar to me by name alone, are one of those bands that you just don't seem to hear.  Sure, Skinny Puppy fans know of the Dots' connection to the Tear Garden and some record critic is waving his import records screaming, "I knew!"  But for the most part the Dots are unfamiliar to American ears.  Hopefully this new CD will help change that.

The neatest thing about the Dots is their lack of set rules for songwriting.  Over the years there has been a constant revolving door of members (excepting singer/yarn-weaver Edward Ka-Spel), each bringing something new to the table.  And thus each new record brings a variation on the sound as some members play completely different instruments than their forebearers. (Ask Niels van Hoornblower, who toots on all sorts of horns.)

Sometimes soothing, sometimes jarring, the Dots create grand tapestries of sound.  Anyone familar with the Tear Garden will hear instant comparisons, but most of the current Dots played on To Be an Angel Blind.  Edward still uses that dry, heavily accented voice of his, weaving incredible tales of all sorts of people you might envy, love or hate.  Very suitable music for late night roadtrips under dark skies.

8/97

1. Clockwise
2. Citadel
3. Friend
4. A velvet resurrection
5. Kollusim
6. 1001 Commandments
7. Remember me this way
8. This one-eyed man is king
9. Straight on 'til morning
10. Damien
11. This hollowed ground

Subtitled "An Anthology of the Years '90 to '95", this could very well be the best jumping in point for the new Legendary Pink Dots fan who doesn't know where to begin. This excellent compilation covers seven of the 90's releases from the Dots and is so well sequenced that it almost feels like one strong album. Throughout this decade, the Dots have become increasingly more impressive, this in part to Ryan Moore (drums/bass) and Nels van Hoornblower (lots of wind instruments) adding their collective talent to the pool. Their palette of musical colors is in full force throughout, giving you a feel for all the facets of this enormously talented band. From the tranquility of "Prague Spring" to the weirdness of "Green Gang" to the dub feel of "Joey the Canary", the diversity of the band is strong and wonderful. If you've heard the Tear Garden as a Skinny Puppy fan or have been curious about the Dots, pick up this album and allow yourself to experience the most dynamic band of the past two decades.

8/98

1. Belladonna
2. I love you in your tragic beauty
3. Green gang
4. Princess coldheart
5. Disturbance
6. The grain kings
7. Prague song
8. A triple moon salute
9. Joey the canary
10. Siren
11. The angel trail
12. A velvet resurrection
13. Friend

Comprised mostly of early Dots material that was released on their DIY cassettes, this ROIR collection is best left for the rabid Dots collector, rather than a curious onlooker wondering about this phenomenal band. This is not to say the music is terrible or anything; however, considering the low-fi quality and definite amateur undertaking (hey, keep in mind the band is self-taught and this represents them at the beginning of their learning curve), I'd direct the new listener elsewhere. For the Dots fanatic, this is yet another compact disc full of rarities and unpolished gems. Only a couple tracks appear elsewhere in different form ("Frosty" and "A Lust for Powder" are the couple that I'm aware of) and the rest are neat little pieces of raw songwriting. Definitely not the pedastal placer for the band, but good for historical purposes.

8/98

1. As if
2. Splash
3. Submerged
4. Digital
5. Dying for the emperor
6. Oceans of emotion
7. Small anthem
8. Intruder
9. Premonition 2
10. Frosty
11. One for the pearl moon
12. The whore of babylon
13. The war of silence
14. Garlands
15. A lust for powder (version apocalypse)
16. Punishment
17. Down from the country
18. Premonition 1

Disc One:
1. A pale green introduction/Love on a pale green postage stamp
2. Premonition 12
3. Mmmmmmmmmmmm...(first version)
4. The lifesucker
5. The divorce
6. Jungle (first version)
7. The haunted supermarket
8. No bell no prize
9. Plague 2
10. Find the lady
11. Judith a hum/Praum Naizh/A Pale Green Sequel
12. Suicide pact

Disc Two:
13. Waiting for the call/You n Me
14. April's song
15. Frosty
16. Defeated
17. A message from our sponsor (version 1)
18. Ice baby cometh
19. Hanging gardens (flowmotion version)
20. Jack/Thursday night fever #1/Die with your eyes on/Opus Dei
21. Premonition 18 (Part One)
22. Premonition 18 (Part Two)

One of the bands that has been spending quite some time lately in my CD player is the enigmatic Legendary Pink Dots. While lately I've mostly been listening to their mid-80's output (which is quite a few albums worth from this terribly prolific group), this proper new studio album from 1997 is a bit of a musical departure. Not that this implies anything as nearly everything they've done is a musical departure. Their last studio album From Here You'll Watch the World Go By was very earthy and airy, this one heads directly into a somber and psychedelic feel previously untouched by the Dots. Niles van Hoornblower's horn and flute contributions are probably the most singularly important aspect to the album as a whole, adding a very unique and exotic touch. The rhythms are both mechanical and live, depending on the mood of the song. "On High" opens the album in a very subdued manner that slowly rises in crescendo in the next three pieces to the throbbing, disturbing "Spike". It takes a few listens before the sequencing of the album will be fully appreciated. In other places, the Dots land directly in the field of space rock with the very Hawkwind-ish "The Saucers are Coming".

As with most great releases, Hallway of the Gods takes a bit of time before the compositions will completely affect you. Edward Ka-Spell and Co. continue to demonstrate their unbelievable durability and willingness to always push forward. I can tell you already this is going to become one of my favorite Dots discs.

5/98

1. On high
2. Mekkanikk
3. Sterre
4. Spike
5. All sides
6. Harvest babies
7. Lucifer landed
8. The hanged man
9. The saucers are coming
10. Destined to repeat
11. Hallway

Phew! This new release from the Legendary Pink Dots is certainly a handful to devour. All at once encompassing and incorporating their various musical ideas (and with this crowd, there are many) from the scope of the 90s, Nemesis Online becomes the most challenging and potentially rewarding new Dots CD in ages. While the past two studio albums have been strong on an innocent vibe, Nemesis is entirely darker. Basing the sound more in line with Ryan Moore's dub influence, along with Niels van Hoornblower's various wind instrument contributions, much more is going on than ever before. Sometimes unstructured and barely hanging on the thread of a song, sometimes forceful and in your face, the Dots have never covered as much ground in an hour's time before. High points must include the moody piano based "Ghost", the echo laced "Is It Something I Said?" that degenerates into free form music, the pulsating "Zoo" and the equally haunting "Abracadabra". Admittedly there is still a lot more to discover within the confines of this record, as it is limitless in discovery. I need another listen...

10/98

Track listing:

1. Dissonance
2. Jasz
3. As long as it's purple and green
4. Ghost
5. Under your wheels
6. A sunset for a swan
7. Is it something I said?
8. Zoo
9. Fate's faithful punchline
10. Cheating the shadow
11. Abracadabra
12. Slaapliedje