CUT

Cut Copy have definitely roared back with an even bigger sound than in their debut album fours years ago. The beats are heavier, the guitars are louder, and the vocals are more layered. This all makes for a great listen throughout the whole record. If you love new wave this is a must have!

This album was my introduction to Cut Copy and it was a great one. CC clearly echoes some of the 80's biggest hits (Depeche Mode, The Cure), but that's not a problem with me as they've managed to update the sound and make it uniquely their own.

My favorite tracks off the album are "Lights & Music", "Hearts on Fire", and "Far Away." If you don't want to get up and dance when you hear these songs you're out of your mind.

This album (although I first heard it in 09) has taken its place in my top 2008 albums. I highly recommend this to anyone. How about that?

This was a great sophomore "Empire Strikes Back" level release. It contained all of the catchy melodies of the first, but produced at a much higher level, which in this case was not a bad thing. I have probably listened to it a hundred times over the last year and am still not tired of it. Now hopefully they can spit out a new one in less time than it took for this one to be released.

new york city divorce

Having lived through the 60's, listening to this CD makes me a big nostalgic. In some places, the vocals are reminiscent of 60's groups like Peter & Gordon. At other times, it's the 80's with Ultravox or Visage. The instrumentation however, is completely contemporary, dance rock with heavy synth influences. I bought this CD after I heard the track "Feel the Love" used on a TV phone commercial. Thankfully, the rest of the CD is just as good (or better). I'm looking forward to more from these up and coming artists.

I was turned on to Cut Copy in November of 2008, and have been mad about them since. I was fortunate enough to see them in NYC in March of 2009, and they were amazing. In Ghost Colours is a fantastic album. It is literally equivalent to listening to several genres at one time, Dance, Electronic, Modern Rock, Post Punk, and Pop. From the subtle saxophone in the background of the second chorus of Hearts on Fire that is reminiscent of The Church - Under The Milky Way Tonight, to the trance like intro to Strangers in The Wind, you will be immersed in polyphonic delight.

Tuneful songwriting set to 80's synthpop backdrop. Good stuff, entertaining and listenable. Favorite song on cd is Future. Highly recommend checking out their In Ghost Colours album which is my personal favorite CC album.

Perhaps one of the better albums of 2004. One of those albums you can listen to again and again without feeling like you've heard it one too many times. Fun, melancholy at points, gloriously produced and an all around classic to be.

In order to review 'Bright Like Neon Love', I'll have to tell you a little about myself. I work in a busy, busy kitchen. Food has to be made, practically from scratch, in minutes, or the customers ain't happy. Sundays, we can get run around for hours on end without time to pause for even a drink of water, let alone to change the music on the stereo. One day, I could feel the energy in the air and somehow knew that we were about to be murdered by a mob of hungry patrons. Not having had this album for very long, I put my trust in it and set the stereo on repeat. As soon as Time Stands Still came out of its fog, for just one flicker of a moment, time did stand still; and during the next 5 hours I worked harder than I ever have in my life. Through the entire ordeal, this album played non-stop. I couldn't possibly have chosen a better work. Cut Copy is multi-faceted, mellow, synthy dance music that can endure critical scrutiny, or simply play endlessly in the background. It never tires, never offends, and never stops being good. Bright Like Neon Love is energetic without being pushy. And when you're stressed out, the last thing you want to start barking orders at you is your music.

from the moment I heard "Saturdays" I was sold. Gorgeous CD. Love the concept and how can you go wrong with music that makes you miss an era that you didn't live in?

This is a foookin great album. The whole thing has a same-ness of sound, but is really quite varied. Some of the tracks are straight up electro while some are guitar based rock, but they pull it all off with such ease. GREAT songs, that flow into one another easilly and effortlessly. People talk about the synths and guitars on this album, but the bass is what propels it all. Whether its synth bass or real (and same with the percussion), the driving bass lines make it possible for the guitars and keys to do their thing. 'Autobahn Music Box', 'That Was Just a Dream', 'Saturdays', 'Zap Zap', are all pretty much perfect pop songs. The music makes you want to dance like crazy, but the lyrics are all about lonliness, sadness, longing, yearning. Its perfect. 'The Twilight' rocks in a way that sounds a lot (musically, not lyrically) like early PiL, 'Bright Neon Payphone' is an amazing rocker that for me is the climax of the album. All of the rest of it builds up to this song where the depth of the sadness and lonliness alluded to in other places on the albums is really exposed. Its great songwriting, the music rocks, the whole overall sound is, well, its hard to top. Then the album finishes with 'A Dream', a perfect comedown from the rest of the album, slow, bouncy, wistful. The whole album is so damn pretty! Beautiful music, everything I love all blended together into one great record. way to guy cut copy!

After seeing the golden age of hip hop deteriorate and then the dissapointing sell out of DJ Shadow I had begun to lose all hope for artists who had a passion for the art of sampling. I purchased "The Audience's Listening" and I was so happy to hear that Cut Chemist was keeping this sound alive.

Although DJ Shodow and Cut Chemist both still work together on a constant basis, we now all know who to give our respect to. An album like this was truely needed this day and age. Anybody with a love for sound collage will not be dissapointed. Support Cut Chemist.

I'm amazed nobody have written a review for this album yet! It's a shame because I'm not really good at this, I'm no music expert, but I know what I like and I know what I hate, and this album is fantastic! Every track has a great variety of beats and sounds and so fun to listen to, it reminds me a little of "Amon Tobin - Permutation". If you enjoy turn-table performances you won't be disappointed, this gifted DJ has conjured an homage to what is possible - Varied, uplifting and unexpected, rooted in hip-hop but leaping into new sonic territory, the Audience's Listening offers musical magic created by the alchemist known as Cut Chemist.

I only heard one cut (The Garden) from this album, and only heard it 3 times over the course of about 2 months. Outstanding tune, but I wanted to hear more.

FINALLY the DJ actually said who the artist was, and I bought the album immediately! This was a good decision on my part!

It is an intellegent composition, one that will not yield hits on the radio, but is brilliantly crafted. It requires actually listening to it several times to get into it, but the "effort" is worth it! And you won't get sick of hearing it on the radio every hour like so many albums!

If you have any interest at all in DJ compositions, this one is a must have!

i think the people that bash this album or are dissapointed by it are the ones that expected too much of the album. and that's not the album's fault, that's their own.
let me tell you, i first heard this album performed live by the cut chemist himself. and it got me shakin', same with the whole audience. so if u get a chance to, go see it live... it was awsome.
so therefore i decided to pick up the album on vinyl and compact disc.
its a good album, especially if u like a mix of hip hop, funk and jazz. Djs should respect it because the turntablism aspect of the album is up to par, nothing new or totaly mind blowing, but creative nontheless. if this is your first album listening to cut chemist, its a good one, and i think even for the cut chemist fans, its apreciable work. its fun, creative, and gets you moving. i thought however there lacked a bit of energy from the MC on the track 'whats the altitude' on the CD. however, live, he rocked it.
its a short album, but its fun, and its short enough not to be too redundant, long enough to enjoy.
get a copy, its not a let down... if youre looking for something completely mind blowing, maybe this isnt your pick, but thats why i didnt put five stars. fine album all the way through.

Sometimes albums are made with groundbreaking new twists and sounds. Sometimes they are made for financial gain, via radio hits and MTV coverage. And then there are some that are really just made for the love of it.

Cut Chemist's "The Audience's Listening" appears to be one of the third category, though the turntablist/DJ/Jurassic 5-er does give electronica and hip-hop some novel twists in his first fully original album. But at the heart of it, it sounds like Chemist is simply dabbling in whatever he enjoys most.

"Start remembering what you hear," says a cheerful interviewer, before a patchwork of samples inform us about the DJs of the future, about music, the first annual DJ convention, and a lot of dogs barking. By the time you're finished with the intro, your brain will be in the right state for what comes next. ("People get ready... the robots are coming!")

He retreads familiar ground in the energetic percussion-heavy "My 1st Big Break," before switching over to a new sound -- bossa nova. Gypsyish guitar playing an energetic live tune, with a sample of Astrud Gilberto playing softly halfway through. It's an exquisite, ethereal tune that shows that Cut Chemist can do all sorts of music.

Lest anyone think that Cut Chemist has lost his edge, he dabbles in some truly weird stuff (a phone conversation done entirely with samples and scratches), sharply surreal hip-hop, and shimmering electronic numbers that sound like an arty sci-fi film. Cut Chemist dips back into bossa nova once before, before finishing up with the dense, catchy hip-hop of "The Audience Is Listening Theme Song."

Cut Chemist has done some pretty brilliant work with remixes and the "Brainfreeze" collaboration with DJ Shadow, so expectations were high for "The Audience's Listening." But the best way to listen is without expectations -- while it's neither groundbreaking nor brilliant, it is a beautiful, funky little album.

One thing it has from the beginning is a relaxed, laid-back feeling feeling. Cut Chemist shows that he can do everything from spare acoustics to dense, intense melodies, dabbling in a little of everything at least twice, and trying new sounds without trying anything too new.

It's not groundbreaking, but from the sound of it, Cut Chemist was just trying out whatever existing sounds he liked rather than striving for something new. The basic melodies are loaded with extra sound: lots of vinyl scratches, odd samples (glass breaking? dogs?), razor-sharp hip-hop beats, and everything from a cowbell to gypsyish guitar to waves of smooth synth.

Hymnal and Thes One make rather surreal cameos on a pair of songs, while Edan and Mr. Lif appear on the frenetic hip-hop "Storm," blurting out a breathless rap that gets stranger with every word.

Cut Chemist may not have broken new ground with "The Audience's Listening," but the result is still a fun, weird, and thoroughly likable album. Definitely worth a listen.

I once read a critic who stated that the Crew Cuts should be considered one of the earliest practitioners of rock 'n' roll. The statement surprised me. Yet, in thinking about it, the Crew Cuts were one of the first vocal groups doing cover versions of black rhythm and blues artists. Sh-Boom, Oop Shoop and Earth Angel come to mind. Well, from my own experience, I can remember that during the summer of 1954 Sh-Boom suddenly rose on the top hits charts and was widely played over the radio. I loved it! It was simply unlike anything I had ever heard. I became an instant fan of this remarkable Canadian vocal quartet and I bought all of the records they released over the next two to three years. There was no rock ' n' roll when Sh-Boom was released, but when the r 'n' r genre was firmly established a few years later, my interests turned in that direction. Were the Crew Cuts one of the first rock 'n' roll acts? Hmmm. You know, I'd be inclined to say that they were, but their sound was quite a bit unlike that of the later-established artists in that genre and most of their music was definitely not rock 'n' roll.

It's fun to think back on this era. In 1956, a friend and I drove to Denver to see the Crew Cuts who were playing at one of the amusement parks. When we tried to get in, we were required to rent ties (at $1 each plus deposit) in order to be admitted. The concert was in a dance hall and the audience was totally white. The people were both listening and dancing to the music. The Crew Cuts were accompanied by a small backing band. Most of the music was more like the conventional pop music of that time, except for the covers of the R&B songs. A rock 'n' roll concert it was not. It was, however, a rather enjoyable experience.

The Crew Cuts presented pleasant and easy listening vocal arrangements. I'd say most were soft and mellow rather than rocking. As rock 'n' roll came in, the Crew Cuts faded. Many critics treated them with contempt and panned their R&B cover songs. Well, they certainly didn't deserve that. They brought wonderful R & B songs to an audience that was not ready for the original versions. Now, I notice that a number of Crew Cuts compilation albums are available. This "Best of the Crew Cuts" compilation is a good one. Should they be considered some of the first rock 'n' roll? Well, listen for yourself and decide. It's excellent, well-crafted, mid-fifties music, if nothing else.

Gary Peterson

a great cd . brings back fond memories of when popular singing groups actually knew how to sing ....

When the subject of "covers" from the mid to late fifties is broached, more often than not the Crew Cuts will be mentioned as the leading proponents of this "unspeakably evil" practice - as the critics would like you to believe. Hogwash.

That's like saying they [along with Pat Boone, The Diamonds, and other villified artists and their record companies] should have been "better sports" and allowed the small labels to slowly spread their offerings without competition. In other words, while it was OK for Columbia to compete with RCA or Decca on any given song, it was wrong for them and their artists to do so if the song came from a small label like Cat, for example. Somehow, this just doesn't ring true in the land of free enterprise.

Yes, The Crew Cuts did cover a number of small label hits, among them the immortal Sh-Boom in 1954, but for the most part their covers were better, and that first one was no exception. I don't dislike the original version by The Chords, but then again I didn't live in L.A. and, given the ability of Cat to cut and distribute increased quantities internationally, it might have been 1956 before any reached Canada, never mind the East Coast of the U.S. Sure, some big company could have negotiated a deal to buy out The Chords' contract from Cat, but that takes time and since Mercury had just signed a group to a contract, why not let them cut the record?

The second male quartet to emerge from St. Michael's College in Toronto [The Four Lads preceded them], lead John Perkins, brother Ray (bass), tenor Pat Barrett and baritone Rudy Maugeri had started out as The Canadaires, and it was Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby, penned by Pat and Rudi, that had caught the ears of Mercury executives. Peaking at # 8 Pop in the summer of 1954 it was quickly followed by Sh-Boom which stayed on the charts for 20 weeks, including 9 straight at # 1. It couldn't have been all due to promotion.

Their next cover was of a Shirly Gunter tune, Oop-Shoop, which enjoyed modest success, going to # 13 in October 1954. Again, Shirley's label, Flair, simply lacked the ability to compete with Mercury. But by the time 1955 rolled around, and following the rise of black artists like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Little Richard, the buying public was more aware and on the lookout for small label artists.

The Penguins proved that to some extent with their original version of Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) on DooTone. Released late in 1954, it soared to # 1 R&B and # 8 Billboard Top 100 in the early part of 1955. Even so, The Crew Cuts' version went higher in the Top 100, peaking at # 3 and, just for good measure, the flip-side, Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) topped out at # 6, losing out only to the Perry Como cut. Once more the loser in pop sales was the original Gene & Eunice offering on the small Combo label, which hit # 6 R&B and, to me at least, was the better of the three.

Three more covers emerged in 1955, Don't Be Angry (# 14 Top 100) which justifiably beat out the Nappy Brown Savoy original (# 2 R&B/# 25 Top 100), A Story Untold (# 16) which admittedly wasn't quite as good as The Nutmegs' version on Herald (# 2 R&B), and Gum Drop (# 10) with which Otis Williams & The Charms couldn't even dent the R&B charts Top 100.

The next release, Angels In The Sky b/w Mostly Martha, covered no one and still went to # 11 and 31 Top 100 respectively early in 1956. Several artists then covered Clyde McPhatter's Seven Days in 1956, but while Dorothy Collins had the highest ranked version at # 17, followed closely by The Crew Cuts at # 18, Clyde's, released on Atlantic, was the better one for my money, hitting # 2 R&B and # 44 Top 100.

The group's final Top 40 hit was Young Love in 1957. Not a bad rendition, and while nowhere near Country singer Sonny James' offering which went to # 1 Top 100, # 1 Country AND # 3 R&B, it was certainly better than the Tab Hunter record which also - inexplicably - went # 1 Top 100.

Please don't be swayed by the anti-cover hype. This was a very good singing group that deserves more credit for their fine efforts than most historians are willing to grant. You will also enjoy quality sound reproduction, not to mention the 4 pages of liner notes written by Joseph F. Laredo in the insert, which also contains a complete discography of the contents and a great shot of the quartet at work in the studio.

If you wish to dive deep into the 50's this disc should be your choice. I was not familiar with The Crew Cuts before and was relying solely on their hit "Sh-boom (Life could be dream)" Their music is satisfying to those who love 50's. However, if you not sure if you totally in love with this kind of music try a CD with variety of artists.

THIS CD HAS A LOT OF SONGS THAT OTHERS MADE HITS. THE CREW CUTS VERSIONS OF THOSE SONGS ARE DISAPPOINTING. HOWEVER THEIR SIGNATURE TUNES ARE GREAT.

It's hard to buy music you've heard nothing of, and going on a whim. But it's the greatest feeling when you ace it with a blind pick!!
I bought this cd for my husband for his birthday. We love Cut Copy, and figured this album was titled 'Cut Copy' because they were the ones with the most songs on the album, and that the rest of the compilation must be music like Cut Copy's. We loved the cd! It runs in continuous motion. The songs melt into eachother. I love that! So we started to figure that maybe this compilation was mixed and DJ'd by Cut Copy. Looked up the info on Wikipedia, and we were right! I'd be excited to check out other Fabriclive albums to sample other DJ's flavors.
If you love Cut Copy, how could you not love -this- album?! Buy it! I crave to hear it a lot! It makes you want to stop everything you are doing and just dance!

Take Cut Copy, stick them in the DJ booth, and this is the amazing result. Melodic, rhythmic, over an hour of ear candy. Amazon doesn't seem to have good availability on this disc, so try to snag a copy somewhere else. You won't regret it.

This is a solid electro mix from start to finish. Nothing too surprising - just a solid mix.

I adore Cut Off Your Hands. They are pretty original and they are so good live. Nick, the lead singer, really gets into it. If you get a chance to see them live, definitely take it. You won't regret it. I've seen them live three times now and each time it surprises me how good they are live. This is a great album and everyone needs it. These guys work so hard and deserve to be famous. This is by far, one of my favorite albums of 2009. Buy this album, you won't regret it.

Oh, c'mon people get with it. How come no reviews? This is a great album. Can't wait to see them live. Don't miss out on one of the best of the year.

Stephen Street produces one song and Bernard Butler the rest, but it all sounds like it could have been the long lost sibling of The Smiths "Strangeways, Here We Come" and The Cure's Disintigration. Like Cut/Copy it's a group of young Aussie kids apeing 80's English bands. Like Cut/Copy they do it very well!!

I have to agree with the consensus here: these are absolutely first-rate remixes, showing Cut Chemist at the pinnacle of his powers. However, charging $18 for an EP is the reason many people are stealing music.

When I saw this in a local record store and read the total run time on the back as 28 minutes, I assumed it was an EP of a full album. I figured that I'd buy the full album from amazon. When I got my amazon order, I found out that it was the same EP...at full album price. They really should mark this as an EP as it's only 28 minutes long.

That said, it's a really great 28 minutes that I didn't regret paying the $15 for, but I would've liked it better had I bought it at the local used store for $10.

If (like me), you like to listen to some expertly (and deftly chosen) tracks, that have all been sublimely mixed, by some of the finest turntablists out there. One name that should feature on any list should be "Cut Chemist's"....this is a man that although his studio record output is hardly prolific, virtually everything he does put out, is usually of the highest quality. Preferring to concentrate on a broad selection of Old School Hip-Hop, Funk, Rare groove, Instrumental breaks and Rap on his albums. Not only have has he (& Dj Nu-mark) been the beat driving force behind "Jurassic 5", but both are arguably amongst the finest turntablists ever. But for this release, its a 28 min EP, that acts as a prelude for Cut Chemist's forthcoming LP (of yet there appears to be no specific date). For the price being charged for this EP (Which isn't far off the price for a full length CD), is this worth the price outlay??? Well, nobody is going to accuse Cut Chemist of rushing out a poorly devised and mixed EP, as this is a near flawless compilation of unreleased tracks, coupled with a choice selection of remixes of some of the work by the Jurassic 5 Crew (a excellent mix of Rap & Instrumental tracks). Although before the criticisms start flying around, These tracks are not your average remixes. Cut Chemist has obviously put a lot of time & thought into how the mix should sound different from every other Mix album out there, but more impressive is his attention to detail & meticulous fine tuning, until everything sounds just right. And as expected, the mix isn't just purely geared towards Hip-Hop. Cut Chemist's love of Old School Funk & Rare Groove feature throughout (obviously not heavily, as the mix is only 28mins), but a keen ear for Groove and melody, as well as cutting up dialogue, have always earmarked Cut Chemist's mixes, above the usual cut & paste mix albums doing the rounds. A lot of these tracks will be familiar to those that listen to mix albums, or more specially like Cut Chemists work with Jurassic 5. Jurassic 5 Tracks such as "Quality Control", "Jayou", "Thin Line", "Contact", "Swing Set", "Lesson 6" & "Swing Set"...all crop up throughout the mix. And although the set leans towards a sort of remixed compilation of Jurassic 5 / Cut Chemist material, it's the way that Cut Chemist's ability to take previously heard material, and reinvent (or reinterpret) it in such a way, that although not sounding completely new, is a wonderful spin on an existing sound. Obviously the Jurassic material is interspersed with various other tracks (such as a sublime mix of "Gang Starr's - Eye on the Gold Chain"), to prevent this from being overly familiar. But such is the precise and skillful mixing / turntable dynamics on display here, that Cut Chemist rarely has to fall back on turntable trickery to impress. Sure, elements of scratching, beat matching, and sampling are in evidence, but their use is relatively subtle in comparison to similarly styled mix albums. And whatever some peoples misgivings may be with the large amount of existing material used here, few can deny that, Cut Chemists use of sound Collages, beat placement and profound knowledge of what makes a fantastic mix album, arguably makes for an equally sensational recording. And it's all done with such a a tangible playfulness, in its approach, with a knowing nod to the power of the old school DJ, that if the forthcoming LP, can maintain this remarkable standard, it'll rank amongst some of the finest work that Cut Chemist has ever recorded (and that's no mean feat). But the main point of criticism for this release, isn't the material, or the mixing...(both are exceptional), but the fact that this is only 28mins!!???.....now I'm not going to lie to you, when I was listening to this, I found myself getting more & more into it, mentally patting myself on the back for buying this CD. Thinking how amazing this CD was, and how It just couldn't get any better.......and then the CD finished, and I was "Whaaaa the F>>>k!!??, Refund???". (I'm joking about the Refund Bit), but it's true, It really does finish, when you become completely absorbed in it. There can be no doubt that most people will want to run out and buy the (hopefully Substainally longer) LP, when It finally arrives. But what you want to know is "Is this EP worth the cost??".....weeeeell, if your like me, and you consider having to (sometimes) pay over the odds for fantastic music, part & parcel of being a music enthusiast, then you'll find the high asking price easier to shallow. But if price is a consideration here, then I'd have to say to 'Hunt around', and see if you can get it a bit cheaper, as it truly is a remarkable EP, and bodes incredibly well for the fully length. And there's nothing to say that the mix on this EP, is going to feature on the full length. Without seeming like a 'Cop-Out' I'd say, if your a big Cut Chemist fan, then this is worth the money, those that can wait for the Full-length, or just only have a passing interest in Cut Chemist's work should pass. I'm giving the album 5 Stars for the music (which, for me), is what it's really about...if price is a consideration for you, when buying music, then knock a star off the rating.

Let me just say that I *wish* I had purchased this from Amazon. It's overpriced for an EP at $18, but I paid $25 at Tower before I saw it here. That's almost $1/minute. Eeesh.

I'd just like to echo the sentiments of the reviewer below: 18 bucks is far too much to pay for mere 28 minutes of music, especially when it contains no new tracks. This is still a great CD though (would you expect anything less from Cut?), and I'm looking forward to his full-length release. I just hope that the next CD is a little more reasonably priced.