UNKLE

Really disappointed. The 20 second preview of the songs sounded better than the full versions. Thought it would be a little more upbeat instead the majority of the songs are real mellow. For the most part, it sounds like a bad soundtrack.

This might be the best UNKLE to date. Some might say it is too rock, but UNKLE has always had tracks that were rock. Wish I could see them live. Anyway this pick-up is a no choice if your a fan of UNKLE or just an admirer of good experimental electronic/dance.

People are discussing too much about this record beign under the name UNKLE...forget about that! This is a strong, flawless record, from beggining to end. Doesn't make any difference if it has nothing to do with the previous albuns. One of the best of 2007, for sure!

To the person who gave it two stars shame on you. Granted I've only been listening to UNKLE's work for a year now, starting with their Never Neverland promo CD, which is also some really good work. I decided to buy this one on a whim and it was a rewarding surprise. Probably my most favorite track of th whole cd is Lawless. The drums combined with the guitar booming about just makes me want to bang my head a little. I'd have to say Most of this cd is really well done. You know, sometimes an artist(s) need to try something different once in a while. This album needs more credit. And promotion. It's a shame UNKLE only came to NYC once on their whole tour. I bet the experience live would be wonderful. I also, do agree that DJ Shadows album is a huge disappointment. But, This album, war stories is great.

First off, I am quite new to the world of UNKLE, having only recently discovered their first two albums while searching for music that might be similar to Massive Attack. So...no preconceived notions about the new album when it came out. To longtime fans (and two albums is barely "long time"), it may come as a disappointment, but to a newbie like myself, always on the hunt for something new and exciting in the increasingly tired world of "rock" music, I just found this to be an exciting, unpredictable, and highly original group of songs that almost re-defines what "rock" can be. Sonically cool, with songs that range from trippy to rocking and everything in between (even the non-album bonus tracks are excellent), I think this is one of the best albums I've heard this year. Everything is sounding the same now, folks! Give credit where credit is due!

10/10

But why would I buy it if I didn't like it

I love UNKLE

again Unique

Polictal

has a message

New age Punk Funk Rock Beats

There There

This is not the UNKLE we've grown to love. With that out of the way, we can take a look at this Shadow-less UNKLE release.

The album has a good length to it with some additional remixes at the end. You do get your money's worth though but at the expense of quality. With the exception of Eye for and Eye, In a State, and Reign, there really isn't much there. The remaining tracks are pretty good but nothing definative or memorable. This might be a good album to have as background music to a posh restaurant or lounge.

I can see how this might've turned off people expecting Psyence Fiction 2, but for a lounge album, this isn't bad at all. A solid 3 stars.

I don't know who U.N.K.L.E. is. The liner notes on this album are a dizzying mish-mosh of hundreds of names. Who, I wonder, is responsible for this harshly tender and touching album?

Ostensibly, the helmsmen are James Lavelle (who did much of the exquisite and expansive producing) and collaborator Richard File (whose voice shows up on over a third of the songs). But these two are guiding a ship that is staffed with a pretty talented crew, including Brian Eno, 3D (of Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker, Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age), and Ian Brown.

Some argued (when the album was released, and even now) that despite (or because of) the wide array of talent around the record, the end result is uneven and unfocused. Lavelle, in interviews, countered by saying that a unifying theme was one of childhoods lost, of personal growth in the face of unstoppable time. This makes some sense, given the title and the lead track ("Back and Forth," in which we are told that life is "changes ... what you gotta go through your whole lifetime"). In spite of Lavelle's claim, thought, there is some sonic discrepancy between a few tracks, but this seems like small potatoes when those tracks are already so well done to begin with.

Most of the record is buffeted up by powerful waves of sound (some of them more than reminiscent of the men behind their making; 3D's "Invasion" sounds like it was lifted straight out of a Massive Attack album), floating on lofty currents of bass, much of it sparkling with arteries of synth bright enough to bring some light to the dreary lyrics. This is, to be sure, electronica, but it is electronica at its genesis, before it had taken great pains to distance itself so exclusively from anything even remotely mainstream. As such, a few tracks have a commercial hue about them, but none of them are anything but themselves. This is not the electronica of today -- experimentation for the sake of experimentation. This is a humbler and more naive version -- experimentation for the sake of good music.

And good music it is. "Glow" is an evocative anthem that seems to be fighting valiantly (and soulfully) against the effects of a general anaesthetic. "I Need Something Stronger," with its tender purrs and passive industrial heartbeat, unfurls like the soundtrack to an android's daydream. "Eye For An Eye" sounds inspired by Zepplin's anthematic energy, weaving bright vocals with a cataclysmic mesh of distortion and bass. "Reign," with its stringed backbone and slightly-trite chorus, is kept from sounding Prepackaged-And-Radio-Ready by Ian Brown's distinctively clear voice and a bass line provided by his ex-band member, Mani (of The Stone Roses).

The overall product is one that is billowing and clean, oceans-full and flowing, produced with meticulous attention to every trill and tremble. And although the various contributors (and, to a greater extent, U.N.K.L.E.'s fuzzy facelessness) mean that the songs don't always complement each other so well, that doesn't also mean those songs aren't good enough as it is. Because, in fact, they're great.

I don't know who U.N.K.L.E. is. The liner notes on this album are a dizzying mish-mosh of hundreds of names. Who, I wonder, is responsible for this harshly tender and touching album?

Ostensibly, the helmsmen are James Lavelle (who did much of the exquisite and expansive producing) and collaborator Richard File (whose voice shows up on over a third of the songs). But these two are guiding a ship that is staffed with a pretty talented crew, including Brian Eno, 3D (of Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker, Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age), and Ian Brown.

Some argued (when the album was released, and even now) that despite (or because of) the wide array of talent around the record, the end result is uneven and unfocused. Lavelle, in interviews, countered by saying that a unifying theme was one of childhoods lost, of personal growth in the face of unstoppable time. This makes some sense, given the title and the lead track ("Back and Forth," in which we are told that life is "changes ... what you gotta go through your whole lifetime"). In spite of Lavelle's claim, thought, there is some sonic discrepancy between a few tracks, but this seems like small potatoes when those tracks are already so well done to begin with.

Most of the record is buffeted up by powerful waves of sound (some of them more than reminiscent of the men behind their making; 3D's "Invasion" sounds like it was lifted straight out of a Massive Attack album), floating on lofty currents of bass, much of it sparkling with arteries of synth bright enough to bring some light to the dreary lyrics. This is, to be sure, electronica, but it is electronica at its genesis, before it had taken great pains to distance itself so exclusively from anything even remotely mainstream. As such, a few tracks have a commercial hue about them, but none of them are anything but themselves. This is not the electronica of today -- experimentation for the sake of experimentation. This is a humbler and more naive version -- experimentation for the sake of good music.

And good music it is. "Glow" is an evocative anthem that seems to be fighting valiantly (and soulfully) against the effects of a general anaesthetic. "I Need Something Stronger," with its tender purrs and passive industrial heartbeat, unfurls like the soundtrack to an android's daydream. "Eye For An Eye" sounds inspired by Zepplin's anthematic energy, weaving bright vocals with a cataclysmic mesh of distortion and bass. "Reign," with its stringed backbone and slightly-trite chorus, is kept from sounding Prepackaged-And-Radio-Ready by Ian Brown's distinctively clear voice and a bass line provided by his ex-band member, Mani (of The Stone Roses).

The overall product is one that is billowing and clean, oceans-full and flowing, produced with meticulous attention to every trill and tremble. And although the various contributors (and, to a greater extent, U.N.K.L.E.'s fuzzy facelessness) mean that the songs don't always complement each other so well, that doesn't also mean those songs aren't good enough as it is. Because, in fact, they're great.

This album, just like it's predecessor is an amazing work of art and achivement that is, as it should be, respected by those who truly appreciate and repect the greatness of the masterpiece the artists involved in it's creation have graced our ears with once again. I loved the first album and had high expectations from this one and was not let down in the least. It would have been nice to hear more of Thom Yorke, but overall, I am impressed that they could pull it off a second time. Another great addition to my collection. Thank you.

i was lucky enough to see them live with James in Philadelphia before hearing this album. they were great live and i enjoy Sugar & Spite in my living room where i can appreciate the words even more. it's very mellow but not lazy, catchy but not trite.

the band was nice enough to sign my copy at the show. check it out it's worth the money.

I heard the song "One By One" on CSI Miami and liked it so I decided to come give the album a listen on Amazon. After listening to the other selections I bought it and have not been disappointed. I was a little surprised that the album was so solid. So many artists today can't sustain, but these guys are really talented and the album is very good to listen to with a great deal of replayability.

Recently heard "One by one" at the end of CSI Miami and was blown away by its morose power. Took me awhile to find out what it was and who by. It made me think how cool it would be to scout music for tv shows. Anyway, I finally found samples and I was sold. All the songs on this album are incredible, I mean how often do you hear banjo in Alt/pop/rock. Their lyrics and melodies are amazing. They definitely need more exposure in the US, a must have CD!!!

This is one of those CDs where a track or two stand out at first ("Put a Record On," "Hit Parade," "Swans") but then the more you listen, the more your number of favorites increases. "This Way," the real title for track 7, is subtle beauty and tracks 6 & 11 could have been in a Six Feet Under soundtrack. I felt the same way about Regina Spektor's "Begin to Hope." The three famous tracks on that CD drew me in and then I fell in love with the rest. I never demand instant accessibility from a CD, as the best take a few listens to understand and grasp and in that sense, Unkle Bob is more pop than, say, The Decemberists and closer to The National's "Alligator" with a similar ear for melody. It stays progressive without drifting too much into Coldplay's current-era treacle. Don't let the possible stigma of a very popular TV show turn you off from checking out this CD. If any of the above artists I listed appeal to you, even Coldpay, then don't miss this CD.

The U.S. should really be in on this UK treat. I, as the other lone reviewer, also heard the song "Swans" on Grey's Anatomy and immediately fell in love with it. I looked up the band on Itunes and listened to rest of the CD - expecting "Swans" to be just a one hit wonder, since most songs from TV shows are. But I have very pleasantly surprised - the whole CD is so addicting! I don't skip any of the tracks on the "Sugar and Spite," which is very rare! I can't believe this band isn't more popular - the unique use of the banjo and song melody makes this CD a keeper for anyone who appreciates good solid songwriting and awesome guitar skills. Pick this up now - THE U.S. HAS TO HEAR THIS. IT'S AMAZING!

Tracklist for this Cd is as follows:

1. Love ya
2. What am I fighting for
3. Luving u
4. Cry
5. Just like me
6. Go
7. Stereo
8. The touch
9. Hello
10. Don't pass me by
11. Daddy's genes

Unklejam are a funk/soul/electro trio from the UK, and it's a shame they are not bigger. They were apparently inspired by acts as diverse as Prince, Funkadelic (from whose 1979 album their name is taken), Sly & the Family Stone, and even Outkast.

Opening cut the hand clap-filled falsetto sung "Love ya", a minor UK hit is a Funky slice of Pop with a snarled chorus. Brooding, yet incredibly catchy is "What am I fighting for", a UK top 20 hit.

Other great songs are the upbeat "Just like me", the Gnarls Barkley channelling bouncy "Go" (with a slight Bhangra feel), "The touch" (with a fuzzy bassline), and "Hello" is Rock tinged.

When it comes to ballads, they are awesome. The horn-sprinkled "Cry" is a stunning retro soul ballad with vocals remniscent of Bobby Womack, the melancholic "Don't pass me by" is an almost Gospel-tinged yearning soulful piano-tinkled ballad, and "Daddy genes" is a brilliant song with lyrics apologising for repeating hurtful behaviour in a relationship learned from his father.

Hopefully, their next album will get them their well deserved break. Highly recommended!

I somewhat held the same view as the negative reviews here on my first few listens to this album. I was looking for more single oriented gems that the first album contained being a greedy music consumer. But the true test is time, and I must say I have become more enthralled with this album the more I listen to it. It's just one of those albums that you keep coming back to, there's something about it thats just gripping. It's no doubt a testament to the plethora of genius collaborators and the obvious input of the man James Lavelle. This guy is a testament to the survival of sample/electronic driven artistry and a true standard bearer of the perfect use of sampling to bring out the emotion in so-called synthetic musicianship. One definite thing needs to be stated, the use of vocals and actual instruments on this album are astounding. Yes, it is different from Psyence Fiction, but in this case, though in a completely different place as the first album, it is more cohesive than the Shadow collaboration. I recommend this album highly, it stands in its own space apart from PF and triumphs unbelievably.

When I first bought Psyence Fiction, I thought it was an excellent album. I just bought this CD earlier today, and was disappointed. Then I sat down and actually listened and found the good in it. You can't approach this album expecting the same beats that DJ Shadow brought in Psyence Fiction. This album brings a different kind of experience to the listener. There is definitely an electronica sound in some of the songs, but it's not exactly bad. "Eye For An Eye" is an excellent song that, to me, stands out from the rest of the album. Never Never Land is mostly an album to sit back and relax to more than anything. I recommend it to those who have a wide variety of musical genres that they enjoy.

i wrote a review for this crappy album for the limited editon already, without paying attention that people were writing all the reviews for the import. and i have to say that i'm truly amazed that so many people actually like this garbage. i think it's really a reflection on how much people don't take music seriously anymore. people will listen to any garbage now-a-days. if any of you were really electronic music lovers, you would know how much this album sucks. but i would guess that most people that gave this cd a good review don't really know anything about electronic music. this shouldn't bother me, but it does. i was really expecting something great in this album. just another letdown in this crappy decade.

Just tracks 7 and 8 are worth the price of the CD. The rest of disc is just as phenomenal. The disc is full of great atmospheres, the production is great, and it's so nice to hear real instruments melded with the crazy beats. The addition of Richard File brings Unkle to a new level. This duo should stick together and keep making beautiful music. I wish the bonus track 'Awake the Unkind' was on the North American release.

UNKLE's second album is unbelievably good. I bought Psyence Fiction on a whim years ago and listened to it endlessly. I lost it somewhere along the way and while looking for it in record stores, I found this album. I was hoping it would be a continuation of PF, and was totally let down. But in a good way. This album goes in a different direction. Its hard to describe it. The best way to describe to me is by saying that its like a soundtrack to an epic movie that hasnt been made yet. There arent alot of albums that you can say that you can truly listen to all the way thru and not get boring or redundant. This is one that you can stick in the cd player (especially while driving at night) and let it roll, because it really is the musical equivalent to a story unfolding, you cant skip something, or youre lost for the rest of the way. All the layers of beat, strings, found sound, vocals come together to create a real environment around you. BUY IT!

10/10

But why would I buy it if I didn't like it

I love UNKLE

again Unique

Polictal

has a message

New age Punk Funk Rock Beats

There There

This is not the UNKLE we've grown to love. With that out of the way, we can take a look at this Shadow-less UNKLE release.

The album has a good length to it with some additional remixes at the end. You do get your money's worth though but at the expense of quality. With the exception of Eye for and Eye, In a State, and Reign, there really isn't much there. The remaining tracks are pretty good but nothing definative or memorable. This might be a good album to have as background music to a posh restaurant or lounge.

I can see how this might've turned off people expecting Psyence Fiction 2, but for a lounge album, this isn't bad at all. A solid 3 stars.

I don't know who U.N.K.L.E. is. The liner notes on this album are a dizzying mish-mosh of hundreds of names. Who, I wonder, is responsible for this harshly tender and touching album?

Ostensibly, the helmsmen are James Lavelle (who did much of the exquisite and expansive producing) and collaborator Richard File (whose voice shows up on over a third of the songs). But these two are guiding a ship that is staffed with a pretty talented crew, including Brian Eno, 3D (of Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker, Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age), and Ian Brown.

Some argued (when the album was released, and even now) that despite (or because of) the wide array of talent around the record, the end result is uneven and unfocused. Lavelle, in interviews, countered by saying that a unifying theme was one of childhoods lost, of personal growth in the face of unstoppable time. This makes some sense, given the title and the lead track ("Back and Forth," in which we are told that life is "changes ... what you gotta go through your whole lifetime"). In spite of Lavelle's claim, thought, there is some sonic discrepancy between a few tracks, but this seems like small potatoes when those tracks are already so well done to begin with.

Most of the record is buffeted up by powerful waves of sound (some of them more than reminiscent of the men behind their making; 3D's "Invasion" sounds like it was lifted straight out of a Massive Attack album), floating on lofty currents of bass, much of it sparkling with arteries of synth bright enough to bring some light to the dreary lyrics. This is, to be sure, electronica, but it is electronica at its genesis, before it had taken great pains to distance itself so exclusively from anything even remotely mainstream. As such, a few tracks have a commercial hue about them, but none of them are anything but themselves. This is not the electronica of today -- experimentation for the sake of experimentation. This is a humbler and more naive version -- experimentation for the sake of good music.

And good music it is. "Glow" is an evocative anthem that seems to be fighting valiantly (and soulfully) against the effects of a general anaesthetic. "I Need Something Stronger," with its tender purrs and passive industrial heartbeat, unfurls like the soundtrack to an android's daydream. "Eye For An Eye" sounds inspired by Zepplin's anthematic energy, weaving bright vocals with a cataclysmic mesh of distortion and bass. "Reign," with its stringed backbone and slightly-trite chorus, is kept from sounding Prepackaged-And-Radio-Ready by Ian Brown's distinctively clear voice and a bass line provided by his ex-band member, Mani (of The Stone Roses).

The overall product is one that is billowing and clean, oceans-full and flowing, produced with meticulous attention to every trill and tremble. And although the various contributors (and, to a greater extent, U.N.K.L.E.'s fuzzy facelessness) mean that the songs don't always complement each other so well, that doesn't also mean those songs aren't good enough as it is. Because, in fact, they're great.

I don't know who U.N.K.L.E. is. The liner notes on this album are a dizzying mish-mosh of hundreds of names. Who, I wonder, is responsible for this harshly tender and touching album?

Ostensibly, the helmsmen are James Lavelle (who did much of the exquisite and expansive producing) and collaborator Richard File (whose voice shows up on over a third of the songs). But these two are guiding a ship that is staffed with a pretty talented crew, including Brian Eno, 3D (of Massive Attack), Jarvis Cocker, Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age), and Ian Brown.

Some argued (when the album was released, and even now) that despite (or because of) the wide array of talent around the record, the end result is uneven and unfocused. Lavelle, in interviews, countered by saying that a unifying theme was one of childhoods lost, of personal growth in the face of unstoppable time. This makes some sense, given the title and the lead track ("Back and Forth," in which we are told that life is "changes ... what you gotta go through your whole lifetime"). In spite of Lavelle's claim, thought, there is some sonic discrepancy between a few tracks, but this seems like small potatoes when those tracks are already so well done to begin with.

Most of the record is buffeted up by powerful waves of sound (some of them more than reminiscent of the men behind their making; 3D's "Invasion" sounds like it was lifted straight out of a Massive Attack album), floating on lofty currents of bass, much of it sparkling with arteries of synth bright enough to bring some light to the dreary lyrics. This is, to be sure, electronica, but it is electronica at its genesis, before it had taken great pains to distance itself so exclusively from anything even remotely mainstream. As such, a few tracks have a commercial hue about them, but none of them are anything but themselves. This is not the electronica of today -- experimentation for the sake of experimentation. This is a humbler and more naive version -- experimentation for the sake of good music.

And good music it is. "Glow" is an evocative anthem that seems to be fighting valiantly (and soulfully) against the effects of a general anaesthetic. "I Need Something Stronger," with its tender purrs and passive industrial heartbeat, unfurls like the soundtrack to an android's daydream. "Eye For An Eye" sounds inspired by Zepplin's anthematic energy, weaving bright vocals with a cataclysmic mesh of distortion and bass. "Reign," with its stringed backbone and slightly-trite chorus, is kept from sounding Prepackaged-And-Radio-Ready by Ian Brown's distinctively clear voice and a bass line provided by his ex-band member, Mani (of The Stone Roses).

The overall product is one that is billowing and clean, oceans-full and flowing, produced with meticulous attention to every trill and tremble. And although the various contributors (and, to a greater extent, U.N.K.L.E.'s fuzzy facelessness) mean that the songs don't always complement each other so well, that doesn't also mean those songs aren't good enough as it is. Because, in fact, they're great.

This album, just like it's predecessor is an amazing work of art and achivement that is, as it should be, respected by those who truly appreciate and repect the greatness of the masterpiece the artists involved in it's creation have graced our ears with once again. I loved the first album and had high expectations from this one and was not let down in the least. It would have been nice to hear more of Thom Yorke, but overall, I am impressed that they could pull it off a second time. Another great addition to my collection. Thank you.

Recommended if you like the War Stories album. It's WAY overpriced though-- the second disc is worthless as it's only instrumentals of War Stories, but disk 1 is great. Again, it's overpriced, so only get this if you have the other Unkle releases.

This really is just the regular version of the album, with Be There tacked on at the end. For those who don't know, shortly after the album came out, they released a single called Be There, which is basically Unreal with vocals by the Stone Roses' Ian Brown. I prefer Unreal myself, but you might disagree. If you can find this version cheap enough, it's worth it. If it's being sold at a huge markup, try and find the single instead.