Facts Of Life: Black Box Recorder: Amazon.ca: Music

1. The Art Of Driving

2. Weekend

3. The English Motorway System

4. May Queen

5. Sex Life

6. French Rock 'n' Roll

7. The Facts Of Life

8. Straight Life

9. Gift Horse

10. The Deverell Twins

11. Goodnight Kiss

12. Start As You Mean To Go On

13. Brutality

Product Description

From Amazon.com

The first Black Box Recorder album, 1998's England Made Me, was originally conceived by Auteurs and Baader Meinhof frontman Luke Haines as a typically baleful response to the cultural and political hysteria--respectively, Britpop and Tony Blair--then gripping Britain. Recorded with the help of former Jesus & Mary Chain drummer John Moore and singer Sarah Nixey, it did for Britpop roughly what the film Carrie did for the senior prom. The Facts of Life, the follow-up, maintains the withering glare but fixes it this time on the personal. The songs here obsess with unnerving clarity and mordant wit on the banal, cruel details of human relationships and are narrated perfectly by Nixey. Where her perfectly English-accented whisper infused England Made Me with the air of a bored aristocrat finding contemptuous amusement in the misery of others, on The Facts of Life she has located an edge of taunting viciousness all the more diabolical for being so understated. The tunes, as ever, are sweet and insidious, perhaps best thought of as Saint Etienne turned feral. Highlights on an album full of them are "English Motorway" and "The Art of Driving"--BBR triumphantly reclaiming the American rock & roll prerogative of the road song for their damp, claustrophobic homeland. The Facts of Life is a masterpiece. --Andrew Mueller

Album Description

Black Box Recorder are an enigma. A three piece comprised of the haunting and fragile-voiced Sarah Nixey, Auteurs henchman Luke Haines and absinthe importer (& former Jesus & Mary Chain) John Moore. Stylistally, the band have catapulted themselves into some netherworld halfway between Air and Velvet Underground. Instruments include, Guitar arpeggios, synthesizers, glockenspiels, chiming xylophones, strings and drum machines. This release features the bonus tracks, 'Start As You Mean To Go Up' and 'Brutality'. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Heroic acts in Teenage Sex, Sep 11 2003

By

Little Old Me - See all my reviews

This review is from: Facts Of Life (Audio CD)

"The Facts of Life", Black Box Recorder's second album, follows suite in their amazing debut of twisted nursery rhymns, "England Made Me". This is certainly an album to be cherished in one's cd collection - the lyrics are clever and provocative, the music is soothing and intelligent and the mixture can leave the listener awe struck.

In this album, the band has matured a bit. Their storytelling can deliver a much appreciated sense of nostalgia for one's own teenage years - after all, who doesn't remember their boyfriend/girlfriend pushing the relationship one step further than you were ready to go, that almost too-cozy encounter with your highschool best friend or the introspective of a child trying to live as an adult.

Lead singer, Nixey's voice sounds almost like a submissive siren, as she faintly sings anthemns about teenage sexuality and desire. Haines and Moore push their music writing even further, keeping the low tones of instruments and mixing in small beats and rythmns that add a certain liveliness to their melodies. Some of the radio-worthy songs, "Art of Driving" and "Facts of Life", have a good combonation of indie rock/folk with a touch of pop, at the same time expelling the requirements of any particular genre. For those who appreciate rock/pop and alternative music, this will fit in easy to your music collection, though there is enough to interest electronica and folk fans alike.

Out of all the one hit wonders I'm subjected to each morning of my commute - its really nice to have a cd that one can appreciate all the way through.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not disposable, May 25 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Facts Of Life (Audio CD)

...I describe it as the album Clinic would release once they have Cia Soro as their leadsinger. @ any rate, it is truly a magical album that improves on the sombre debut England Made Me to create a sound & mood that is both indulgent (But nowhere near selfindulgent) & sardonic. Luke Haines & John Moore's lyrics work either as subdued Jarvis Cockeresque narratives ("May Queen", "The Deverell Twins") or as simple, axiomatic observations ("The Art Of Driving", "Weekend", "The English Motorway System", "The Facts Of Life", "Straight Life"):-Combining this with Sarah Nixey's glossy, breathy voice & a minimalist yet chilling electroacoustic backdrop & you have a winner. Make sure you also check out the sleeve where excerpted lyrics from all of the songs (But the titletrack) are displayed as seriocomic balloons in awkward situations:- Very much in the style of Pulp.

Oh, & my personal favourite is "Sex Life", thanks for asking.

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5.0 out of 5 stars US version., Mar 24 2002

By

Behic Gencoglu - See all my reviews

This review is from: Facts Of Life (Audio CD)

Cover is diff. from the usual UK release but the songs are same.A must have for anyone.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely
Excellent, excellent music.... As lots of folks have said already, this indeed sounds like a slightly sinister St. Read more

Published on Oct 16 2001 by William E. May

4.0 out of 5 stars Finding the Divine in the Everyday Hum Drum!
The best album I've heard so far this year (not counting the brilliant LiLiPUT reissue on Kill Rock Stars, of course) and it was released almost a year ago in Britain! Read more

Published on July 27 2001 by re-gen-e-ra-tor

3.0 out of 5 stars Find the Black Box Recorder
You've heard of mood music? The Facts of Life is mood music with a nasty little secret. Every track is a potential conspiracy theory, every little sweetly vicious turn of phrase... Read more

Published on July 5 2001 by Anthony R. Strain

4.0 out of 5 stars Cartesian? Perhaps. Descartean? I don't think so.
An enormous and delightful surprise. Who'da thought that Black Box Recorder would follow up their rather creepily impressive debut, "England Made Me" with a record this... Read more

Published on Jun 14 2001 by jk64jk

4.0 out of 5 stars More like four and a half
Black Box Recorder fascinated me from the moment I saw the video for "child psychology". They are probably one of the most interesting bands releasing music. Read more

Published on Jun 10 2001 by Blane

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethereal
[....] Black Box Recorder's "The Facts Of Life" is one of the best CD's I've picked up in years. Read more

Published on April 29 2001 by Ron Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars Sour times.

Shocking. Disturbing. Scarifying. An uncompromising, fiercely honest work of uncompromising art that will rub your nose in the uncompromising dirt of your loveless... Read more

Published on Mar 27 2001 by AllOverWith

5.0 out of 5 stars #5 Album of 2000
The spirit of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen delivered in the sweet Stepford Wife whisper of Sarah Nixey. This is poison so sweet you'll never know what hit you.

Published on Dec 28 2000 by Gary Lancaster

5.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly refreshing
An endlessly refreshing piece of work here. Tired of bands like Radiohead? I recommend this blend of dark pop to stir up the boredom caused by most music that is incorrectly... Read more

Published on Dec 13 2000 by Christopher Chaupin

5.0 out of 5 stars Common Monsters
England Made Me, Black Box Recorder's stellar debut, was the first and seemingly last word in English self-hatred and hypocrisy. Read more

Published on Aug 19 2000 by WrtnWrd