- Audio CD (Mar 5 2012)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Thrill Jockey
- ASIN: B00000HXEB
- Other Editions: Audio CD | LP Record
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #84,593 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Track Listings
| 1. 1999 |
| 2. Television Eyes |
| 3. Futureworld |
| 4. City In Flames |
| 5. Am Rhein |
| 6. Cocaine Computer |
| 7. Runners Standing Still |
| 8. Futureworld II |
| 9. Positron |
| 10. Sad And Young |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
On Trans Am's fourth full-length release, the instrumental trio from Washington, D.C., refine their particular convergence of rock-oriented guitar vocabularies and '80s-influenced electronica. While Philip Manley, Nathan Means, and Sebastion Thomson joyfully grind out aggressive rhythms with loud, whip-smart guitar chords, they are equally adept at creating an android-funk milieu with vintage synthesizers and modulated vocals. Borrowing heavily from the robotic sound of synthesizer groups such as Kraftwerk, Futureworld is a diverse musical project that accommodates modern technology as well as the need to thrash on guitars, bass, and drums. --Mitch Myers
Album Details
Japanese Version featuring Bonus Tracks.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Come on Guys!
Aug 6 2002
Format:Audio CD
After the astounding "Surrender the Night" I thought that Trans Am was on the way to becoming one of my favorite bands. Boy was I wrong. They immediately dispose of their rich, complex instrumental songs and replace them with a stupid robot voice who sings such vapid lyrics as "in my future car/ we will drive far". While still a great band to see live - this album should be ignored. I listened to it once and never listened to it again.
Some Hope for Rock
Aug 10 2001
Format:Audio CD
At this point I've basically quit buying rock albums since my musical tastes tend to be leading me futher into house, techno, and other realms of electronica, but Futureworld is proof positive the genre still has something to offer. What's especially interesting about this album in particular is that the tracks on here that incorporate the more rock elements are far more effective than the band's more purely electronic pieces. The album begins with an intense blast of saxaphone noise before sailing into the Giorgio Moroder-esque disco rock of "Television Eyes". The pulsing synths, vocoded vocals (yes, VOCALS), and terrific, monster sounding drums make a thrilling formula that gets even better on the title track. Taking a page from the Kraftwerk school of cheeky alienation ("Searching alone for my future love...") the band delivers a stunning paen to modern dislocation that practically explodes out of the speakers. Good stuff.
The thrills continue up until around the time you reach "Runners Standing Still" at which point the group begins to lose focus and amuse themselves with their drum machines and other gadgets at the expensive of solid song construction. Trans Am fans will be familiar with the band's tendency to noodle and while the results are pleasant, after the visceral genius we've been treated to, it's a little harder to truck with these meandering experiments. The band pulls it together at the end though with another one of their trademark "lighters aloft" style alterna-anthems ("Sad and Young") that has a truly lovely guitar melody.
So why four stars for a somewhat spotty album? Because on the first half of this release, Trans Am finally merge their rock and roll animal and their computer nerd personalities for something so wonderful it blows most other bands away. Radiohead operate on a similar plane but Trans Am is less introverted, more fun. Where Radiohead take Pink Floyd angst rock to new places, Trans Am is like Led Zepplin for techno-geeks. And I mean that as a compliment.
Disappointing
July 25 2000
Format:Audio CD
Why did they have to go and add vocals? I think they had a pretty good thing going up till this point and then someone bought a microphone. Over and above the vocals it's the usual mix of agressive, guitar based playing mixed with post-rock infused electronic noodling. Perfect for fans of Slint, Mogwai, etc...
If you can stomach the vocals I think you'll enjoy this one. They haven't lost it musicaly. And by the way, if you ever get a chance to see them live, don't pass it up. Intense.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
Most recent customer reviews
One of post-rock's best albums
On this album, they really bring together their punk energy and noise/synth experimentation (with some good social commentary to boot). Read more
Published on July 15 2000 by Teresa Roman-Micek
This is pretty good, and it is some rock.
I like the way this album rocks. It's different from a lot of the rock I like, like Deep Purple, but it's still really good. Read more
Published on Jun 1 2000 by Hurlo Thrumbo
They are so damned good.
They are so damned good. Lord, I know I try to play that rockmusic. But Lord, when you sent those three boys from Maryland to the local music hall to witness to us sinners, it... Read more
Published on April 12 2000 by Skeletor Miller
Possibly the best trans am record
It is interesting how different people can pick up different things from the same music. I had long been a fan of surrender to the night, trans am's second record, when this one... Read more
Published on Feb 10 2000 by Charles S. Hague
This one makes me smile.
"Surrender to the night" was the first thing I heard from Trans Am, which is a brilliant piece of work. Read more
Published on Jan 12 2000
Settin up not packin up
Trans Am just keep evolving after every album. Futureworld shows this greatly. From their first albums use of the Univox drum machine & improv bits to Future World's tight,... Read more
Published on Nov 1 1999
Why does everyone take this band so seriously?
You know what I think Trans Am is? I think it's three guys who like to play rock and roll. But rather than regurgitate a bunch of tired rock like so many bands out there, these... Read more
Published on Oct 26 1999 by deepblueday
P - U
I thought I destroyed all of those jambox tapes we made of my high school band practicing. They have surfaced as Trans Am.
This album is h-o-r-r-i-b-l-e. Read more
Published on Oct 19 1999
Buy this from Thrill Jockey for 9 bucks!
I really have no idea why this album is reviewed as poor or even mediocre. I think it is so much better that that. Read more
Published on Oct 9 1999
Shopworn industrial riffs and tired dance beats!
Every bit as bad as they say. Perhaps worse
Published on July 17 1999
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
