Disco de Faithless: “Sunday 8pm [Special Edition]”

Faithless are one of those groups that really don't get the recognition they deserve - here in England, they have released numerous songs, but haven't found the big time. I mean like, for a group with enormous talent, it is surprising. Sunday 8pm really shows what Faithless can do. The album has everything - big beats, clever lyrics, haunting sounds, the lot. There is no song on this album that does not make you smile, think, or tap your feet. We start with "The Garden", a beautiful mix of piano and computer-generated sounds. The album progresses onto songs like "Hour Of Need" and the gospel choir that accompanies it, and "Postcard" with witty words that take you on a three-month journey. The standout song is "God Is A DJ". There can only be one word to describe this song - exhilariting. It is truly that. You have to listen to believe it. To end, we have "Killer's Lullaby", which has to be one of the most haunting songs I have ever heard, following the thoughts of a killer and his search for his prey. If you have heard about Faithless before, whether it be through reviews or previous songs, it would be worth buying Sunday 8pm, if only to savour a taste of brilliance...

It is evident from Sunday 8PM that Faithless are an enormously talented band. Fusing trip-hop, house, hip-hop, trance, pop and world music, they create a truly innovative sound that sparkles out of the speakers in crystal. Rollo, a key member of the group, is Dido's older brother, and she herself features on two tracks, 'Postcards' and 'Hem of his Garment' the former of which's chorus is a very early version of her own song 'My Lover's Gone'.

Elsewhere we get instrumental chillout music ('The Garden'), straightahead clubbers' trance music ('God Is A DJ'), pop ('Hour of Need') and the dark, brooding, rap of standout 'Bring My Family Back' which is an amazing song with moving, painful lyrics, a dark beat and Maxi Jazz's chilling monologue rap with soulful backing vocals. This really is one of the greatest tracks of all time.

It is on the tracks where Maxi Jazz's raps take hold (like Bring My Family Back, and also the chilling closer 'Killer's Lullaby') that Faithless really shine, but they prove on Sunday 8PM that they can tackle a wide range of styles, fusing, inspiring and making great music for all moods.

A very fine record. This combines techno beats, instrumental passages, lengthy club tracks and rap vocals with sophisticated and modern instrumental sounds to rate as one of the best recent albums (it dates from 1998). I agree with the other reviewers about Bring My Family Back - this is an exceptionally well written and performed track that features the voice of Maxi Jazz. The other brilliant tracks are God Is A DJ , which has an awesome, exciting sound and a great rhythm , and Take The Long Way Home. Why Go features Boy George on vocals and is a mid-paced song, while Dido appears on the tune Hem Of His Garment. I also like opening track The Garden , an organic slow techno instrumental. Faithless are one of the best bands around , as they have many talents . Get a copy of Sunday 8 PM , and also of their follow-up Outrospective (2001), which is nearly as good.

Reverence was a brilliant debut by the group Faithless. They mixed soul music, slow trip-hop raps, and house music in a way that no other electronic group had done. They continue this type of mix on Sunday 8PM. There is a feel to Faithless's albums that is very melancholy and depressing, yet at times uplifting.

Sunday 8PM continues this distinctive sound. Songs like Bring My Family Back and Postcards are very personal songs and are pretty sad. Other songs like God Is A DJ and Take The Long Way Home have become house music staples.

But one songs stands emotionally above all of the other songs. Killer's Lullaby is a very very emotional and hurtful song about a man's deranged thoughts after the loss of his girlfriend to another man. This song touches me so deeply that I can barely even listen to it any more. My lifestyle is very similar to Maxi Jazz's, being a pacifist and Buddhist. And a year ago I was having a VERY hard time getting over a girl. I tried to go on with my life and be happy, but I would have dreams that were hauntingly similar to the story being told in this song. The way Maxi Jazz describes watching his ex and her new boyfriend is very chilling and scary - yet very real to me. This song is an amazing piece of work and the CD is worth the price for this song alone.

The remix CD (Saturday 3AM) is pretty hit and miss. Some of the mixes are decent, but some of them give the songs a very cheesy house music feel to them. The Nightmares On Wax mix of Killer's Lullaby is good and bad. As a fan of N.O.W. I love the way they give the song their own feel. It has a very smooth and layed back feel to it, like all of N.O.W.'s other songs. But all of the emotion and pain in this song seem to have been lost in the shuffle. This CD does include a semi-new song called Thank You that is performed live. This song is only semi-new because it is usually performed as an intro to Take The Long Way Home and has the same atmosphere to it.

Overall you can't go wrong with Sunday 8PM, and everyone who likes Techno music should probably own a copy. As for Saturday 3AM, it is worth the extra couple of bucks if you are a fan of techno music and Faithless.

Faithless second album "Sunday 8PM" is another great effort, it has a bit of everything. Trip Hop, World Music, Dance and Hip Hop. Just as their first album it's very diverse, but at the same time they stick with their dance influents on most tracks. The beautiful instrumental "The Garden" is am good kick off track to a great album, the title song "Sunday 8 PM" is simular to it. It continues with the dark, depressive trip hop song "Bring My Family Back" with Maxi Jazz. "Postcards" sound the same almost. "Hours of Need" is a great soulish song with background choirs and good hook. "Take the long way home" is a dance track, just like "Why Go" with Boy George. "God is a Dj" is defenitely the highlight of this album, it was a massive hit the same year and still works on the dancefloor. It reminds me a bit of "Insomnia" with Maxi Jazz lyrics and then the catchy dance sound hook. In the video he made "signs" when singing to send out his message to everyone. Dido also appaears on a few songs like "Hem of his garmant" but she's not in the spotlight on this album. "Sunday 8 PM" has alot of variation and it's a classic album from the great Faithless. Go and get it, if you haven't.