Upon hearing the first hit from "Pretty.Odd", called "Nine In The Afternoon". my reaction was to make accusations against the band that they are nothing but Sargent Pepper rip off artists, down to the string and brass instruments. What nerve these "emos" had, i thought.
However, despite their obvious "influence" by John,Paul,George and Ringo, with each listen i couldnt help but like the song, becouse to be honest, its a pretty good sounding song.
So i decided to give the other songs a preview here on Amazon, and i was pleasantly surprised. I heard what sounded like some genuinely inspired stuff. The previews were impressive enough for me to actually go and purchase the physical album it self. Though i wasnt completely sure it was going to be a good album, i had a pretty good hunch for some reason that these guys just might of worked together something some what special.
So i leave Target, hop in my car with the new cd in hand and begin to unwrap and open it. I turn on the car, and just when im about to feed the cd player with the disc, something pretty odd happens....the radio starts to play "A Day In The Life" by the Beatles.
Was this a sign? Was it the spirit of The Beatles blessing these new tunes i was about to embark on listening to? Or was it a warning from the ghosts of john and george to "listen to the real beatles instead of those emo clown posers!". Who knows.
I respectfully listened to the entire Beatles song as i made my way to the interstate. Once it finally reached its big orchestral build up at the end and fades out, i took a breath and poped in "Pretty.Odd"
And i must tell you, the experience was pretty pleasant! I didnt think this album would be this good, let alone did i think that id ever take to liking anything made by the likes of "Panic At The Disco", which i wrote off as trendy scene kid music with no substance. Since i experienced "Pretty.Odd", i now feel PanicAtTheDisco has a chance in the long run, i no longer think they will disappear with the "scene".
All that is to let you know where im coming from. I originally didnt take this band serious in the least and now ive been swayed to think otherwise.
The opening of the cd is a short intro that is an exciting little build up for whats to come. And of course it goes right into "Nine In The Afternoon" seemlessly. And like i said before, its a good tune, despite how they borrow (or steal?!) from the Beatles, i cant deny how i much i like the song.
The next track that stood out was "Do You Know What Im Seeing?"
A memorable chorus that i cant seem to get enough of. The first track that surprised me, heightening my anticipation for what lye ahead in this album.
Track 5,"That Green Gentleman..." became the albums 2nd radio hit. Its not bad, its actually worth listening too, but ive heard it enough on the radio, so i usually skip it, but you should give it a listen, its not filler. Its another one of the stand out songs, though not my favorite.
Now "I Have Friends In Holy Spaces" is a brief tune, that sounds like something from the olden days, like one of those guys with a derby hat on playing one of those tiny ukalali guitars, something out of the early 1900's; but not to give it that much props. Its a funny sounding song, and a little corny, but i like it, i never skip it. Its fun.
Next that really impressed me was the song called "When The Day Met The Night". This song reminded me of the band "CHICAGO". Wow.horns and all. And isnt that a compliment for this little band called 'Panic At The Disco' even though its a minor resemblance here i noticed that some people might not have noticed.
I swear, if they keep up work like this, they will have really earned my respect. Songs like this totally change your prejudice towards a band such as this that initially is written off as mere shallow scene kid garbage. But oh no, i dont think i can ignore Panic At The Disco any longer. That was a bigger suprise than the other song.
Right after that memorable tune comes yet another memorable tune, perhaps even a bit lovable... "Pas de Cheval" (meaning 'STEP OF THE HORSE' in French) is probably my personal favorite out of all the songs that stood out to me. It just has more of that optimistic sound and chorus. Just something about i love to hear. One of the best tunes on this album for sure.
"The Piano Knows Something I Dont Know" took a few listens actually to get into, but its worth noting that its one of the stand out tracks thats a little more sophisticated, if i dare use that word here. And may i dare go further and say it sounds like the band might of took a lesson from Brian Wilson in the lyrics department. A bit silly, but has depth.
Another good song i must admit.
Now "She Had The World" has some inspired instrumentation with what sounds like a harpsichord? Memorable background music that gets some decent vocals to accompany it. That and the string and woodwind/flute instruments are quite warm and memorable here. Yet again another track that gets a thumbs up for good sounds.
"From A Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins". Another worthy tune?
Sadly, i must say that...YES....its good. hahaha. I only lament over having to type more good things about this album.
This song took me multiple listens before i noticed how good it was. One of the more complex of the songs...sort of. Strings and brass are arranged interestingly giving it a sort of wonder. And the whistling near the latter half of song just puts the icing on the cake. Ive never listened to something that has made me feel close the innocent happiness i felt listening to 60s music. Though i wouldnt say its the same feeling, but its similar, and this is the last band id think would ever make me feel like that.
So ya....its all pretty darn odd if you ask me! Its either im on something, or this band actually produced something special here, and im part of Gen Y, not a 60s flower child. ive never done any psychotropic drugs....so i think we can rule that option out. The evidence mounting is in favor of the latter reason: That PANIC AT THE DISCO is causing a genuine panic over people who first ruled them out as emo poser crap, like myself.
Anyways...let me continue before going off the deep end.
The final track ill mention, is , well....the final track on the cd.
And....well....just listen. If you liked anything the band SilverChair did with their album Young Modern , then i think you'll enjoy this. Apart from any of that, i liked it because its another good song. A uplifted, memorable tune. A fine little ending to a surprisingly impressive sophomore release.
Now maybe this band took liberties with the whole "Beatles Imitation" thing. But when you shut up and listen and stop hating, you cant deny, this album sounds pretty good.
I almost cant believe im even saying that!
So it seems the mysterious occurrence of the "A Day In The Life" Beatles song playing on the radio wasnt a curse. No. Its as if the spirit of John,Paul,George and Ringo gave it their blessing.
This cd is worth getting. It is and i didnt think id be giving two cents about "Panic At The Disco". Turns out i gave exactly $12.99 for it haha. But well worth it. I think my generation needs more music leaning in this direction.
And despite it borrowing heavily,so it seems, from other men's genius... for a band like this to at all succeed in imitating any of it, i think deserves honorable mention. I think if the Beatles heard this album now, i think they just might be flattered.
And again, i didnt think id EVER say such a thing.
For a pop/rock album....i give it 4 stars for its handful of memorable good tunes.
GOOD JOB, PANIC AT THE DISCO. GOOD EFFORT.
If you're reading this, chances are you're not one of this band's fans, but are likely a, shall we say, "more mature" music fan acting on a recommendation or a hunch. My quick tip is that if you like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, ELO, and other '60s and '70s-era orchestrated rock/pop music, you owe it to yourself to get this CD. It might take you a few listens to thank me, but I think you will. I think this is an important album in its own way, a brilliant album, inspired and beautiful. It's become one of my favorite albums.
Let's just say I'm waay outside this band's demographic--I'm 47, a rock musician for 30 years, and I tend to listen to "musician's music." I look for serious musicianship and songwriting, and I usually ignore emo and other teen styles. I can't stand Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Jet or Fall Out Boy. I bought this for my 13-year-old daughter for Christmas after hearing "Nine In the Afternoon" coming out of her room many times, and thinking it sounded pretty cool. I've still never heard their first CD, though I like the single. But since giving Pretty.Odd. a spin to see what the fuss was about, I must admit I am totally blown back by this album. It does walk a fine line between homage and copy-cat, but I guess it doesn't matter to me--I love it. I've been recommending it to all my musician buddies, and they're all loving it too. It's got all the sonic elements of a George Martin-produced mid-late period Beatles album, but with modern recording techniques and equipment. There have been so many "next Beatles" tags thrown out there by the media that I stopped paying attention years ago. All those promises faded into forgettable obscurity. But I think this one might stand the test of time--though unfortunately the band broke up not long after releasing it.
And that's a telling insight into the polarizing nature of this album. Even the band didn't agree on it. There are some haters out there, and they seem to come in two main categories: a) younger fans who can't stand that this isn't part 2 of their first album, and; b) people who think it's too much of a Beatles rip-off. And to be fair, there are plenty of Beatles tropes, from the "Get Back" beat of Pas De Cheval to the "Good Morning" horn section of Mad As Rabbits. The production by Rob Mathes is some of the best I've heard, far beyond a mere George Martin ripoff. Just Google the guy and check out his credits. This is a dude who has written piano arrangements for Ray Charles, cello arrangements for Yo Yo Ma, and vocal arrangements for Luciano Pavarotti, just to name a few. If you love the Beatles and think you might be offended by someone sounding like them, I guess this might not float your boat. But if you love the Beatles I think you've got to at least check this out to see for sure--to me the original sound of this band shines through, giving this album its own unique flavor and flair, but it's a sound you will be instantly comfortable with, like an old pair of Levi's. To my ear the orchestrations here are even more brilliant and well-integrated into the music than Martin's legendary work on Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour (both of which I've owned for many years, and am intimately familiar with). If you like an album that's full of well-crafted, evocative songs performed flawlessly, and augmented by visionary orchestral arrangement and production, you're gonna like Pretty.Odd. If you're curious what kind of album George Martin might make today if he had a cutting edge pop band at his disposal, look no further. This is an album full of instantly catchy toe-tapping songs, that also rewards repeated listenings with a ton of intriguing detail. I'm sure I'll still be listening to this one years, even decades from now.
So do yourself a favor, keep an open mind, and pick up a copy of this CD or download it to your Pod. This is a "headphones album," so throw on some good ones, relax and prepare for an experience. From the very first song you'll be transported to a friendly place you might have thought didn't exist any more--a happy, summery place where the colors are psychedelic and the music makes you smile. It's kind of old fashioned, sort of brand new. And all good. You'll be glad you tried it.
I dug "Fever you cant sweat out" . I thought it was fun and catchy and slightly different. It seems like they threw a lot of what they liked in the first record. They used big band themes, dance themes, punk themes. They didn't hold back. But unfortunately its also kind of forgettable at times. Don't get me wrong, i liked it but wasn't overly excited about their next record. Kind of thought they were going to go the way of rehashing the same sound and and really going more of the way of the catchy radio friendly stuff; cause lets face it, it sold really well. Then someone told me pretty odd came out. I went and checked it out and was completely surprised.
I was floored to hear songs that didn't sound like anything going on right now. They have crafted an album, that in my head is mature and honest. They grew up. Its not the same catchy pop they used to do. They explored a different side of music that isnt hidden behind loud guitars and thumping drums. They went or true songwriting. There is definitely a Beatlesesque tone to the record but who cares. Who hasn't gone that way at one point? In a lot of ways Panic! has reminded me that music is an art and not a business. Going in the direction they did is more punk rock than putting out "Fever you can't sweat out 2".
In a lot of ways this reminds me of my experience with the get up kids. I'm 29, so when the GUK announced that they were going to release their longly anticipated album "On a wire" i couldn't wait ( i was 22 at the time.) I had (and still am) a huge GUK fan. I loved everything they did. I got up early the day it came out, picked it up and put it on and got a band that i didn't recognize. It was folky. It was slow, it wasn't up beat. It wasn't even the GUK. I hated it. I swore it off. About a 2 years later i put it on and loved it. So all i'm saying is don't hate on the record. Put it away for a year or so then go back to it. It really will surprise you.
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