Disco de The Polyphonic Spree: “The Beginning Stages of...The Polyphonic Spree”

This has got to be one of the most original recordings I have heard in ages. I first caught the end of one of their songs on a TV show in the UK (Later with Jools Holland) and I was captivated, though it is only now that I have managed to get hold of the CD and listen to it all. Some have said that this is just hippie twaddle, but it is fantastic uplifting tunes, with a truly amazing sound. The first time I heard It's the Sun at full volume I was blown away. This is music to be played loud. I think that the next CD is going to be better and a little more formed but for now this will do. But I have to only give this 4 stars. Though the songs are great, Section 10 Long Day is self-indulgent avant gard stuff. I have tried to hear what some reviewer hear, but I can't. But nine great tracks can't be bad.

The Extra CD on the US release is a must, as there is a great live performance of Have a Day/It's the Sun, which might even be better than the Original.

Ah, Texas... there's something about the place that inspires this kind of stuff. Anyhoo, to those who might be thinking "OK, why, when we already have early ELO, the Beach Boys' SMILE (almost nearly compiled within the context of the GOOD VIBRATIONS box set), everything by the Cowsills, Pink Floyd's ATOM HEART MOTHER, and Jellyfish's SPILT MILK, do we need this?", I'd answer "why not?". Yes, just about everything here has been done by someone before. But the concept of assembling a full-blown band/orchestra-and-multi-voiced-chorus specifically for the purpose of performing this type of material is pretty darn cool.

'Have A Day' and 'Soldier Girl' (the stand-out tracks, IMHO) are basically blissed-out sing-alongs, and I mean that as utter praise, similar to the giddy rush you get from singing along to the coda of "Hey Jude". These are not songs as much as they are chants: invocations of good cheer, if you will. There's not much lyrical depth here, because it simply isn't necessary. If Brian Wilson yearned to write 'Teenage Symphonies to God', then these are 'Schoolyard Jingles to Everybody', a series of incantations (literally... look the word up) designed to conjure up a smile and a bit of inner peace. If that makes them hippies, or worse, a musical version of a cult, whatever... I guess Texas is still breeding hippies then. Doesn't bother me a bit... quite the opposite, actually, if these are the results.

...yet they did it anyways. In a land filled with pop music that is worthless and canned, this is a great album to defy the critics. The band consists of at least a couple dozen people playing french horns, kettle drums, steel guitar, and an entire choir. At times it can sound slightly overwhelming, but the brightness and fun of the album really takes you over and gives us what we are looking for. With the amount of melancholy and sadness that seems to go with music these days, it is amazing to see a band (not made of 5 hot dudes, or 1 sleazy chick) sing about being happy, and sing about the sun!!?!? This album is not for everbody, but surely if you are a music fan, then you are for this album.

The Polyphonic Spree are now known more for their image than their music -- an upbeat choir in white robes. Not that their music is bad. But while their hit debut "Beginning Stages Of..." is an enjoyable slice of spacey choral pop, its status as a collection of demo songs exposes that it is not quite up to par in places.

"Section 1 (Have A Day - Celebratory)" opens the album on a gentle, somewhat downbeat note that belies the rest of the album. Most of it is sunny to the point of saccharine like the bright horns and wails of "Suuuuuuuun!" that come in "Section 2 (It's The Sun)," the lightweight "Section 3 (Days Like This Keep Me Warm)," and the half-polished finale "Reach For The Sun."

But along the way, they do have some deviations from form -- "La" is a discordant if fun little track, and the wispy "Section 5 (Middle of the Day)" is just a meandering little foghorn song that never figures out what it wants to be, and ends up as nothing. "Soldier Girl" is perhaps the most engaging song on the album, and also the most complex -- woo-woo electronic effects, simple lyrics, and a fuzzy finale.

It is possible to take "Beginning Stages Of..." seriously despite their dancing, white robes and odes to the sun -- I mean, David Bowie did it. Admittedly it's not too easy. But musically while "Beginning Stages Of..." is not nearly as good as their sophomore album "Sometimes We're Heavy," it is a pleasant listen.

Former Tripping Daisy Tim Delaughters does a pretty good job with his androgynous vocals, although it helps that he is backed by a few dozen other people. They're not too good at harmony or sticking together, though. And the less said about the ultra-simplistic lyrics, the better -- okay, life is good, cheer up, whatever.

If the vocals are only so-so, the instrumentation is quite good. Horns and percussion are the most prominent, with the brass adding a brighter note to the airy strings and mellow guitar. There is also what sounds like a flute and a xylophone on "Section 1 (Have A Day - Celebratory)," which add to the childlike feel of the music.

Some listeners who prefer less sunny music may get all blissed out by this album, and the polished demos aren't as good as they could have been. But "Beginning Stages Of..." is a pleasant bit of neo-hippie pop.

When I heard this band on a few stations, I thought they would be a powerful, optimistic fusion of Sigur Ros and the Flaming Lips (if you could imagine that). I picked up the CD, and yeah, I did like it, but it didn't meet my expectations.

When I saw that the CD had a nearly 40-minute track at the end (Long Day), I was hoping for a beautiful session of music that would utilize the talent of the 20+ members of this group. I was hoping for a great track that could be on in the background, but instead, it's a self-indulgent throw-away track filled with bleeps and sounds that would make even Radiohead turn in disgust. Without this last track, I would have given the CD three stars. Hopefully, they will have grown more for the next album.