The Unstable Molecule

Artist: Isotope 217
Label: Thrill Jockey
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 790377004922
EAN: 0790377004922
ASIN: B000008TKK

Release Date: 1997-11-04

The Unstable Molecule

Related Categories:

General

| Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock

| Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Experimental Rock

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Experimental Music

| Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Kryptonite Smokes The Red Line
Beneath The Undertow
La Jetee
Phonometrics
Prince Namor
Audio Boxing

Similar Items:

Utonian Automatic
Who Stole the I Walkman?
Axis and Alignment
Slon
Flamethrower

Customer Reviews:

a very stable molecule............2001-01-11

.....i really like this cd a lot. it combines very heavy free jazz with the universal indie rock sound of chicago. although i could pretty much guess what this sounded like before i heard it, i'm very excited about the outcome. it's very laid back and soothing while at the same time exciting and new. i love the usage of the bass in these songs. some even have really kickin' beats(always a plus for me). this music sounds like what a lot of dj's try to portray when they spin, but you get it here in a live band. check out the songs, "kryptonite smokes the red line" for it's mellow drones and cool vibes. "la jetee" for it's smooth beats and nice groove. "phonometrics" for the funk. all in all a very solid album. give it a try, you won't be let down.....

Sorry, but I just can't get that excited by this!.......2000-12-12

I'm happy that the reviewers here find so much in this release but I think it needs a contrasting review to warn others (like me!) who might be tempted to dive in based solely on their recommendations.

If you (like me!) are old enough to have lived through the courtship of jazz and rock in the late sixties, this release does not sound that special. To give you some signposts, I am reminded at various times of Zappa's "Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue", King Crimson's "Happy Family" and Manfred Mann Chapter Three's first album. All of these, interestingly, date from 1969/70. There's even some wah-wah guitar on one track.

There are some modern touches, of course; the overall feel is probably best described as "post-jazz" in the same way that the laid-back "noodle-music" Thrill Jockey tends to release is categorised as "post-rock". At this stage, I can't accept this as a milestone release musically. That's not to say that it may not be influential in some way, of course.

I've docked them an extra star for the length - 31 minutes for an effectively full price release. I see the Japanese version manages to include two more tracks which double the album length! What's the story?

accesible, brilliant, and fun.......2000-08-12

this cd has basically all the good qualities of a high-quality jazz album with all the brilliance of the percussion that we have come to expect from tortoise. even if it is only 31 minutes long, it is the type of album that catches your ear the first time you hear it and then continues to impress you for years to come, as its more subtle elements will impress you ever time you listen to it. even if you don't like jazz, think tortoise are excellent but boring musicians, and hate instrumental music, you will still enjoy this record because it is just that good. a warning in closing; the other two albums by isotope 217 are NOT as accesible as this one, so although i would advise you to buy this one without even hearing it first, borrow the others from someone first (or listen to them quite a few times from this site) because they do not have the immediate album of this album even though they are equally good.

Another approach to revitalize the Jazz idiom.......2000-03-31

Isotope 217, another outfit coming from the incredibly fertile grounds of Chicago, offers in this release a near-perfect formula to translate the vast Jazz heritage to contemporary styles. The mix of intimate, confessional jazz passages with electronic collages met a rare balance in this recording, thanks to an extremelly competent production. Rob Mazurek's work on cornet only enhances the final product, and the transitions between old an new are seamless. This proves that bringing jazz to new audiences can be done without the poor pastiche concocted by the mundane acid-jazz crowd. Give it a try, you'll be surprised.

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Northern Song ~ Steve Tibbetts

The Stanley Dance Sessions ~ Coleman Hawkins

Great Original Performances 1923-1930 ~ King Oliver

Hands On ~ Paul Bley

Sapphire ~ Stu Williamson

Gerry Meets Hamp ~ Gerry Mulligan

Svenska Party Hits ~ Various Artists

Day By Day ~ Betie & Stef

Momentos ~ Emilio & Eduardo

Douglas Sampa ~ Douglas Sampa