Black Holes & Revelations (Limited Edition CD+DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are wondering if Muse's fourth studio album - Black Holes and Revelations is good, let me assure you, it is not only good, it's bloody well GREAT.
I thank my son for turning me on to Muse. Honestly, they are about the only thing musically that we have agreed upon recently. We used to have some common likes in the nineties but both traveled different roads in Y2K, he going the Hip Hop route and I heading to Europe for a dose of Femme and Symphonic Metal.
Muse of course, is neither, although they are European (UK). In the case of Black Holes and Revelations, their music is so wildly varied it defies labeling. From the angelic, harpy sounding, bombastic lead song - "Take a Bow," to the catchy rock song with piano and a strong beat - "Starlight," to the funky bass driven sound and high pitched falsetto vocal of Matt Bellamy - "Supermassive Black Hole," one might suspect they were listening to three separate bands.
Following songs like the complex, involved - "Map of the Problematique," the short but sweet slow ballad - "Soldier's Poem," the spacey Floydish slow paced, building toward a crescendo - "Invincible," to the speedy guitar driven - "Assassin," would only reinforce the feeling of different bands playing different music but sharing the same lead singer.
"Exo-Politics," a medium speed, percussion led rock number, is followed by the wonderfully complex flamenco sounding, "City of Delusion." The flamenco influence continues in, "Hoodoo," but is interrupted by a strong classical and operatic intrusion of piano and vocals. The last song, "Knights of Cydonia," is a kaleidoscope of interesting sounds and Queenesque vocal harmonies, set to a galloping beat. It is close, but this gets my vote for best song.
Song Track List
1. Take A Bow (4:35)
2. Starlight (3:59)
3. Supermassive Black Hole (3:29)
4. Map of the Problematique (4:18)
5. Soldier's Poem (2:08)
6. Invincible (5:00)
7. Assassin (3:31)
8. Exo-Politics (3:53)
9. City Of Delusion (4:48)
10. Hoodoo (3:43)
11. Knights Of Cydonia (6:06)
Band Members
* Matthew Bellamy - guitar/vocals
* Chris Wolstenholme - bass
* Dominic Howard - drumsConclusion
It took four long years for the band to come up with a follow-up to there hit album, Absolution, but the wait was worth it. In my estimation, they not only equaled Absolution with Black Holes and Revelations but eclipsed it.
When listening to Muse I cannot help but make comparisons to the mega band of the eighties and nineties - Queen. Yes, there are definite similarities to that wondrous band: diverse, eclectic song writing, ranging from the simplistic to the grandiose; style and delivery are in many cases similar to Queen; composition and arrangements also resemble Queen and lastly their vocals and harmonizing again, remind me of Queen. Yet, with all the similarities they are so different. Yes they remind me of Queen but I didn't say the sound like Queen. Maybe a little here and there but overall, they're Muse.
Until now my favorite Muse album was Origin of Symmetry. I doubt whether I will get Black Holes and Revelations out of my Cd player for awhile. It's not the kind of album that gets old very fast - five stars.

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In 2004, U.K. favorite Muse broke through in the U.S. with Absolution and major performances across America that won legions of new fans. In 2006, Muse takes a bold new step with Black Holes And Revelations, a powerful, upbeat epic album that takes the band’s music to a whole dimension. Once again co-produced by Rich Costey (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Muse incorporates influences from electronica and Prince to pure pop. The album is sure to be a revelation to those still unfamiliar with the 2005 Brit award winner for Best Live Act who headlines this summer’s Reading and Leeds festivals. LIMITED EDITION: The added DVD features their headlining show at the Glastonbury festival. Artwork for the regular and limited edition was designed by Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin).

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The Resistance (CD/DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been obsessed with Muse since Origin of Symmetry and I'll have to say this cd worried me when I first heard Uprising before it's release. First off, a little background for me. I play in an instrumental prog/experimental band and run a small recording studio. Other bands I adore are Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Dredg, and Sigur Ros to name a few...
With that said, Absolution is my favorite Muse hands down. I was slightly bummed by the direction the last album took and was unsure of the future of Muse. HAARP rid me of my fears there.
The Resistance (after many listens) is a huge step in a new direction that they were only pointing at with Black Holes and Revelations. The problem with this album is its song placement and short length for this wide array of styles. If they wanted to really explore each of these areas and sounds, then I believe another 15 minutes or so divided between each style would help solidify this album and make it their cornerstone.
Uprising - This is a good track but no way to start off the cd. This song does not represent the rest of the album at all even if it is powerful and catchy with a great sing-along chorus
The Resistance - The first track that caught my ears on the cd, the title track is definitely a standout with an even balance of creativity and catchiness. I relate this track to Map of the Problematique off their last cd, until the prechorus where it reverts into a style not heard since Absolution. Great bass work on this song.
Undisclosed Desires - the most underrated track on the cd. As poppy as this track seems on the first listen, it is an incredibly gutsy track to add to the disk.. This really reminds me of something from Thom Yorke's Eraser cd, on steroids...with a more glammy Matt Bellamy flair to it. I actually realllly like this track when I don't think of it in the context of the rest of the album. If there were some sort of lead in/out tracks for this it would possibly make more sense and be more at home on the album.
United States of Eurasia - Love this track. It has all those Muse elements that everyone has loved throughout their career. There is the definite Queen influence here, but it was just as noticeable on Knights of Cydonia... Never-the-less its still an amazingly good and epic track. What other rock band uses Chopin? seriously people...
Guiding Light - Eh, it's ok. By no means a bad track, but nothing i'm going to write home about. It does its job.. fill the spot after United States of Eurasia when you are still thinking...what the hell just happened?!?
Unnatural Selection - New Born?? catchy tho.
I Belong to You - A strong look at their earlier work with a fun break in the intensity, the French is a nice addition as well. Fun track.
Exogenesis Symphony - THIS IS THE MUSE I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR! as the Overture begins I feel that there is something amazing getting ready to happen.. and it does.. from Matt Bellamy's own excellent orchestrations to the chord progression to his falsetto melody over the top.. this track is incredible. The second and third pieces are perfectly done as well. This is the set of tracks that should've been the big centerpiece to this album to really wow fans. Instead it is tacked on the end like some last minute stroke of genius.
If I were setting up the track listing here to make this a successful disk, here's what we'd be looking at
United States of Eurasia
Resistance
Guiding Light
Exogenesis Symphony 1,2,3
Uprising
MK Ultra
I Belong to You
Unnatural Selection
but thats just me.... however, after several listens, certain parts of this album are my favorite things Muse has ever done, other tracks could have at least been better placed..
I am pleased with this addition to my Muse collection and will continue to support one of the best bands the world has seen in a very long time.

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Special CD+DVD version: DVD contains 30 minute 'Making Of' the album. Following seven years of near solid touring, Muse escalated from being the biggest band in Teignmouth in 1997 to one of the biggest bands in Europe by 2004. With each successive album, they pushed the musical envelope with a fusion of progressive rock, electronica, and Radiohead-influenced experimentation, creating an emotive, passionate sound. Muse's reputation as one of the best live rock bands in the world is well deserved with their exhilirating live performances drewing critical acclaim, industry buzz, and a loyal and rabid fan base.

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H.a.a.R.P. Tour-Live from Wembley Review

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(More customer reviews)HAARP is the answer to the question of why Muse scoops just about every single "best live act" award that they are nominated for. We're talking about a band that has been able to master every single aspect of live entertainment on a career that has spanned over the past 10 years.
Being lucky enough to witness Muse on stage 6 times, I have to say that their performance never gets boring, and it's never short of fascinating. Matt Bellamy's voice, guitar riffs and distortions bring all that on-stage magic, backed of course by the stunning drum performance of Dom Howard, and the brilliant bass lines and backing vocals of Chris Wolstenholme.
Anyone who's been lucky enough to witness the Muse live experience knows that it's powerful, over the top, and enchanting.
In other words, Muse makes U2 look like Hannah Montana.
I truly wanted to give this DVD a 5 star review, but the only thing that stops me from doing so is the lack of extra features. Certain songs from the performance on the night of June 17th are missing, as well as songs from the 16th that weren't played on the 17th, including:
- Sing For Absolution
- Bliss
- City of Delusion
- Citizen Erased
- Sunburn
- Man of Mystery
- Microcuts
Let's just hope that we will be able to witness these performance, on a Blu-Ray release of HAARP.
Nevertheless HAARP could easily be considered among the best concert DVD releases ever.

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CD/DVD (NTSC/Region 0 pressing.) The DVD features the entire concert performed at the New Wembley Stadium, Londonfor two unprecented Sold Out shows on June 16th and 17th, 2007 that are increasing recognised as amongst the definitive live moments of the year. Muse were the first band to take the stage at the stadium since its redevelopment: Now those who were amongst the 150,000 lucky ones and those who couldn't get tickets can relive these events with the release of a brand new CD/DVD packageof the shows featuring the huge hits from 2006's Global Hit album, Black Hoes and Revelations, as well as Muse classics including 'Plug In Baby', 'Time is Running Out', 'Feeling Good', 'Hysteria', 'New Born' and others.

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Muse: Hullabaloo Live at Le Zenith, Paris Review

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(More customer reviews)The quest for world domination continues. Here is Muse's third instalment of progressive, heavy rock. This time it's a double CD of B-sides and live songs. First, the B-sides. It must be said that Muse have a fairly set sound, and a lot of their songs sound fairly similar. Upon closer inspection, you will notice that it is mainly Matt Bellamy's voice that causes this effect. This is more evident that ever on the B-sides album. Many of these songs experiment further away from their album tracks. Opener Forced In is spaced out and eerie rather than in-your-face, and Map of Your Head is a sprightly, major-chord formed ditty, complete with medieval acoustic guitar, yet Matt Bellamy's voice causes them to sound like trademark Muse all the same.
There's no denying it, Muse's B-sides are not as strong as their album tracks, generally. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Whilst it does mean that this B-side album is nowhere near as good as last year's Origin of Symmetry, it at least means that they are selecting the right tracks for their albums. In this way B-sides albums are a bit of a no-win situation: if they are only average, they are criticised as substandard and if they are excellent the band are criticised for not making them album tracks.
Not that there aren't good efforts here. The aforementioned Map of Your Head is very enjoyable, whilst Shrinking Universe is classic Muse and standout Nature_1 has the strongest tune on the CD. Generally though, this collection doesn't bear the killer hooklines that Origin of Symmetry, or, indeed, Showbiz did, whilst being enjoyable and worth owning, so CD1 gets 3 stars.
The live CD is a different matter. Muse are an intense band. Everything about their music is intense. And intense bands are excellent live. Muse are no exception. Live CDs tend to either be interesting variations on the recorded versions with added intensity but played comparatively poorly, with the singer missing notes, or well played, but no different to the studio recordings. Here Muse manage to avoid either trap, managing to sound live and intense while playing very professionally.
Here you can hear how well the trio work together, with bass more audible than on studio recordings, as they sometimes hit little periods of improvisation. Variations are added to the songs: the guitar riff on Muscle Museum is made more complex, while Micro Cuts is taken at a faster and more natural pace, and epics Citizen Erased and Megalomania hit their peaks and valleys with even more passion than on Origin of Symmetry: one of the finest moments of Hullabaloo being as Citizen Erased quietens down after its loudest sections, with Matt Bellamy beautifully handling the vocals, in a wonderfully exhausted sort of way.
It is credit to Bellamy's fantastic singing that he can manage the incredibly high notes and difficult techniques just as easily live as in the studio. The only time he seems slightly pressed is on recent non-album single Dead Star, though this is fully explainable by the fact that they had not actually recorded it at the time, and so had not benefited from the producer's input over how the song should sound, and they are evidently not quite done working on it at the time of the recording. Still, even this track is fantastic. Therefore, CD2 is nothing short of brilliant, and it gets 4 1/2 stars.

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For Your Entertainment Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me begin by saying that I have never in all [nearly] 30 years of my musical fandom bought an album by anyone remotely associated with the corporate machine called American Idol.
But then... there is Adam Lambert. This man's mere existence invalidates everything. He's like the glittery lovechild of Velvet Goldmine and Edward Scissorhands, ridiculous, offensive, and intelligent all at once, and he has somehow landed in the hands of mainstream America. Oh, and he can sing his face off, as evidenced by this record.
Seeing as other music snobs have likely been blindsided in a simlilar way, I have decided to write not a traditional review, but a reassurance of sorts. A manual of how to handle an album you thought you'd never find yourself buying. Sort of like an unsuspecting Adam-addict's AA meeting.
-Expect to get 'Music Again' and/or 'Sure Fire Winners' stuck in your head for entire work-shifts at a time. Don't fight it - just run with it. When someone asks why you're grinning, shrug and continue humming.
-It's completely normal to get very turned on during the title track and have to take a cold shower afterwards.
-You're not flaming, flaky, or shallow for digging 'If I Had You'. It's shameless Euro-dance-pop, sure, but the vocals are all real, and the bridge screams of surrender. Just give in.
-'Aftermath' is cheesier than a block of packaged Velveeta, but as long as you relate the lyrical sentiment to something powerful in your own life, you'll feel less retarded for screaming along. 'Sleepwalker' is similar - an excuse to show off Adam's `sad voice'. And his sad voice is, well, effectively sad. Don't listen to this if you've been drinking or you might drive your car into a ditch.
-Speaking of driving, never, ever, under any circumstances, play the fist-pumping anthem 'Fever' in your car, unless you are sober and fully parked. Otherwise you run the risk of completely ignoring the road and ramming into some poor unsuspecting pedestrian who will only wonder why you won't stop headbanging long enough to get out of the car and survey the scene.
-'Broken Open' carves out the kind of emotional hole that should be reserved for indie film tragedies. Remember how it's always nearly impossible to take a song seriously once a modulation happens? Forget that rule. The key change here only makes you hurt harder. Another one to avoid while drunk - late-night listenings could lead to unintelligible journal entries best left to the imagination.
-The fuzzy atmosphere of 'Pick U Up' could fill a smiley-faced balloon and float it away. Feeling down? Put this on. Adam's gleeful laugh at the end melts frost like a hot bath. And while you're taking a bath... have a foolproof formula for relaxation: a glass of wine plus `A Loaded Smile'.
-One should never be above histrionics and random emo moments, as evidenced by the hysterical opening chords and subsequent calm of 'Soaked', as well as the Radiohead-like breakdown shoved into the middle of the anthemic 'Strut'.
-You know it's a good album when the likes of 'Whataya Want From Me' sound like filler. Don't worry about it - one 'meh' out of thirteen 'woo's ain't bad.
-And finally-- yes, 'Time for Miracles' at the end actually works. After this emotionally taxing funhouse of a record, the whole `ain't giving up' theme feels really good, like a cold cheap beer after a long day.
FYE may not be the best album I've ever bought - but it's certainly the most satisfying.

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2009 album from the first runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol. Immediately following his participation on American Idol, Lambert began writing collaborating with predominant Pop hit makers such as Lady GaGa, Greg Wells, Max Martin, Linda Perry, RedOne, Ryan Tedder, Sam Sparro, Kara DioGuardi and P!nk. The album features 'Soaked', written by Matthew Bellamy of Muse and 'Music Again' written by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. Lambert also co-wrote four of the songs on the album: 'Strut', 'Aftermath', 'Pick U Up' and 'Broken Open'. The album includes the hit single 'Time For Miracle' from the blockbuster motion picture 2012.

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