Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 12:30:28 -0500 From: "Gil Gershman (GuerillaG/TooKranky)" (TooKrnky@AOL.COM) Subject: Lucid/After the Flood AND MORE!!!(was AP Comparisons) The new Tortoise, "Millions Now Living Will Never Die", is nothing short of extraordinary. Words really fail to describe how the initially-intriguing Tortoise has progressed. The "Rhythms, Resolutions, and Clusters" remixes hinted at something like this - but a track like "DJed" could almost be the 2nd birth of the still neonatal out-rock scene. To paraphrase Simon Reynolds, it's a perfect blend of human sweat and studio trickery. Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 15:32:53 -0500 From: Jeffrey Timothy Jacob (tjacob@EMORY.EDU) Subject: Tortoise reviewed By Sean Moore Creative Loafing Atlanta, GA 3/2/96 In his recent work with Jim O'Rourke and Gastr del Sol, Tortoise drummer/"recorder"/mixer John McIntire has pursued an abstruse muse whose reference points are often elliptical and enigmatic, whereas the instrumental mise-en-scene of his Chicago quintet's records -- millions now living being the third -- vividly connects with the impressionistic imagery-flow of memory and dream-state common to most. Within the band's wistful and seductive sonic prisms, the familiar and the alien intertwine -- such as a martial snare drum whose identity is disguised by a cloak of warm static or the amorphous blips of a subterranean moog curling around an answering-machine recording of a child's birthday gift report -- all of which reveal an evocative essence which is profoundly beautiful and, in the end, life affirming. Laboring anonymously while propagating The Vibration over The Word, Tortoise liquefies the autocratic dominion of front-man/ vocalist favoring contrapuntal bass guitars, vintage electric keyboards (including prototype samplers), vibraphones/marimbas, and the taut rhythmic infrastructure provided by McIntire. Rather than ignore the crackling reality that surrounds them, theyaccept the limitations of "notes" and "instruments" within the digitally-coded noise of the megalopolis, though they refuse to abandon them entirely, crisscrossing the intrinsic qualities of these aging tools with their mutation into input devices supplying raw material for post-performance alchemy. Galvanized by electronica, dub, prog-rock's lighter moments, Hank Shocklee, and soundtrack savant Bernard Hermann, the band perpetually shifts emphasis and drops oddities in and out of the mix in an egalitarian give and take in which nothing is superfluous and all is elastic. Like a masked scientist decimating Braille postcards, the bands freedom from literal expression invigorates the visual possibilities of painterly sound, as evocative song titles --"Dear Grandma and Grandpa", "Along the Banks of Rivers," etc. -- become picture frames for snapshots that are ever-so-lightly out of focus but nonetheless identifiable. Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 16:20:54 -0700 From: Jens Alfke (jens@MOOSEYARD.COM) Subject: Re: tortoise I've been meaning to review Tortoise's "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" so here goes... The 21-minute "Djed" is great stuff, an epic that starts with squelchy AFX-style percussion noises and moves through Stereolab/Neu-style drone, tweaky dub, gamelan and a mix of other styles. Lots of great Moog sounds throughout, and classic dub moments where a particular noise suddenly flares up, loops and takes over everything else. The only weak point of this track is the dated-sounding electric piano solo atop the Stereolabby section. The other tracks are a mixed bag. Several go into semi-funky jams in weird time signatures. Call me an old fart, but these remind me unpleasantly of the weaker side of '70s prog-rock. One thing I keep noticing in several tracks is that Tortoise are _excellent_ at creating interestingly fucked-up noises and jams, but are weak at actual melody lines. "Dear Grandma and Grandpa" is mostly the former, and it's very nice even if it doesn't really go anywhere. "Along the Banks Of Rivers" has what's actually a fairly nice guitar lead, even if it reminds me somewhat of slow '50s instrumental rock (think "Spooky".) It's got a jazzy Bark Psychosis kind of sound to it. >From the hype I'd been expecting more obviously Stereolab-like stuff; all there is of that is a few minutes in "Djed". There's lots of antique synth action but Tortoise do a lot more with it than the novelty squiggles that Stereolab use. One major reference point for me is Eno's early work -- a few of the tracks here remind me a lot of "Another Green World". I don't know if I can really recommend the album wholeheartedly. I like "Djed" a lot, but most of the rest is not living up to its potential. See if you can find it used, or listen to it before you buy. __________ ___________________ ________________________ Jens Alfke OpenDoc Optimizator jens@apple.com [work] jens@mooseyard.com [play] to wound the autumnal city. So howled out to the world to give him a name. _____________________________ http://www.mooseyard.com/Jens