Those are the blue men from the Blue Man Group, surprisingly not having the plural form of ‘man’ in the band name.

Track list

1. Above
2. Time to Start
3. Sing Along
4. Up to the Roof
5. Your Attention
6. Persona
7. Piano Smasher
8. White Rabbit
9. The Current
10. Shadows, Pt. 2
11. What Is Rock
12. The Complex
13. I Feel Love
14. Exhibit 13

Genre

Experimental rock

Release

April 22, 2003

Label

Lava/Atlantic

Background Information

The Blue man group has to be one of the most known experimental groups around in pop culture. Part of it is certainly because their experimental side is more oriented on the instrumentation than on the composition. This permits them to make really accessible music, often with a new sound, and if you have the chance to see them live, a surprising vision. Indeed, their instruments made out of PVC often impress, like the current photo shows.

I will also just add this youtube video about their song Sing Along with Dave Matthews to describe them.

My Opinion

The Blue Man group use most of their custom made instruments to percussive purposes, backing up a more pop-like music. Above introduces the album in a similar manner, being highly rhythmic over anything. The piece gets more and more intense as a prelude to the intro song Time to Start which introduces the concepts of Rock Concert Movements, around wich the album’s tour is based.

In my opinion, the narrative voice is well suited for a live show, but it’s out if its element on the disc version. Not too bad, because Sing Along (with dave Matthews) follows, and I must say that it’s one of the best tracks on there (it’s also why I chose it as the previously linked video). The PVC instruments (as well as boat antennas) are sounding much better in this arrangement in terms of ambiance and general feeling.

There are many other collaborations on the album, namely Up to the Roof, featuring Tracy Bonham, Persona with Josh Haden, White Rabbit ft. Esthero, I feel love supported by Venus Hum, The Current with Gavin Rossdale, Shadows, Pt. 2 (where the hell is Pt. 1?) with Rob Swift and Tracy Bonham. Finally, there’s What is Rock featuring Peter Moore and Arone Dyer, the former also participating in The Complex. I will admit not knowing a single of these names. That’s not a big problem, because it sincerely takes nothing away from the album to my foreigner ear. Good News.

I do believe that the Blue Man Group must be seen live over being listened (a lot of their concepts are more entertaining and impressive when seen), but the invited artists permit the album to gain in diversity so you don’t need all the visuals to still enjoy it.

Piano Smasher is an interesting piece based around the instrument that bears the same name.

The Piano Smasher is a piano stripped down to its frame and stood up on its side. It is played by hitting the strings with a large soft mallet, resulting in a clangy, almost discordant sound. In live performances, this instrument is generally played with a MIDI system, using sensors behind the strings, as the instrument goes out of tune very quickly. Each Piano Smasher is tuned to only one note, as it would be otherwise impossible to get anything resembling a musical tone from the instrument. (source)

The track is filled with soulless percussions spiced up with Piano Smasher hits, and that’s about it for the song. Interesting nonetheless.

The Current Is almost completely at the opposite of Piano Smasher, really more intense. The same kind of intensity stays until the end with compositions like What is Rock.

Conclusion

The Complex is a good effort from the Blue Man Group. I feel I could get tired of it fast enough, but it’s worth a listening once in a while. The inventive capacities they use live are transported relatively well to this recording, and I’ll finish this review by saying that it’s certainly worth a try.

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Category: Reviews