[.ca] Transient Random...

Amazon.com essential recording:
On Stereolab's first proper American full-length, the group skillfully dissects past musical genres and recombines them in their own Dr. Moreau-like sonic laboratory-garage. The recording is among Stereolab's least labored, most groove-oriented efforts. There are experiments like the French-pop-flavored "Pack Yr Romantic Mind," but it's mostly a lovely, loud, decadent '90s rock record. The song titles reference obscure equipment, the sounds are made with arcane instruments, the repetitive guitar work is directly lifted from Michael Rother, and the cover image pledges devotion to vinyl (the musical obscurantist's medium of choice), but somehow the band never comes off as snobbish. Stereolab's music would not only spawn dozens of imitators, but the very stuff they drew inspiration from (Esquivel, Can, Moondog, Os Mutantes) was suddenly the starting point for any self-respecting hipster's record collection. More important, it totally rocks ("Our Trinitone Blast") while beaming sunny vibes ("Jenny Ondioline"). --Mike McGonigal

sunny summertime alterna-pop with a shoegazer edge:
Heard alot about this great band, but never dove into them until I got this record. It's the perfect combination between Sonic Youth-style alternative rock and any electronics-lead groove band high on the keyboards. It shifts between My Bloody Valentine-esque emotional oubursts like "Tone Burst" and "Lock Groove Lullaby" and "Our Trinitone Blast", amazing complex noisy epics ("Jenny Ondioline", an 18 minute plus classic), slightly poppy beuats ("Pack Yr. Romatic Mind" is a beautiful French-flavored samba, "I'm Going Out Of My Way" is peppy and catchy in the more accessible Stereolab fashion) and various experiments between repetitive Kraftwerk-style krautrock ("Analogue Rock") and emotive drifters with a a transcendental Brian Eno minimalist touch ("Pause"). But forget all that pretentious mumbo jumbo I just said. Simply put, this is a great record; Stereolab are one of those bands that can be both pop catchy/radio friendly and experimentally quirky, which often works against them cause their lush pop sounds are often too weird for the masses. I don't think they've ever gotten above underground cult status, and now they're devoted totally to being experimental. But nevermind that. With spring upon us now and summer on the way, this is an awesome record to play on those existential road trips and chill hangout sessions.

not close to their best release:
but still good in its own right. this song has a few very good songs on it, like crest, pack yr romantic mind, our trinitone blast, and the last song (that great melody comes up at the end of the 8th track as well and is a breath of fresh air). but mostly it represents an aspect of stereolab i dont like, which also comes up in their "space age bachelor pad music" album. while some people call this "decadence", i think thats a rather slick synonym for "repetitive". this cd is definitely not one you can listen to closely and enjoy from beginning to end. i mean, one song is almost 20 minutes long and is basically 1 chord throughout. no changes for 20 minutes. dont get me wrong, i am a huge stereolab fan and have seen them live (theyre great live, but mary hansen is dead now). one of the great things about later stereolab is how the songs daringly change to something you would have never imagined possible at the onset of the song, like jazz in a way. i really tried to love this album since i paid for it new, but i cant like it nearly as much as mars audiac quintet or dots and loops, both of which i have never paid for. those are the essential 'lab albums, with emperor tomato ketchup trailing closely behind.

Outstanding:
This was my introduction to the wonderful world of Stereolab. A great album which combines various desperate elements to make a powerfull sonic cocktail. My favorite track is JENNY ONDIOLINE, an 18 minute song that includes enough ideas for a whole album. It has to heard to be beleived.

One of their Best:
Before they plunged into boring repitition, they put out this beauty of repititious majesty. This album is an incredible testament to the band when they were still functioning as a neo-garage, fuzz-rock band with cocktail leanings. Before they were rounded, waxed, buffed, and minimized to their current shiny selves they put out this mind-blowing beauty of long, fuzzy, Can via the Modern Lovers classics.

Magnificent perfection:
I heard this album on its release and was slow to take to it due to the fact it's a departure from the sunny moogy pop of their earliest stuff. I wondered at it, at the odd sleeve and at the spiky and angular sounds. To this day I still wonder at it but its allure grew and continues to grow. It is the one Stereolab album that could be called "noisy" which is a style they do so very well. Most striking are the changes in mood between tracks - "Golden Ball" is a dark, brooding nightmare and "Pack Yr Romantic Mind" is bright and breezy. "Analogue Rock" is pure krautrock-inspired genius and "Our Trinitone Blast" is - well, God knows what it is - an experiment, I suppose, but, like everything else on this disc, a very successful one. The album's centerpiece is, of course, the thrilling 18-plus minutes of "Jenny Ondioline" - less a song than a ride you will enjoy taking over and over and over as it pulses and surges along. They changed directions a couple of times after releasing this gem before settling on a jazzier and less noisy sound, which is of course disappointing, if only from the standpoint that the sound is more one-dimensional these days. On this, however, their major-label debut, they pushed in many directions, tried new and different things, and made a good old-fashioned racket for the one and only time. I continue to be awed by this disc; if only other bands could be as uncompromising and brilliant on their big label debuts!

• Tone Burst
• Our Trinitone Blast
• Pack Yr Romantic Mind
• I'm Going Out of My Way
• Golden Ball
• Pause
• Jenny Ondioline
• Analogue Rock
• Crest
• Lock-Groove Lullaby