[.ca] Space Age Bachelor Pad Music

From Amazon.com:
The Groop Played Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music, an odd and hypnotic mini-album, represents the point where Stereolab ceased to be simply another ultrahip London band. Their twin influences, Neu!-style trance-rock and easy-listening pop, still hadn't quite fused by this point, existing side-by-side rather than coalescing, but the whole thing sounds smooth and assured, with the charm and confidence of a group well aware they've hit on the kind of good idea that'll last them for years. They made better records than Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music, but this is where it really began, and it has a freshness and life of its own. --Taylor Parkes

lovely:
Don't listen to Stereolab fans. A good review from a Stereolab fan means that an album makes good background music while cooking, dancing, or talking--in other words, a beat to listen to + music to completely ignore. They love fluff, and almost all of Stereolab's albums provide it in quantity. The band has an unfortunate ration of cheese/fluff to musical merit, but at the same time, they reliably place at least one positively sublime track on every album. There are exceptions of course--Emperor Tomato deserves it's reputation for its startling originality, and Switched On is powerful though simple, and completely fluff-free. This one belongs with those. It's lighter, but don't be misguided by the title. It's not "lounge" music, it is thankfully free from the emptyheaded groovy tripe that so often overwhelms the band. This one, like the earliest albums, owes more to the Velvet Underground. It's VU element is quite subtle, but the connection is unmistakable--perhaps moreso than on any other album. But it is nonetheless quintessentially Stereolab, and not a dull rehashing of the VU. This is no masterpiece--it's a bit of a stretch to say that any of their albums are--but it's a strong, lovely album, and certainly belongs among their best--Emperor Tomato, Switched On, and Transient Random.

No Bachleor Pad Music Here:
Don't let the cover fool you.............if your looking for some chill music..........get dots and loops

It may take getting use to, but its well worth it.:
Listening to this CD is like meeting an old friend and wondering later why you lost touch with them. On my first few listens of this CD I thought I had bought a real stinker and put it aside for quite awhile. Then, after listening to 'Mars Audiac Quintet' again recently (which is a great 'Lab' CD!) I decided to give 'Space Age' another try. Well, the second time around was a pleasant surprise and I'm glad I found this music again. Clearly first impressions are not always the most accurate. There are many things that I now like about this CD. The CD is organized like a vinyl record album with the music divided into Sides One and Two. Side One juxtaposes several beautiful vocal melodies with quirky yet very pleasing techno melodies. 'Avant Garde M.O.R.', 'The Groop Play Chord X' and 'Ronco Symphony' have great vocalizations that remind me of the band 'The Cowboy Junkies'. 'Bachelor Pad Music' Mellow' and 'Foamy' versions are techno instrumentals interspersed between the afore mentioned vocal tracks. Side Two then beautifully blends Laetitia Sadier's great vocals with the bands techno drone with wonderful results such as in the CD's last track 'We're Not Adult Oriented (Neu Wave Live)'. This CD accomplished a lot with only 28 minutes of music, but I think every minute is excellent. What I also like about this CD - and the band in general - is the titles of their songs. They give the music odd titles that evoke a 2001 Space Odyssey mood. I also like the mod techno computer artwork that adorns the CD case of this and other albums like 'Dots and Loops' and 'Mars Audiac Quintet'. Again it evokes a fun retro Space Age kind of theme.

Grup:
An odd collection of ultra-ironic lounge music recorded with analogue synthesizers, guitars, some microphones, a tape recorder, a mixing desk and some singing, basically the standard stuff that music is done with, but done differently as Stereolab have a very odd take on modern music. With lyrics that don't really make much sense, but work as pure sound, and 'Girl on a Motorcycle'-style lougey tunes. Imagine an art-school, Anglo/French version of the Pizzicato Five, without the archness, and you're there. I have no idea how this sits in the Stereolab pantheon - I've only heard this, and 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup', and it seems very Stereolab-y, if that means anything. It doesn't, really. Sorry.

Different but good!:
When I bought "Space Age Bacherlor Pad Music," I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was expecting more trance rock, or their new sound (ie. Dots and Loops or Microhunters). What I got was a little disappointing. A side from being a rather short album, the content is not that cohesive. However, its not as great as their secound album or "Cobra Phases..."

• Avant Garde M.O.R.
• Space Age Bachelor Pad Music
• Groop Play Chord X
• Space Age Bachelor Pad Music
• Ronco Symphony
• We're Not Adult Orientated
• U.H.F. -MFP
• We're Not Adult Orientated \oNeu Wave Live\c