Plastic Beach

Excellent album. Probably not my favorite of all time from Gorillaz, but definitely in my top 3. If I had to describe the sound in two words, I'd say it's sonically entrancing. As always, Hewlett's art encapsulates the album's spirit well. Loved the use of watercolor during this phase. Happy to have bought this on vinyl, because the illustrations are larger than they would be on a CD. Also, the records themselves are in mint condition. It was purchased new, but I have had past experiences with buying new vinyl, only to find them scratched or of generally poor quality despite being unopened. So that was a huge plus for me. The seller shipped promptly and the item actually arrived two days earlier than expected, which was great.

A great vinyl pressing from a great artist. It has two sleeves and two discs, which were both high quality not only in audio but in visual composition. The cover art and vinyl sleeve were also wonderful to look at and use.

Still my favorite Gorillaz album.

A soft strings tune, coupled with pulsating, sampled brass stabs invite you enter the Plastic Beach, a superficial wonder-world created by the Gorillaz in their third studio album, Plastic Beach. In their usual style, Gorillaz are back on the top of their game, playing the proverbial "rope-a-dope" with their catchy melodies and rhythms that have found their way onto the album, off the beaten-track. I cannot help but expect one thing from these tunes, only to be surprised by the direction the music goes. Despite their uncanny inability to go the easy route melodically and rhythmically, Gorillaz have created yet another album that hypnotically calls you in to listen. Despite my better judgment, I have listened to this album three times tonight, with the clock now reading 2:47 a.m. I have about four more songs before the album is completed and I can consider heading to bed. This dream world of fake women, fast living, and consequence free actions is restful enough for now. Musically, as somebody who has for some reason become entranced by each album released by the production group, I cannot help but notice how much more pop driven this album is in comparison to their previous releases. Eighties inspired synth leads, softer hitting drums, simple rhythms repeating themselves intoxicatingly, all combined with live sound to create an image of life on the fictional island, Plastic Beach. Walking down this shore takes no effort at all; the Gorillaz, similar to the world in which we live, have the ability to mesmerize us and lead us in the direction they please. Despite the harmonic dissonance they frequently employ, the melodies seem surprisingly harmonic, leading you to become entranced in the music. You will beg yourself to continue on the journey with them without asking "silly" questions. Most impressive about this album, at least regarding the musical production, is how well the group has fused live sounds of the beach and society with synthesized sound. Sometimes the live sounds invite you in, only to leave you to fend for your own with the harsh synthesized sounds on your own. Other times, the two play together throughout the song; the sounds of the ocean coupled with the synthesized sounds paint for you the synthetic shores of Plastic Beach. Digital music production has come a long way since its roots in the early 1900's. Early digital composers would have found their world in the studio enough of a dream land; clippings of audio tape hanging from the ceiling like stalactites, entire buildings with huge machines meant to perform the most simple of tasks in today's production standards. Those early composers seemed to be in ideological wars with each other, trying to prove that synthesized sound alone or live sound alone was the true way to view the emerging art of studio production. The elektronische musik of the past, focusing strictly on the sonic attributes of synthesized sounds, surely has its legacy played out in this album. Yet, the musique concrete concepts that invite us to play strictly with live, recorded sound has been added to the dream world created at Plastic Beach in ways that would make even Iannis Xenakis proud. It is true, now, as evidenced by this album, that the creation of sonic cities can be created, entire worlds, emotions, and actions captured in sound. Maybe it is time for the future producers, artists, and performers to learn the true power of sound. Gone are the days where lyrics alone are the driving force to songs. With a new emphasis on production, the future is in creating entire worlds through sound. Entire worlds that can be brought to life through performance. Entire worlds that can be brought to life, simply by pressing play on iTunes. My vacation to Plastic Beach is done for now, until I decide to pack up and return for another investigation of the truly fake world, created by the Gorillaz.

In a few words: If you want Demon Days or Gorillaz pass this up. If you want to hear the next phase of Gorillaz' musical adventure, as well as a solid, Earth conscience, electropop album, go out right now and get this. For what it's worth, I'd say get it either way. But the slow, melancholy hip-hop swagger of Demon Days is traded in here for a upbeat (if ironic) electronic sound. Damon Albarn's vocals are sounding more and more... well, like Damon Albarn's and less like 2-D's lately. But this was already happening In Demon Days when the falsetto was ditched nearly completely. The falsetto makes a return here, but with a different vibe. More like Albarn on "The Universal." The guests are prominent on this album, but I feel they're not a main feature. While I feel that the guest heavy tracks in Demon Days are some of the best ("November Has Come," "Feel Good Inc.," "DARE," "All Alone",) "Rhinestone Eyes," "Broken," and "On Melancholy Hill" may be some of the best Gorillaz tunes in quite some time that do not feature guests. However, while many of the guests on this album manage to sound a little out of place (like Snoop Dogg on "Welcome to the Plastic Beach," and Marky Smith on "Glitter Freeze") many of them help to paint an amazing musical palette of nearly epic proportions. Little Dragon does a fantastic job of covering female vocals on this album, presumably playing the role of Noodle for this phase with songs like "To Binge" and "Empire Ants," the former containing some of the most emotional lyrics yet in a Gorillaz tune. Likewise, Mos Def and Bobby Womack electrify "Stylo," and Lou Reed (a pairing I thought I'd never see) sprinkles "Some Kind of Nature" with his usual sarcasm and dry wit. Of course, Gorillaz pair up with my favorite hip hop group De La Soul once again on "Superfast Jellyfish," a quirky tune if a bit disappointing in concept (it's a commercial for Superfast Jellyfish, a conceptual food of the future when the polar ice caps melt and the Earth is mostly water.) The album closes with a mysterious, airy tune by Bobby Womack, "Cloud of Unknowing" and the soul-inspired green tune "Pirate Jet" (contains my favorite line in the album "It's all good news now, because we left the taps running for a hundred years") which brings the album to a faded close, but leaves a bit to be desired. All-in-all the track listing in massive in its scale but leaves you wanting for more. It almost doesn't feel as much like a Gorillaz album, but rather like a mixtape of some kind. And the extra tracks included with the iTunes Deluxe edition are no more than instrumentals, including an extended version of the Orchestral Intro. So, while the music is outstanding, the album as a whole suffers from a lack of... well, Gorillaz. There are around five tracks on this album that don't feature Albarn's vocals at all, concentrating on the guests instead, unless you count Damon's looped line "Just like that" in "Welcome to the Plastic Beach." Taking a step back outside the music for a moment, the storyline of Gorillaz continues to be interesting, saving much of this phase's intrigue for after the album's release instead of before, like in Demon Days or Gorillaz. There are many mysteries to be solved, and even the new Gorillaz website is going to be opened piece by piece to allow for exploration of the storyline and to add some anticipation to figuring out the puzzle contained within Plastic Beach's history. Many fans complain of a lack of Russel or Noodle (both having been ditched by Murdoc... sort of,) but I remain faithful that Cass and Jamie have many creative twists and turns in store for us yet. It should be noted that the idea of a movie has not been nixed, and the idea that this is Gorillaz' last album has been walked back quite a bit. To add to that, the artwork this phase has been taken a step up. It's some of the best, most vibrant Gorillaz artwork I've ever seen from Mr. Hewlett. He opted to breathe new life into the design of the characters this time around by redesigning them almost completely (especially with Murdoc) and straying from old conventions on their stylings. The packaging is absolutely beautiful, which is why I remain hopeful for a vinyl release. All-in-all, another fantastic album from Gorillaz. It's always hard for me to place which one is my favorite because it seems like each album is a new experience on its own, rather than a continuation of the same thing. I would suggest going into this album with an open mind, and an open heart. Standout Tracks: "Rhinestone Eyes," "Stylo," "Superfast Jellyfish," "Some Kind of Nature," and "To Binge"

Got here early made a 12 yr old very happy

ありがとうございました。

Rien à redire sur cet album, si vous ne connaissez pas c’est entièrement votre faute ! Le pressage est parfait, à acheter les yeux fermés !

Ho sempre ascoltato i Gorillaz da quando sono "venuti fuori" con Clint Eastwood, ma devo dire la verità... Dopo Demon Days non ero a conoscenza di questo album. Non l'ho visto pubblicizzato molto in Italia, anzi... Quando l'ho scoperto un po' di tempo fa, non ho potuto fare altro che adorarlo! Quindi ho dovuto comprare anche una copia fisica per la mia collezione. Mi sembra molto più sperimentale dei precedenti album e alle volte quasi ipnotico in alcune tracce. Lo consiglio a tutti i fan del gruppo, è veramente un ottimo lavoro ben riuscito. Non ve ne pentirete ;3 P.S Il cd non è confezionato in un porta cd di plastica, ma è tutta carta plastificata.

The record arrived in great condition, plus the album is amazing.

Como es posible que haya vivido todos estos años sin esta maravilla musical? daño reparado. es un obligatorio en el coche a la hora de hacer un viaje largo. Todas las canciones son una maravilla, cada vez suenan mejor. Y la opción de llevar los MP3 en el telefono es todo un servicio de amazon