Forgive me Voltaire, I shall never doubt your wonderous wisdom again
I was having a bad day, and I wanted to either get "Ooky Spooky" (cd) or "Oh My Goth"(book). I went to Megacon and met Voltaire. When I found out that he did not bring the latter and ran out of the former, I was at a loss. He suggested (very nicely) that I get this one. I did not dispute this out loud, but mentally I was thinking "I know only one or two songs from this one and once I hear those a hundred times, I will get bored with this cd. " Well, I am pleased to say that I couldn't have been more wrong if I had tried. Every week (or month) I seem to find a new favorite. This week, "Snakes" A few weeks ago, it was between "Raven's Land" and "Anniversary. "
Warning: Must have a twisted sense of humor and a love of screaming violins to enjoy. Do not mix with boy bands or Britney Spears. May cause maniacal laughter and schemes to plot the destruction of annoying people. If symptoms persist for more than an hour, take two songs from "Then and Again" and call me in the morning. .
Surprisingly likeable
Took me a while to warm up to this album, because the first Voltaire cd I ever heard was "Boo Hoo," and, well. . there's a few differences. First of all, the later cd, even in its funnier moments, is a little gentler, a little more emotional, whereas this one is more. . . I don't want to say "happy," but I might go with "gleeful. " ("Manic," maybe?) More of a brittle edge. Second, there's nothing on "Boo Hoo" to rival the dark fantasies described in "Ex-Lover's Lover," and on first listen, without any warning, it was a little off-putting (at least to a non-goth like me!) But, as my "Boo Hoo" cd has apparently decided to run away from home, I found myself needing a Voltaire fix, and lo and behold, this cd was there! While it wasn't exactly the same as I was used to, I found myself enjoying it more and more, while the grinning little demon inside whispered "you know you like it. . . you know you do!"
Yeah. I do. I really, really do.
The highlights:
"Ex-Lover's Lover:" You know, I think I was born without the jealous instinct. I do, however, get the violent instinct, and therefore the idea of chopping up your girl's new guy and mailing his pieces all over the globe has, once I got accustomed to it . . . a certain barbaric appeal. Really, the concept kind of grows on you.
"Anniversary:" Absolutely not the place I would ever have expected to find one of the sweetest, most romantic songs I have ever heard, but when did my expectations ever count for anything? I know I've commented on Voltaire's voice before, but here it just sounded so gentle and full of light (if that makes any sense at all. )
"The Man Upstairs:" Ok. I have a tendency to overthink things; I know it. So I listened to this song the first couple times wondering "is this a metaphor? Who is the man upstairs? What's the deeper meaning? Is the man upstairs God? Or perhaps some representation of his own psyche? What's going on here?" And then I moved into my new apartment, and I knew: the man just wants someone to kill that f*** upstairs. It's just that simple.
"Snakes:" Whee. . . ain't paranoia fun? Best line: "How did you get that sweet little girl to lie?" Ah, the implications!
"The Chosen:" I think it says something deeply disturbing about me that I find this song strangely comforting. (Well, but then why not? After all, it's nothing personal. . . )
"All the Way Down:" Strangely gentle and compelling. I'm not sure I entirely understand what it's about, but that's ok.
"When You're Evil:" What else is there to say? The grinning demons love this song. And who wouldn't love the way the music goes from jaunty to melodramatically poignant, and right back to jaunty again.
"Shalom:" I don't even know how to describe this one. "Fiddler on the Roof" through the fractured looking-glass, perhaps? Frenzied and dramatic and intoxicating.
Ok. I know I said those were the highlights, and I know I then went on to include almost every song on the cd. I said I liked it, didn't I? Anyway: Voltaire's tight, intelligent lyrics are a breath of fresh air in the world of contemporary music, and the accompaniments are the most expressive and emotive I've found to date. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys good music, goth or not.
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Mefisto as an artist!!!!
Greetings fellow ones!!!
This is an amazing album. . For those who enjoy the black humor and sarcasm. . . . please buy it!!!!!
Voltaire for me is the answer for a complete artist, in all the aspects of his talent life I enjoy his work so much. I don't consider myself as a Gothiesque person, but my soul has indeed a black side and it's so funny how Voltaire captures my must. . . dark desires. . .
Voltaire my friend , this is your first album. . . the beggining of
your great myth!!!!.
Magnificent violinist
The vocals aren't very interesting, but the cello and violin playing make almost all the songs on the album worthwhile experiences. I'll make this brief: the band has an amazing violinist. My favorites are "Ex Lover's Lover" and "The Man Upstairs. " Voltaire's lyrics are somewhat witty and lighthearted; their music is not at all depressing, despite dealing with some "dark" matters. If you want to listen to Voltaire for their reputation as a goth band, I'll tell you that this album is heavily influenced by European folk and seems more alternative to me than anything else. His singing style is rather typical of the goth scene, though.
More Voltaire!!!
Not only is it the type of music you would listen to while caked in mud, sliding over a cliff, it's the type of music you listen to caked in mud, sliding over a cliff, holding the hand of the person you love. This Cd is really great. It is romanic, dark, twisted, and best of all humorous.
You can see a complete list of all Voltaire discography, or go back to the Voltaire tabs
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