The Complex

by

Blue Man Group

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Until recently, all I knew about the Blue Man Group was based on their series of odd commercials for Intel. I didn't know anything about their music. "The Complex" blew me away.

This is a rock album, make no mistake. BMG's debut album, "Audio," is more true to their live show that's played in venues like The Luxor in Las Vegas, and is primarily a showcase for the BMG's trademark percussion.

"The Complex" couples BMG's percussion and homemade instruments to a traditional song format, with soaring guitars, a pounding rhythm section, and a big percussive sound.

Along for the ride are guest vocalists such as Tracy Bonham, Dave Matthews, Annette Stream of Venus Hum, and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale.

Lyrically, the songs of "The Complex" explore themes of alienation and the dis-connect from society that is so common to the cubicle-dweller society that is the norm of corporate America. There are a few cover tunes here, with the best being a rocking cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," sung by Venus Hum's Annette Stream. It's a brilliant rendition, full of soaring guitars, amazing percussion (the synthesizer sound at the beginning of the song is actually PVC tubing, an instrument the Blue Man Group call 'The Tubulum') and energy.

The album concludes with the haunting instrumental "Exhibit 13." If you've seen "The Complex" tour DVD or have gone to BMG's web site, you'll know that "Exhibit 13" is about the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and some random pieces of paper that blew into a nearby neighborhood.

About "The Complex" tour DVD...buy it! It's amazing to watch everyone involved in creating the show, and to see and hear the Blue Man Group's various homemade instruments.

Blue Man Group's second album walks a fine line between the experimentation that in my opinion defines them, and a surrender to the poppiness that unfortunately dominates the airwaves today. In The Complex, BMG attempted to meld their group's unique sound with vocals--in some cases this works, and in others, it was a disaster. It simply was not as creative as Audio, and if it is the experimentation you prefer, you may wish to reconsider.

"Sing Along" grated on my nerves from the start. I did not care for Dave Matthews' vocals (a shame, because I HAVE liked some of his work that I've heard on the radio), and I also felt I could not hear the Blue Man Group at all. How could I possibly distinguish this from the average radio swill? And "I Feel Love" has the most annoying female vocals on the album--that breathy sighing just about makes me want to scream. I could hardly stick it out the first time I tried to listen to it all the way through in order to give this review.

But other tracks were much more successful experiments. "White Rabbit" was amazing. The mysterious, Eastern-tinged vocals of Esthero very much suited the experimental nature of BMG's music. I would gladly listen to an entire album of her and Blue Man Group. I also enjoyed the tone of the guitar, which took on a very retro quality, and again created this wonderful mystique.

"The Complex" was a MAJOR surprise. As the song began, I was expecting another annoying "Sing Along", but the promise slowly began to reveal itself. First there was that quirky, clever lyric: "I saw my picture on the bathroom door today". But as the main vocals ended, the magic started, and it began to gain "altitude". Suddenly, "The Complex" had erupted into a soaring, glorious instrumental! I then realized the beginning of this song had been deliberately constrained, in order to make this part all the more majestic. The thought that went into this definitely makes this a worthy title track for the album. THIS was the successful blending, the successful experiment. If they could have ALL been "White Rabbit" and "The Complex", I would not have had such a problem with the idea of introducing vocals.

Unfortunately, some of the instrumentals lost something due to annoying speech clips that in my opinion distracted from the music. I think of this as a sort of "techno syndrome". "Time to Start" probably would've been funnier if so many of the other tracks had not had these kinds of intrusions, and this is the one I'm most likely to pass over. "Your Attention" was all right, and the spoken effects (especially the crosstalk portion) were actually entertaining...but it was a "Synesthesia" remix! I was sorely disappointed to see BMG resort to something so uncreative.

"Exhibit 13"--this is the one place where the sound effects have PURPOSE. This song is in remembrance of September 11th, and the voices come from the words on papers that rained over New York City that day. They are very deliberately, tastefully used. I even find this use of sound effects worthy of a Pink Floyd album (and PF are the masters of using sound effects). And one more good thing about this song...it is apolitical--it does not argue; it simply *remembers*. We have far too much conflict about these issues on the news for me to want to hear it in my music, which I go to to *escape* from the tension. "Exhibit 13" is a definite success.

"Piano Smasher"...now THAT is the Blue Man Group I wanted to hear! This track was absolutely stunning, and I just could not stop listening to it! It had the rhythm, the unique BMG "signature", and I could listen to it forever. The same goes for the "Hidden Mandelbrot"--excellent work again, and true BMG! I only wish there had been more like this on The Complex.

I was almost tempted to award this album 4 stars, in honor of the good tracks, but immediately reconsidered when I discovered this album would not play on my PC, nor could I take any tracks from it to put on a personal compilation album I had planned to make ("Piano Smasher" is worthy of a Greatest Instrumentals album). I am extremely disgusted; I should have full access to what I *paid* for--I should be able to play it on ALL of my equipment, and to copy tracks for my own *private* compilation use. This is a factor I do think potential buyers should consider before shelling out the cash.

It's a shame--this album has tracks that I very much enjoy, but I find myself using the skip button far too often--some tracks were annoying, others simply did nothing for me. And, to top it off, I cannot even create a *personal* compilation CD from the thing I paid for! Even so, I wouldn't trade it in--the good tracks are good enough that I could never bear to part with them. Therefore, I give this album 3 stars.