Bush Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Like many bands of their era, Bush was sucked into the idea that rock bands are only relevant if they incorporate electronica ideas -- a move that sank their third album, The Science of Things, and effectively derailed their career at a crucial time when post-grunge bands were falling by the wayside in an alarming fashion. This caused Bush to stumble, not just artistically but commercially, and they faded from the mainstream spotlight for a few years before mounting a comeback in the fall of 2001 with Golden State. The simple cover art, looking for all the world like advance art, signals that this a return to basics, which it is -- this is a return to the sound of Sixteen Stone, complete with big, grandiose production propelled by ballsy grunge riffs and real hooks in the guitars and vocals. They never sound as somber or as self-conscious as they did on the Steve Albini-produced Razorblade Suitcase, nor do they sound as out of their element as they did on Science -- they sound comfortable and powerful, rocking hard, turning out songs that are not only catchy, but that hold together and cohere over the course of an album. Though there aren't singles as grabbing as the songs that propelled Sixteen Stone to multi-platinum status, this is as consistent an album as any Bush has ever made, keeping a steady pace throughout its 12 songs and delivering on almost every track. It doesn't sound hip or current in 2001 by any means -- it sounds charmingly retro, as a matter of fact, sorta stuck in 1994 -- but it's better than most records in its vein, and that counts for something even if it doesn't burn up the charts like its predecessors. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'The Science of Things'
Release Date 10/26/1999
Tracks 12
Label Trauma
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What The Critics Say
For their third album, The Science of Things, Bush returned to Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the Madness producers who helmed Sixteen Stone, but along the way, they fell out with the duo. Rossdale claimed the two were only credited on the album for legal reasons, and that the real work was done by the band with engineer Tom Elmhirst, which is probably true, since it's slicker than Razorblade Suitcase but doesn't glisten like Stone. Science is carefully crafted and sequenced, flowing nicely from hard rockers to power ballads, and it plays better than the disjointed Razorblade Suitcase due to studiocraft, since the measured, detailed production fleshes out songs held together by a bare minimum of hooks and melodies. Without hooks, Rossdale's emotive, gut-wrenching vocals and the band's hard, heavy delivery are all this record has to offer. Still, Bush's earnestness is unavoidable, and they're undoubtedly sincere and have delivered a professional record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's easy to say that Bush released the electronica remix album Deconstructed in late 1997 because they wanted to diversify, since their trademark grunge-by-numbers was losing steam. It's also probably accurate. Bush have never shown an inclination toward dance or electronic music -- if anything, they were the most traditionalist and conservative band in grunge, keeping their music hard, simple, and loud, lacking even Stone Temple Pilots' psychedelic flair. They also lambasted any guitar band that wanted to stretch beyond what a traditional guitar-bass-drums lineup could do, so it's easy for the jaded observer to be cynical about Bush's leap into the world of drum'n'bass and trip-hop. And there certainly are some awkward moments on Deconstructed, but the surprising thing is, there's actually a handful of tracks that work, due of course, to the remixers, Tricky and Goldie, who turn their contributions into dark, menacing, unpredictable exercises Bush's original versions never suggested. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Razorblade Suitcase'
Release Date 11/19/1996
Tracks 13
Label Trauma/Interscope
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bush were criticized from most quarters of the music press for sounding too much like Nirvana on their debut album, Sixteen Stone, so in order to shed all of the comparisons, well, they hired producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey) and proceeded to record their own version of Nirvana's dark, difficult In Utero. Actually, Razorblade Suitcase, Bush's second album, cribs heavily from two of Albini's best productions, In Utero and Pixies' Surfer Rosa -- they even hired Vaughan Oliver, the designer behind Surfer Rosa, to do the artwork. Albini helped make the band sound tougher by stripping away the layers of effects and concentrating on a hard, driving rhythm and stop-start dynamics. Although lacking in memorable hooks, Razorblade Suitcase is more pleasing and visceral on the surface. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Sixteen Stone'
Release Date 12/6/1994
Tracks 12
Label Trauma/Interscope
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bush's grunge-by-the-numbers is certainly well-produced. Under the guidance of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley -- the kings of early-'80s British pop -- Bush turn in an album that follows all the rules and sounds of American hard rock, specifically Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Their songwriting isn't terribly original, nor is it particularly catchy. What makes "Everything Zen" and "Little Things" memorable is the exact reproduction of all of Nirvana's trademarks, only with a more professional execution. In other words, all the guitars keep rhythm perfectly and Gavin Rossdale doesn't shred his throat when he sings, he projects from his diaphragm. As far as pop craftmanship goes, it's actually quite impressive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
