Hey everybody, just wondering what you guys think of the overall reviews of Push The Button?



There has a vast spectrum of ratings, from the great to the downright awful. Here in Ireland we have a music/culture/lifestyle magazine called HotPress which gave it 8 out of 10, regarding it as the best album the lads have made so far and that it is the album that shows the Brothers true potential. I would be very inclined to listen to them, as when The Thrills and U2 released their most recent (mediocre) albums, they didnt give in to the hyperbole surrounding these acts and gave them the (lack of) ratings deserved. Q and NME savaged Push The Button, saying it was a case of recycling ideas and suffering from formulaic songwriting. Personally I think the album is very good. It is an interesting diversion from the rest of the bland shit out there anyway.



I think that Push The Button has laid bare the sheer hypocrisy and bandwagon riding that the UK's media indulge in. Purely because six or seven years ago, the two aforementioned magazines were hailing the CB's as saviours of music, heralding in a vision where guitars and drumkits would be stacked high and burned as synthesisers and samplers took over the world. Clearly, this didn't happen. If an album sucks, it should be treated as such; you're parting with ?22 (or whatever the sterling equivalent is) so you expect quality, but I feel that a lack of ideas on the Chems part is not the problem.



It's this art-rock cocksucking on the part of the magazines thats the problem. The chems are deliberatly unfashionable, which i admire. They are known for their music, not they're intake of crack or heroin ( i personally think NME's crowning of drug addict and occasional musician Pete Doherty as Hero of the year or whatever it was is a fucking disgrace; they're advocating a decadent selfish and self-destructive lifestyle while hundreds of thousands of people are wandering around in Asia trying to reassemble their lives after the tsunami. They have voided any chance in my mind as being taken seriously as a legitimate music magazine). Anyway, my point is, if you thought PTB was shit, pity, but hey thats what you though. Likewise if you loved it like i did.

I've been reading up on reviews in magazines, also scouring the internet in my quest for "real" reviews written by people who get paid for their criticism.



I am not at all pleased with the bulk of reviews I've read, to be honest. But a publicized review has never closed my ears and as much as I respect journalism (honest, I do - I once wanted to be a writer for Rolling Stone) I have never let a critic sway my feelings on anything - especially one as subjective as music.

Nevermind the fact that in music magazine circles, there's always been some amount of journalistic snobbery among the so called music-elite.



I think the current climate, the current hot musical trends toward art rock and indie rock have sort of worked disenfranchise dance music recently. The magazines are there to reflect current shifts in trends, and it looks like art rock finally has found it's place in the sun - just as it did before, and just as it will when the next cycle comes around. Dance music and the Chems had their place in the sun not too long ago when dance music peaked and appeared to permeate so many aspects of our culture - soundtracks, advertisements, etc.. And I remember that during the dance apex, rock was considered "dead."



As a lot of people here know, I've worked in a record store on and off for 11 years now. I am not an expert on all kinds of music, I wish I was lol, but it's a part of my job to be aware of what's big, what sells, and what people want... and aware that these trends go in cycles no matter what magazines say, and no matter how hard they try to project "the next big thing."



Personally, I don't care that the Chems are unfashionable - I don't care that they didn't make it on NME's cool list. They will always be top notch in my book for all I've gotten out of their music, and that is something nobody, especially a magazine, can take away from me. And maybe that's why I feel endeared to and somewhat protective of the Brothers, why it's easy for me to see them as people behind something that's given me immeasurable joy. But what gets me are the hurtful comments that borderline on personal attacks yet offer no real constructive criticism of the music itself. I wonder why it is that magazines like NME and Q, which have been so kind to the Brothers in the past, have resorted to these near personal attacks.



We know that the Chemical Brother have never tried to pigeonhole themselves into a certain style or genre, and we know they draw their influences from all over the musical map. I think it's a shame that magazines, these so called music elitists who are paid to enlighten us with their insightful musical views, have wrapped the Chems up in a neat little noprogressive dance-music package as NME shamelessly names what's "cool" by celebrating the likes of Pete Doherty's lifestyle.

the chemical brothers are much like my taste in fashion. i wear camouflage because i like it. camouflage goes in and out of fashion all the time. it's never really out, it's just not as big, then it hits the scene.

read hotpress review and interview both cgood it went a through look through the music. saturdays times and guardian had reviews as well. the guardian had galvanize as single of the week saying that british dance music needs the chems like richard needs judy. times had a detailed positive review of the album giving it 4/5. really good reviews

PTB is very limited for me...there's only about 6 tracks that i think is either great or acceptable, and for the others are very ordinary, Marvo Ging a huge dissapointment, Close Your Eyes too soft and psychedelic for me, I was hoping for more of a DYH approach for this album, I know im goin to cop some shit from you guys, but I really do think this is a weak effort, Come With Us a better album in my view, I understand The Chems like to change their style of music when it comes around to make another record, But PTB has hit the bottom and the brothers have clearly ran out of ideas, Im not enjoying this new "Style" at all.

So would you guys say that PTB is most simular to Surrender?

Before the PTB, the weakest album for me was Come With Us. But even on CWU i can find some thing wchich i love - Come With Us, Hoops, My Elastic Eye and Denmark are my favorits. Than i was much disapointed of this, but it have many feelings in this. Soryy for this but i must say this: i really can't find any great feelings in PTB. On CWU every song have different rhythm and is something other. In PTB every track is veeery similar to another (i talking about rhythms), wchich give some bored feelings to me. BUT!!!!With every albums i have some feelings and maybe for six motnh or year i will be talking about PTB like after a year about the CWU :) I wish so :)

ACIDCHILDREN Escribi�:

So would you guys say that PTB is most simular to Surrender?

Weel. From every album of Chems Surrender is closest to PTB because of it's real- like drums. CWU was more electronic rhythms. PTB is almost completely done on real drums. DYOH and EPD was done on real drums too, but this was breakbeat - another story...

Yeah, I think it's similar in approach — a BIG change in direction, which will be mass-appreciated much later (remember Surrender?)

I think this is a great album worth paying for, no review can change that (to me even if a review says something's bad it's entirely subjective and you may feel different). PTB is sounding like Surrender, because there are many different styles and collaborations - importantly the music is sounding different too. The Boxer, Galvanize, Close Your Eyes, Come Inside, Believe sound good to me (and different) so I will be buying this (The Boxer being my favourite). Come With Us was an important album with big tracks like IBIA and Star Guitar but I feel PTB is at an entirely better level.

t-mac Escribi�:

Yeah, I think it's similar in approach ? a BIG change in direction, which will be mass-appreciated much later (remember Surrender?)

Every of Chems album is a big change in direction :)

whirlygirl Escribi�:

unfashionable .

haha....when I read that, I heard Richard Achcroft saying it in my head. X-D

I think its important to realize that journalist when reviwing music prefere to write about new bands rather than older well established ones.



If PTB was written by a brand new band im sure the response from the media mayb be different.



Can anyone see the strange point im making?

Definately. I think some of these reviewers are saying The chems have been around way too long and should have pissed off by now. Thankfully the bros have ignored them :).

yeah im glad u get my drift marsh.



If an album is shit its fair enough to give it bad reviews, but its not fair to bad review it cause they think the band hasnt pissed off.

hmmmm...think you got a point there actually...

But there are some older bands that are getting rave reviews - U2 for instance. It's like that band can do no wrong, they seem to have always been the musical darlings of big publications.



But anyway, I totally get what you mean, ACIDCHILDREN. It's as though some magazines are now treating the Chems as red headed step children with this "get away kid, you're botherin me" mentality. Some of those reviews read like they are just itching for the Chems to fail because they think dance music has no place right now. I really hope the masses prove them wrong.



One other thing I'd like to point out is a comment made by dan_69. I don't think it's entirely fair to say the Brothers have run out of ideas. If anything, I get the impression that after Come With Us, the Brothers had to take a step back and dream it all up again (to borrow a quote from U2) and do what they want to do, not what other people expect them to do. The approach (just from what I've read) in making this record took a few different turns than previously. From what I've heard of the new record, it seems like the gears are constantly turning in their heads. Even on lo-fi radio rips and streams, you can't deny the production quality on the work is excellent, and just from the samplings here and there it sounds like there's something on Push the Button thaat can appeal to anyone - far ranging appeal.



I want to see the Chems reach out and win new fans with Push the Button.

reviews in germany not too good so far: musikexpress givin it 3/6 but sayin it is the best dance around at the moment :-? (probably compared to prodigy, fatboy, underworld, orbital??? as they said all of their last records were shite)

raveline makin it album of the month, local rankings from "real crap" to "excellent"

I've only heard about five tracks and agree that the only thing that seems to be offsetting about this album is the beats arn't all that strong except for galvenize and believe... arg the sun in my window is blinding me!

PUSH THE BUTTON IS A SHIT HOT ALBUM



I REALLY DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT SOME AGEING TWEED WEARING EX-ROCKER HANGING ON TO THE 70'S JOURNALISTIC BASTARD HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT. SOME TIMES I WONDER WHAT THE POINT IN MUSIC REVIEWS ARE, WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL (ESPECIALLY EQUINOXE 24) ALL REVIEWS ARE SUBJECT TO BIAS, THE ONE I AM WRITING NOW IS. HOW THE FUCK CAN SOME CUNT TELL WHOEVER READS THEIR REVIEW THAT THE MUSIC IS WANK AND ITS NOT WORTH BUYING?I FIND THAT VERY TWISTED PERSONALLY, FUCKING MIND CONTROL OR SOME SHIT. THAT IS ONE PERSON SAYING THAT IM NOT REALLY A FAN OF ROCK MUSIC BUT I STILL FIND SPACE FOR SOME PLACEBO AND THE STROKES BECAUSE I GOT OFF MY ARSE AND BOUGHT THE ALBUM TO TRY IT.



DANCE MUSIC IS DEAD BLAH BLAH BLAH GO FUCK YOURSELF AND YOUR MOTHER. HOW THE FUCK WOULD THEY KNOW? DO YOU SEE THE EDITOR OF Q OR NME OR THE MAIL ON THE SPACE TERRACE? A SWEATY TENT AT CREAMFIELDS? ON THE PODIUM AT TURNMILLS, NODDING HIS HEAD AT FABRIC? DO YOU FUCK. OR EVEN PUT TONGY ON RADIO ON A FRIDAY AND HAVE A BOOGIE IN THE LIVING ROOM.



THEY HAVEN'T ANYTHING INTERESTING OR INTELLIGENT TO SAY ABOUT DANCE, SO THEY JUST JUMP ON THE BAND WAGON AND PROCLAIM ITS DEATH JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER LAZY ASS HOLE. THE ONLY DANCE THEY KNOW IS SCOOTER, LOLA'S THEME, CALL ON ME, MILK INC ETC ETC ETC



I DON'T CARE........





THE MORE THEY SAY IT IS DEAD, THE FURTHER IT WILL GO UNDERGROUND AND THE MORE CREATIVE THE MUSIC BECOMES.........





AND THEN U KNO WHAT.......... IT BECOMES FASHIONABLE AGAIN





FUCKING CUNTS }:-)





(pheew. Chems rule!)