...And the Circus Leaves Town

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Makes My One Inch Man Stand Tall, 2007-09-20
Many people will tell you that this album does not stand up next to "Blues For the Red Sun" or "Welcome to Sky Valley". I strongly disagree. The groove on this album is easily as good as "Sky Valley", but I think the best thing that sets this album apart if the different directions this album takes. br / br /Example 1: "Catamaran". Easily my favorite song on the album, precisely because of how different it is. The bass riff has an islandy/calypso feel to it. First time I heard this song, I listened to it at least 10 times in a row. I couldn't get enough. Even when I listen to the album now, I still have to listen to this one three or four times. br / br /Example 2: "Phototropic". The intro is really smooth. Has a really relaxed intro, before jamming full on. The whole song is fantastic, but the intro is what really makes this song stand out. br / br /With the exception of "Space Cadet", "Sky Valley" pretty much rocks you straight through. This album has many more twists and turns. It still has it's straight forward rockers like "One Inch Man". Like all Kyuss albums, it has its share of instrumentals. But there is a vibe here that isn't present on other albums. "El Rodeo" is another really different song that stands out. br / br /It's a shame that they broke up after this one because it would have been really interesting to see where they would have good from here. br / br /For people new to the band, I would recommed starting with "Sky Valley", then going here.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

AWESOMENESS!, 2006-11-10
This CD was the best album I bought in a long time and I am so glad I did. Every song on this is great and in my book is a work of art! I am actually listening to Phototropic from this very CD and will have it stuck in my head the rest of the day. If you like guitar riffs and melodies that will be stuck in your very soul for days on end, this is the CD for you!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

...And the Circus Leaves Town, 2006-11-08
This is a must have. Anyone who enjoys rock is going to love this album. Here is the first album that encompasses it all - awesome jamsongs, heavy rockers, mellodic tunes, songs that bounce bop, EVERYTHING rock. Did I mention that there's a ton of profanity? br / br / Kyuss was completely unique. There was never and will never be another Kyuss. Queens of the Stone Age are good, but Kyuss was great. Fu Manchu is probably the closest band to Kyuss that I can think of; they still have there own thing, though.(They've had some of Kyuss' ex-members, too) br / br /So, about the album. br / br /'Hurricane' starts the album off with a punch, sockin' it to ya. I could just imagine the crowd going wild. Opening with a cymbal crash into a drumstart, the pace quickens, guitars sweep you away into a sea of distortion, you're hooked. br / br /'One Inch Man' has this trippy/hypnotic start that then builds into a grungy, heavy chorus, once again featuring the overblown guitar sound. For some reason it seems like the song's speeding up as it goes along. Aural illusion, I guess. br / br /'The Ol Boozeroony' takes you on a sonic adventure that only Kyuss could have planned. There's an almost middle eastern guitar sound, which is once again hypnotic. br / br /'Gloria Lewis' starts like an 'Imperial March'. Just turn your speakers up and let them knock stuff over. There's a slow fade at the end. br / br /'Phototropic' - almost an instrumental, my favorite track by Kyuss, not just my favorite on the album. Starting slowly with guitar only, the drums and bass come in and bam, you're moving. Turn off the lights and crank this one way up. You WILL actually start feeling euphoric while listening to 'Phototropic'. This is probably THE reason you need to buy this album. br / br /'El Rodeo' - Here's what I meant about the bounce. There's a resemblance to 'Money' by Pink Floyd for the first two minutes. Picture the opening bassline, but with a mid-eastern inspired guitar phrase. When the lyrics hit the similarities to 'Money' are gone, but they're not trying to be Floyd, it's just my comparison to give you an idea of the sound. br / br /'Jumbo Blimp Jumbo' seems to have this Hendrix inspired guitar lick to it. Almost 'Voodoo Chile'-esque. This one picks up some speed about halfway through. Maybe another sonic illusion. br / br /'Tangy Zizzle' - I just love the name of this song. I don't know why. Great song, sound, etc. Anti-establishment, anti-conformity, rocker. br / br /'Size Queen' - Sonically amazing, this song has swagger to it. No shenanigans here. br / br /'Catamaran' - My other Kyuss favorite. Catamarans are double-hulled boats. You get the feeling of drifting along a lake. This song by itself is a good enough reason to buy the album. br / br /'Spaceship Landing' is not the last song on the album, but let's talk about it. At eleven minutes, it's an epic. You'll never even notice the time, either. 'Spaceship Landing' goes through a few changes of pace and you'll be there for all of them. br / br /You might wonder what I mean about it not being the last song, but 'Spaceship Landing' is on the eleventh and final track. At 11:15 the song ends, but the track keeps going. So, at about 14:48 there's a thirty second thing that I don't even know what to call. (It's not a song, but just someone messing around with vocals.) However at 32:14 into the track you get a "hidden song", 'Day One'. br / br /"...And the Circus Leaves Town" is the best Kyuss album. Songwise, "Wretch" is the next best. Wretch offers you some great tracks like 'Son of a Bitch' and 'Big Bikes'. Sonically it does suffer from the early-album syndrome, but honestly it just has a more raw feel. With such a short catalog I'd say just get all four studio albums from Kyuss. br / br /Enjoy. br / br /

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

A unique gem, 2006-09-22
I loved "Blues for the Red Sun" and "Welcome to Sky Valley." While "...And the Circus Leaves Town" did not immediately strike me as a great album, it slowly grew on me through repeated listens and, over time, it has racked up more plays on my i-pod than either of those albums. Over two years later, I still find myself appreciating it in new ways. br / br /It is initially difficult to appreciate Circus because it doesn't really sound like a Kyuss album in several respects. In place of sprawling, "Freedom Run" style epics, Circus is basically a collection of medium length grooves. Even the 11 minute album closer plays more like a medley of short riff jams than a through composed epic. Meanwhile, the band's trademark organic guitar voices are replaced with a thick, beefy growl that foreshadows the early QOTSA "robot rock" sound. On the vocals, John Garcia sings as much as he snarls. And his lyrics eschew the awesome ego tripping bombast of Gardenia and Green Machine for something a lot moodier and more complex. Taken together, these changes create an overall feel that is very different from both earlier Kyuss albums and the early QOTSA output that followed. br / br /The basic idea of "Circus," as I interpret it, is that Kyuss puts away the bag of tricks they could have easily used over and over again (I think that is what is meant by "the Circus") and engages the listener on a much humbler level. There is still considerable grandeur in this album, but it is not a grandeur that says "I am great." It is the grandeur of being small and human, doubting oneself and marveling at the greatness around oneself. In the Yawning Man cover Catamaran, John Garcia sings "smooth stones behind me / cold air surrounds / soft and savory / it can take you to God." I think that about sums it up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Kyuss Say Goodbye With A Monumental Classic, 2006-05-31
This album completes the legendary trilogy alongside the other classics 'Welcome to Sky Valley' and 'Blues For the Red Sun'. With this album, their last full length, Kyuss alter their sound and style slightly, creating a deeper and lower guitar tone and generally slower tempos. The result is a huge moody monolith of an album that sweeps aside thousands of other 'stoner' bands. '...And The Circus Leaves Town' is a fine way for Kyuss to wave goodbye after a truly legendary and tragically short-lived career. br / br /'Hurricane' boots things off in short and sweet rocking style. It's a fun rocker, but a rather mediocre start to the album when considering the immediately engulfing openers from their past albums. But this I found would be the style of the album, it is a slow burner, gradually progressing and weaving. 'One Inch Man' is another short and sharp track, but this time the band creates a more subtle and sophisticated song. Homme's guitar paying especially shines on this with some very cool and almost psychedelic guitar effects, complemented by the classic John Garcia raspy vocal delivery. Generally John's vocals are less in the mix with this album when compared to previous releases, taking a seat behind Homme's guitar playing, which is at its all time best. br / br /The album really picks up when 'Phototropic' begins. This song shows a new side to Kyuss - a moodier, more melancholic sound with a slow, brooding build up leading to the desperate croons of John singing 'under light I have never seen/reach up to the sun'. 'El Rodeo' continues the moodier, atmospheric style, once again building to huge walls of sound and John's emotionally packed vocals. Often seen as a two-song piece, it remains a highlight of Kyuss' career. br / br /'Tangy Tizzle' starts the closing of the album. It is the best closing in Kyuss' career, and simply one of the best in metal and rock history. Personally I feel the last four tracks on this album create the pinnacle to Kyuss' short-lived career. After the heavy and fun rocker of 'Tangy Tizzle', something more similar to 'Blues For The red Sun' style, 'Size Queen' delivers one of Kyuss' best songs. Striking me as a combination of the 'Sky Valley' structure of verse/chorus (something the band generally get away from on this album, most of the songs just flow into different sections), and the newer moody, brooding guitar tone this album introduces. br / br /Then 'Catamaran' hits the listener with its sheer beauty. Calming yet highly melancholic, it makes for great reflective listening, recalling all sorts of feelings depending on your mood - sometimes it feels very lonely and vast, sometimes it's a cool summers breeze with a refreshing 'cool air'. Whatever it evokes, it is a masterpiece of simplicity. 'Spaceship Landing' comes crashing in with its bellowing drums and dirty sounding guitars. Starting off like a straight-forward heavy rocker with angst-ridden lyrics about insecurity and drunkenness, the band then display their talents and exactly why they are the kings of the genre. A simply gigantic riff comes in, slowing the song down to a menacing, brutal pace. One of Homme's best riffs ever, and he knows it, he carries on. The song weaves in and out of outstanding sections, and needs to be heard by all rock fans. It is such a tribute to the band's talents. Their ability to create flooring riffs and melodies - sharp direction changes - complex structures...all in one epic track. I cannot praise this closer enough. br / br /Quite simply this is one of the best metal albums you will ever hear. I find it amazing some people call this their worst effort, or even a 'boring' album. The quality of musicianship is unbelievable, making other `stoner' rip-offs look like dummies. br /