[underground]

Feel a bit like I'm left out of a global hallucination experiment so I'm really interested to know what other music appreciating folks think of this. I've had too many people (generally at work) tell me how 'so funky' and 'can't stop singing it' Get Lucky was - only to find it was the bland tune I'd been hearing on the radio - catchy but not exactly next level, or that 'funky' (a term I hate used in such a shitty context).

Anyway I just listened to the whole album, since it popped up on spotify, and I'm absolutely amazed, it's like Daft Punk made a conscious decision to make the most boring album ever, with a fairly catchy tune 3/4 of the way through... this is the band that made Homework and Discovery, yet they come out with this tripe.

Which brings me on to another thing... another comment I've had from someone who undoubtedly hadn't even heard of him before but conspicuously was taking his autobiography on holiday to read was 'well, it's so damn funky, and it's got NILE RODGERS, I mean, what more do you want?'

errrr... some proper fucking music love, be a start... I hadn't really heard of Nile before this came out either, although I've heard his 'famous' productions from when I was a nipper..

No idea what I mean to say now, apart from - is it chicken or egg - i.e is the tune regarded as better because of the producer, is it a combo of tune is alright but producer is highly regarded or have the media hyped both up to be great, ergo no-one can argue?

I've successfully avoided a rant there, I hope...

 

[ianv]

I actually love it and think it's better than their early stuff. If it wasn't daft punk, I might not have heard it but if I had, I would still have liked it. I really like the tracks with pharrell and I think the georgio track is awesome.

[andy_e]

I haven't heard the album, but if Get Lucky is anything to go by I won't be rushing out to buy it. I remember saying, when Get Lucky was on the radio, "That's the new Daft Punk tune? It's terrible!" and proceeded to have the annoying chorus stuck on a loop in my head for the next two weeks. Very disappointing.

[abarro81]

I've not heard it, and am no music connoisseur, but the chorus of Instant Crush caught me enough to look up the track listing when it popped up on the last essential mix (https://soundcloud.com/everybodywantstobethedj/todd-edwards-essential-mix track starts about 7min). I was then disappointed to youtube it and find that the normal version is slower and more boring.

[slackline]

[Jaspersharpe]

3am??  underground did you go on a massive bender after you left my house last night? 

[tomtom]

It's not that bad. It's not the messiah - just an alright album.

But my world has been incomplete since Steps broke up...

[SA Chris]

if Get Lucky is anything to go by

It's not though, as UG says it's the one catchy tune on the album. I'm prepared to accept, as other friends have said, that it is a grower and give it a few more listens (pref with headphones) but at the moment it sounds even more elevator than Air (and I generally like Air).

As my dearest said when she listened to it "where's the bass?"

[andy_e]

Right, so the rest of the album is worse than Get Lucky? Oh dear.

[SA Chris]

I wouldn't say it was better or worse, just Get Lucky is not really indicative. You might really like it.

[Jaspersharpe]

I agree with SA Chris. Reserving judgement instead of knee jerk reaction either way. And I've only heard it through shit PC speakers so far too.

Totally agree that if you were expecting anything like previous Daft Punk stuff then you'd be a bit shocked! Have they missed a trick as a mix of disco and their early stuff could have been amazing (and that's definitely not what this is)? Probably, but I'm willing to give the album more than one listen before deriding it as wank.

[tomtom]

Its basically got a bit older, softer and more middle class than before...

Probably like themselves and their listeners...

[ianv]

I see it as a bit of a homage to their influences, disco, electro funk and early electronica like Jean Michelle Jarre.

As I have all the above in my record box, they are preaching to the converted.

Listen to the album all the way through (preferably twice), with headphones before making a judgement.

[jwi]

RAM is the first Daft Punk record I bought since Homework. I think it is better than Homework (which I wasn't that impressed with at the time... just goes to show how little you cannot trust me), RAM is the record I played most time this year for sure.

-: The lyrics are almost uniformly daft
-/+: Extraordinarily continental music. Rock never happened.
+ A varied album, I love how most listeners think the album has a few filler and a few great songs and how one listener's ‘filler’ is another listener's ‘great song’.

Not a patch on Bangalter's father's hits though:

[jwi]

oh oh I forgot:
+: Sad robots. I like sad robots

[Fultonius]

I hadn't even registered that get lucky was a daft punk song.  I've heard it on the radio quite a lot and always end up singing along (mainly in my head) but I'm pretty sure it's going to quickly fade from my memory and it certainly isn't making me rush out to buy the album. Hmm.

[hamsforlegs]

Interesting interview in the Graun with DP.

I don't really agree with their views on the current scene which makes me a bit sceptical, but I'll be giving the album a whirl anyway as there seem to be a range of views out there.

Definitely gives some insight into what it takes to build a successful brand/business out of a musical project, and I don't mean that in a cynical way.

[gruffalo]

Don't think it will ever beat the raw analog noises of there home work album, went to the launch party in sanky's many moons ago it went off!

[Falling Down]

I listened to RAM this afternoon. Sitting in the sunshine with a glass of good Rosé with the album streaming in 256kbps from Spotify via a D to A converter in the amp.  I only own a copy of Da Funk on 12 and have never listened to the other albums having always perhaps wrongly bracketed DP in the pop/listentoontheradio/atpeoplesparties.  It's pretty good in places, particularly the Giorgio Moroder track that harks back to some Chicago house classics with monologues over the top, "Touch" that's pretty multilayered and "The Game of Love" which has a great pull and push throughout. 

Nostalgic, modern, intriguing.  Will I buy a copy? Probably not, but ask me again in a couple of weeks.

[Beegsyboy]

I only own a copy of Da Funk on 12 and have never listened to the other albums

You've never listened to Homework!!!!!!!!!

[andybfreeman]

It's a grower... I definitely appreciate it more after a couple of listens. That said, I'm still not blown away by it...

The whole album is much more backgroundy than their previous work

[johnx2]

On the one hand there’s some annoying stick in the head euro disco ala fast show “disco baby sexy baby HOT!”, a couple of go on too long show tunes, a strokes B side and a fair bit of “who left that bleedin’ synth on?” filler.

On the other hand I absolutely love it. Best driving music in ages, perfect for summer cruisin' in the berlingo. (Took best part of a decade to realise what a great record homework is prompted by my kids – who are even hipper than I am – getting into it. But DP make duds too: robot rock anyone? Anyone remember that coffee table they did for habitat? Anyone remember habitat?)