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Thread: FEATURED 2003 Album: Salem Hill - Be

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED 2003 Album: Salem Hill - Be

    For the next week plus, we're going to feature 10 albums that were released 10 years ago and are now a decade old. How have they held up? You may have forgotten a few or have yet to fathom the album is now 10 years old.

    Next up, a fairly well regarded album from America's Salem Hill...




    Review from ProgArchives (mellotron storm)
    First of all just to get this out of the way,the track listing is all wrong on the cd. I noticed when listening to what is supposed to be "Seattle(In Memory Of...)" that he kept repeating the word "Apollyon" on the chorus. And since "Apollyon" is also a song i compared the lyrics to the songs listed and no less than eight of the songs are out of order. Frustrating ! As far as the music goes it is really good for the most part. In fact it's a tough one for me to rate because i think the concept and lyrics are very well done and most of the music,but there are several tracks i would consider average at best. If your into concept albums(i'm not) i think you will rate this high.

    "Reflect" opens the album with the sounds of waves and seagulls before acoustic guitar and vocals take over. "Symposium" is better with that growly bass as percussion and vocals join in. It kicks in and picks up.Good tune. "Nowhwere Is Home" features strummed guitar and vocals with piano and a beat.It does get fuller. It's okay. "The Great Stereopticon" is heavy to start but it settles back when the vocals arrive. "Children Of Dust" should be the title of the next track. In fact this and the next seven tracks are titled wrong. I've heard this song on some compilation before.It's cool to hear the two different vocalists trading off. An aggressive tune for the most part. "The Red Pool" is catchy with dual vocals again. "Underneath" is heavy early on then it settles with vocals.Contrasts continue.

    "Seattle(In Memory Of...)" reminds me of QUEEN. Not a fan. "Apollyon" kicks in quickly and the vocal are angry. "A Perfect Light" sounds like STEELY DAN. A good song. "Love Won't Save The World" has some interesting lyrics. "I Didn't Come For You" opens with guitar then the vocals join in before a minute.This reminds me of KINGS X. Some good bottom end here. "Beings" is laid back with vocals. "Regard Me" ends the album like it began with waves and seagulls. Music does come in as well.

    Some really good songs on here and if i could bother to get into the concept i might like this more. 3.5 stars. Worth checking out for sure.



    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    This quickly became an alltime favorite for me -- it's a top ten, desert island disc. The concept is brilliant but not obtrusive, the music is just fabulous.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

  3. #3
    Yeah this their compositional masterpiece for me (so far). Groves has so much poison in his voice and words that he makes Trent Reznor sound like Marie Osmond. And the band kicks ass. Bleak as can be, filled with righteous indignation turned madness turned resigned disgust, it is a stone classic. AND the only SH album my friends who DON'T like them actually like.

  4. #4
    This is the one, for sure. If Mimi's Magic Moment were the two bookend tracks without the stuff in-between it would be my favorite but as a whole BE just kicks butt. We need to work on pissing Carl Groves right off so they do something this intense again...

  5. #5
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    Hands down my favorite Salem Hill disc. This one is strong from beginning to end and the Groves / Dearing songwriting team is at the top of their game here. If you have ever wanted to explore Salem Hill, this would be the album to start with IMO.

    Steve Sly

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    Interesting. I think MMM is superb, but none of the rest of their catalog has so moved me. Might be time to dust this one off and give it another try.

  7. #7
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    Yeah, definitely one of the first couple of albums that came to mind when I saw that PE was revisiting 2003.

    Be was such a hit with me that I bought every one of their remaining studio albums (except Catatonia, which I couldn't find). Of course, none of them sounded like Be. Doh! Good stuff to be found throughout their discography, but this one is still tops for me.

    Trurl, if pissing Carl off results in another spite-filled thing of beauty like this, then by all means...get cracking!

  8. #8
    Member Boceephus's Avatar
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    Far & away my favorite Salem Hill release.

  9. #9
    Member Yanks2014's Avatar
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    Wow, hard to believe this is 10 years old. For me, their best album to date, though I also really love MMM and "Not Everybody's Gold".

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