CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
I might be lossing count, but I think that's us on eight now...
> Pike #251 Waterfall Cove
I guess he isn't stopping at 250 then.
Buckethead
- Thread starter CriedWhenBrucieLeft
- Start date
> Pike #251 Waterfall Cove
I guess he isn't stopping at 250 then.
PIKE UPDATE
Recommended pikes in italics
Pike 3 - Pike in name only? Despite being longer than the average Pike and recorded earlier, this fits in with the others I've heard so far. Lots of great shredding and grooves with some oddball tracks thrown in for good measure.
Pike 4 - This is the first experimental Pike. None of the songs here have any real direction, it's just him noodling over a drum machine. Now there are some instances where this works excellently (we'll get to that later) but here it's mostly cacophony.
Pike 5 - I highly recommend this one. I actually hope there are more Pikes like this. Just one or two long tracks of Buckethead jamming. The song lengths really helps with establishing an atmosphere and developing a great solo. These two tracks have great buildups and it feels like the music is really going somewhere. One of my favorites so far!
Electric Sea - Not a Pike, but rather a sequel to an earlier album. By now it should be obvious that I love Buckethead's mellow side, and this album is no exception. In fact it's quite different from the others. For one, there's no drums on this. It's all guitar. You also get other sides to his playing. Lots of spanish/classical guitar stuff. He also takes it easier on the overdubs, making for a much more intimate recording. Really good stuff.
Pike 6 - This one completely blew me away. This succeeds where Pike 4 failed. Despite being broken up into tracks, it's really just one long jams. The way the tracks are divided actually seems completely arbitrary. There are some moments where it descends into mindless noodling, but it comes in light doses in between really great riffing and soloing. This album was a trip and I was engaged the whole way.
Pike 7 - Another winner. After a string of more unorthodox albums, this one goes back to the original Pikes' style of a bunch of short unrelated jams. Lots of great riffing on here and some more electronic sounding drums.
Pike 8 - Same as Pike 7 and just as good. Also has some mellower tracks to give this album some nice variety. The tracks are pretty short, but they all flow together well. This probably has the best flow of any Pike so far.
Also, Telekinite rocked my face off.
Pike 9 - This one failed to leave an impression on me. I'm not sure why, it's mostly the same style as the other Pikes, but I found myself bored through most of it. I wondered if I was getting tired of Buckethead, but then I tried Pike 10 and immediately enjoyed it more. Weird.
Pike 10 - There's some really heavy riffing on this. But also a few more experimental tunes sprinkled in. Similar style to most of the other Pikes, but with an edge. Good stuff.
So far so good. Only 2 out of 10 didn't do it for me. That's pretty good I'd say, especially for being released in a pretty short time span. I've now reached 2013, where things start getting serious. I'd like to see some more variety going forward. Pike 5 and 6 had some interesting stuff going on that the others didn't. As much as I enjoy listening to Buckethead jam over a drum machine, with 250+ albums I'd like to see some more variation there. I'm actually looking forward to the weirder more ambient stuff!
Also have to say I love the artwork. Both the whole comic book aesthetic and the cartoon drawings. These would be nice in vinyl form, although my wallet is grateful that they aren't available on that medium.
I might pick up some of the CDs though for the better Pikes.
Recommended pikes in italics
Pike 3 - Pike in name only? Despite being longer than the average Pike and recorded earlier, this fits in with the others I've heard so far. Lots of great shredding and grooves with some oddball tracks thrown in for good measure.
Pike 4 - This is the first experimental Pike. None of the songs here have any real direction, it's just him noodling over a drum machine. Now there are some instances where this works excellently (we'll get to that later) but here it's mostly cacophony.
Pike 5 - I highly recommend this one. I actually hope there are more Pikes like this. Just one or two long tracks of Buckethead jamming. The song lengths really helps with establishing an atmosphere and developing a great solo. These two tracks have great buildups and it feels like the music is really going somewhere. One of my favorites so far!
Electric Sea - Not a Pike, but rather a sequel to an earlier album. By now it should be obvious that I love Buckethead's mellow side, and this album is no exception. In fact it's quite different from the others. For one, there's no drums on this. It's all guitar. You also get other sides to his playing. Lots of spanish/classical guitar stuff. He also takes it easier on the overdubs, making for a much more intimate recording. Really good stuff.
Pike 6 - This one completely blew me away. This succeeds where Pike 4 failed. Despite being broken up into tracks, it's really just one long jams. The way the tracks are divided actually seems completely arbitrary. There are some moments where it descends into mindless noodling, but it comes in light doses in between really great riffing and soloing. This album was a trip and I was engaged the whole way.
Pike 7 - Another winner. After a string of more unorthodox albums, this one goes back to the original Pikes' style of a bunch of short unrelated jams. Lots of great riffing on here and some more electronic sounding drums.
Pike 8 - Same as Pike 7 and just as good. Also has some mellower tracks to give this album some nice variety. The tracks are pretty short, but they all flow together well. This probably has the best flow of any Pike so far.
Also, Telekinite rocked my face off.
Pike 9 - This one failed to leave an impression on me. I'm not sure why, it's mostly the same style as the other Pikes, but I found myself bored through most of it. I wondered if I was getting tired of Buckethead, but then I tried Pike 10 and immediately enjoyed it more. Weird.
Pike 10 - There's some really heavy riffing on this. But also a few more experimental tunes sprinkled in. Similar style to most of the other Pikes, but with an edge. Good stuff.
So far so good. Only 2 out of 10 didn't do it for me. That's pretty good I'd say, especially for being released in a pretty short time span. I've now reached 2013, where things start getting serious. I'd like to see some more variety going forward. Pike 5 and 6 had some interesting stuff going on that the others didn't. As much as I enjoy listening to Buckethead jam over a drum machine, with 250+ albums I'd like to see some more variation there. I'm actually looking forward to the weirder more ambient stuff!
Also have to say I love the artwork. Both the whole comic book aesthetic and the cartoon drawings. These would be nice in vinyl form, although my wallet is grateful that they aren't available on that medium.
I might pick up some of the CDs though for the better Pikes.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Last edited:
Pike 11 - Awesome Pike. So much variety on this despite the short runtime. There's some short acoustic pieces, some creepy noise tunes, but mostly groovy solo based tracks. Mostly on the bluesy side, but some crushing metal riffs too. This is one that is not to be missed out on.
Pike 12 - This one was a real mixed bag. A lot of it didn't connect with me, hence not being recommended, but there is some really good stuff on here. The problem is with a discography of 250+, you can get the same type of material on other better albums. That being said, if you like Buckethead's heavier side this is a good one. Also the closing title track, Propeller, is so awesome. Lots of twists and turns and great buildups. One of the best tunes he's done. Check that song out and skip the rest.
Pike 13 - This one is great if you can handle ambience. It isn't totally on the ambient side, with some pretty involved guitar work at times, but it is mostly very minimalist. I really like that though. Very relaxing and moody album.
Pike 14 - One of the heaviest Pikes so far. Lots of insane thrash metal type riffs. Also some weird angular melodies and some great slap bass work. This one gets a bit on the weird side and there are a lot of moments of pure shredding, but I think this is one of his more effective albums in that nature.
Pike 15 - Another calm album. What I find interesting is that most of this album is really mellow with the exception of the second track (which is a great tune btw). The whole time I was waiting for the album to get heavy again, and at times it seemed like it was building toward that, but it never gets there. For some this may be frustrating, but I thought it was pretty interesting. There's a level of intensity and darkness surrounding this album, it's very intriguing. Really good baritone guitar work on here. Kind of reminds me of Devin Townsend's work on Ki.
Pike 16 - This one bored me tbh. Some good stuff, but a lot of it felt repetitive and the riffs were all pretty similar. Got monotonous after awhile.
Pike 17 - I was curious about this one. I've seen quite a few Pikes with one really long track followed by several shorter tracks. Always wondered what they were like. Well now I've heard one. This is a calmer Pike and it's awesome. Obviously the main event is the opening title track, The Spirit Winds. It's great stuff if you're into droning/atmospheric music. The entire thing really relies on just two musical ideas, but he executes it perfectly. Great buildup and great soloing. That is one thing I like about Buckethead, these songs aren't just vehicles to solo. There is actual compositional elements in there. The solo is a piece of the puzzle, not the focal point. Great tune, look forward to more in that vein. As for the rest of the album, it's pretty much filler. But it's good filler. Some interesting little musical tidbits. Mostly inoffensive. I would've preferred he chose one of those 4-5 songs and really developed it, rather than record the tiny snippets. But it's fine.
Pike 12 - This one was a real mixed bag. A lot of it didn't connect with me, hence not being recommended, but there is some really good stuff on here. The problem is with a discography of 250+, you can get the same type of material on other better albums. That being said, if you like Buckethead's heavier side this is a good one. Also the closing title track, Propeller, is so awesome. Lots of twists and turns and great buildups. One of the best tunes he's done. Check that song out and skip the rest.
Pike 13 - This one is great if you can handle ambience. It isn't totally on the ambient side, with some pretty involved guitar work at times, but it is mostly very minimalist. I really like that though. Very relaxing and moody album.
Pike 14 - One of the heaviest Pikes so far. Lots of insane thrash metal type riffs. Also some weird angular melodies and some great slap bass work. This one gets a bit on the weird side and there are a lot of moments of pure shredding, but I think this is one of his more effective albums in that nature.
Pike 15 - Another calm album. What I find interesting is that most of this album is really mellow with the exception of the second track (which is a great tune btw). The whole time I was waiting for the album to get heavy again, and at times it seemed like it was building toward that, but it never gets there. For some this may be frustrating, but I thought it was pretty interesting. There's a level of intensity and darkness surrounding this album, it's very intriguing. Really good baritone guitar work on here. Kind of reminds me of Devin Townsend's work on Ki.
Pike 16 - This one bored me tbh. Some good stuff, but a lot of it felt repetitive and the riffs were all pretty similar. Got monotonous after awhile.
Pike 17 - I was curious about this one. I've seen quite a few Pikes with one really long track followed by several shorter tracks. Always wondered what they were like. Well now I've heard one. This is a calmer Pike and it's awesome. Obviously the main event is the opening title track, The Spirit Winds. It's great stuff if you're into droning/atmospheric music. The entire thing really relies on just two musical ideas, but he executes it perfectly. Great buildup and great soloing. That is one thing I like about Buckethead, these songs aren't just vehicles to solo. There is actual compositional elements in there. The solo is a piece of the puzzle, not the focal point. Great tune, look forward to more in that vein. As for the rest of the album, it's pretty much filler. But it's good filler. Some interesting little musical tidbits. Mostly inoffensive. I would've preferred he chose one of those 4-5 songs and really developed it, rather than record the tiny snippets. But it's fine.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Loving all the analysis, Mosh! 
Apologies again, I will comment in more detail when I get the time...
Apologies again, I will comment in more detail when I get the time...
Last edited:
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
The REVIEW-OF-REVIEWS begins...
Well, you're fair motoring along here...
Next Review >
Well, you're fair motoring along here...
First of all you seemed to like a lot of the first ten, which is nice to read. If you're interested, Foro & I (& others) discussed the first Pikes in quite a bit of detail the middle of last year. This is what I said then, apparently...
I'm actually quite curious as to how poorly I viewed Balloon Cement (Pike #6) at this time, in comparison to your initial thoughts...For me the stand-outs on It's Alive (Pike #1) are: Lebrontron; Tonka (you didn't like this?); Barnyard Banties (I love all that slap funk stuff, you clearly don't!
On Empty Space (Pike #2): probably just Wormers & Dummy Egg. The rest of it's pretty scrappy & not particularly interesting.
'3 Clearance (Pike #3): Again, I thought this was a pretty solid release with plenty of highlights & no low points of note (besides X-ray). Stand-outs for me were Griffin's Spike, Rammellzee, Floating Graveyard, Ballad of Jerry Mono, Handprint Ornament, & Three Headed Guardian. You didn't think the start of the album was pretty strong?
Underground Chamber (Pike #4): Uh, half an hour of fucking about & noise. I can listen to this...
Look Up There (Pike #5): As discussed, track one has that annoying-to-some beats going on (which isn't that good admittedly), but the guitar work is nice; the title track is lovely, just too long.
Balloon Cement (Pike #6): No highlights for me. Tracks are only 3-star (distinctly average, boring, although not devoid of merit) & 4-star at best (good, but not outstanding in any way). The first Pike with nothing on it that really grabbed me.
Better stuff to come on Pikes #7 into the teens though!
I must have listened to it again since I wrote that though, as my ratings of each track are (at present) mainly 4-stars. After you wrote that, I again revisited it. It's one of those Pikes where the idea of tracks & ratings doesn't really fit (a common feature, to be encountered many times with the series). The overall tone & mix is awesome certainly; but it sort of sits apart from the other top 10-20 Pikes in the sense of being one big rambling 30-minute mix, rather than standalone tracks. I know there are other early Pikes like this (i.e. Underground Chamber), but most have quite distinct track separation. On this issue...
On CD this is one track. It was only broken up for digital release.
This is longer as it was a CD Buckethead basically just slapped on for sale on a previous Christmas. It was called Happy Holidays from Buckethead (title cover) I think. When he incorporated it into the Pikes series it was the only Pike that was priced differently, because it's the only one that's outside the 30-minute format.
Always surprised at just how popular this release seems. It's good, but I got bored of it quite early. Possibly it's because of that track length; you really have to have the time to invest in listening to it. Your hope will be met; there are many other Pikes like this...
Indeed. And the last of the traditional albums we've seen from him. Will he ever release another standard record label studio album? Doubt it.
Fantastic early Pike. Not sure if I'd describe any of these as "jams" (I think improvisation when I read "jam", and these tracks are very thought-out sounding); they're basically conventional tracks. If you like your music like this, then you should treasure these early "conventional" Pike releases; as the series progresses Pikes like these become a little rarer...
Yip, another great release. Remember Pikes 8, 9, & 10 were all released on the same day. Incredible. Conventional opinion is he had lots of these tracks sitting around either already recorded or in demo.
Go back and listen, it's as good as #7 or 8...
Probably my favourite of the top ten, I think.
Hopefully there's enough variety for you. There's some stunning runs of albums still to come.
Remember, hardly any of the Pikes have had standard CD releases. And the early ones, which did, have now gone out of print. Speaking of art, Buckethead's own art has made it's first appearance on a Pike cover with the latest release...Also have to say I love the artwork. Both the whole comic book aesthetic and the cartoon drawings. These would be nice in vinyl form, although my wallet is grateful that they aren't available on that medium.
Next Review >
Last edited:
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
< Previous Review
There's so much variety to come; I'm looking forward to you analysis of pretty much everything in the top 50!
Next Review >
Other than Yellowed Pages which isn't really a viable track (which I can forgive, as it is what it is), this whole album is fucking incredible. Every track is stunning.
Don't skip the rest, listeners! Launched is crazy...
This is one of the few Pikes I don't have. I've listened to it a few times on YouTube and like it. But I'm waiting for the right time to buy it on CD (it's only release format)...
Chickephant is Buckethead in his bedroom I think...
Second track is very good (Ran), and there are a few other crackers too. Nothing disappointing on this one.
I think the repetitive droning/riffing is actually deliberate. Heavy, but doesn't really go anywhere.
Agree. You'll get more releases like this and I think you really need to be in the mood to listen to 20 minutes of music to appreciate them. And, I kind of like the "tiny snippets" like Cab Window; I love that he just has so many of these little ideas & doesn't feel the need to fully develop all of them.
There's so much variety to come; I'm looking forward to you analysis of pretty much everything in the top 50!
Next Review >
Last edited:
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
And repetition. Beware Mosh, if you think an album is in the same vein as an earlier, but less good, always remember that Buckethead can surprise, both in style and melodic/riffing quality in another pike ahead. I've become very selective. Works for me.
What is all this top 10, top 50 talk? Do you mean first 10, and first 50 pikes?
Good post-#50 pikes, I can count them on two hands. (Still need to hear between 40 and 50 pikes but I can't imagine that the figures will double anytime soon).
Is that terrible? No, it isn't. It's great to know an artist with 30 or 40 great albums.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
While I totally agree with you, I can't help but think that you've definitely missed Pikes that you would like; judging by how you described listening to the first part of tracks for style/sound.
Yeh, sorry; I meant in the general sense
i.e. "top ten" = Pikes #1-10
"top 50" = Pikes #1-50
Nothing to do with quality or ratings.I still think you're being incredibly harsh. There are dozens of flat-out awesome Pikes that are post-50; besides others being interesting, if admittedly uneven. If you entertain the idea, musically, of a track/album being a "grower" at all, then you've basically missed this boat (not your fault) with Buckethead. There are albums that benefit from repeat listening (something you can't possibly have done if you've only listened critically once); Buckethead's just like any other artist in this respect. And similarly it works the other way around, as with anyone else; stuff you were initially blown away by you become more critical of.
[Foro, I think you've asked me for suggestions in this range before, but I can't remember if I replied.]
There are albums which aren't to my taste but I appreciate them for what they are. These are some albums in the 51-100 range which I think are either very good (some of them are awesome) &/or deserve a full listen; at the very least to appreciate that Buckethead has experimented and it wasn't totally unsuccessful...
Pike #51 Claymation Courtyard [2014]
Pike #52 Factory [2014]
Pike #56 Cycle [2014]
Pike #58 Outpost [2014]
Pike #60 Footsteps [2014]
Pike #64 Aquarium [2014]
Pike #65 Hold Me Forever [2014]
Pike #66 Leave the Light On [2014]
Pike #67 Abandoned Slaughterhouse [2014]
Pike #68 Assignment 033-03 [2014]
Pike #70 Snow Slug [2014]
Pike #71 Celery [2014]
Pike #72 Closed Attractions [2014]
Pike #73 Final Bend of the Labyrinth [2014]
Pike #74 Infinity Hill [2014]
Pike #77 Bumbyride Dreamlands [2014]
Pike #78 [Untitled] [2014]
Pike #79 Geppetos Trunk [2014]
Pike #81 Carnival of Cartilage [2014]
Pike #82 Calamity Cabin [2014]
Pike #85 Walk in Loset [2014]
Pike #86 Our Selves [2014]
Pike #89 The Time Travelers Dream [2014]
Pike #90 Listen for the Whisper [2014]
Pike #91 Sublunar [2014]
Pike #93 Coaster Coat [2014]
Pike #94 Magic Lantern [2014]
Pike #95 Northern Lights [2014]
Pike #97 Passageways [2014]
Maybe 29-30 (maybe more) in those fifty releases. Plenty to enjoy there.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Thanks man. Yes, you did give me suggestions but not so many. I haven't heard most of the last three groups yet and I'd like to get back to these first two groups for a second listening. I indeed didn't give a second listening to most Buckethead albums (apart from the ones I bought of course).
Hmm. I really, really would like to see some sort of favourite pikes list one day. Not sure what you may find less difficult to do: a big group of albums (25 to 50) or a smaller one.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
If you have the time, it would be interesting to hear what you think of some of the ones I listed.
I have pretty much every single track I own by Buckethead rated. I could put them in some sort of order if you want? Best of #1-50, etc...
Last edited:
Yea I'm actually starting to prefer the rambling 30 minute mix. I like the standalone tracks too, and they are composed quite impressively, but I love hearing Buckethead take a single idea and build on it. I also think the Pikes format is perfect for that.
Yea jam was a bad choice of words on my part. You can tell by the programmed drums that there was some more pre-planning going on. That is definitely something I appreciate with those albums.
Listening to it now, I'm still not sold on it. Awesome opening track though. The rest of the album doesn't do anything for me.
One thing I can say about Buckethead is that he knows just how long a song needs to be. Still, I think it would've been cool if he saved some of these ideas for later Pikes. Not that he is short on good material though.
I always assumed that he recorded a lot of this before releasing the first Pike to give him a head start. Still an unreal amount of releases, but I wouldn't be surprised if the material on the first 5-10 albums were recorded much earlier.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I can't promise it will happen soon.
That's a start! Even better (or more interesting imo) would be a list of your favourite albums.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Indeed, I've started to come round to that way of thinking too. What I really meant, I think, is that the first 10-20 Pikes really are like conventional albums in terms of the tracks being standalone. Pretty soon we delve into the rambling format you describe...
And that's the complaint people have with later releases: drum/rhythm production. For some people that really distracts from his otherwise solid guitar playing. It's important and isn't important. It's just something we have to live with I think. It's also really uneven, which makes me think it's deliberate. Some Pikes are so good people often ask who the secret drummer is e.g. Monti or even Buckethead.
Surprising. It isn't that different to the two albums it's sandwiched between I don't think.
Really? I think some tracks really outstay their welcome!
Judging by the unified sound of some of them, the material certainly sounds mixed/recorded together; I don't think these were loads of random tracks from different times or anything. But I agree it's most likely that a lot of this was written/conceived before the Pikes machine started rolling. You can basically tell that this isn't the case with later Pikes; they are so rough & fresh sounding (in both a good & bad way). It will interesting to see whether you notice this, since you're listening to these in order (as others might not be, dipping into random material on YouTube for example).
I could do that. Pikes or full studio albums or both?
Last edited:
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I'd sure like both! Maybe I'm asking too much now but as an addition (bonus), how would these categories be rated in one list together? Would you be able to compare these (even if normal albums are longer, the main criterium is still your personal level of enjoyment). So these rankings:
A- list with favourite songs (from pikes and other albums I assume?)
B- list with favourite pikes
C- list with favourite other studio albums
D- list with combination of C & D.
Your song list could serve as an important basis for a possible future survivor.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Well, it would be pretty hard to take a 13 track standard album & compare it to, say, a three track Pike --in the sense that it would be pretty incredible for a long studio album to be flat-out 5-star from start to finish. There are multiple Pikes that are that though, every track being 5-star; easier when there are only half a dozen tracks though. So, hard to compare 'em. Off the top of my head Giant Robot NTT has to be one of my favourite standard albums even though it's not technically a named Buckethead solo album. It has 13 tracks in total: 9 tracks rated 5-star, with the remaining 4 tracks being 4-star. I absolutely love that album. Hard to think of anything I'd put ahead of it...
So you're wanting a Best-of-Pikes, like all of them? A top ten or what?
So you're wanting a Best-of-Pikes, like all of them? A top ten or what?
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
The stuff (A, B, C and D) I described in the previous post. A Best-of-Pikes, is that B?
You may decide on the amount of records. 25 or 20 would be nice. If that's too difficult, you can do less (10 or 15) or more.
If D would imply just one studio album and (e.g.) 24 pikes, so be it. No prob.
You may decide on the amount of records. 25 or 20 would be nice. If that's too difficult, you can do less (10 or 15) or more.
If D would imply just one studio album and (e.g.) 24 pikes, so be it. No prob.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
I'll think about doing B first then; a favourite Pikes list since it's relevant to the current ongoing discussion...
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
#52 Factory
This pike is quite unique in its use of sudden rhythm stops and tempo changes. Even though the sound is computerish, the use of the drums makes it more natural and spontaneous. Usually the drums are more constant and it's Buckethead improvising. Now the drums are improvising too and I liked this aspect for a change. In the first quarter there's lots of variation. Some cool passages. All in all, I don't think I am tempted soon to buy this because it did not contain enough strong melodies, chord progressions, riffs or atmosphere I like. But I surely see it can be a good album for Primus and funk afiocionados!
This pike is quite unique in its use of sudden rhythm stops and tempo changes. Even though the sound is computerish, the use of the drums makes it more natural and spontaneous. Usually the drums are more constant and it's Buckethead improvising. Now the drums are improvising too and I liked this aspect for a change. In the first quarter there's lots of variation. Some cool passages. All in all, I don't think I am tempted soon to buy this because it did not contain enough strong melodies, chord progressions, riffs or atmosphere I like. But I surely see it can be a good album for Primus and funk afiocionados!
Last edited:
