Buckethead

A 7/10 for Buckethead is a "miss". :p

EDIT: I know it doesn't seem like it, but I just really like Buckethead, so...
 
I don’t know if it’s this thread or the time of year, probably a bit of both, but I’m getting the Buckethead bug again. Listened to Slaughterhouse on the Praire yesterday and I think the 9/10 rating I gave it holds up. Great stuff.

Gonna try to catch up on the Pikes here. now playing: It’s Alive
 
Not all of them, just some of the more memorable ones, some of the Halloween ones, and some of my favorite pre-Pikes.
 
12med.jpg

Pike 12/275
  1. "Propellar" - I like this song's usage of quiet acoustics and loud electric riffs. Sets a very nice mood, IMO. I like it. 9/10
  2. "Room of Shells" - I was surprised it was already over, actually. Just random but it's cool. Like a highlight, though. 7/10
  3. "Meeting of the Mummy" - This was a really nice song. I liked it. 9/10
  4. "The Poultry Show" - Holy shit, I love this opening riff. The next riff is pretty standard, but there's some cool stuff in this song. Yeah, no, this song is awesome. Not the biggest stand-out but it's such nice listen, and that ending is insane! 9/10
  5. "Launched" - It's okay, but far too long and gets old after a while. Nice in the background though. 5/10
  6. "Dome" - Cool end song. Very moody, very good way to end it after the previous one. 8/10
Has some nice bits, but unfortunately "Launched" overshadows all the rest with its runtime of... eh. I'd come back for 1, 3, and 4, though.

Rating: 7.8/10

9.5 - Racks (8)
9.5 - It's Alive (1)
9.3 - The Shores of Molokai (7)
9.0 - Look Up There (5)
8.9 - 3 Foot Clearance (3)
8.8 - The Silent Picture Book (10)
8.8 - March of the Slunks (9)
8.5 - Empty Space (2)
8.4 - Forgotten Library (11)
8.0 - Underground Chamber (4)
7.8 - Propellar (12)
7.5 - Balloon Cement (6)
 
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Pike 13/275
  1. Track 1 - This is already shaping up to be a very different type of Pike. Track 1 just repeats itself numerously but somehow it doesn't get old. I like it. 9/10
  2. Track 2 - Literally jumped because of how much louder this was, relatively. This is very nice stuff. 9/10
  3. Track 3 - Very minimalistic. Hard to believe that this is the same guy who wrote "King James" and "Jordan"... 9/10
  4. Track 4 - Very nice. I like that thing that closes it all out. Great stuff. 9/10
  5. Track 5 - So quiet.... 9/10
  6. Track 6 - Quiet start, and then it finally gets louder with a more normal song style. So relaxing. I like it a lot. 9/10
  7. Track 7 - Very nice thing. 9/10
  8. Track 8 - Pretty stuffs. 9/10
  9. Track 9 - Christ, is this literally Track 1 all over again? Genius. 9/10
After the weaker past few Pikes, this is a very nice return to greatness, but it's far from a normal Pike just from the cover on. The photo of Brian and his father is great, but the way it's shot gives it a haunting vibe, and Bucket truly brings it all out with the tracks. Ambient and moody, this one gives off a great vibe and is executed greatly. Really, one of the best Pikes yet.

Rating: 9.3/10

9.5 - Racks (8)
9.5 - It's Alive (1)
9.3 - The Shores of Molokai (7)
9.3 - Pike 13
9.0 - Look Up There (5)
8.9 - 3 Foot Clearance (3)
8.8 - The Silent Picture Book (10)
8.8 - March of the Slunks (9)
8.5 - Empty Space (2)
8.4 - Forgotten Library (11)
8.0 - Underground Chamber (4)
7.8 - Propellar (12)
7.5 - Balloon Cement (6)
 
CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
No, nobody knows. It's already done & out there on vinyl though. One of the Pikes was renamed too if I recall. And there were a couple of other bits of artwork change.
Click to expand...
Do you happen to have pictures of the new covers? Couldn’t seem to find any (though I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t been posted yet).
 
They haven't been posted by Buckethead on the Pikes site, but I've seen a few eBay images. This is what Cried knows...

Albino Slug has been renamed Clockunwise. The tracks Redeem Team and Siege Engine have been re-recorded:

s-l1600.jpg


Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot has been renamed Ghost Host. The tracks Ghost Host and Asylum of Glass have been re-recorded:

s-l1600.jpg


Pike #269 Decaying Parchment has been renamed Performances Of The Bloodless Guillotine for its vinyl release:

s-l1600.jpg


It's also been confirmed that Albino Slug has been fully remastered for vinyl; as is often required for vinyl. It's assumed all the recent vinyl releases have been remastered too. Not confirmed though.

Slightly related: Pike #76 had, like a few other Pike releases, a very late digital release. Until then it had remained untitled & lacked art. Pike #43 & #78 still remain like this too. Anyway, when it was given a digital release it had this cover:

a0939088267_16.jpg


And while it still shows with this art on Bandcamp, on the Pikes site the art is now:

76sm.jpg


I've no idea what image appears when you now buy it.
 
Damn, thanks for that treasure trove of info! I definitely think I prefer the cover and title of Albino Slug to Clockunwise - was a zany but cool idea, IMO - but the cover to Ghost Host is better than Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot, but I'm not sure which title I prefer. I'd still happily purchase the vinyls, though. They're not bad looking by any means.

Also, I gave the new recording of "The Redeem Team" and the original one a listen through. Definitely better production now, looser guitar sound, but I think it sounds better that way. The rumble before the "high flying" section gives it an added punch. Only downside is that the soaring guitar in the last few seconds is missing, but other than that I think it might actually sound better than the original.

Gonna have to check out the others too, and thanks for the Crime Slunk Scene link, I'll need to give that a listen sometime!

Do you happen to have a personal opinion on the new artwork and titles and such?
 
The artwork is all pretty damn cool I think. Dunno about the re-recordings; as in the rationale or necessity. (Vinyl Pikes releases has also seemed really random in terms of choices.) Production is better, playing is quite similar. Of all of them, Asylum of Glass is defintely slightly poorer; just a few small dropped passages & notes. I guess I'm so used to the original. Didn't think I'd want to hear Redeem Team and Siege Engine re-done tbh. But they're really good. I hadn't really listened to the new Lotus Island; a bit controversial touching that one. It seems to have the most little changes overall. I like it.

I would buy all of them if he put up digital versions.
 
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