Search - Psychic TV :: Force the Hand of Chance

Do not buy this CD...

Andrij B. Kopytko | PA | 01/17/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"...if you are legitimately interested in the album. Cleopatra Records, rather than mastering the CD from the master tapes, decided it would be a good idea to master the CD from an old vinyl copy from their personal collection. The sound quality, overall, is poor, and the stereo separation is off dramatically. If you really want this album, search out the Japanese 2CD, typically referred to as "Force the Hands of Chants," which also contains the "Themes 1" album. This was actually mastered from the original tapes and is crisp in quality. Also watch out for the Cleopatra reissues of Kraftwerk records, as they were mastered in the same fashion, and I would not be surprised if other "classic" reissues from Cleopatra (Hawkwind, Syd Barrett, etc.) were done in the same way."

DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION

Jon Whitney | Arlington, MA USA | 09/25/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This version is almost as much of a complete waste of money as the Cleopatra version. It's mis-labeled. CD 2 is NOT THEMES. CD 2 is a disc of bonus stuff that was ON the Cleopatra version, simply added as a bonus CD and priced higher than a single CD set would be. I call shenanigans on Stevo for doing such a rotten reissue. The double digipack is chintzy, the artwork is ruined by unnecessary text and the back is so poorly photocopied. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Find the Japanese double CD version if you can."

Pastoral Excursions

Pieter | Johannesburg | 04/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One finds a melodic, gentle and almost bucolic Psychic TV here, introduced by the folksy, tender Just Drifting, followed by the long spoken poem Terminus X-Tul. Stolen Kisses shares a title with a later song by Chris & Cosey, and I was rather disappointed to discover it wasn't THAT one - it's pleasant enough, though, in a sort of folk-pop way, like The Lovin' Spoonful or Francoise Hardy. Caresse is a lovely orchestral piece that ends with a baby crying, No Go Go is a gripping electronic sound collage, while Ov Power sounds a bit like Public Image Limited's "Metal Box" album. The beautiful Message From The Temple offers very practical advice on utilising the power of mind over some of the most eerie music on the album and is my favorite track. The instrumental Bubbles sounds like it was recorded through a vocoder but it has the most addictive melody, while the hidden track 13, perhaps called The Process, is another sinister collage of sound and voice. This album reveals its gems by repeated listening. A very diverse collection, but you won't find any techno beats or traditional rock amongst these often poetic, always interesting pieces."