Search - Tortoise :: Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise 'Millions Now Living Will Never Die' (Thrill Jockey

Mike Reed | USA | 05/31/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Originally released in 1996, as this was the experimental jazz-rock five piece's second CD. Pretty much as good as it's follow-up 'TNT'. The opener, twenty-one minute epic "Djed" is the best track this disc has to offer - hands down. Couple other notable cuts I was sort of impressed with were "Glass Museum" and "Along The Banks Of The River". Should appeal to fans of Sea And Cake, Cul De Sac, Trans Am, Isotope 217 and maybe Soft Machine."

Shell Out For This One

Paul Ess. | Holywell, N.Wales,UK. | 01/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Tortoise is a strange but appealing jazz/rock noise. At times, it's a bit like the Stranglers circa 'Rattus Norvegicus' only without the leering, unsubtle sexism. It's clattering trad boogie with haunting keyboard flourishes.

You've gotta move a little at least, and those who can afford strong narcotics during this stifling credit crunch can undoubtedly dance the whole oblivious night away to it.



The opening number is 'Djed' ("aaarrrgggh!!!" - Ess' long-suffering spell-checker.) which runs twenty odd (very odd - © Review Cliché . Com) minutes, but doesn't lose a second of interest and contains bossy bass soloing.

'A Survey' is calmer Wire, while 'the Taut and Tame' (nice ambiguity there lads..) whistles and whirrs all over the disc in frantic fashion - face-rippingly savage guitar and aneurism-inducing percussion clambering for prominence.



Although 'MNLWND' is descended from bizarre-but-good experimental hippy stuff like Comus and the Peach Orchard, it sounds fresh and unfamiliar - and despite utilising jazz stalwarts like xylophone and glockenspiel, you don't ever get a sense of deja-vu.

It's a resolute, original music, beautifully realised and presented with wit and studied elegance.



The Amazon Tortoise page is good too. Really sardonic.

Alongside this fine release is 'The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit' by Susan Lowell and another book rather condescendingly advocating 'Beginning Vivarium Systems' (sounds subversive!) by a bloke called Russ.(!) Yeah, I won't be taking his word on anything, least of all tortoises.



"Looking for tortoise products?" it asks helpfully - I half expected to see 'ragout' come up (!)"