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The Bees - Free The Bees

The Bees: Free The Bees

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by Tom Edwards
  • Type: Album
  • Release date: 28/06/2004
  • Label: Virgin
On a basic level, the Isle Of Wight’s greatest exports The Bees come from the same mould as NME dullards Jet. Superficially, they both sound like bands frozen in time 30 years ago to be recently defrosted, unaware of the musical transformations of the past two decades. Luckily these guys do something a bit more special than rip of The Stooges and The Rolling Stones song for song.

One spin of this CD and DiS is whisked away on a cloud of green smoke to the fantasy festivals of yore. It’s comparable to blending all the best bits of Led Zep and hippie rockers Grateful Dead, with a spoonful of Motown classics to help the medicine go down. Best of all there are no knobbish guitar solos or unwanted wanky ‘jazz’ bits to get in the way. It’s like getting the free love, but without the hairy armpits and STDs. Lovely.

Two classic singles, ‘Horsemen’ and ‘Wash In The Rain’ (“I got salt you got pepper/Maybe we should get it together”), carry the first half of the album, while the aching ‘I Love You’ is a damn fine stab at updating The Flamingos’ masterpiece ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, falling only inches short of its mark. Paul Butler’s understated voice wraps itself around the melodies like a grittier Jimi Goodwin, offset by a choir perfectly atmospheric back-up vocals.

The Bees are unique in that they fill a hole from the past that really needs filling and they’re more focussed in their vision than contemporaries like The Coral. More power to the Isle Of Wight massive!

  • The Bees 8 / 10

The Bees - Free The Bees

No Tom! BAD Tom! This album is TERRIBLE!

Re: The Bees - Free The Bees

not heard the album but the two singles I've heard made me want to...very much.

Terrible Shady?
Elaborate please - if you put me off getting the album, that saves me a tenner :)

Re: The Bees - Free The Bees

Buying 'Free The Bees' would be a big waste of money!!!

Its utter retro crap (probably why the NME loves it so much)!!!

The Bees do have a certain charm about them, as do some of the songs, but overall this album really is pants...

Spend the tenner on beer, or better still an album u'll actually enjoy!!!

Re: The Bees - Free The Bees

That's bollocks. This is one of the best albums I've bought in fucking ages. I don't like the NME connection because I found out about them by seeing them live then buying their albums so I, thankfully, cannot be associated with the Enemy. They were amazing live and I was blown away by Free The Bees.

They're better than the fucking Killers aswell.

Good review man, totally agree.

The Bees - Free The Bees

I like this album. I don't care if it's 'retro crap', it's an enjoyable album with nice melodies and harmonies and good songs. Some albums have to be like that. :)

The Bees - Free The Bees

Their first album is brilliant, a breathe of fresh air - then I heard this at work and was so disappointed. It sounds so musky and bland, what happened? It sounds like The fucking-Coral-fucking-Zutons country barn dancing shite. Noooo! Songs like Sunshine from the first album are amazing.

The Bees - Free The Bees

I hate the fuckin bees and every thing about there retro 'we are so cool because we sound like something your grandad would listen to' bullshit, throw this in the bin

Re: The Bees - Free The Bees

There is nothing wrong with the music my grandad would have listened to actually... I feel this retro crap as you politely put it is fantastic. If everyone had the same taste in tunes the world would be a dull place... It might not be everybodies bag but is certainly mine!

"Give him a flower"

Rach
Xx

Bees Knees my arse

Just listened to a few Bees tracks as they're playing Leeds soon... they sound dire, I'll be saving my money for something more worthy ta.


Ach,

The Bees appeal to the lowest possible base and shallow rhythmic attractions. 'Chicken Payback' is not supposed to be a song that makes you think or understand. It's mindless and it makes you happy...like Blink. Anything wrong witht that?