.co.uk Where previously The Beatles and The Who had marked his music Cast's main man John Power has claimed, Beetroot shows another set of influences, including Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye. Cast have clearly worked hard to widen their repertoire, prefacing each track with sweet and often eerie effects. And the tracks themselves are a stride forward from the band's usual sunny and occasionally banal indie-rock. "Opener Desert Drought" (desert drought?) is a tough shuffle of drums and scraping cymbals with excited soul backing vocals and, of all things, a shrieking Jethro Tull flute. "Curtains" has a winding, near-funky guitar, while "Kingdoms And Crowns", with its complex rhythms and melodious percussion, has you thinking of Peter Gabriel. "Giving It All Away" sees Power as social commentator, rising to a falsetto in true Ray Davies style. "High Wire" is a strange, whistling disco pop. "Lose Myself" is a plodding, rumbling rock, its screeching, moaning guitar quite unashamedly recalling Foghat, the American feel being continued by the Appalachian techno-rock of "Meditations". There are disappointments. "I Never Can Say" and the closing "Universal Grinding Wheel", with its jazzy brass band, are too heavily reminiscent of The Beatles and, throughout, Power's pro-love lyrics tend towards lame platitude. His melodies, too, sometimes lack strength, as if more time were spent on the sound than the writing. So, not a triumph--just a brave step in the right direction. --Dominic Wills
N**E
Could be 'a grower'.
This album is ok; I've listened to it a few times and the first thing that struck me was that it certainly lacks the energy of La's and Cast, but I suppose that's to be expected after all this time. A few of the tracks I do not like at all ,they seem to be over-produced and trying to be clever, but the rest, as above, may be 'growers'.
J**E
There are some obvious "Manchester" influences in the use of drum tracks/loops but this in no way detracts from a great album. I
This was supposed to eb the album that left the other members of Cast unhappy with Power (or os I've read). As a fan at the time I was put off by reviews and by the time they split I hadn't bought it. Picked it up after hearing their 2012 release and I must say it blew me away. There are some obvious "Manchester" influences in the use of drum tracks/loops but this in no way detracts from a great album. I've had it on continuous play in the car for a week and the songs have only grown on me. Power deals with his usual themes of spirituality and love but the album has a freshness and vitality that stands up twenty odd years later. Highly recommend this album.
N**D
Five Stars
Good album by a underated band
M**G
Five Stars
nice one
R**T
Three Stars
A few gems amongst a very different style of album
S**M
Different yes, but still a very good album!
I was reluctant unlike Cast's other albums, to buy Beetroot as there have been so many negative comments about this album but I thought I would get it just out of curiosity - unsure of what to expect. Using my common sense however, I did think that if it was anything to do with John Power, it must be good -surely - and I have not been disappointed! Yes, this album is very different to Cast's other work, and I personally feel there is a hint more of what John Powers solo work is about, but none the less, there are some really good tracks on here - my favourite being Giving It All Away. Its a shame that this album was not originally well received as I think it is a lot better than the negativity it has received. Cast are a brilliant and truly talented group and I think Beetroot is an album worth getting and listening to, with an open mind - you might be pleasantly surprised!
S**K
2014 Deluxe CD+DVD la!
The 4th and final album from Cast's first period. Originally released in 2001, Beetroot doesn't really sound like traditional Cast and doesn't even sound like John's solo albums which are more stripped down. Less of a team effort though, more John and a guy that knows how to work Pro-tools.If you listen without prejudice its a really good album. To me, its like an acoustic album on steroids, laid back grooves and catchy melodies. The album all but disappeared on release and the band disbanded on the support tour. Like a lot of people, I wasn't even aware that Cast had done a 4th album until it had been and gone. Hindsight allows us to look at albums without any hype (or lack of in this case!) and listening to Beetroot is like finding a great little secret that no one else knows about.This issue is from Edsel (under licence from Universal) and comes in a robust hardback book style case, very smart and more durable than the standard fidgety Deluxe versions that Universal have recently issued. The full album and b-sides are here and all lyrics are included even for the b-sides which is a nice touch of detail. A DVD is included containing a new interview with John Power and the solitary promo video. As this was near the end for the band there aren't many extras. Most of the b-sides were remixes and no live performances are included, hence why the album has only 2 discs as opposed to the previous albums which have 3.A great reissue to round off the Cast story and if you keep your ears open you'll grow to love it as much as the others.P.S. Edsel, please send the other 3 members in the band a copy so they too can grow to love it. Maybe we'll get to hear Giving It All Away live someday.
J**C
Lost Liverpool Gem
Sometimes, guitar based music can become stale and a bit predictable. You can listen to the first 20 seconds of a song and predict what the rest will sound like. Not so with Beetroot, which has lots of great little quirky bits scattered throughout the songs. It sold poorly when originally released, probably due to Nu-metal, which was at its height of popularity at the time, and caused the band to split. But I am looking forward to the new Cast recording, though they've gone for the produced of their first album "Alright" so I expect it will have more of a brit-pop feel.
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