The light of day finally came!!
I am going to “scream” this loud and clear!
THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM I’VE HEARD THIS YEAR!!
It’s been a long time coming for Rich Aucoin‘s full-length album We’re All Dying To Live (Public Publication EP/Over The Top! LP).
The release date kept changing, with planned release dates in fall 2009, then winter/summer of 2010.
Finally October 25, 2011 is the drop date of the album.
For those not familiar with Rich Aucoin, here is a blurb about him:
“Part indie-rock preacher, part wonderkid, Aucoin’s We’re All Dying To Live is a musical scrapbook compiling over 500 musicians, friends and fans from across Canada. We’re All Dying To Live is a testament to the metamorphic magic of music.”
If you haven’t been to a live show of his, it is very show stopping.
Just think Girl Talk with all the confetti, lots of dancing and audience participation, and the artist creating his own music.
The album kicks of with The Morning Becomes Eclectic Overture which is a instrumental version of Undead.
Next is a six minute pop epic called All You Cannot Live Without.
Moving on to the Public Publication EP, its four tracks have been re-recorded or re-titled as follows:
– Even If All Your Friends Abandon You, SMiLE/Brian Wilson Is A.L.i.V.E. (All Living Instantly Vanquish Everything). This is a homage to Brian Wilson with some added pop dance beats.
– P:U:S:H (formerly Push) has an added prelude, Watching Ice Station Zebra For The 151st Time, which has crazy drumming.
– 1929-1971/Watching, Wishing, Waiting (formerly Superman) sounds different from it’s predecessor.
– Undead has been separated into two parts. It just blew me away hearing the trumpet in Part 1.
New vocals have been added from Rebekah Higgs, which gives the song that great guy-girl dynamic and makes it sound very cute.
Something about that song just gets me on my feet!
Moving on again, Dying to Live is a great pop choir tune, and the ending track, 500 People Talking, has this very avant-garde feel. It reminds me of when the Beatles did with Revolution 9, so you can say it is his take on it.
I was a little disappointed that Four More Years didn’t make the cut on the album. Maybe it will be on the next one.
I feel the whole album has a theme about how it’s great to be alive and not be worrying about dying.
It’s so catchy, fun to dance to, and great to sing along to!
This will put him on the map, and if it doesn’t than it will be a travesty.
You can say this album is very ambitious considering he got help from 500 musicians.
It makes me curious as to who actually helped out on the album (since I don’t have the package yet).
Definitely one of the best and most fun album of 2011.
Best tracks:
- The Morning Becomes Eclectic Overture
- All You Cannot Live Without
- Brian Wilson Is A.L.i.V.E. (All Living Instantly Vanquish Everything)
- It/The Greatest Secret In The World
- Watching Ice Station Zebra For The 151st Time
- P:U:S:H
- Hope for the Flowers
- Undead, Pt 1 – Estrangement
- Undead, Pt 2 – Reconciliation
- Living to Die
- Dying to Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJcl8cD7QY
I’d give this album 10/10.
