The recent Buckethead albums I\'ve heard

[GirTheRobot]

and what I think about them. (short reviews)

Pepper\'s Ghost - Bought this one, and boy am I happy. At first I couldn\'t tell the songs apart too well, but then I payed a lot of attention and the only songs that I think are O.K. to say the least, are: Brewer in the Air and Exit 209, the rest are fantastic. 9.5/10

Enter the Chicken - Not really my style. I didn\'t like how Buckethead just played guitar in the background while everyone else did their thing, I wasn\'t impressed. 3/10(The 3 is for Notthingham Lace)

The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell - I haven\'t listened to this too much, but I like it so far. The songs sound a lot alike, so I might have to just really pay attention like I had to with Pepper\'s Ghost. I usually listen to my music while on the computer or when I\'m riding in the car, so I don\'t pay too much attention when it\'s something new to me. I\'ll give you the final score later, but so far it\'s an 8/10.

I\'m going to buy either Crime Slunk Scene next, or DCK Limited Edition(Probably DCK). I haven\'t heard any DCK yet, is it any good? Do you guys think I\'ll like it?

[GirTheRobot]

Forgot to mention: I bought EtC, and got TCCoH from my library.

The thing is, I\'m not too upset about buying EtC because I know I would have bought it eventually anyway.

[nuff_said]

read up on some of the DCK review threads in here.  it\'s very, very ambient.

this may explain a little of the enter the chicken album.  i gather, and don\'t swallow this whole, \'cuz it\'s just what i gather, that buckethead wrote the songs and then the other artists just went nuts in their own way and gave the songs their lives.  i heard somewhere that he especially liked the opera singer, Ani Maljian.  

here\'s a word or two taken from the Buckethead and Friends page on myspace:

The ever mysterious and amazingly talented guitarist/theme park manager Buckethead has opened the doors to his famed Bucketheadland once again, and this time, he has asked his friends to help him provide thrills and chills to his guests. Produced by Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Enter The Chicken, the latest and greatest musical attraction by Buckethead & Friends is set to take riders aboard beginning October 25. As the arcane story goes, Bucketheadland was opened back in 1989 as a refuge for himself and the chickens that had raised him in a coup from an early age. To keep the chickens entertained, Buckethead learned to play the guitar while growing up, but as the mystifying story unfolds, a string of harrowing experiences and mistreatment from the farmers on-site drove the masked axeman to burn down the coup and flee with his feathered friends to a new sanctuary. That safe haven, Bucketheadland grew into a world where both dreams and nightmares intertwined into a creative force that drove the guitarist to channel that energy into some of the most unique and innovative music to ever be created. Over the past 16 years, Buckethead has not only managed his theme park, but has also had time to exercise his love of guitar playing and music by traveling all over the world playing in front of audiences and has recorded over 13 records. Most of his discography is as a solo artist, but he has also contributed in bands like Guns N' Roses, the Deli Creeps, Praxis, Giant Robot, El Stew and Cobra Strike. Throughout 2004, Buckethead was writing and recording the musical tracks that would comprise the titles for Enter The Chicken with engineer and programmer Dan Monti. In early summer of 2004, when he felt that he had a solid stable of innovative songs, Buckethead approached Tankian with the tracks and asked if he would be interested in releasing them through his own Serjical Strike Records. The singer and label owner not only agreed to release the record, but also offered to produce it. What makes Enter The Chicken unique among all other Buckethead albums is the contribution of different singers throughout the body of work. Both producer and guitarist recruited some of today's brightest musical talents to lend their voice including Saul Williams, Efrem Schulz (Death By Stereo), Maura Davis (Denali, Bella Lea), Azam Ali (Vas, Niyaz), Bad Acid Trip, Maximum Bob (Deli Creeps), Gigi, Shana Halligan and Ani Maldjian. Even Tankian himself lends his vocals on the album. When all was said and done, a total of 11 different vocalists specializing in musical styles ranging from opera, metal, rap, indie rock, grindcore, world and everything in between found their way onto Enter The Chicken. This variety of intonation is complimented by Buckthead's array of genre bending guitar playing and songwriting that infuses his trademark frenetic picking and robotic riffage with hypnotic and vividly rich atmospheric elements creating a balance and link between beauty and the beast. Tracks like "Botnus" featuring Efrem Schulz and "Funbus" featuring Bad Acid Trip storm out of the gates with hellish fury letting up for only a few bars to allow the listener a quick breath, while the exquisitely ethereal track "Coma" featuring Azam Ali languidly arises within the album's sequence with sophisticated elegance and grace. These distinguishing characteristics are present throughout the album, making Enter The Chicken an 11-track musical odyssey that is filled with sonic twists, turns and loops that provide listeners with a unique musical voyage that Tankian refers to as "the most diverse rock record this year".

back to me, it seems as though he just sent tracks off to some talented artists and said \'i\'d love to hear what you feel from this, and what you do!"

based on what you think so far, you\'ll probably be more in the crime slunk scene phase.

you\'ll have different moments of appreciation for each song as you hear them again and again.  you\'re off to a good start.  have a fun journey

[Matthew]

I personally really like Enter the Chicken...I was not very impressed on the first listen, but as always I give it many chances. It really grew on me! It is something very new...and I really like that!

[GirTheRobot]

The thing about EtC though, is that I don\'t like death metal, hip hop or rap, which is what the whole album is basically.

Actually, if he would have made that album with no vocals, and just guitar playing, I think I\'d like it a lot. Whatever.

[Nubbins]

I like Enter the chicken a lot. It\'s kinda weird how the tracks are arranged with three soft female vocal songs in a row, then plunges down into insanity again w/funbus and the hand.

As far as the "self released" CD\'s here, I think Elephant Man is best.
Crime Slunk Scene is also really good, but it feels kind of feels like a rushed piece of work considering there\'s the "Hook and pole gang" redo, the recycled drum track on "Mad monster party"...I\'m not complaining though, this CD rarely leaves my player.

Might want to wait on DCK if your new to Buckethead.

[GirTheRobot]

I just really want CSS for Soothsayer. I\'ve heard that song so many times now and I love it.

Who knows? Maybe there are a bunch of other good songs on there besides Soothsayer and it will definitely be worth the money.  

[Matthew]

Of corse it will be worth the money!
Its a beautiful album!

[GirTheRobot]

I\'ll have to wait a while to get it though. I need to save up for Metroid Prime 3 and Guitar Hero 3(for the Wii, which will probably be $70).

I hope Buckethead can wait 3 months. I\'ll miss him.  :\'(

[Fetter_ED]

If would suggest that you get your CSS BEFORE DCK. CSS is a cornerstone in contemporary guitar playing lots of "killswitch action" and whammy fills . Love that album the most. 2nd is ISOT.  

[slunkatron]

Enter the Chicken is probably his most commercial release.  I also don\'t enjoy it as much as most of his other albums.  I still really like it, but I tire of the songs more quickly.  I do really get a kick out of "The Hand" song.  Oh, and it is nice to have "Nottingham Lace" on an album.  Anyway, if I were you I would get Crime Slunk Scene next.  There are a ton of amazing songs on it besides "Soothsayer".  I am currently really into "We Can Rebuild Him," and "Electronic Slight of Hand" is one of my favorites.  Anyway, it is an incredible album.

[Jordanatron]

I must chime in, I can see all the thoughts on ETC, I really think you should get both Elephant MAC and CSS. together if you dont have EMAC already, there is stuff on that you must hear. lurker at the threshold is a four part song I heard that along the rest and found my favorite artist. now Im happy with everything more so with some than others. also I am a big fan of both Giant robots the more available one is a blast and is on my list of favorites, and yes wait to get DCK and I\'m not bad mouthing it, it\'s just it like nothing you\'ve ever heard.

[stroke_my_chicken]

My favourite one i have heard so far is giant robot, although, i only have 2. They are very hard to get hold of here in england, and i hate downloading music.

[beelzeBob]

I think Brewer in the Air is the best track on Peppers Ghost. But hey, to each his (or her) own.

[Welcome to Rossington Land]

Enter the chicken was the first cd I heard and now I have almost 50 cds, so I definitely liked it.  Though I can now see how long time buckethead fans may have not liked it initially.

I\'d go for CSS and EMAC (possibly my favorite album) over DCK.  Though I like it a lot, I still wouldn\'t get it above these other albums, unless your really into ambient avant garde background music.

Also, brewer in the air is also my favorite on pepper\'s ghost.