Ambient by Moby

Well, it turns out that a couple people actually liked my review for Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 85-92", so I guess I should review the album I wanted to review most of all, Moby's "Ambient". In my opinion, this is the greatest ambient album ever released. I say this because it was my first step into the growing underworld of ambience, purchasing this album at the age of 12 in hopes of finding a taste in music I could call my own. I am still a bigger fan of Aphex Twin but Moby's talent in these 12 compositions on "Ambient" will forever exceed any other form of ambience I know.

'My Beautiful Blue Sky' is as it says, beautiful. It has an ancient tribal feel to it, as if your spanning a view across a landscape of Africa at night with glowing camp fires scattered across the horizon. Excellent synth work that defines originality accompanied with a tribal drum beat and a piano at certain interludes of the track, a great song that makes you yearn for whats to come...

'Heaven' is my personal favorite. The most repetative song on the album and still holds first prize. This track will definitely give you dozens of lucid dreams as it has done for me. Clocking in at just over eight minutes, these drum beats will put you into a trance and the soothing voices and whispers will only deepen the state your in, put this one on repeat if you enjoy 'trips'.

'Tongues', another masterpiece that will lure you into its arms with beats and chants. These first three tracks alone could stand up to Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works', but wait, there are still nine more tracks on this cd! Moving on...

'J Breas' The first of two piano pieces on 'Ambient'. Not quite as good as the piano pieces on Aphex Twin's 'Drukqs', but still a great track that adds to the overall emotion of this album. Let me just say this, the piano and the synthesizer were made for eachother.

'Myopia' Ohhh, so were still in Africa, cool! Another tribal track with a gripping bass beat and synth echoes that seem to whine as they fade. Some freaky voices and smashes in the background will steal your mind for the duration of the track.

'House Of Blue Leaves' is yet another truly excellent track but is hard to describe in the sense of what it sounds like. To me, it sounded like a techno version of all the songs from the old PC game 'Wolfenstein'. Very relaxing..... Zzzzzzzzz....Oh sorry!

'Bad days' is absolutely brilliant, and its the creepiest composition you'll find aside from Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works 2'. With a reversed drum beat and an eerie moaning synth loop that rises and falls into an endless hole of echoes. This tracks is the scariest on the album but is should have been allot longer, two minutes simply wasn't enough.

'Piano & String', more like (Piano & Synth), The second piano piece on 'Ambient', this track is as good as 'J Breas' but a little bit darker. This journey seems to be sinking into the depths of a deep dark ocean, and I must admit that the submersion doesn't bother me.

'Sound' is one thing, sound. A constant sound that rises and falls into the deep waters I was mentioning earlier until it hits the ocean floor and ends. Yes, that is honestly what this track is meant to sound like. This short track gets last place on the cd but its still good.

'Dog'. So now were at the bottom of the ocean, who knew that the god of the waters, Poseiden, was throwing a disco! Yes, 'Dog' is an ambient disco track, and it pulls it off. With a great synth loop that leaks out of its bubble into repetative claps and funky lounge beats, this song is yet another gem on this album. But the disco is ending and all thats left is the hopeless endless bottomless ocean, devoid of any life except for you, the last two tracks will lure you into its darkness, beware...

'80'. Well, I've had an enjoyable trip thus far and all journeys must come to an end. A simple ambient loop of depression will guide us through the darkness to the last track...

'Lean On Me' is the ultimate depressant on this album. The beats are filled with bass and echo, and far away in background is a cult chanting "Lean on me" in a distorted manner. The track slowly fades into nothingness and then the album ends. I paid 30$ for this album and let me say that I would have paid 100$ without hesitation.

Notice that this is Moby's only album where he stated his full name on the back as 'Richard M. Hall', probably a cheap shot to Aphex Twin 'Richard D. James' who released 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' the same year, lol! So, was this review helpful? Email me for any info regarding Moby or Aphex Twin, for I am their biggest admirer and overall know-it-all! (deusexmachina5@hotmail.com)