Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab

While it took quite of a period of time for it to arrive, I'm very happy with my purchase. The packaging was a bit worn and squashed, but I was able to rip the CD nonetheless. It's such of an excellent album by the groop.

This is a landmark release by this innovative and creative group - superbThe LP arrived in perfect condition from the supplier in significant protective packaging. The sleeve and contents pristine and play perfectly and I've been enjoying the music.Couldn't be happier and recommend heartily

Awesome

Stereolab are one of those bands who have been consistently great (or at worst, consistently good) - get any of their albums or compilations and let me know if you detect a dud. Contrary to some fans of their earlier so-called 'Lo Fi'-work, I have to say I prefer the stuff after - 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' being a key album in their history. I always found releases like 'peng! and '...Space Age Bachelor Pad Music' a bit too theoretical and repetative - though I must go back and check if my tastes haven't superceded my memory. Exposure to a band like Neu! could make you reassess the groop known as Stereolab.Stereolab almost broke through in the mid-90s - the recent box-set reminds you that 'French Disko' was close to a hit, while 'Ping Pong'/'Mars Audiac Quintet' almost had them being the next St.Etienne (the closest they got in the end was Laetitia Sadier's appearance on Blur's 'To the End' from the best-selling 'Park Life' LP). They appeared to step sideways with the 'Refried Ectoplasm'-compilation of earlier singles and the soundtrack recording 'Music for the Amorphous Body Center.' 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup', recently cited by the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne as one of his favourite albums alongside Miles Davis' 'Bitches Brew', tapped into their best work before and extended their range hugely. Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas/Microdisney) supplies gorgesous string arrangements alongside his usual guest contributions (O'Hagan contributed similarly to Super Furry Animals' 'Guerrilla' - shame that approach only gelled on 'The Turning Tide'). John McEntire (Tortoise) is engineer and co-producer here, a role he would advance with Jim O'Rourke on the classic 'Cobra Phases...' and 'Sound-Dust' albums (my three favourite Stereolab recordings).The eclectic range of instruments alongside the harmonies of Sadier and the late Mary Hansen offer an extremely layered album - you can see how this complex exploration of sound and structure influenced the Lips' 'Zaireeka' and 'The Soft Bulletin' - this is one of those records you can sonically give yourself up to - like 'Loveless', 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea', 'Xtrmntr', 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts', 'Now Here is Nowhere', 'Neu! 75', 'Sulk', 'Get Up With It' or 'Blue Bell Knoll.' The joys of headphones-MP3players make this all the more apparent - it seems wrong that somehow these songs weren't mega-hits and have been adopted as national anthems. Singles 'Cybele's Revenge' and 'The Noise of Carpet' sound like alien pop perfection in all their glory. Hard to single out any particular tracks - just one of those albums that is fantastic from beginning to end, that I can play all the way through anytime...one for that Desert Island - tomorrow was already here then...& great to see they remain as fantastic as ever, the 'Fab Four Suture'-compilation a reminder of one of the greatest groops...While Stereolab have often been cited as influenced by [insert Krautrock name here], it's time to note that the 'Lab (as they were never, ever called) have been influential, acts like Broadcast, Secret Machines, the Lips, the Beta Band, Super Furry Animals, Blur, The Fiery Furnaces and Pram have all nodded in their general direction. 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' remains one of the great albums of the 1990s and a definite totalutterseminallikemasterpiece...

I have been a die-hard Stereolab fan ever since they first appeared in 1992, and have bought every album as a matter of course. It's hard to review something which it has become second-nature to regard as obviously totally brilliant.I have to admit, though, that the last few Stereolab albums have been a bit bland by comparison with their earlier work. In the category of true classics I would single out this album, "Emperor Tomato Ketchup". It's probably fair to say that after their experimental beginnings, this is where Stereolab really hit their stride. Just really great, catchy songs, with a philosophical twist. In other words: classic Stereolab.

Why there is written in description that it is one disc? It’s a triple vinyl edition...

Absolutely amazing album, there's something tactile about the sound of this. Whatever music you think you like, just buy this anyway. It's that good. A bit weird that people keep getting Cybele's Reverie wrong though.

Emperor tomato ketchup is a blend of various musical scents, from funky jazz to cool electronica, it always sounds refreshing, powerful, yet with a delicious touch of laziness and naivity, similar to the Gentle people's cd's.Laetitia Sadier's french vocals are simply irresistible!I rate this album with 5 stars because it manages to reflect the spirit of the nineties, through its electronical drive, however achieving uniqueness in its "harmless futiristic" message.Don't miss it!

Para mi uno de los mejores discos de la historia (por supuesto, cuestion de gustos),los conoci en Radio 3, en el programa Disco Grande, donde hicieron una mítica sesion salvaje. Con un estilo que mezcla lounge, el krautrock, el pop sesentero francés, y hasta del jazz y el bossa nova. Edicion en doble vinilo, muy recomendable, aunque algo cara.

Muy buena remasterización, la mezcla y ecualización impecables. Vinilo de excelente calidad, casi cero sibilancia. El empaque y póster realmente impecables. La música, huelga decir que ya es un clásico de los 90s, y los extras están muy interesantes. 5 estrellas.

Stereolab musizieren so herrlich relaxt, dass es einfach eine wahre Freude ist, ihnen zuzuhören.Eigentlich auf all ihren Platte bleiben sie unaufdringlich charmant - und können einen irgendwie regelrechtdie schlechte Laune verderben...

tout parfais et rapidement , comme on n aime

In thinking about how to review Stereolab's albums, I have found myself a bit perplexed. I have loved.. LOVED Stereolab since the release of "Transient Random Noise Bursts With Announcements" in 1993. To this day, "Transient Random" is still my favorite Stereolab release, but I now have all of their albums and I love them all in varying degrees.The thing about reviewing their albums is that the same things could be said for many of them, and an attempt to review them all would end up being redundant.Emperor Tomato Ketchup, however, marks a clear transition for the groop from a more abrasive droning sound to a more adventurous sound with moving melody lines and funky grooves. In this respect, it is a must have album for any fan, but many have opted to end their Stereolab collection here. I personally enjoy both their early and later work, and this is certainly a solid album no matter which period of their music you enjoy. It will take a newcomer a few listens to get the full impact of some of these complex arrangements, but the reward lies in discovering a truly joyous kind of music, the likes of which no other band in the world can touch.I happen to think that Dots and Loops is a better album, but this one is still absolutely essential, and quite astonishingly good.If you've never heard a Stereolab album before, you're in for a real treat! Any of them will do, but this might be the best place to start.

They really did a nice job with this pressing. The sleeve is really tastefully done as well,the static free inner sleeves, updated jacket design, and the PVC outer sleeve is also really nice. It's truly nice when an amazing album, such as this,gets a really great quality remastered pressing that not only sounds great but looks awesome while doing it. 5 stars

It bops merrily along. The female sings in French or something. It is pleasant, the synths are not overly cut-and-paste MIDI, the grooves are sunny and on the right side of gentle. Vocals are smooth and do not annoy with larynx gymnastics . Music for a warm breezy day. As such, probably a mid-nineties classic.Not many of these around that aren't treacly or trite.

Stereolab' music should be filed under the slightly oxymoronic section "intelligent pop", together with altogheter different musicians like Frank Zappa, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Laurie Anderson and Taliking Heads (and the Devo too, maybe). Of course I'm not implying that most pop artists are stupid. Yet, groups like Stereolab remind us that music can be innovative and thought-provoking.The music you'll find in this CD is hybrid and unsettling. It hasn't a definite undercurrent (like the deep angst of Portishead, or the mystical visions of Moby). Instead, it reminds a bit of Esquivel, and then also of these '60s Gainsbourg songs, mixed with some minimalist tune by Philip Glass. All is consciously quoted but never quoted, with lightness and irony. Definitely, it's not the usual melodic pop, and it's not taking itself too seriuosly (just browse the song titles to get an idea).The chaunteuse is less than stellar, but she sings like she knows it and doesn't give a damn. A lasting impression after a few listenings is that the music has an "electronica" feeling to it, although it's entirely acoustic/electric. The sounds are "primitive", but after a while you realize that they are the felicitous outcome of years of experimentation. It does not comes as a surprise that Stereolab has been influential on groups like Air (who have picked up the love for early organ sounds) or Plone (whose aesthetics is similar to Stereolab's).This album is an excellent introduction to the early phase of Stereolab, and will please a very diverse crowd of ears: i) those scouting for experimental yet likable music; ii) the "electronica" diehards willing to try different yet techno-compatible music; iii) the rest of the world.

Nerd music

Love this record! Such a classic album.

Solid. Very impressed with this reissue series. Well done all around. Sounds so good!

Superb sound quality, plus a lot of extra tracks make this item a must have for fans of Stereolab...

This is the album that put Stereo Lab on the map as one of the premier indie rock bands of the early 90's. This album features their most consistent recorded work and is pretty much the turning point in their career where they started becoming more synth based as where their earlier works featured some more guitar work. This is also in my opinion the best starting point for anyone new to Stereo Lab's work.

It had two of the same vinylDon’t know how that happens

Excellent Stereolab album, "Metronomic Underground" is a great opener. Stand out tracks in this one are "Spark Plug" and "The Noise of Carpet". The CD is packed with Stereolab vintage synths, interesting sounds and an intertwining of Anglo-Franco leftist songwriting and female vocals with interesting female back-ups, for those who may appreciate it. "Refried Ectoplasm 'Switched On', Volume 2", an album full of Stereolab odds and ends, yet good ones, is also recommended as a nice complement.