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All Change
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Cast Album Review:
A True Hidden Gem From The Brit- Pop Era 1995 at 2006-06-22
I found out about Cast in 1997 on a local television station that showed the videos for Alright and Sandstorm. I obviously was interested in both of those songs and went to my local record store and bought the cd for a heavy price (import). What a gem I ended up buying. At the time I didnt know that John Power was a member The Las and I didnt know what a great band Cast was and is. Honestly, there isnt a song I dont like on this album. Alright, Promised Land, Sandstorm are all stellar songs. I f***in love Mankind, Tell It Like It Is, Finetime, Back Of My Mind, Walkaway, and the grand finale,Two Of A Kind.These song are in actuality,very simple and I said to myself upon first hearing them, These songs sound so familiar and Why hasnt anybody written these songs before? The truth is that this was a perfect band for the perfect time. The mixture of Electric guitar with Acoustic is a unique sound that many bands of any genre dont use often if at all. Here, it sounds truly amazing. When hearing the beginning of Promised Land, you will understand. Cast would continue to make good music as shown in their following albums Beetroot, Magic Hour,and Mother Nature Calls. The only problem was that they couldnt make a great album top to bottom as this one. As a total junkie from the Golden Age of Brit-Pop with the bands like Oasis, Radiohead, Suede, Supergrass,Pulp, Gene, Blur, The Verve, Black Grape, Kula Shaker, etc.Cast and this album ranks along with any of these bands for the time and era. A must own album for any lover of true Brittish rock.
Cast Album Review:
Gleeeeeeergh. at 2004-08-25
All Change is the absolute epitome of mediocrity in music. Sure, Alright is a catchy tune, but its power wears off after about 3 listens, and there aint any other songs on this record that even possess said powers. I love the Las, but youd be hard pressed to tell that there was any connection. How could anyone be excited about this music? Its so boring and derivative and lifeless... ugh. NEXT.
Cast Album Review:
There He Goes at 2003-06-29
Four years after the last sighting of the Las, John Power, bassist and backing vocalist of that band, reemerged as the frontman of Cast. All Change is his bands debut release.Its a very solid effort, a better representation of Brit Pop than many bands that are much more famous for similar work (Oasis, etc.). All those years with Lee Mavers, the principal force behind the Las, certainly werent lost on Power. (Even if the Las only managed to finish one album, but thats a whole nother story).For those familiar with the Las, the songs here will have a familiar feel, although they tend to be much more heavily produced and textured than Lee Mavers ever would have stood for. Imagine though if the Las had made a cd based more on electric guitars and with more production, and you wont be far off the mark - although there arent any songs as stunning here as The Las There She Goes, Timeless Melody or Looking Glass. On the other hand, virtually every song is very good, and some are excellent - Alright, Walkaway and Tell It Like It Is, for example.Alright, the opening track, serves as probably the best symbol for the album and Powers intent. The Las used to perform the song live acoustically. The version here though is loaded with electric guitars and is heavily produced, which is a bit jarring for those that recall the Las stripped down version. In any event, fans of the Las and Brit Pop will probably enjoy this cd, and its good to see that Power emerged from the Las meltdown intact. However, it does leave one wishing Lee Mavers could return from the Wasteland and release some of the tracks hes said to be sitting on...
Cast Album Review:
Something amazing happened in the UK in the mid-90s... at 2005-04-10
What happened between 1994 and 1996 in England? All I can say is, has there ever been such a concentration of classic albums released?:Blur: Parklife Oasis: Morning GlorySupergrass: AlrightDodgy: Three Peace SweetLongpigs: The Sun is Often OutPulp: Different ClassRadiohead: The Bends....AND CAST ALL CHANGE! It certainly is a Britpop classic. Songs like Alright, Sandstorm and Fine time will buzz around in your head and never leave you alone.These days British bands like Coldplay and Turin Brakes are great, but theyre just too glum and self-reflective....sometimes you need to put a record like Cast All Change in your CD player and cheer up for the day. And while youre at it, buy Dodgy Three Peace Sweet, which is arguably an even better record.
Cast Album Review:
Britpop staple at 2005-05-06
Its always self dating to claim a connection to the Britpop scene. That being the case, Casts debut is an easy way to transport you back to the mid 90s, when English music just seemed to play second fiddle to endless clones of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.Mix in Oasis and lead singer John Powers previous band The Las and you pretty much have Cast. Songs full of bright guitars and way cool harmonies.This is definitely Casts finest work; Finetime and the driving History are my favorites.
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