Music : Hullabaloo: Soundtrack

Rating: - Brilliant!
The idea of a collection of B-sides is unusual, but with Muse, it strangely works... maybe because all they're music is so bloody good anyway....

(isn't it funny how we still say "B-sides" even though we're talking about CD's and not records?)

Contrary to other reviewers, i thought Forced In was actually the perfect start to the disc, followed by similarly good music that managed to be both interestingly original yet incredibly easy to listen to. There wasn't a single bad song on it as far as i was concerned. I'm also becoming addicted to Hyper Chondriac Music - a really mellowed out version of Hyper Music. it's about 5 minutes of just pure goodness. but in a twisted, dark, Muse kind of way... which is a good thing.

Obscure, experimentally bits like this are gems in my opinion, and i hope Muse continue to release material like this that isn't really commercial but is simply just good music.

As for the live CD, well, you won't be surprised to hear that it was fantastic. Sure, Plug in Baby and Newborn weren't on there, but that just made sure that previously overlooked tracks like Dead Star and Agitated got the chance to shine through.
If you miss the best tracks, go buy the Hullabaloo DVD... you'll probably find it for like £8 on Amazon anyway... and it's definetly worth it.

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Rating: - Muse have done a B-side album. Risky!!! Is it good?
This is a good album, but not quite as good as their previous ones. So read on to find out about Hullabaloo's tracks.

Forced In: A rubbish and horrendus start to the album, but don't worry, it gets better. 2/10

Shrinking Universe: This is where Hullabaloo properly gets going. A good song with brilliant vocals and a strong melody. 9/10

Recess: Another slower song but this time pretty good. Quite nice and relaxing with a good bass at the end. 6/10

Yes Please: I reckon the heaviest song Muse have ever done, but a good song all the same. 8/10

Map of Your Head: Decent but a bit boring and dreary. I wouldn't recommend this one. 5/10

Nature 1: A really good song. The fast acoustic guitar and drums work well together. A good bass solo at the end. 8/10

Shine Acoustic: A nice and calming song. It is slow and steady, and I doubt it will win the race, but good all the same. 4/10

Ashamed: Another decently heavy song. Isn't very well held together but quite good also. 7/10

The Gallery: RUBBISH!!!!!!!!!!!! A purely musical song(no vocals) but the music is still awful. 1/10

Hyper Chondriac Music: A good finishing point. A slower version of the song Hyper Music(origin of symmetrey.) 5/10

I'm not going to go into all the details about the live CD,even though it's good, so I'll just do the new tracks.

Dead Star: A good and heavy song which is quite brash, in a good way I suppose. 8/10

In Your World: A fantastic song, the best of both albums, and done well when performed live. 10/10

Agitated: Another really heavy, almost as heavy as Yes Please, but still pretty good. 7/10

So overall, Hullabaloo is good, and I think the live album saved it. A should buy. Thank you for reading.

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Rating: - What's it about?
British band Muse broke into international fame with their third album "Absolution," and establishing them as a remarkable young rock band. They're epic, intense, dark, and majestic in a proggy-Pink-Floyd-meets-Led-Zeppelin kind of way, and so it's hardly a surprise that "Hullabaloo" is a remarkably strong collection.

No, it's not a new album. Rather, it's a collection of B-sides, rarities, and a 2001 live concert. Most bands don't sound too great in either case, but Muse does. The first disc is made up of their B-sides and rarities, which tend to be quite good actually.

It doesn't start off promising, with the schizophrenic prog-rocker "Forced In," which would be fine if it weren't for the endlessly cycling synth that obscures everything else. But things get stronger after that, with the explosive downward spiral that is "Shrinking Universe" ("There's nothing left to die for!"), the softer poppy "Recess," and the surprisingly gentle acoustic ballad "Map Of your Head."

Most of the other songs follow those examples, either being epic and bombastic or quieter and more intimate. With, of course, some eerier songs thrown in, like the rippling sweetness of "Shine Acoustic." Are they as good as Muse's proper albums, especially since a few B-sides sound like the lost soundtrack of the X-Files? Not really, but they are remarkably good, and still better than average.

Which brings us to the live performance, which took place in October of 2001, in Paris's "Le Zenith." Well, to put it simply, these guys rock. It opens with a cheering crowd, right before they kick off into a tornado of bass, drums and guitar. Unlike many rock bands, these guys lose none of their power or musical richness in live performances.

The inevitable flaw? Well, that would probably be Matt Bellamy -- he doesn't sound too different from in the albums, which is nice but it's sometimes hard to hear him above the drums, explosive synth and spiralling bass. However, the guys lose none of their intensity musically, and it's hard to find a single flaw in their playing. If Muse are known for their prowess in live performances, then it's easy to see why.

The B-sides are a minor treasure trove, while the live album is a gem in itself, bringing their concert to life as nothing -- except a DVD -- could. A must-have for Muse fans.

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Rating: - Awful Pun #45: Live & Kicking
Coupled with a DVD release, Hullabaloo is an odd record. The tracklisting for the CDs is haphazard, missing off some of the better B-sides and the standout live tracks from the Le Zenith performance. And even despite these problems, this is *still* an awesome album.

Disc 1 is a compilation of B-sides, which is pretty unusual considering that Muse only had two albums out at the time. Personally I think they would have been better waiting until now and then doing a chronological release. Even with some notable omissions (including Futurism, Coma and live favourite Agitated) the B-sides disc has some fantastic songs on it, not least Nature_1 (a bitter acoustic number twisting at the last moment into electric guitar heaven) and Hyper Chondriac Music (a stripped down, acoustic version of Hypermusic).

The live CD is where Hullabaloo truly excels. Before listening to this Muse were a band I liked who I'd probably see live if I got the chance. Afterwards, seeing them in concert became my Holy Grail. Some bands, however good on record, are a dull and uninspiring experience live as they merely play the songs as on the albums (except with dodgier vocals). Oasis spring to mind. But from this album it's clear that Muse pull out all the stops live, transforming even their slower songs into extended, ground-shaking behemoths (seeing people mosh to piano is a bizarre experience to say the least). Even the songs from Showbiz, which on record sound tinny and simplistic are beefed up into massive indie rock anthems. The ennui-laden Muscle Museum in particular has been turned into a howling plea for attention, and Cave is played at double speed for double the excitement.

See this album simply as a taster for seeing Muse live, because if you can listen to it and then decide not to go then you must have something in your ears. Muse are the best live band in Britain, something I hope is going to be confirmed at the Brit Awards in February. Until then, air-guitar your heart out to Hullabaloo.

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Rating: - this is why i love muse
two discs, the first a compilation of b sides and the second, some brlliant live album material as well as some non album releases.

the b sides are good, but dont measure up to the brilliance of the album tracks on the second disc.

brilliant bass and gutar riffs and excellent drumming and really cool piano. it is hard to believe that there i s just three in the band. citizen erased micro cuts and musicle museum arguably the three best tracks on hullabaloo.
muse are an absolutly fantastic band, defining thier sound in 'origin of symmetry' and incorporating their best songs into this album.
the only critisism would be that their are no songs from absolution, which is a bit dissapointing because that album has some gems on it(stikholm syndrome, the small print, TIRO,)
but the brilliance of the songs that are included cancel out all negativities.
this is a must for anybody who likes good music, and with some outstanding drumming singing and bas/guitar and piano playing you dont have an excuse not to own it.
this album demonstrates why people become muse fans.