Tortoise

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
European Release Featuring Different Packaging

Tracks:

TNT
Swing From The Gutters
Ten-Day Interval
I Set My Face To The Hillside
The Equator
A Simple Way To Go Faster Than Light That Does Not Work
The Suspension Bridge At Iguazu Falls
Four-Day Interval
In Sarah, Mencken, Christ And Beethoven There Were Women And Men
Almost Always Is Nearly Enough
Jetty
Everglade

Amazon.com

Like their moniker suggests, Tortoise wield a thick exterior of styles while the essence of their sound smoothly beats on. They brazenly titled their latest endeavor TNT as if to signal a break from their former shell. But don't be deceived by explosive associations, for the acronym is meant to stand for "Tough-N-Tender." The album displays a tenacious level of technical proficiency and creative divergence from five Chicago guys doing what they love. Tortoise avoids the experimental minimalism displayed on earlier releases in favor of a more accessible and upbeat turn of the collective dial. Rooted in jazz structures, the dripping electronic treatments on most of the tracks further distinguish the sound. Because the thematic expressions jive with unassuming clarity, no vocal or lyrical elements are needed nor occur. While darker sides of psychedelic guitar emerge, the loungy low end sections evoke intrepid fantasies of isolation on the swankiest of desert islands. --Lucas Hilbert

Album Details

Japanese Release featuring Exclusive Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

After hearing Mogwai, Explosions, Sigur Rós..........2007-01-01

I decided it was time for me to look into post-rock roots. Tortoise caught my eye. This album blends rock, electronica and jazz flowing over an ambient soundscape. The difference between tracks is incredible. It's as if Aphex Twin, Do Make Say Think and Miles Davis got together and layered their source file tracks into one studio release. Look into this one.

Like finding gold........2006-10-17

A guy at a video store gave me this record, because I had given him a Brian Eno Album for free. From the moment I put it in, the first thought I had was.."now this is what I've been looking for". Having been burned on music for a while, this album filled the tank back up and lit the sucker on fire.
Simply one of the best albums I've heard in 2 years. This album and this group seem to never stick to one genre. ranging from abstract ambient to soft coffee shop jazz, it moves and drifts through a totally unique blend of music and sound.
I now own all the tortoise albums.
Every one with any sense of art and beauty in music should own this record.
five stars. Buy this album!
Right now!

Jazz, fusion, samples, post-rock... and then some -a masterpiece.......2006-06-05

I am a newcomer into Tortoise territory. However their sound fits in my mind as a blend between elements I could find in Godspeed You Black Emperor! (the post-rock samples), Brand X and Medeski Martin & Wood (the jazz and the fusion), Flaming Lips (the experimentation)... and then some. In a showcase of musicianship, they accomplish in TNT a magnificent album that eludes tags and typical paradigms. Take "I Set My Face To The Hillside", for example. This is a track where you can even hear influences from French music, making it one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. Still, it only stands out just a bit because the entire album is a masterpiece.

Exquisite four-and-half star Ambience.......2005-02-21

Where their debut had been a mixed and largely unstructured collection of leftfield soundscapes, followed by Millions Now Living's surprising love-letter to Krautrock, the third Tortoise release, the all instrumental TNT, was almost a lounge album - but lounge for thinkers. You certainly couldn't call this a rock album, any more than you could call it techno, acoustic, ambient or jazz, but Tortoise take all of those styles and more, building fabulously fat beds of bottom end, overlaid with gorgeous multi-layered guitars, vibes and sampled found sounds, and emerge with one of the last decade's most endlessly satisfying releases.

With it's frantic, sampled drum pattern, `Jetty' could almost be trip-hop, (in fact trip-hop is the lasting after-image of the album), `Swung From The Gutters' has a vague jazz structure to it, at the same time throwing in backward tape effects, `I Set My Face To The Hillside' combines - almost unbelievably - both Spaghetti Western and oriental themes¼ and so it goes, constantly bewildering, constantly enchanting. And then there's the divine beauty of the title track... (sigh)

And it gets better with every listen.

Kim Porter
Forté Magazine, Australia

Solid all around.......2004-05-26

A very solid record, not a bad track found here. This is not music you would listen to with friends, but it is perfect for mornings or evenings alone as well as for driving at night. I think the song "the Equator" is the finest electronic song I have ever heard. I imagine this would be the music that would play in the background of a movie as someone ran through the rain forest at night. Very vibrant and imaginative textures. You won't be dissapointed.

Gift Of The Tortoise: A Musical Journey Through Southern Africa

Average customer rating:

Best of the best
We Love It!!
wonderful for our 2-yr-old
Beautiful....and different
Excellent entertainment!

Gift Of The Tortoise: A Musical Journey Through Southern Africa
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Manufacturer: Music Little People
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002M6S
Release Date: 1994-03-08

Tracks:

Intro
Kanje Kanje
Rain Chant
There Come Our Mothers
Nomyekelo
Finger Dance
Thekwane
Vulani Ringi Ring
Boy Who Turned Into A Cat
Paparam Vingo
Shabalala
Two Shelleni
Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
Peace Be With You

Amazon.com

The jewel in the crown in the Music for Little People catalog, Gift of the Tortoise is stunning in its beauty and uncompromising in its delivery of excellence. Expressed from the viewpoint of a very wise tortoise, the lush harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo are supported by renowned guitarist Johnny Clegg and storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, creating a captivating blend of Zulu lore, South African history, and that country's brave optimism in the post-Apartheid era. As the drama unfolds, the listener is drawn into the spell cast by this marvelous group of players as they carry out the chant of ancestral names on "Two Shelleni," the folk legend of the "Boy Who Turned into a Cat," and the classic "Mbube (the Lion Sleeps Tonight)." --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Best of the best.......2007-05-13

For anyone wishing quality for their children I've yet to find anything better. This is a magical CD. When it was stolen from the car, my son(now 18)requested I reorder it. The voice of the storyteller transports us to places and feelings we've rarely experienced and yet share a common human experience of joy and hope.If I could only purchase one CD for my child - this would be it...and I would be listening.

We Love It!!.......2006-01-16

I put this on my 19month old daughter's Wish List for Christmas and we just listened to it today. She loved the animal sounds in the beginning and danced to some of the music. It's not something she'll sit down and just listen to as a storytime yet, but I think it will be a timeless addition to our CD collection. As an adult, I enjoyed listening to the stories and the music. A good buy for younger and older children as the music is very rythymic, but not too loud (I think my daughter would have liked it as an infant).

wonderful for our 2-yr-old.......2004-11-25

This album is a great hit with our toddler. Many, many nights she requests to listen to this CD as she goes to sleep. The rhythms are wonderful for young ears, she loves to sing the choruses with the children on the recording............it tickles me to see my daughter respond so positively to lyrics in a language foreign to her.

Beautiful....and different.......2004-11-17

My 2 year old son LOVES music - all types. Laurie Berkner has been a fav for a while now. But this cd is DIFFERENT!! In a good way!!!!! It is simply beautiful and fun.

Excellent entertainment!.......2004-11-08

I bought this CD because it was geared toward children, but it had the beautiful acapella harmonies of Ladysimith Black Mombazo, which I enjoy. I found the stories to be enchanting, and my 2.5-year-old loves to sing and clap along to the songs. This is a wonderful CD to have in your own library as a break from nursery rhymes and traditional children's songs. It also makes an excellent gift for friends and family.

Average customer rating:

My favorite
Music for being Within
Music to soothe your spirit
Tortoise - Chinese Feng Shui Music
Wonderful soothing music!

Tortoise: Chinese Feng Shui Music
Shanghai Chinese Traditional Orchestra
Manufacturer: Wind Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

China | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000005ARV
Release Date: 1996-04-16

Tracks:

Track 1
Track 2

Customer Reviews:

My favorite.......2006-08-10

I ordered this CD over a year ago, and to this day it is the most wonderful music I have ever heard. I highly recommend it.

Music for being Within.......2002-10-04

Quiet, tranquil notes spill from the cd player, easing tensions. Like water running over a stone, gradually, the hard edges are worn away, and you are left feeling smooth and refreshed. The rhythmic flow of the violins, the soothing, bird-like tones of the flute...you feel as though your mind and body are being transported downstream towards a large accepting sea of tranquility.

We use this album a lot to ease down after a tense day, and use it almost every night to lull our six-month-old baby to sleep. She finds it very relaxing as well.

Music to soothe your spirit.......2002-05-31

I added this wonderful CD to my office Feng Shui. I play it, and others like it, throughout the workday to keep me calm and able to handle the stressors in my work environment. I am so pleased with this CD that I will purchase the other Feng Shui titles by the Shanghai Chinese Traditional Orchestra.

Tortoise - Chinese Feng Shui Music.......2001-02-07

You can believe this music releases the energy associated with the element of water because it just flows from your player. From tinkling brooks to hidden mysterious streams to rushing torrents, what ever knots you have formed in your muscles during the day, dissolve in it's eglaic tones. At one point I felt convinced I was hearing the patter of rain outside , got up to check and realized it was still the CD. I practice Chen man Ching's yang style of Tai ji to this and the pacing and mood is excellent. It's wonderful for Qi Quong, for meditation, not intrusive and a definite aid to focusing your awareness, and you'll also think it's a soundtrack to a film you saw long ago..and always remembered.

Wonderful soothing music!.......2000-04-08

My whole family (including 9 and 10-year old children) loves this delicate, soothing music. It is perfect when we arrive from a tiring day, or to settle everyone down before bed. There are many interesting chimes and instruments within the songs. It would also be great to meditate to.

Average customer rating:

Where are they!
"Compelling" (4.5 Stars)
Now!
BUY IT NOW
Eh, the first album was better

The Tortoise & the Hare
Jazzyfatnastees
Manufacturer: Coolhunter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006H1IP
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Tracks:

Something In The Way
El Medio
All Up In My Face
Four Lives
Adolescent Blues
Compelled
Tumbling
Show Your Face
Tortoise And The Hare
Give A Dog A Bone

Customer Reviews:

Where are they!.......2005-04-18

Pleasurable harmony! That's what these ladies represent! Only one problem..their CD's just aren't long enough! Just when you are sinking deeply into their groove and lyrics..it's over! I'm amazed that not more people know of these ladies...and I also want to know where the heck are they...

This CD remains in heavy rotation for me! They are two divine creatures that sing like heavenly angels! To break the CD down track by track isn't necessary..believe me the entire CD is worthy of continuous play!

"Compelling" (4.5 Stars).......2004-05-16

Just like their debut, "The Once and the Future", Jazzyfatnastees' sophomore album, "The Tortoise and the Hare" is only limited to ten tracks. And just like their debut, it's "short but sweet". The flawless production itself literally smacks you in the face with its fresh-sounding diversity. The vocal harmonizing by Tracey and Mercedes is still instantly intriguing. The album is very consistent, despite the variety of sound types and different subjects. The Latin flavored "All Up In My Face" is a song about backstabbers, basing the story of the song by making biblical references to "Judas". "El Medio Del Misterio" (which translates to "The Middle of the Mystery") has a certain "mystique" in the beat and is about confusion. "Four Lives" is a song that exploits secrets of each family member in a "modern-day picture-perfect" family ("...The love, the hate, the irony/They're living, but they can't be..."). The opening song "Something In The Way" has an old school R&B vibe to it while "Compelled" is in inbred that fuses rock with disco, with the result being a surprisingly catchy song. Though I like pretty much all the songs on the album, my favorite is the "Once and The Future"-esque "Adolescent Blues". It's funny how sometimes the most simplistic track becomes the most liked one; the beat is straightforward and easy to flow to and I can personally relate with the lyrics, which is mainly about how adolescents mentally struggle with problems including drugs, finding their identity, and finding love:

Here I am stuck in this place
I don't know how I got here
Woke up one day
And there I was stuck... waiting
Tryna make a move on what I should do...
I should do?
I've fallen and I can't get back up...

One of the few minor problems I had with the album is that they tended to be repetitive with the hook (like towards the end of "All Up In My Face"). Another is the title track "The Tortoise and the Hare". I understand they were going for an "atmospheric" thing, but I personally think they wasted a good beat with the song consisting of only two lines. But in general, the album is both musically and lyrically exceptional. Calling Jazzyfatnastees underrated artists would be an unfortunate understatement since they have yet to have disappoint, evident with this album.

Now!.......2004-03-12

If you have heard of these ladies, just wondering what they're all about...Come on in! The sophomore LP is everything their name represents, jazzy, fat and so nastee!

The opening track, "Something in the Way" is a smooth ballad about holding on to love for a reason you just can't put your finger on, but you can't let go. "All up in my face" represents the hating phoniness many of us see all the time in our everyday lives. "Adolescent Blues" is just that- blues for a person striving to be free to be herself. "Compelled" starts with a rock beat then switches to a quick dance tempo, keeping you wired from start to finish. The dark "Show your face" is haunting yet intriguing in the sense that the singer may be a little too confident for her own good. One of the best dancehall, hip hop fusions for energetic folks is "Give a Dog a Bone" We've all been there. This song must be played repeatedly. For those more mellow sessions, "El Medio", "Four Lives", "Tumbling" and the title track are perfect.

This album has something for everyone, especially listeners who love soul, jazz and soft ballads. Listen to it from start to finish- it is a rare treat.

BUY IT NOW.......2003-09-17

I absolutely love this CD. I heard them live in Philly and they were awesome. I just happened to be in philly and decided to go to the 5 spot. I love the energy of the music. It has soul, hip hop, and a bit of rock. They have a unique sound. I was a little late hearing about them but I'm glad that I have been introduced to this interesting and refreshing music. Only one track is so-so- MEdio.

Eh, the first album was better.......2003-08-18

The first album was captivating. This album was good but ole gals got repetitive. I wasn't suprised. And that's not always a good thing.

Average customer rating:

Slow And Steady Does Not Always Win The Race
Cold but addicting
Post-Modern White Kid Loves Fake Genius
Listen with an open mind
Enjoyable, but a little deceiving compared to TNT

Standards
Tortoise
Manufacturer: Thrill Jockey
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tortoise
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
A Lazarus Taxon
Geogaddi

ASIN: B000056O2R
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Tracks:

Seneca
Eros
Benway
Firefly
Sixpack
Eden 2
Monica
Blackjack
Eden 1
Speakeasy

Amazon.com

Tortoise formed in Chicago in the early 1990s from a pool of musicians most of whom had spent time in bands concerned with aggressive, guitar-centric rock. From the outset their aesthetic was crafted partly in opposition to that. Relying mostly on drums, vibraphone, two basses, keyboards, sparing use of guitar, and being attuned to the many strains of electronic dance music that developed throughout the decade, the ensemble quickly established a distinctive sound that caught a lot of people's attention. But it was a couple of years before their compositional skills caught up with their sonic inventiveness. John McEntire's crucial role in shaping the sound of the last couple of Stereolab records has been mirrored on his own group's records, and by the time TNT was released, they'd put all the pieces together to create a record that lived up to their reputation. And Standards is at least as good if not better. Having made their declaration of independence from rock, the roiling drums and guitar distortion at the start of "Seneca" are as near a return to it as they've made. However, after a couple of minutes they settle into a funky groove with half a dozen short interlocking melodies, and it eventually dissolves into a percussive wash and segues into "Eros," which starts with one of Dan Bitney and John Herndon's signature Steve Reich-ian mallet instrument patterns. There's an effective compositional tension throughout in which particularly abstract electronic passages will suddenly yield to surprisingly pretty melodies before heading back out to space. Those who've followed the band this far are going to be very happy, and anyone who has been hesitant would do well to take the plunge. --Bob Bannister

Album Description

The fourth full length from Tortoise, boldy announces their return following 1998's TNT. The leader's of innovation in a lot of ways, John McEntire and his clan continue with an excellent album. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Album Details

Dance: This is a sampler featuring some of the tracks from the forthcoming album.

Customer Reviews:

Slow And Steady Does Not Always Win The Race.......2007-04-11

Tortoise, that post-rock (prog rock) minimalist, electro-jazz fusion crew who defy all labelling (I'm certain many fans would object to some of the labels I just used, some of them with each other, against each other, and for each other), do not make what you would call "listenable" music. That is, their songs are meant to be "experienced" and "absorbed" and "explored."

If that sounds pretentious, it's because it is, and this 2001 album from the group is Pretention On Parade (but pretending like it isn't). I'm not going to say no one should like this album -- there are swatches of sound that are evocative, and listeners with an abundance of patience and an ear for every subsonic twitch and chigger will find much here to pore over -- but I will say that this album is very, very hard to like.

It's an experiment in aborted sound, in neutered musical arrangements. You can put your finger on jazz, electronica, sarcastic rock (sarc-rock, I call it), and the smug jiggles of a group of musicians who aren't doing anything other than warming up their instruments and expecting you to like it. This is an album that is all about style over substance, technique over tune. It hardly seems to take itself seriously, let alone its listener. Although there are moments where the music approximates something inventive and engaging (the first few minutes of "Monica," the last half of "Speakeasy," most of "Six Pack" off and on), most of it is toneless and pointless, at best. "Standards" is one long experiment in the meld of music with mind, xylophones, bossa nova jazz phonics, electro-static washes over divided drum mechanics. Maybe for some it works, but as far as I'm concerned this experiment needs to go back to the drawing board.

Cold but addicting.......2004-04-02

I don't really write a lot of reviews on here. I just don't feel the need to give people my takes on what makes something good and what doesn't. But this is a band that I am made to review just because it's that good!

I have listened to "Standards" only twice straight through now and I must admit I am addicted already. It sounds like the band members gave free access to some local school kids and let them mess around with the studio equipment, recorded it, and laid groove on top of all the mess. But somehow, it works so perfectly and with such a great vibe.
Some of it sounds like walking down a busy city street. Other times it's like being holed up in a space ship or observing a rave under the influence of...whatever. However you may see it, it is more than just a noodling of sounds with no direction. There is a heart to this techno/funk/jazz/rock album but it beats cold and loud.
This band strikes the same fire in me that Pink Floyd did when I discovered them years ago. Tortoise fans will eat this up, they've come this far haven't they? Newcomers beware. This is not going to sound like anything you've ever heard. None of these reviews will help you to understand it either. Find out for yourself, it is a ride worth taking.
The only reason this is 4 stars is that it's a little too short. Maybe because I was spoiled with TNT first.

P.S I'm a very dedicated metalhead, it's really all I listen to. But these guys are an exception and believe me they are far from my norm and I find them as one of my favorites.

Post-Modern White Kid Loves Fake Genius.......2004-02-26

Yo, a couple of people obviously don't really have a problem so much with this record itself, but the "demographic" who listen to it. Well, my friends, the question is not about who listens to this, but about what kind of music the musicians themselves are making.

Actually, I was very disappointed with this album when it first came out. Being an enthusiastic fan of "Millions Now Living..." and "TNT", I believed that Tortoise had lost their epic and experimental flair. Well, give it a little while to find its way into your happy place - I'm a believer now. The virtue of Tortoise's past records was all of the divergent paths that the band tried on for size. Whether it was the pastoral sonic poetry of "I Set My Face to the Hillside" or the floating "Glass Museum", Tortoise seemed to have a real flair for a sort of meditative instrumental rock.

Well, "Standards" is a vastly different affair. On the whole, the sound is extremely focused, as close to a truly conventional album as Tortoise has ever come. Also, I'd say there's a bit more emphasis on American music styles, a la free-form Jazz, Funk, R&B, etc. However, the songs also tell a clearer story this time around. I know that sounds pretentious, but it wasn't until I realized that that I was able to relish this album.

On the whole, it's hilarious that some people hate this music (the people who listen to this music) so much that they have to completely trash it because of the people who listen to it. I personally bought this because of my love for Tortoise's back catalogue. I suspect Tortoise is just a group of guys who enjoy making music, just like any other hard-working band. So judge them based on their records...that being said, given time, this stands strong with the rest of their work.

Listen with an open mind.......2003-03-09

This was the first Tortoise album I was introduced to. Right away, it was catchy and different. It took about 3 full listens, but the album truly grows on you and I highly recommend. Some parts may appear slow, but once you familiarize yourself with it, it becomes much more listenable.

I actually worked my way backwards in discography to TNT - one of their earlier albums - and while different (less electronica), an excellent album. I enjoy TNT just as much as Standards, despite the differences.

Even though some reviewers will share they are not as pleased with the new sound, you gotta respect Tortoise's efforts to push the envelope on new sounds. Fantastic CD. Recommend you give it a chance - will be a keeper in your CD collection.

Enjoyable, but a little deceiving compared to TNT.......2003-01-22

I'm a huge Tortoise fan and I've listened to this album for about 2 years. My favorite Tortoise album is definitely TNT, and MNLWND would come second.

Let's keep things simple. Standards succeeds and fails at the same time. The melodies are mostly good and the sound reminds me of TNT. The percussions are awesome too, as ever. The blend of styles is rich : jazz, funk, krautrock, rock, and still that "elevator music" touch. This is a great start...

HOWEVER, there's too many cheesy synth sounds (that aren't that bad) that remove, in part, the acoustic feel found on TNT. In addition, for some obscure reason, it's hard to listen and pay attention to any whole song on this album : for example, "Monica" and "Blackjack" have a great start but seem to fall short after the first minute and a half or so (it becomes more abstract and cheesy). Also, "Eden 1", "Eden 2" and "Firefly" are a bit weak in my opinion, so we're only left with 7 good ones (compared with 11 or 12 awesome tracks on TNT). Finally, and now I'm being severe, Standards simply has a cheaper sound than all their other records, as if the mixing of musical styles had been made a bit carelessly (but not without a certain talent, of course).