Love Like Loud [Vinyl]

I discovered Placebo on Top of the Pops performing Nancy Boy and have been an addict ever since.This new album after the earlier tour de force that is B3 EP was met with some trepidation, would Placebo be able to match their previous six albums proper and the answer to this long standing fan is a resounding YES.Placebo - Latin for: To Please, are my favourite band of all-time they utterly live up to their name, this new album of 10 tracks is like an audio drug, as soon as I've listened to all 10 tracks I feel compelled to hit the play button on my portable CD player again.Sadly there have been disparaging reviews from people who just don't get this band and would rather, or so it seems to me, be reviewing something less challenging and frankly less well written NME I'm pointing the finger at your female reviewer who wrote some vitriolic nonsense regarding this album, which for my taste beggars belief.From start to finish this is a tight and compact record, there are no filler tracks, as some so called self proclaimed fans have even stated on this very site.Sorry, but you need to reassess and quantify, every single track leads into the next with the kind of mature measured knowledge that only a band like Placebo could ever hope to achieve.Clearly Brian's writing here is influenced by David Bowie's latest album, but I think they may have been influenced by similarly great British bands earlier release this year by Suede in so much that both bands have put out an entire album of love songs, which may be coincidence, but even so is a very happy one to this fan.Stand out tracks, well hell they are all great, but force to pick I would put Exit Wounds close to the top, but as I've already opined, each new song leads perfectly into the next, from the opening belter to the final poignantly honest song I can find no fault and no dissemination from their original blue-print to elevate the pain of life, love and existence for people like myself who find themselves disenfranchised from the regular morass of pop.Placebo are pop and rock infused with an emotional resonance not found by this overall music fan in any other guise."I gotta testify"

Let's face it: you either love Placebo or you don't. Brian's voice is a bit of a "marmite" voice. So if you're in the "don't" camp, you're not going to like this, and actually you won't be reading this. So this is to those with taste.I have to say I was a little worried about this album. The lead single had that very dodgy line "on the Champs-Élysées" that just jarred with me as naive and forced. That said, I totally fell in love with the song, and then the title track, which is even better.But what of the album? Well it's fantastic. Music critics have trashed it in the press, but so what. They know nothing. Placebo have made consistently great albums, with their signature style and sound all over them. They can't sound "different" - this IS what they sound like. And for those of us who love that, this album is a gem.I won't critique all the songs individually, but my favourites are Rob The Bank, Loud Like Love... and Bosco, which is the best song of the year for me, and probably my favourite Placebo song of all-time. It is pure perfection. In writing. In execution. They should be so proud of it.This is a five star album to my ears. And my second favourite album of the year after John Grant's Pale Green Ghosts. I never tire of Placebo. They are my comfort music.

This is in my opinion one of their best records. It took a while to get into, their approach is a little different, especially the positive anthemic title song, but the moods vary on the album, it's got plenty heart ranging tunes. Also their sound is big on this album, it sounds absolutely amazing. If you are a [placebo fan you will undoubtedly love this record. Fabulous big choruses and their,latest drummer is amazing. There is only one song I don't like and that is the 'rob a bank' one. But there must be people out there who will love that, so in my opinion that is that is weak moment, and the line in a previous song 'my computer thinks I'm gay, what's the difference anyway, but the rest of that song is amazing, so instant forgiveness as far as I'm concerned. All in all a beautiful album.

if Brian's lyrics didn't make me cringe so much, this would be one of the best albums EVER!Production wise, it sounds OK and nowhere near as good as battle for the sun but of course, that was produced by David BottrillI heard they used a fairly new producer for this album and that does show on tracks like "a million little pieces" where the second guitar line is almost inaudible on the recording but a central part of the track liveThe bass and drums though do sound pretty amazingsong wise, chord progressions and melodies are beautiful as always. there are only two tracks that I would call fillers - namely bosco and hold on to meBrian's lyrics, again, are awful but i still love this album for the most part

When I placed this album in the CD player for the first time, I have to admit I didn't quite know what to expect. As soon as Brian's distinctive vocals started on track 1, I just knew this album was going to be something special. Some albums has maybe 1 or 2 songs which are worth listening to (the rest being fillers), but I have to say every one on this CD is fantastic! The standout tracks are 'Loud Like Love', 'A Million Pieces' and my absolute favourite being 'Begin The End'. The whole album has a wonderful feel to it, displaying a maturity of sound which is full bodied and completely seductive. 10 out of 10.