Customer Reviews:
 great live disc & mediocre studio disc May 29, 2008
The Delite Rancher (Phoenix, Arizona)
The "Hullabaloo Soundtrack" is a mixed bag. Aside "Absolution," "Black Holes and Revelations" and "Origin of Symmetry," the studio Hullabaloo disc offers little comparison. This disc is what it is . . . a collection of leftovers that weren't good enough to be released on a regular LP. I suppose that we should be grateful that the material has been released since there are some highlights. The instrumentals stand out as both compelling and especially unusual in the Muse pantheon. If you're a Muse fanatic like me, you'll find these tunes interesting, but the material will never resonate like the songs on their more contemporary releases. The selling point for "Hullabaloo Soundtrack" is the live disc. It's a great snap shot at what can now be regarded as an earlier time period for Muse. The recording and performance quality is fantastic. I'd describe it as having a harder edge than other Muse shows that I've experienced. 'Citizen Erased' and 'Space Dementia' are highlights. While interesting, the show falls short of Haarp, the ultimate live Muse release. While the first CD is only for the faithful, the second disc can be appreciated by the casual listener with an interest in the band's live show. After acquiring all of the band's 'A' list albums, "Hullabaloo Soundtrack" will nicely fill out any Muse collection.
What's all the hullabaloo about? December 22, 2007
E. A Solinas (MD USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
British band Muse broke out in the US with their third album "Absolution," and establishing them as a remarkable new rock band. They're epic, intensedark, 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, 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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