Mass Distraction [Enhanced] [Import]

Product Description
The initial run of this 2004 album features a bonus disc of 10 previously unreleased tracks. Island.

Tracks:

Found
Dont Think The Way They Do
Peaceful
Papa
Stay As You Are
Missing In Stereo
On My Way Down
Buckle Under Pressure
Babys Come Back
Wildflower
When She Stares
Dont Think The Way They Do (Video)

Album Description

The debut album by Norwegian four-piece Span is chock full of fat riffs & big melodic choruses. Influenced by nu-metal originators Incubus & the godfathers of funk-metal Faith No More, 'Mass Distraction' is a pumped up, adrenaline inducing record of pure unadulterated rock mayhem. The power lies in the catchiness, no doubt influenced by the production work of Gil Norton (Foo Fighters/Distillers), 'Mass Distraction' is addictive listening. Every sky-scraping chorus incites fist pumping sing-a-longs & every lick inspires manic air guitar (just make sure you're not out in public). A huge album from a band with a huge potential. Includes the singles, 'Found', 'Don't Think The Way They Do', 'Baby's Come Back', & 'On My Way Down'. Features 12 tracks including the video for the song 'Don't Think The Way They Do'. Universal/Island. 2004.

Album Details

Includes the Enhanced Video for 'don't Think the Way They Do'.

Customer Reviews:

Rock - plain and simple.......2005-08-17

I heard these guys in the car commercial as well. I immediately ran to the computer and found out who they were. Ordered the CD here that night. What a great disc! Raw, punchy, and full of rawk! Just the way I like it. There needs to be more of this on the radio these days - people that actually play instruments, and sing their own songs. Way to go Span! Come to the US!!!

These guys were born for this.......2005-07-21

When I heard "Stay as you are" for the first time in a car commercial I thought "WOW! I gotta find out who these guys are!" After a little internet research and getting the CD I found that the rest of Spans music grabbed me with equal voracity. In my 30 some odd years of music buying (I'm 43)I've had a love at first listen experience only 3 times. That was Aerosmith "Rocks", Jeff Beck "Wired", and Primus "Anti-pop". I haven't been this excited about a band in years. I'm sure that younger listeners will find newer bands to compare Span to that I'm unfamiliar with, but to me they have a "Toys in The Attic" era Aerosmith vibe goin' on. That is not to say that these guys are a knock-off band, they have their own sound. And there's a number of other influences I hear, most notably (at least in my head) Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick and Joe Satriani. But they have that same swagger and strut confidence and cockiness that Steve Tyler and company have. It's headbanging and at the same time toe tapping music.
As a long time lover of progressive rock (Steve Morse, Jeff Beck, Dream Theatre, etc.) most straight up rock and roll bands don't keep my attention. But Span, while having a straight up rock and roll energy to them, also have a highly developed sense of composition. They masterfully turn phrasings and change up beats without interrupting the flow. They know how to contrast pauses and silence with the heavy stuff to create an even heavier feel; something that few bands, even some great ones, understand. And you gotta love the singers voice (I wish I knew their names); this guy sounds like he's got some nads and he doesn't have to scream all day to prove it.
I also have to compliment the producers of this CD. Over the years I can't count how many bands I've heard that had great material that was either drowned in effects or had production values that made the sound thin. "Mass Distraction" doesn't have any production distractions. All that comes through is the music, loud and clear.
All in all, Span has every ingredient to become a HUGE success. Because of the diversity of musical tastes these days it's hard to say how huge, but having that perfect combination of brains, heart and balls I think Spans appeal will pull alot of people out of their boxes. This music sounds like it comes so naturally to them that they must have been doing it since the craddle.
P.S. to Chris Hanks: I whole-heartedly agree with your music review. But how about saving your silly-ass, simple minded political opinions for MoveOn.org or the blog zone. Just a suggestion.

Extraordinary.......2005-04-07

I just listened to this all the way through for the first time and my head's still spinning. It's a little hard to describe all of the varied influences that converge onto what is Span, but the result is rich and novel. This is the second time a CD has made it onto my "10 for a desert island" list after its inaugural spin (the first being Elliott Smith's XO).

A gun-metal band whose energy level never drops below just above the speed limit, Span finds the time to be subtle and nuanced somewhere amid the controlled chaos: powerfully rich harmonies in "Stay as You Are," melodic voicings in "Missing in Stereo," the innovative chord phrasings in "On My Way Down," and a trip to the moshpit with "Baby's Come Back" are a few of the treats on this explosive-but-professional effort. It's seamless.

And as someone who thinks that the neoconservative corporate-conformist anti-intellectualism (the one that's got Americans thinking it a good thing to quietly and uncritically nod along while the bible usurps their Constitution and warmongering trumps diplomacy) sends a bad message, Span seems to have a good message: Conform at your own risk.

I have a 91-year-old friend whose birthday is coming up in May, and I'm getting her this CD. It's *that* good.

Average customer rating:

Gone
Norwegian Wood
Watch out!! Span is coming!!

Mass Distraction
Span
Manufacturer: Universal/Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001B3YZ6
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Album Description

The initial run of this 2004 album features a bonus disc of 10 previously unreleased tracks. Island.

Album Details

Very Limited Edition. The First 5000 Copies Come with a 10 Song Bonus CD of Unreleased Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Gone.......2006-01-13

This is a GREAT cd. Unfortunately, according to their website,
SPAN's last concert was 10/28/2005. They have disbanded and moved on to bigger, better (I'll believe it when I hear it) things. They do have another, more recent, CD, but it may not be to easy to find. Oh, well.

Norwegian Wood.......2005-06-29

I decided to fork over the money for the double cd and I'm damn glad I did! This skany-gorgeous boy quartet from Norway combine the lyricism of Rob Thomas, the stalwart vocals of Steven Tyler, the industrialism of Rage Against the Machine, the melodicism of Marilyn Manson and the energy of Linkin Park (if their 3 performance videos are any indication) to produce an unlikely sound all their own!

Highlights include the incredible catchy and driving "Stay as You Are," (which scores the 2005 Nissan Xterra Car Commercial, "Guts + Dirt," where they sing "Stay as you are/And you won't make a difference/ Stay as you are/ And you`ll never mean a thing/I hope your fool's control in your little hole is worth it!"), the Foo Fighters-ish "Always Ends," and the Pearl Jam-esque "Jerome" (both of which are only on the bonus disk) and the stunning "Found" (which fortunately is found in 2 versions and in video form on the limited editon release). In one of those RARE CD Purchase Moments, I realised that there is not a single sleeper song on this disc! Damn, these boys are GREAT!

Watch out!! Span is coming!!.......2005-03-24

I won't give a deep introspective into each musician in Span and what each song attempts to accomplish. All I can say is that this band is the best blend of vocals and driving rock and roll music that I've heard in quite some time.
Some of you may have heard Span without even knowing it. Their hard charging and very tight "Stay as you are" is featured in one of the 2005 Nissan Xterra ads, and it's a perfect fit for the truck.
Catchy lyrics and high energy music is what will bring this band ashore in the states. I'm just fortunate to have been able to listen to them before they become overplayed.
I'm writing this in March, 05. Check back by the end of the year and we'll see where Span is at.

Average customer rating:

A hidden gem
In at the beginning of one of the greats!
Great rock CD

Mass Distraction
Span
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001CVBO6
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

Found
Don't Think the Way They Do
Peaceful
Papa
Stay as You Are
Missing in Stereo
On My Way Down
Buckle Under Pressure
Baby's Come Back
Wildflower
When She Stares
End [*]
Found [*][Multimedia Track]
Papa [*][Multimedia Track]
Don't Think the Way They Do [*][Multimedia Track]

Customer Reviews:

A hidden gem.......2007-05-26

I caught a brief clip of "Stay as you are" on a Nissan Xterra commercial and set about "Intergoogling" to figure out who wrote the song. A 10 second clip of this song was all I needed to know that I was hearing rock-n-roll the way it was meant to be played ... around 11 with the tweeters blown.

I listened to every track - brilliant, each one. Span swings for the fences with each tune. The real standouts are: "Stay as you Are" - a scathing political commentary of Tony Blair's relationship with the Bush administration, "Papa", "Found" and "Peaceful". A B-side track, "Cuts Like Diamonds" is IMO their best song, but difficult to find. This band is primed to break into the American mainstream, but just isn't quite there yet. Think of Span as Smashing Pumpkins, con huevos.

In at the beginning of one of the greats!.......2005-07-12

After one listen to the songs on this CD, you know you are in the presence of a RocknRoll great. Like Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones and Van Halen before them, Span is going to span the decades with this thrashing, thinking-person's rock.

It seems ridiculous to single out the best cuts, since they are all equally good (when's the last time you could say THAT about a CD you bought?). But the most radio-friendly fare would have to be the bitter and challenging "Stay As You Are," the raucously jubiliant "Baby's Come Back," and the dark plaintiveness of "Buckle Under Pressure." The cuts that radio won't touch are the blistering "Entitiled" and the fiery "Always Ends."

I would WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend getting the limited double CD edition with 10 extra tracks of live performances, demos, remixes and bonus songs. Cause if you buy the paltry 12 or 15 song versions, you will kick yourself for wanting more, more, more! I know I did, and I had to go back and buy the 2CD set; it was well worth it! Plus, in 3 - 5 years, that double CD release it gonna be worth a lot of money, cause these guys are GREAT.

Great rock CD.......2005-04-14

This cd has great rock-n-roll guitars, good beats and wonderful vocals. I absolutely cannot stop listening to it!

Average customer rating:

Weapons of Mass Distraction
Blinded by Faith
Manufacturer: Galy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000RMIYNG
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

IMPACT PROLOGUE
WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION
GLOBAL DENIAL
CONSORTIUM Y2K
BARCODE BLINDFOLD
ELITE INSIGHT
FINGER ON THE TRIGGER
AN ORDINARY DAY
THE DEAD DON'T TALK
...GAME OVER///

Album Description

BLINDED BY FAITH are back with their new studio album, Weapons of Mass Distraction, which is without a doubt their strongest effort yet. They have crafted their most aggressive, yet catchiest work to date, including memorable melodies and clean vocals mixed together in harmony by the band's excellent musicianship and songwriting. With a phenomenal production and huge sound, this might just be one of the best Canadian metal album of 2007.

Rock Music:

Rock Music