Review Summary: A good concept album; however, this is not for everybody.
Aah. Hallowe'en. The time of year where one can dress-up as they please and not be bothered by it. It is also the time of year where pumpkins are placed on porches and on driveways, where skeletons and vampires and Frankenstein's monsters are commonly seen roaming the streets, pillowcases slung over their shoulders, wide grins hidden under makeup or masks.
As I right this review, Hallowe'en is two days away. There will no doubt be the cacaphony of children in costumes, the parents walking along with them, and houses decorated to the brim with cobwebs and other festive ornaments. Bucketheadland, as an album, is somewhat reminiscent of Hallowe'en and the festivities that it brings. The whole album has a creepy feel to it (at least most of the middle section). It is a great album; although, many people probably will not like it, they should give it a chance.
The album is divided into sections of the fictional
abusement park, Bucketheadland. They are... well, you'll find out. All of the tracks contain the section that they are in before the song title, save for Computer Master, I Love My Parents (because the songs have the same title as the section) and the second disc.
Disc 1
Intro
Intro: Park Theme- 3:21
The opener to the album starts off with a bang. A robotic female voice starts off saying 'Welcome to Bucketheadland', and then the track kicks off from there. Great guitar playing with a heavy drum beat behind it. Many people, Buckethead fans especially, are familiar with the song
Welcome to Bucketheadland, that appears on his album 'Giant Robot'. Well, this is the early version of that. Great solo-ing at 1:25 and then again at 2:33.
Giant Robot
Interlude - 0:28
Starts off with a voice saying "Woah... this is Bucketheadland! And it's gonna be neat-o! Neat-o!" The voice is frequently interrupted by Buckethead's guitar playing. It continues speaking "Check it out, this is the main factory to Robotland, and right now at this very moment, some of the rides are being constructed. There are many robots here. Such as...
Giant Robot Theme - 4:16
...GIANT ROBOT!" This is a great song. Starts off very epic-sounding, with the guitar playing an almost national anthem-esque tune and the slow but precise drum beat in the background. This goes on until about 2:07, when the same beat kicks in, but much faster and accompanied but quicker-paced instruments.
Enter Guillatine - 0:33
At the beginning of this track, an evil voice is saying: "You idiots! Aah! You fell right into my trap! Giant Robot has used up all his nuclear energy fighting my monsters! Hahahaha!" This track is basically a voice sample, until about 16 seconds in, where organs and other instruments come in.
Giant Robot Vs Guillatine - 4:02
A great song. Fast-paced with voice samples and effects over an awesome distorted guitar riff. Changes pace a lot, and the voice samples get more frequent at certain points in the song. I think that all of the samples in this song are from the television show 'Giant Robot'. Some are in Japanese as well I think.
Bucketbots Jig
Bucketbots Jig - 0:28
A voice sample at the beginning leads into a song that almost sounds like the Oompa-Loompas from 'Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory' (which this album contains samples of by the way). This song fades out towards the end of the track.
Enter Slipdisc - 1:54
Starts out with organ, I believe, and leads into another evil voice, but different from the one used in 'Enter Guillatine'. More organ happens and is interrupted by more voice samples. Eventually leads into a techno-sounding beat with lots of effects added in and near the very end of the song, a guitar starts playing...
Bansheebot Vs Buckethead - 0:58
Starts out with what sounds like a laser gun being fired and then awesome shredding comes in at around 0:18. An odd voice speaks slightly before the shredding as well. Leads into a distorted sounding beat and then into some more unbelieveable shredding, and then another voice and the sound of a TV being powered off (or another laser gun being fired; one of the two).
Slaughter Zone
The Haunted Farm - 2:43
Sounds like a storm and then leads into a clearer version of the same riff, with spooky sounds in the background, including what sound like Gremlins and a wolf howling. Then a deeper version of the wolf howling. Then wind and rain over the same organ-ish riff. A cool song. Eventually it gets to a cow mooing and the track ends, but leads directly into the next track...
Hook & Pole Gang - 1:07
Good song. A solid riff with cool whammying during the song. A solid drumbeat in the background is also present. Leads into an awesome shredding-solo, and then goes back to the original riff. Then an odd sound leads into the next song...
Cattle Prod - 0:41
Some incredible, unbelieveable sweeps start this song. After 20 or so seconds of this it changes almost suddenly into a water-sounding riff with an odd lurching noise in the background, as if something is hovering there.
Phantom Monk - 1:46
An odd song that seems kind of messy at first, and leads into some creepy noises and then some wind noises and odd splashing noises. Great guitar playing eventually happens and then what almost sounds like a helicopter noise comes in and then the track ends.
The Rack - 0:29
A very Hallowe'en-ish song. High-pitched organ plays in the background, alternating between two notes, while a scream and a laugh chime in the background. The song ends with a laughing noise.
Nosin' - 1:21
A voice at the beginning speaks, and then quickly some more unbelieveable shredding happens. Sounds like space almost. Very distorted and rickety sounding. Then towards the end of the track the song changes into a completely different beat with some more effects.
Gorey Head Stump - 1:32
This track sounds almost evil. A beat that sounds sort of like the one used in 'Giant Robot Theme' is present and some sounds break up the beat here and there. An interesting track, but more of an interlude song.
Sterling Scapula - 0:48
Starts out with some diabolical laughing sounds which eventually top and lead into an awesome guitar riff with a good drumbeat in the background. An awesome song, I only wish that this was longer!
Skid's Looking Where - 1:08
This song has sounds that sound like footsteps getting closer and then farther away again with an almost rainy-sounding riff in the background. Another interesting song that almost seems like an interlude more than anything.
Steel Wedge - 1:22
Definitely one of the highlight's of this album for me. A shredding song reminiscent of Buckethead's side-project, 'Cobra Strike'. Incredible shredding over a solid drumbeat. Ends with a frantic-sounding riff. Again, I wish that this song were longer. Incredible song.
Wonka in Slaughter Zone - 1:30
Starts out with a soundclip from 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' I think, and then leads into an awesome slow ballad. All the while, a clock-ticking noise plays in the background. Excellent slow-playing guitar.
Nosin' Part 2 - 0:40
Starts out with virtually the same clip from 'Nosin'', but leads into a different song. Some
creepy guitar that is hard to describe is playing over a spooky-soduning riff that leads directly into the next track...
Diabolical Minds - 1:33
Starts out with a guy going 'AND DIABOLICAL MINDS!' repeatedly, and then leads into some incredible shredding, with two guitar shredding over each other. Crazy shredding leads into a different riff which then leads into the foundation for the next song...
Alice In Slaughterland - 1:47
A very creepy-sounding song. Starts with a very, well, diabolical voice reciting a part from the book 'Alice In Wonderland', which is then deepened and slowed down, which then leads into an ambient-sounding track, with the occasional guitar break.
Bleeding Walls - 0:22
A sort of unsettling song, but once you listen to it a few times it becomes less apparent. More shredding mixed in with some ambient sounds and some sounds that almost sound like rain. Also a voice speaks very briefly in this song, but I can't make out what it says.
Buddy On A Slab - 1:13
A repeated voiceclip of a guy saying 'personality disorder', with the sound of a heart beating. Then a high-pitched noise and the sound of a clock and a man laughing.
Buddy In The Graveyard - 1:02
This is probably the weakest track on the album because there is almost no actual music, voice samples, or anything in it... at all! Basically the sound of someone chuckling and laughing with a wood breaking noise in the background. You have to be listening very loudly to hear this though. There is also the sound wind whistling in the background.
Oh Jeez... - 1:21
Starts with someone saying 'Oh Jeez...', which leads into another awesome shredding song. A great song, I wish that this one was longer too. Just crazy shredding.
Funeral Time - 1:39
A somber-sounding song with organ in the background. Very dark and ambient song.
Comptuer Master
Computer Master - 8:16
One of the best songs on the album. Starts with an awesome-sounding guitar over a solid drumbeat. Very fast guitar-playing with an almost drainy-sound. Some more traditional-sounding electric guitar eventually comes in laying snip-its of a solo. The music then stops and some very fast and hurried-sounding guitar-playing happens. Then the song slows down and turns into an almost ballad-type song. The leads into some more odd-sounding computer-noiseish guitar and then a voice comes in and a riff occurs. Very rock-ish sounding, this leads into an incredible solo. The sound quality is not the best on this song but that is barely a big deal as the incredible guitar-playing in this track is evident. How Buckethead plays the solos on this song I don't know. The same voiceclip comes back on, and then a completely different riff comes on, with some brush-sounding things in the background. A very rock-ish riff, with good bass-playing. Then a guitar comes on and gradually fades out. Then some more random noises that sound almost like videogames come on and Buckethead's playing switching from speaker to speaker. Ends with some voices and cool effects.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality Home Run Derby: Part 1 - 2:01
A long voice sample is a guy basically soudning like he is talking to R2D2. Then an ambient riff comes on and then a riff plays over with a voice sample. Then ends with a cool-sounding instrument.
Virtual Reality Home Run Derby: Part 2 - 1:34
Starts off with a guy saying "Oh, I can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp!" Then a cool riff comes on with a robotic voice somewhat reminscent from the middle sample in 'Intro: Park Theme.' Then the track fades out.
Home Run Derby
Virtual Reality Home Run Derby: Interlude - 0:33
Another voice-sample with some excellent playing isa t the beginning of this song. The some more odd voice samples come up that sound like they're from from a baseball game.
Virtual Reality Home Run Derby: Main Theme - 4:45
An awesome riff comes in that leads into an awesome solo. Then the riff starts playing again and leads into another awesome solo. Then the song fades out with about 56 seconds left and then a voice comes on of a family winning a trip to Bucketheadland before it opens.
I Love My Parents
I Love My Parents - 1:38
An emotional and heartfelt ballad. A very beautifu-sounding piece of music that is reminscient of some of Buckethead's later slow albums, like 'Electric Tears'. Great song.
Disc 2: Dance Remixes
Intro: Park Theme Extension - 5:44
Starts with the same introduction voice as in the 'Intro: Park Theme' von Disc 1 of this album, but echoed. The drums come in, and then the voice plays again and the guitar comes, and then bass and the song floows the same lines as the original, but the bass is more prominent and the drumbeat is slightly different and the music stops more often. The solo is just as good though. :D
Guillatine Battle - 0:52
A cool song that starts out with a voice sample heard in 'Giant Robot Vs Guillatine' on Disc 1. This is basically a much shorter version of that song.
Giant Robot Theme - 1:46
Basically the latter half of 'Giant Robot Theme', heard on Disc 1.
Robot Dance - 1:02
Basically the beginning of 'Giant Robot Vs Guillatine', featuring the vocie sample and the cool guitar/drum riffs.
Virtual Reality - 3:04
A cool drum beat and robotic-sounding voice with computer-like sounds. Short shredding at the near beginning of the song as well. Ends with a voice sample and drumming and ambient-like sounds.
Bansheebot Bop - 1:03
Kind of a continuation of the last song, except with a weird-sounding voice sample with effects and a heavy drum beat in the background.
Baseball Buddy - 3:18
A cool-sounding song with a heavy drum beat and sme awesome guitar playing. A cool song, with the 'We're off to Bucketheadland' voice sample from 'Virtual Reality Home Run Derby: Main Theme'. It ends with a voice sample fading out.
So, there you have it. My synopsis of Bucketheadland. The whole album almost flows together, espically in the Slaughter Zone section. This was Buckethead's first album, and was a Japanese only import. It is currently out of print. It is a good album, but definately not for everybody. Hopefully you enjoyed my review, and the next time that you're under makeup or a mask, I hope that you'll think of this review and smile.
Recomended Tracks:
Intro: Park Theme
Giant Robot Theme (Disc 1)
Giant Robot Vs Guillatine
Sterling Scapula
Steel Wedge
Oh Jeez...
Computer Master
I Love My Parents
Intro: Park Theme Extension (Disc 2)
