Track Listing

1. Converted
2. Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness
3. Woke Up This Morning
4. U Don't Dance 2 Tekno Anymore
5. Bourgeoisie Blues
6. Aint's Goin' To Goa
7. Mao Tse Tung Said
8. Hypo Full of Love (The 12 Step Plan)
9. The Old Purple Tin (9% Of Pure Heaven)
10. Teh Night We Nearly got Busted
11. Sister Rosetta
12. Peace In The Valley

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3269 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
They're not from Alabama, and there's many, many more than three of them. In fact, Exile On Coldharbour Lane is the product of a warped gang of Scottish DJs, reformed junkies and sideshow entertainers. Don't be cynical, though--they've had a calling; the Alabama 3 gospel embraces Deep Southern Christian fundamentalism, revolutionary Marxism, serious drug abuse and the loved-up embrace of acid house music. Exile On Coldharbour Lane, however artificial, is a thoroughly enjoyable cabaret record. With titles like "Bourgeoisie Blues", "Mao Tse Tung Said" and let's not forget "Hypo Full Of Love (The 12 Step Plan)", Alabama 3 have created a peculiar fusion of country, techno, and hip-hop, and somehow made it funny. There's even time to fit in "Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness"--a traditional American folk number, performed with po-faced aplomb. You'll consider converting. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews

Oh dear, oh dear... I love this yin!
OK. Sopranos. Love the theme tune. Go to University. Hit the music store. Find Sopranos soundtrack CD. Find out who did the theme tune. Buy their album. Love the cover. Love the CD design, too. Then I actually play it. Converted - good gospel, it seems like. U don't dans 2 tekno - laugh my head off. That sets the scene for the rest of the album. It's superb; the music grabs you and the lyrics are funny. I've played it to my friends; we find ourselves singing 'U don't dans' and quoting Mao Tse Tung Said at random intervals. It is, quite frankly, superb. La Peste is a lot more like the Sopranos theme, though - this CD has little to do with that sound. Which isn't a bad thing; they do both sounds superbly.

Get Converted…
I couldn’t help thinking that 5 years after its original release this was going to sound rather dated. When the band themselves describe this CD as Country-Acid-House Gospel music you can’t help but fear that it’s all going to sound a bit of a mess in 2004.

Not a bit of it though. And then you realize that it could never sound dated. It was unique when it came out and it remains so now. If it does have a problem it’s that it has a slightly comedic feel to it, almost spoof like. A shame really because most of the music here is actually quite beautiful.

You can start off quite jaded but as soon as the opener ‘Converted’ kicks in you’re starting to sway. The most beautiful track here is ‘Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness’, listening to this you realise that it just doesn’t matter if music is hip or trendy. You just have to ask ‘Is it any good?’ After its use in ‘The Soprano’s’ you should really be sick of ‘Woke Up This Morning’ but it still works powerfully. The cacophony which introduces ‘Mao Tse Tung Said’ shows a funky side almost reminiscent of ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’ by Byrne & Eno, and the Grand Ole Opry would no doubt cry out for something like the Nashville sound of ‘The Old Purple Tin’. Tragically ‘The Night We Nearly Got Busted’ is not a song about an almost successful attempt at kidnapping a boy band.

Mr. Cynical (that’s me by the way) was honestly expecting this CD to sound horribly embarrassing, and to be well past its sell by date. That it doesn’t is a credit to the originality on display here, and although the album does tail off towards the end, you’re always left with a smile on your face.

Moments of distilled beauty
I'm not exaggerating when I use the word beauty in connection with this album. It's quite possibly my favourite album, and even though it has a tongue-in-cheek sensibility about it, I take it seriously as a work of art and musical achievement. I played it on my 5.1 surround sound system for the first time the other night, and it opened up an entirely new level, the sound was almost divine. A3 have incredible ears for music and are clearly accomplished at all kinds of composition because these songs work so well on so many levels that you'd be forgiven for thinking they knew something the rest of us didn't.

There are no bad songs on this album, not even marginally weak ones. 'Converted' gets things started in terrific fashion, following on to the exceptional 'Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,' The Sopranos theme 'Woke up This Morning' (preceeded by an excellent skit-like bridge)and track after track of inspired sound and lyrics.

Another great asset to the CD is that you can play it low and just relax to it, or hike up the volume and turn your bedroom into a nightclub (especially with a surround sound sub woofer beating the crap out of the walls and floor!) Just try 'Mao Tse Tung Said' on this sort of a setup without repeating the track at least once. I defy you!

It's an album I couldn't tire with if I played it 24/7... If it's not magic at work here, it's something pretty close.

Love to the 3.