A Cosmic Challenge
July 10, 2012 by chimaera
Like many of you I expect, I hadn’t listened to Cosmic Egg for quite some time. And although all of the flaws that have been much discussed were again evident (I didn’t actually manage to finish listening to the entirety of some songs), I realised that it does have some real gems – at least in my opinion.
So my challenge to you is – name one song, lyric, rif, instrumental, melody or whatever else, from Wolfmother’s Cosmic Egg. I might even come up with a prize for the best suggestion (and “Cosmic Egg sucks” or “there’s nothing good about that album” will not be contenders).
Here’s mine.
Track 03 – White Feather – first 90 seconds or so.
It’s not your typical Wolfmother, but damn is it catchy. I can’t help but feel that if this were released, or if another big or upcoming band had put this out there, it could be huge. Part of the problem is that it loses its way a bit after the 90s mark, bringing it back at the end. I listened to the track twice this morning and it has been doing the rounds in my head ever since.
I don’t know how people can say Cosmic Egg isn’t a good album, but that’s a whole other subject…
It’s a deluxe version exclusive but it’s my favorite Wolfmother song and my second favorite song by any band from any time:
Cosmonaut: Love it more than any other WM song. It’s an amazing song beginning to end but from the second chorus to the end, it’s just PERFECT. The solo, the bridge at the end before the last chorus, it just makes my hair stand up every time I listen to it. I don’t even expect Wolfmother to make anything at this level ever again, IMO. Too bad it’s not a live staple…
Violence of the Sun: Might surprise some people but I really dig the vibe given out by this song, which is comparible to some sort of CSI epic rock opera. Then the way it builds up to a guitar saturated crescendo is simply awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvkm0ds3ZM&feature=related
IDRM & Tim, great suggestions. I am going to have to go listen to those two songs again to see if I agree!
Far Away is not just my favorite song off Cosmic Egg, but my all time favorite. I love how the song slowly builds as more instruments are added to the mix. The way the song shifts to the part where it goes “And I believe that love is gonna last forever…” adds extra variety to an already good song. The first time I heard that guitar solo, it blew me away. No idea what it is about it since it’s so simple, but it just fits the song perfectly. Then Dave comes in slamming on the cymbals, Ian comes in on piano, guitar solo in the background, perfect harmony between Ian and Andy on that last line… just so amazing! The song just feels so soulful and it never gets old.
For me the last minute (59 seconds) of the title song Cosmic Egg is what is all about Wolfmother i like.
High range screams, heavy shuffle (Sabbath/Zeppelin fusion) with very intense energy.
Don’t get me wrong i adore the whole song (and the whole) album but this fragment i cherish the most.
For me it’s ”California Queen” with its heavy bass-wahwah
The guitar solo in “In The Castle” around 1:26 blew me away since the first time I heard it. The octave pedal makes it sounds amazing. Thats the power that Wolfmother is known for. Epic
I loved the album, but the best moment for me is just over halfway through ‘Eyes Open’, when it slows down and the piano comes in and rips straight through the track. The sludgy guitar riff, rippling piano licks, and low vocals combine to produce one of the best musical moments in Wolfmother’s history in my opinion, presenting the title of the track repeated with more and more vocal layers, drawing the song out to an epic conclusion back in the fast mould, with an eerie guitar solo to top it off. Pure win.
Listen here from around 2:50: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU3u1CXUWAA
I love listening to it both in cd when i drive, and in my chamber on my vinyl, for me one of theb est part is the korg cx-3 riff in the begin of “in the castle” I think it brings back the good vibe of the Wolfmother sound, It may not be as good as Chris Ross sound some will say, but Ian did an awesome job on the album and still surprises me to date !
I love the long guitar riff in 10,000 feet or just when Stockdale hits those high notes in Caroline, pure rock perfection.
I think Phoenix from the deluxe version is a very Great Song. The Intro riff and The solo are so amazing. I don’t know why The People don’t like The Song so much.
Wow, looks very much like Cosmic Egg is not the bad record many seem to think it is! At least not for you guys.
I am going to compile a list of all of your suggestions and listen to the relevant parts, maybe it will open my eyes to the album as well.
It’s also fantastic to see Wolfmother still has such passionate fans!
basitain, Pheonix is my fav song from the album too. i dont know why people don;t like it either
id have to agree with the first comment.. the deluxe track cosmonaut is simply wonderful start to finish. space rock at its finest. some of the drumming reminds me of nick mason’s in pink floyd’s “astronomy dominé” (another space rocker) with the driving bass kicks and Tom flourishes.
however my favorite track is “in the morning”… the first time I heard it on wolfmother’s MySpace (see that proves its been forever since they’ve released new material) before the record came out, I got chills on the opening guitar intro. it was almost Beatles-esque / 60s vibe to me. and te way it built and then the end solo. just wow. that solo was Page-esque if you ask me.
that’s my 2 cents. haha. GET THIS DAMN ALBUM WM. IDC IF IT SUCKS OR NOT I JUST WANT NEW MATERIAL ALREADY HAHA.
I agree with Jacob. “In the Morning” is definitely my favorite too. The solo at the end is probably the best solo of any Wolfmother song. The song is very similar to “Where Eagles Have Been” in the way that it starts with a kind of soft riff then builds to a heavy chorus and finishes with an amazing solo. Fantastic! And “Cosmonaut” is a close second. Also, the part in “Pilgrim” with that really heavy riff at around 2:30 is pretty sick too!
The first solo in Far Away blends it’s way so perfectly into the song. Best part.
My fav riff is the main riff of Pilgrim.
Caroline because it’s about me.
“Caroline, tell me where you gonna go tonight?”
Well, Andrew, I would like to go to your concert tonight but unfortunately you haven’t done one anywhere near me in a long time. Still love ya, boo. Keep posting to Twitter and I’ll keep dreaming that one day you will return to the US Midwest.
love phoenix as well you’re not alone. also the 2nd half of pilgrim. and the chorus of cosmic egg. anything with a nice build up really.
I own both the regular and deluxe editions of Cosmic Egg, and I’d have to say that the chorus to “Back Round” is my favorite moment. The guitar/vocal walk down from F to D blew my mind the first time I heard it. And it’s all nicely supported by the mammoth sounding drop D main riff. This is a tough one for me though, because there isn’t a single song on either the first or second albums that I don’t like. But, that’s what I’d have to go with.
The tempo change in Pilgrim, eh! It’s just aboot the coolest dynamic change ever! Eh. :)
i kep’m safe
Andre Pusey, it is ALL ABOUT dat part in Eyes Open. Gives me chills every time. Makes me feel like conquerin’ somebody.
Haha, definitely Louie! The piano makes it that bit more epic. The other parts of the album people have listed, however, are DAMN awesome too, especially the tempo change in Pilgrim which I love!
Zeke knows where it’s at. Far Away is my favorite Cosmic Egg song, Wolfmother song, and furthermore my favorite song of all time. The beginning makes me want to go out and do something awesome, not to mention the resonance in the background. The addition of instruments gets me pumped up. Granted, this isn’t a pump up song, but it just makes you feel good. Put it this way, if I was stranded on an island for the rest of my life and could only pick one song, Far Away would be my first choice by a landslide.
I can’t believe no one said the ending of 10,000 Feet
Sundial is a phenomenal song that nobody has mentioned…