Selected Ambient Works 85-92. A masterpiece. But, whenever I listen to it, despite all its beauty and ingenuity, I can't help but feel that it sounds a little bit dated. Not only this, but the sound quality is poor, because I believe the cd version was transferred from cassette. With I Care Because You Do, with his ever-so-enigmatic face on the cover, Aphex Twin serves up one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard, and there is not a trace of anything dated on it. The production, the quality, everything is top notch. The only thing to complain about is the back of the cd, where it is close to impossible to read his handwriting. At least he has a smile on his face on the cover, and a genuine looking one at that.
1)
Acrid Avid Jam
This is a rather long song, coming in at 7:38. The development of the song is a little bit slow, but that's not hardship, believe me. Immediately, Acrid Avid Jam has an awesome drum track and pounding bass. Gradually, the beat thickens as different layers are added to the song. After a minute, ambient sounds finally emerge, and they are highly appreciated. The first few seconds of this section provides enough beauty for me to pine about for a long time. As with most Aphex Twin songs, they are hard to describe in terms of what occurs within the song. Obviously I can not duplicate an electronic sound properly, as I could with most rock songs. The song goes through progressions, and different melodies come into to play. All of which are graceful and elegant; all expected of an Aphex Twin song. 4.5/5
2)
The Waxen pith
I find The Waxen pith like a lament, and an ode to something magnanimous at the same time. The melodies are dark and haunting at times, while the synthesizer string affects offer sounds that could not be expected from a machine. Sometimes, the Waxen pith sounds discordant, but obviously not arbitrarily. 5/5
3)
Wax the nip
I listened to this album for the first time, in 1999, when I was only nine years old, and still living in London. My mom knew that I loved classical music, so she thought I would appreciate ambient, and by God was she right. This song, Wax the nip, just so happened to be the first song I heard (I insisted on having my stereo on shuffle all the time back then, the idiot I was). When I heard this song, I felt a formidable sense of joy that one might receive upon coming in first in a race, and all this just from a song. Aphex Twin's uncanny ability to evoke emotions from such sterile sounds, especially in this song, ranks him as one of the greatest musicians of all time. 4.5/5
4)
Icct Hedral
For every Wax the nip, there is a Icct Hedral, so to speak. Darkness, without the sprinkles of happiness found in the Waxen pith aptly describes Icct Hedral. Richard D. James lures you into an unrelenting state of disarray from the very beginning. As the music progresses, it becomes more depraved. If your worst nightmare had a soundtrack, this song would be on it. Chanting joins the "orchestra" after about 4 minutes, only adding to the sense of foreboding. A very dark song, but you Bright Eyes fans out there should listen to it nonetheless. 4/5
5)
Ventolin
It is not true of many songs that they are physically painful to listen to. Sure, my ears might throb after attending a Slipknot concert, but with Ventolin, my ears hurt no matter the volume. Most of the sounds are extremely high pitches which are very annoying. Yes, they are cool, but that doesn't make up for the lack of life in Ventolin. I don't enjoy listening to it ever. The beats, as always, are well constructed, but that is one of Aphex Twin's cornerstones, so they don't salvage this song. 2/5
6)
Come On You Slags!
This is a rather dark also, but not nearly as dark as Icct Hedral. It is fast-paced, energetic, and in general a very fun listen. There is an American teenage girl talking throughout the song. This is what I could make out (correct me if I'm wrong): "I'm gonna give you a cut-it-out part. It's perfect...my gift to you...is not my idea of a...especially when...It's hard to speak Spanish...told me about, remember? I don't remember telling you about a..." That's all I can understand, but compared to the music itself, the words are insignificant to tell the truth. Come On You Slags! might be found on a Roni Size album, due to the rapid beats and pounding bass. Throughout the song, there is a slick sound, which by itself sounds like Richard D James saying, "I want sex." This is definitely one of Aphex Twin's more bizzare songs, but what much does that say? 3.5/5
7)
Start as you mean to go on
Not only can Aphex Twin encompass such genuine emotional responses, but he can also be very specific when it comes to those emotions. Start as you mean to go on is joyful, but not the same kind of joy as in Wax the nip. Wax the nip is active, and jubilant, but this song seems like a retrospect on happy memories. I imagine looking back through old photos at happy memories. A very sweet song, so I give it a 4/5
8)
Wet tip hen ax
By now, if you're new to Aphex Twin, you might be thinking that he has pretty dumb song titles. To tell the truth, I was thinking the same thing (this isn't half as bad as most of the song titles from Drukqs). However, the songs are far more important than the song titles, the album covers, the artwork, and all other material things associated with the music. So, with Wet tip hen ax, ignore the somewhat amusing title and focus on the music. This song has a confusing air, like you're not sure how you're supposed to feel. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Wet tip hen ax is a hard song to describe, so I won't babble around tryin to do so. 3.5/5
9)
Mookid
Maybe it's only because of the title, but this song really makes me think of cows and farms. It is a real riddle: is it just in my head, or is it actually meant to be this way? I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. This is another happy song, with cute, infantile noises every few seconds. The song reaches a climax, where the noises become very high pitched, but not like the noises from Ventolin. Everything about this song is cute. 4/5
10)
Alberto Balsalm
Perhaps you've already noticed this, but a few years, when I was still living in England, I went to a Boots to grab some hair gel. That hair gel was called "Albero Balsalm," expcept I've never made the connection until yesterday when I typed up the song names. Oh, Aphex Twin's music is full of goodies like that. Anyway, Alberto Balsalm is a very laid back, serene song. It is on my chillout playlist, because it is so relaxing. One of the main sounds in the melody is the noise of a chair leg rubbing against a wooden floor upon someone getting up quickly. Interpret what you want from it, I just find it amusing. Many of the songs on this album are intense, so this song is highly appreciated when you listen to the album all the way through. 4.5/5
11)
Cow Cud is a Twin
If you have a mac, go to the voices, and find hysterical. You will hear the first sound heard in Cow Cud is a Twin. This is also a correlation it took me years to make, being a Windows guy. What appears to be happening is a man (presumably Richard D James) is leaving his flat. At this point, the music is muffled, as if it's coming from next door. After a minute, the music clarifies. At first it sounds like it will be just a cool track, but after about 2 and a half minutes, powerful melodies enter the song. These tunes continue until the end of the song. This is an excellent song, but it takes a while for the beauty to surface. 3.5/5
12)
next heap with
There's nothing wrong with being a morbid f**k. That's the impression I get after only listening to the very first second of this song. next heap with is brilliant and moving, nonetheless. Some bands end albums on a light notes, but I Care Because You's last track is dark and evocative. Icct Hedral is also dark, but it is pulsating and hard. next heap with is a slow, progressive song that goes through different movements. It is beautiful in its ominousness. 4/5
I will never make the decision of what album I like more between I Care Because You Do and its follow up, Richard D. James album. I Care Because You do has darker moments than the latter album, and is filled with endless other emotions. If I were to write a review of Richard D. James Album, I know I would praise it equally. This album really did change my life. It got me into ambient music, which made me want to write. From this music I moved on to bands like Tool and Opeth, which share those beautiful moments that make life worth living.
