A little like Radiohead, particularly the older, more guitar-oriented Radiohead, although the lead singer's voice is not Yorke's falsetto. This is very good alt-rock. Just about every track on this album is good. I'm no music reviewer, but this is good stuff.

I really like this album a lot, but i cannnnnnot believe that "Evil Little Girl" and "Bruise", from the Turquoise and Crimson album, were left out. Those songs really really get me. Otherwise, this is a really enjoyable album. Not as good as Music For People, though.

I had this cd given by a friend, i said id keep an open mind and gave it a listen, im glad i did. Its not often you find a diamond of an album. if your open minded about anything buy this. The singers voice is very good, as a "rock" album its good till you peel away and find an almost new and original sound.

I heard the first song Turquoise, from its starting bass line i was hooked and could to an extent predict the course of the music till the chorus kicked in, lyrically its excellent.

Thrown Away, if you dont like this song theres something wrong with your musical taste buds. The opening build up to the song was done well and set the stage to some of the best lyrics i have heard in a long time, every part of the song is good and worthy of best song on the album.
Next was Dont Take Your Love Away, the haunting piano to start with sets a nice ballad, it reaches out and inspires the ears to yearn for more from the orchestral strings, repetative at times but one of those songs you dont want to finish.

Next was Be With Me, again another best song wannabe, its a song of lyrics put to damned good effect, a truly magnificent song, musically a crossroad of sounds and change, find the lyrics and sing along with it, you wont regret it.

Lost starts with a sample of truly peacefull singing, the singer (Jon Crosby) uses his voice to set a tone of miserable delight and will have your eyes closed and pondering the meaning of the song.

Winter in my Heart is an quiet ambient setting with meaning and a ballad like no other, simple songs are sometimes the best

I Need To Say Goodbye again a good song, lyrically this song is tormented and yearns to belong but is betrayed, the words come naturally and strong, a ballad to throw against an ex to find strength from. the close of the song is uplifting.

Japanese Fantasy, HMM i couldnt understand this song at all, it seemed a cluster nut of sounds but with a rolling beat and changes worthy of their own songs, it fits on this album but belongs with their first or second alblum. good but filler.

Ecstacy, the start is catchy and youll be humming it after a few listens. its sets a great tune then you get to the chorus and find yourself on a different level, two songs put together with contrasting effect, but fitting.

Candle, again another strum/rolling song with great music but reminds me of the early Cure guitar style.

I Can Say No To You, the opening beat to bass line is of legend and uncannily marched me into the relam of this song, lyrically this guy can write them well and good. A great song set in another haunting place.

Desert Garden, i didnt like it, full of emotions and meanings, a solo effort with a guitar, well done but not my cup of tea, an album good bye song.

It is clear that Jon Crosby is quite brilliant, but with all three of Vast's albums, I feel the same way- one or two amazing songs, a couple of ok songs, then a bunch that fall short of their potential for some bizarre reason or another. I feel like so many songs are almost there, but get screwed up in some way.

For example, on their (his) first album, I loved "Here" and "Touched", but songs like "Temptation" and "Pretty When you Cry" start out great, but then fizzle, and get boring. Even on "Touched" he hits this key that just seems off, and it almost ruins it for me (does anyone know what I'm talking about?). The lyrics in general are pretty god awful, sounding like they were written by an uneducated, horny 14 year old ("Dirty Hole" is a blatant example)

On Music for People, "A Better Place" is simply incredible, and "Land of Shame" is pretty cool too. But "My TV and You" fizzles halfway (the chorus is so great, but he only sings it once), "Blue" has this awful cartoonish horn that ruins it for me, he hits a weird key again in "Song Without a Name", and "I don't have anything" isn't bad, but the amateurish lyrics don't work in such a sweet ballad.

So too with "Nude". "Thrown Away" is Crosby's greatest song ever. I can listen to it over and over again. "Turquise" is good too, but others are a bit boring. "Don't take your love away" is just too long, and other songs sound too much like songs I've heard on other albums. I suppose one reviewer put it well in writing that there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of artist growth with this album.

Conclusion: It is worth getting all of VAST's albums for the one or two songs that will blow you away on each album. But this is a band that when they put out a greatest hits album and you hear that, you won't be missing much by not hearing everything they ever wrote.

I too am like many of the other reviewers who have been fortunate enough to have accidentally stumbled upon John Crosby and his project, VAST. My opinion is a bit different than others here, but the end result is the same.

I picked up the debut first, and had mixed feelings. I loved the voice, and I loved most of the cd, however, the dream that I had read about was not quite fulfilled. While I absolutely loved several songs, others left me wanting.

My next step was to pick up Music For People. This disc was a bit more straight forward rock. It still had the chanting and the acoustic guitar from a master like Crosby was well in tact. This disc had more of a radio friendly sound, perhaps it simply was not quite as obscure, as some of the debut was (not that obscure is bad.....not at all). This made me look again at the debut. The debut was much better after listening to Music For People.

Next, on to NUDE. The opening track, Turquoise....stunning. Next up is Thrown Away. Breath taking, stunning, epic, grand, enchanting, cosmic, in a nuttshell,,,,,,,special. The rest of the album is simply awesome. Crosby's voice, his strumming, his poetry......all of it, simply put......this is an epic adventure.
Once again this made me re-think the debut. Upon a current listen (May 21, 2006), this too is an amazing cd.

Truthfully, it is hard to pinpoint a "best" record. I enjoy them all for different reasons, and each one fits a different mood. All of the discs favor the more mundane and meloncholy side of life, but there is a JOY weaved in with the moodiness.

Be warned however. None of the discs that I have purchased have contained a parental advisory lable. Each cd does contain the "F" word.....be it once or a mere handful of times. It is usually limited to a single song, but it is there. The debut has it in one song but it is repeated four times in one stanza (the shame being that it is not necessary and it is in a great, great song).

As far as comparisons go, here too is where I vere to the left of normal. While there are definately industrial elements to some of the newer material, the samples, strings, and acoustic elements are always there. John Crosby reminds me a lot of Travis Meeks, from Days of the New (both tend to make records by themselves). The second record from DOTN, the GREEN album especially have strong ties to all of VAST's material. Travis and Crosby are two of the most talented musicians I have ever come across (which is saying something for a 36 year old fellow).

Do yourself a favor and look into John Crosby. If you are looking for something left of the fringe, music that is not top 40, and not american idol, but still music that is riveting and relevent, give this a try. I for one don't know how you can be disappointed.