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List Price: $37.98 | | Label: Toshiba EMI Japan
Salesrank: 259882
Released: September 17, 2007 |
| Our Price: $15.49 |
| Used Price: $7.95 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Drastic Fantastic Track Listing:
1. Little Favours
2. If Only
3. White Bird
4. Funnyman
5. Hold On
6. Hopeless
7. I Don't Want You Now
8. Saving My Face
9. Beauty of Uncertainty
10. Someday Soon
11. Paper Aeroplane
12. [CD-Rom Track]
Editorial Review:
Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall burst onto the public consciousness last year with her gritty debut album Eye to the Telescope, a provocative sonic mesh of heartfelt pop, rootsy, electric blues, and left-field alt-rock. Eye spawned three hit singles — the Grammy-Award nominated "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," "Suddenly I See," and "Other Side of the World" — all of which became omnipresent on radio, television, movies, and the Internet. Thanks to the multi-media exposure, Eye is certified platinum in the U.S., with worldwide sales exceeding 3.5 million copies.
Now Tunstall is readying her follow-up, entitled Drastic Fantastic, which will be released by Virgin Records on September 18th, 2007. It showcases the 31-year-old's growth as both a songwriter and musician on songs like the thumping "Hold On," the rollicking "Saving My Face," the jazz-inflected "Someday Soon," and the frisky pop gem "I Don’t Want You Now." "I wanted to be braver," Tunstall says of the album. "I wanted to push the musicality. You can't let previous success scare you away from moving on."
KT Tunstall Photos
More from KT Tunstall
Eye to the Telescope |
KT Tunstall Holiday Gift Pack [2 CDs, 1 DVD] |
KT Tunstall' s Acoustic Extravaganza |
Description of Drastic Fantastic:
Don't be put off by the cover photo on K.T. Tunstall's follow-up to the four-million selling Eye of the Telescope. Yes, it's startling to see her sporting Buck Rogers boots and wielding a glittery, oversized silver guitar. And what's up with the comic book images that make up the CD booklet? But if Tunstall is feeling a bit like her overnight success is something out of interplanetary fiction, the new graphic "positioning" doesn’t mean the Scottish singer-songwriter has gone full-blown, diva-fied pop-rock. Rather, she's built on the success of the euphorically catchy "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" to craft the bouncy kiss-off of "I Don't Want You Now," and the hypnotic beat of "Hold On," with its lyrical warning (shades of Bob Marley's "Judge Not") of karma and responsibility. The new repertoire, like her sensual, slightly slurred singing, is more authoritative, polished, and less bluesy and rough-edged as Eye…, despite a British urban influence. But Tunstall paves her continuum by again using producer Steve Osborne (U2, New Order, Happy Mondays), and with two songs she recorded for the first album--the driving pop-rock of the anti-plastic surgery anthem "Saving My Face" (with its irresistible "ooh-oohs" lifting the mood), and "Funnyman," a pop-alt-folk sonic blend that flirts with electronica. Best of all, Tunstall, who veers from playing a little electric lead guitar to ukulele on the album, is decidedly intent on reprising the spare framework of the songwriter. "White Bird," the most memorable of the four songs that spotlight her poetic, pensive side, amounts to a meditation ("Half of you is heavenly/Showing off your purity"). But whether meant as a metaphor or a literal descriptive paean, a la the romantic 19th-century poets, this melancholy, quiet song finds the 32-year-old musician more confident and on top of her craft than anything on her delicious debut. On the whole, then, this solid sophomore album isn't really such a "drastic" turn. But you just might agree with the second half of her title. --Alanna Nash
Drastic Fantastic Reviews:
What does the title of this album mean? 
2009-08-12 - I dont know and I dont give a hoot, but what I do know is that KT was no one hit album wonder. She is so creative I have to wonder what could she possibly have in store for us next. Seriously if you havent heard this album yet then it will be drastic fantastic when you do.
A Drastic And Fantastic Blend Of Styles. 
2009-02-26 - If there's one thing that caught my attention when I heard KT Tunstall for the first time in 2005 at Austin City Limits, it's that she's got it all...and I'm not talking about looks. Though she's got that covered also.
KT Tunstall is folk, rock, and pop blended carefully into a compilation of beautiful songs. She's deep and meaningful in certain songs, and light and whimsical in others. In any genre she proves to be a formidable presence and a committed artist. The harmonies, melodies, and lyrics are impressive and soothing to the soul.
Her sophomore album 'Drastic Fantastic' swims against the tide of a massively popular freshman album 'Eye To The Telescope' and is critically received and judged according to its past success. `Drastic Fantastic' is no carbon copy of its predecessor, nor is some drastic deviation. `Drastic Fantastic' is its own source of beauty, and why I give it five stars. You will love some songs more than others, certainly, but every song will reach out to you in some way or another and the album is worth the purchase in its entirety.
Songs from `Drastic Fantastic' may not be as widely imported and incorporated into every other television program's soundtrack, but it's only because it's far more personal. Put into different words, KT Tunstall wants to play her latest songs for you directly in your living room as opposed to on your television, and I welcome these new levels of intimacy to her music.
Song of Exceptional Merit: "Someday Soon"
Amazing Artist
2009-02-01 - I only recently discovered this Scot's talent.
KT has an amazing ability to connect with her audience.
She has a sound that is quiet unique and appealing across the spectrum.
I think "Drastic Fantastic" is awesome.
An easy listen, but plenty deep
2009-01-29 - What I like so much about this album is that you can have it on in the background and it's very enjoyable, but you can also sit and do nothing but listen to it and you will find plenty of depth to keep you riveted. The standouts for me are "White Bird," a beautiful soft guitar-picking reflection, "Hold On," an off- and upbeat danceable tune, and "Funnyman," a thought-provoking rocker.
Best of all for me, there was not a single song on this album that I didn't like. Eye to the Telescope, for me, firmly established her keen sense for putting the life around her into music and lyric. But this album is a little more "real" in that it's less poppy and more reflective. I also think this album has the potential for more hits.
Bottom line: you won't regret getting this album!
A Stunning Follow Up To Telescope
2008-12-02 - Drastic Fantastic is KT Tunstall's 2nd studio release. After the enormous success of Eye To The Telescope it would not have been surprising if Tunstall had released a 2nd CD that was somewhat less inspiring. Drastic Fantastic is a superb release and is better in many ways than her debut. Her influences are widely varied while she still has the ability to maintain a very original voice. In her songs one can hear influences including but not limited to; Sinead O'Connor, Amy Grant, Christina Amphlet(Divynyls) Debbie Harry and Blondie, The Cardigans, Nora Jones,and Rickie Lee Jones to name only the most obvious. This composite of influences demonstrates an artist of extraordinary gifts and depth, something very rare in todays "flavor of the month" pop music landscape.
My favorite tracks are the 2 folk numbers White Bird, and Someday Soon. White Bird evokes vintage Phoebe Snow and perhaps a bit of McCartney Lennon on 1968's White Album and Black Bird. Someday Soon is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and/or Rickie Lee Jones and is perhaps the best track on this excellent CD. The Rockers are also very well crafted and Little Favours is perhaps the shining example of these tunes as it reverts from a minor Key verse section to a major key chorus thus offering a nice contrast of tension and release. It is very reminiscent of songs from Sinead O'Connor's Lion and the Cobra cd released in 1988 though with a great deal less angst and anger. Hopeless is a 60's style Pop tune with a great hook and nice vocal vibrato from Tunstall.
There truly are no clunkers on this excellent CD and I would definately buy it if you haven't already. You will NOT be disappointed!
