A Lively Mind - Paul Oakenfold
A Lively Mind Image
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

  • Summary: 'A Lively Mind' is the second artist album for the veteran DJ, producer and remixer. Guest vocalists include actress Brittany Murphy, Pharrell Williams and Grandmaster Flash.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 9
  2. Negative: 3 out of 9
  1. Further illustrate[s] Oakenfold's sonic skills and celebrity contacts. [9 Jun 2006, p.139]
  2. Some serene, wide-angle numbers toward the end help a lot, making this safe album easier to recommend to the longtime trance addict.
  3. Instead of finding a different voice as a writer and producer of original material, Oakenfold seems trapped by dance-music genre conventions. [28 May 2006]
  4. Too many tracks meander aimlessly without finding the perfect beat.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 15 out of 18
  1. claud
    10
    exellent
  2. OwenW
    2
    There is nothing breathtaking or groundbreaking about house music anymore. There was nothing breathtaking or groundbreaking about house music 7 years ago, either. Comparing this record to "Kid A" is like comparing apples and rotten apples. If you're over the age of 25 and you're still listening to paul oakenfold records, its time to stop spending so much money on hair gel and move out of your moms house. Expand
  3. SimonB
    2
    Too lively for me, apparently. I don't know if Oakenfold developed an immunity to sharp treble. I don't know if he's got an immunity to taste in music. If he's got an immunity to making LYRICS in songs sound good... But he lacks so much stuff that making an album called "A Lively Mind" just makes it sound like a selling catchline. The album's real name being hidden somewhere within there. Possibly Oak, as to image the single-minded roads the songs take, save for Save the last Trance, which is half-decent. That doesn't solve anything, however. The opening track featuring the girl who Eminem screwed, then Ashton Kutcher, then whoever else... Was good on the first listen, then when I listened to it again, I found it stale and repetitive. Following songs just got irritating to the ear. Imagine being subjected to the droplet torture: Sitting down, unable to move, and there's a droplet of water falling down on your forehead constantly, without halt. Within the hour, you go MAD as every single droplet seems to hurt more than the other. This is what happens with this album, as each track sounds more painful than the other. And then Paul adds to the mayhem by saying something in one of his tracks. Well, saying something... He's looping saying something, which doesn't mean anything, because it's kind of like two robots unable to make a connection, constantly asking "What's up?": "Whassup Paul?" - "Hey Flash, Whassup?" I don't know if that's meant to show how LIVELY MINDED Paul is, but if that's the case, he fails pretty fucking hard. That, or the song was supposed to have full-time singing and ended up having none. I could go on but frankly, in a few words: Bad album, bad artist, bad mind. Expand
  4. BillyTheKid
    1
    You've got to be kidding me. This album is terrible. Just goes to show you how arrogance can blind anyone when attempting any project. 1/10

See all 18 User Reviews