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Once Upon a Time in the West is a well-written, well-recorded, mainstream rock record.
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It might be a little too airbrushed, arch and meticulous for some, but it's brilliant all the same, and, in the tradition of all great second albums, it could prove to be Hard-Fi's defining moment.
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While the songs aren't particularly complex and won't be to the taste of anyone after something challenging, the band impress with how easy they make straightforward songwriting look.
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Once Upon A Time In The West may lack the cultural resonance Archer so desperately craves, but it’s widescreen appeal makes most guitar bands sound like they’re on Super 8.
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To paraphrase Jarvis, you’ve got to wonder what exactly Hard-Fi are going to do for an encore--cos this is hardcore.
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MojoOnce Upon A Time In The West treads a similar path [as "Stars Of CCTV"], though this time Richard Archer and co have packed in more guitar wallop and catch-all harmonies. [Oct 2007, p.90]
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Q MagazineThere's an Everyman appeal to Once Upon A Time... that suggests a band on the verge. [Oct 2007, p.88]
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What it is overall, however, is a disappointment. A few sparkling moments of invention aside, much of this album is comfortably interchangeable with "Stars Of CCTV's" less inspired tracks.
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Although it's a little inferior to Stars of CCTV, Once Upon A Time In The West is a good album, make no mistake about that.
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Once Upon a Time in the West is not a bad album, just disappointing--the sound of a band refusing to play to their strengths.
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Under The RadarThe Brithish band takes its attention away from the variety and finds a moderate middle ground. This makes The West slightly generic and much more acceptable at the same time. [Fall 2007, p.79]
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Some of the tracks here are excellent and match the group’s earlier efforts, but a fair-sized chunk of the songs aren’t quite as good as what their debut offered, and these tracks certainly aren’t bolstered by the heavy arrangements and slick production given to them.
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Once Upon A Time is simply derivative, a rehash of the band itself.
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The aforementioned 'The King' is a string-laden lament on changing times and love in their small pocket of the world, and it's better than most of the songs that precede it. But it’s not enough to pull Once Upon A Time In The West out of it’s own lumpen mediocrity.
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An uneven sophomore album.
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Once Upon a Time in the West is pretty dull itself.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 28 out of 36
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Mixed: 1 out of 36
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Negative: 7 out of 36
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Mar 8, 2013
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TheSmokingCupcakeOct 19, 2007
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MegakraakSep 28, 2007