All too often these instrumental guitar albums are simply vehicles for the musicians to flaunt their amazing technique. Melody is forgotten and we are treated to plodding instrumental virtuosity without rhyme or reason. These albums have their merit, but they sometimes fail to stand the test of time because they lack qualities that keep us coming back for more.

Buckethead is different. He's got reams of technique, sure, but he also writes great songs with infectious, fun melodies. Buckethead is a great musician, evidenced by challenging instrumental passages, and he also provides tons of variety in his playing, from the keen rockin' melodies in "Binge and Grab" to the fusion-injected "Robot Transmission" to the pretty, delicate and elegant ballad "I Love My Parents" (complete with string ensemble). Buckethead has a quirky sense of humor (in a good way) that is revealed to the listener through several weird skits interspersed among the album's nineteen tracks. It creates a wonderful, surreal musical journey that you aren't likely to grow tired of.

This is 73 minutes of great guitar music. Fans of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai will eat this up.

Buckethead is funny and fluid, with more than enough ideas to fill a whole CD.

But some of the songs don't work. Monologues interrupt (or are laid over) the music, distracting the listener. The final track, for example, has Buckethead playing a beautiful piece of music while someone describes construction of "Bucketheadland" out of the monorail window. It's okay the first time, and annoying after that.

Still, if you like Buckethead, you should get this one. If you haven't heard him before, start with Monsters & Robots, Electric Tears, and Colma.

what a great CD! theres a nice diversity to all the tracks. if you've never heard buckethead before, this is the best place to start.

1. Doomride - a brief exlpanation of buckethead followed by a chaotic spiral into hell, or so it sounds.

2. Welcome To Bucketheadland - probably my favorite track on the album. pretty straight up rockin' with a sweet solo at the end.

3. I Come In Peace - good bit of talking on this one. it kind of tells the story of a giant buckethead destroying tokyo in a godzilla like fashion.

4. Buckethead's Toy Store - sweet guitar riffs with little conversations going on from time to time.

5. Want Some Slaw? - unique guitar work with some neo classical Malmstein style riffs a little ways into it.

6. Warweb - quiet, dark sounding song. starts off with this little girl talking and goes into some violin/other string orchestral stuff.

7. Aquabot - some work with the vocator followed by more signature buckethead riffage, only with a little slower tempo than one like "Welcome to Bucketheadland"

8. Binge And Grab (Instrumental Version) - awsome, upbeat riffs somewhat reminscent of Rush. my second favorite of the album.

9. Pure Imagination - song from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on the Vocator.

10. Buckethead's Chamber Of Horrors - different clips of somewhat twisted voices and screams mixed with some music that could easily be the soundtrack on the ride to hell.

11. Onions Unleashed - pretty sweet guitar riffs mixed with Onions talking about his lifde as a scare crow mostly.

12. Chicken - just some noises with the vocator.

13. I Love My Parents - a slower, more peaceful song. buckethead really can speak through the guitar. not literally. you know what i mean.

14. Buckethead's TV Show - more buckethead riffage with some talking later on.

15. Robot Transmission - Buckethead plays less in the spotlight on this one. Bootsie Collins really shines on bass here. he played on some other songs here, but i forget which ones.

16. Pirate's Life For Me - buckethead takes the notes of the vocals for this one and plays them on guitar. pretty cool.

17. Post Office Buddy - kind of like trudging through thick mud. thats just what the main riff reminds me of. every couple times through he ends it with a really harmonious chord or two.

18. Star Wars - very good rendition of that classic star wars theme.

19. Last Train To Bucketheadland - somewhat repetitive guitar riff/drum beat play over these people reminiscing about their trip to Bucketheadland.

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Thank you for reading my review.

Out of all my Buckethead cds that I have in my collection this one is in my personal opinion one of his best. This is my favorite Buckethead album and can listen to it from start to finish. It is just very universal in reference to the styles and genres of musical themes found in this album. A lot of the other reviews(with all dues respect) are so wrong such as a few morons that said there is not that much superfast shredding here..wrong there is more than enough.

A lot of times people complain about the bad things of the album or they overhype the good qualities. I will try not to be biased on this review or any of my reviews for that matter. In my personal opinion this is one of Buckethead's best overall work(only a few other such as Population Override are better albums) and my personal favorite out of all his cds.

Just can not get enough of this album. For starters it has "Welcome to Bucketheadland", "Star Wars", "I love My Parents(beautiful)", and one of the best melodic rock instrumentals of all time in "Binge and Grag." Can arguably be stated that these four songs alone are one of this man's best efforts to date. Not to mentioned the other songs that also rock. ALso another thing people have tended to over look is the great voice pieces by Bootsy Collins, Bootsy Collin's Mom, onions, and punk legend Iggy Pop. As if that is not enough people also over look the drumming of Bigfoot who pounds the skins just as good as Bhead's other drumming associates Pinchface and Brain.

If you like instrumental rock you will eat, sleep, and S#$T this till you die. IF YOUR A GUITAR FAN and have not heard this album in it's entirety you fault that are doing your self a great disservice to your mind and soul.

If you own any Buckethead cd is has to be this one & "Population Override." SO my advice to you is:

GO BUY, BORROW, BEG, OR STEAL THIS ALBUM. A.S.A.P!

Cheers Mate! Cheers!

COKE08
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With "Colma" being a close second, Giant Robot is the best that Buckethead has ever done. I own all of his albums, and I have played this one the most frequently. His rendition of the classic StarWars theme is absolutly breath-taking. Nobody can do it like he can. Buckethead is indeed the guitar god of the next century.