| 1. Any Port in a Storm |
| 2. Goin' To Vegas |
| 3. It's Easy |
| 4. Hold On |
| 5. It's Always 4:20 Somewhere |
| 6. Crosses on Fire |
| 7. I'll Let Go |
| 8. Pull Me Through |
| 9. Tattooed |
| 10. My Way |
| 11. Fit To Be Tied |
| 12. You're So Damn Pretty |
| 13. Hold Back and Let it Go |
| 14. We Got High |
| 15. You're Never Alone |
Editorial Reviews
"four stars...a superb debut."
Product Description:
The Coyote Problem wire together elements of alt-country sadness, swamp rock swagger and singer-songwriter insight into this Americana feast of west coast style. Scoop Stevens of The San Diego City Beat says "this trio's second album covers broad ground stylistically, but does it well. Showcasing front man Peter Bolland's excellent songwriting that spans country to riff-rock to soaring pop, the album is deep in potential singles..."
Wire
Wire,The Coyote Problem,Long Road Records,Postmodern California alt-country rock...the best of the West Coast sound.
Average customer rating: |
The Silver Tree
Lisa Gerrard Manufacturer: High Wire Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000O78L32 Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
Tracks:
- In Exile
- Shadow Hunter
- Come Tenderness
- The Sea Whisperer
- Mirror Medusa
- Space Weaver
- Abwoon
- Serenity
- Towards The Tower
- Wandering Star
- Sword Of The Samurai
- Devotion
- The Valley Of The Moon
- Entry
Amazon.com
Few artists last long in the rarefied terrain occupied by singer Lisa Gerrard over the last quarter-century. She shares a passion with composers like Arvo Pärt in the unrelenting pursuit of the divine. In fact, Gerrard evokes Pärt a few times on The Silver Tree, her first non-collaborative solo release since The Mirror Pool in 1995. The Silver Tree is an album of ancient echoes, ghostly refrains, and hymns to the heavens. On "Abwoon," she intones the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic, orchestrating her own voice in choral harmonies that unfold beneath her like winds on waves. But "Spaceweaver" sends chills through the soul as Gerrard unlocks this peculiar nasal, back-of-the-throat snarl that she only adopts on such tracks, with a menacing blues groove that recalls "Meltdown" from her score to The Insider. You can hear much of Gerrard's soundtrack work mirrored here: "The Sea Whisperer" picks up at the spirit-affirming end of "Now We Are Free" from Gladiator. And I suspect that the 10-minute opus "Towards the Tower" might be her rejected overture for the film Constantine. With Ligeti-like voices, suspended glissando strings, and ominous percussion shifts, it certainly would work in the cinematic context of a supernatural thriller. The album has been available for half a year in Australia (worldwide via digital download), so as a bonus, the American release tacks on a bonus track, "Entry." Its thudding electronic drum loop and sketchy vocal makes for a disruptive exit. But until you get there, The Silver Tree is an embracing experience. Whether singing Aramaic, English, or that language of her imagination, Lisa Gerrard makes the most heavenly music heard on earth--and maybe beyond. --John DilibertoAlbum Description
The title of the album is "The Silver Tree", not Silver Tree.
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Endless Wire
The Who Manufacturer: Republic ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000IONLN6 Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Tracks:
- Fragments
- A Man In A Purple Dress
- Mike Post Theme
- In The Ether
- Black Widow's Eyes
- Two Thousand Years
- God Speaks, of Marty Robbins
- It's Not Enough
- You Stand By Me
- Sound Round
- Pick Up the Peace
- Unholy Trinity
- Trilby's Piano
- Endless Wire
- Fragments Of Fragments
- We Got A Hit
- They Make My Dream Come True
- Mirror Door
- Tea & Theatre
- We Got A Hit - Extended Version
- Endless Wire - Extended Version
Tracks:
- Intro
- Can't Explain
- Behind Blue Eyes
- Mike Post Theme
- Baba O'Riley
- Won't Get Fooled Again
Amazon.com
Nearly a quarter-century (and bassist John Entwistle) passed between what had been considered the Who's career-capping album, It's Hard, and this 19-song epic, which at its best has the band of two pining for the days of Who's Next. Built from the triumph of the mini-opera Wire & Glass EP (included here in its entirety), Endless Wire mixes metaphors of music, war, and religion, while showcasing Roger Daltrey's ageless vocal cords and Pete Townshend at his windmilling best. Launching with a "Baba O'Riley"-like synth break in "Fragments," Daltrey asks "Are we breathing out or breathing in?" and Townshend answers with a thrashing, crashing Gibson. When the volume is turned up, there are echoes of three decades ago. "It's Not Enough" and "Mike Post Theme" conjure images of Entwistle and Keith Moon--the latter song, with its quiet verse and thunderous chorus, recalls "Going Mobile" and longs for Moon to whack it into shape. But the linchpin remains Townshend's songwriting, whether he's questioning faith ("Man in a Purple Dress"), showing gratitude for support ("You Stand By Me"), or dreaming of entertaining immortals into eternity ("Out on an Endless Wire"). By the time it wraps up, Endless Wire tells two things. No, it does not rank with the band's best work. But yes, as long as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey walk the earth in tandem, the Who live on. --Scott Holter
More Who
The Who Sings My Generation |
A Quick One (Happy Jack) |
The Who Sell Out |
Tommy |
Live at Leeds |
Who's Next |
Quadrophenia |
The Kids Are Alright |
The Ultimate Collection |
Album Description
The Bonus DVD is 28:17 in length and features the following tracks:Mike Post Theme (from the new album Endless Wire)
And 4 classic hits: Won't Get Fooled Again Baba O Reily Behind Blue Eyes Who Are You
Customer Reviews:
Life Goes On.......2007-07-14
This incarnation of The Who is at once more mature, more vulnerable, and more thoughtful, but they can still rock. While Daltry's voice often sounds a little frayed (especially in live performances), he gets by adequately in the studio, and renders Townsend's songs with poignancy, power, and even a touch of sadness for things lost. Pete can still play a great guitar and his vocals are as good as ever. For me, as someone who is aging right along with them, it's heartening to find these guys still performing at such a high level.
Besides still being able to play and sing, Townsend also still writes great songs. My favorite is "We Got A Hit", an exuberant rocker that harks back to the band's top-twenty days. Other favorites include "Two Thousand Years", "God Speaks Of Marty Robbins", "Endless Wire" and "Tea And Theatre". Along the way, Pete rails against organized religion, waxes philosophical about music and the human condition, and mourns fallen comrades and the passage of time. He always has something meaningful to say and, here or there, he may even touch you personally. As someone with a few years behind me, I can't help but be moved by "Tea & Theatre". The Who hasn't been called "the thinking man's rock band" for no reason.
As one of the professional reviewers here wrote, ENDLESS WIRE isn't one of The Who's greatest albums. I agree, it isn't WHO'S NEXT, TOMMY, or LIVE AT LEEDS. It's pretty darn good, though, and well worth having. If you've enjoyed any of the music this band has recorded in the past, you gotta have this. For now, it is The Who's next. Let's hope there are more. It sounds like they still have some music left in them.
Maybe, had ENDLESS WIRE been released in the late '60's/early '70's, when there was a plethora of great groups putting out a steady stream of excellent new music (from the Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, CCR, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, CSN and sometimes Y, and Fleetwood Mac to the Byrds, Jethro Tull, Steppenwolf, Deep Purple, Allman Bros, Bad Company, Three Dog Night, the Mamas and the Papas, et al), it would be a four-star effort. Rock music was the coin of the realm in those days, and we were all rich. Such is no longer the case, however. Life goes on and times change. Based on the current rock landscape, ENDLESS WIRE is a rare blessing. It's worth six stars today. Unfortunately, five is all I have to give.
Disappointed.......2007-07-10
I can say with complete conviction, after anticipating a new Who studio album amid rumors for the last two decades, that I am no longer a Who fan. I simply did not like this.
Just because we age along with our favorite artists, doesn't mean we have to settle for something that is totally devoid of any 'punch'. This album lacked anything to keep me awake. Maybe that is why I have heard nothing from this album on the radio!
I may be middle aged, but I still need some music I can air guitar to. I can't picture Pete smashing his guitar on stage to anything from this CD.
OK but not great.......2007-07-08
It's good to know the boys still have it! .......2007-06-29
50/50.......2007-06-03
Mini-Opera tracks 10 to 21, Wire & Glass to me sounds like it's part of Townshends solo recordings. Only a few tracks I consider Who material like Sound Round, We Got A Hit, and Mirror Door.
Daltrey's vocals are good on the studio songs but when it came to the DVD Live At Lyon tracks his vocals on the classics cuts I take goes w/ age. He does a decent live version of Mike Post Theme that is catered more to his present day vocals.
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Continued Story/Hi, How Are You
Daniel Johnston Manufacturer: High Wire Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000GW8PYK Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Tracks:
- It's Over
- Ain't No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me
- The Dead Dog Laughing In The Cloud
- Funeral Home
- Her Blues
- Running Water Revisited
- I Saw Her Standing There
- Casper
- Ghost Of Our Love
- Fly Eye
- Etiquette
- A Walk In The Wind
- Dem Blues
- Girls
- Poor You
- Big Business Monkey
- Walking The Cow
- I Picture Myself With A Guitar
- Despair Came Knocking
- I Am A Baby (In My Universe)
- Nervous Love
- I'll Never Marry
- Get Yourself Together
- Running Water
- Desperate Man Blues
- Hey Joe
- She Called Pest Patrol
- Keep Punching Joe
- No More Pushing Joe Around
Customer Reviews:
I think I heard it in a movie once .......2007-06-14
It would be wrong to categorize my picks as "hot spots" because every thing on here is GREAT but I will share the ones that come to mind right now:
1 through 29.
"There is a star and a heaven" for Daniel Johnston.
Er, to clarify the other review...........2007-01-25
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Across A Wire: Live In New York City
The Counting Crows Manufacturer: Geffen Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000008USI Release Date: 1998-07-14 |
Tracks:
- Round Here
- Have You Seen Me Lately?
- Angels of the Silences
- Catapult
- Mr. Jones
- Rain King
- Mercury
- I'm Not Sleeping
- Anna Begins
- Chelsea
Tracks:
- Recovering the Satellites
- Angels of the Silences
- Rain King
- Sullivan Street
- Children In Bloom
- Have You Seen Me Lately?
- Raining In Baltimore
- Round Here
- Ghost Train
- A Murder of One
- A Long December
- Walkaways
Amazon.com
Too much too soon is the m.o. of so many bands who, thanks to the fleeting fame that accompanies music-video breakthroughs, are famous before their time and has-beens five minutes later. You could be excused for thinking that's the case with Counting Crows, darlings of both MTV and VH1, who here release a double concert CD after only two studio albums. But you'd be wrong. The set, an acoustic disc recorded for VH1's Storytellers and an electric one from MTV's Live from the 10 Spot, proves how well the oft-bootlegged Crows have earned their reputation as a smoking live band. It also shows how elastic their rambling and evocative songs can be, some of which appear on both discs but in vastly different arrangements. People may tire of vocalist Adam Duritz's perpetually-wounded-soldier-of-love act, but this is one band whose success was hard-won and is richly deserved. --Daniel DurchholzCustomer Reviews:
If you want the orginal recorded music by that instead!.......2007-06-23
Great live music from the Counting Crows.......2006-11-08
Best album of CC besides August and Everything After.......2006-08-24
I highly recommend this as a must have CD of Counting Crows. Two CDs, one is more acoustic than the other. My preference is for the second CD which is edgy and loud, long versions of songs I love. Sullivan Street, track 4 on CD#2 is awesome.
There are two versions of "Round Here" on this CD, one acoustic with only Adam and Dave. Both are fantastic.
I was at this show.......2006-08-05
Some of the details from each show.......2006-06-02
"VH1 Storytellers" was released as a promotional CD by Geffen Records prior to the release of this CD.
The VH1 set does not contain "A Long December", which appeared on the original broadcast, or "Omaha", "Good Luck", and "Walkaways", which were played but not broadcast.
"Round Here", "Mercury", and "Anna Begins" were not aired on VH1.
The MTV set does not contain "Goodnight Elizabeth", "Catapult", "Mr. Jones", "Omaha", and "Anna Begins", which appeared on the original broadcast, or "Wiseblood" and "Daylight Fading", which were played but not broadcast.
"Raining In Baltimore" and "Children In Bloom" were not aired on MTV.
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Welcome To My World
Daniel Johnston Manufacturer: High Wire Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000F1IPJ2 Release Date: 2006-04-18 |
Tracks:
- Peek A Boo
- Casper The Friendly Ghost
- Some Things Last A Long Time
- Walking The Cow
- I'm Nervous
- Man Obsessed
- Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances
- Never Before Never Again
- The Sun Shines Down On Me
- Chord Organ Blues
- Living Life
- Speeding Motorcycle
- True Love Will Find You In The End
- Never Relaxed
- Sorry Entertainer
- Ain't No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me
- Lennon Song
- Devil Town
- Laurie
- Story Of An Artist
- Funeral Home
Amazon.com
He is erratic, moody, adolescent, and unsettling, just as he is strikingly brilliant, and all depictions entwine on this collection that plucks from Daniel Johnston's most memorable work throughout a quarter-century of bare-bones recording. While his helium-pitched voice can often border on acquired taste territory, Johnston, who suffers from bipolar disorder, writes both gripping melodies and cutting, cunning lyrics--often about failed love, life's ambiguity and his passion for the Beatles and comic book heroes. Any Johnston follower might choose 21 different selections to represent such a catalog, but this package--culled mostly from his '80s songbook--is both symbolic and inclusive, including a pair of chord organ grinders that are among his most familiar: the childlike "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and the wistful "Speeding Motorcycle." Johnston's raw vulnerability shines most on "Never Before Never Again," on which he howls about a former girlfriend, and the fragmented and demented "Funeral Home," where he contemplates his last car ride (to the tune of Bruce Springsteen's "Cadillac Ranch"). Welcome to My World is ideal for any newcomers to Johnston's music, provided they are willing to peel away his torment and contemplate his true genius. --Scott HolterCustomer Reviews:
Perfect entry for the genius of Daniel.......2006-09-22
Perfect Companion for "The Devil and Daniel Johnston".......2006-05-16
Welcome to My World is sort of a greatest hits of his early work, mostly recorded on cheap tape machines and often given away to people on the street. Daniel bares his soul -- listening to his music is like awkwardly being trapped with a stranger you run into, obviously a little off center, who rattles on providing too much information about his innermost feelings. But no other artist I have heard captures the angst of adolescence quite as well as Daniel, and his sense of melody, his ability to convey complex feelings with the simplest language, is brilliant. Strange, moving, disturbing stuff, an emotional car wreck that you just can't look away from. If you like the off beat and stark emotional honesty in your music, check him out.
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Bird on a Wire
Toby Lightman Manufacturer: Lava ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000G1ALJI Release Date: 2006-07-25 |
Tracks:
- Don't Wake Me
- Don't Let Go
- Better
- Slipping
- Round & Round
- My Sweet Song
- Alone
- One Sure Thing
- Overflowing
- Weight of the World
- Holding Me Down
- I'd Be Lost
- Good Find
Album Description
There's a music biz truism that says an artist has her whole life to write her first album and six months to write her second. What that statement fails to take into account are maturation and inspiration--two elements present in abundance throughout Bird On A Wire, the surprising second album from New York-based writer/artist Toby Lightman. With 13 songs running the gamut from the Rufus-style funk-pop of "Slipping" to the moving lullaby "Better" and the modern-day torch song "Weight of the World", the album documents an uncommonly gifted young artist in the act of becoming fully herself.Customer Reviews:
Is she STILL being ignored?.......2007-07-04
What really drew me to Toby was not only the music but the edginess in her vocals. I was a little disappointed when I found that that edge isn't QUITE as prevalent on here as it was on Little Things (it's on MOST of the tracks instead of ALL of the tracks), it doesn't really matter because everything is pretty damn good. Also, it gives her a chance to show that she can do more things with her voice (see "Slippin'").
There are wonderful harmonious tracks to be found on here, especially "Don't Wake Me", but "Overflowing" isn't far behind. And if you're looking for smooth songs to mellow out to on the ride home, try "Good Find" or "My Sweet Song" on for size. There are also some tracks that are just plain funky, like "Don't Let Go", "Holding Me Down" and "Better" (which might be confusing if you don't REALLY pay attention to the lyrics). Another highlight is "Alone" (the song that inspired the album's title), but it's kind of unnecessary to have a second version of it at the end of the album; the only difference being a slightly slower tempo.
While Toby's voice may go a little off-key here and there, she still sculpted Bird on a Wire into a quality listen. I don't know why more people don't know about her yet, but if you want great music, it's still not too late to help her career take flight.
Anthony Rupert
Sweet & Soulful.......2007-06-13
Standouts for me include "Alone", "Weight of the World", "One Sure Thing" and "My Sweet Song"
Unexpectedly Surprised!.......2007-05-15
Good...but not amazing-more like 3 and 1/2.......2006-12-26
A delight to the ears.......2006-12-12
To those who criticize the lyrics of some songs, learn to occasionally enjoy simplicity, and everyday messages most anyone can relate to without using a hieroglyphics decoder. And don't forgot that sometimes hidden among simple words are deeper meanings - I feel that in Toby's voice. I think the album is gutsy, sexy and real. An awesome accomplishment and a beautiful follow-up to "Little Things".
If you get the chance to catch Toby live, do it. Once you see how she "feels" these songs you can only love them and her even more.
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Pink Flag
Wire Manufacturer: Pink Flag ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000ENC7KY Release Date: 2006-04-11 |
Tracks:
- Reuters
- Field Day for the Sundays
- Three Girl Rhumba
- Ex Lion Tamer
- Lowdown
- Start to Move
- Brazil
- It's So Obvious
- Surgeon's Girl
- Pink Flag
- Commercial
- Straight Line
- 106 Beats That
- Mr Suit
- Strange
- Fragile
- Mannequin
- Different to Me
- Champs
- Feeling Called Love
- 12 X U
- Options R [*]
Amazon.com
There are myriad details that illustrate why Wire's 1977 debut is bulletproof--or at least wildly compelling. There's the count of tracks--21 to be exact--the snare-cracked pulsing roll of "Reuters," which sports one of punk's greatest first lines: "Our own correspondent is sorry to tell of an uneasy time, that all is not well." There's the six songs that last under a minute (and at least that many more that last under a minute and a half), all of them urgently poised on Colin Newman's deadpan urgency--a laconic riposte to the shouting that in '77 was already central to punk. There's album closer "12XU," which Minor Threat would make anthemic in their short hardcore-forging career. Pink Flag was made after Wire had played a mere 15 gigs, honing their sound in the atelier of the Clash, Sex Pistols, Ramones, etc. without sounding a smidge like anyone else. Importantly, it's the band itself that got rights to remaster this flawless gem, in a cool gatefold digipak with a fascinating liner essay. That's something you don't see many punks do. --Andrew BartlettCustomer Reviews:
My Favorite LP of the 1970s Punk Era.......2007-05-06
Rock esctasy!.......2007-02-26
best late '70s punk album.......2007-01-09
a seminal band for a reason, and it all started with this album.......2006-04-16
Recorded in 1977, Pink Flag is an immaculately concise punk record, even as Wire recognized that punk was becoming a self-parody and willed themselves to develop through experimentation with structure, technology, and process. Pink Flag's 21 songs cover a mere 35 minutes, many of them clocking in around 90 seconds or "when they ran out of words" as bassist / vocalist Graham Lewis once quipped. Energetic and volatile, each of the songs on Pink Flag thrash through the repetoire of reductivist power-pop riffs as immediately catchy and aggressive as anything by the Damned, the Ramones, and the Sex Pistols. But even on their first album, Wire demonstrated an uncanny ability with chord changes and melodic shifts that by '70s standards were much artier than their punk bretheren. Of course, in the aftermath of math-rock's acrobatic twists and turns, Wire's Pink Flag hardly sounds unpredictable... but if it weren't for Wire would we really have Laddio Bollocko, for example? Probably not.
The album's opening track "Reuters" is an anxious introduction to Wire's provocation with lead vocalist Colin Newman over-annunciating a polemic against government's abuse of propaganda (sound familiar?) on top of an increasingly agitated metronomic blast of bass, twin guitar, and drums. Elsewhere near perfect pop songs develop out of the angular punk slashing, as heard on "Ex Liontamers" and "Mannequin." Wire ends the album with the monotone anthem "12 X U" which many have declared their "Anarchy In The UK." With a motorik rhythm punctured by concise punk riff, the track simultaneously decries homophobia and censorship with the song's entire lyrics "I saw you in the mag kissing the man / 1 2 X U!"
So yeah, Wire are a seminal band for a reason, and it all started with this album. If you don't have it, please do yourself a favor and buy this album. You won't regret it!
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RockPaperScissors
Michael Brook Manufacturer: big Helium Entertainment/Canadian Rational/High Wire Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000G1ALSE Release Date: 2006-07-25 |
Tracks:
- Strange Procession
- Want
- Doges
- Darker Room
- Rock Paper Scissors
- Tangerine
- Light Star
- Pond
- Silverized
- Pasadena (Pt. One)
- Pasadena (Pt. Two)
Amazon.com
It's been 14 years since Michael Brook did a proper solo album, Cobalt Blue, but that doesn't mean the guitarist has been absent from music. He's produced and performed on pop recordings by Julia Fordham and Jorane and made numerous albums for the Real World label, including signature releases by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Djivan Gasparyan, and Hukwe Zawose. He's also composed and performed on film scores and was part of Hans Zimmer's soundtrack posse, contributing notably to Black Hawk Down, among others. He throws all of that into his new album, RockPaperScissors, which could've been called RockPaperScissors and Whatever, as Brook slices up a career's worth of influences and drops them in one load--albeit an elegant one. Lebanese violinist Claude Chalhoub turns in a mournful duet with Brook on "Tangerine," singer Paul Buchanan shows up on the title track, and a Bulgarian choir turns up incongruously on a dreamy, '60s style guitar instrumental, "LightStar." There are King Crimson-like guitar grooves on "3 Doges," and on "Darker Room," a spoken-word sample of Richard Burton performing Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood," quoting the "Starless and bible-black" line that Crimson connoisseurs will note as the title to a one of their albums. Given Brooks's extensive work as a film composer and session artist, it makes sense that much of the disc has a cinematic quality, with many tracks featuring a full orchestra. Excepting Lisa Germano's haunting turn on "Want", the other two vocal tunes drag. Rather than honing a sound, as he did with Cobalt Blue, RockPaperScissors brims with too many ideas, as if Brook thought it might be another 14 years till his next album and he had to get it all out now. --John DilibertoCustomer Reviews:
Bold, Beautiful, Haunting.......2006-10-26
Wow........2006-08-09
Supposedly this new album is a slight departure from previous works, if other online reviews are to be believed, and if it is, it is a departure to beauty and lushiness and exquisite detail that is so very worth listening to.
sublime razors' edge.......2006-08-01
'Cobalt Blue' is still one of my all-time favorites and his collaborations with Nusret Fateh Ali Khan and Djivan Gasparyan are equally powerful and compelling offerings. All masterpieces.
Brook has such a unique way of structuring his compositions, and when coupled with his experimental sonic approach it's just breathtaking. So many unpredictable and engrossing sounds, but not in a self-important way. It is very mindful of the vast expressive sea in which he swims in.
Upon repeated listenings within the past few days, I have to say that that "RockPaperScissors" is very captivating and engaging. Though I also enjoyed it upon first listen, I somewhat agree with the other review below that it didn't fully sink in upon first listen. I'm glad it didn't. I usually find that the greatest work - music that penetrates deeply and lasts over time - usually has to possess this enigmatic quality. Michael Brook has captured it in spades.
I also read the critical review and see that person's point; the album at first is a bit wide in its scope. Yes, it is representative of Brooks' entire oeuvre, but in the best of ways. Even Brook describes it as a 'travelogue'. In the end, it absolutely adds up to much more than the sum of its parts, and thus, it is great art.
However, I don't believe that the particular reviewer who wrote that review allowed himself the pleasure of repeatedly listening to this sublime recording. There are many layers here, both sonically and vibrationally (if you know what I mean), which cannot possibly be absorbed in one or two surface listens. It is also important to be in the 'right' environment and headspace to openly receive this type of reverent music.
Having heard "RockPaperScissors" now seven or eight times I fully 'get it'. It truly is a masterpiece. In some ways better than other previous albums, but only time will tell.
Though I love the entire collection of songs, highlights for me are: "Strange Procession" is classic Brook, with abrupt changes in tempo and haunting guitar notes. "Doges" is a polished and primal ethno-trance sure to pull you into the jungle muse. The title track, "Rock Paper Scissors" even works for me; Buchanans' voice works perfectly with Brooks' sonic weave . "Light Star" perfectly builds into crescendos with the assistance of a surprising contrasted Bulgarian chorus. Again it totally works, very well I may add. "Silverized" is my favorite; it's just gorgeous and terribly beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Eno & Lanois' "Deep Blue Day" from "Apollo" soundtracks, which may simulataneously be the most inspiring and deeply sad song ever recorded.
I only hope we don't have to wait another 14 years for Brook to come out with another solo recording. He is far too gifted and amazing to just allow those he works with to take centerstage. Shine on Michael Brook! Thanks for all of your creative energy, it is very appreciated.
P.S. For those who may be interested, check out an interview NPR had with him on Sundays 'Weekend Edition' (July 30, 2006). Nice insight and very humbling indeed.
Really really beautiful.......2006-07-28
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Feast of Wire
Calexico Manufacturer: Quarter Stick ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000089CPF Release Date: 2003-02-18 |
Tracks:
- Sunken Waltz
- Quattro (World Drifts In)
- Stucco
- Black Heart
- Pepita
- Not Even Stevie Nicks...
- Close Behind
- Woven Birds
- The Book and the Canal
- Attack El Robot! Attack!
- Across The Wire
- Dub Latina
- Guero Canelo
- Whipping the Horse's Eyes
- Crumble
- No Doze
Amazon.com
Unlike the ever-experimenting Lambchop, to whom they are often compared, Calexico stick to their niche. Since Calexico don't spring as many stylistic surprises on us as the sprawling Nashville ensemble, their track record is also less erratic. While Feast of Wireis a bit quieter than its three full-length predecessors, it also fits neatly into an ever-impressive body of work. John Convertino and Joey Burns--the Tucson band's core--only confirm their status as folk storytellers, their songs as irreducibly American as Cormac McCarthy novels, and their trademark Southwestern, sun-baked Ennio Morricone sound continues to be ambitiously timeless. "Black Heart," for instance, begins like a Portishead outtake before swelling majestically. Even when they shuffle styles ("Close Behind" marries '60s western grace with assured melodic chops, and "Attack El Robot! Attack!" goes off in an almost Devo-like direction before smoothly segueing into the full-on mariachi extravaganza of "Across the Wire"), they retain an immediately identifiable personality. Calexico may not make headlines, but this album solidifies their standing as one of the most endearingly idiosyncratic bands on the American scene. --Elisabeth VincentelliAlbum Description
Calexico is Joey Burns and John Convertino of Giant Sand. Their fourth album is a masterpiece of beauty and diversity, with desert-rock guitar interplay to expansive noir-ish sweep to full-mariachi grandeur. 16 Tracks. Quarterstick. 2003.Customer Reviews:
Feast of Sounds.......2007-05-29
A few instrumentals throughout the album might slow some listeners down. But it won't stop most from enjoying this album. Quattro (World Drifts In) is probably my favorite track and is classic Calexico with a several horns for good measure. Close Behind plays like a folk song with visions of Love's Forever Changes (1967). And that album seems to be a great influence on Feast of Wire. The great thing is that Calexico really invents their own style and sound. They may resemble something else, but Feast of Wire is still their own. Above or below Garden Ruin, this album is one of Calexico's best.
Very Disappointing Effort From an EXCELLENT Band.......2007-05-09
Seriously one of the best shows I have ever seen. Then they did it again the next day on a huge stage at Jazz Fest!!!! The crowd was very into it.
So after debating (with myself) which of their discs to purchase, I chose "Feast of Wire"....
My companion and I were hoping to sort-of recreate their live shows with a cd for our road trip out of New Orleans, but were sorely disappointed.
This cd is boring overall and does not capture their live energy, which is their greatest asset. Also, there's too much synth-sounding "things" on this album....I was hoping for a more organic sound --- more like their live sound. Apparently all albums before this one are more what I was looking for!!
Complex, interesting, fun..........2006-03-18
Too many CDs (especially Pop music cr*p) sound like they took one song, and replayed the same tune over and over, substituting banal lyrics and calling it "art."
Guess what kids? THIS is art. Thoughtful lyrics, complex arrangements, and combinations of styles like Jazz, Country and Latin make this a superb CD.
hauntingly beautiful.......2006-03-10
Slow, boring, not my style.......2005-05-14
Average customer rating:
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Wire Waltz
The Last Town Chorus Manufacturer: Hacktone Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000MTDRBI Release Date: 2007-03-06 |
Tracks:
- Wire Waltz
- You
- Modern Love
- Caroline
- It's Not Over
- Understanding
- Boat
- Huntsville, 1989
- Wintering In Brooklyn
- Foreign Land
- Bonus Track 1
Amazon.com
On this second album by Megan Hickey's band, her nine originals are joined by a spare and emotive reworking of David Bowie's "Modern Love." It is built around her breathy but resonant vocals and her lap steel guitar, the minimal accompaniment (drums, bass, violin, guitar) judiciously utilized for an overall sound that feels old but sounds new. Her lap steel playing truly lends this release its most identifiable and idiosyncratic element. Hickey is capable of slashing density (as on "Caroline"), high and lonesome melodicism ("Boat"), and atmospheric sweeps ("Foreign Land"), but often moving from one approach to another within a given song, seamlessly altering or embellishing moods. She has also come up with songs that have a life of their own. One can imagine songs like "Wintering in Brooklyn" and "It's Not Over" being played by others. Self-produced and recorded, Megan Hickey has a fully formed sense of purpose and a willingness to push herself, not only making this album a powerful work, but raising expectations for anything she decides to do next. --David GreenbergerAlbum Description
The distorted cry of a lap-steel guitar slices through the Brooklyn night. A voice sings with aching sweetness and strength. Caressing melodies are barbed with stinging solors. This is the sound of The Last Town Chorus--the revolving ensemble led by singer/writer/lap-steel-guitarist Megan Hickey.Customer Reviews:
Pleasing, but lacks emotional range.......2007-05-18
A Must Have.......2007-05-12
1-2-3 1-2-3.......2007-05-04
I Love this record!.......2007-04-10
Now I want a lap-steel guitar too!.......2007-03-27
It's an album for listening to (a bunch of times) when you want to feel nostalgic and older, and better for it. Favorite tracks are her David Bowie cover, 'Wire Waltz,' 'I Want You,' and 'Huntsville.'
Music Album:
- With the North Carolina Ramblers and the Highlanders [Box set] [Original recording remastered]
- Won't Be Blue Anymore
- #1's: The Warner Brothers Years
- A Truly Western Experience
- Acoustic Traveller
- Acres of Heartache
- All Aboard the Blue Train [Extra tracks]
- All That I Am
- All the Hits & All New Love Songs [Import]
- American IV: The Man Comes Around
