OH!

Amazon.com
Scolohofo. Behind this saw-toothed creation of a word are four exemplary players: John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland, and Al Foster. They've worked together over the decades in various combinations, but never together as a quartet. And, of course, they all have the letter o in the first syllable of their last names. After two tours (in 1999 and 2002), the four convened in New York City to record this, their debut. They are all well-developed composers, nicely causing this album to tip the scales at nearly 77 minutes. That’s the length of a double album, but the playing never bogs down, due to the richness of the writing and endless surprises in the performances. Holland's more elliptical melodic sensibilities are a fine counterpoint to Scofield's postbop, with Foster's "Bittersweet," and Lovano's "New Amsterdam" bringing in elements from blues to '60s avant garde. Remarkably, with writing as broad as that, this set holds together with the cohesive identity of a seasoned, unified combo. That’s a testament to their strength as players, each with a strong individual voice, but with the understanding of what's possible with sympathetic interplay. --David Greenberger

OH!,Scolohofo,Blue Note Records,Avant-Garde Jazz,Cool,Dance,Folk-Jazz,Free Funk,Free Jazz,Fusion,Jazz,Jazz Music,Jazz-Funk,Modal Music,Modern Creative,Pop,Post-Bop,Progressive Jazz

Average customer rating: Buy this dead or alive O Brother, Where Art Thou? MORE OF AN IMPULSE PURCHASE FOR ME A real cheer-me-up CD

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Various Artists - Soundtrack Manufacturer: Lost Highway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 2000s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Bluegrass | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Down from the Mountain: Live Concert Performances by the Artists & Musicians of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Appalachian Stomp: Bluegrass Classics Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live Lonely Runs Both Ways ASIN: B00004XQ83 Release Date: 2000-12-05

Tracks:

1. Po Lazarus - J. Carter & Prisoners
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McLintock
3. You Are My Sunshine - Norman Blake
4. Down In The River To Pray - Alison Krauss
5. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski
6. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues - Chris Thomas King
7. Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - Norman Blake
8. Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
9. I'll Fly Away - Gillian Welch & Alison Krauss
10. Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris
11. In The Highways - The Peasall Sisters
12. I Am Weary - The Cox Family
13. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - John Hartford
14. O Death - Ralph Stanley
15. In The Jailhouse Now - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Tim Blake Nelson
16. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (With band) - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski
17. Indian War Whoop (Instrumental) - John Hartford
18. Lonesome Valley - The Fairfield Four
19. Angel Band - The Stanley Brothers

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The best soundtracks are like movies for the ears, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? joins the likes of Saturday Night Fever and The Harder They Come as cinematic pinnacles of song. The music from the Coen brothers' Depression-era film taps into the source from which the purest strains of country, blues, bluegrass, folk, and gospel music flow. Producer T Bone Burnett enlists the voices of Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, and kindred spirits for performances of traditional material, in arrangements that are either a cappella or feature bare-bones accompaniment. Highlights range from the aching purity of Krauss's "Down to the River to Pray" to the plainspoken faith of the Whites' "Keep on the Sunny Side" to Stanley's chillingly plaintive "O Death." The album's spiritual centerpiece finds Krauss, Welch, and Harris harmonizing on "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby," a gospel lullaby that sounds like a chorus of Appalachian angels. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Buy this.......2007-07-23

This album is almost as good as the movie. A good purchase whether you like bluegrass or not.

dead or alive.......2007-07-21

This motion picture soundtrack brings grins all around because each of the tracks associates so instantly with a scene from the uproarious film it graced with fine folk music, in the process generating something of a musical renaissance for those drawn to the genre.

This is pure, early-twentieth-century, down-south Americana. It would be hard to find a more dignifying and elevating anthology of music to represent that slice of American history. This music is laced with humor and irony, putting the lie to the impression many people have that it's practitioners and their folk come from a benighted subculture between the coasts and in a chronological backwater.

Listen and love it.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?.......2007-05-28

My 1-year old grandson goes to sleep listening to some of the songs on the album, unless he is bouncing up and down to the faster numbers. I have therefore listened to the songs many, many times, and enjoy them every time. They are easy to listen to, to sing along with and to rock the baby with!

MORE OF AN IMPULSE PURCHASE FOR ME.......2007-05-26

I regretted buying this after listening to it once. I haven't listened to it since and that's about three months ago. Simply put, without the movie to provide a context, the music itself doesn't sell itself. There are four cuts of 'I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow", two by the same artists which goes a long way to proving my point. I haven't seen the movie in a few years and I'm sure there's a logical reason for the song being repeated in the soundtrack that many times, but I can't remember what it is. Sometimes I like roots music with clear acoustic instrumental sounds and soulful voices. But as for an introduction to this type of music for a general listener, this is not the CD to get. It's mostly for the already converted.

A real cheer-me-up CD.......2007-05-22

Couldn't feel bad while listening to this soundtrack - skipped over the serious stuff and just played "Happy"!!

Average customer rating: Prine and twang...... I guess I'm an "average people." A Disappointment ...and so sorry to say it John Prine Love Awfully corny

Standard Songs for Average People John Prine & Mac Wiseman Manufacturer: Oh Boy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: John Prine Live On Soundstage 1980 My Name Is Buddy Last of the Breed Stars in My Crown West ASIN: B000NVLJRO Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

1. Blue Eyed Elaine
2. Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Age
3. I Forgot To Remember To Forget
4. I Love You Because
5. Pistol Packin' Mama
6. Saginaw Michigan
7. Old Dogs, Children And Watermelon Wine
8. Old Cape Cod
9. Death Of Floyd Collins
10. The Blue Side Of Lonesome
11. In The Garden
12. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere
13. Old Rugged Cross
14. Where The Blue Of The Night

Amazon.com

Things don't get much schmaltzier than a Dobro played Hawaiian style, which is why it's fitting that Cowboy Jack Clement offers one up on "The Blue Side of Lonesome," Leon Payne's dated but charming classic--only one such excursion into blue-haired reminiscing on an album of over-the-top sentimentality. It was the legendary Clement who paired smart-ass folkie Prine and bluegrass totem Wiseman, but the singers themselves chose the repertoire, which reads like songs people of a certain age might pick on a dry drunk. The tunes range, believe it or not, from religious hymns to covers of Patti Page's 1957 hit "Old Cape Cod," Kris Kristofferson's underrated "Just the Other Side of Nowhere," and Tom T. Hall's "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine," with a little Elvis and Ernest Tubb thrown in for good measure. It's fitting that Prine and Wiseman revisit the Hall standard, since oddly, both singers vocally favor the Nashville storyteller from time to time. But one has to question their use of the Grand Ole Opry's Carol Lee Singers, who show up on several cuts and seem, well, just bizarre on a John Prine record, even as they evoke the lushly famous Nashville Sound of the 1960s. Suffice it to say, this is a quirky project, and if Prine's scratchy baritone and Wiseman's melodic tenor sometimes overlap to where you can't tell who's singing what, it doesn't much matter. You're listening to two new pals having what seems to be the time of their life. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews:

Prine and twang.............2007-07-03

I first caught the wind of the country & western direction in John Prine when I heard his earlier CD "In Spite of Ourselves." The Nashville influence has laid a noticable twang on his voice to the extent that the vocals are sometimes hardly recognizable as Mr. Prine. As mentioned in some of the other reviews, on my first listening, I also thought immediately of Tom T. Hall. For long time followers more accustomed to John's rebellious angles (and the wry title, at least, is pure Prine) this CD might be quite a shock. But I accept it as simply the mark of a mature artist stretching himself artistically, not "selling out" for the sake of sales to a mellower audience. My apologies for not commenting more about Mac, I am less familiar with his work but I assume that stylistically this is more in his comfort zone. His vocals bond nicely with John's and this is definitely equality in a duet. A nice relaxing work, accept it for what it is, not what you expect of John Prine.

I guess I'm an "average people.".......2007-06-27

I heard John Prine and Mac Wiseman on NPR one afternoon
and fell in love. Their song choices are wonderful.

A Disappointment ...and so sorry to say it.......2007-06-26

This was such a disappointment. I had looked forward to this for months, having admired Mac Wiseman for over fifty years, and Prine for thirty or so. But this just doesn't work.

The songs are such classics that each singer could do them well while singing by himslef. But there are just no strong emotional tugs from these "collaborations." Mac has done some great work singing with other bluegrass singers, and Prine has been terrific in his work with women singers ... but these two great men never seem to feed off one another. The feel suggests that these guys were not even singing together. I'll lay this away and go back to the many songs that I have by each that are so terrific.

John Prine Love.......2007-06-14

I don't think there is anything John Prine could do to diminish the love we feel for his music in our family. We think he might be America's poet, or one of them anyway. This CD is sweet and lovely and seems like two great guys sitting down playing and singing some nice tunes together and we all get to listen or sing along. "Standard songs for average people..." - the title says it all. Just a sweet ole time with John Prine and, in this case, with Mr. Wiseman, too. I gave this to my husband for our anniversary, along with the recently released John Prine DVD, and we are always just so grateful for great artists and John Prine is surely one.

Awfully corny.......2007-06-12

Sorry, love nearly all of JP's output but this is the worst I've ever heard, schmaltzy, corny, cringe-inducing, hurts me to say but it's the way I would see it. Bought it blind on the strength of all John's other stuff and regretted it immediately. If everyone else thinks it's great, maybe I can get my money back on ebay...

Average customer rating: great Just Textured, Feel-Good Tunes! Best Shins album Great album Indie Rock Right-Side-Up

Oh, Inverted World The Shins Manufacturer: Sub Pop ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Lo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Details The Crane Wife Garden State Plans Simple Things ASIN: B00005JSHW Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

1. Caring Is Creepy
2. One By One All Day
3. Weird Divide
4. Know Your Onion!
5. Girl Inform Me
6. New Slang
7. The Celibate Life
8. Girl On The Wing
9. Your Algebra
10. Pressed In A Book
11. The Past And Pending

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Something extraordinary is afoot in Albuquerque. The Shins' first big-time record, Oh, Inverted World, combines mysterious narratives with golden song structures, resulting in lavish and opulent indie pop. Touches of Neutral Milk Hotel's lyrical majesty and the nostalgic swirl of Echo and the Bunnymen abound. But the Shins' music--rich with acoustic guitars, flickering rhythms, and Casio-tone keyboards--is distinct and peculiar. Worry mixes with abstraction throughout, and while James Mercer sings, "You led no celibate life / No skirt while chemicals danced on your head / You stole the keys to this ride / And your fables are falling tonight," you may wonder if he's been routing through your fondest, most troubling memories. This vital album is easily among 2001's most distinguished recordings and one of the best Sub Pop releases to date. --Thom Arno

Album Description

Hailing from Albuquerque, NM, The Shins sprung from the ashes of Flake/Flakemusic in 1997 (though those previous incarnations date back nearly a decade) - same members, different instruments, different approach. Counterpoint guitars have given way to a single guitar pitted against calculated keyboard passages; swarming indie rock machinations led to pop-based melodic endeavors.

Customer Reviews:

great.......2007-06-27

This is a really good cd. I was a bit nervous as I first came across The Shins in the movie Garden State. I loved the two songs that they had on there and was glad to hear they were both on this cd, though I was a bit nervous that the rest of the cd might not have been as good. However, this cd doesn't fail to disappoint. Among these great songs are; Caring is Creepy, Girl Inform Me, Know your Onion!, New Slang, One By One Day by Day, and Pressed In A Book. The others are good too.

Just Textured, Feel-Good Tunes!.......2007-06-08

The Shins "Oh, Inverted World" is a whopping debut of great tunes tinged with a subtle ingredient of the south, particularly in "One By One All Day". "Caring is Creepy", "Know Your Onion", "Girl Inform Me", "New Slang", and "The Past and the Pending" are just the highlights of this rollicking-good album. It is simply produced with catchy tunes that will stay with you for a good time.

Best Shins album.......2007-05-17

This album was one of the better albums I've heard in a long time. I think its listenable from beginning to end, and it probably should be a classic to music lovers for years to come.

-JR

Great album.......2007-03-09

I am always in a mood to listen to the Shins. They have digested and combined all the different genres of contemporary music and the product is larger than its parts. I have all their albums and I don't know which one I like best.

Indie Rock Right-Side-Up.......2007-02-15

Debuting in the summer of 2001, this album propped the bar up higher for craftsmen (and coattail-happy riders) of indie rock everywhere. From their deceptively simple structuralism to their mind-bending, almost mythical lyrics, The Shins gave lovers of the genre everywhere a good reason to let out a sigh of relief.

Like all great artists (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Brians Wilson and Eno, to name just a few), there are hints of other influences in this record (in fact, the last two in my parenthetical above are arguably in that list). These influences come in the form of hints and hums, though, and don't overshadow the delicate beauty of the rest of the record. They give it shape and shadow, but the warm, tender heart of the album belongs exclusively to Mr. Mercer, et. al.

Emotional ("Caring is Creepy"), skippingly-playful ("Know Your Onion!"), tender and evocative ("The Past and Pending"), and unabashedly poppy ("Girl Inform Me"), this album spans the spectrum of creativity, and does it with a talent and panache that seems rarer and rarer these days. The Shins mix simple (but gorgeous) chord progressions with airy brass, unobtrusive tambourine and harmonica, and well-blended electronica into something that is almost achingly fun to experience. It would be wrong to say they've turned the world of indie rock upside down, but it's true they've shone light on a new and darker part of it, a part that's worth visiting for a long, long time.

Average customer rating: Okalahoma MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best! Wonderful Beauiful

Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack) Jay Blackton , Charlotte Greenwood , Shirley Jones , Gene Nelson , Gloria Grahame , Rod Steiger , James Whitmore , and Gordon MacRae Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack) The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack) Carousel (1956 Film Soundtrack) The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack) My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack) ASIN: B00005A7XB Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

1. Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
2. Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
3. Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
4. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
5. Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
6. Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
7. I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
8. Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
9. Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
10. People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
11. Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
12. Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
13. Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
14. Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
15. The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
16. The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
17. All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
18. All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
19. People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
20. Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
21. Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
22. Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Customer Reviews:

Okalahoma.......2007-07-17

Very good quality reproduction, and enjoyable to listen to the full length movie soundtrack again.

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16

The film adaptation of Oklahoma heralded a technological breakthrough in widescreen cinema just as the original stage musical ushered in the integrated book musical. As such this film adaptation was treated as a special occasion, well-supervised by the creators themselves. The soundtrack, featured here, boasts sterling performances from MacRae and Jones making the most of their portrayals of Curly and Laurey, backed by a charismatic cast and superb orchestrations. And of course let's not forget the enveloping stereo sound that holds up well even today.

Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.

This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.

In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06

I have the original Broadway version, but prefer this movie selection.
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!

Wonderful.......2007-01-30

A great way to introduce oneself to the world of the nearly extinct Hollywood musical.

Beauiful.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!

Average customer rating: Not what I expected at all. Praise be to God grew into one of the best Switchfoot's best CD yet! Great CD and...

Oh! Gravity. Switchfoot Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Alternative | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Five Score and Seven Years Ago Go Portable Sounds Comatose Nothing Is Sound ASIN: B000KC6T0S Release Date: 2006-12-26

Tracks:

1. Oh! Gravity.
2. American Dream
3. Dirty Second Hands
4. Awakening
5. Circles
6. Amateur Lovers
7. Faust, Midas, And Myself
8. Head Over Heels (In This Life)
9. Yesterdays
10. Burn Out Bright
11. 4:12
12. Let Your Love Be Strong

Amazon.com

With Oh! Gravity, the San Diego-based modern rock act delivers their best album in years, one that fully reconciles their (Christian) faith with their (considerable) talent. It's diverse but not overly so, and while the production work of veteran Tim Palmer (U2, Tears for Fears) helps provide a radio-friendly sheen atop everything, it's actually their least compromised/mainstream sounding record since the group left the indie scene. From the chiming, revved-up, anthemic title song, which pairs compressed vocals with distorted guitars, to the moody and mildly schizophrenic single "Dirty Second Hands," this album is loud and dirty, the lyrics are thoughtful and plaintive. Lead singer/songwriter Jon Foreman clearly questions the meaning of the band's success, and the role they play in the scheme of things: "Like a puppet on a monetary string/Maybe we've been caught singing/Red, white, blue, and green/But that ain't my American dream." If only Switchfoot's conscience could be implanted in the bodies of other modern rock acts! The world might not necessarily be a better place, but the radio certainly would be. --Mike McGonigal

Switchfoot Pics

More from Switchfoot

The Beautiful Letdown	Nothing Is Sound	New Way to Be Human
The Legend of Chin	The Early Years: 1997-2000	Switchfoot--Live in San Diego (DVD)

Description

Oh! Gravity, the highly anticipated sixth album from the San Diego rock band Switchfoot, contains 12 new tracks written by the band and produced by Tim Palmer (Tin Machine, Pearl Jam, The Cure, Mother Love Bone, U2) and Switchfoot with Grammy-winning executive producer Steve Lillywhite. The new album expands Switchfoot's sonic palette while at the same time dealing with certain social issues. On songs like "Dirty Second Hands," Jon Foreman sings of the dehumanization that comes with technology. Other politically motivated tracks include "Oh! Gravity." the title track's generational appeal for love, peace and understanding, "American Dream," with its biting truth, "Awakening," about trying to recover the innocence of a child in the midst of an ever-harsher reality, the sawing alt-country of "Head Over Heels," the exotic instrumentation and Middle Easternflavor of "Circles," the REM-esque pulse of "4:12," the lush Brit-pop melodies of "Yesterdays," the Echo and the Bunnymen/Smiths influenced "Burn Out Bright" and Motown sound of "Amateur Lovers."

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected at all........2007-07-24

I should've just realized this wasn't meant to be purchased after I heard the samples right here at amazon. I heard a couple of sounds that I liked and decided that I should give this a chance anyway. And besides, it was Switchfoot - could they do wrong? Yes, they could. And they did!

A lot of this CD just sounds like disorganized noise and it seems as though John, the singer of the band, screams just to scream in one of these songs and you skip that song. Every time.

The best 3 songs are actually pretty decent and they are:

Awakening
Circles
Let Your Love Be Strong

But the rest ranges from OK, but not really great to unlistenable.

Honestly, I was highly disappointed with this CD and didn't think it could be this bad. I'll definitely be selling my copy some time soon. Some people could probably get into this, but I just couldn't.

I wonder if anyone else felt the same? These songs just aren't very memorable for the most part.

I almost forgot - this CD has some nice, artistically-thought-out artwork but that's where it ends.

I definitely won't be recommending this to anyone. Maybe I shouldn't even bother with Nothing Is Sound...

Praise be to God.......2007-07-05

This cd is one a chritian can listen to i believe.

There are a few connotations to Christianity but not cleary stated in every song.

He sings about the largest current issue in the US, the war.
Also there is a song about a dream he has and turns gold. It was a story that I really enjoyed.

I wish i could see them perform.

It has a fun lyrical tone. And serious.

This was not a waste of money now.

grew into one of the best.......2007-06-15

I was introduced to Switchfoot with their excellent album 'The Beautiful Letdown'. Like a lot of people I have rated their subsequent albums on how well they mimic TBL.
And so I initially was quite disappointed with this album. But after some months I think it is one of their best. It is harder music, but still very tight and thoughtful. I encourage people to listen to it not as a 'Switchfoot' album, but as an album. In that light, it is excellent and speaks very well of Switchfoot's ability to write excellent music that is not easy to pidgeonhole.

Switchfoot's best CD yet!.......2007-06-15

I've always enjoyed Switchfoot as a band, yet in the past, every CD of theirs had at least one or two songs that I really loved, some that I was okay with, and a few that I tended to skip over. This has to be the first CD by Switchfoot that is great from start to finish! They were close to hitting a home run with "Nothing is Sound," but they weren't quite there yet. "Oh! Gravity" is right on the money. Switchfoot adds to their edgier material from their previous release, giving their songs even more depth and maturity. At the same time, some songs, such as 4:12 and Secondhand Lovers, bring back fond memories of their first release, "Legend of Chin." "Singability" is at an all-time high--songs like the title track, American Dream, and Head Over Heals have great choruses that you can't help but sing along with. As owner of all their previous work, I can honestly say that this is the best investment in Switchfoot material that I've made in years.

Great CD and..........2007-06-05

...through June 26, 2007 there's a FREE bonus track to download, "Revenge"! (There's an insert with the CD that has instructions on how to download it).

Anyway, the music on the CD is great. Switchfoot is always a great band to listen to. My favorite songs are the title track and "Awakening".

Average customer rating: RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007 Brava Sills! Sills fits my bill The Great American Soprano My Favorite Woman

The Great Recordings Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sills, Beverly | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Rossini, Gioacchino | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Beverly Sills Art of Beverly Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Beverly Sills: Made in America ASIN: B0001Y4JG6 Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. Son Vergin Vezzosa - Paul Plishka
2. Eccomi... Oh! Quante Volte
3. Mira, O Norma
4. Santo Di Patria... Allor Che I Forti Corrono... Da Te Questo
5. Contro Un Cor Che Accende Amore - Nicolai Gedda
6. Che M'apporti? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
7. Quel Sangue Versato Al Cielo S'innalza - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. Vorrei Spiegarvi, Oh Dio, K.418
9. Amor, Op.68 No.5

Tracks:

1. Martern Aller Arten
2. E Strano! E Strano!
3. Ah, Fors'e Lui
4. Follie! Follie!
5. Sempre Libera
6. Ces Murs Silencieux - Pardonnez-moi, Dieu De Toute Puissance - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
7. Toi! Vous! - Oui! Je Fus Cruelle Et Coupable! - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. N'est-ce Plus Ma Main? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
9. Robert, Toi Que J'aime
10. Tu Ne Chanteras Plus?
11. Chere Enfant Que J'appele
12. Meine, Lippen, Die Kusen So Heiss
13. Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
14. Always Through The Changing

Customer Reviews:

RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007.......2007-07-03

The great American diva's passing was announced today.

This wonderful CD set is a perfect compilation of her art as can be found anywhere. Her finest roles and performances are captured here, most of them derived from the Westminster/Audio Treasury recordings from her prime. Listening to them again demonstrates to me why she was so special, and such an inspiration to music lovers everywhere.

Brava Sills!.......2007-02-02

A very nice compilation of Sillsiana. The different cuts on this CD provide a nice illustration of her work. Let me briefly describe my response to a sampling of the works on this CD:

Bellini, I Puritani, "Son vergin vezzosa." Wonderful. Sutherland owns this--but so does Beverly Sills. Contemporary sopranos such as Netrebko and Gruberova have also sung this on their respective CDs, and while their product is nice, it simply does not compare. Sills is remarkably agile with her voice; the trills are well done; she cleanly hits high notes; the overall effect can only be described as wonderful.

Bellini, Norma, "Mira, o Norma". This is smoothly sung and very melodic. The technique that she exhibits does not overwhelm the music.

Rosini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, "Contro un cor che accende amore." Again, her agile voice is well deployed. The florid singing is well done.

Donizetti, Roberto Devereaux, "Che m'apporti." Her clean, light voice matches well with this aria. Smoothly sung. Her "Quel sangue versato al cielo s'innalza," which follows, is well done. High notes cleanly hit, a smooth line.

Verdi, La Traviata, "E strano. . . .Sempre libera." Again, what agility! In "Sempre libera," she reveals a rich voice and, again, wonderful agility. This is an animated version of one of Verdi's showcase pieces.

Lehar, Giudetta. "Meine Lippen." A lot of fun! This is smoothly sung.

In the final analysis, this is a nice potpourri of Beverly Sills' repertoire. Those not familiar with her work will find this a nice entree to her oeuvre; those familiar with her will find this a good compilation.

Sills fits my bill.......2006-03-13

This recording is another in an all too small CD collection of Sills recordings. I eagerly await more.

The Great American Soprano.......2005-10-01

This is a great collecition featuring arias from the Classical and Romantic periods. Fabulous!!!!!

My Favorite Woman.......2005-08-05

I would have to say that when I first heard Beverly Sills sing, I was entranced. I couldn't take my eyes off of her and I became angry at any rustling around me, because I was afraid I would miss one note. It was so addictive....that is what she is....addictive! A c.d. will never properly capture her style. She is an amazing leader in opera, taking it into a new frontier and I believe this c.d. showcases that.

Average customer rating: A little disappointed His Best Yet My oh my, We make a lot of Love! This is the BEST! Makes me remember why I love Harry! Would give it more than 5 stars if I could!

Oh, My Nola Harry Connick Jr. Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music New Orleans Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Chanson du Vieux Carre Not Too Late Freedom's Road Duets: An American Classic Call Me Irresponsible ASIN: B000I2KNU2 Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

1. Working In A Coal Mine
2. Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey ?
3. Something You Got
4. Let Them Talk
5. Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
6. Careless Love
7. All These People (Original Recording)
8. Yes We Can
9. Someday
10. Oh , My Nola - (Original Recording)
11. Elijah Rock
12. Sheik of Araby
13. Lazy Bones
14. We Make A Lot Of Love - (Original Recording)
15. Hello Dolly
16. Do Dat Thing - (Original Recording)

Amazon.com

Fresh off his Broadway stint in The Pajama Game, Harry Connick went back to his New Orleans roots and recorded a pair of albums in tribute to his hometown. Released the same day as the similarly themed but mostly instrumental Chanson du Vieux Carré, Oh, My Nola is a loose, effortlessly swinging album that ranks among Connick's best. He traces New Orleans' prodigious musical legacy with well-chosen covers peppered with some originals. Though he wrote only four tracks, at least one of them, "All These People," is a stand-out--a mid-tempo elegy about the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with a strong contribution from gospel great Kim Burrell. When it comes to the covers, Connick chose tracks that either originated in New Orleans or found particular resonance there. The funky, exuberant take on Allen Toussaint's classic "Working in a Coal Mine" that opens the CD reflects the flavor of things to come, but even more fun are the seemingly left-field picks--you'll never think of "Hello Dolly" the same way after listening to the version found here. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Amazon.com

Having grown up in New Orleans, Harry Connick, Jr. is an iconic product of a city famous for its rich musical history. His new release, Oh, my Nola, is the endearing ode to the rebirth of his hometown and the bright spirit of her people. The album is an impressive collection of classic songs associated with the city and her culture, and also features four original compositions. Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Harry Connick, Jr. proudly sponsor the New Orleans Habitat Musicians Village. For more information, visit http://www.habitat-nola.org/projects/musicians_village.php.

More from Harry Connick, Jr.

When Harry Met Sally: Music From The Motion Picture	Come by Me	30
Only You	Harry On Broadway: Act 1	Chanson du Vieux Carre

Customer Reviews:

A little disappointed.......2007-07-17

Not as upbeat and sassy as many of his other discs, but still worth a listen.

His Best Yet.......2007-07-15

I love every track on this this CD. I admit to trepidation upon hearing his version of "Jambalaya" but I think I prefer his version.

One of the best songs on the track, IMHO, is "Elijah Rocks", a song I'd never heard before. Usually repeat this one before gpoing on to the next tune.

His versions of "Bill Bailey" & "Hello Dolly" are equally excellent. They don't sound like I remember them, they sound better.

Also, he is definitely the star here, but he allows his band mates to have their turn in the spotlight. It isn't all about him.

Knowing the history behind "All These People" makes it even more poignant. Another new fave song of mine.

I esp like the fast upbeat songs, but even slow numbers like "Careless Love" & "We make a Lot of Love" are excellent.

"Yes We Can" is another one I remembered well by the Pointer Sisters. The message is esp. timely today & I love his version of it.

To be honest, I didn't find a bad song on the entire CD & I think this is his best work yet.

My oh my, We make a lot of Love! This is the BEST! .......2007-07-11

I cannot stop playing: We Make A lot of Love, Someday, Sheik of Araby, Elijah Rock, Something You Got, never a dull moment on this CD. I am long time fan and I love this. Great arrangements, great band. He is in excellent voice and his chops on the piano! This is what makes me buy his stuff on sight. Thanks to very interesting liner notes which gives the listener insight to each track. It's funky, jazzy, bluesy and all together soulful. Check out his very interesting duet with gospel artist, Kim Burrell!

Makes me remember why I love Harry!.......2007-07-10

I haven't bought a new Harry Connick Jr. cd in a while. I saw this one looking up at me in a store and I just had to have it. I popped it in to play as soon as I reached the car. I was blown away by this cd. The rhythm and soulful singing really spoke to me. Absolutely wonderful music!

Would give it more than 5 stars if I could!.......2007-06-28

I am great big HCJ fan, have been since "We Are In Love". But this is by far my favourite. I hope they come for a tour in Malaysia again, saw them in 2005, it was a wonderful experience.

Average customer rating: The drama! Among Rasputina's best We Never Even Had A Nightmare Or A Beautiful Dream About This... Unlike Anything You've Ever Heard Before... You're showing every sign of losing your heart

Oh Perilous World Rasputina Manufacturer: Filthy Bonnet ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Perplexions Frustration Plantation A Radical Recital Cabin Fever Thanks for the Ether ASIN: B000QEILTM Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. 1816, The Year Without a Summer
2. Choose Me For Champion
3. Cage In a Cave
4. Incident In a Medical Clinic
5. Draconian Crackdown
6. Child Soldier Rebellion
7. Oh Bring Back the Egg Unbroken
8. Old Yellowcake Breaking News
9. In Old Yellowcake
10. We Stay Behind
11. A Retinue of Moons / The Infidel Is Me
12. The Pruning

Amazon.com

Oh Perilous World is the sixth release by Rasputina, a singularly inventive outfit led by Melora Creager. A cellist herself, she creates a frontline of multiple cellos. Eschewing the faux-classical shenanigans of the Electric Light Orchestra, she welds the instruments with sensibilities that evoke everyone from Van Dyke Parks to Tom Waits. The album opens with the lines "In the spring of 1315 there began an era of unpredictable weather. It did not lift until 1851. You remember 1816 as the year without a summer." The dozen songs address the set's title with a mix of journalism and poetry. Creager draws directly from the daily news, but rather than paddling about in simple reportage, she uses phrases and ideas as starting points for her rich and multifaceted results. She moves easily from ballads laced with dulcimers to spiky rockers sporting fuzzed cellos and propulsive drums. The arrangements, which sometimes include layered vocal choruses, utilize complexity with natural grace. --David Greenberger

Amazon.com

Oh Perilous World is the long awaited new studio album from chamber-rock trio Rasputina. Deciding current world events were more bizarre than anything from the distant past, Rasputina foundress Melora Creager culled words, phrases and whole stories from the Internet that especially intrigued her to create the lyrical inspiration for the album. Rasputina has built a loyal and committed following over six albums through their constant live recitals.

Customer Reviews:

The drama!.......2007-07-27

A great album if you are looking for a different kind of music. Rasputina is an acquired taste. If you are tired of brainless music as the only kind of music you hear than you will adore this album. Melora is a very intelligent woman who really has never gotten the fame she deserves. But, maybe that's why she is such an amazing artist? There is no ego here just music that makes your brain happy that you are finally giving it something besides mediocrity.

Among Rasputina's best.......2007-07-21

Like all the reviewers here, I'm a long time fan. I have to say that I had to warm up to this album. I did not think it was very good at first but am now glad that I spent the time to get to know it better.
As with all Rasputina albums, I think most listeners will enjoy about three quarters of the album, love two or three tracks especially, and absolutely hate two or three of the tracks.
The curious thing about Rasputina is that sometimes one can go from hating one of the songs to loving it (I just did that with "Incident in a Medical Clinic.")
Melora continues here to expand her vocal repertoire. Melora shifts from saccharine crooner to carny caller to slide guitar blues singer to vaudeville singer. Some of the songs also switch personalties with such abandon that at times I was reminded of the work of Raymond Scott.
Yes definitely get the bonus CD.

We Never Even Had A Nightmare Or A Beautiful Dream About This..........2007-07-16

Oh Perilous World, Rasputina's fifth original CD release, brilliantly blends current world events with their classic historical style, all fused together with cellos, drums, and haunting vocals.

This album, like most of their previous efforts, is a concept album, following this storyline: Mary Todd Lincoln is Queen of Florida, and her blimp armies have attacked Pitcairn Island, where Fletcher Christian's son Thursday ("played" by drummer Jonathan TeBeest) emerges as a resistance icon.

Melora Creager (the brains behind Rasputina) "wrote the songs featured on Oh Perilous World over the last two years after deciding current world events were more bizarre than anything she could scrounge up from the distant past." And indeed, subjects range from the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden. Hurricane Katrina, Avian Flu, and the like. Because the subjects are blended in with the concept theme, I don't feel they are presented in an in-your-face way.

"The songs were recorded primarily with cello and drums, but despite this simple palette Rasputina create a wide range of textures and effects, including what seems to be electric guitars and violins -- but is actually cunningly played and recorded cello."

My favorite songs are "1816, The Year Without a Summer"; "Draconian Crackdown"; "We Stay Behind"; and "The Infidel is Me."

IF YOU ARE A DEVOUT FAN, I recommend you buy the CD from their website, as you may still be able to get a copy of the limited edition, which has a bonus disc featuring three additional songs and six of their infamous skits. The bonus disc tracks are as follows:

1. The Question Of Time
2. Identity Tokens
3. The Humanized Mice
4. The Pruning (Pat O'Brian / Access Hollywood Mix)
5. Flood Corps
6. Incapable Of Regret
7. Desert Vampire
8. The Contractors
9. Infidel (Instrumental Demo)

I think the skit "The Pruning (Pat O'Brian / Access Hollywood Mix)" alone is worth the extra money, as it's a hilarious recording of (someone who sounds a lot like) Pat O'Brian speaking the lyrics of the song over the music. It's truly funny!

All in all, these girls are my favourite band in the world, and Melora's addition of Sarah Bowman on second chair only reinforces that fact.

(All quotes are from Rasputina's website.)

Unlike Anything You've Ever Heard Before..........2007-07-10

...and I mean that in a good way. This album and this band are proof that the best music and most talented artists ARE NOT ON YOUR RADIO.

Let me add that I am not your typical Rasputina fan. I'm a blue-collar male who is pushing 40 and listens to artists like Tool, Chris Cornell, and the Beatie Boys. I happened upon a review for "Cabin Fever" in Blender Magazine and was intrigued by the promise of "Gothic Chamber Rock" and I bought the CD without ever having heard a note of music from Rasputina. I was blown away by that album and quickly bought up all their previous CDs. I've bought every subsequent release via pre-order because I'm that excited to hear what Melora has cooked up next.

This album is absolutely brilliant. I was worried when I listened to it the first time through because I didn't like it and every other Rasputina album hooked me instantly. By the third time through, I liked it and by the 5th time I thought this could be the best Rasputina album yet. I love every song on this album with the possible exception of track 10, "We Stay Behind".

I don't know that this would be the best CD for a Rasputina newbie. For that I would recommend "Cabin Fever".

Do a lesser known artist a favor and tell a friend about Rasputina. Most will be glad you did.

You're showing every sign of losing your heart.......2007-07-10

Gothic alt-rock played with cellos -- it sounds pretty horribly precious, doesn't it?

And it would be, if Rasputina weren't such great musicians, who could mingle tragic history stories with quirky chamberpop and classical instrumentation. And their latest album "Oh Perilous World" comfortably straddles the fence between rock and cabaret, and seems to be having fun while it does so.

It opens with a creepy, ominous cello melody, and Melora Creager's girlish voice telling us solemnly, "In the spring of 1315/There began an era of unpredictable weather/It did not lift until 1851/You remember 1816 as the year without a summer." It's a rambling, weird song about Freemasons, Ben Franklin, Frankenstein, volcanoes and other such subjects.

Things get even stranger with the quirky chamber-rocker that follows ("choose me to be your champion/I am possessing of a very righteous style!"), not to mention the string of melodies that follow: clashing cellopop, gothic balladry, a rapid-fire rocker, a tinkly pop song, rambling interludes, and the sweeping beauty of "Old Yellowcake" and the sly "A Retinue Of Moons/The Infidel Is Me."

Rasputina is one of those genrebusting bands -- they manage to keep themselves rooted in rock, pop, chamber music, and still sound like they live in a big old ruined Victorian house with some friendly ghosts and a lot of newspapers. They're a little bit of everything, and have kept their quirk.

Obviously the main instrument here is cello. Lots of cello. And Creager knows how to mold it to her purpose, whether it's a melodious sweep, an awkward twang, or urgent dark chords like an electric guitar. But to keep it from getting monotonous, there's some fuzzy guitar in "Draconian Crackdown" that takes over the song, as well as a gentle piano in the ballads, and a jingle of bells here and there.

Creager has a pretty, girlish voice, but she sings some pretty weird, sometimes gruesome songs about broken butterflies, blood-spattered lace curtains and the descendants of mutineers. Some are taken from actual history. And how can you ignore lyrics so quirky as to tell you that a reaper is inthe flowerbed? Or that "I have charisma and of course a winning smile/I stand accused of being an audacious redeemer/Not a charge I can deny."

Full of history and dark humor, "Oh Perilous World" is a pretty solid chamber-rock album that has its moments of excellence. Definitely worth hearing, if nothing else for its cello playing.

Average customer rating: Fair & Square One of John Prine's very best Great...Wonderful...One of His Best! John Prine Fair & Square Meat and potatoes songs from a meat and potatoes guy

Fair & Square John Prine Manufacturer: Oh Boy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Prairie Wind Magic Time All the Roadrunning Pay the Devil Souls Alike ASIN: B0007VROHE Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

1. Glory Of True Love
2. Crazy As A Loon
3. Long Monday
4. Taking A Walk
5. Some Humans Ain't Human
6. My Darlin' Hometown
7. Morning Train
8. The Moon Is Down
9. Clay Pigeons
10. She Is My Everything
11. I Hate It When That Happens To Me
12. Bear Creek Blues
13. Other Side Of Town
14. Safety Joe

Amazon.com

Good things come to those who wait. During John Prine's nine-year interval between albums of original material, fans who hailed his recovery from cancer wondered whether he'd ever return to full creative speed. Here, Prine puts doubts to rest with an album that ranks with the finest of an inspired career. The big heart of "Glory of True Love," the socially conscious bite of "Some Humans Ain't Human," the reflective grace of "Taking a Walk," the wry whimsy of "Crazy as a Loon"--the hallmarks of Prine's artistry are reaffirmed on Fair & Square. The album also reflects Prine's first attempt at producing himself, with the warmth of his rough-hewn vocals finding a comfortable fit among the organic, largely acoustic arrangements. Though Prine penned 12 of the 14 cuts (including two bonus tracks, one recorded in concert), a pair of covers prove revelatory: Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons" sounds like it could well be one of Prine's own (with a melody that recalls "Hello in There" and a lyric of renewal that sounds like personal testament), while A.P. Carter's "Bear Creek Blues" carries an electric charge as the traditional song rocks harder than anything else on the album. With a generous selection of close to an hour of music, the album stands as a creative triumph for Prine, a fully satisfying effort that rewards the patience of his loyal fans. Welcome back. --Don McLeese

Album Description

John Prine takes his own sweet time dancing with his muse -- and truly writes what's in his soul. So if it takes him a little longer to write the songs that capture moments and reveal the gently folded human truths that bind us all together. It's always worth the wait. Now, nearly nine years since the release of his Grammy-nominated Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, the iconic American writer has put the finishing touches on his latest offering, appropriately titled, Fair & Square. "It was just time," says Prine in his always understated way. "I had a bunch of songs. I'd started recording them, and it turns out, I liked them pretty well. So, now, I get to get them all just the way I like them - and then I get to let them go out to meet the world." With the occasional wheezing accordion, curlicue electric guitar parts, quick-wristed mandolins, billowing B-3 pads and puddles of pedal steel guitar, the rough-voiced singer/songwriter's first self-produced record is a homey affair that draws generously from the palette of traditional American music -- be it folk, bluegrass, shuffles, vintage rock & roll, torch, country -- for an amalgamation that would be at home on any Wurlitzer in a whiskey-soaked tavern with beer signs flickering from age and the walls stained deeper than sepia from the years of constant smoke.

With bluegrass queen Alison Krauss on the ode to his Irish refuge "My Darlin' Hometown", the street corner desolation of "The Moon Is Down" and alt-country princess Mindy Smith bringing allure and tartness to "Morning Train," "Long Monday" and the melted neon ponder of "Taking A Walk," Fair & Square is the work of a man at ease with his life, secure with his place in the world and willing to share the things that he sees. "It's been a while, so I'm pretty excited," Prine admits with that Oh Boy grin. "And that's a really good place to be."

Customer Reviews:

Fair & Square.......2007-07-23

I'm a John Prine fan I've been to one of his concerts and I think he's incredible. It's a great CD and I'm glad I bought it.

One of John Prine's very best.......2007-07-03

I am a long time fan of John Prine and was thrilled with this albumn, it may be his best yet?

Great...Wonderful...One of His Best!.......2007-06-13

Love this album! Can't get the tunes out of my head... if you love Lost Dogs, you'll love this one too! It was worth the wait!

John Prine Fair & Square.......2007-05-30

WOW!!!! What a fabulous CD. I bought two and gave one to my daughter. My favorite CD. Have copies in all 3 of my cars and on both computers.

Meat and potatoes songs from a meat and potatoes guy.......2007-04-07

A classic song doesn't belong to its creator. It's ours. We take it into our lives and use it for our purposes and sing it in the car or the shower --- we own it so completely we might as well have written and recorded it ourselves. "My favorite song." It's like that.

What are the elements of a classic song? No one can quite say. But some people seem to have the knack of not trying to write them --- and then rolling them out with frightening regularity. Like John Prine.

Prine was once a prodigy, the next savior of the music business. At a tender age, he was introduced to Kris Kristofferson, and the next thing he knew, Kristofferson had called him up on stage. Prince sang a few songs on a borrowed guitar. Kristofferson announced, "No way somebody this young can be writing so heavy. John Prine is so good, we may have to break his thumbs." The legendary producer, Jerry Wexler, was in the audience. The following day, he offered Prine a recording contract.

Prine is such a natural songwriter that on his first album he used two songs he wrote when he was fourteen. At 19, he wrote "Hello In There," a song about senior citizens that will bring audiences to tears until the end of time. For thirty years, he went his own way, pleasing himself and, in the process, delighting his loyal audience. And now, clearing 60, he has a CD that is studded with classics.

This CD is so satisfying, so easy to put on the machine and play all day, so damn comfortable that it almost seemed that Prine had intimate access to my head. It was like, "These are my songs. This is how I feel. So how did this guy in Nashville come to write and sing them?" That was when I decided that I wanted to talk to John Prine. That's usually a terrible idea --- in my experience, you do best never to meet your heroes. But this thing could be arranged, and, in short order, I discovered that the smart, laid-back, endlessly amused persona of John Prine on "Fair & Square" is very close to the actual person I was talking to. Here are the Greatest Hits of that conversation:

HB: Why do these songs sound so familiar

JP: Because this was the most comfortable I've ever been in the studio. I sang these songs in concert over the last 3 years. I knew they fit, I knew people liked them.

HB: "Hello In There" was an instant classic. Forty years later, can you bear to perform it?

JP: More than any other song, it gets stronger every day for me. I never tire of singing it. I don't know how I came up with such a pretty melody. It was an exercise --- to use every chord I had ever heard. I paid a guy five bucks to write it out so I could publish it. I couldn't believe it when he played it on piano

HB: Some of these new songs are so funny, do you laugh while you write them?

JP: I laugh at the funny lines --- hey, I laugh at even the serious stuff. When it's going well, I feel like I'm taking dictation. But I don't have hundreds of songs waiting --- you've heard them all.

HB: Do they come out in a rush?

JP: I type so slow I can edit as I write

HB: You say you're lazy. Do you feel guilty when you go for months and don't write?

JP: I 'm not Catholic, I'm not Jewish --- I can talk myself out of feeling guilty. Because it's easier to not write. I only love the songs I have to write. I trust a song like that --- a song straight from the gut. There are some really good songs that, if you don't write them down, someone else will.

HB: On "Fair & Square," there's a political song, "Some Humans Ain't Human" --- but it's mostly funny, with only one direct reference to the President.

JP: I always felt that way about protest and politics --- include it in your conversation instead of raving about it.

HB: How does that song go over in the red states?

JP: When I'm first singing about some issue, people change the subject. Later, it seems about right.

HB: What's your daily media intake?

JP: I hardly read at all. My wife reads three books at a time, but I read "Archie and Veronica" --- in the comic book form.

HB: Who do you listen to?

JP: I buy a lot of CDs, and I listen to them once. But Van [Morrison] or Bob [Dylan] or Merle [Haggard] --- I listen carefully to all of those.

HB: Taking care of yourself?

JP: I have a poor diet --- I'm a meat and potatoes guy. That has something to do with how I see things. There are no peas on my plate.

"No peas on my plate" is a throwaway line from a song John Prine will never write. No loss. The songs he wrote will do just fine. Not country. Not rock. Not folk. Just...songs. With no gimmicks. I guess if you write classics, that's good enough.

Average customer rating: The Dust Settles Just Fine Rejects? No, treasures Great as always.

Peace, Love and Anarchy Todd Snider Manufacturer: Oh Boy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Live With the Devil You Know-Grimey's 10-20-06 The Devil You Know The Devil You Know Standard Songs for Average People East Nashville Skyline ASIN: B000NIIURO Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

1. Nashville
2. Feel Like I'm Falling In Love
3. Missing You
4. Barbie Doll
5. Old Friend
6. Combover Blues
7. I Will Not Go Hungry
8. Stoney
9. Some Things Are
10. Deja Blues
11. Dinner Plans
12. Easy Nashville Skyline
13. From A Rooftop
14. Cheatham Street Warehouse

Amazon.com

After five years on John Prine's Oh Boy label, Snider joined New Door Records, leaving behind unreleased demo and studio material at Oh Boy. Many artists, unsure of the quality of their outtakes and demos, resist releasing them, as the Beatles did until the Anthology series. Luckily, Snider helped compile this one, a collection of material (including a haiku) as powerful as his finished work. Beginning with a wonderfully loose rendition of his original "Nashville," one hears Snider's renditions of tunes he cowrote that were later recorded and released by his cowriters, including "Barbie Doll" and "Feel Like I'm Falling in Love" (Jack Ingram) and "Deja Blues" (Billy Joe Shaver). "Combover Blues" offers his satirical view of middle age. Ironically, "East Nashville Skyline," an outstanding performance featuring pedal steel legend Lloyd Green, didn't appear on the Snider album that used the song's title. The entire compilation reflects the raw immediacy of a field recording. In fact, that's what's endearing about it. Sometimes, even alongside a great studio performance, an earlier version, rough edges and all, packs a punch all its own. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews:

The Dust Settles Just Fine.......2007-05-25

Normally when a package of this type of music comes together, it's usually when: A] an artist is deceased/dead, B] the record company is trying to milk the artist from an old record contract of product still owed or C] there isn't really anything for the artist to say anymore.

Thankfully, none of those are the case here. In fact, what Todd Snider says and sings here is simply, well, simple yet memorable. Not just the solor material, but the songs with help from Peter Holsapple [dbs], Jack "selling out" Ingram [okay, that wasn't nice], Keith Christopher [The Yayhoos], Craig Wright [Steve Earle], Tommy Womack [duh!]and more.

If this is Todd just dusting off his slew of one-takes and mishaps, then I want more. My favorite Todd Snider yet.

Rejects? No, treasures.......2007-04-08

Todd Snider's PEACE, LOVE AND ANARCHY is a collection of "rarities, b-sides, and demos" (Volume 1). Don't let that fool you...the songs you'll find in here could all have been put on Snider albums (hell, "Nashville" was, and others have been recorded by other artists). These are the kind of songs that just sit around and linger, until they get a record of their own; the result is a cohesive album that doesn't feel pieced together in the least bit.

A sarcastic version of "Nashville" (much more sarcastic than the version that appeared on EAST NASHVILLE SKYLINE) kicks off the album, which ends with the rockin' "Cheatham Street Warehouse." In between you'll find a whole slough of material that features Snider at his storytelling best. There are humorous pieces of course ("Combover Blues"), rockin' pieces ("Barbie Doll"), sad pieces ("Missing You"), thoughtful pieces ("East Nashville Skyline")...hell, there's even a haiku. The spoken-word "From a Rooftop" is a pure delight as well; not to mention the exquisite gospel number "I Will Not Go Hungry" and the Billy Joe Shaver co-write "Deja Blues." Let's face it--there's not a bad song on here. But that's Todd Snider for you.

The fact that most of these songs appear to have come from the EAST NASHVILLE SKYLINE project probably helps with the cohesion; not that this is a bad thing, because that album was arguably one of Snider's best. Really, none of the tracks stands out from the other, which is the way you want it to be. This is simply another great album in a long line of great albums from the incomparable Todd Snider. Let's hope there's a Volume 2 somewhere down the line.

Great as always........2007-04-05

Another great album by Todd Snider--and not the typical outtakes/B sides junk that other people might put on an album like this. Every song is excellent, and there are 2-3 songs here that rank among the best Snider has ever recorded. His version of Stoney is better than anything on the radio. Try to listen to it and not be moved. I dare you.

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