Mortal City

Mortal City

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This 1996 album was a breakthrough of sorts for Dar Williams, moving her from the obscure folkie circuit to the obscure alternative singer-songwriter circuit. Mortal City comes closest to capturing her live show, and many of the songs here--"Iowa," "The Family," "The Christians and the Pagans"--have become live-set favorites. Like Williams herself, this disc is sentimental, sincere, and emotional; it's an album about growing up. When Williams titles a song "The Pointless, Yet Poignant Crisis of a Co-Ed," you know she's not writing fiction. She also could have called it "Catcher in the Rye," but that title was already taken. --Charles R. Cross

Tracks:

As Cool As I Am
February
Iowa (Traveling III)
The Christians And The Pagans
This Was Pompeii
The Ocean
Family
The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis Of A Co-Ed
The Blessings
Southern California Wants To Be Western New York
Mortal City

Amazon.com

This 1996 album was a breakthrough of sorts for Dar Williams, moving her from the obscure folkie circuit to the obscure alternative singer-songwriter circuit. Mortal City comes closest to capturing her live show, and many of the songs here--"Iowa," "The Family," "The Christians and the Pagans"--have become live-set favorites. Like Williams herself, this disc is sentimental, sincere, and emotional; it's an album about growing up. When Williams titles a song "The Pointless, Yet Poignant Crisis of a Co-Ed," you know she's not writing fiction. She also could have called it "Catcher in the Rye," but that title was already taken. --Charles R. Cross

Customer Reviews:

Discover that Dar Really is as Cool as She is.......2007-06-14

If you want to get into Dar, start here (or End of the Summer), and you won't regret it. The album features some of her most classic songs. It opens with "As Cool As I Am," THE Dar classic and for good reason. The song perfectly showcases Dar's wit and lyrical abilities (her greatest strengths). "February" and "Iowa" prove that she definitely can extended a metaphor. There's humor here with "The Christians and the Pagans" and "Co-Ed." "Family" is a beautiful love song (it's a cover but she does it beautifully). My favorite song on the album is "Southern California Wants to Be Wetern New York." I can't help but smile when I hear it; it just has so much heart. I think that is what strikes me so much about this album - no matter the tempo or subject matter, every song is full of emotion, perhaps the loving touch of an artist at her best. (After this, you have to hear End of the Summer.)

Dar Rocks!.......2007-01-14

"Mortal City" is another great Dar Williams CD. The best song on the album is "The Christians and the Pagans" about a family that is a blend of traditional and new age who sit down for a winter holiday dinner. "As Cool as I Am" is about ceasing to be jealous of other women. "February" is a sad song about a couple breaking apart. "The Ocean" is a very catchy song about getting back to our roots. "The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis of a Co-ed" is a funny folk song about smoking pot. "The Blessings" is about recognizing our blessings in life. A great album, with many layers within the songs.

"The Christians and The Pagans is superb".......2006-05-18

This CD is a fine blend of nice vocals and fine insturmental work. "The Christians and The Pagans" is my favorite holiday song about tolerance and healing and restoring family ties.

My favorite album of all time!.......2006-01-26

I often tell my husband that if I ended up stranded on a deserted island with only one CD, this would be my choice. Each song tells a story with incredible lyrics and intoxicating melodies. Dar Williams is a musical genius!

Terrific Album, Superb Songwriter.......2006-01-03

My daughter introduced me to Dar Williams in the latter 1990s and the "Mortal City" album was my first exposure to her striking music. I enjoyed it immensely and have been a fan ever since. Her folk/pop/rock sound is sophisticated and pleasant. Her songwriting, moreover, is poignant and moving and by far the contribution of Dar Williams that I value most. Sometimes her songs are amusing and sometimes they are moving and sometimes they are both at the same time. The best example of this on "Mortal City" is "The Christians and the Pagans." It tells the story of Pagan relatives visiting for Christmas and how the "Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table/Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able/And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said/Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses." Great stuff! A later line sums it up thusly, "now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning."

Equally enjoyable is "The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis of a Co-Ed," which tells the story of an ill-fated college love affair between Dar Williams and a leader of a hemp liberation group. She confides, that they got so stoned at their meetings that it made it hard to discuss glaucoma. Ultimately she is betrayed by her boyfriend "in the arms of a student against the treacherous use of fur." Hilarious!

But by far my favorite song on this album is "Southern California Wants to Be Western New York." About a week after I first heard this album I had to make a business trip to western New York and I felt like the words of the song became real before my eyes. I thought I was seeing that "part of the country with a land that gently creaks and thuds,/Where the heavy snows make the faucets leak in bathrooms with free-standing tubs./They're in houses that are haunted, with the kids who lie awake and think about/All the generations past who used to use that dripping sink." I'm sure that I ate in Dar's prototypical "diner where the coffee tastes like diesel fuel." But the most evocative image in this song is Dar Williams's line about "lusting after a SUNY student with mousy brown hair who is/Taking out the compost, making coffee in long underwear."

There are many other great songs on this album, including the title cut. I'm less enamored with sentimental ballads such as "This was Pompeii" and "February" than with the faster, more humorous songs, but all are engaging. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Spirit of Christmas

Manufacturer: Sparrow
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B0000CDL5P
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

Canticle Of Joy (Medley): Sing Joy/Joy To The World/How Great Our Joy
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Miraculous Night (Medley): It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Silent Night, Holy Night/O Holy Night
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Sing We Now Of Christmas
On Christmas Night
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
The City Of David (Medley): Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming/O Little Town Of Bethlehem/The Birthday Of The King
The First Noel
How Should A King Come?
Adeste Fideles
Sweet Little Jesus Boy
We Three Kings
What Child Is This?
We Adore Thee
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Tracks:

Rejoice (Medley): O Come, O Come Emmanuel/Good Christians All Rejoice/Rejoice, Rejoice
Break Forth O Beauteous, Heavenly Light
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
A Gift From God (Medley): Of the Father's Love Begotten/Wonderful Counsel
Immanuel (Medley): We Sing, Immanuel, Your Praise/Immanuel/Angels From The Realms Of Glory
Infant (Medley): Infant Holy, Infant Lowly/Go Tell It On The Mountain/O Come All Ye Faithful (Reprise)
The Holly And The Ivy
O Christmas Tree
Prayer From Hansel And Gretel
Gesu, Bambino
Rose Of Bethlehem
And Suddenly There Was With The Angels/Glory To God
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Hallelujah Chorus
Silent Night (Reprise)

Product Description

BRAND NEW, sealed, includes the original CD, case, and paperwork, First Class shipped, ask me for my CD List or more Titles to combine shipping!M

Average customer rating:

Absolute classics performed perfectly
English anthem, St Pauls Cathedral, vols 1-7

The English Anthem

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The English Anthem, Vol. 2
The English Anthem, Vol. 6
The English Anthem, Vol. 3
The English Anthem, Vol. 5
The English Anthem, Vol. 4

ASIN: B000002ZML
Release Date: 1993-11-16

Tracks:

I Saw The Lord
Hail, Gladdening Light
Evening Hymn
Vox dicentis: Clama
Blessed Be The God And Father
Beati quorum via
Blessed City, Heavenly Salem
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Greater Love Hath No Man
My Beloved Spake
God Is Gone Up

Customer Reviews:

Absolute classics performed perfectly.......2005-06-07

The art of the english anthem is second only in church, and actually, all of music to the rennaisance motet. On this CD, you can hear 11 of the most fine english anthems ever written. John Stainer, Charles Stanford, Balfourd Gardiner, John Ireland, Edward Bairstow are geniuses and their work shines perfectly on the first ever volume of English Anthems. Only Edward Naylor's "Vox Dicentis: Clama", which is still fine, doesn't seem to belong among the other giants.

The boys are the best in the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, the countertenors are also right on. The tenors and basses while overdoing the vibrato just a bit, are still a reliable foundation.

Highlights: "I saw the Lord" (1), the mysterious and evocative "Evening Hymn" (3), "Beati Quorum Via" (6), the best english anthem ever written "Blessed City, Heavenly Salem" (7) (although a bit too slow on this recording, in my opinion), "Greater Love Hath No Man" (9) and the jubilant "God is gone up" (11)

Out of everything I've ever heard (which is a lot), this is the one choral recording to own.

English anthem, St Pauls Cathedral, vols 1-7.......2000-05-05

If you could have only one CD collection of English anthems, this should be it! Besides the incomparable ST Pauls Cathedral choir, the selection of composers & anthems offers a wide variety from medieval times to the present. Excellent recording - also very difficult to choose which of the 7 volumes. Buy them all!

Average customer rating:

a good gift
Excellent
death becomes all of us
Pajo continues to impress
you can have any colour as long as it's...

Whatever, Mortal
Papa M
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Pajo
Hole of Burning Alms
1968
Three
Five

ASIN: B00005R5L5
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Tracks:

Over Jordan
Beloved Woman
Roses in the Snow
Sorrow Reigns
Krusty
Lass of Roch Royal
Many Splendored Thing
Glad You're Here With Me
Tamu
Sabotage
Purple Eyelid
Unquiet Grave
Northwest Passage

Customer Reviews:

a good gift.......2005-02-17

i got this cd as a gift and i really like it. i listen to it in the morning a lot and sometimes before i go to sleep too. and other times of the day. krusty is a really funny song because you can hear krusty the simpsons character laughing at the end of it. that's called a sample.

Excellent.......2003-09-14

Papa M's earlier work seemed a little unininspired, Live From a Shark Cage had some great melodies but it was more or less just noodling. 'Sings' sounded like Pajo was struggling to find his feet, an indie/experimental rocker basically trying his hand at folk in a genre exercise. Somewhere between that EP and this album though, Pajo must have aged about 50 years and walked down an awful lot of dusty roads, because now he sounds like the real deal. To be honest, I wasn't expecting as much from this album as it ended up providing. I read some reviews and was expecting a skillful 'alt-country' style album, but Papa M really ends up adding quite a lot to the genre, and manages to sound unique. The occasional piece of quirky or self-referential humour, for instance the jokey title, and that infamous couplet on 'sorrow reigns' really only add to the authenticity of the album; it's not pretending to be ye olde dusty folk-rock, it's just the music that Dave Pajo wants to play, and he plays it with feeling, honesty, and skill. Highlights are Beloved Woman, Sorrow Reigns, Krusty, Purple Eyelid, and the closer 'Northwest Passage,' an update on the timeless and beautiful melody Pajo apparently stumbled over by accident, and used in the 'Arundel' tracks on the previous album. Very highly recommended.

death becomes all of us.......2003-07-21

This album overtook me with its meekly overwhelming beginnings and I thought that I would pass it off as another mistake. Could I have been more wrong? I don't think so. Upon this reslease David Pajo was just a name to me, nothing more. Through these songs though he has created an atmosphere that welcomes anyone. Friends of Slint or Tortoise need not apply here. What Pajo has done is something quite short of remarkable. If I have heard anything that even comes close to this album in the pase four years than I am a blasphemer. The folk/country ballads that he creates here are without question his best. I believe that I can say that without question this album is one of the best of 2001.

Pajo continues to impress.......2003-04-25

I have been following David Pajo's career for a while now, through Slint, Stereolab, Tortoise and Zwan. Given the variety of music in those lineups, I wasn't sure what to expect and I'm glad I didn't. Papa M has put out a starkly beautiful country/folk CD featuring Pajo on most of the instruments plus an impressive lineup of collaborators. I don't generally like country, but I love this.

The first, "Over Jordan" track sets the tone. Pajo's banjo and deadpan but effective voice evoke a darkness and despair. The lyrics while poetic are not opaque.

The next thre tracks, "Beloved Woman, Roses in the Snow and Sorrow Reigns" speak eloquently of unrequited love, lost loves etc. The song writing and musicianship both vie for equal attention.

Just when Papa M has put you in the deepest of despair, Krusty, a nice little interlude makes for a timely change of pace.

The lowest point for me on this CD is "Love is a many splendored thing" just doesn't seem to fit.

If you like Leonard Cohen, Wilco or the like then this CD is for you. If you were definitely looking for Slint, Tortoise and so on, you won't get it here.

you can have any colour as long as it's..........2003-02-06

Black. This beautiful, eerie album has a heart of utter darkness. Banjos creak, guitars hum and David Pajo sings lullabys to highwaymen, hangmen and lovers past. Blackly. It's sad, bleak and gorgeous. 'Songs from a Room' by Leonard Cohen comes to mind. As do bad habits, loss and mourning. Its sounds like it was recorded in a damp basement by the loneliest man in the world. You should pay him a visit. Don't be scared of the dark. All the other reviewers are wrong. 5 black stars and an hour of tearful applause.