4 comments about Honeysuckle Strange.

1. I first heard of Howlin' Maggie when a friend in OH sent me some of their music. When I heard "Alcohol" and "I'm a Slut," I went wild. These guys are great. Maybe it's just me, but I love hearing a man wail "I'm a slut..."

   For those of you out there who fell in love with the group because of "I'm a Slut" then check out Women in Technology's "Your Woman." It's also great.

   It's too bad they don't get much airplay here in CA. Definitely buy the CD though. It's a keeper.




2. During the demise of grunge and waning the "alternative" music scene, Howlin' Maggie released their debut CD - Honeysuckle Strange - a mixture of rock, funk, jazz, and pop hooks and melodies that (by most standards) was probably a little too potent for the latent alternative music fan to pick up (and saddled with very little label support) Honeysuckle Strange now languishes in used record bins across the country. But, there is no doubt that this band (in their hey day) can rock with the best of them.

   I'll never forget being told by my guitar instructor that his new band was playing at a small club and telling me to check them out. So, a few friends and I went on down and saw a quiet, intimate show where the lead singer was powerful and emotional - confined to a bar stool for the entire set due to a broken foot -his leg tied to the stool to keep him in place. This was my introduction to Howlin Maggie. Even at this early show in Columbus, OH all of the pieces that would end up on Honeysuckle were in place - Alcohol and Easy to be Stupid (a live staple that ended up on the Beautiful Girls soundtrack) were effortless and strong.

   Unfortunately, its sad to see a bad you love so much reach the heights of success (recording the CD and touring with the Afghan Whigs for nearly a year following the release) wallow in the mire of record industry beauracracy and eventually disintegrate.

   Fortunately, Happy is trudging on with new band members. Andy is working with several Columbus bands, and the drummer Jerome Dillon has landed a permanent gig on the skins for Nine Inch Nails. Hopefully Happy can hang on and keep playing the band's great songs and it will sound as good as it did the first time.

   A truly original and deep first effort that has sadly collected more dust than acclaim.




3. i live in columbus, where this band was born. i've seen them perform twice and, if any one would care to know, last tme i saw them live i was told directly from the source that there is a new album on it's way. granted this was last august, but, i'm trying to be patient. who knows what it will sound like with ALL NEW band members anyway. i am as eager for it as i am to listen to honeysuckle strange when i get the idea to do so. the first time i heard this album i felt as though i had just heard a thunder storm for the first time.



4. Howlin' Maggie "Honeysuckle Strange" is an underrated rock and roll gem definitely deserving more attention than it has recieved thus far in our ailing industry. This album blends the best of modern rock hooks, stylish playing, and arresting lyrics into one complete emotional package. "Honeysuckle Strange" blasts out of the starting gate with "Miss Universe," a Hendrixesque rocker and finishes out the experience with "Long Live Doug" a swaying sing-along song garaunteed to connect the listener with this accessible band. Along the way are songs like "Alcohol" and "I'm a Slut" minor hits in their own rite with major curves and slick production. For those quiet, beautiful moments there are songs like "You Are" which puts this spinning planet at ease with itself and the prozac on hiatus. One cannot help but wonder why this band hasn't been embraced more by the rest of our Spice Girls culture...seeing as good talent is hard to come by. Talent is one thing that replenishes Howlin' Maggie like a waterfall. Beyond the songs are masterful, innovative musicians like drummer Jerome Dillon who gets A+ cards across the board, and guitarist Andy Harrison. Together these two guys add 32 flavors and then some to frontman Harold Chichester's songwriting efforts. I'm just wondering where the next album is and why this one has not recieved more attention? Long Live Howlin' Maggie!!!!

5 comments about Birds of Pray (Bonus DVD).

1. Best Live Album since Throwing Copper! Awesome songs, great lyrics. Bonus DVD is unique, all be it a bit short. The performance of WhiteDiscussion will blow your mind!



2. I enjoyed this album as I do all LIVE albums, though it is my least favourite offering so far, if only because some of the songs sounded like they were trying too hard to be 'LIVE-like'...and because unlike most LIVE albums, this one does not read like a book; a progression of songs from one end to the other that tells a consistent story. Instead it seems more like a haphazard collection of songs written while on tour. However it is growing on me, song by song; or rather some of the songs are growing on me at different paces, unlike with, say,'V',where I dismissed the whole first half of the album at first blush, only to have it explode in my consciousness as a whole two listens later as a cohesive narrative of confusion and anger fading to hopeful Love.
   
   For me, 'Pray's progression was of standouts like the powerful 'SHE' and the haunting indictment 'What Are We Fighting For?', then the creepers; the haunting ballad to Jesus, 'River Town' first crawled up into my psyche like a determined mouse and then ate away at my resistance bit by bit (I now absolutely ADORE this song!), then 'Sweet Release' struck me as wonderful. 'Run Away' was already a good road song, only improving with Shelby Lynne's backup/duo vocals n the Best Of version. 'Out To Dry', 'Like I Do', 'Lighthouse', 'Everytime I See Your Face' and 'Sanctity of Dreams' took a little longer, but I've found something to love in them as well, in that order. On the other hand, 'Heaven' has always seemed too radio-friendly to me, and the frantic 'Life Marches On', and overwrought 'Bring the People Together' were the ones that felt like they were trying too hard...the lyrics and melody just never seemed to match up in my mind. This inconsistency for me was the reason this could never be my favourite LIVE album; but then Ed calls it 'the sound of a band restarting its engines'...so here's hoping the progressionwill be smoother in 'Songs From Black Mountain'; an album that already sounds like it will have its commercialised aspects, but also flashes of the old introspective/spiritually inquisitive LIVE I love and treasure.
   
   The bonus DVD of live songs was a wonderful sugar on the cake; at first I enjoyed this far more than the CD, since I have not had the opportunity to enjoy my favourite act live; and seeing Ed's connection with the Dutch fans makes me understand better why it is that he loves playing to them so much. US fans may not 'get' his lyrics because they aren't selling out enough, Brits may not 'get' the lack of razor-sharp sarcastic wit in the music and ethos; but the Dutch seem to 'get' both lyrics and music, and to appreciate both band and message as they are. Maybe I'm a Dutch LIVE fan in spirit, misplaced to the US by some cosmic accident, LOL.
   
   A lot of people (read: critics) slam this band for,(A) having an 'inconsistent recording history' (a criticism that only holds up in 'Birds of Pray' in my lexicon), or (B) being from the grunge era.
   
   My rebuttal to (A) is: Too many folk in the music business can't seem to get past the biggest selling album disease; they compare all later efforts to the one that broke the charts. I personally wouldn't have remained a LIVE fan of this degree throughout the years if all they had done was release a 'Throwing Copper' clone every couple of years. I happen to LIKE the fact that LIVE gives the money-driven industry the finger and goes on growing and evolving--and letting their music evolve WITH their lives and ideas--without regard to trying to duplicate the public success of their best known effort. This rather punk ethos (for a solid rock band anyway) is called 'not pandering to the moneymen' and 'artistic integrity over public consumption'. The subsequent albums have sold well, though they haven't had the lucky timing that 'Throwing Copper' had to fit so well into what was happening in popular music at the time. Only jaded critics who care only about numbers would call these modest successes 'failures' only because they weren't 'Throwing Copper's with different covers. Far too many bands and artists have been murdered by their labels forcing or pressuring them to recycle, rerecord, and play the same stuff that won them accolades in their breakthrough efforts, regardless of whether they had since grown or changed; in the process losing that edge of anger or wonder or whatever it was that first captured the public imagination. LIVE has chosen to be comfortable with the fans that 'get' them rather than allowing someone to force them into an artistically stultifying mould for the sake of sales alone; this is called 'not selling out', and for taking that risk I applaud them.
   
   As for (B): Though they happened to have emerged into the public eye in the same era as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, et al, LIVE never really fit the grunge model with anything but a tendency to ignore the interview and paparazzi angle of business (ie they refused to whore themselves out to the media, instead preferring to concentrate on the MUSIC, shocking though that may be!), and a wonderful sort of ambivalent anger at the socio-religious status quo. This anger was the reason many folk loved 'Throwing Copper', and dislike later albums, in which the anger has faded to a message of Hope and Unconditonal Love. If consistent anger without growth is what these folk are looking for, then obviously a band that grows and changes is not for them. And for those who call lead singer Ed Kowalczyk a Kurt Cobain wannabe; they have obviously never listened for a moment to the lyrics and melodic spirit of his songs anyway.
   
   Which brings me to another main criticism of LIVE. Some folk are turned off by the overt spirituality of Ed's lyrics, calling it 'preachy'. Critics also slam LIVE for their lyrics, saying "if we wanted preaching, we'd go to church". But EddieK is not preaching; he neverdoes. What he is doing is sharing the most intimate moments of his life: the moments when the Spirit touched him and made him whole; and in knowing how that feels, how uplifting it is in a moment of confusion, I find these lyrics inspiring.
   
   As a long-term Live fan, I find them life-altering; and in fact, this fourth album, 'Distance to Here', quite literally saved my life. Many I've spoken to feel the same way; for though Live as a band name is hard to 'google', the FriendsofLive are out there and being uplifted daily by the work the band, and EddieK with his lyrics in particular, do. They make the world better just by being in it...and by being willing to SHARE! If communication and understanding can save the world, then Live are right on the avant guarde, with U2, the Indigo Girls, and a few others.
   
   So all I can say for those critical minds who find Live's lyrics 'pretentious and sentimental' and 'drippy softcore preachery'... for them I can feel only pity, for as far as I am concerned, the message of Love is one for everyone, if we can but let it in. If the lyrics don't speak to these people, fine; but they do speak to some of us; so deeply that they bring tears to our eyes. So the fact that these critics are arrogant enough tell everyone they meet not to bother listening long enough to make their own decision/connection (or not) with the music, to me, is a sin. Just because they got nothing out of it, doesn't mean we are all alike...thank God! Yes, we are all different...but Love is Love.
   Thank you EddieK and Live, for lifting me up.



3. Live rocks, and so does this album. I love how through this amazing band's 13 year career, they always change, but in some ways, haven't changed since "Mental Jewelry". The lyrics, oh the lyrics, in this album are amazing. Every song is crafted like a pop song (V1, Ch, V2, Ch,Bridge, Ch) but so perfectly. You won't even care. Every one of the musicians play excuisitly. The guitars are loud, bass is catchy, and the drums are never predictable...Just like all their other cds. These songs are just plain fun to listen to. You'll listen as much as their others. I was very pleastly surprised by it. I thought that it would be a pathetic attempt to fit in with the stuff coming out in '03, but it isn't. Live stay true to their fans, and have come out with great music and pefect song writing.
   I highly recommend this album.
   3rd best one.



4. Can we stop comparing albums to other albums? A great band not only creates great music consistently, but evolves over time. With the exception of "V", all of Live's records have been great and also different! No, it may not be as good as Throwing Copper, but I think it is unfair to expect a masterpiece like that to be replicated. Secret Samadhi has several excellent songs (Heropsychodreamer, Gas Hed Goes West, etc.) but also had some very boring tunes. Birds of Pray, on the other hand, is enjoyable from front to back. It says something that the lone single from the album is one of its weaker tracks.
   
   I can't say there are many great songs on the cd, but every single one is good. Nothing groundbreaking is done here - There are no incredible drawn out guitar solos, the songs rarely depart from the traditional pop song structure (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus), and nothing is shocking or controversial about it. What it is, however, is a collection of very catchy, often thoughtful, enjoyable songs that will tempt you to sing along and push the repeat button. It is an album to be listened to in the car, at home alone, at a party, when you are happy or depressed.
   
   The heavy Lighthouse, political What are We Fighting For?, and Sanctity of Dreams are some of the most memorable songs in my opinion. Out to Dry is probably my favorite track. Short and sweet, it has possibly the catchiest chorus of any Live song ever.
   
   I believe that most great albums grow better and better with each listen, and that it often takes time to truly realize and appreciate their greatness. However, if you are impatient and don't like to wait for music to grow on you, Birds of Pray would be a good investment. It's good from the first listen.



5. PERSONALLY I THINK BIRDS OF PRAY IS EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS THROWING COPPER. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS CD. IT IS ALWAYS GREAT WHEN THERE ARE SEVERAL GREAT TUNES INSTEAD OF 1 OR 2. PLUS THE DVD AT THE PINK POP IN THE NETHERLANDS IS AWESOME.

5 comments about No Vacancy: The Best of the Motels.

1. Anyone who is a fan of the incomparable Martha Davis will probably want this CD since it has some cuts on it that are just really hard to get otherwise.
   
   But there are other "greatest hits" or "anthologies" out there of the MOTELS that are much, much nicer sonically. It would be hard to go wrong with CLASSIC MASTERS or the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION even though both of those CDs have fewer cuts on them.
   
   Had to rate this down to a 3 STAR because the sound quality of it grates on me and makes me not play the CD all the way thru most of the time.
   
   Hey Capitol, when are you gonna release a remastered LITTLE ROBBERS, the best album that the MOTELS ever did?



2. While this collection was great in 1990 (when I first bought it), it has since been supplanted by The Essential Collection and a sonic upgrade to 2001 standards. Sadly, updating this would have been such a treat, as "No Vacancy" has 19 songs to the Essential's 15. Add that The Motels' albums are criminally out of print, and the omissions (especially "Little Robbers" and "Whose Problem") are glaring.
   
   Martha Davis has one of the smoky, sultry voices that seemed so in demand in the early 80's (think Pat Benatar, Quarterflash). They also had an arty edge that came from their punkish Los Angeles roots. So when the early songs like "Kix" or "Danger" started getting a following, Capitol records smelled paydirt. They notoriously told the band that their third album would not be released without a more commercial redo; the result was the hit "Only The Lonely" and the breakthrough All Four One. Then came the inevitable decline, as the band streamlined the sound. The following singles, "Suddenly Last Summer" and "Remember The Nights" were still some of the best radio songs around, but the raves like "Apocalypso" or "Celia" were gone. After the CD "Shock" met with decreased success, Martha went solo (the great lost Policy) and then to the eventual reunion tours.
   
   "No Vacancy," while still usurped by more recent CD's, is still a great reminder that Martha and The Motels were more than just a couple of singles and sultry videos. Those albums (All Four One, Careful and Little Robbers) were all better than most of the New Wave One Hit Wonders out there...and they deserve better than to be languishing in OOP status.



3. 
   This compilation, first mastered and issued in 1990, has long since been supplanted by several superior remastered compilations.
   
   The best audio is resident on the 2005 Essential Collection. The same audio is also on the now-OOP 2002 Classic Masters CD.
   
   Essential has 15 tracks to Classic's 12, but Classic has the 6 minute version of "Total Control" (a great early track), where Essential carries the shorter single edit.
   
   There are six tracks on "No Vacancy" that do not appear on these two recent compilations (8, 9, 13, 15, 16 & 17).
   
   Both of these compilations also have superior mastering to the 1999 "All For One" Expanded Edition.
   
   So, while No Vacancy has more material than the more recent compilations, the sound quality of the newer discs is much more enjoyable.



4. 
   This compilation, first mastered and issued in 1990, has long since been supplanted by several superior remastered compilations.
   
   The best audio is resident on the 2005 Essential Collection. The same audio is also on the now-OOP 2002 Classic Masters CD.
   
   Essential has 15 tracks to Classic's 12, but Classic has the 6 minute version of "Total Control" (a great early track), where Essential carries the shorter single edit.
   
   There are six tracks on "No Vacancy" that do not appear on these two recent compilations (8, 9, 13, 15, 16 & 17).
   
   Both of these compilations also have superior mastering to the 1999 "All For One" Expanded Edition.
   
   So, while No Vacancy has more material than the more recent compilations, the sound quality of the newer discs is much more enjoyable.



5. I remember reading an interview with Martha Davis concerning the Motels in the mid-'80's. There were two things that interested me about this band. First, I like any band that has a female lead vocalist. Second, the article mentioned that the Motels do not sequence when recording (that is, each instrument plays by themselves, to produce a cleaner sound per instrument), but preferred to play all together, so they had the freedom to improvise and play off each other.
   
   I finally, about 20 years later, had the privilege to hear their greatest hits. And it was a privilege. I don't know much about the lyrics, but I loved their musical style. My favorites included "Danger", "Only The Lonely", "Shame", "Suddenly Last Summer", "So L.A.", "Cries And Whispers", "Take The L", "Trust Me", "Little Robbers", and "Whose Problem?"

5 comments about A Types.

1. Sure this isn't the old Hopesfall, but changes occur when a majority of the members change. I personally love every Hopesfall cd I have heard. A-Types is no different.



2. I bought this the day is came out no doubt that it would be awesome. It isn't and if you want to listen to real Hopesfall don't even think about buying this album. It's by far one of the greatest disapointments in music I have came across.



3. Three awesome songs, seven good but kinda filler songs. Owl is the masterpiece of the album, wearing it's Hum influence on it's sleeve with the flood of harmonic chords and flowing melody. Manipulate The Eclipse is another track that wouldn't be out of place on the last mixtape you get to listen to before the end of the world. Champion Beyond Blessing is a Deftonesy song which eases up on the etherealism in favor of more of a rock groove. I think those three tracks are better than anything on The Satellite Years, while the rest of this album is generally inferior to it's predecessor. I can't understand people thinking this album is a major change in sound though. Is it less aggressive? I dunno. If I wanted to listen to something aggressive I wouldn't have been listening to The Satellite Years to begin with.



4. Simply put, "A Types" varies little from the hordes of other dime-a-dozen emo records currently crowding the market. Yes, I'll give them respect for trying a different direction from their previous works. However, this new style happens to be the exact same insipid cookie-cutter sound that every other floppyhaired/lip pierced clone band out there is currently doing, only with a few spacey twists. The melodies and song structures wander and meander, in some places building tension and then abandoning the idea without resolution. Sonically, it's lukewarm- never really rocking too hard, never really getting quite as beautiful and spacey as they used to on other records.
   
   I don't recommend this album at all, it is the lowest quality record the band has put out (which isn't surprising, considering only one original member remains). Instead, I recommend '...No Wings to Speak Of", "the Frailty of Words" or "the Satellite Years," in that order.
   
   If you think Thursday and My Chemical Romance are the best bands ever, you'll probably like this. Which is fine, I don't care how you spend your parents' money.
   
   Finally, Hopesfall should change their name. If George Harrison kicked Paul out after John and Ringo quit and then got 3 other guys to fill in and called the band the Beatles, there would be mass outrage and rioting in the streets.



5. this is a perfect example that shows that progressive music is better than the formulaic structures of "verse-chorus-verse" music. this is not a bad album, but when compared to previous releases by the band, it just doesn't begin to compare. i listen to a lot more non-screaming music than screaming music too, so i am not bashing the album for the singing - he's actually a pretty good singer (especially considering he was the screamer on satellite years) - i'd go so far as to say that the vocals are the best aspect of the overall change in sound. some instrumental parts are still awesome, but they're not consistent like past work.
   simply put, when you've had such creative material before that demonstrates the band pushing itself to their limits, going to a simpler method of writing just doesn't work very well. the instruments die down too much and simultaneously the energy in the music disappears whereas for previous releases the energy was always present (and satellite years had a lot of toned down parts, just they were very well written, here it's a more typical toning down that so many other bands do)
   not that bad of an album, just i don't think i would have gotten into hopesfall had this been their only material.
   it happens(2/5): starts off good, then just dies. start and pause(2/5): same problem as previous song. icarus(4/5): good track, an alright video too. breathe from coma(3/5): sounds like it could have been amazing, though as it is it's only alright. champion beyond blessing(2/5): not that great. the ones(5/5): i like this one, especially the nod to satellite years at the end. manipulate the eclipse(3/5): not bad, not great. matchmaker's haven(4/5): alright, more screaming would have tremendously helped this track out though. owl(2/5): not very good. per sempre marciamo(6/5): favorite song. overall rating: about 3.5/5

1 comments about Lucinda Williams.

1. If you think Mary Chapin Carpenter(Passionate Kisses) and Tom Petty(Changed the Locks) were good, you should hear the originals. "Lucinda Williams" is the album that builds up to deliver the greats - "Car Wheels," "Essence," and "World Without Tears." Any serious Lucinda Williams fan will own this cd.

No comments about Live At Antones (CD + DVD).

5 comments about Long Black Train / Backwoods Boy.

1. I have listened to this song over and over. It is an awesome song that really does speak to your heart. Long Black Train is one of the Christian songs played on country stations. There are more and more Christian songs being played on radio stations everyday now. That is really good because we need to show our Christian life through on everyone else so that they will be saved as well. We don't want people to be thrown into the firey pitt. I hope that you enjoy this song as much as me and my family has. Thank you for your time.



2. You will listen to this again and again, the message it sends will never grow old and tiresome. I have not enjoyed a song as much as this one in many, many years! Such a rich voice and young too. I usually tear up when I listen to this because there is truth to be heard and learn from. I have read many chats from people that this song has affected and they cancelled their tickets for the Long Black Train.
   Josh, keep up the work you will be richly rewarded one fine day! Looking forward to hearing more of Josh's great works.
   God Bess All!



3. I noticed another reviewer that said something like "this song breaks the barriers." I couldn't agree more. "Long Black Train" is easily one of the best country songs to come out in the last decade (and there have been LOTS of bad ones lately!!!). It has soul, it has energy, it avoids all those stupid cliches that are so prevalent in country music. It has a mystic, soulful feel that truly sets it among the greats. This could be the "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" of 2003....a huge hit and an enduring classic.



4. Josh Turner is one of the best Christian guys you will ever meet .. He comes from a good christian family and I hope he does well in the future with his complete Cd coming out Oct 13... Can not wait to hear all of it. You can hear his new releases on his web site at Josh-Turner.com.. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do ...



5. THIS NEWCOMER I BELIEVE IS GONNA BE HERE FOR AWHILE IT IS ONE OF THE BEST CD'S OUT NOW, I'LL BE SURE TO GET THE CD

5 comments about Bourbonitis Blues.

1. I first became aware of Alejandro when I saw him perform on a TV show and said to myself, "I've just got to have this guy's album." Since I love the blues, I thought the safest bet would be to get this album, and I'm not disappointed. It's got to be one of the best I have ever listened to. Alejandro's got such a curious and successful mix of styles and genres ... I keep playing the CD over and over again. I love him so much that I've ordered three other of his CDs ...



2. I first had the pleasure of seeing Alejandro Escovedo playing Stones covers at a "hoot night" show in Austin, Texas, back in 1989, and later got a chance to actually meet him. He has never put on a bad show, mixing his dozens of musical influences---British rock, southern American country and Delta blues, punk, folk, mariachi, even classical---into a kind of sonic gumbo of different things that taste amazingly good. He is also an incredibly charismatic performer, when you see him doing his own thing, or with his band, Buick McKane; this guy can do a blistering cover of "Hot Legs" by Rod Stewart, and then follow it with an alt-country song so mournful you can feel his sadness seeping into your very pores. "Bourbonitis Blues" is a terrific example of his great talent, soul, musical inventiveness, and instrumental virtuosity; his songwriting craft is beyond brilliant, and he never seems to run dry of ability to sing, play, and compose in many different genres. Escovedo may be the most brilliant musician you've never heard of, and that should change---and soon! Whether it's Stonesy/Faces-y "booze-rock" ("Guilty"), or touching, Gram Parsons-style country-folk ("California Blues"), he can do it all! Buy this record; play it constantly; go see him perform in a city near you; dig the hell out of his sound---you'll be damn glad ya did!



3. Escovedo's latest CD features the Escovedo trademark - Cello and Violin. It is his use and arrangements of these two instruments that creates his unique sound. Sometimes they will be used as strings, other times they play attack rhythm like rhythm guitars and on others they play horn parts. Bourbonitis Blues is more rock than previous efforts and is a wonderful musical portrait of the artist. It is very hard for me to compare Alejandro's music to someone that you might know. However, his greatest recommendation is that people bring their friends or just come to see him live by accident and then they all leave as loyal fans with more than one CD under their arm. When listening try "Everybody Loves Me" (tr#6), "Pale Blue Eyes" (tr#7) and "I was Drunk" (tr#1).



4. ...you get to record the mott the hoople song you loved when you were 17 and actually make money doing it. ok, maybe not a lot of money, but nevertheless...

   this is a collection of covers and originals, with the now trademark buzzsaw electric guitar meets the cello ensemble. the "live in the studio" sound means that the this version of "guilty" is pretty similar to the one on the live album. the john cale and lou reed covers work pretty well. escovedo's voice probably isn't up to the jimmie rodgers cover ("california blues").

   the standout cut, cover of the year, is the extraordinary cover of "sex beat" by the gun club. i don't know if it was inspired by jeffrey lee pierce's death or what, but here it is performed as a dirge: the tempo is slowed way down, and the buzzsaw guitar is replaced by a spare slide, a harmonica, and some minimalist backing vocals, and some fine drumming. it is absolutely arresting. i must of listened to it six straight times the first time a played the cd.




5. ...from Alejandro Escovedo. This time out he continues down his "baroque" singer-songwriter-meets- the-Rolling Stones path he's been cultivating most of this decade. Although this is no substitute for his live shows (do see him if you can!), it's a decent album showcasing his songwriting ability, as well as his excellent selection of cover tunes. Oh, yeah....long live Buick McKane!!!!!!!!!

No comments about The Coachman.

4 comments about KCRW: Morning Becomes Eclectic.

1. The simple performance of Lyle Lovett and his guitar doing
   Steven Fromholz' "Bears" written in 1974 is why I bought this CD
   after hearing it on the air at KCRW. Great energy, in a
   special knowing way ! The other music is great too, by far
   KCRW's best compilation. Stunningly good studio quality recordings
   for live radio show performances, which they all are. You'll love it !



2. Of the 5 CDs released by KCRW, this is my favorite. They are all very good, but "Morning Becomes Eclectic" has more of my favorite music. The covers by Mehldau and Martyn are amazing, as is PJ Harvey's performance. I was also pleasantly surprised by "All I Need." And for those of you who prefer something a little more firmiliar, Semisonic and Sixpence None The Richer add their two cents. All together this is a great record. If there is one flaw, it is that the songs are all on the soft side, which means there is always the risk of being lulled to sleep or into some kind of trance. Not that that's a bad thing -- and considering all of this music was recorded on a morning show, it's understandable. I highly reccomend the whole series.



3. I purchased the disc mainly for the Air song (which is great) - standout tracks are by Beth Orton, Cake, PJ Harvey (real good version of Is This Desire?), Brad Mehldau and Morcheeba. A nice treat is the song 'Glory Box' sung by John Martyn - the song is a cover of the Portishead tune by the same name. Get it when you are craving a new disc - it will suffice.



4. It has so many different songs that truely make it an eclectic blend! It's definitly is one of the best CD's that collect varios artists. It's probably the only CD of my collection that I can play any time of the day; any day of the week.