Jackie Greene - Giving Up the Ghost
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Free Music Notes for Giving Up the Ghost
Free Music Review: A bit too personal
Hit: 3 Stars
Being someone who is not a music aficionado like some, I mostly just listen to music to enjoy it. I rarely pick it apart or focus too much into it unless the lyrics and music are extraordinarily deep. Given my lack of musical background, I can only say what I like and what I don't.
Giving up the Ghost is a fairly good album with strongly nuanced musicality, sort of a mix between soft rock and pop with a tiny hint of country. Some of the tracks emit a sort of aged sound that reminds one of the 70's, though the comparisons some reviewers have made to classic folk musicians don't really ring true for me. King of Americana? Yeah, not quite.
All of the songs are listenable, though some are definitely stronger than others. While good music, Greene's stuff isn't all that memorable. None of the pieces on this album are items I'd expect to hear on the oldies station in 20 years. They don't have those kind of legs, driving sound or passion.
Lyrically, Giving Up the Ghost sometimes seems a bit shallow. Reading the liner notes and the lyrics, I had to shake my head at what the songs consisted of. It was like he was trying to be deep and came up short. I mean stuff like the below just leave me cold.
"Cause this word, that's all around us,
It's for real, it's not a game
and though hat and greed surround us
there's love in my veins."
It's clear that the lyrics meant something to Mr. Green and are personal in nature. But this personal style makes them a bit hard to fully relate to for the average listener. Add to that, there's a difference between genuinely being deep and just trying to be.
Overall, this isn't a bad album, but I won't be running out to buy Green's next one.
Free Music Review: Rock and Roll with Flare on Top
Hit: 4 Stars
Jackie Greene's music on this current album (his 5th) is nothing short of lively and spectacular. With the 12-song set on this album, titles like "I Don't Live in a Dream" and "Ghosts of Promised Lands," enchant and entertain the listener.
Listen for the unexpected here...a harmonica, an accordion, a trumpet, all are details within the music, but none take the music over.
This rock musician has defied the genre by adding a bit of blues, a bit of soul, and lot of 'oomph!'
Free Music Review: Take me back to Reseda
Hit: 4 Stars
For all the superlatives, i have to tell you there's really nothing groundbreaking here folks, but I'm sure glad to see a new old friend from Reseda. Stylistic-wise, Jackie Greene is heir to the Americana rock artists of yore. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers immediately come to mind, updated with a dose of James Blunt thrown in for good measure.
The amazon samples do a good job in cuing to the heart of each song, so you should definitely check those out first. However be forewarned that these tracks appear to been mastered for headphone listening, and the cd does have some minor acoustic issues when played on a stereo.
Disclosure: This product was provided through the Amazon Vine Volunteer program for the purpose of this review.
Free Music Review: A little too smooth & produced
Hit: 3 Stars
These tracks sound very good. The music is well played, the arrangements are rich and multi-layered. The vocals are clear and fairly in tune. In the end, though, slick production and too smooth (almost cold) vocals and arrangements detract from what could have been a good coffee house style collection of tunes.
The well known crew involved in recording these songs seem to have robbed Greene's music and lyrics of its emotional impact. "Shaken" and "I don't live in a dream" are easy and enjoyable to listen to. But like the other tracks on this album, they lean hard towards the cold and distant end of the emotional spectrum.
Free Music Review: Difficult to Classify, but Easy to Enjoy
Hit: 4 Stars
I didn't know what to expect upon encountering this album. The cover boldly stated that he was the "Prince" of Americana- or something to that tune.
What I found was a relatively enjoyable, accessible romp through mostly downtempo rock/folk. Most of the songs come off as moderately catchy even upon the first listen.
I'll also say that, thankfully, this is an album where the songsmith has deigned to write about more than failed relationships- high marks on that basis, alone.
Greene's voice isn't striking, but it isn't grating, either. This is the cd that you toss on while you're going through old things or talking to a friend; it may not be the most compelling set of songs by itself, but the ambiance it creates is quite desirable.
Enjoyed and recommended.