Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
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Free Music Notes for Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
Free Music Review: Hits and misses, a mediocre album
Hit: 3 Stars
I've got to agree more with the naysayers on this album. While not as "bad" as some make it out to be, in my opinion, 5 stars is just a gut reaction that some diehard fans have given to their boys. Everything about the album screams out that it is just leftover material (even if it isn't, and honestly, I don't know). The CD even looks the same as the first one!
Ultimately, that's really not important, however. Musically, which is where it counts, the first half of the album is more or less consistent and yes, pleasant and interesting to listen to. However, there are just too many songs on here that are muddy, sloppy, and plain "ugly" to listen to. Write it off to artistic creativity if you will, and certainly, an artist can do as he/she pleases, but even Woody himself once said songs that make you feel bad are not good songs - these songs, while not the "downers" that I believe he was referring to, make my ears feel bad!
I keep listening to this CD in the hopes that it will "click" for me, and work together as a whole album, but I just find myself continuing to want to skip past so many songs on this album, and just listen to a handful of songs.
Wilco fans will hate me, but perhaps I liked Vol. 1 so much more than this one is because Wilco didn't sound so much like themselves!! Even though not a commercial success the band is still waaay overrated in my opinion.
Free Music Review: Short of the initial mark...
Hit: 3 Stars
The second volume of that strange collaboration - Wilco, Billy Bragg, and the long-departed Woody Guthrie - is certainly a good album. Had this collection been Volume I, I probably would have raved about them, and marvelled that such an odd project could have been so successful. I would have doubtless mentioned Feed of Man, Hot Rod Hotel, and Meanest Man as exceptional songs. And I probably would have asked (as I did when I heard the actual Volume I) how a singer as talented as Natalie Merchant could do such a poor job on her token track.But of course, these songs are Volume II. And one can tell. The best material really was picked up for Volume. There is no Walt Whitman's Niece, no California Stars, and certainly no Unwelcome Guest on this record. And so in summary, those who adored Volume I will certainly find their money's worth on Volume. But unlike that first volume, I cannot say that this is an essential record. If one were to buy only one, the first volume is a clear choice.
Or think of it this way. Composed of songs that didn't make the first cut, Bruce Springsteen's Tracks and Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series are both wonderful records for true fans. But if I were just starting out with either artist, they certainly would not be the first records to go and buy. The same holds for Mermaid Avenue II.
Free Music Review: Short of the initial mark...
Hit: 3 Stars
The second volume of that strange collaboration - Wilco, Billy Bragg, and the long-departed Woody Guthrie - is certainly a good album. Had this collection been Volume I, I probably would have raved about them, and marvelled that such an odd project could have been so successful. I would have doubtless mentioned Feed of Man, Hot Rod Hotel, and Meanest Man as exceptional songs. And I probably would have asked (as I did when I heard the actual Volume I) how a singer as talented as Natalie Merchant could do such a poor job on her token track.But of course, these songs are Volume II. And one can tell. The best material really was picked up for Volume. There is no Walt Whitman's Niece, no California Stars, and certainly no Unwelcome Guest on this record. And so in summary, those who adored Volume I will certainly find their money's worth on Volume. But unlike that first volume, I cannot say that this is an essential record. If one were to buy only one, the first volume is a clear choice.
Or think of it this way. Composed of songs that didn't make the first cut, Bruce Springsteen's Tracks and Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series are both wonderful records for true fans. But if I were just starting out with either artist, they certainly would not be the first records to go and buy. The same holds for Mermaid Avenue II.
Free Music Review: Continues winning homage but feels less memorable
Hit: 3 Stars
3 1/2
Admirable collaboration paying tribute to folk hero Guthrie is a serviceable update to an epic legacy, a hard enough feat in itself that garnered much praise. But after this second volume appeared a few years later, perhaps the conceptual accomplishments gave way to seeing some unimpressive songwriting for what it was. The production and attitude is all there to pull it off, especially well for fans of folk rock (mixed of course with the country sounds of Wilco), but to say this would be necessary to anyone who has the first volume and is not absolutely in love with it would be untrue. Having said that, the band continued to present a polished relevance to Guthrie's legacy in the authentic synergy Bragg and Wilco have. Some gems underneath the generic sounding majority may beckon the devoted to purchase this and spin a great mix from the two volumes.
Free Music Review: What did you expect, it's a sequel!
Hit: 3 Stars
Of course it's not as good as the first. They took the best material they had and used it on Volume 1. Well, mostly. Somehow they left behind "Remember the Mountain Bed," a wistful song with a fairy-tale quality; "Joe Dimaggio's Done It Again," a rollicking period piece; and "Feed Of Man," which I'm still a little puzzled by, but in a good way. I just noticed that the three songs I've mentioned are all sung by Jeff Tweedy. That may be a coincidence, but he does seem to take the reins of this project over from Billy Bragg. Bragg fans needn't worry, though; it's all about the lyrics, and the legacy of the greatest folksinger ever.