Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill
|
Our Price: $11.98 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $5.98 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Down Colorful Hill
Free Music Review: depressingly beautiful...
Hit: 5 Stars
I remember some years ago when I bought this album, being a hardcore fan of several 4AD acts and not knowing anything about RHP but a live concert review from Lizardlounge magazine, how a strong experience it was: the sparse and obscure production (remember that this was a compilation of some polished demo recordings) yet technically never in the low quality side, but the most important, a quite emotional concept, Mark's personal and miserable lyrics full of vulnerability and self research that drilled my soul immediately, I wondered how brave a guy must be to be able to sing this bared emotions without crumbling down or deviating to certain common places, that and the out of trend musical arrangements, the exotic tuning and minimalism of Gorden's guitar parts and the sometimes martial band drumming... this was something special and will be forever, probably a more complicated affair than the posterior bridge and rollercoaster albums but for me their best. Try it please. Free Music Review: A perfect album no matter what mood you are in
Hit: 4 Stars
This album ranks up there with most of the Red House Painters albums. Unbelievable lyrics and melodies. I am really glad I added this ablum to my Red House collection. Perfect for rainy days.Free Music Review: One of the Few Flawless Albums in Existence
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first bought this CD, I was actually pretty angry that it only had six songs. However, several of those songs are quite long, and so at least in terms of length, you don't get the feeling of just listening to an EP. It's also a concept album, even more than the other RHP records, because it is probably the most concentrated on one issue: emotional breakdown. The album begins by taking apart the issue of growing older and dealing with the anxiety of losing youth. Then, you get two tracks both concentrating on the difficulties of effectively communicating emotion to a lover in a very intense relationship and the consequences involved. "Down Colorful Hill" is at the heart of the album and sums up the desperation Kozelek feels in his "prayers for success". (This could possibly mean the success of his career, as well, but more than likely it's just success in general.) "Lord Kill the Pain" is a very sarcastic song that wishes the rest of the world would just die so Kozelek wouldn't have to deal with anyone or anything anymore. The real genius of the album comes in with the closer "Michael", which is perhaps the most touching song, lyrically, I have ever come across. In it, Kozelek recounts his youthful experiences with his friend who ended up become a worthless bum many years after their friendship. For Kozelek to label such a person as his "best friend" shows an insight into human love that most people, let alone musicians, don't have the capacity for.
I fell in love with the lyrics of this album first, and then slowly I came to love the music. I don't know if it's the best place to start if you're trying to get into RHP, though. I think Rollercoaster or Retrospective are probably the best places to start. I highly recommend DOWN COLORFUL HILL to the already-interested RHP/Kozelek fans.
Free Music Review: An imperfect first album, but "Medicine Bottle" astounds
Hit: 3 Stars
DOWN COLORFUL HILL was the debut of Red House Painters, Mark Kozelek's exploration-of-angst band that put out some of the most haunting music on the 4AD label. While it is very immature compared to the albums that came after it, in fact this is the band's demo tape for the label, DOWN COLORFUL HILL does give a glimpse of the potential of Kozelek and the skilled musicians Anthony Koutsos (drums), Gordon Mack (guitar), and Jerry Vessel (bass).In "24", Kozelek expresses fear of his own mortality and the feeling that his life is amounting to nothing. It is slow but by no means boring, in fact its pace matches the lyricism perfectly.
The highlight of the album is definitely "Medicine Bottle", an elegy for a broken relationship that goes for nearly ten minutes. In it, Kozelek sings of the pain of losing a girlfriend because she could not understand that he, like all people, could not put into words his deepest thoughts. The listener is amazed as he sings "I do not want to lose / the thrill that it gives me to look out from my window / and scowl at the houses from my world in the bedroom. / It's all in his head she read / in a girlfriend's self-help book..." It was remarkable how Kozelek could express the angst so many men feel between adolescence and 30.
"Japanese to English" is ambitious and musically brilliant, and closely follows "Medicine Bottle". It does suffer a bit from Kozelek's failure to consistent match the beat of the lyrics to the instrumentation, but the listener doesn't notice it much under the right-on-target drumming of Koutsos and the the lush guitar.
Unfortunately, some of the album is not as strong. "Lord Kill the Pain" is so dull as to be unlistenable. "Michael", a tale of a friend lost to deliquency, is difficult for the reader to grasp if he or she has never been in the same situation.
DOWN COLORFUL HILL is probably not the best introduction to Red House Painters. Their first self-titled album, referred to as the "Rollercoaster cover", is an easier listen and includes the perfect "Katy Song." However, if you've enjoyed other RHP albums, DOWN COLORFUL HILL is worth getting for "Medicine Bottle" alone.
Free Music Review: A true artist gifted with extra-ordinary talent...
Hit: 5 Stars
His soul plays the quitar, His heart sings the lyrics. No pretension, No excuses, no fear, just pure truth. He graciously and honestly shares with us his intimate, and personal life memories and experiences. He tells us of his delicate observations of others that come into his life through a lover or a friend. Many songs are of lost loves, heartbreak and lost friends, because Mark writes about the stuff of life that really matters. True to his passion and dedicated to his gift, with no compromises. I honor and thank him for the music he has given to us all. I am also grateful for the time I shared with him. The heartache that followed eventually became overshadowed by the joy of just being able to know him.
Down Colorful Hill is my favorite of all RHP cd's. Some favored songs are Michael, Medicine Bottle, Uncle Joe, Lord Kill the Pain, Katy Song, etc..etc, and all solo guitar. Amazing.
Most beloved songs ....New Jersey and Trailways, of course! ....