Smog - River Ain't Too Much to Love
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Free Music Notes for River Ain't Too Much to Love
Free Music Review: "I GAVE IT A COUPLE OF HOOTS!"
Hit: 5 Stars
4.5 stars. Togheter with "Knock Knock", "Dongs Of Sevotion" and "Sometimes I Wish
We Were An Eagle" this is Bill Callahan's finest album.
Compared to some of his earlier work there is a real gentle tone to a lot of the songs,
and as always he comes up with those single lines that are strangely moving, like the
part in "Rock Bottom Riser" where he goes: "I saw a gold ring at the bottom of the river..."
He is one of very few artists who is capable of saying a lot with few words, and he has
that deep baritone, somewhere between talking and singing, that emphasize the words.
As everything else I write on Amazon, this is a simple recommendation, not a review,
and as the stars go, I sometimes find it difficult to decide on four or five stars. Strictly
speaking the full five stars ought to be reserved for the near faultless albums, where
the quality never drops, and in some ways I think a scale up to ten would be an better
indication of how good an album is. On some albums the highlights carry so much
weight that it feels natural to give it 5 stars, even if the standard drops a little on
a few songs.
Say Valley Maker, The Well, Rock Bottom Riser, Drinking At The Dam and Let Me See The
Colts are all GREAT songs, and the rest isn't too far behind.
Free Music Review: Buy this album.
Hit: 5 Stars
I love Smog. Smog is original to himself and has a sort of unpretentious tenderness that only he can get away with. His voice is different and even when being simple he is complex. makes you feel the isolation and tenderness of life. life. generally speaking. starts off with palimpsest- a song that makes you feel like we do understand eachother. " why is everybody looking at me like there's something fundamentally wrong. like I'm a southern bird, that went north to long. with winter exposes the nests and I'm gone." not to make this review into some piece to listen the emotions of this album. But I feel like Smog expresses something that no one else can. Using simple melodies Smog can still keep a song interesting. unique voice. touches a dark warm spot. sult innocent introspection. rock bottom riser, rock bottom riser, and say valley maker best songs. a humanship that we understand when we search. lively humbleness and realization. raw yet together thoughts, like someone self assured is speaking from the heart. in touch with nature album. truly amazing.Free Music Review: powerful music
Hit: 5 Stars
I have heard of Smog for years. It was two years ago that I finally saw him
play. It was in San Francisco in 2003. Cat Power was in the audience standing
next to me. I was shocked by the minimal-ness of his sound. It's storytelling
and it's the bare minimum. Bill Callahan makes the most intimate music. The
only thing that it brings to mind is the early Leonard Cohen record. It's slow
and quiet. His voice is unique and expressive enough itself. He is one of those
musicians who I think are more like a novelist than a regular musician. You
just have to sit back and listen. You have to picture in your mind the world he
describes so well in "Say Valley Maker" and "In The Pines." It's mellow
music but on songs like "The Well" things pretty intense. The speed of this song
is a little more than I am used to by Smog. This is a pretty interesting
recording.
Free Music Review: There's a lot to love about River
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is fantastic. All I can say is that Bill Callahan rarely dissapoints, and he definitely delivers again A River Ain't Much to Love. For the uninitiated, Smog has a similar vibe to The Velvet Underground, and Leonard Cohen. But don't let that distract you because this guy still maintains a great deal of originality. This album was recorded in Willie Nelson's studio, and you can definitely detect a bit of folk/country flavor on this album. The song Rock Bottom Riser is a complete standout. I would say that if you are new to Smog this as good as any point to jump in, as all of his works are pretty consistent. If you're an old fan this album will nto dissapoint, and you'll probably find this to be his best album since Dongs of Sevotion or Red Apple Falls.Free Music Review: Best Of The Year
Hit: 5 Stars
I place this album at the top of my best of the year list. I have to be careful though, because the songs get stuck and play over and over in my head. I don't want to compare this to anyone else...it lives on it's own. Bill is a poet who knows how to invent the perfect music to get his words across. I got to witness him and his band perform this music the other night in a small smokey bar and it was just wonderful (except for the smoke). The drummer, Jim White, is one of the best in the business. Don't miss this one.