Urban Folk music reviews

When I played "The Wolf," I realized what a wonderful songwriter this artist is; But it was listening to the rest of the CD that made me fall in love with Catie and her music. And darn, I've been missing it and her all this time. John Gorka backs her on "Troubled Mind", still my favorite song of longing: "I'm tired of being strong ... let me lay down in your arms." How often I've wanted the words for those feelings. Her music is always thoughtful, but the quality is light and some cuts are just downright fun.
Don't let the gay element scare you--love is just love after all, and all the lyrics can apply to any combination. I am working on getting all of Catie's CDs, and this one plays every day several times on my stereo. Go Catie!! [reminds me of Dar Williams' lyric "I have never had a way with women, but ... make me wish that I could"]

A friend of mine loaned me this CD...let's just say that I now own *all* of Catie Curtis' work. She is a remarkable songwriter who is still developing. This is her most raw, unpolished work, but i like it that way. "Troubled Mind" is one of the best ballads i've heard in a long time.

Crash Course in Roses is also a great album...

If you like folk / singer-songwriter acoustic music, you'll love all her work.

I first heard this CD when a friend of mine wanted to play me the song "Radical." I loved the great melody, guitar playing, and beautiful lyrics. I went out and got the CD and out of my whole collection it is definitely it my top three most played CD's. Troubled Mind is a beautiful duet. I also love Slave to my Belly. The Cd is full of great songs and a real appreciation for life. I recommend this CD to anyone who is a fan of great female musicians.

This is Luka Bloom's second album, and it remains an astounding achievement. Like many Irishmen, he has a deep need to brood and give voice to his melancholy. He does so with such grace and passion, that it is hard to not get swept up by his emotional power. At the same time, he's got a delightfully inspiring sense of humor. How else would you explain a faithfully rendered version of LL Cool J's "I Need Love," performed as if it were truly a folk ballad, complete with a fiddler in the fade?

Luka's beauty also rests in his national pride, most evident in "This Is Your Country" and in the disc's closing number "Be Well." I remember having to explain the line "an Atlantic sunset fills your mind" to a man who thought that Luka had committed a ridiculous geographical gaffe. But it's easy to hear his commitment to this music in his voice. Only once on "The Acoustic Motorbike" is there a slip into the lyrically awkward, and that his attempt at the vaguely political "Listen To the Hoofbeat." There is still enough firepower musically to cover that minor quibble.

He also plays a stunning live show, and if you ever get to see him play, do so. You will be richer for it.

Would highly recommend,A great blend of lyrics and music this material is not dated.

It's difficult to describe this album as it has a really unique style and sound. For some reason, the word 'cool' comes to mind.

I first heard Luka Bloom on some obscure video channel playing his rendition of L.L. Cool J's 'I Need Love'. Luka Bloom's version is fantastic. Rather than drum beats and rap you'll find the acoustic guitar and Luka's accent while 'rapping' setting the song apart. It's worth it for this song alone.

As with many pleasantly surprising finds, the rest of the songs are also fantastic. There are some mellow pieces and some rather rocking pieces, all driven by his acoustic guitar. Yet there are other subtle instrumentations that make their way into your hearing with repeated listenings. It has grown on me over the years and I have yet to tire of it. A good find if you're looking for something a bit apart from the mainstream.

this is my fourth Luka album, after 'Turf','Keeper of the Flame', and 'Between the Mountain and the Moon', so I am definitely getting to hear his works out of order...no matter though..as this is a definite early gem. I absolutely love 'Delirious'..it gets me up with a smile in the mornings. The fact is, not many artists can get away (as another reviewer put it) yelping, yawping, (great word) and generally going off into impromptu tangents. It never feels stilted or predictable. Lovely. can't wait to get all of his albums-Amoeba, here I come.

Despite all the great albums he's released since, this is my absolute favorite, with not a weak track (even "Irishman in Chinatown", a song he won't sing live, is charmingly goofy)....maybe because it was my first encounter with his fantastic talent back in 1990. Some favorite songs are "Dreams in America", "You Couldn't Have Come at a Better Time", "Gone to Pablo", "Over the Moon", "Delirious"....you get the picture! So strong, fervent, deeply felt, sigh.....if you're a Luka fan you HAVE to own this album!

While on vacation with my wife in California, a friend made me a tape of "Riverside". As we drove the coast from Astoria to L.A., I listened to "Riverside" several times. I fell in love with it right off. It never gets old. That was about 8 years ago. Last weekend I was on the road again, and I happened to bring that same tape with me. I listened to it again, and it touched me the way no other music really ever has. Even though I had listened to the tape many times, it was like I really "heard" it for the first time. "This Is For Life" touched me deeply. "Dreams" and "Man Is Alive"..... I can't describe the feelings they invoke. I absolutely "feel" this music. I remember some years back, I was listening to "Dreams In America" and it really affected me. I brought it to some friends house and asked them to listen to it, hoping that they too would feel the emotions and power that I had, but I think they just thought I was crazy. I like this music the most when I am traveling alone through beautiful country like southern utah, or california, or high desert.... buy it and listen and it will touch your life......

I listened to this album and think it is a good effort and partially concur that although it is reminiscent of the shimmer of Al Green,it packs no where near the emotion and punch of the great rev.Green.More importantly,I would love to understand how on earth Amazon groups this album with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,The Shins and Sun Kil Moon.The only similarities I can discern is that all of them released CDs.

The Soul of John Black is a band...not a man. No gangsta-rap crap here. Their sound is classic funk and soul with a dash of hip-hop, rock and even some folky interludes with an acoustic guitar. You can hear many various influences hear but I think the most prominent are Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Lenny Kravitz. This is better than just your basic funk CD because their songwriting and musical craftsmanship are quite good.

Don't listen to anyone that tells you differently that this album isn't awesome. Especially track #3 titled "Joy", it is an instant classic that any chick would melt to hear. Though I do have to admit it is in the style of the classic Al Green, Otis Redding and such but don't get me wrong these guys don't sound a bit out-dated only that you can feel these songs as well as hear them, much like the greats. If you are reading this, buy the album you won't be disappointed.

This product just had the right amount of the songs I was looking for.

It's too bad this is in the "Shame It's Out-of-Print" File, because it's an excellent and diverse collection, and the sound quality is strong. If you find it at a CD exchange or in the remainders somewhere, nab it. It spans the entire decade of the 70's and the entire range of sounds, from classic rock to pop to funk to disco and even a few country songs. It's a heck of a lot of fun to just load all three discs into your machine and let 'em play through. There are plenty of big hits among the 40 selections--"Dust In the Wind," "More Than A Feeling," "Free Ride," etc--but there are also a wealth of songs I had completely forgotten, such as "We Just Disagree," "Third Rate Romance," and "Arizona." A great mix, and a fun trip down Memory Lane.

FYI: The use of the term "box set" is a bit of a misnomer; it comes in a standard-size double jewel case.

I must admit. Before I purchased this collection I DID check the reviews of this disc set,and I am glad I did. This disc set is everything the other reviewers said it was. It was well recorded, the cuts on the disc were most enjoyable. This is my opinion. If you are looking for the music you remember, done the way you remember it, look for the Sony or other recognizable labels. I have purchased other labels and despite what the record company says, the disc sets are first, second, or re-records. Not always done well. I believe this set will please just about everybody who is a 70's fan.

Bob Doyle

`Little` is Vic's first album. He's referred to his early songs as "art-therapy", an exorcism of the demons of his middle-Georgia upbringing through his adopted art. Safe in his wheelchair, and in his new Athens G.A. bohemia, Vic was free to vent the bristling inner torment, long suppressed. "I am not victim/I am an atheist" he sings in `Speed Racer` with his devoutly Christian parents now distanced. The resulting catharsis is harrowing, erratic and suitably bare-boned and minimal. It is a relief that it is also offset by Vic's wit (`Soft Picasso` is about a modern love affair, "completely cool and casual/they hardly knew each other was there") and idiosyncratic wordplay, and complemented by his non-repetitive story-telling technique. This is Vic before his voice was tempered, before the tunes were polished, before arrangements were made and before he started writing with an attentive audience in mind. This is the purists' record, and brilliant and unique it is.

Warnings are in order for the uninitiated - this album is addictive! Raw and unrefined, *Little* may very well be the essential Vic. I first heard this work on vinyl many years ago; I finally wore the grooves off the old LP and decided to break down and buy the CD. It is a piece of art that I have continued to enjoy over many years, and through many changes in musical taste.

This listener finds Vic's edgy lyricism to be a beautiful thing. However, if you are a fan of slick, highly produced recordings, this may NOT be the album for you. Also, if you are one of those who do not enjoy hearing the accents of the rural South, you may want to give it a pass. Everybody else, dig in!

An all-time favorite.

Just a guitar and wonderful lyrics. The few added tonal arrangements that are on the album seem like an intrusion on a quiet prayer session. The lyrics are quite unique I think. Not about fire and love and loss or anger, but simply describing the little things in the world. This effecting album reminds me of t.s. eliot's description of the end of the world--as a whimper, rather than a loud bang. I wish vic chestnutt would make some other simple albums like this one.

Some folks accused Vic of "selling out" when About to Choke came out on a major label. If he sold out, I don't see how. The music is classic Chesnutt, with maybe a bit of restraint. This is a very, very good CD, and one any fan of Chesnutt should own. (If you're into Chesnutt, be sure to get Brute, a one-off project with Widespread Panic backing Vic. It's AWESOME!) As good as this is, it still doesn't live up to the great trio of CDs he gave the world: Is the Actor Happy, Drunk and West of Rome. Those are absolutely essential. This is highly recommended. But start with the others and work your way to this CD, which I DO NOT consider a sell-out. It's good stuff...

Strange. Vic Chesnutt is appreciated for being original. A little out of the ordinary. Something I for one am attracted to. Than why is it that I like this album the best? It is probably the most polished and commercially correct album of the lot. Still, the songs are so very strong and the quality of the album is so consistent, that this album stands the test of time.

I van recommend this album to anyone considering buying ther first 'Chesnutt'. You won't be disappointed.

For the last couple of years, I had thought that "Is the Actor Happy?" (1995) and "The Salesman and Bernadette" (1998) were my favorite Vic Chesnutt albums. It would perhaps make sense that the album VC made in the interim, "About to Choke" (1996), would be of similar quality. And having listened to it another dozen or so times, which you have to do to fully appreciate this artist, I now will admit that the album may be the best of the bunch. The songs "Degenerate" and "Giant Sands" in particular are probably in the Top 10 VC songs of all time. "Little Vacation" is a load of fun to listen to. I agree with the earlier post about the terms "genius" and "classic" being tossed about too often. But the trilogy of "Actor", "Choke" and "Salesman", taken together, in my mind, redefine those terms.

throughout Epiphany In Brooklyn, Brenda Kahn's acoustic guitar strums along with a fiery drive that enforces her sharp songwriting skills. her songs are stories littered with colourful characters and broken bleeding hearts. the music is Dylan-esque in it's basic approach, but employs plenty of heart and soul to make it stand out as her own. this is a superb collection of songs with "She's In Love" probably being my all time favorite. Brenda has a skill for penning some great lyrics and she comes accross as a master storyteller with a sarcastic smirk that seems to cut both ways. i first bought this album on cassette after seeing her "Eggs On Drugs" video on some very small independent music video show years and years ago. eventually, i wore the tape out and was saddened to learn that this cd went out of print. thankfully, i got lucky when i found this in a used bin and i've been enjoying relistening back to these great songs full of love, life, wisdom and wit.

I first heard it on college radio, and my friend who worked there got me a demo of the CD before it came out. I was stoked.

She is as talented a lyricist as any out there, and actually sings beautifully. More hardcore and opinionated than the early Jewel CDs (which is fine with me), but it would be hard to place her in a category.

Brenda Kahn's second record is an insane hybrid of a half dozen branches of the Rock An' Roll tree. If the idea of Joe Strummer and Leonard Cohen meeting up on Avenue A at three A.M. sparks an interest, then this album is probably the soundtrack to your best dreams. Kahn is sometimes unfairly lumped in with "anti-folk" or "chick rock", which is a lot like saying the Beatles were a decent Brit-Pop band. Of course they were, but it doesn't even begin to start there. Brenda's gifts are jaded storytelling, raw performance, and a delicious sense of irony. Her music feels like New York after a midday drizzle, people just beginning to put away their umbrellas as they race through the town, a million stories hidden under full length coats. There's heartbreak here, but a snide sense of hope, too- in most languages that's the basis for adventure. While its fair to say this isn't a perfect album, its beauty often lies in its flaws- tiny achievements in their own right. Brenda Kahn was unfortuantely not destined for celebrity status. But that doesn't mean her brilliance needs to be ignored by people of taste. Buy a copy- and one of the follow-up, Destination Anywhere- and prepare for a truly singular experience in a copycat world.

i've never really heard of her until I heard an excerpt of Troubled Mind...so, I ran out and bought the cd, excited to listen. when i finished listening, i had mixed feelings. the music is all right, kind of the cliche ani difranco kind of tone to it, but there were also a few pretty depressing songs.

There seems to be an epidemic of comparisons in todays music culture; Curtis, like all artists, deserves to be appreciated for what she puts forth into the somewhat brutal commercial sphere of music. Her efforts on this album ring forth clearly. She is truly a rare artist who seems focused on expression and not other people's perception. I have been lucky enough to see her live in a small setting; she carries within her an uplifting honesty and integrity in her lyrics, music, and performance. She is not to be overlooked soooooooo check her out!

Catie Curtis excells in telling a story like the poetess she is and combined with her excellent musical abilities and a great band, the results are breath taking. Particularly listen to her "Dad's Yard" an homage to her own father that makes one realize the simple truths of parental love.

Too bad that this is the only recording offered these days by this absolutely terrific musician. This is a good CD for big fans like me but probably not the most approachable for new fans.

Lo que valoro de este album es la actitud. Una propuesta redonda, postura ir?nica, sencillez muy cruda y canciones para ser cantadas y recordadas siempre. Los grillos y camiones, como fondo sonoro, completan la idea de que lo simple, natural y espont?neo, unidos a una buena voz, puede ser lo m?s bello y efectivo.

Like so many other artists (see Tracy Chapman), Michelle Shocked's early music is consistently impressive, and consequently eclipses her more recent work. That's not to say her recent albums are rubbish - it's just that 'The Texas campfire tapes' and 'Short sharp shocked' were so so good.

The story goes that this album was recorded on a Walkman, sitting beside a campfire at an eighties folk festival. Listening carefully, you can believe it - the sound of people yelling, trucks revving and crickets chirping can be heard behind Shocked's singing and strumming. '5 a.m in Amsterdam', 'The ballad of Patch-eye and Meg' and 'The secret to a long life (is knowing when it's time to go)' are my favourites here. Get this for its chilled-out, reflective mood, then try to get hold of 'Short sharp shocked' for its sassiness!