The Real Review

[elliegurl]

hi guys and girls happy friday to all...digging the new cd, drinking a glass of wine, school and work done for the week, have the stereo cranked and throughly enjoying my weekend...
you'll know when you get there...you'll find mercy

ellie
ps hey pass the oranges over here!

[dEvRoNiKa]

Oranges are inedible. If you do like oranges, (because you’re some kind of orange-loving-freak), you’re delusional. I’ve had oranges, and they’re not all that good. They used to be good, but my tastes have changed and I think there are different types of growers now, maybe some kind of jacked up insect spray they’re using on them, but now they are no good. There is little point in you having oranges when I’m telling you with 100% conviction that they’re citrus-y and somewhat sticky, riddled with an occasional unacceptable seed. They are also used in the vile production of “orange juice”, a drink which is completely disgusting and unnecessary, especially when there are vitamin C supplements readily available. You shouldn’t even bother with oranges because you won’t like them. After all, I don’t, and clearly I’m an expert in oranges because I’ve had them before. Oranges are really trying a little too hard to be lemons and should be ignored.
I give oranges two stars, obviously.
I’ve given this a lot of thought, so there is little need for you to bother to formulate your own opinion, as I’ve done your work for you. I’ve done my due diligence. You’re welcome.

I’ve never once, in my life, read a record review (even those that I agreed with 100%) that really meant anything. Is it meant to be a persuasive argument? A sales pitch? What is the motivation behind it? Do I trust it? Do I give a rat’s ?? I would argue that there’s never been a record review so compelling that it changed anyone’s mind about what worked for them, and this includes reviews that I’ve written myself (but just a handful, for a couple of publications and an on-line music review magazine) – and even in writing reviews that I believed to be solid / honest and objective, I couldn’t imagine what the purpose was. Worthless. Everyone’s going to draw their own conclusions. That’s what we do. We can argue it hither and yon and nary a difference will it make to any of us, ultimately.

I could give a damn if anyone else in the WORLD likes L Train.. I like it, and that’s all I need. Whether or not anyone else does is completely irrelevant.

What’s a record review, some half-assed attempt at peer pressure? A reviewer is some superior being that needs to bless my record purchase with their divine opinion? Qualified only by their ability to listen to music and type simultaneously? Am I so paralyzed by buyers remorse that I’m rendered unable to formulate my own opinion of a record without some kind of “professional” influence? IS there a charge for this service? It’s not the quality or the content of a record review that makes any difference, it’s your level of trust in the reviewer; your knowledge of their likes and dislikes in proportion to your own, and your general similar tastes in music. Even still … there are subtle differences, even in people who like almost the same type of music to the letter (ahem – like most people here). Not everything is going to work for everyone or suit the needs of every particular notion for all good people of the earth. A record review should start with a disclaimer: “if you value my opinion and generally, historically agree with my reviews – you may want to read this one too, as it’s possible you’ll make similar observations and nod your head knowingly ...” It’s nothing more than talking points (which it’s proven to be here as well), so perhaps reviews should be called something else.
I’d venture to say that the majority of reviews I’ve ever read typically feel like a platform for showing off how much internet-research they’ve done, how many other reviews they’ve read (and are ripping off terms from), and how little they care about being objective vs. sounding cool, elitist or hyper-intelligent.

Ah this thread has become so hijacked. I think the initial intent was sound and honest, heartfelt and objective, albeit an opinion no matter how you slice it. I’ve got one too, and it’s different. It’s also irrelevant and isn’t going to change anyone’s mind.

*I actually do love oranges.

[TragicFig]

As a "lurker" - someone who reads often but doesn't post much, I can honestly say that this is one of the coolest threads in ages. Good, substantive posts. Very cool.

Also, I supposed I don't post detailed reviews because I worship every thing the guy (Jay) puts out. He hits the occasional false note - so what? It adds to his awesome authenticity and willingness to explore in all directions, which are things I dig about the dude.

It has been years since I have felt the thrill of anticipation associated with an album release like I have this one. Jay continues to deliver moving, meaningful, melodic songs and shows no signs of letting up. We should all be thankful that there is somebody out there creating - as one reviewer aptly put it - "rock for the thinking man."

When I think of all the fucking dreck out there in the creative world I consider myself incredibly lucky to have discovered Jay Farrar and the Volt. Sure, we can critique if we want. Some of the points are well taken. But let's not lose sight of the bigger picture. Jay is a national treasure, and we should all be thankful that he's as prolific as he is. Let's hope it lasts a lifetime.

TF

[Trellis]

Trellis,
It seems that Adrenaline definitely had an effect on you albeit a sad one. That song, Underground, and Meth all evoke similar emotions for me. My question is whether this is simple exploitation on the part of the musician to be (forgive the pun) instrumental in creating these emotions. When I watch certain movies that have a very sad theme I sometimes feel exploited and sometimes not. In the case of Jay's music I do not.

No, I don't feel exploited at all... never even crossed my mind. This is my favorite song on the album (so far). For one thing, I don't think Jay cares enough about us to try to exploit us, and then, what would he stand to gain? In any case, this is a very strange song, as the many different experiences of it suggest. It defies conventions; I'm reminded a little of the lyrics to Cat Power's "Good Woman." I was wondering too (somebody mentioned this somewhere) if this isn't a sign fo some trouble for Jay. I'm sure it isn't; but the impulse to read it this way is what's interesting to me. It comes from the fact that those lines are so damn true. Maybe somebody he knows told him about having an experience like this. I know people who have, sort of I think. A particularly powerful form of the universal specific perhaps. In any case, damn fine lyrics.

[countryfeedback]

Dear Monkeygunner,

Good job on the review man. It took a lot of balls to be as critical as you were, or at least thats how some people saw it. But you were honest and sincere and you led to some good discourse (hopefully more will ensue). In fact your not knocking the album per se, your just critiquing it accordingly, and in my opinion you did a damn fine job. In fact we should change the title of your thread, to a constructive critique of The Search.

Keep it coming,
Countryfeedback

p.s. I do skip Jodel.

[countryfeedback]

I normally dont watch Scrubs, but my wife does. I ran into the living room, cause they were playing "Half A World Away" from Out of Time. One of my favorite songs of all time.

And yeah, I wish I had put my blurb under its own thread.

p.s. They did repeat my favorite episode (this season) of The Office tonight.

[Bozeman]

They played Bad Day during a Scrubs episode once, that might be the song you want. Great, great song, was on their latest "best of" albums as one of the few "new" songs. If you read the liner notes though, you'll see they wrote most of it a long time ago, which is why it has that old school sound.

[danmen]

You know the one thing that we always hear music critics say about a bands progession in regards to it's catalogue of music, is how that band reinvents itself. Critics throw that term around so loosely, that it really bugs me. I guess the purpose of "reinventing" is to avoid producing songs that all sound alike. I certainly dont think we can acuse Jay of this at all. However is it possible that artists become so concerned with this mentality that it sometimes drags down the quality of their music? REM was certainly labeled as a band deft at reinventing itself. But around the time of Monster, they jumped the shark. Michael Stipe started singing falsetos, they added all kinds of electronic textures and eventually Bill Berry left to heard sheep in Georiga or something like that. I really tried to like Up and whatever the next album was? Their last album Around The Sun, was the last straw (which ironically I think is also the name of a song from said album), I had heard enough. REM, my alltime favorite band, stuck in a six album, $80 milllion dollar contract with Warner, was producing crap.

Now I'am not saying this album is crap, far from it. I think it has moments of briliance, and certainly Jay is not playing music for the masses. He is doing his own thing and that is fine. But I wonder if the high pitched singing, alternate tunings, rotating bandmembers is really an indication of something else? Is Jay trying too hard to "reinvent" his music like the critics have subjected bands to do for so long? Or is Jay just doing his own thing, and God damn those who say otherwise?

This is a mite off topic, but Countryfeedback, if you (or anyone else) wathed tonight's Scrubs, they played a whole REM song at the end... name escapes me though... can someone name that tune?

[ScottZeagle]

If he was still doing Looking for a Way Out he wouldn't have fans. Guaranteed. You love change. You love growth. You love daring sensibilities. You love Jay's ability and huge courage to put himself out there with absolute beauty and honesty.

You nailed it, Baby Doll!!

(Um...can I call you baby doll?? I don't want to get shot!)

Jay has that Neil Young thing going, where he follows his muse and makes the records that he wants to make. If you like them, great...if not, fuck you, buddy.

That's why both of those guys are at the top of my list!!!

[Grifterwithafunnylittleha]

Dear Grifter,

I sent you to the store to get some peanuts for the recipe. On the way in my Beemer, you popped in the The Search, and listened to the namesake single on the way and then Heresy and Adrenaline on the way home (Satellite in the driveway.)

Every time you hear this recording, the tunes renew your faith in music to lift life up to the heavens, feel a sense that everything is going to work out all right ... Criticism is one thing; recognizing how somebody can touch your psyche and provide years of reflection is another.

On the way to pick up peanuts, you thought, "Jay is ingenious in his songwriting structures and ability to create sounds that aren't the same. He gives it over to the band. If he was still doing Looking for a Way Out he wouldn't have fans. Guaranteed. You love change. You love growth. You love daring sensibilities. You love Jay's ability and huge courage to put himself out there with absolute beauty and honesty. Fuck all you people. (That's My Sport Pony's-talk.)

You don't know what song you want to hear next. But if you put on the latest recording, Jay sings and THE VOLT rocks.

Love,
Baby Doll

[Tweety > Farha]

========================================================
REVIEW: SON VOLT "The Search"

Version: 0.1
Author: monkeygunner
Created: 07 Mar 07
Updated:
========================================================

As an addition to the Jay Farrar canon, this is a fitting one. As a huge fan that has followed Jay's music since the very beginning - for me - it's a solid effort by Farrar, who's publicist announces this effort as "the band's most daring and diverse album yet" a statement that scared the shit out of me when I heard it. Without reading *any* hype about this record, I was telling friends (those that would listen), 'if they use horns it's the beginning of the end.' There are a lot of firsts in this release for me. Below I list them all.

AT FIRST LISTEN I was surprised (almost shocked) by the opener "Slow Hearse." With Jay's simple piano approach repeating one line till closing. Not quite the barn burner I'd hoped for (who can forget TRACE's opener "Windfall?")

Then came my biggest fears realized. The dreaded horn section of "The Picture." Memphis-style or otherwise. At first listen I didn't hear it fully because of my shock. The good news is after getting past all that (and realizing it's the only song with horns) it's classic Farrar - a lyrically rich melody for the ages.

Next up is "Action" and I don't like it. It might be the opening vocal range that Jay opens with (I have no problem with Jay's vocal range choices but this one will take getting used too); or it might be the Robert Plant-esque ah-huh moments. It rocks out in peaks, adding keyboards from Derry deBorja who has a much larger role than ever before (providing mostly atmospherics).

"Underground Dream" just flat out fails to take me. Musically it's a lethargic effort that doesn't carry Jay's world class lyrics to any new heights. The lofty keyboards just seem to add to the huff, almost mocking it.

The ghost of Neil young can be heard in "Circadian Rhythm." A beautiful song with loopy guitar effects and just the right amount of distortion and keys to lead the listener into a hypnotic Utopian splendor. Jay's Oooo's are AWE-some. As well as his proclamation: "I can't stand anymore indecision."

"Beacon Soul" = classic Farrar lyrical code fragments carried forth by an upbeat melody that ends prematurely.

The very catchy "The Search" moves along finely and divinely. Keyboards work well here as they blend in with just the right amount of force. Brad Rice comes out to play at the close (not enough Brad this time out IMO - on the whole).

"Adrenaline and Heresy" a slow burner that didn't hook me until the phase: She said I still love you / Don't know if I want to spend the rest of my time with you / The rest of my life with you... High on adrenaline, It's a new day. (Love this song. Connection made. The love affair continues and remains strong).

With it's ARCWELDER guitar opening, "Satellite" might include biting commentary from the poetic master but the music itself is disjointed and unaffecting.

"Automatic Society" 'Cash back, You want fries with that?' A pop culture phase sneaking into Jay's lyricology is not new, but this familiar of one, is. Cool guitar chops and Zepplin-esque riff/slide guitar; couple that with muted vocal effects when all that is going down - just doesn't hit any chord with me. A first for me and Jay's music. I'll make it fit in time, but until then, this is a fast forwarder (another first) for me (in case you're wondering; I ALWAYS listen to Jodel).

The shining moment for me comes when "Methamphetamine" hits my ears and my brain soaks up its riveting melody driven deeper by Eric Haywood's magical steel pedal. A much *fuller* version when all I had to go on was a live acoustic recording taken off stage at a festival awhile back.

When "L Train" hits the station, The ride's almost over and it's obvious at this point that it's winding down. A descent song but somethings missing. It's at this moment the band starts exposing (not removing) it's roots.

Love the duet with Shannon McNally here on "Highways and Cigarettes." Eric's crying steel pedal adds to the 'return to the familiar' soundstage that Son Volt does so very and comfortably well.

Closing with "Phosphate Skin" - another one that hasn't resonated with me yet.

This record is the first Son Volt album that I can assuredly say has visible influences coming out of it. Not as bad as Wilco's BEING THERE and not so much to take anything away from originality, but the familiarity is recognizable and luckily works to their advantage. Lyrically Farrar's still one of the best singer/songwriters recording and touring today. And it's the first time I've noticed his words formed with choruses and not stream of conscious blocks. Sonically, it's a more generic approach to the unique style that has served me happily for over a decade. Currently, there are 4 songs I don't care so much for.

And finally,THE ALBUM ART is horrible and I don't like the title. I know it's not just about me. But just try telling me that. (PLAY IT LOUD).

My review: If you put all the good songs from The Search on to one disk, you would have a half-filled EP.

[Bill Carson]

one of the few perks of being a member of this crowd whose posts often seem to either end threads or get ignored is the weird kind of 'freedom' that results. for example, i feel free to write things like "the tunes with heywood on them are as formulaic and stilted as anything on the record except for the "picture" horns," without much fear of starting a feud or an endless succession of inside jokes, etc.

i think this is the best album jay has made since wide swing tremolo, if such a metric is even meaningful. the aforementioned absence of lead guitar is fine with me to the extent that there is no such absence of big guitar riffs. maybe that's part of coming from a punk/indie background, but what the fuck? have we forgotten that jay comes from a punk/indie background, too? have we somehow decided that's just a "tweedy" thing?

last Saturday i spun a vinyl copy of WST, and was blown away for the ten millionth time by how, for all its sonic diversity, the record still "worked" as a beginning to end experience. as with exile on main street and spiderland and sister lovers, i think i'm only going to listen to it in its entirety.

anyay, the search is also album rock in the best sense of the word. i still don't like the horns on the picture, for example, but they make much more sense in their element than they do when heard in the context of the 'single.' son volt isn't a singles band, you know?

maybe most importantly, jay's new lyrical style has broken through its developmental phase; whether or not it's attractive to you, the search chronicles a certain kind of experience in a certain kind of society no less than trace. in the same way that i don't think trace is as politically neutral as some would like, i don't think the search can be written off as an anti-war screed in the way one could write off okemah. jay's words gloss people, places, things, sentiments and violence, but jay's words also revile in their own richness. if not writing about writing, jay joins william carlos williams, wallace stevens and 1,000 other great american modernist poets when he lets his works take his songs in directions he didn't originally intend for them to go. contrary to pretentious anti-intellectual's opinions, i don't think this is the road to incoherence. at least to my irish-catholic ass, there's nothing incoherent about

carried so far under the cross
manifestoes to keep us sane
in times so weary of confluct
silent answers and silent blame.

no matter how far out they get, jay's new style of poetic adventuring has developed to the point where we can always count on a precious moment of coming up for air a la "everyone faces what they deserve' or 'it's not easy to change/not losing this thirst.' i'm not ready to say that this is his best work ever, but i will say that, more than Okemah, this record is the big payoff of the solo, experimental years. or maybe just the first big payoff, cuz god knows what the hell will come next. i kind of hope he makes another sparse solo acoustic record, actually, because i think i'll be digesting this record's wide-ass pallette for two more years. there is SO much happening here.

so riddle me this: why is it that, despite my love for every damned thing jay's done, and despite his almost scary high level of output, that i still feel compelled to the streets screaming "Jay's Back!" maybe it's son volt that's back, now. maybe the correct toast would be, "son volt (1.0) is dead! long live son volt (2.0)."

Good post.

[saratoga jay]

great post, dude.

[saratoga jay]

one of the few perks of being a member of this crowd whose posts often seem to either end threads or get ignored is the weird kind of 'freedom' that results. for example, i feel free to write things like "the tunes with heywood on them are as formulaic and stilted as anything on the record except for the "picture" horns," without much fear of starting a feud or an endless succession of inside jokes, etc.

i think this is the best album jay has made since wide swing tremolo, if such a metric is even meaningful. the aforementioned absence of lead guitar is fine with me to the extent that there is no such absence of big guitar riffs. maybe that's part of coming from a punk/indie background, but what the fuck? have we forgotten that jay comes from a punk/indie background, too? have we somehow decided that's just a "tweedy" thing?

last Saturday i spun a vinyl copy of WST, and was blown away for the ten millionth time by how, for all its sonic diversity, the record still "worked" as a beginning to end experience. as with exile on main street and spiderland and sister lovers, i think i'm only going to listen to it in its entirety.

anyay, the search is also album rock in the best sense of the word. i still don't like the horns on the picture, for example, but they make much more sense in their element than they do when heard in the context of the 'single.' son volt isn't a singles band, you know?

maybe most importantly, jay's new lyrical style has broken through its developmental phase; whether or not it's attractive to you, the search chronicles a certain kind of experience in a certain kind of society no less than trace. in the same way that i don't think trace is as politically neutral as some would like, i don't think the search can be written off as an anti-war screed in the way one could write off okemah. jay's words gloss people, places, things, sentiments and violence, but jay's words also revile in their own richness. if not writing about writing, jay joins william carlos williams, wallace stevens and 1,000 other great american modernist poets when he lets his works take his songs in directions he didn't originally intend for them to go. contrary to pretentious anti-intellectual's opinions, i don't think this is the road to incoherence. at least to my irish-catholic ass, there's nothing incoherent about

carried so far under the cross
manifestoes to keep us sane
in times so weary of confluct
silent answers and silent blame.

no matter how far out they get, jay's new style of poetic adventuring has developed to the point where we can always count on a precious moment of coming up for air a la "everyone faces what they deserve' or 'it's not easy to change/not losing this thirst.' i'm not ready to say that this is his best work ever, but i will say that, more than Okemah, this record is the big payoff of the solo, experimental years. or maybe just the first big payoff, cuz god knows what the hell will come next. i kind of hope he makes another sparse solo acoustic record, actually, because i think i'll be digesting this record's wide-ass pallette for two more years. there is SO much happening here.

so riddle me this: why is it that, despite my love for every damned thing jay's done, and despite his almost scary high level of output, that i still feel compelled to the streets screaming "Jay's Back!" maybe it's son volt that's back, now. maybe the correct toast would be, "son volt (1.0) is dead! long live son volt (2.0)."

great post, dude.

[sturgeongeneral]

Trellis,
It seems that Adrenaline definitely had an effect on you albeit a sad one. That song, Underground, and Meth all evoke similar emotions for me. My question is whether this is simple exploitation on the part of the musician to be (forgive the pun) instrumental in creating these emotions. When I watch certain movies that have a very sad theme I sometimes feel exploited and sometimes not. In the case of Jay's music I do not.