Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Couldn’t handle the vocal style.

If If only If only you If only you could STFU

A pretty cool album, better than most other country and other similar music I hear, but I'm not sure I was quite into it. Perhaps I'll listen another time, but I do feel like he could've taken some of the elements further to make it more interesting, to me at least.

Nick Cave does Nick Drake, and it’s suffocating.

Nope. Not at all. And why is it labeled rock?

Not for me.

Excellent - unique, and at the same listenable.

Naming an album "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle," then naming a song "Too Many Birds," is pretty high on the Wank-o-Meter. The last song, "Faith / Void," is almost as long as either side of the split of the two infinitely-better bands. But, oh God, is it BORING.

Not a single positive thing I can say about this.

I was expecting to like this but the first few songs didn't really grab me. It grew on me far more thereafter, then almost lost me again with a final song that takes ages to say very little. That almost knocked it back down to a three, but not quite.

Well I love Eagles and have a great respect for them. Not how I feel about this album

Sort of Nick Drake-like

I like his vocals, decent folkie stuff.

I read the name of this album and thought, “oh no.” Then I saw its genre and I thought, “ugh no thanks.” Then I started track one and heard his voice and it confirmed my suspicions. 20 seconds later it clicked. I didn’t love a couple of these songs but the rest were excellent. I’m glad I gave this a chance because albums like this are why I began this project.

I like his voice, but an album is a bit much

at least it was interesting

Folk, folk, folk, too many!

I hate this Leonard Cohen style talk-singing. Gets a star for having pretty great music behind his talking. this'd make an amazing instrumental actually.

I’ve heard this before and I own it. My wife loves this album and listened to it nonstop for a year to the point I got kinda sick of it, but that was a number of years ago. Originally I found this to be boring, but I realized it’s just restrained. The restrained vocals work really well overall with the acoustic instruments, the melodies are good, and it’s a nice soothing record for a fall day.

Pretty good, never really listened to Callahan befroe but I enjoyed it

It was... fine. My Friend is the standout track.

Removed Album #47 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) From the Vault #54 (April 26, 2026) Never heard of this album or artist before, but I think I can safely guess that this will be a singer/songwriter folk album when looking at the album name and cover art. Here goes. Alt-country. Oh well, I was close enough. This is yet another millennial album. I sincerely hope that the 1001 Albums list isn't an adequate reflection of what millennials were listening to at the time, because man if this music ain't unremarkable. Fortunately for me, it's still listenable by virtue of being somewhat milquetoast. Callahan isn't much in the way of a vocalist, but his breathy voice carries these songs adequately and his voice is paired nicely with the instrumentation. The instrumentals are a little samey and droning, but I didn't mind them. There's a pleasant, bassy sound to most of them. If there's one definite con to this album, it's that the songwriting can be a little eye-rolling at points with how unearned the quirky irreverence is. Other than that, I didn't mind this album. Time to figure out why this album was removed from later editions of the book. It was presumably added to the 2010 edition of the book and removed from either the 2013 or 2016 update (I don't have a scan of the 2010 or 2013 editions). The entry for this album says that Callahan originally belonged to a lo-fi band called Smog before pivoting to a solo career. He's "...something of a highly regarded indie maven", apparently. The songs are simplistic because they're largely recorded in one take, which I suppose earns him omega millennial hippie cred. He's a millennionaire. The album was inspired by crime novels and 70s country music. It's "...something both lush and ramshackle, funny and moving." Wikipedia says this album was well-received by critics and had modest success in a few Western countries, but that's about it. So, why was this album removed? I'm not entirely sure. Callahan isn't a prominent musician, but I think it can safely be said that he's a prolific artist with how many albums he's managed to put out over his career and how solid his run with the critics has been. This album also appears to be one of those inclusions which coasts by purely on it appeal with the critics rather than its appeal with general audiences. Anyways, I think I can let the one slide. There are probably better reps for 2000s alt-country and indie folk music than this album, though to the credit of this music, it is a good representation of what a sizeable chunk of people were listening to during the time. For that reason, I cosign this inclusion.

I've rambled on about how I can't tolerate country on this site a good amount before, but so-called alt-country has been an exception to the rule, as there's been a few bands in the said sub-genre that I've actually liked quite a bit. This honestly is even less "proper" country as the few bands I'm already familiar with. Which is actually not a bad thing. This is rather good, even. Probably won't go into further listening later on, but a solid three stars it is, easily.

Mixture of spoken work poetry, alt country, and soft ruminations. A light and lovely listen for a Saturday afternoon spent reading and dozing.

A real surprise, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this blend of folk and country as much as I did but it had a bit of edge to it that I often find lacking in those genres.

Dull, very dull, unbelievably dull. It wasn't painful, it is music there's no denying that. It just doesn't get my attention in any way. The music is slow and monotonous, his voice is monotonous and boring. I made it all the way through so it gets 2 stars, and that feels generous.

The arrangements and lyrical work are strong enough for me to be very forgiving of the monotonous vocals, but I truly think these songs deserve a much more emotional performance.

Kind of a revelation. I've been a (Smog) skeptic my whole life (though that hasn't prevented me from mumbling along with "Cold Blooded Old Times" whenever I've heard it). But this is the best thing I've heard Bill Callahan do. I love how present the vocals are, and how his voice weaves around these drums and strings. It's gorgeous and the lyrics are incredibly evocative and demanding of a re-listen. I have no idea what he's trying to say here but I want to take the ride.

why do i kinda wanna shake ass?

I give it high points for its evocative melancholy, but lacks the soul, the melody, or the witticism that I like most in folk music. Still, I could explore more of his catalogue. 3/5 *New artist to me

I can't even really explain why I liked this one. Normally, this would probably be an artist I bounce off of at least a few times before coming back to finish, but his lyrical ability drew me in and his sound is different and interesting enough that I immediately started seeking out more of his music. Glad to have listened to this; I probably would never have found this on my own.

Ma foi pas désagréable

I enjoyed this quite a bit for sometime I've never heard of. Too Many Birds was a highlight for me.

With a title like this I kind of knew I was in for sometimes hipster business. I didn't know it would be like country hipster. Anyway, it's not bad. Kind of like if Leonard Cohen was less dark and a little whinier. Or some sort of country-tinged Lou Reed. Some of the songs are quite good actually. Not sure I'd go back. 3/5

parce que je l'ai ecoute avec elian et ca m'a remonte le moral

Bien et moi aussi je suis chaud pour être un aigle

Have never heard of this dude before, but really, this is very nice and comforting. Good discovery, easy 3 stars. Maybe revisit

I wasn’t expecting to like this, especially as the voice doesn’t seem to match the music, but I found this to be rather chill.

Ok'ish background music.

Зачем это в 2009 году бренчит шото мужик думает на улице вудсток, а нихуя!

This album was stunning. I wish I had a CD insert so I could dive into the lyrics. I wanted to listen to All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast immediately.

Zzzzzzz

A) This title is working magic on me; “I” to “we” to “an” - incredible. B) Allison and I got this album on the same day; what are the ODDS? C) Al prefaced by alerting me to the fact this is another one of our guys with shit/perfect voices à la Leonard Cohen, so I was of course primed for a thrill D) the latter was validated by my mom saying “this is as bad as what’s his face. Cohen. Creepy crap.” Apparently I’m 37 still rebelling against my mom musically. E) in sum, v good, though perhaps not wildly standing out for me yet

like a hug after a long, not necessarily difficult but certainly affecting talk with a good friend

not his best

Did not finish

Не, чет очень слабо. Чел тянет одну нот у сквозь весь альбом, рельно ощущение что нет слуха. 2 звезды только за хорошую Invocation of Ratiocination(где нет голоса)

Strange album that is very grating. Juxtaposing the softer melodies with a very rich and heavy voice doesn't work for me at all, and the album as a whole is musically meandering and lyrically childish. Struggling to understand why this was included in the project

I could see revisiting this but after three full play throughs, it’s just not doing much for me. If I was going for this style, I’d rather listen to Red House Painters or Crooked Fingers or Bill Fay.

I thought I would enjoy this because I’m familiar with some of the stuff he’s done as Smog, and this was indeed a lovely little record. I like how he speak-sings a lot of the material, and how his voice isn’t exactly pretty or in tune with the music; there’s something almost atonal about it than I enjoyed. And the lyrics bear multiple listens; the meaning is not immediately obvious (I've already listened to it twice, and need to listen to it again). I also thought the arrangements were varied and interesting. Cool record.

There's a haunting, bucolic escapism to this that I can't help but be drawn in by, similar to that of Bon Iver and Novo Amor.

A great gentle album.

What a find! Hypnotic and beautiful. Low 5

My wife regularly puts this album on while we are doing an activity together, such as painting the house. I have a terrible memory so I will always say, “this album is absolutely incredible, who is this again?” and she, in an increasingly exasperated tone, will respond “it's Bill Callahan, we’ve listened to this so many times before!” If I wasn’t busy painting the house I would have sat down before now to put into words how deeply this record has touched me. Don’t let my poor memory guide you, I think this is sublime. Callahan’s way with words, and the way he eeks out every sentiment, is spine tingling. “If you could only stop your heart beat, for one heart beat.” He has a seemingly straightforward, deceptively complex approach to playing the guitar. At the core of each song is a simple melody which everything else hooks onto. This LP is absolutely chock full of sweet little melodies which have been corrupted and made dark by spooky additional instrumentation. There is a lot of light and shade, push and pull. Something new to discover with every listen.

Yeah a low 5 for Bill Callahan, perhaps his most realised album feeling both relatively simple in setup and arrangements but deceptively complex in composition and emotions, a wonderful contemporary folk record

hablado, pero buena instrumental

This is what westerner appropriation sounds like to those that haven't purchased cowboy boots yet. Stop making us look bad!

He can't sing but I was into it tbh

Enjoyment: 6/10 Replayability: 5/10 Cohesion: 6/10 Flow/Pacing: 4/10 Artistic Merit: 5/10 Weighted Average: 5.4/10 Review: This felt like an average acoustic, folk album. It reminded me of the Nick Cave albums we've had already too. Nothing special, nothing bad. Liked Song(s): Jim Cain, Rococo Zephyr Disliked Song(s): Invocation of Ratiocination Recommend? Maybe Heard Before? No

Tried to like it, but I fell asleep

It's a nice album but not Bill's best. Odd that this is on the list but much more welcome than ABBA

*2009. "Alternative country." *Folky indie music (which I like), but with a too deep melancholy vocalist that makes it intriguing but mostly just weird. *The voice seems so wrong for the music. It's deep and sounds kind like Leonard Cohen, but this guy is not a very good singer and does the spoken word thing a lot, so it's hard to ignore the vocals. *It was an interesting listen and rarely felt like skipping songs, but I'm not sure this is something that needs to exist. RATING - 6.5/10

Voice very sultry, like a suede Leonard Cohen. But not quite.

Not my thing but kinda relaxing 2/5

Hmm

A real Sunday album.

Ehh not bad music just not my kind of party.

Decent introduction to a new alt/country artist, it was pretty safe & reasonable music.

I enjoyed the album. Perhaps I need to give it several more listens, but I don't get the hype.

I liked the vibe, but wasn’t a huge fan of the talk sing vocals. Enjoyable overall.

I enjoyed the music but didn't love the singing. Reminded me as a more modern, less deep Leonard Cohen. Solid 3.

Yeah, not bad. In the alt. Country/americana field. With a folk angel. Funniest thing is the people liking this so claiming it Can't be country. 4 Star

rym 3.77 Singer-Songwriter/Americana 安安静静的专辑也很好。平平淡淡才是真。 pick: Faith / Void, Jim Cain, Too Many Birds

Bleh

Completely fine but of little note

It is ok I guess. Started out well but started to bore me towards the end.

Whiplash with this immediately following Korn, but a refreshing change of pace

My family teased me when they heard me listening to this album. It's exactly "my kind of music", apparently! Which is true... Eid Ma Clack Shaw has been on my Spotify Liked Songs list for a while. I love the musicality and the story it tells. Listening to the rest of the album was a pleasure. Jim Cain, My Friend and All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast are excellent, too. I'm interested to know if anyone else has ever heard of Bill Callahan, though!

I actually really liked this album, the instrumentation was very pretty and slightly reminded me of Sufjan Stevens. The voice is very interesting as well, it’s more a spoken word album than a traditional singer one but it works. Tops are Jim Cain, My Friend and All thoughts are prey to some beast. 3.5-4

No preconceptions as I was going into this one - I didn't know Bill Callahan at all - not even a broad genre! 1st track (Jim Cain) I really liked, a lush string soundscape and a really nice chilled vibe. Lo-Fi folk maybe? Overall I liked the interplay with the backing samples and the voice, nicely constructed arrangements that evoked, with nothing too dominant in the mix. Different moods in the music and painting with the words. including the very twee trill to describe the ripple on the water in Rococo Zephyr. Pleasantly surprised. 3.5

Nada mal. Está para dejarlo en la biblioteca y volver algún día.

Too bland. I know he has a new album out about being in your late 50s I should listen to but this was a little too milquetoast for my liking. Rococo Zephyr and Eid Ma Clack Shaw were super annoying. Too Many Birds is nice. My Friend is good. I don't mind the slow. mumbling spoken word stuff. Heck I like The National. Just not sure I would be drawn back to this like one of his migrating birds.

Its a nice change of pace to hear a "newer" country album that isn't commercialized crap like most country music these days. Alt country/outlaw/americana are pretty underrated genres and I enjoy listening to them once in awhile. This was fine, not the best thing I've heard, but it was a nice mellow listen. Still, there were too many religious songs.

I don't know if it was because i was feeling good today or not but i thought Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle was an absolutely lovely listen. I think i have only really heard of Bill Callahan in passing but he definitely made the music i expected to hear from him. The music has this incredibly whimsical vibe which makes the album absolutely relaxing to listen to and Bill Callahan's vocals really give me a big Leonard Cohen vibe which i really enjoy. This album could have possibly been a 5 star but the issue is that many of the songs blended together very easily and made a lot of them fairly forgettable. Other than that, It was a very good listen and certainly made my day better by listening to it. Best Song: Eid Ma Clack Shaw Worst Song: Invocation of Ratiocination

Feck me! zzzzzzzzzzzz!

Ooh dear. No idea why this is listed.

Mixed. Leaning dislike. I felt some hope at the start but just didn't connect with it.

Never heard of this artist. Very repetitive tunes. Barely singing. Not much fun. But it's also pretty unique. The invocation of ratiocination is very weird. I have no idea what a "ratiocination" is, by the way.

Beautifully melancholy, this is right up my alley.

Auburn fans when they decide a tiger isn't enough:

It’s always interesting when this list includes an album you didn’t know by an artist you love. This isn’t my favorite Callahan album (and I won’t hold out hope for a Smog album on here), but I can see why this record is featured. The album’s lush orchestration and high production value balances out Callahan’s dark baritone, leading to some beautiful moments, like “Too Many Birds” and “Faith/Void.”

What a great listen for a fall morning in New England... Anecdotes aside, I've always enjoyed Bill Callahan's writing, guitar playing and inclusion of strings. His vocal style is described by Apple music as "deadpan" and I couldn't agree more. It's not monotonous, but it's also not superfluous. The entire album played quite well, highlights are guitar/string combo, and my favorite track is "My friend" 4.5 rounded up

Nice surprise. Lou reedish

Disco muy agradable cuando ya tienes una cierta edad. Me gusta

Good

Its tiiiiiiiiimmmmmeee to put this album away. Honestly, not that bad compared to what I was expecting from the cover. Lots of great touches but I didnt connect with the lead singer at all.

Best songs: Eid Ma Clack Shaw, My Friend, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast Never heard of Bill Callahan before today, and now I'm very intrigued. The album is like if Nick Cave decided to go country right when the apocalypse was approaching. The vocals are a sort of spoken-word sing-song kind of sound while the instrumentals are very stripped back with a fairly ominous vibe (possibly composed in a minor key?). The lyrics are probably my favorite thing about the album - they're so poetic, full of really lovely metaphors and creative wordplay. There's so much to say about this album that this review can't possibly do it justice.

I think I'd like this more with a better singer. I don't like the Nick Cave types.

I can’t fault it for its originality. It sounds like the start of a new branch in the evolutionary family tree—but one that went extinct because it was too boring to survive. Theory: the word “strife” only remains in English because it rhymes with “life.” I didn’t hate it, but I can’t imagine choosing to listen to this. What would bring you back?

The vocals didn't match the music well. I really gave it a chance, and it was "ok," but that last 9-minute track "Faith/Void" dragged on and on. Repetitive droll. Brought the entire album down to a 2 star.