Reviews (page 5 of 8)
In this realm of music, I don’t think Bill Callahan is the greatest. I think the instrumentation of many of the songs is beautiful, while remaining quite simple, but I wish it did more at times. The drums especially. I think it’s nice go find a singer who’s good without really singing ? He talks musically. I think Apocalypse is a better album.
I really have trouble taking the "why do straight guys get so bloody pressed" aahh voice seriously (especially when he is literally speak-singing gibberish or repeatedly saying the same phrase over and over) but it's fine I guess. Another one I have listened to in the past and been very lukewarm on. Fav song: Too Many Birds
Kinda like a modern Leonard Cohen, fine
I really should like this, but I just don’t.
really soft, almost dreamy country music. it's very slow, steady, and beautifully haunting. a new face of country i've never experienced til now. this album is elegant, sometimes leans into folk or maybe even baroque pop. strange, puzzling, introspective. it's the perfect album for listening to on those late dreary nights. this album sounds like a long exhale.
Melancholy
The album is not terrible, but simply boring.
I thought it wasn't really a standout so I was going to give it three stars but then My Friend, All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast and Invocation of Ratiocination were something different so that bumps it up a star.
Couldn't get through this. Sounded like he was talk-singing.
Wasn't really sure what this was.
Reminds me of Sun Kil Moon. There are some good moments and the lyrics are clearly filled with meaning, but I would need to be in a certain mood to entertain them. Best of 2009?! Hardly even close. But I did enjoy Too Many Birds.
I don’t really know what I think about this one. I felt like his voice was knock off Lou Reed at times. The lyrics didn’t really do much for me and his voice didn’t have a wow factor
I loved it. I can see why Joanna collaborates with him. His voice is dynamic and whimsical in an unexpected way. His songwriting is extraordinary! Standout Track: “The Wind and the Dove”
Actually enjoyed this one. Had to look up what genre is was - alt country - didn’t really give me that vibe but it was a nice break in styles. Not sure I’d go back to it but still a nice album during my road trip.
I was only vaguely aware of Bill Callahan before but this is a wonderful record. His vocals are limited and yet utterly transfixing, the whole sound reminded me a lot of Sparklehorse or Nick Cave. But this is utterly transfixing stuff that was the perfect soundtrack to a Sunday morning
I really enjoyed this album. To be honest, I’m not too familiar with Bill Callahan. I’ve listened to Smog a few times and enjoyed it, and I once checked out a collaboration album between him and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Now, this album is absolutely amazing. I love his baritone voice, which is deep and full-bodied. His vocal delivery is calm and almost conversational, flowing naturally without ever sounding forced. The production is clean, crisp, polished, and layered, allowing each element to shine. It gives the music a beautiful, bright, and colorful vibe. Out of everything I’ve heard from Bill Callahan so far, this is definitely my favorite.
Curious songs about enigmatic things sung in a surprising voice by a languid man and his friends. The musical equivalent of Marmite - good once in a while, fills a hole you didn’t know you had, checks the ‘try new things box’ nicely
If there is a time when I want to listen to something and I don’t know what it is, it will be this album. Enough here to keep me coming back although not 100% convinced. It definitely scratches an itch or fills Mike’s hole.
Only reason I didn't give this a 1 is because some of the arrangements are decent. Some may describe this as "poetic" or "meditative" (aka often code words for boring). Well, there’s a fine line between minimalism and monotony. The talk/singing varies between passable and horrible. Obvious Leonard Cohen vibes. I understand the appeal of somber folk albums like this, but this one doesn't jive with me.
On the boring side. Felt like Cohen. Definitely did not give a country vibe - more folky.
I have never heard of this artist before. His voice is soothing while his lyrics are absolutely not. I saw it was categorized as country, but it would fit better in a dad-rock/existential crisis category. I am also a child of "linger on" and I feel the Lou Reed influence here. "I put God away" is a wild way to end... Not sure if I am adding any of these to my personal playlist - I wouldn't want to drive off a bridge - but I was glad to have listened to it.
I did not enjoy this album.
Honestly love the vocal, narrative style. I already had a few of these tracks on some playlists, which has been uncommon for this 1001 Albums journey. It's not my favorite style of music, but the stripped down soundscape with compelling vocals feels like the best of Johnny Cash with a more modern, indie instrumentation. Here for it.
This was beautiful to listen to. The tone of Callahan's voice, the guitars, the lyricism. I don't know what it is but his music feels very nostalgic to me. I can see myself listening to something like this while stuck inside on a rainy day, even if it's not a genre I usually gravitate towards.
Huge fan of Smog but this album not as much. It’s a bit too sedate for me, with few punchier songs you’ll find on Smog releases.
Interesting album.
A complete waste of my time. One of the worst listening experiences of my life. Passable music ruined by terrible poetry and perhaps the worst vocal performance I’ve ever heard.
I found the music hypnotic. I done disagree with those who find the vocals at odds with the instrumentation. But I locked into this oddity fairly quickly and was along for the ride. 4/5
It's fine. Last song dragged a bit...
I thought this would be another snooze fest but it’s a cool modern alt country sound.
sehr chillig fav track too many birds
Unexpected and so good! I feel country wouldn't be what I'd fit it under, but I'm not sure what it would be! :) loved it
This guy sounds almost as bored as I am.
Solid album with layers that don’t immediately come up on first listen. Good lyrics and beautiful, haunting music. I really wouldn’t call this “country” at all.
i liked it!
I didn't like this. But I also didn't hate it. It's like if you wanted some Leonard Cohen, but couldn't afford brand-name Leonard Cohen. So you went ahead and got the store-brand version. It'll scratch that itch a little bit, but in the end you wish you'd gotten the name-brand.
Bill took country and made it weird(er). Kudos for originality, but I didn't really like it that much. Actually, Faith/Void had a pretty good vibe, but it was way to long.
It may be a super poetic album that I am missing the point of and I absolutely NEED to give it another shot and fully tune in this time, but it wasn't my style, it felt like every song was very similar, Callahan sings in the same monotone voice throughout the album, and the lyrics are repetitive. But for what it's worth I enjoyed it for some good parts
Undeniably monotonous, but not in annoying way. It's kind of nice. I liked it when he tried to sing once or twice
Sleep-inducing
Yeah this is not what it needs to be. I'm down with some sad dad music. But not like this.
Instant favorite. Callahan/Smog has been circling my radar for most of this century, and it’s clicked for brief moments here and there, but this time it’s for sure. The driving pulse of this picks up unexpectedly and almost imperceptibly at first but carries through to the end. This is speaking to me for sure. Tangentially, I’m reminded of all the times I’ve tried to enjoy Mountain Goats or Magnetic Fields for more than one or two songs but failing. Either Bill Callahan is the best version of that oeuvre, or I need to give them another chance too.
Interesting voice, some interesting lyrics but overall pretty weak
Ambitious to put this album together and have it work out so well. The spoken word style vocals and lyrics are held together by a really solid studio style backing band. Enjoyed it from start to finish.
I was not prepared for this absolutely beautiful album this morning. Ethereal but dark folk / alt-country sound. The strings float beautifully over his deep baritone voice. Simple acoustic guitar strumming / finger picking. I am loving this album! Favourite tracks: honestly, just all of them
Better than expected horse album.
3.5 to keep listening
First off: the production is great. Varied texture and great use of instruments. Adorned but not fussy; thoughtful and engrossing. I can see his voice being an acquired taste, but it has gravity and sounds conversational to my ears. It's no party record, but I found it moving and affirming in its sincerity.
Niby spoko i chill. Ale jednak dość monotonny
Was this a joke? This seemed like some sort of musical theater versus a true album of something I really needed to hear before I die! I definitely could have done without ever hearing this album. Seemed like a wanna be Bob Dillon type with no talent. Every song sounded the same with just some random spoken lyrics.
Am I being punked? This album is terrible and the guy can’t sing. I thought, “how bad can 9 songs be?” When I thought it couldn’t get any worse that last song came. Even the title doesn’t make sense. I wish I could give this album a negative score.
I thought he had a unique voice, but the music was so repetitive and uninspired that i couldn’t take it seriously. Songs can have more than four lyrics, Bill!
This album answered the age old question of "what if yung gravy was a pretentious theater kid?". Some of the worst lyrics and singing I have ever heard. The only way I can sleep at night now is knowing that if I clap my hands against my ears really hard I can instantly blow out my eardrums before I have to listen to this again. Was this a joke that everyone else was in on?
It’s like Bill wrote a poem and had a band play some cool music and then tried to read the poem over the top of the music and just made up a random tune as he goes. I’m between 1 and 2 stars because I actually enjoy the music, but I can’t stand the lazy feeling random meandering of the vocals. Update: I’m feeling physically ill at the number of times he’s told me it’s time to put God away. I want to throw something at him to make it stop.
If this mumbly motherfucker can't be bothered to actually sing I can't be bothered to ever listen to this utter garbage again. This is a desperate "add something new" entry to the list. Gets a second star because it very nearly helped me have a nice little desk nap.
I dunno, I can't get over this dude's voice. It sounds like my high school geometry teacher, Mr. Brown singing. I actually like the music, but if someone else was singing this, I'd give it a higher rating. 2.5/5 so it gets a 3 just because the music is good.
Rococo Zephyr is one of my favourite tracks. The rest doesn’t quite match it, but the first half in particular is excellent.
I've been sitting on this one for a while - it's still blowing me away weeks later. Pretty much a perfect album. As pointed out elsewhere this isn't really 'country' music at all, at least to my ears.
You have to get used to the slow pace of the songs. It's not rock or pop, or even folk music. It's more like an updated version of Leonard Cohen. Once I adjusted to the rhythms of each track, I found it worthwhile.
Disturbingly boring. Impressively dull
Härligt sound, och känns unikt inom sin genre, men inte heller nåt som sticker ut. Hamnar i samma fack som Folklore/Evermore, toppen att ha på som chill i bakgrunden men inte så mycket mer.
Treligt modern musik
Långsamt men inte alls sömnigt. Fint!
If I wanted to listen to Leonard Cohen, I will just turn on Leonard Cohen.
beautiful album
Old white man says. They all end up here, huh? 2.4.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Saw the cover, didn't recognise the name. The site put the genre as 'Country' and I feared the worst. I was wrong to fear. This is a really nice record and totally not what I was expecting. Yeah I guess kinda country-adjacent folk but it reminded me a lot more of Leonard Cohen than Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson. Decided to give it another play on my headphones so I could really get into it and enjoyed the experience. There's a track that seems to be in a strange language that sound a bit like Welsh but I suspect it's pure nonsense. I didn't hate it. He has a nice warm voice that you can get lost in and the songwriting overall is really poetic. He's not afraid to sound very raw and stripped back. At times you want to just pause him and tune up the guitar a bit but he clearly either liked it that way or it was such a great take nobody wanted to try and make him redo it.
Teško je njega ne volit pozovi u ovom opušte om barfly zen izdanju kao ovdje 😃
Earnest folksy country, almost spoken word poetry put to music
You know, of all the 2009 indie albums on the list, this might be the best one I've heard. There's a weirdly high amount of those on here. Anyway, this album's pretty good. This is just a solid alternative country album. I feel like I've gotten a weirdly high amount of those too, especially in the past few months or so. But hey, I'd much rather listen to alternative country than mainstream country. Bill Callahan's 2009 album Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagles is a bit of a peculiar album, but a good one nonetheless. I like a lot of what I hear. The style is nice. It's definitely indie, but I'm not opposed to that. It's albums like this that make me realize that I strongly prefer my country music to be more on the mellow side of things. Callahan's singing is low and somber, but I like it. It creates a unique atmosphere. The writing is pretty solid. I think that's what really makes an album like this work. I think this is a concept album about birds or something? He sure does mention birds a lot, but not in a weird way or anything. Unlike how I feel about Neil Hannon and horses, I'm not worried that Bill Callahan wants to fuck a bird. The lyricism and symbolism is used in interesting ways. Overall, I like this album. It's good. Not much else to say here. Solid 4/5.
Really enjoyed it. Prolific singer songwriter, had heard an album before.
The Last Of Us kind of music, not a huge fan of country music but it was clearly enjoyable and Bill has such a great voice and what a cool album name.
Oh horses again, it gives nick cave... Well it's confirmed Did not like it!!
This album mostly highlights to me how rare it must be to be the whole package. The music and lyrics are gorgeous, but the vocals just bring it down a notch.
Niiice
Nah
Decent listen.
Interesting
meh. not grear. not even good. boring as hell
Very good
Calming
it's not for me. I know Bill Callahan from the Smog Days and his quarantine collab with Will Oldham. I like him OK, but something about his voice/persona and the songwritng, while it is so so close to so many other artists I enjoy, it constantly sits just to the left of something I would ever actually want to listen to. ah well. close but no cigar.
Wanted my first review to be a positive but struggling here. Songwriting is mournful but without verve, like a half baked Nick Cave. Voice resonates but not quite Cohen-esque. Melodies are pleasant enough for (very) background ambience. Ed ma clack Shaw was a highlight if only for the tempo change. If this is poetry, give me prose.
Very mellow
OK with a Sunday morning hangover.
One of my favourite discoveries of the project so far. A whiskey and cigarette stained voice, that somehow equal parts evokes cowboy and Geography supply teacher. Really enjoyed this one.
I have not heard Bill Callahan before. I am now searching out all his albums. Loved this. Poetic and interesting!
Intense. Lyrical. Engaging. Have to be in the mood for it, but it has personality.
Me too Bill.. me too. Great voice, similar to Nick cave expect much more soothing. Last couple of tracks weren’t great but really liked everything else. 3.5
Ça, ça serait facilement tombé dans la catégorie “musique de chigneux”, mais quand je l’ai écouté, j’étais un peu style chigneux moi-même, donc ça passe
I've never heard of Bill or Smog, but wow. what a voice! What a feeling that strikes me. Just great. Can't wait to listen to it again. 4.5/5
I know what he's getting at, but Bill Callahan, much like Howe Gelb, is not a a vocalist who endures soulfully or feelingly: too wispy, too quiet, and too deliberately mellow and inoffensive. Nature and the American West are his muses, but he fails to be as expansive or as explosive as the aesthetics inherent to that part of the country. There are certainly some moments of instrumental beauty, like the luscious strings at the end of 'Too Many Birds,' but Callahan's lyrics do not carry out the music's elegance or energy. 'The leafless tree looked like a brain / The birds within were all the thoughts and desires within me.' That's bad. 'It's time to put God away.' As true as that is, it's sung sleepily when it should be harangued w/ gusto and w/ guts.
Overall: 7/10 There's a lot to love about this album. It's sort of indie rock with a country/folk twang to it. Beautiful acoustic guitars all over this thing. The lyrics are deep but not pretentious. I think Bill Callahan is a godawful vocalist and that's a shame. His singing doesn't necessarily ruin any of the songs, but when his vocals come in I just start to cringe. His drawl is unbearable to me. I was really close to loving this but the vocals are just so grating to my ears that it brings my rating down quite a bit. The good still outweighs the bad, though. Fav Song: Rococo Zephyr Least Fav Song: Too Many Birds
As far as country, singer-songwriter, or whatever you want to call this genre goes, this one is okay. If you look at my project summary my lowest rated genres are country, singer-songwriter, and folk so this album is not for me, and there was a very slim chance I would actually enjoy it. All-in-all this album is fine, I think the instrumentation is good, but the singing is overall pretty bad. Pretty bland inoffensive Americana album, I'll forget about this one pretty fast. Low 3.
👎🏻
Weird but in good way
Not bad but a little sleepy. Okay for the background.
Apparently this album is Alternative Country, but it's not like any Country music that I've ever heard - I guess that's why it's Alternative. The music is quite pleasant and upbeat, but Bill Callahan's vocals are depressing - a friend of Leonard Cohen perhaps?
Didn't hate it. Didnt love it. He sang the same tone the entire album. The music was good.
I disliked this, but that seems like a failing of mine
"Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" carries a sadness that dominates the entire album. It sounds like a bad thing, but it's actually the album's greatest strength. It reminds me of old country roots with Callahan's typical touch. A (G)old.
This album has an interesting, old school kinda quality to it that I really dig. I definitely don't feel that this is a country album, as it's categorized. This is more just singer/songwriter or folk.
Inesperadísima obra maestra. No había escuchado a Callahan y me voló la mente. Gran voz, grandes letras, una música que se mete en tus huesos y no te deja ir. Cinco estrellas rotundas.
3/5
Not my genre at all, still this lp has some decent tunes
Nope
1.5
A mellow collection of songs that are both lovely and interesting. Callahan's talk/sing Lou Reed-ish vocal styling reminds me of David Berman (Silver Jews) and brings a slow thoughtful energy to the songs that grew on me the longer I listened. This is perfectly contrasted with the last album I rated, the bombastic and over the top, "Bat Out Of Hell" with "Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle" a welcome remedy to clear my mind and refresh my musical taste buds with something that is not reaching out for commercial attention and financial gains. There will be no sequel of "Sometimes I Wish", just quality followup records that have cred and better yet, rediscover, Smog.
Interesting. Moody and esoteric. Feels like a weird poetry reading where your closeted uncle Theo was dared to get on stage after eating too many gummies.
No lo conocía y creo que no lo he escuchado nunca. Empieza muy bien. Me he guardado un par (Jim Cain y Too many birds) y seguramente vuelva a escucharlo más veces.
I've only casually listened to Bill Callahan, and this is probably my first full album listen, but I really dig it. 2009 really was a banner year for music and this is no different. Great lyrics and vocals and lush instrumentation.
This totally reminded me of the Leonard Nimoy album I had as a kid. It is in the proud tradition of people who can’t really sing but you can’t stop listening to like Leonard Cohen.
5/10
De hoes ziet er nogal tijdloos uit, en de muziek is dat tot op zekere hoogte ook. Een singersongwriter met een diepe stem, maar woordkeuze en thematiek verraden dat dit niet uit de jaren zestig of zeventig is. Muzikaal zit het op zich wel snor, maar het valt wel erg in herhaling. Het laatste nummer is zelfs het ultieme 'zet je cd-speler uit!'-lied. Puntje aftrek daarvoor.
Ik worstel me door het hele album. Het is een allergie-categorie. Erg saai, wat Dylan-achtig, maar toch met meer kwaliteit. Een 1 zou mijn beleving prachtig weergeven, maar dat doet ook wel weer onrecht. Een puntje extra maar.
2009? Ik heb het idee dat Bill Callahan een paar decennia te laat is geboren. Het valt meer in het hokje singer-songwriter, wel met een eigen twist er aan. Al zijn er wel meer geweest, die met een karakteristieke stem, op hun eigen toonhoogte (net niet helemaal in lijn met de rest vd muziek), op een bepaalde manier emotieloos, en dan toch kleur geven aan de muziek. Denk aan Leonard Cohen. Het is zeker knap gedaan en er is publiek voor. Ik hoor daar alleen niet helemaal bij. Net als Nick Drake, het pakt me niet. In ieder geval niet op een standaard maandagochtend. Het moet denk ik bij je binnenkomen, of je moet het toelaten dat het binnenkomt. Omdat een van mijn muzikale maten het bijzonder "mooi" vond, geef ik het de volgende ochtend opnieuw een kans. Ik begin het beter te begrijpen. Het heeft iets bezwerends. Als de zanger van the Editors, maar dan zonder de bombast van rockmuziek, uitgekleed, versierd met wat strijkers, zodat het beter binnenkomt. Het is nog steeds niet helemaal mijn stijl, maar het groeit wel. Qua beoordeling vind ik het wel lastig. Ergens tussen een 3 en een 4 in. Ik zou kunnen pleasen en een 4 geven, maar als ik dit nooit meer zou horen, zou ik het geen moment missen. Dus dat beschrijft eigenlijk meer een 3. Wat ik gisteren ook had willen geven.
It's a lovely album. Probably not massively in my area or completely captivating but very nice to listen to and I'm not ruling out giving it another go.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd listened with headphones and not while driving for an hour in the car. Meandering and on the cusp of putting me to sleep.
Unique. Had trouble with the vocals at times. So spoken wordy and while it didn't necessarily take away from the music, I think it made it more eerie then it may have intended to be. Instrumentals were cool though and I appreciate that this sounds like nothing else I've heard so far on 1001
I wanted to like this more than I did. Musically there's lots of interesting stuff happening- cool riffs and drums and mood changes. The string sections are cool and make things feel big. Vocally I don't really care for this, it's got a weird talking feel to it that doesn't always fit. There's a song or two where everything seems to fit together, but I think I'd enjoy this much more with a different vocalist.
This is what I imagine Mormons listen to to be edgy. Awful!
Hated this ❤️
This shit kinda sucks. It’s like a crappy high school music teacher tried making a demo tape. Sure Mr Callahan can play music, but he sings for shit. Ahh, he’ll just talk the lyrics, man…. It will be artsy. We’ll slap a picture of some out of focus horses on the cover, and I’ll get my buddy who works at the holistic crystal shop to put some copies on the counter. People who make their own deodorant and eat plain organic lentils for lunch everyday will eat it this shit up.
Country version of Leonard Cohen? This is boring as shit. Can't believe it came out in 2009. Sounds 20 or 30 years older.
Monotonous and boring.
God I love Bill Callahan. Potentially peaked here; so many years into his career. Can understand his voice isn't for everyone. But the song writing is undeniable. Guessed the total rating exactly.
I’m not so sure he’s singing vs just talking in the right pitch. It’s a nice, ambient album but it’s too much like adult lullabies
Really loved this album. The compositions shifting from spare to lush were really beautiful. However, “Invocation to Ratiocination” really rubbed me the wrong way and held it back form five stars.
"Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle" is the second solo album by American musician and singer-songwriter Bill Callahan. Alternative country is the Wiki-listed genre and I guess that as good as any; although, I would have gone with folk or even baroque folk. The album was recorded by John Congleton (engineered and produced) and arranged by Brian Beattie. Besides lead vocalist, Callahan plays various guitars, organ and keyboards and Beattie plays guitar organ, piano, percussion and does all the string and horn arrangements. Other musicians include Luis Martinez (drums), Bobby Weaver (bass) and Jaime Zuverza (guitar). "Jim Cain" opens with an acoustic guitar, drums and Callahan with deep taking vocal style. Strings are added. Yeah, this is lovely music. There's something passing over and he's remembering the good things he's done but when he started running the ground turned to sand. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" has prancing strings and keyboards, guitar and drums. He wants to shake the memory of something. I think the song title is just nonsensical words made to rhyme with another string of nonsensical words. I need to remember this tactic. Callahan tells the story of one last blackbird who didn't have enough room to sit due too many blackbirds in "Too Many Birds." Acoustic guitar, piano, drums, strings and, yes, a flute. The nine-minute closer "Faith/Void" finds Callahan trying to find peace. Sprinkling, layered acoustic guitars are the musical highlight. The horn and string arrangements do a very good job of fitting and emphasizing Callahan's vocals and lyrics. Callahan has a deep, talking voice and likes to repeat lines. He uses lots of nature imagery - trees, birds, branches, eagles, lions, the wind, finches and doves. He's searching and trying to find peace and love amongst obstacles. It's unclear if he ever does but the journey was worth it or was it? Even though I'd heard this album before, it took me until the second listen to really get into and enjoy the musical arrangements and nature references. Not for everyone but those who have affinity to folk may like this quite a bit.
I'm a big fan of anything that comes outta Silver Spring, Maryland and my first thought was, isn't this just Smog? Bill Callahan is the voice of Cold Blooded Old Times, that song that inevitably follows the music I play on a regular basis. Bill Callahan, aka Smog, the one man band or the 'indie pioneer of lo-fi music' per Wikipedia. If Smog is a one man band and that one man band is Bill Callahan, then what's the difference between Smog and Bill Callahan? It turns out a lot. Smog music is pretty boring, and I mean that in the best way possible, it's simple, and very apparent that it's produced by one person. Bill Callahan, is not. There are complexities, intricacies, builds and fades, waxing and waning, multi-multi instrumentation, etc. Still pretty boring, but more boring, and I mean that in the most negative way possible. The appeal of smog is that it's a pig, a fat round beautiful pink pig imperfect in every way, stinky, muddy, hairy and immovable. And then there's Bill Callahan, the evolution of Smog, who is still the pig, just in a cage, on antibiotics.
Bill Callahan sounds about as uninterested in this album as I am. I guess it fits the vibe, but it's a monotonous and dull vibe. I’m a broken record, but I’m gonna call out the 1001 again for issues with selecting worthy 21st century albums and keeping them on the list. (This one has been removed, rightly so.) In my Fever Ray review, I cited many more deserving 2009 albums, so while I won’t repeat that list here there are much better albums even in a bit of a down year.
There have been like five of these albums that all sound the same. Some dude with a low voice who can’t really sing so he half talks. It’s not offensive. But it’s not good and every time I think, “so apparently just anyone can make an album then.” And it makes me wonder whether the guy picking these likes them because he sounds the same.
I like some of the music that sounds folk like and Bill’s deep bass. But dude can’t sing.
Well, this was a weird one. On first listen I really did not like this and it was a definite 2, but I gave it my customary second listen and somehow it really grew on me and it’s being added to the library. His voice is definitely an acquired taste and some of the lyrics are a bit twee but it’s still getting a 4
Absolute garbage. A cure for insomnia
Dollar store Johnny Cash
Interesting and really mellow
Like.
Really incredible. I enjoyed almost every song. I thought the interlude could've been better and the final track was meh but everything else blew me away. Unfamiliar with him or Smog but will definitely have to check it out. Feels like finding out Silver Jews has a long lost brother Rating: 4.9
This is definitely not alt-country. It feels more like indie/ lo-fi electronica. Faith/ Void is a definite 5 stars. The rest of the album is soothing and calming in a way I wouldn't have imagined possible. I didn't like it enough for 5 stars, but it's definitely worthy of 4.
Soft and dark, the better side of country music. Something I'd never heard of before and I'm better off for having heard it. Feels somewhere in between the Nicks Drake and Cave in a good way. Go riding in the countryside in the start of spring to this. 06/03/25
A sleeper classic potentially - Bill's voice is brilliant
4+/5
This felt like a less seductive Leonard Cohen. They were on the verge of making a good song or two but fell short. 2.5/5
3.5 some of this had a pretty good sound. I put god away drug on quite a bit.
A poor leonard Cohen with a Bontempi - terrible lyrics.
This album was very relaxing. The arrangements were well done and his subdued delivery works for what he was going for. Favorites were All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast and Faith/Void.
Gillade de första par låtarna sen började han låta som joni mitchell
уныло. нич запоминающегося, разве что тембр классный. а так как будто мегапримитивно
it was no my stilo
Pensavo peggio da come si presentava. Va beh
Bill Callahan was a name I had heard and knew he was a musician but that was it. Knew zilch about this album but suspected it was American Country music. But reading previous reviews spiked my interest when fellow 1001’s were associating Prog and Nick Cave with the sound. They were right and I immediately knew from the first few notes this was going to be good. One of the few albums on the list so far which was sound wise completely original and new to me. Whilst there is a Nick Cave influence (or maybe it’s the other way round and Nick influenced by this) it is nevertheless a unique album to me and one which truly deserves the accolade being heard before I snuff it and one prompting me to seek out Bill’s other work. SMOG is another musical connection I have also heard but no idea of what they do so ow excited to find out. 4/5 27/2/25
wished it was a bit more sun kil moon-y but overall good
Меланхолія, легка туга, ну і, звісно, цей прекрасний голос. Виконавець для мене відкриття, і, до того ж, дуже приємне.
Як ви знаєте, із alt country музикою я почав знайомитися відносно нещодавно. І цей жанр не перестає мене дивувати своєю багатогранністю та вражаючою душевністю. І якщо говорити про Bill Callahan, то він є вже доволі давнім та відомим музикантом на цій сцені. Але до 2007 року - він називав себе Smog та грав щось більш схоже на indie folk. І з його творчістю того періоду, я, на жаль, ще не встиг познайомитись належним чином, але після прослуховування Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, я неодмінно збираюсь це зробити. Бо те, що я почув тут - це просто мед для вух. На цьому альбомі, Білл відправляється у глибоку подорож «в середину своєї душі», але зовсім не для того щоб у чомусь розібратись. Він і так прекрасно розуміє, що «нічого не розуміє», а тому - просто спостерігає за своїми відчуттями, та передає нам свої емоції через живописні пасторальні образи. Все це супроводжується просто неймовірними #folk аранжуваннями, що є одними з найкрасивіших, що я чув у своєму житті. Коли різнобарвні та винахідливі фолкові партії, не просто підкреслюють основну лінію гітари, як це зазвичай відбувається, а навпаки - є головними у побудові цієї мрійливої подорожі. І в якийсь момент, ти просто розчиняєшся у цій трансцендентній атмосфері, що нагадує прогулянку ранковим літнім лісом. Коли пташки вже почали співати, а сонце тільки-но зійшло. А якщо говорити про «емоційну віддачу», то це певно один із найзахоплюючих альбомів, що я колись слухав, та який, на мою думку, є справжнім шедевром.
Great album, Bill Callahan has a soothing deep voice, and the arrangements really moved me
Found it incredibly compelling, though I couldn’t say exactly why
An ode to the thoughtful baritone. I never knew Smog was just this one man, let alone that he continues to produce and write music to this day. I love the peaceful vulnerability
Never heard this but very interesting.
Is the thing that makes this album remarkable how little effort he put into it? Because that's the only thing that I can think of.
If Bill Callahan, the former coach of the Oakland Raiders and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, recorded an album, I’m pretty sure it would be better than this. Sometimes I wish this list didn’t exist.
What a pleasant surprise this album was, I really enjoyed it
Chill morning music
I had to make sure that this wasn’t the guy from a fuzzy noisy 90’s band that then went on to make deep-voiced singer-songwriter albums that 2010’s-era Pitchfork tried to convince me were good but that I just don’t get who was credibly accused of being a sex pest. But that’s Mark Kozelek. So we’re good. But this album isn’t.
I kinda went back and forth on this one. I think we're rivaling Dylan for least and worst singer-singer, but then sometimes it was actually pretty lovely.
pretty chill album, reminded me of Leonard Cohen.
Sad coffee house music. But pretty good sad coffee house music. I think the meanings and symbolism are a little above me though. I'll need to research what he was trying to say though. "Faith/Void" was pretty obvious though.
The big thing about listening to music melody first is that even if you I'm paying the closest attention to what's being said, the voice is just as important an instrument as any other. It's timbre, it's texture, any third music theory word... Regardless of whether they're actually saying anything or just spouting nonsense gibberish words, the voice means as much instrumentally as any guitar or piano. Heck, it's maybe why I don't listen to instrumental music as often as I'd think I would: I'd just miss the voice too much. So then we have this album. Instrumentally speaking, gawd, it's beautiful. The acoustic lines, the guitar reverb, the piano chords, the **strings**... I'm left kind of awestruck, honestly. Like, goodness, I wasn't sure how in the world this album would sound, but I didn't expect this to be this emotionally resonant. Even without paying much attention to the words, I can understand exactly how it wants me to feel from just the composition and playing alone. On the basis of the instrumentals alone, I could give this album a solid 5 — and as I keep stressing, I try not to hand those out too often. But then we have the voice. Look, I don't wanna be too hard on Bill Callahan here. He's clearly going for a Leonard Cohen thing, and even if I've been mostly bored by Cohen's music, I can accept that it's not a bad voice. As long as it can fit in alongside the rest of what's going on instrumentally, I shouldn't have a problem with it. That's just the thing, though. It largely doesn't. Like, yeah, there are a couple of times it works really well: check the "It's time to put God away" on the closer. The way it's sung, it's perfect; I can't imagine it being done any other way. However, any other line he sings in the song just doesn't sound right. He's way too stuck in this one-note warble, when I feel like this music should require a bit of a larger range. I'm not talking about something like Fredie Mercury's or, I'unno, Mariah Crey's, with whistle tones all up in here; that wouldn't have fit the music. But at least he could have a **few** notes outside of the one or two he's stuck on? Maybe? No matter how stunning any of these songs' backing instrumentals are, his vocals always drag them down. If his limited vocal melody wasn't the focus, that'd be one thing, but the human ear is often naturally drawn towards the human voice. It'll always be at the front, especially on albums like this where what that voice is actually saying really matters. I'm just left at an impasse where, honestly, my favorite song was the penultimate one, largely because he didn't sing on it. I haven't been wanting to call his voice "monotone" or anything, because I feel like that's a bit of an extreme descriptor, but... Dang, I can't act like he doesn't turn these songs into a bit of a drone. I imagine the others in my group are gonna be kinder to this album than me, since they're probably gonna actually focus on the lyrics and what this thing is actually about. (Myself, I couldn't even begin to tell you why Billy wants him and whoever else to be a single eagle.) Listening to this album the way I typically listen to music, though... Yeah. Bill's voice, as an instrument, honestly gets me feeling like this is a 3 — 3.5 at most. It's a shame, 'coz I really do think the instrumentals were just that beautiful. Maybe if **this** was an instrumental album... I'unno.
It's just fine, not much in my eyes. 3.5 bumped down to 3.
I’m at a 3.5 that I will sadly bump down to a 3, even though I did like a lot of this. My “issues” with this album have nothing to do with the technical side of things – I love the tone of his voice, which feels like it’s constantly morphing into some mixture of Johnny Cash, Nick Drake, & Leonard Cohen, and feels remarkably comforting yet authoritative. I love the instrumentation on a lot of these tracks, with the percussion used to something rather close to perfection on a vast majority of the tracks, and the rest of the instruments enhance the mood provided by the vocals. I really love the lyricism on about half the tracks here – when the metaphors & imagery click, as they relate to animals & inner struggle between thoughts, actions & moods, they click in a way that paint some remarkably vivid pictures. That’s a lot of praise for something I have to bump down to a 3, so what exactly IS the issue here? The issue, at least for me, comes in the fact that this album just circles the waters a bit too long on each track, making them either overstay their welcome, or overlap too much with other ones on the album. It’s done in a way that dilutes & homogenizes the whole thing just a bit too much, in a way that’s too… rehearsed, I suppose? There’s a track or two that feel stuck within the script he’s trying to give (namely “The Wind & The Dove” & “My Friend”), and he’s really stuck on trying to make that metaphor work, no matter how hard it is to decipher. The same feeling of being “stuck” applies on the last track, “Faith/Void”, and it applies to the whole thing besides the lyricism – at 9 minutes, that track really drags along in such a way where the beauty of it is lost, and the meaning just becomes a few lines he feels obligated to repeat to fill up time. With all of that said, I hear the acclaim, and I can feel why the album got rave reviews in 2009, and why it’s on the list. I do think it’s been surpassed by other albums that do this style better, and tell their stories more concisely, to trim down the fat in ways that feel more compelling. It’s a very 70s-esque album for 2009, and I really admire that, especially in a year I know best for big pop hits. It’s a strong 3.5, but I can’t bump it up to a 4 right now for all that I mentioned, hence the 3. I do recommend it, though, and it could bump up to a 4 someday.
I didn't love it, but it was listenable. Reminds me of Leonard Cohen.
Bit too weird and concept for me
Not my jam
Slow and relaxing music. The last song was getting very repetitive though.
I thought it would be the best thing ever from the intro to the first song - which is amazing. Monotone and low singing works in better in some parts, but gets quite stale, especially because they are quite dry and similar most of the time. Instrumentals are mostly great. Favourite songs: Jim Cain, Rococo Zephyr, too many birds, all thought are prey to some beast. Faith/void. Overall around 7/10
'Prog country' with a droning voice and haunting feel
Chill and slow. Didn't dislike but it put me to sleep.
Didn't like
Sounds like the love child of Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen. I listened to it, and I've been sitting on this review for awhile now cause I'm really not sure what to say about it other than it was "interesting".
A modern and more upbeat Leonard Cohen. I was okay with it at first, but the problem with a monotone voice over an entire album, is that it just gets stale. The instrumentation is cool throughout, but it's just the same voice with no really variety in the tone. The last song "Faith/Void" really dragged on. I think he wants to put God away. 2
Nice album to spend a quite hour to myself with. Nice calming, clear voice with music that lets you take it all in and listen to the words and let them sink in. Might be only two songs I can remember by name and want to come back specifically for, but I can see myself listening to more of him (or this specific album again) just to hear his voice and tone again. An impact was left, and it wasn't necessarily because of any of the lyrics.
Holy monotone crap Batman! How is this an album I must hear before I die? This was downright torture to listen to someone so tone deaf. Just the same voice droning on and on and on and on. YUCK
Interesting ideas liked the vocals and novel lyrical approach. Never heard of this.
This will be the seventh day in a row where I've had an album from an artist I'd never heard of until starting this project. I'm pretty picky about my country music, so I'm not sure how I'll feel about this album. However, my maternal grandmother's maiden name is Callahan, so maybe that's a positive sign? Let's see! This album was a really pleasant surprise. I thought the songwriting was superb, and the arrangements were fantastic as well. Bill Callahan did a fantastic job of creating some really vivid settings with his music, and the sound complemented the lyrics really well. “Rococo Zephyr” is a prime example of how Bill did this; the strings and the tinkling of the piano created an atmosphere that perfectly matched the theme of water in the lyrics. I enjoyed the album’s cohesive sound, but each song really brought something different to the table, in terms of sounds and themes. If I had to pick a favorite song off of this album, I think I’d have to go with “All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast.” The guitar playing and percussion were fantastic, and the horns and strings just added to the beauty and of the sound. “Eid Ma Clack Shaw” was great too; the bass was terrific, and it went well with the confusing and frantic mood of the song’s lyrics. All in all, there wasn’t a bad song on the album. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bill’s vocals, but this album was still beautiful, and I can understand how it received so much praise from music critics.
Thought I was going to end up giving this 2 stars, but a few songs bumped this up to a 3.
On the one hand, this one was refreshing, because it tried to do something new with the Folk/Country genre. On the other hand, Callahan's voice didn't vibe with me at all, dragging down the songs with it. As a whole, the album is a solid effort, but nothing more. 3/5
Rococo Zephyr
I listened to about half of the album, I like his vocals and the guitar skills, but some of the times when he is more talking than singing kinda bothered me a little bit. I’ll deff come back to listen to the rest later on tho. Initial listen 3/5
A few songs are good, but overall it does become fatiguing to listen too.
Quiet, thoughtful, poetic lyrics expressed via low-key, narrative, sometimes plaintive vocals. In the right mood this is a very good listen.
I started not liking his voice, then being ok with it, to liking it by the end. I should definitely listen to this again. Between a 3 and a 4. Rounding up.
This is a tough one to rate after just one listen. I think I liked it, and upon further listening might get a higher rating. It's weird and out there, but it mostly works. But sometimes it really doesn't work at all, at least not on first listen. It's probably better than the 3 I'm giving it, but I'm not sure yet.
Man, I really wish I liked his vocal style better. And it might grow on me after a few more listens. The deep tone combined with a rather monotone delivery just isn’t my favorite thing to listen to. Leonard Cohen is probably the one exception, through Cohen can be very expressive in his own way. Anyway, the instrumental piece of the puzzle is absolutely stunning. Really beautiful compositions throughout. And equally beautiful lyrics. If his voice was more my style, I could see this being deep into the 4s, but as it stands — 3.7/5
Jim Cain. This is fucking great
Personal yet artfully done folk! Something about this record I can't describe, but the way it just saunters musically adds a touch of beauty to the lyrics Bill Callahan sings. It's nothing lush, but the words add a sense of bloom to the songs.
no
I want to like Bill Callahan more than I do because I think his lyrics are interesting. However, there are a few stumbling blocks. His voice is just too blank for me and when he combines it with such tastefully dull alt country arrangements as he does on this album it compounds the problem. Finally, his melodies are mostly only passable to my ears.
Give this one a listen, My Friend.
The instrumentals were pretty good throughout with some exceptions, but I found the singing and lyrics to be very grating. Very repetitive, monotone and non-stop. Sometimes you need to give the music space to breathe man. Also I love a good long song, but that last song way WAY too long for how little it has to say and how repetitive it was. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
Not a fan at all of his talk-singing style, but Too Many Birds was ok.
Gotta say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I'd listen to this again to be honest
Like Cohen but even more monotone and boring
This is an artist that really keys in on my preferred style. Mostly acoustic instruments but with cinematic editing and effects. Soft vocals, lo-fi aesthetic. It reminds me of bands like Granddaddy and Sparklehorse. Vaguely similar to some of my favorite artists like Spencer Radcliffe and Alex G.
++: The Wind and the Dove, Rococo Zephyr, My Friend +: Jim Cain, Too Many Birds, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beasts Invocation of Ratiocination, Faith/Void +-: Eid Ma Clack Shaw 7,2/10
Smooth voice rrading poems while country stile music in the background. Wake me up when the album ends.
This sucked.
Pleasant the majority of the time. he sounds like an indie folksy Leonard Cohen. Has some of the elements that I can enjoy about indie folk, and also some of the aspects that make me cringe a little at it. The last song was downright insufferable , though, a complete drag of a song. Kinda ruined the experience. Fav song: “All Thoughts…”
Det här är trevligt att lyssna på. kanske lite för långt för att det ska bli en 4 men det är fan gött alltså. en stark trea
What a revelation! Didn't know the artist before, but won't forget him!
Album 662 of 1001 Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (2009) Rating : 4 / 5 They fooled me by classifying this one as "country". I guess you could force it into that category but I'm not so sure it fits there. Not really sure where it fits. His voice is kind of stuck at one tone but it grows on you. With its "lush arrangements and sardonic lyricism" this is a nice listening experience. It's been praised for its "depth and emotional resonance". Give it a listen.
I LOVE PRETTY MUSIC! This is some amazing singer songwriting music, literally top tier, John Prine would be proud.
mid
Pleasant but uninteresting IMO
big 3
Kind of cool, but also a bit slow through some of it.
He sounds too much like Jon Lajoie. All I can think of is The Birthday Song, and I’m waiting for the punchline.
Sorry, just cant reconcile the voice to the music. But good voice for audiobooks and good music for sesame street and sing alongs.
All talk-singing and sing-talking sucks. The sing-talkers/talk-singers should all have their vocal cords removed and save us from the pain of listening to them. I would also say the vocalist was out of tune, but I'm not sure there was a tune, and the songs were moving so slowly it would be hard to tell anyway. The production also sucks. The music is decent enough but is buried deep behind the ever-present talking. Some parts were so bad I couldn't help laughing.
not my thing
Time to put God away.
Exceptionally uninspirational and boring. I don't understand at all why music critics would consider this dreary rubbish to be among the most important and influential in popular music
No
The instrumental opening of the first song had some promise, but his voice really ruined it for me. Not just the quality of it, but it seemed badly mixed or something. Badly EQ'd. Sounded too present. Just looking him up on wikipedia apparently he was know for this lo-fi sound... recording tape albums on a four track recorder. The songs bled into each other so much I didn't even realize it was over until I checked how much longer I had to endure this album and realized it was already over. The songs were self-indulgent too--way too long and just annoying. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" may be one of the more annoying songs I've heard recently. This was supposed to go with the Steely Dan "Pretzel Logic" album: Eek. I had to look up what sub-genre Steely Dan was to confirm what kind of rock I really don't like. And the answer is jazz rock. The song "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" was an instrumental that was somehow worse than the title would have you expect. Just looked up that that is a Duke Ellington track... doesn't make it less annoying to have to listen to on this album. "Through With Buzz" was the only song I found myself semi-grooving to.
It’s like this guy is trying to sing off key…too bad, because I would have really liked this album if he could sing at all.
What an incredible voice. As a fan of Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash this is right up my alley. This is the modern country I've been looking for. The instrumentation is really sparse and aids the vocals super well, usually just an acoustic guitar and light touches of drums, bass and other snare instruments. Lyrics are beautiful as well. Great to have a new discovery after 20 days of albums I already knew.
was my geoguessr soundtrack
INTERESTING
It made my morning commute really pleasant, very chill album. Supremely pristine guitar work.
Surprisingly good. Very thoughtful, introspective lyrics. Even the music itself is surprising - folk, funk, country.
I have never heard of Bill Callahan or this album before today. It's pretty good, a chill contemplative vibe. Sort of folk lounge type thing. I can definitely see myself listening to this again.
Country
Pretty good.
So much of this album was 'meh'. I like his voice, but the tonality and carrying notes felt flat. The music was ok, but nothing came out from the background.
12/31/24. Country in general isn't my top genre, but I love when the sound of country is mixed with progressive songwriting and rarer elements. The singer's voice is very relaxing as well. Enjoyed it!
I get what he was going for, but was definitely not in the right mood for melancholy
No idea what to expect with this coming in, but I liked it more than I thought. Categorized as country which doesn’t seem quite right but I don’t know what else it should be. Plenty of interesting songwriting/production decisions that add interest. Had a hard time choosing my favorite track. 3.5/5
Not my favorite, but enjoyable, with good lyrics.
I loved this. Put it on repeat
Well those vocals became grating
Okay, but a bit boring.
no tinc clar què és això… però m’agrada! crec si nebraska fos un àlbum indie tom waits meets 2009
I'm sorry, am I the only one who burst into laughter with, "I used to be darker/Then I got lighter, then I got dark again"? Or when he remembered being a horse? Despite his delivery, I'm having a real hard time taking this seriously. I'd LOVE to hear different lyrics (not nonsense) set to the music. Do you ever wonder what session musicians think of what they're playing? "How? How? How?" A whole dang album of this. Wow. "Sometimes I Wish WE Were an Eagle" so who is he merging with to become an eagle? One of the horses on the cover? Slightly more tolerable than Nick Fucking Cave, at least.
It doesn't feel like it's from the right time. It's oddly peaceful but in a bad way.
Not in my edition of the book! 2009. 1 star. Sounds like he's on a significant dose of Prozac. Tedious, pretentious lyrics and no tunes. Bonus point for the string arrangements. "It's time to put God away". More like time for Bill Callahan to consider another career.
I'm familiar with a few bits and pieces of Bill Callahan and Smog but not this album. It's frankly lovely. Stark, sparse, emotive songs.
Ekki algjörlega laust við sjarma, en rosalega mónótón söngur og mjög drónkennd lög. Ætti kannski að gefa þessu fleiri sénsa, en það bara kallar ekkert á mig.
This is #day132 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... I knew this was country! It just couldn't have been the other way around. Although country is among my top worst genres on this list, this one was okayish. At times, the music was veering into this alternative/progressive folk-country kind of shit, which caught me off guard. And I like it when music makes me feel that way. But, again and again, is this the one you must listen to before you die? Why not include some Mark Kozelek stuff instead? Have you heard of Red House Painters or the new Sun Kil Moon? That's what I'm saying. I'm giving this a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day133.
Eid ma clack shaw Zupoven del ba Mertepy ven seinur Cofally ragdah Eid ma clack shaw Zupoven del ba Mertepy ven seinur Cofally ragdah Yeah, I liked this a lot.
None of this is particularly offensive and there are some beautiful lines (of poetry?). But if I’m going to dock Carole King points then Bill Callahan needs to learn what it’s like to play with the big boys. Sucks to be the palate cleanser on a heater of a week. Some of these songs sound like if Kermit the Frog finished his take for Rainbow Connection and then fell into a serious oxy habit. If I want to listen to log cabin music, I’d listen to Bon Iver who completely market corrected this guy (For Emma came out a year before this album). Sorry to Bill that he shares a score with Pere Ubu..that feels too harsh but we’ve got to start drawing some lines in the sand.
Lotta bird talk. Bill was fighting an uphill battle from the jump with that title/album cover combo. I think I could make space in my mind for something like this, but it would take an investment of energy I'm not willing to make. Bill sounds like a modern Leonard Cohen, and I struggle with this for the same reasons I struggled with that one.
If you’re going to sing this poorly, over such standard melodies, you better really bring it lyrically. Instead bill here is rambling on about tender willow branches and jaunty bees and too many birds and whatever the fuck.
Oh, god. One of the handful of albums we encountered so far that I dont get. Rococo Zephyr was one of the only songs I enjoyed. And for that, its 2 stars
Some nice sounds and ideas on here, but probably a casualty of me not giving this enough room to breathe. Other than Cohen, I’m reminded of an old favorite album by Nathaniel Rateliff I would recommend - In Memory of Loss - before he spun up the Nightsweats and his more uptempo commercial hits. Some similar vibes to this, just slightly more melodic, less chanting.
Shoegaze country?
On the face of it you would think i would really like this. It has a lot of the right components for something I really should like. So why is it that I really don't? Can't tell you, but I really don't 2
I quite liked his vocal style, but the album just too samey and dull. Liked the opener and the last track (although that was too long).
I should dislike this on paper, words like country and folk, enough to make me run for the hills, but I didn't. That could have been due to the little word 'alternative'. Once I'd got over his distinctive voice and settled into its gentle style and rhythms, there was a lot to like on first listen. Will I listen again? Probably not.
ok
Leonard Cohen if he had no talent whatsoever
Ok listen 2/5
Okay. Just okay. I think I have mentioned how strings are a turnoff. I just dropped off.
A total surprise. Mellow, uncomplicated, beautiful.
I thought this was beautiful - deceptively spare. Layers of emotion and complexity in simple delivery. I will listen to this again. Probably on days when I’m crying under a duvet.
For fuck's sake. I didn't like this the moment I saw the album title and cover. I listened, and liked it even less.
This was very cool. Nice discovery. I'm getting strong Silver Jews vibes, though this guy is different. Cool songwriting and I even liked his Sprechstimme approach to singing. I will definitely listen to this again.
Not for me. Every song seemed to follow the same formula. By Too Many Birds I was done with this.
Deep voice, mellow vibes, part special, part boring.
Love Bill Callahan. There’s something about his music that is so elusive and mysterious despite being so straightforward. His songs meander and wander down strange avenues. His lyrics are extremely poetic and of course, there’s that voice. This isn’t my favorite album I’ve heard by him but it is truly excellent. Must listen #46.
It was pretty good, better than I expected.
This is honestly just a super pleasant album that has a sort of timeless quality to it. You could have told me that this was made in the 70s, and I wouldn't doubt it at all. His voice is a beautiful baritone that is very soothing when set to the music. He doesn't have the greatest vocal range, but he's not trying to do to much, so it works really well 4/5
I love Bill Callahan, and I really like this album. At the same time, I am a little confused by the inclusion of it on the list. Nonetheless, still a fantastic album!
Gentle as the day comes and goes, vast as the earth and sky above, Bill Callahan's songs and voice provide an unusual comfort. On first glance, much of Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle may seem quaint or off-beat, but listening closer to how Callahan composes his songs reveals a shimmering conversation between himself and his music. The interplay becomes a complex ritual that sees Callahan moving in and out of focus as rhythms dance along to his sweet guitar. Much of his unique songwriting can be chopped up to his earlier works under the name Smog, which was much more experimental in nature. Chalk that up to valuable experience, because Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is a beautiful piece of work that deserves every bit of recognition it gets.
Hey, it’s that dude from Joanna Newsom’s Only Skin! I enjoyed this well enough but tbh the lyrics sound like discarded poetry, at best.
4.6 - I feel like this is quite a mature album thats a real pleasure to listen to
Ok I really love “My Friend”. My feeling with this album is that it’s quite cool, but maybe not 1001 necessary. Oof the strings on “All Thoughts…” though. Fave Tracks: Jim Cain, My Friend, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast, Faith/Void
No feelings. I'm not an eagle.
тригерящий тембр Леонарда Коэна, хоть вроде и более мелодичный и без этих ужасных снятий. но воспринимать это я всё равно не могу
I like the music and most of the compositions but Bill doesn’t have a ton of range. It’s easy to stop paying attention and just let this run in the background. I wish more of the songs had actual singing instead of the folky talk-singing thing he was doing. I think his voice is mixed too far forward in some of the tracks. If it blended in with the music more then it might give the illusion that he has more range and that he isn’t singing over the top of someone else’s music. Rococo Zephyr was probably the highlight for me since it had some nice strings and female backing vocals thrown in. Faith/Void is pretty good too although it does start to drag near the end. It’s about 2 minutes too long.
Slow and drab.
Pretentious simple album. Didn't dislike it, but it was too monotonous.
went into this expecting something different. thought it was lovely. reminds me of nick drake in parts.
Cool album
never heard of him, he's good, good sound and voice
Bill Callahan is an artist I haven't heard about before. It's a relaxing folk/country/indie album, and his baritone voice is smooth (it is almost like spoken word). I liked the chill atmosphere of the album, though not sure I would listen to it again soon.
Completely pointless country-folk singer/songwriter, that's all too reminiscent of the pointless country-folk singer/songwriter stuff from the sixties.
A pretty good album I liked My Friend the best.
This was interesting folksy sounding music, that I felt was decent. Not something that I would listen to regularly but it was definitely unique.
Sorry I can't handle this guy's mumble-talking-singing.
eh the instrumentals are good but his spoken word monotone stories I did not care for
Enjoyable album, a pleasant surprise. Bonus points for helping me reduce my stress levels yesterday.
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Dude has a pretty captivating voice which is almost spoke-word rather than singing, it's dominant because it's a rich baritone but it's not distracting, the balance of the compositions is pretty great tbh. It's just that it's a generally chill album without too much to write home about, it's somewhat standard melancholic singer-songwriter stuff with a country-adjacent twist. Hard to hate it, hard to dislike it, definitely a 2, maybe a 3 because I found it calming after a night of relatively little sleep due to a poorly 3yo, but it does get a little weird and proggy towards the end.
This is interesting, dreamy, works well both as gentle background music but also a calming more focused listen. Really nicely balanced, enough variety not to bore you, a comfortable 3/5 that might get to a 4 after a few more listens.
Haven't listened to this in a while. Absolutely stands the test of time. Eid ma clack shaw being the standout track for me.
Some of these tracks have some fantastic modern country instrumentals, but not enough to get over the spoken word repetitive lyricism. I get it, just not my flavor.
The Good: Horses enjoying a delightful afternoon munching on grass The Bad: The fact that I don’t have any grass… The Ugly: The state of my ears after having gauged them with pencils thanks to Mr. Gallahan’s “singing” I believe that this is album 176 for me, and I am really struggling to understand what the point of the 1001 list is… Though I am not keeping track, this is, yet again, another album where someone who should not be allowed to record his voice, is allowed to do so, and on top of that has made me waste 50 minutes of my day. Also: country? Really? Soon DeLaSoul will be listed as Jazz I guess. To all of you who are fans of Bill, I feel sorry for your loved ones who have to endure listening to this too. 1* because that’s the minimum I can give, if not it would be 0*
This was mostly just boring. I managed to go through the album almost 3 times before I noticed because nothing stood out to me Standouts Rococo Zephyr 2/4
Sort of like if the Beatles and the National had a baby while listening to “LoFi Beats To Study To”
Not terrible. Some of the lyrics are interesting but the whole thing is pretty monochromatic
It‘s a haunting beauty. What a gem.