Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Better than I thought

This album is putting me to sleep. Definitely not what I need on a Monday (or most days really). Pretty horrid really, weird sounding instruments also, it felt like the guitars weren't tuned correctly and something was a little off. This is definitely not an album where longer songs are better. The way his voice is mixed it sounds like it's layered over the top of the music, but as with almost everything in this album, is not good at all. Best: Eid Ma Clack Shaw Worst: Jim Cain

Sopisi ehkä sunnuntaille aamupalan valmistukseen tai kun on menossa nukumaan ja pitäisi alkaa rahoittumaan. Rauhoittavaa ja rentoa.

Ei nyt sinänsä mitään pahaa sanottavaa. Liian pitkä noin pliisuks, jos jotain pitää keksiä

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Jim cain, Eid ma clack shaw, The wind and the dove

Prog country - which I didn't know existed before! Really interesting and enjoyable, although it's tricky to pick out a best song as it works best as a single piece. Loved it!

I do not like the kind of speaking-singing that is happening here. I am not a fan of that kind of thing, so this does not vibe with me at all. The songs feel like you mashed Seven Swans Sufjan Stevens with Andrew Bird with Magnetic Fields. Despite liking each of those artists individually, I really do not like this.

What an awful album. I skipped multiple songs. This a knock off of Leonard Cohen singing bad songs but somehow worse. Bill Callahan is not only a bad head football coach, he is a bad singer.

By the album art looks like county, but per Wiki, he's Lo-fi, Alternative country, Alternative/Indie, Underground music, Neofolk, Gothic country, Metal. Quite the spread of genres. Pretty guitar on the first song. Slow chill beat. Nice voice. His diversity is even present within this album. The Wind and The Dove starts out with a nice Arabic riff. Rather enjoying this so far.

Hmm, a soft one. Bill Callahan has a great baritone voice. Slow and methodic pace throughout. Soft with almost no variation. While I appreciated this album, I'm not sure I'd ever listen to it again.

Longtime Smog fan but I haven't kept up on his career under his own name. I liked this, though I don't know if it tops the list of what I've heard.

Really interesting album. I usually can't turn albums like this off fast enough, but something about this one kept my attention. The tracks are very well arranged, and the overall gothic country feel is something I'm not sure I've ever heard before. Favorite track: All Thoughts are Prey to Some Beast

I absolutely loved the moody vibes of this album, and his frank vocal delivery. I just wish it had a bit more variety and energy to its pacing. This is just barely shy of a 5 for me.

Surprisingly doomy for a country record, I like this a lot.

No idea why this would make it to someone's top album of the year. Totally fine background music, but essentially boring.

Ok. Good "in the background" music. I like his voice and how in my ear it sounds on this recording. Besides that, it was a ok album to me. The last song, "Faith/Void" surprised me and I quite enjoyed it.

I'd never heard of him, but really liked this.

I admittedly could have given the lyrics a closer listen but I don't feel too embarrassed I hadn't heard of him prior to today. He's like if the Silver Jews and the National (I know, I know, they came after) had a step child. I think he's drawing a bit of inspiration from Astral Weeks (the strings and general arrangements, the pastoral imagery and overexposed treatment of the album art, some chord progressions) but it doesn't have the emotional weight for me. It's pleasant enough but I think I likely wouldn't have kept listening if I stumbled upon it on my own. I don't mind his voice as much as Marty but I also don't find anything crazy memorable here. I appreciated getting a different texture on "My Friend" but I dont know if that lifts it to a 4. Invocation was a HARD listen. I dont see what the dissonance added. Ended well enough though

I’ve listened to some Smog before but I don’t think I’ve heard Callahan’s self titled stuff. This is pretty pared down, almost trance-like at times. Reminded me of Willie Nelson a bit. You could argue it gets a bit dull but I think the song writing is strong and ultimately it’s a really nice album to listen to.

This may be the unusual release that is great but does not make the list. To some, Bill Callahan's voice is a negative. I find his deep drawl soothing and perfectly suited to the uniformly excellent material. The instrumentation is both varied and impressive throughout. Many may find the material grave, but I find it lived in. I am not sure this is my favorite Bill Callahan disc - I think the honors go to Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest. Nonetheless, a great listen, four-star release that likely falls off my list.

Not sure why this album is on this list. I found it very boring.

This album has no business being on this list. Having said that it was fine. I wish the quality of his voice matched the quality of the music underneath it. The final track “Faith/Void” was my favorite.

3/10. I wish we were an eagle so we didn't have to listen to this boring-ass album and could go do something cool instead like catch a fish in our bare hands, but oh well I guess you can't have everything.

Pretty bad vocals and very sleepy but I at least appreciate the poesy of these lyrics. 5/10

Better than other country albums I’ve come across here so this one gets bumped up to a 2, not the usual 1

LP

Voice sounds a little bit like Lou Reed, better maybe. Songs are sweet about relationships and animals. Pleasant, but I’ll not be returning. Low three.

Wonderful.

Boring and forgettable.

Folk. Tranquilo y agradable.

Quand il n'est pas trop occupé à imiter Nick Cave ou plus généralement être une personne sans intérêt, Bill Callahan se prend parfois à souhaiter que plusieurs personnes soient un aigle. Grand bien lui fasse.

Bill Callahan (à prononcer impérativement avec une voix de coboye) vient se propulser en tant que favori au concours du pire combo pochette/nom d'album du générateur. Mais reprennons chacun des éléments un à un: - la pochette est tout simplement une image de chevaux pâturants dans le pré, à laquelle Bill a appliqué un filtre lumineux (luminosité augmenté environ à 78%). À ceci, Bill a ajouté un titre en police d'écriture Lucida Calligraphy, que vous pouvez retrouver sur tout bon logiciel de traitement de texte. - le nom d'album contient une faute de grammaire. En effet, il aurait fallu choisir un titre comme "Sometimes I Wish We Were Eagles", ou encore "Sometimes I Wish I Was An Eagle", car plusieurs personnes ne peuvent être un seul aigle

Enjoyed this, Artist added

I write shit haikus. Bill writes in the same style. Three stars shine brightly.

sonzao, tranquilo e tal, bem produzido, tipo um leonard cohen moderno

Lost the will to live halfway through the first song. When hillbillies think they're deep.

Instrumentals were ok but the rest was pretty boring

Voða rólegt og kósí, en greip mig ekki.

4.5

i'm not entirely sure i have heard anything like bill callahan's sometimes i wish we were an eagle before. calling this country is so limiting. there are a lot of country elements, yes, but then callahan will throw in beautiful string instruments or a tinkling piano, or use a south asian-like sound to start and begin "the wind and the dove." both aren't commonly found in country or folk music. he ends his album with "faith/void" to examine and disregard god while finding his own peace. his musical choices come across as bold. an unexpectedly enjoyable album. it took a few listens to enjoy and appreciate it. i continually find new aspects the more i listen. 3.5

I've not ever heard anything quite like this album, in or outside of this project. The album is labeled "alternative country" and while that's as fair a label as any, it still doesn't quite pinpoint Bill Callahan's style here. I will say, the combination of the specific "alternative" approach, Callahan's voice, and the songwriter lyrics gives all of this a very dark, melancholy, almost gothic overhang. Both vocally and musically, it's almost like hearing the lovechild of Willie Nelson and someone like Leonard Cohen. It's all a very unique intersection, and I can't say that I didn't find it intriguing! This album won't go down as a favorite, but I am very glad for the unique listening opportunity. Also, this album was recorded in the suburb where I live, a nice but fairly unremarkable piece of a larger metro area, so that was a fun coincidence to discover!

I like BC.

Not my thing.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but this is really good

This is a weird one. Serene music with a strange vocal styling, I think it would take repeated listens to judge if it was above a 3 star. While the music is beautifully played, I’m not sure that this is a unique or important work that needs to be on this list.

Weird journey. Sing talking to a few good songs. Lots of western themes but also kinda modern? I don't know. Like the song my friend. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. 2 stars (maybe harsh?)

Talky folk. Nope

Country alternativo, folk. Curioso. Un 4.

Very Leonard Coen, Johnny Cash vocal. Nice acoustic instruments for music.

Not sure what I think about this one. The music is interesting, kind of ELO on a budget. The lyrics? I don’t know

Wow, I had not heard of Bill Callahan (or Smog). I really like his sound. And the first song is excellent. But the rest of the album... again, I like his sound, but aside from Faith, none of the other songs much caught my attention. Still, this is better than a lot of what's on the "1001 List", so I'll give it four stars. (It's better than the two Bowie albums I've been recommended so far, and I like Bowie.) I will be listening to more of Bill and Smog in the future.

This sounds like someone’s dad who thinks he’s a singer but can actually only carry one note got access to a recording studio and tried to record a folk album.

Lovely voice and guitar, nothing mind blowing

Beautiful calming folk rock compositions with a rustic soothing voice. Found something I liked out of every track. Especially liked the atmospheric strings and punchy drums. Little complaints here. Favorites: Jim Cain, Eid Ma, Too Many Birds, All Thoughts are Prey to Some Beast, Faith/Void

Genres: Alternative country Formed: ? Run time: 9 songs, 48 min 14 sec I’m not into Country but I didn’t mind this album. It’s very calm and almost ethereal. The sound is clean and simple with the focus on the lyrics. My Rating: ***

I didn’t get this at all. Americana singer songwriter album with extremely monotone vocals that are almost talked instead of sung. The album is also very one note with very little variety. The lyrics are supposed to be poetic but I didn’t think they were anything to write home about.

There’s something familiar and unique about this album. Perhaps it’s Callaghan’s Leonard Cohenesque voice. Instrumentally in feels like an album from the 2000’s indie scene. This is a really surprising and enjoyable record for me.

I wasn't completely blown away, but the tracks were all well composed and never overstayed their welcome. Highlight for me was 'All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast' - a great track with an equally great title.

I could probably have lived a good life without listening to this. But I’m glad I don’t have to. I was never completely blown away by this, but I quickly fell into a trance-like state where only Callahan’s voice and compositions existed. The songs are rather sparse, emotional, a bit droning and often gives off a feeling of existential dread. This had somehow avoided me until now but I’m certain I’ll look into more releases from his hand.

Absolutely majestic. Post-Smog wonder.

Pleasant voice. Slow entrancing music. Nothing ground breaking, but not a dime a dozen. I usually don't like this style of music, but this record was a lot better than I expected. Favorite song: Rococo Zephyr.