Chore of Enchantment

The chore of listening to this one tone record was the hardest thing I've had to endure this week. You must bear in mind that this week I've finalised my divorce, crashed my car and lost two of my children in a freak boomerang accident. By George what a bit of shit on a fork.

All CHORE No ENCHANTMENT

Aggressively mid. Is this guy related to the author, why is this here? I almost want to give it a 1 because its so bland and uninspiring. But its not solely bad, its just not good either. Disappointing. Why is this on the list?

It's on my playlist "Alt niche male type beat.mp3" and yes it is a red flag

Well, they got the word "chore" right. These kind of Robbie Robertson-Lou Reed slacker mumble-vocals are most definitely not only outside my wheelhouse but an immediate turn-off. The music isn't anything so adventurous that would alone make it objectionable - it's nice! - but. but. but. Maybe/likely if this album weren't led by a singing tree sloth I'd have given it more of a chance. For I'm sure at least the 50th time in 600 albums: singers ruin everything. Hard pass. 3/10 1 star

Ok I have no clue who these guys are, but this album was awesome. Perfect example of why I keep doing this album thing every day. The song with the most Spotify streams on here only has ~480K, and only one other song is over 100K streams, but this is just great. I never would have come across this otherwise, and I'd have missed out. I don't really know how to describe it, it's got this alt-rock/country/folk sound. The singer is really understated but he packs a real punch (NME said "raw but tender empathy in songs full of unexpected departures", I like it). I guess this came right after their former guitarist and the singer's friend died, so the emotion is really coming from somewhere personal. You get this kind of grimy alt-rock at times ("Temptation of Egg", "Satellite"), deep emotion at times ("Raw", "Way to End the Day"), and then these beautiful little folk songs too ("Shiver", "Bottom Line Man"). There's a few weak spots and it's a bit long (60 minutes), but this is really solid overall. I think sometimes I tend to rate a bit too much based on artist prestige and critical acclaim (it's hard not to), but this is about as obscure as you get on this list and I'm into it. I don't expect this to have high ratings on here, but I think it's great (even on a second listen the next day). Favorite song: Raw Other: (Well) Dusted, Punishing Sun, Temptation of Egg, Wolfy, Shiver, Dirty from the Rain, Astonished (in Memphis), No Reply, Bottom Line Man, Way to End the Day 6/18/24

The concept is there. But my heavens these vocals are so bad they just kill the whole album. The lyrics are also... just very meh. Sometimes people try way too hard to make lyrics that seem philosophical or deep but this time, they just fall flat. It's a bunch of pseudo-intellectual drivel.

Appropriately enough for album 1001, a long action of continuous shocks. The sleepiness of the record punctuated by surprises is somewhat close to death. The record's shiny, overtured, takes a minute to get to the point. The lyrics are calibrated to just my preference for the abstract. That's all very desert-sky, but there's just as much grounding in American musical traditions.

I loved this. Absolutely loved it. It's cinematic and evocative and full of little twists and turns around every corner

I think I’d rather listen to actual sand

I'm not at all familiar with Giant Sand but I very much enjoyed this album. Had lots of Lou Reed feelings and just as many Bill Callahan feelings. Glad to be introduced.

the album would have been better if the guy actually sang, but most of the album he did the “speak singing” thing, which i am not a fan of. it comes across as gimmicky and makes it seem as if the singer can’t really sing very well. not for me.

Magical. Takes you on a beautiful, melancholic journey. Unique.

This one starts off with two absolutely great tracks, "(Well)-Dusted" and "Punishing Sun", subdued and subtle, but with stellar chord changes and a few gems on a lyrical standpoint. A little bit later, the sequence of songs "Shiver" (with its wink to "Walk On The Wild Side"), heartrending ballad "Dirty From The Rain" and atmospheric country-folk cut "Astonished (In Memphis)" is pretty convincing as well. Howe Gelb doesn't have a "spectacular" voice, but what he does with his lower timber serves those compositions right, even with some (endearing) frailties here and there on a technical standpoint. Unfortunately, a lot of the songs on the album, conveying the same exact sort of melancholic "confessional" mode, are somewhat "interchangeable". Moody and well-crafted for sure. But quite unobtrusive and generic as well. With its slow-yet-raucous distorted guitars, Nick-Cave-and-Lou-Reed-indebted "Satellite" attempts to wake the listener up in the middle of side two. Yet if that composition is decent, it's not exciting enough to elicit more than a passing interest in the song. Having this album popping on the app today reminded me I should also dig into Calexico's discography, since they're also from Tucson (and Burns and Convertino once played with Gelb). Giant Sand will have to wait until I reach that point. And I'm afraid that by the time I do so, there won't be any "room" left for them in my list. 3/5 for the purposes of this ranking, which translates to an 8/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: approximately 300 (I've temporarily lost count here) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately Number of albums I *might*  include: a quarter, approximately. Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (including this one, many others are more important to me)

Reluctant 3, the good stuff is really great the bad is fucking shit

Mmm. Kind of like Grandaddy but without the depth of tunes. Straight out of early noughties college rock. Not unpleasant, but really a 2.5. Rounded down for length.

Off the top of my head, I have a word of advice for Howe Gelb and Giant Sand: you probably shouldn't include the word "chore" anywhere in your album title. You're just asking for people to lob it back at you in reviews if the album doesn't deliver. Hell, it's like you're setting yourself up on a tee and personally handing people the bat. And believe me — I am perfectly willing to swing away. Although, I'll admit up top: this almost wasn't that bad. **Almost**. Instrumentally speaking, there's not too much wrong with this album. It's perfectly passable folk-ish alt. rock adult contemporary whatever. I can imagine if I wasn't paying too close attention to the album, and just taking it off of vibes... Y'know, I wouldn't have rated it too highly, but I still would've come out of it feeling more positive about the whole endeavor than I actually did. Like, I wanna stress that the actual musicians on this thing aren't the problem. No, no, no. The problem with this album is Howe Gelb. If there's any single element that drags nearly every track down into being obnoxiously sleepy and dull, it's him and his "singing." Goodness me, the man's vocals on this album. And, y'know, I get it. I totally get what he was going for here. He's trying some kind of Nick Cave/Leonard Cohen, fried "noir vocals" kind of thing. He's delivering everything in his kind of husked whisper, only barely ever sniffing at actually singing, because, dammit, his lyrics are just **so poetically good and important** that it **deserves** a **serious delivery**. That kind of thing, y'know? I get it. I can see people being into that kind of thing, without any of the sarcastic emphasis I'd put into describing it. And to be 100, I wouldn't say these are the worst vocals I've heard from any album on this list. By technical margins, the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young are probably worse. But then, the thing about them is that, even if I have my reservations about singer-songwriters and their "poetry before anything else" style, I can accept that **what** they're saying is more important than how they sound saying it. True, I'll never **understand** what exactly they mean, but I know it has to be (and certainly feels like) **something**. Hell, their voices are certainly unique anyway; you'll never hear another artist who sounds like them. But then we have Howe Gelb. Where, if he **is** saying anything in his flowery-shit lyrics, it certainly isn't enough to overcome his vocal deficiencies. And, y'know, when you pair that together **with** lyrics that sound like they're trying way too hard to be **deep** and **serious** and **meaningful** and **poetic, maaaaaan**... Yeah, no, fukkit, I'll say it: he sounds pretentious. Like a big, pretentious dip. This music plays and I'm supposed to be hearing the deserts of Tucson, Arizona. A city in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sand and sand and sand and maybe a rock but mostly sand. But that's not the image I get in my mind. All **I** end up imagining is what I think Howe Gelb looks like, with a trilby hat and thin-rimmed glasses, and a grey scarf loosely thrown twice around his neck, and a barely grown mustache and facial stubble. I can only imagine him sitting on a high stool with his guitar, leaning so close to the microphone that it looks like he's about to try and fit it in his mouth... And he only barely avoids mumbling out the words, 'coz dammit, he's a **serious artist and a poet**, and **serious artists and poets** delivery their **serious art and poems** in **serious tones of voice**. Give me a fuckin' break. And, y'know, I hate to assume too much about people based on their art. Way back when, I determined I couldn't call the guy from The Gun Club racist just because he chose to use the N-word twice on two songs on FIRE OF LOVE, and believe, in a better world I wouldn't be assuming Howe Gelb was an underground indie hipster dip. But I cannot stress to you the extent to which he's the thing that ruins every song on this album — except, of course, for the ones where he barely features vocally on them. Like, I— I don't wanna be too mean here, 'coz there **are** scattered moments here and there where it... **Almost** works? "No Reply" gets pretty close. And there's some bits of production throughout that are kind of interesting. And again, the band's doing their best. But then Howe Gelb drops down into his whisper again to rattle off some more inane lyrics and gaaaaaaawd. I cannot recall the last time I've wondered this much why an album was placed in this book. Like, what contributions were so gungho about this thing that **this** got placement over a dozen or so other albums that I'd argue are way more worthy of being here. And that's not a prelude to a big "WHERE'S MADVILLAINY?" rant or anything; more, it's just "What was I **supposed** to hear in this? What was supposed to have made this thing worth my time that I **had** to hear it before I died?" Evidently, it couldn't have been much, given that I've heard this thing doesn't even feature in more recent editions. And I am just not disinclined to agree with that removal. Well, that leaves only one thing left to figure out: where exactly at the bottom this thing falls. And, y'know, about a 1. I try to be **incredibly** sparing with those. In over 500 albums, I've only handed out six total — and honestly, I'm not even sure if some of those should even have 1's. 'Coz in my mind, it's something you **really** have to earn. You have to be just so bereft of merit or redeeming value, that there's just no possible justification for listening to it. DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE was poser "trailer trash/pimp cowboy" rap metal sung by a rich white boy. HAUT DE GAMME was the soundtrack to commercials for cheap cruises. OUR AIM IS TO SATISFY is the most nothing record I've heard in a long time. PSYCHOCANDY was literally a pain to listen to. And does Giant Sand fall among those ranks? 'Coz again, there **are** moments I dig, even in spite of Howe Gelb's belief that his poetry is just, ugnh, so **big and important**. Am I so cruel as to condemn the entire album just because of that one element? ...Eh, fukkit. Congrats, Giant Sand. You're in some elite company now, y'know — hell, you're only the seventh artist or band to be let into this club. And, sure, maybe someday in the future I'll think back on this review and feel like I was a bit too harsh. I've done as much with CHOCOLATE STARFISH, and that's by far a worse album. But y'know what? I get enjoyment out of CHOCOLATE STARFISH. There's things about that album where I would honestly listen to some of its songs again. That's not the case with your album. There's nothing on here I'd come back to — because, yes, I'll say it since you were begging for it: it is very much a damn chore.

4. I enjoyed it. Loved the different genres that were sprinkled into it and was overall a chill listen

Good sound, a little long

You don’t need to hear this before you die, but Thrill Jockey is a rad record label, so 3 stars.

I had never heard of this before. There are some fun tracks on this one, but for my taste, this is a "once in a great while" kind of listen. The style gets a bit old after a while.

So, because a British journal says you have raw but tender empathy then you can get on this list? I won’t deny there were pieces I enjoyed, the vocals were interesting and reminded me of some others similar. Some quirky songs, but this didn’t need to be on the list.

Ah yes, quite enjoyable. Certainly something I'll dig further into. Faves: Shiver, Satellite

Yeah, I really dug this - slowcore-adjacent, often dreamy, often cinematic - this project has definitely opened my eyes to alt country! Will be digging into these folks' back catalog. Fave tracks - "(Well) Dusted (For The Millenium)" is phenomenal. "No Reply" and "Satellite" work well together. Really, though, this is more about the album taking you on a little slacker journey than individual tracks...

Total surprise, quirky and raw, but also melodic and relatable.

goes hard

Wow did this one sneak up on me. Never heard of it, pulled it up and saw 1h57 minutes, let out a small moan of despair (mind you I had a 2h15 min double album the day before). Overture gives no hint of what’s ahead. First listen first song, I’m not getting it. Despair starting to turn to dread. Let’s head to Wikipedia… hey there! This isn't a two hour album! Spotify added 14 bonus tracks. Ok ok unclench that jaw. We’ve gotten to track four now, and things are starting to change up a bit. Maybe this album is more interesting than I realized? I’m going to pay more attention. Holy cow, I think I’ve fallen in love. I’ll get to the bonus tracks in a little while, First I’m gonna go back and listen to the original album again!

this is good!

Wow! What a beautiful collection of songs !

wow!

There’s a lot of songs that sound the same here, but the style, aesthetic, and neat little interludes of the album is enough to keep it interesting for me. It’s the little details that make this for me. This one is really tight and solid, even if it may blend together and drag in the second half.

Nice. I am definitely going to check out some more of this band. Really liked it.

A very interesting listen! Lots of musical twists and turns that were still very enjoyable to the ears. Super creative and unique!

Nr. 118/1001 Overture NR (Well) Dusted 3/5 Punishing Sun 3/5 X-tra Wide 3/5 1972 NR Temptation of Egg 3/5 Raw 3/5 Wolfy 2/5 Shiver 4/5 Dirty from the Rain 3/5 Astonished 2/5 No Reply 3/5 Satellite 2/5 Bottom Line Man 3/5 Way to End the Day 2/5 Shrine 3/5 Average: 2,79 At times pretty boring.

The talk singing works in small doses. This was not a small dose. Best track: Shiver

Not bad per se, just really fucking dull...

I went to the 1001 list website to see what they claim makes this list-worthy, but guess what? It looks like it’s being pulled, which is not surprising. On the plus side, he/they change it up once in a while, throwing in a heavy guitar, a funky back-beat, a female vocalist (sometimes all in one song, as in Temptation of Egg or Shiver). On the minus side, Howe Gelb’s dreary, spoken words are a limiting factor and when he’s unsupported, like on "Punishing Sun” or “Dirty from the Rain” you have to ask yourself, “Why am I listening to this?” Dylan or Cohen could get away with weak vocals but the songwriting caught your attention. Gelb, less so.

Never before have I listened to an album and got that the feeling that I'm being stalked. The entire thing sounds like he's whispering angsty poetry written by a heartbroken sixth grader into your ear as you take the back roads home at night. There were a couple of songs that I liked, but I guess when you throw 30 songs at the wall something is going to stick. If you look at their larger discography they seem content to release quantity not quality.

Why are people doing this project. The hate this gets I expected hell. And it's kinda beautiful. I'm getting more pavement than Lou Reed. But the songs are creative and chilled. Let it wash over you. It's a four but I'm giving it 5 to help combat the stupid reviews, and it's highly likely a grower, so maybe a 5 in the future anyway.

The album title and cover makes it seem this is gonna be boring as fuck. And it honestly is, but in a good way? Like it's so chill, like what my mind sounds like when I'm just sitting around thinking about nothing and everything. Really cool. Drums sound nice and dry

Sounds like all ghe albums I gave one star combined... and somehow works for me

goomy

Think calexico or lambchop.

Take Lou Reed and suck out any remaining energy and you get this guy. It was the most low-key chill performance I've heard and I'm not sure that I mean that as a compliment.

Chore of Enchantment I’m not entirely sure where I land with this. On first listen I really liked it, lots of Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen in the vocals, and a nice low key folk-ish, country-ish, loose, homemade vibe, with some good songs, some interesting twists and turns and nice unexpected instrumentations and sounds - the repeating snatches of Una Furtiva Lagrima, the sitar, strings and wonky keyboard on (Well) Dusted for example, or the little organ stabs, backing vocals and mangled guitar on the Temptation of Egg. However I became slightly less enamoured on repeat listens, the arrangements and off kilter instrumentations can’t hide the dirge-like quality of many of the melodies and tempos, and the slight air of self-conscious whimsicalness and its lengthy run time meant it started to drag a little over the course of the 16 songs I think I would have loved this if I knew about when it came out, it would have been right up my street when I was 21, but it's a slightly different proposition now. I do think it’s an interesting album, and there are some very good songs, but it does lack a bit of dynamic variance over the 16 songs, so I think it might be a bit limited for me in relistenability and sustained interest. I had initially thought that it might be a bit of a rough diamond, but on repeat listens it slipped from a 4 to a 3 I think. ⏳⏳⏳ Playlist submission: Temptation of Egg

I appreciated some of it, I always like to listen to acts that do things a bit differently, go against the grain. There's some interesting lyricism here, but overall this isn't my kind of "weird".

This album thinks it's way cooler than it is. Vocals ruin it for me.

Chore of Enchantment is the 16th album by the American alternative rock band Giant Sand. This folksy, alternative rock album was highly rated by critics. It contains emotionally raw and tender songs about empathy for your fellow human. I thought Chore of Enchantment was a beautifully moving album with music and themes that fit together nicely. It was a great easy-listening album that I recommend for anyone looking for background music.

Heard Before? No, despite listening to almost every other No Depression era alt-country act. Notes: - the spare arrangements work well, although the synth flourishes and random samples seem out of place. - vocals are close-miked, uncompressed, pitchy and mostly too loud. the melodies (and often the lyrics) sound improvised, and not in a way i appreciate. the superor female vocalist is criminally underused. - in general the songs seem underwritten and would benefit from more structure and polish. - lots of well-recorded, simple and pleasant drum parts and bass lines. - I just felt like I was trying to enjoy it, looking for something that just wasn't there. Verdict: I was all set to uncover a treasure, but despite a lot of digging, found mostly junk. The second time through was a bit better, once I lowered my expectations. Listen Again? Unlikely. I might try one of their other releases, but I'd rather revisit Calexico, Red Red Meat, Uncle Tupelo, Gillian Welch, Havalina Rail Co, Neko Case, or any number of similar, much more satisfying performers.

The first two tags on the word cloud of reviews for this album are ‘Interesting’ and ‘Boring’, and for once I think that sums it up pretty well. There were definitely moments when I thought it would pique my interest - I always like an album with an overture and there were some snatches of opera thrown in too, as well as some nice bits of glitchy noise. However, it would soon drift back into a sort of Lou Reed style pastiche. Also, this album wasn’t in my edition of the book - always a worrying sign when a comparatively recent release (and yes, I’m old enough that 2000 does count as recent for me) is bumped for something else. In the words of the Chernobyl plant manager - not great, not terrible.

I like the album artwork and that’s all I can say that’s nice about this album. It’s extremely long, very one note, and not particularly interesting.

Tsja, dit is een klein beetje Leonard Cohen zijn stijl, maar dan wel gewoon een stuk minder. Muzikaal gebeurt er wel meer, maar ik vind de stem van de zanger mwah... Het is het net niet zeg maar. Er zitten ook best wat skits op het album, met alleen instrumentale stukken. Best interessant en zeker niet drama, maar het klinkt allemaal gewoon heel erg alsof niemand op dit album echt zin heeft om er op te staan. Alsof iedereen onder schot werd gehouden om dit album op te nemen. Ik heb best wel veel albums die ik hoger geef omdat er pure fun op klinkt. Leonard Cohen klinkt niet alsof hij plezier heeft, hij klinkt alsof hij doodop is en toch nog de kracht weet te vinden om te zeggen wat hij zeggen moet. Dit album klinkt als geen van beiden. Het klinkt een beetje alsof de zanger besloot dat het cool is om ongeinteresseerd te klinken, en dus heel erg zn best doet om vooral zo te klinken. Nee, dit is niet best, dit is slaapverwekkend en belachelijk dat dit een album is dat ik moet horen voor ik doodga. Misschien voordat ik slapen ga? Daar is het namelijk wel best wel geschikt voor. FAVO: Punishing Sun,

This was homework

This was fine. Didn’t really grab me. I didn’t see the shifting tones of the record as a plus. I also listened to this while playing DOOM (2016) which is an incredible mismatch.

I am not going to cut any corners here: I cannot for the life of me understand why this album is on this list. While the "music" itself isn't terrible...it lacks energy or range. Its incredibly repetitive and nothing special. The lead singer is frankly terrible. I was completely unfamiliar with this band, and my first response to the second track (the first one isn't really a song so much as half symphony/half noise) is "Oh no it's bad". The lead singer sounds like he's trying to combine the musical styles of Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison...but only the bad traits of each, as if two negatives would make a positive. This album has almost no plays on YouTube Music, my preferred listening platform. This isn't because it's some unheralded gem. It's a bad album. I was starting to give up so decided to skip ahead to their most popular song, "Shiver", and it wasn't any better. I had to cut my losses, I wasn't about to subject myself to two hours of this...and I can't imagine any of this would sound better live than studio produced. Easily the worst thing this project has put in front of me. It's place in this project is an absolute mystery to me. I cannot recommend avoiding this album enough.

Mother of GOD this is awful. They tried way too hard to make this sound half-assed, and the resulting pretentious undertones killed any hope in hell that this could deliver a single shred of value. I am worse off for having listened to this.

Dull, pretentious talk-singing over uninspired musical backing. The dry production on the vocal makes it all the more insufferable.

*Snore* of Enchantment

They really knew what they were doing when they named this album Chore didn't they?? Some tracks sounded a bit spooky and some sounded a bit saucy but mostly I would compare this listening to the sensation of garlic skin getting stuck to your finger when you're peeling garlic cloves and it's just limp and light and almost not there but just enough there to IRK the fuck out of you!!! Well annoying and angering hahaha! I join the ranks I think from other reviews in saying that I don't understand why I must listen to this before I die. Well now I have, what a stupid time-waster.

# In-Depth Review of Giant Sand's *Chore of Enchantment* --- ## Album Overview *Chore of Enchantment* is the 16th studio album by the Tucson, Arizona-based band Giant Sand, released on March 7, 2000, on the Thrill Jockey label. Running nearly 60 minutes across 16 tracks, the record marks a significant moment in the band's evolution—a return after a four-year hiatus following the 1997 death of close friend and collaborator Rainer Ptacek. The album was recorded across three distinct locations—Tucson, New York City, and Memphis—with a trio of producers: John Parish, Jim Dickinson, and Kevin Salem. --- ## Lyrical Analysis The lyrical content of *Chore of Enchantment* is a fragmented, poetic meditation on grief, healing, and the desolate beauty of the American Southwest. Howe Gelb, Giant Sand's frontman and primary songwriter, employs a stream-of-consciousness style that prioritizes vivid imagery over linear storytelling. The album's lyrics are consistently described as "mind-bending" and "impressionistic," weaving together the mundane and the surreal. ### Thematic Core **Grief and Loss:** The album is a profound elegy for Rainer Ptacek, whose slide-guitar instrumental closes the record. This shadow of loss is cast over nearly every track, with lyrics exploring the process of "scaveng[ing] what was left" ("Raw") and confronting mortality. The album cover's photos of Gelb's home, described as a "spare, organically random assemblage," reflect a man sorting through the aftermath of upheaval. **Desert Mysticism and the Natural World:** The environment of Tucson—its punishing sun, promise of rain, and isolated vastness—serves as a constant metaphor. In "Punishing Sun," Gelb observes "candles melting without being lit" and seeds under "the promising thunder," using these images to explore themes of potential, decay, and renewal. The rain that falls in "Dirty from the Rain" symbolizes both cleansing and the persistence of sorrow. **Redemption Through Resilience:** Despite the heavy subject matter, the album does not wallow. As one reviewer notes, Gelb's work often falls into the "'that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger' category". The album charts a path from being "Raw" and "wrong" to walking with "much more rhythm / Over the mines I might've dug and left". The difficult process—the "chore"—of maintaining enchantment in the face of hardship is a central idea. **Personal Turmoil and the "Everyday":** Gelb is often described as a "taciturn drifter," and his vocals frequently sound like he's "singing to himself or muttering in his sleep". The lyrics feel private, as though we've stumbled upon someone working through their inner life, which paradoxically makes the themes more universal and relatable. --- ## Musical Style and Arrangement The music on *Chore of Enchantment* is a compelling blend of alternative rock, folk, country, and experimental textures, offering a variety of sounds across its 16 tracks. ### Core Sound and Instrumentation **Rootsy Foundation:** The album is anchored by a restrained, rootsy core provided by the rhythm section of John Convertino (drums) and Joey Burns (bass), who would go on to greater fame in Calexico. This foundation allows for a wide range of musical exploration. **Textural Diversity:** The instrumentation is notably richer than on previous Giant Sand records. Keyboards are central to the album's atmospheric sound, with prominent use of **Mellotron, organ, and piano** to create "otherworldly effects" and a sense of "haunted, lonely desert hallucinations". The inclusion of **pedal steel guitar, cello, sitar, and even opera samples** from Ptacek's tapes adds to the record's unique and layered sonic palette. **Genre-Hopping:** The album defies easy categorization, shifting dramatically from one track to the next. Descriptors applied to the music include "laid-back folk," "punk-esque guitar distortion," "reggae," "funky guitar riffs," "jazz-tinged funk," and "country-punk". This variety prevents the album from becoming monotonous over its hour-long runtime. ### Notable Musical Moments - **"Temptation of Egg":** A highlight that showcases a "jazzy side to Giant Sand," featuring groovy guitar riffs and backing vocals from Juliana Hatfield. - **"(well) Dusted (for the millennium)":** Opens the album with a dramatic juxtaposition of "barrio noir," Mellotron, cello, sitar, and a "78rpm crackling notion". - **"Punishing Sun" and "Shrine":** Stripped-down acoustic tracks that center solely on Gelb's voice and guitar, creating a "lonesome late-night atmosphere". - **"Astonished (In Memphis)":** Called a "love song to end all love songs," it is a moment of profound emotional release. --- ## Production and Context The creation of *Chore of Enchantment* was as fractured and idiosyncratic as the music itself, and the production story is central to understanding the record. ### The Three-Producer Approach The album was recorded in multiple sessions across three cities, each with a different producer: | Producer | Location | Tracks | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **John Parish** | Tucson, AZ | More atmospheric, "haunted" tracks | | **Jim Dickinson** | Memphis, TN | Provided a raw, soulful, and rootsy sound | | **Kevin Salem** | New York City, NY | Brought a more polished, alt-rock sheen | This approach resulted in a deliberate sonic variety. The liner notes detail the painstaking process of recording "extra stuff" and mixing different tracks in different locations, which gives the album its mosaic-like quality. ### Label Troubles and a Bitter Backstory The album faced significant challenges before its release. Originally slated for release on V2 Records, the label demanded Gelb keep fine-tuning the record, only to drop the band anyway for delivering an album they deemed "too indie". This left Gelb with a stockpile of promo discs, which he sold via the band's website until Thrill Jockey rescued the album. This tumultuous backstory of being dropped and then championed by an indie label adds a layer of "triumph over adversity" to the album's narrative. ### A Coherent Whole Despite the fractured recording process and variety of styles, the album maintains a surprising cohesion. Critics attribute this to Gelb's singular vision, describing the record as his "creative ambience integrated within a subtly linear structure". The consistent, prominent presence of Gelb's voice and the underlying "desert" atmosphere unify the diverse material. --- ## Influence and Legacy *Chore of Enchantment* is widely considered a high-water mark for Giant Sand and an essential document of the "alt-country" or "desert rock" scene. **A Magnum Opus:** Many fans and critics view this as the band's "magnum opus" and the perfect culmination of their 1990s output. It represents the band at a crossroads, with members Burns and Convertino splitting time between Giant Sand and their increasingly popular side project, Calexico. The album stands as a testament to Gelb's singular vision and the band's influence. **A Bridge Between Eras:** The album sits between Giant Sand's early, raw punk-country sound and the more cinematic, orchestrated Americana that would define later projects. Its influence can be heard in the work of bands that followed in the Tucson scene and beyond. **Critical Resurgence:** The album's enduring appeal is underscored by its reissue, including a 2024 expanded edition, introducing it to new generations of listeners. --- ## Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Emotional Depth:** The album is a genuinely moving and heartfelt meditation on grief and resilience, making it a deeply resonant listen. - **Lyrical and Musical Variety:** The fragmented recording process resulted in a diverse and unpredictable album that rarely sounds samey, rewarding repeat listens. - **Atmospheric Production:** The rich use of Mellotron, organ, and varied studio techniques creates a haunting, "otherworldly" atmosphere that is unique to this album. - **Strong Songwriting:** At its core, it features some of Howe Gelb's most compelling and memorable songs, with strong melodies and evocative imagery. - **Historical Significance:** As a tribute to Rainer Ptacek and a milestone for the band, it holds a significant place in the 1990s alternative rock canon. ### Cons - **Inaccessibility:** The album's fragmented, impressionistic style and Gelb's "muttering" vocal delivery can be alienating for listeners unfamiliar with his idiosyncratic style. - **Inconsistent Hooks:** Many of the songs "drift by without grabbing hold," prioritizing atmosphere and poetry over immediate, catchy melodies. As some reviewers note, "rudimentary melodies" limit mainstream appeal. - **Uneven Quality:** While praised for its variety, not every stylistic detour lands. The "cutesy" update of "Temptation of Egg" has been singled out as a "regrettable" misstep on an otherwise strong album. - **Lack of Focus:** For some, the album's genre-hopping and sprawling nature can feel like a "generic muddle" rather than a cohesive statement. --- ## Conclusion *Chore of Enchantment* is a flawed masterpiece. It is an album born from hardship and personal loss, yet it ultimately emerges as a resilient and captivating work of art. Its strength lies not in its accessibility but in its commitment to sonic exploration and emotional honesty. The album serves as a tribute to a lost friend, a testament to the Tucson music scene, and a showcase for Howe Gelb's unique and "ass-backwards charisma". For fans of atmospheric folk-rock, alt-country, and music that dares to be strange and personal, *Chore of Enchantment* is an essential, rewarding, and ultimately "perfect" record.

loved it suprisingly much, im going to be listening to this

LOVED! Industrial chamber music with chill vocals. great.

I had never heard of Giant Sand before but I love this album. It's the right kind of rock and chill vibes through out. Shivers is groovy. Glad that it's on there sever times. Dilemma is my vibe. There's a comparison to Neil Young that just tracks.

Back when this record came out I was persuaded to buy it by the bloke behind the counter at a record shop, and it was a wonderful introduction to the mysterious world of Howe Gelb. Might still be my favourite Giant Sand record. Amazingly sparse and hushed with a wonderfully ambiguous quality to every tune.

great sound

Giant Sand exists in their own pocket universe, which is my favorite kind of band. Haphazard but weirdly precise about it and mood all the way through the eerie desert night. Glad to see this on here mostly because it takes the pressure off of me handing out flowers at the airport, trying to get people to listen to Giant Sand.

Oooh, a bona fide five star for something I'd never heard of before. It turns out that they're part of the Calexico universe, which now I know, is quite apparent. In that vein, it's a really lovely bit of Americana, with particularly good vocals. The best way I can describe this is that I feel like I've always known it.

don’t get what all the hate was about I sure as hell enjoyed it - 9/10

Pleasantly surprised to see this gem from Howe Gelb on the 1001 list, even if it's one of his popular albums. Super important to the U.S. Southwest alt-country / indie scene, massively prolific, and yet he rarely seemed to be on the rise in a predictable arc — more like he just appears in the timeline, mirage-like, to deliver the shiver. Chore of Enchantment is lazy-day, lo-fi Americana drifting through a world that turns at its own pace.

Cool variety. Dark bass. Interesting sound design. Would definitely revisit.

Fantastic! Not a daily listener, but for certain moods and vibes, seems like it’d be undefeated

awesome desert mood

This was a really good album. It’s amazing that this group has been around since 1980 and recorded lots of albums, and I’ve never heard of them.

Super cool variety of songs

Nice discovery

It's a good album. Like early Josh Ritter.

Great indy in the same vein as the Flaming Lips.

loved!

I've never heard of them before. They were really good!

Surprisingly, it was what I needed

Here’s a name I’d never heard - always good when it’s an interesting listen. Lo-fi alt countryish. Not quite an instant classic but very decent lo-fi alt country with enough to be in that 3.5 plus category. X-tra wide - enjoyed the instrumentation on this track. Shiver and Dirty For The Rain and dreamier No Reply are amongst the songs that merit more listens. If I was more disciplined around my downtime I’d be delving into their back catalogue (or at least finish off the bonus tracks and remixes - it was long enough already).

Me: 00s were terrible for music. Also me: throwing 4 and 5 star reviews at every 00s album that comes up. Really liked this - right on my new alt country track but distinct desert rock vibes and production in parts. Reminiscent of Lambchop in quite a few places. Will explore further...

Unaware of this band before listening. I thoroughly enjoyed their work.

soundtracked a few d.w. griffith films with this on this fine amerikkka day. this band has a huge discog and i feel like im seeing a pretty out of context snippet of it, one who's legacy literally is just about summed up everywhere by "nme liked this one", but its a rly nice and eclectic record, a ton of zany twists but generally couched really well in this sort of dreamy rootsy air....

I'm hearing little bits of the Silver Jews, Low, Wilco, Lambchop and Beck all mixed up here in a lovely downbeat low-fi Americana style. But rather than being derivative, as this was released around 2000, I think that Giant Sand have influenced those artists that I love. I'm surprised by the low ratings for this. Not quite 5 stars but a very strong 4 stars.

Really picks up in the latter half

I’d never heard of Giant Sand before today. Jumping into their mammoth discography midway through feels like I’m catching up, but I love what I hear. Howe Gelb has an awkward sense of humour. His performance is pitched as if he is performing to no-one, strumming in the corner of an empty bar trying to make himself laugh, occasionally getting into a tight, gnarly groove. This is a record which rewards active listening and does everything possible to dissuade you from engaging in it. The luscious fingerpicking and whispery vocals could so easily wash over you - don’t let it! Whether it works for you will likely depend on how bothered you are that individual songs are fairly indistinct from each other. At points it almost feels like Gelb is performing one long song off the top of his head, taking brief pauses to sip his beer. I personally find the overall effect enchanting.

Giant Sand is getting the lowest 4, it’s a little overlong and a little one-note but i happen to love that one note. Never heard of this band before but getting Bill Callahan vibes which is v welcome.

Below average, have same sounds with Beck

Imagine Tom Waits songs, if Tom Waits didn't sound like a burnt out drunk. (No disrespect to Tom Waits, as I like his music too.) This was a nice surprise. There's some fantastic songwriting here. Liked Songs Added: X-Tra Shiver Satellite

*1990. Early alt-rock/folk. *This is a tough one to rate. I like the style - it's slow, nostalgic, a bit folky, and bit alt-rocky. *But 2 hours of the same types of track is insane. *So I'm going to go ahead and be generous and rate how much I enjoyed listening for 15-30 mins at a time, rather than the whole album. *This might be a good-to album for reading, though. It's enjoyable but not distracting. RATING - 7.5/10

If you like lou Reed I’d say you’re likely to vibe with this album it was great!

Long overdue accolades for a band that was somehow completely out of place and still grounded in the moment. For a long time. Gelb and Co are legends in my world.

A man with his guitar? Say less.

A beautifully dusty, eccentric piece of desert rock that thrives on its loose, unconventional atmosphere. Howe Gelb’s unpredictable songwriting style incorporates elements of avant garde country, piano jazz, and distorted rock, creating a rich, textured, and deeply cinematic experience that keeps you entirely on your toes.

Impeccable vibes

low key really enjoyed this

Long album with much variation. Half listened, not to the whole thing (bonus tracks.)

I quite enjoyed this and would play again. I don’t know Giant Sand so a pleasant surprise. Rounding up to a 4.

I never really clicked with Giant Sand which is a shame as I love the dusty Americana of their close relatives, Calexico. I’d never listed to this one though and it really drew me in. I really enjoyed that slightly off-kilter sound - it feels very delicate, like it could all fall to bits at any moment. I’d long since written Giant Sand off as something I didn’t get on with so I’m glad to have heard this record, I clearly have some serious catching up to do.