American Gothic

Great album, sounded like a musical

Had no idea what to do expect. Possibly the weirdest thing I’ve heard in a while and I loved it!!!

The arrangements and music behind his very nice voice are something I'm glad to have experienced.

Favorite Track: Ballad of the Ship of State

I really liked this one!

1972 US, bdb

Beautiful. No notes

Anders, aber ziemlich gut, leise, kreativ, gerne wieder

So my type of music. Loved it!❤️

American Gothic is sneaky-complete and just and indulgent as the title and first notes indicate. Shades of Scott Walker, clearly and pleasingly, and an immediate songwriter's songwriter feel are highlights. The "American" part is as well-represented, and yet the album ends up feeling close to linear. Explicit references to religion do not a religious experience make, but here they help.

FELIZMENTE, nao eh o que eu tava esperando. eu gostei desse aqui. uma pegada elton john e billy joel, com uns arranjos bonitos, quase um musical mesmo. eu achei massa demais, muito chique!!

This is a really weird album. Yeah. Not expected. Took me a moment to allow it to be its theatrical self. Impressive for what it is, really. Honestly, it does make me want to… run away? To hide under my bed? To dress in drag and let it all hang out? Idk. This rating system is far, far too linear. I need a z axis on which to rate this album. But lacking that, I guess I will give it a 4 and call it good. 4 Boolean: true. Yeah. True. For sure true

I never heard of David Ackles prior to this project - and I’m not sure it was such an influential album as to be required listening. But there is something about this kind of early 70s singer-songwriter album that I really dig. It’s really proto-Billy Joel, and has some great piano lines and compelling melodies. I feel like I’m obligated to revisit.

Perhaps it is my age, but I was brought up listening to Hollywood musicals, 1940s and 50s jazz vocalists, British music hall, right alongside the pop and rock of the late 60s, 70s, and 80s. Because of that background, none of the diverse sounds on this record jar with me. Instead, "American Gothic" feels like a grand statement - an eclectic listen that, while structurally a bit schizophrenic in terms of style, is certainly never dull or uninteresting. Throughout the album, I can hear distinct echoes, and in some instances clear foreshadowing, of many artists I genuinely admire. There is a strong musical theatre and mini-opera influence running through the tracks, alongside the dry, observational style of Randy Newman, the dramatic gravity of Nick Cave, and the grand, isolated chamber-pop of Scott Walker. There is also a touch of Neil Diamond to the vocal delivery; I could easily imagine him tackling some of these songs, particularly the melancholic 'Another Friday Night'. Going even further, I would argue that Robert Smith of The Cure was influenced by Ackles. The album’s use of sinister, fairground-esque waltz structures and brooding, lower-register emotional weight sets a clear blueprint for the darker, more whimsical side of some of Smith's work. The record culminates in the magnificent 'Montana Song'. As a closing track, it functions as an epic ten-minute composition that takes in all of the preceding theatrical, classical, and singer-songwriter elements, bringing them together fabulously into a single, cohesive piece. "American Gothic" is a challenging listen, but a listen that I greatly enjoyed. Four Stars. 1 "American Gothic" (4/5) 2 "Love's Enough" (3/5) 3 "Ballad of the Ship of State" (4/5) 4 "One Night Stand" (4/5) 5 "Oh, California!" (4/5) 6 "Another Friday Night" (4/5) 7 "Family Band" (3/5) 8 "Midnight Carousel" (4/5) 9 "Waiting for the Moving Van" (3/5) 10 "Blues for Billy Whitecloud" (4/5) 11 "Montana Song" (5/5) Total - 42 Average - 3.82 363/1001 193/363 albums reviewed were new to me.

Will never listen again, but some of the wackiest lyrics and heartfelt singing I've ever heard

gem! not for everyday.

What a cool record!

Me sonó a un mix de soundtrack para pelis de aventuras mágicas fantásticas y/o princesas

A strange album I guess he worked with Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys so maybe that's why Listen to it you may find it appealing

Funny, this album was introduced to me by the original book. Listening to it all these years later is an interesting experience. I'll always attest to the quality of the music here

Another record that justifies the existence of this list - never heard of this chap, but this was good stuff. Wonderfully theatrical. Favourite tracks: American Gothic, Ballad of the Ship of State, One Night Stand, Oh, California!, Family Band, Midnight Carousel.

The third album from child actor and USC alumnus David Ackles, this one has an Elton John vibe, and actually the two knew each other. Some of the music has a Broadway show feel. I wondered why I never heard of Ackles since I listened to a lot of music in 1972, but hearing this album it’s evident this is not radio-friendly music. The themes sometimes are dark, but overall it’s a quirky album and better than expected.

A diverse album of songs of American life and times of the past present and future. The Montana song is epic and one I can relate to. Some really beautiful lyricism with full orchestra support. Musically excellent.

Mezcla de Neil Diamond y Elton john pero menos comercial. Tira demasiado al musical, pero es un descubrimiento para mi.

Decent 8

Very theatrical

J'adore sa voix on se croirait dans une BO de film. Au début je me suis dit c'est qui ce random et finalement une belle découverte !

Beautiful songs, albeit a little overblown at times.

One thing that I’ve learned about people on this site is that they hate the musical theatre idiom. And that’s common with hipster music lovers, whether they’re indie heads or hip hop heads. This album wonderfully brings together songwriting you’d hear from a Sondheim musical that had Randy Newman collaborating on with Neil Diamond the imagined leading man.

Enjoyed every song apart from the second one

very interesting listen! will give it more chances in the future

refreshing and amth new hated it at first but sounded great on headphones

There were several songs I didn't care for at all, but there was many that I really enjoyed. This guy sounds like if Isaac Wood took more of a singer songwriter cat stevens approach to music. I think this wouldn't appeal to me as much if I didn't have such an appreciation for BCNR. Very strong 3, but basically a 4.

Lots of B-tier singer-songwriters of the 60s and 70s didn’t know they could just write musicals! This is so theatrical! Every song sounds like it’s a showtime from a different Broadway show. Which is fine! I like theatrical; I am a theatrical guy. But genuinely I listened and thought “damn this would be a good audition song” during many a song here.

The 1001 Must Hear List strikes again. David has put together the sappiest collection of show tunes that somehow are spot on. And poignant. And a bit sad. Solid piano, effect french horn, and worthy clarinet (which is tough to do.) Each song has a message and makes you think. Would have loved to see a live show at the Old Town Theater or similar (maybe the Ground Round with a couple pitchers of beer.) Glad for the exposure. (3.65*s) He trades the milk for booze, and Molly wants new shoes..,

Fav- blues for Billy whitecloud 3.5/5

Un álbum extraño, pero siempre interesante. Empieza siendo country y según avanza, va tomando unos niveles de epicidad que hicieron que lo sintiera como algo muy teatral, algo que anunciaba que aquí hay alguna cosa tan enorme que no puede caber en un solo disco. Habrá que escucharle más a Ackles, sí consiguió sorprenderme.

that one was for the theater kids wow. I loved the full band orchestration and how present the piano was. Some really sad stories

Instrumentals were such a treat!

7/10

yeah this was surprisingly really fun

Based on the other reviews and descriptions, I thought I was going to hate this. But it’s actually quite good. Some great storytelling through songs with a bit of a melancholic streak. Very 70s singer-songwriter in the best way

you don't see a lot of folks writing musical soundtrack albums so this definitely gets points just for being different. it's beautiful, it's dark, it's kind of weird, and I love it when artists make something weird. it's a 3.5 with bonus points for being so unique.

приятный голос и меланхолия и те слова что я сосредоточилась и ухватила, наверно стоит потом проверить)

Quaint little hidden gem. Your favorite piano playing singer-songwriter’s favorite piano playing singer-songwriter. Bernie Taupin’s production has a deft touch. I can see why this wouldn’t work for someone, but it worked for me. Will revisit.

not one that i'd like Play In The Background While Doing Shit but i like these kinds of narrative songs

I like his voice

You know in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall where Jason Segel’s Dracula musical for puppets is described as sounding “like a dark, gothic Neil Diamond?” I have to imagine it sounded like this. I’m not going to lie though, I’m into it.

8/10 Favorite: Love’s Enough

I can see why someone like Elton John would be a fan of this dude. Very theatrical, but that ain't a bad thing. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

Much to my surprise, I absolutely loved American Gothic. I'll typically check the Wikipedia page and reviews before my listen, and I first thought "great, another slog of an album that I'll inevitably rank 2 or 3 stars and forget about within 36 hours. To my surprise, I instead was greeted with a sentimental album with excellent lyricism. If typical singer-songwriter stuff doesn't appeal to you, this won't be your thing. I adore folk and experiencing imagery when I listen to music, so this hit all the right notes for me. Considered giving it a rare (for me) 5 stars, but unfortunately Ackles' vocal performance isn't perfect. Will definitely listen to this again in the future.

--American Gothic...we got storytelling. not what I was expecting. it's interesting --Love's Enough...simple and sweet with a touch of sadness. nostalgic --Ballad of the Ship of State...four years before "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"! --One Night Stand...pretty melody, nice piano. elegant --Oh, California!...downright vaudevillian! --Another Friday Night...nothing special but it builds nicely --Family Band...old school christian tent revival music. sincere or cynical? (edit: Wikipedia says it's sincere) --Midnight Carousel...could be from a musical. a good musical --Waiting for the Moving Van...the production throughout is very satisfying --Blues for Billy Whitecloud...bravo to the person that arranged the orchestration --Montana Song...you got a new fan today, Mr. Ackles

Very surprised by how much i enjoyed this. Mystical instrumentals, poetic lyrics and great voice. Favorite songs: american gothic, one night stand, another friday night 7.7/10

Fred Neil showtimes if he got more into Christianity than dolphins

As I would expect with Bowie: some greats, some strange, and some OK, but well done.

Don't be afraid, David Ackles! Make your broadway musical!! Maybe I am just more of a theater kid than I thought, but I really jived with this. I thought the entire concept was well executed, the songs were sometimes funny, sometimes sad, mostly relatable. Family Band made me queasy...The titular track and Ballad of The Ship of State caught my attention the most.

Albums like this are what this project is about, and it’s a shame there aren’t more in this vein - offbeat, unknown, or from a clearly articulated voice/pov. I dont need a ninth Elivis Costello album (and I like him!) or endless generic late-90s dead-end British alt rock bands that are meaningless to musical history. I have no idea if I will ever listen to this again but I enjoyed it once and it has broadened my exposure to musical history.

underrated to say the least. A shockingly enjoyable listen reminiscent of Randy Newman at points, then tom waits at others.

As the wiki page suggested it was unknown to me, really enjoyed

3.75

This has to be one of the hardest albums I’ve reviewed from this list so far. On one hand, the music is absolutely terrible - over the top, badly written, and kind of a mess. But on the other hand… it’s brilliant. It feels like a low-budget community theater production where everything is technically awful, yet the actors are so passionate that you can’t help but get caught up in it. I wouldn’t call this a great album musically, but in a strange way it made me genuinely happy. I could see myself listening to it again - not on repeat the same day or even the same week, but it’s something I’ll come back to. Honestly, it might even be the album I put on when I’m ready for people to leave my house. Still, it made me smile. It made me happy. It just took two or three listens to get there.

I had no idea what this is, it sounds very familiar and yet completely novel at the same time. If Scott Walker did Sinatra's Watertown? Tim Buckley meets Gordon Lightfoot? I really like it

Extra theatrical folk tunes that shine a light on the tragedy of American life and history. Made me feel I was listening to a sober Kerouac's musical.

Did not expect just a full on musical… but it’s good music

I think this is the first album that I hadn't heard of on this list that I actually liked. Is it a coincidence that it's the it's the first UK produced album I've heard on this list done by an American? Am I bigoted? Who knows? Maybe Goldie actually blows me away next...

Felt like a missing puzzle piece in terms of influencing people like Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, Randy Newman? First and last tracks were really quite astonishing with notes of Gershwin and Copeland and the vastness of the American "pioneer" landscape - but the middle dragged a bit, with a number of Scotch Walker-esque ballads without the latters soulful voice. A nice surprise overall.

I had never heard of this but very much enjoyed it! Not much to say really.

Wasn’t expecting to like this so much, but it really grew on me. The story telling, the darkness, the musical-like quality of the music. It reminded me of how I felt when I first heard Leonard Cohen - intrigued, a bit confused, but ready to come back for more. I can see this one growing on me a lot.

Liked it

This album is one of the reasons I keep staying on this list. A wonderful surprise. Never heard of David Ackles, never heard his music. This is not the kind of music which will become my favourite in any way but still a great album with lovely songs which I surely will be listening to more often.

This was quite something! I imagine this will divide views as it’s borderline musical theatre, but for me, it really worked

The last gasp of the arse end of The Great American Song Book. “It is sad Timmy, but we have to let it go now. Let it go.”

Good

Bit of an odd one this but I thought it was pretty great all things considered

I almost gave this 5 stars but there was one track I really disliked. I had never heard of this artist but he is a serious songwriter and musician. The orchestration of “Montana Song” Is a composition in its own right. The lyrics are like a prose poem - very little verse and chorus structure - and there’s a lot of variation. The title track reminded me of Kurt Weill while others had country and even gospel influences. Totally intriguing and deserves listening more than once

Once I could see past the "local theatre play". Once I saw the beauty of the stories - the pain, the sorrows, the regrets I fell in love. I'm a bit disappointed by the reviews here - guys, didn't you sign up for this list because you wanted to leave your usual music taste and experience something new? Granted - this is an album you need to listen with full attention. But once you do there's quite a reward. Finally - there are some weak tracks (or maybe they just didn't age well?) Ballad of the Ship of State - maybe worked in Vietnam war era Montana Song - too personal, overly long But then, some gems like "One Night Stand", "Another Friday Night" or "Waiting for the Moving Van"

Det va ikke så verst, men det va ikke nokka æ sørge over å ha gått glipp av så langt i livet.

Scott Walker x Geordie Greep x musical theatre. Incredible arrangements.

What the hell is this? Sounds like Nick Cave’s dad made a Broadway album. It’s chamber pop, Broadway, folk, goth, and pretty damn cool. His singing style keeps me involved more than most. None of the stories really landed with me, but great delivery.

I like his voice. Montana Song was my favourite.

Some serious musical theater vides. Good thing I happen to like musical theater.

#112/1001. File under: singer/songwriters from the U.S which I haven't heard before, and perhaps should have, you know the kind of singer who tells stories, which unfortunately people nowadays have no time or interest to listen to with attention, just next to Bobby Russell, Harry Chapin, Tim Buckley, Fred Neil, Jimmy Webb and the like, some of whom I am sure I will still encounter or have already discovered on the 1001 albums project.

Definitely has the feeling of that era with strong messaging. Gives you variety and many emotions

Fav: Oh, California! Least Fav: Midnight Carousel Idk how a guy averaging 5000 monthly listeners has made it into this list but let’s just say 5000 is way too little a number for the quality that was being produced, this is fantastic stuff

Connais pas pentoute. Comparé à d'autres trucs du genre "singer songwriter" qu'on a écouté comme Something/Anything? et 4, je trouve ça plus savoureux. L'orchestration et les compositions très etoffées et "velours" qui me fait penser à du musical. Waiting for the moving van to come c'est triste et joli Je le termine dimanche matin gris avec un café, ça fait bien. Belle découverte !!

Melancholic cover I suppose. Low ratings so can't have hopes mm. Genre is mot my favorite but I do fuck with it still. Haven't heard of him either, but I do love the album name. First song, dam I love the piano already. Leonard Cohen lyrical delivery. I actually enjoy this, it's so dramatic and theatrical. There are more than 2 songs here sonically. Second song, this is so different from the first song, this is lovey dovey. The delivery remembers me of another song, mm I like it because of they, but it's also not as good as the first one. Third song, eerie start. Wait dam it was all an intro, it became upbeat after some part. The clowny jazzyness I hear now. Dam I love this song, it changes here and there. Upbeat to slow to circusy. 4th song, weird how he has some absurdy songs and then ballads. I really like the musicalness of this album, apparently people don't fw that, but I find them appealing, now especially David using it as part of some songs. This is not as good tho, too less of a production. I do like the lyrics tho kinda. 5th song, this is so musical rn, love that. There's headphone play in the album which I always respect. Fuck this is so well done sonically. The outro has violins, and it's quite well performed, orchestra is heard with its dramaticness, but sadder. 6th song, I swear he actually just mixes circus then ballad, cuz this is so different from what he did in the preceding song. Mm the song progressed to something better, piano having the spotlight. Ahh he joined the circus, it makes sense now lol. Chorus has now women singing in the background quite loudly, satisfying. 7th song, melody is familiar, extremely familiar damm. Ah what a progression. Piano is quite jazzy, nothing else is tho. Mm I hear that woman operatic voice yumm. So much hate towards to the musicalness of this album, I get it subjectively I don't. 8th song, mm would be fitting for a scary movie, that piano. Dam he switched it again to a relatively happy tune. DAM first song that tried to jumpscare me. Yodeling basically now lol. Fuck that orchestra jumpscare is amazing. The buildup was mm good. 9th song, not my favorite, though it did allow me to drift into my thoughts. I actually like the song, but it's too normal for him at this point. 10th song, mm dark jazz vibes. Lyrical delivery is not dark, but it still fits the song. Liked this one as expected. 11th song, mm it IS 10 minutes long hm. I like the start and the first minute generally, we'll see how it changes. There's at least 3 marching bands coming in and vanishing after doing their part in the song. As expected, more than one song here. Not dramatic, just whimsy for now, that may change who knows. I accidentally fell asleep and listened to a lot of other songs, I thought smth other was his song, anyway I liked this song. As a final review I liked these songs more than I imagine I would. Mm because of the ballads that were not as good as the other songs, I give it 4 stars, even tho those other songs deserve 5. Mm I wanna hear some of his other songs here, otherwise mm he's good at this anyway.

Never heard of this album before but enjoyed. Reminds me of Scott walker or a more melancholy don mclean. Can hear influences of its time (eg. Love) but can see resemblance in current music. Nick Cave etc.

Not sure how to rate this one. Actually kind of interesting. Some of the songs are quite over the top/broadway-esque which was interesting, but some were pretty boring/ standard songs. It's a mixed bag, but I'm feeling generous today.

I like his voice

Wonderful songs sang by a beautiful voice

Scott Walker-esque baroque pop with a tinge of Americana. Very fancy and sophisticated. It is also very Broadway. It really like it. Great vocals. Key tracks: American Gothic Midnight Carousel

Very pleasantly surprised by this. You can definitely hear how he's influenced people like Phil Collins, Elvis Costello etc. Noice

Pleasantly surprised, pretty good but probably not something I'll listen to consistently

Quite gothic, slow, like it

Had never heard before. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent and thoroughly enjoyable. Contains a certain quirk in places, that breaks up what otherwise could become a dull overall listen. Quite serious in others. A sea shanty popped up third. The approach of the album made me think of someone like Harry Nilsson, except with little more theatrics and/or Americana storytelling.

I enjoyed this one, particularly the first and last songs. Pleasant folksy songs, often with a Broadway style. Not necessarily a “great” album, but I liked it

Feels weird that I'd never encountered this. Never even heard of it. Sounds like it's ripped straight from a rom-com-that-everyone-thinks-is-good soundtrack. Huge span in terms of what it covers. Oh, California is a bit sub-Lehrer and some of it gets a bit show-tuney, but Love's Enough was just a really decent simple love song. Best song: Love's Enough.

Ne samo da ovo nisam sluša nego nisam nikad ni čuo za lika a skroz mi je zanimljivo. Ovakve stvari su mi najbolji dio generatora

Wow, how interesting and unusual. After a second listen this is growing on me.

Musical vibes. American history. Scott walker, magnetic fields

Definitely didn't expect to give an album like this such a high score, but David knows wtf he's doing. Great composition, production, songwriting, and overall musical talent. The experience definitely has a Disney movie/theme park vibe to it, but it's really good. Really good feel good album. 4/5

Theater kid music. I am a fan of how dramatic it is and also the lyrics were engaging to me. There’s quite a few artists that I like more that were influenced by this like Elton John, Elvis Costello, and I’d guess Tom Waits too. It does drag at points though like on the Montana song (10 minutes is insane). One night stand is a great song and might be my favorite on the album. I’m feeling a light 4/5

Why did I like this? I really don't know. I can't explain it. But this was a really bloody good album. The closing track was longer than it needed to be, but even so, the overall album is great.

I'd give this 3.5, but I see no reason to not give it 4 stars on this scale, as it is solid, well-written music, even if it isn't something I won't really go back to, personally. It is interesting and did hold my attention much of the time. The variety is enough to feel like a bit of a journey.

This album is genuinely great when it goes into the unhinged showtune cabaret territory, but immediately becomes boring with every 'normal' song. I'll give it 4 stars purely because I do find it interesting, which cannot be said about many other albums on this list

I don't know who this is.

Beetje musical vibe

Waiter, waiter! More melodramatic theater kid music, please!

Great voice, very dramatic poetic lyrics. Felt like a musical, very theatrical

Cool dude.

Quite the flair for the drama.

There is a kind of banal melancholy about this album that is just kind of hitting right today. Like, I was having a depressive episode and this pulled me out of it.

Not perfect, but close.

You can understand why he wasn't a big hit. His music isn't necessarily mainstream, it's more dark and unique. The album as the whole misses that little smack of excellence that makes artists like Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the rolling stones, ELO, and tons of other artists popular. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't certain moments in the album that catch you. American Gothic is full of those little sparks of magic that make it a good album. If you don't have the patience to listen to the less attractive and more contemporary, you're not going to pick out the feel-good classic rock moments. David Ackles knows what he's doing, but the audience he's intending it for isn't exactly a large population. American Gothic, the title track, is one of these contemporary songs that may not be easy to listen to but it has that interesting, dark aspect that takes a different perspective to understand it's brilliance. If you look at the lyrics you can put yourself into the shoes of the character being described, and suddenly the music kind of surrounds you and puts you into a complicated, dark, somewhat somber, but creative world that Ackles creates. Love's Enough is the main moment in the album. I would've made it the title track but that's not my choice. It's a sobby ballad but it has that harmonic center that's unique but mainstream enough to be a feel-good song. Very ahead of it's time in a way but still great. Not much more to say. Just a nice song The next two songs were an interesting listen. They were kind of similar in a way but I apriciate the uniqueness and while others may not like it I found it pleasing. That's just personal taste. Oh how I wish that Oh California was a longer piece. It's another moment that's worth listening to, something I'd play again. It's a bit more groovy and I live in California so that's a W. It's a happy atmosphere that gives a break from Ackles' relentless somber feel. Good song in general as well, it's very inspired and satisfying. Another Friday Night just felt off a little bit. sort of misplaced in the album and it kind of felt like what you were thinking about last friday. eh Family Band had a kind of reminiscince and nostalgic feel to it. Enlightening in a way that makes you feel bittersweet. It's a very evoking piece, that's for sure. Midnight Carousel was interesting to say the least. It was weird, simply put Now I loved waiting for the moving van. It was similar to Love's enough but different enough to not sound repetitive. It creates an atmosphere while still having a relatively normal tonal center. It took a tone of harmonic twists that weren't jolting but rather pleasing. feel-good is the best way to name it blues for billy whitecloud is a blues. no more explanation lol Montana song was great but just a little long. I absolutely adore that orchestration though I'm tired of writing. You get my point. It's not a great album but it's not a bad album. 4/5 for uniqueness and captivatingness (not a word lol)

This was surprisingly cool!

Completely taken aback by this unique record. There’s some French chanson-vibes, musicalesque compositions and an insisting on doing everything exactly your way. Really interesting record that is deserving of both a listen and your focus.

Ensimmäisen kappaleen alkaessa ajattelin, että en tule tykkäämään tästä lainkaan. Kappaleen kuluessa havahduin - tämähän on todella hieno kappale! Albumi on todella omaperäinen. Kappaleet ovat täynnä pieniä makeita yllätyksiä. Tykkäsin!

08/03/2025 This was very theatrical it felt. It was okay.

Songwriter, ähnlich Neil Diamond

Dramatic and theatrical, this was not at all what I expected. I found his songs to be earnest and evocative. Great stuff.

Pretty good much better than I expected. Its like a mix between Neil Diamond and Simon and Garfunkle, successfully uniting spoken word poetry, folk rock and gospel. Just beautiful melodies and arrangements. Well written and simply a beautiful record that one can listen over and over again

This album is really interesting. It reminds me of musical theatre. There’s a story to most of the songs, though they seem largely independent of each other. I felt like some of the stories written by David were very personal to himself, while others were random and imaginative, but still captivating. I really liked this and would listen again.

Reminds me of "singer-song writer" meets Bernie Taupin (who produced). Yes, it's a little maudlin at parts, but so is Bat out of Hell, and that's one of the best selling albums of all time. This album gives me a feel. Like I've gone into a bar, and there's a guy on the piano, and he's good, and it's heartfelt, and it's a cozy bar, and you have a few drinks, sit back, relax, and take the experience in. Good times.

A whole collection if solid Americana. Sounds like it should be the soundtrack of a musical.

American Gothic definitely feels like a familiar album title to me, yet the name David Ackles isn’t remotely familiar to me. Regardless, I went into this with some optimism, and I’m glad I did. It felt very broadway to me, as though it could easily be a stage musical. It had a sprinkling of Billy Joel vibes here and there, but the overall vibe was around telling a story that I imagine could make quite a visual spectacle. Overall, I liked this. It’s an easy recommendation.

Honestly pretty fun album

Grew on me the more I listened.

I really like the orchestral elements of this, some of it reminds me on Johnny Cash a bit. I also like the imagery/storytelling aspect of the words. Downsides are that all (but the last) songs are really short, and I think that a lot could be much better if they were longer/had more development, because I think it really works in the last one. Favorite songs: Love's enough, Oh, California!, Another Friday night and the last one. (also last one has some Joe Hisashi-esque elements which I really like) Overall around 7/10

W, what, m, ah, eh? I really quite liked that....I think Will definitely listen again, with headphones on in a darkened room

Great voice. Sounds like a great stage voice. Stories were compelling with a hint of bitter sadness

Like an odd blend of Scott Walker with Geordie Greep's urge to include showtunes in his music, this album was a shockingly good bit of "folk" music with plenty of gorgeous moments on top of whimsical verse, in a matter most similar to pretty much every other act that tries this style. For some reason, the folks on the generator seem to really dislike this style of music, and I fail to see how, because I adore it. Not what I expected this album to be at all, but I really liked it nonetheless.

this list LOVES albums like this. male singer/songwriters with big voices and a touch cinematic arrangements. and they’re always pretty damn good - if not similar. this guy has 5133 monthly listeners. his most listened to song has <350k plays. idk this should be here but im happy enough that it was

Liked it. Sounded bluess like I need to listen to the rest

Hadn’t heard of him, but I enjoyed the album. Similar to Scott Walker a bit.

I'm a sucker for songs that tell a story. Ackles' American Gothic paints a picture of an America that most of us can visualise but few know. One can see why Bernie Taupin decided to produce. The backing instruments themselves contribute a rich tapestry, placing us in Mid-West small town America. At times it drags and can be maudlin but it is certainly a stark reminder of what the singer-songwriter tradition can produce. Folk really sounded this original.

A totally curious wee artefact. Like listening to Lou Reed’s “Berlin” if it was written by a slightly less nihilistic theatre kid. I had no idea this album existed and, even while its style does start to grate with me towards the end, there’s something irresistibly charming about it. At times vaudevillian, though not bawdy, you can hear the influence Ackles’ quirky songwriting has had on guys like Tom Waits et al. And I really enjoyed it. It’s not exactly a toe-tapper, and maybe part of its charm stems from its complete lack of popular appraisal. But American Gothic is an album I’m glad I heard before I’m dead.

Mjög dramatískt. Söngleikjamúsík. Hrifinn.

this feels like theater kid music. doesn’t matter i liked it

Pre-listening thoughts: this is a weirdly small artist to include on this list. Wonder how many of his streams come from this little challenge Post/during listening thoughts: ya know one review of this album said “this is like if Billy Joel wrote a Broadway musical. And if that appeals to you… help me god” or something along those lines. I mayyyyy be the target intersection for that sorry! So this is kinda cool to me. The instrumentation is fun and very lively and does certainly have a musical-esque quality to it. Special shoutout to the upright bass in Waiting for the Moving Van cause wow it’s beautiful. You can physically hear every instrument being played and that makes me so happy. The lyrics are very narrative based which upon first listen I am not grasping all the way but I’m sure upon relisten I’d be able to get it a little more. Lots of rhythm changes which keeps the listener on their toes. Big but still retains an acoustic quality akin to James Taylor or Carole King. 8/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not necessarily but I’m sort of glad a pick like this made the list. What a weird pick lol Fav tracks: Loves Enough, Ballad of the Ship of State, Oh California!, Another Friday Night, Waiting for the Moving Van Least fav tracks: Family Band (sounds like a hymn and I am not rocking with that sound)

4/5

kinda magical tbh

One of a kind album with lyrics you can’t help but pay attention to 3.7

Super weird. Warranted a second listen just based on that. I either love it or am indifferent and it's hard to tell. I think I'll come back to this one.

Very enjoyable

A really fascinating theatrical album that sounds very ahead of its time. The closest comparison from the era I can make is the first four Scott Walker records, with their flowing lyricism and orchestral majesty. Some songs are more reminiscent of Nick Cave’s more twisted brand of grandiosity, while Family Band is a proto-Tom Waits poetic ballad. An incredibly rich and eclectic gem of a record

Folky rock if I remember right, definitely my style.

😮

Really confusing record for me. It sounds like some jazz instrumentals with a wierd sounding voice singing in between . The standalone instrumentals would have been excellent but I was not much a fan of his voice . It sounds dare I say fake or really poor, and it mat make the songs feel like they drag a little bit more than their actual length. But it was a good and fresh change of space . Though I would completely scrap the final track.

4.5 I like it

I can see why this is considered a great album that didn’t find an audience because it has all the components of a hit 70s singer songwriter album but it’s very orchestral and the lyrics arent about the Vietnam war or whatever. While I wouldn’t say it’s *great* it’s still pretty solid by my singer songwriter standards in that I normally don’t like them and I liked this one. Another Friday night was my fav and I just generally liked the guys voice.

What a nice discovery! It reminds me a lot of Leonard Cohen: the poetic but simple lyrics, the gentle musical arrangements accompanying, and a voice that emerges from a place of truth. “Love’s Enough” is a truly accomplished feat.

I liked this album. Nothing I would have ever listened to or plan to listen to again. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ride. I played out an entire musical in my head while listening. Family Band came unexpectedly. A bit too Christian for me, but I just accepted. Midnight Carousel was very cool and dramatic. I even appreciated the 10-minute Montana Song and could have stuck with it longer. Overall, it was a pleasant surprise and experience. The album title doesn't fit the vibe at all.

I liked this one

4.0

Really enjoyed the listens. Beautiful story telling, orchestral pieces, and piano playing. Not complex, but incredibly moving. 4/5 only because it's not something I'd listen to often, but I really love that I found this album.

This sounds very much like Scott Walker. A curious little discovery. Turns out this guy was popular amongst the Brits so unsurprising it turns up here. A nice discovery.

I like it, a solid 4. Singing his heart out. I understand why some people think it's schmaltzy.

Great songwriting, musical theatre-esque vibes! I would have never known about this album if not for this, but I'm so glad I was able to find it through here.

Very good, bit dated but solid. 3.75

A lusciously orchestrated cabaret musical set in America's old west. This album contains a set of vignettes that cover such classic topics as prostitution, falling in love, racism, hook up culture, life on the road, domestic terrorism, California, Montana, and cannibalism.

Felt like I was listening to a musical at times, but the overall experience was pleasant and I liked how each song told a story. I’m not sure when or where I would ever listen to this again, but as a piece of art I have no real criticisms.

I really liked this in an operatic kind of way. Simpsons: No

There’s some really interesting story telling here, something I haven’t really heard before but I kind of liked it. I nice dive into Americana

Enjoyed this album … sad & reminiscent & more like a life story, though. Could be a Bway show with the words & accompanying orchestra type music. Favorite was “Family Band”.

on one hand, i didn’t love it. on the other hand, ackles’ storytelling and lush Broadway arrangements were mesmerizing and the album flew past.

Piano ballads of a harsher kind. It's not Nick Cave yet but worthwhile enough. Only over time you notice that the album would've been more with fewer tracks.

Thought this was gunna be another sleepy folky jam but this ripped! Loved the crazy orchestration throughout. Like a Disney movie almost. Pretty unique, happy to now say I'm familiar with David Ackles!

Hear me out: Let's go out and find a Neil Diamond impersonator, get him *really* drunk and/or high, and introduce him to Corky St. Clair (of Waiting for Guffman fame). Together, they could work on the musical for Blaine, Missouri's bicentennial celebration. And they'll call it, "American Gothic." It'll be great! Whaddya say? (What a deeply weird album...)

Beautiful and atmospheric Americana. As a fan of musicals and modern classical music, there are some distinct harmonic influence from these places. I also love how it's not all corny story telling, but blending colourful instrumentation with sincere beauty of the musical composition. And the clarity of his lyrical delivery makes me ponder why this guy has become so forgotten.

I guess he really wanted to make his own musical? This album was so strange but fun. I laughed a lot listening to the first song, but a few songs in I started getting really into the story!

Absolutely LOVE how weird this is. Ackles’ voice is [chef’s kiss]. It’s funny, strange, so jaunty in places it’s almost Vaudevillian in its tongue-in-cheekiness storytelling. Tender, brutal, raw, heavy as hell—at least on paper. The words are all there. And the frothy emotions are too. That jauntiness. But I don’t *feel* the weight. Maybe it’s just the headspace I’m in listening to it right now but it feels like some connection is missing to the emotional register the lyrics claim to be selling. A specific example. In “Another Friday night,” he says, “I never stayed in one place long unless I was doing time.” But he sings this in his Broadway voice. And that would be fine if all you knew were Broadway voices, but we also have Tom Waits and Willie Nelson, and even if they didn’t actually do time, they sure as hell sounded like they could have. Ackles sounds like he’s in a musical about a guy who went to jail for rustling cattle “out west.” He’s like Carey Grant doing Oklahoma when you could have Johnny Cash putting a gun in your face. And it’s like that for all his stuff. Even the sad alcoholic shit he sings about, Indians blowing their lives up and fathers trading the milk in for gin. All stuff that usually hits real hard for me. But here it feels like an actor walking around with a half-empty pint bottle, taking swigs of weak tea. That’s the only reason I can’t go five on this one. Because honestly I think he’s kind of a genius. Just one without emotions. An Asperger’s Cat Stevens. A sociopath Tom Waits. And probably, honestly, the reason I’ve never heard this album before. It’s all well and good to be a jester Elton John tap dancing on the hood of a player piano in a Charlie Chaplin hat but when you’re competing against the actual Elton John, your market share is gonna be what Bill Ackles’ was.

This reminds me of seeing a great feat of accomplishment that I have absolutely no interest in other than the fact that I almost always appreciate and want to support people who pour their hearts into whatever they’re doing, like the time I saw the giant corn castle in Nebraska or when I visited Foamhenge in Virginia.

Oh my, this was dramatic, wasn't it?

This one had me for the first half. Not a lover of it, but it was kind of unusual and fun to listen to. By the end, it had overstayed is welcome for me though.

- Ich stehe ja hart auf so musical-artige Platten. Bin deswegen ja auch Turisas und Blind Guardian-Fan - Ich war die ganze Zeit sehr unterhalten. Natürlich gibt es bei solchen Konzepten immer Parts, die mehr der Idee der Platte und der zu erzählenden Geschichte dienen, als dass sie musikalisch sein sollen. - Dennoch waren viele Stücke dabei, die ich richtig gefühlt habe. Verbunden mit schönen Dramaturgien und (ich denke) sehr autobiografischen Texten waren der größte Teil der Songs sehr mitreißend - Um das jetzt komplett abzufeiern, wars mir leider etwas zu Piano-lastig und ein paar Stücke/Parts etwas schwächer. Alles in allem aber ein tolles bewegendes Album 4/5

I think I liked it :)

Nick Cave and Bertolt Brecht do this shtick better. But some of these are fun. The lyrics are often fun, and it's nice to have this vibe in an fairly straightforward vocal style with an acoustic band instead of overpowering electronic atmosphere. Honestly, it grew on me as it went. A Sondheim feel to it, as well.

Well.. that was an interesting album. Probably worth another listen.

Surprisingly broadway

I was surprised how much I liked this album. A very unique and interesting album that will stick with me for a while. I enjoyed the frantic nature of some of the songs with all of the shifts in tempo and instrumentation. If I liked this genre more, this may have been one of my favorite albums.

Daring, dramatic, at times campy and at others stunningly gorgeous. There are moments when the camp turns into cringe and their are others were the ingredients just don't quite work, but I appreciate that Ackles went for something a bit different here. Love's Enough, One Night Stand, Another Friday Night, and Montana Song were real standouts for me.

Awesome Album! Surprise favorite. Not rock though?

Why is this so good? It's crazy how good this actually is. Idk about the 10 minute song about Montana though. This whole album is pretty odd

the corner of scott walker and neil diamond!

3.5

Scott Walker vibes. I kinda love this. I don't know why at all. I find it very calming. Fave Tracks: American Gothic, Blues for Billy Whitehead, Montana Song 4/5

December 27th again HL: title track, “Family Band”, “Love’s Enough”, “Ballad of the Ship of State”, “Montana Song” Well this was delightful The title and rustic cover did nothing to advertise the orchestrations and theatricalism on display, but also fits perfectly with Ackles’ pastoral ballads (“Love’s Enough”)

Doesn't the world already have one Paul Walker? Do we really need another one? It turns out that I do, at least. It's easy to understand how and why this is something of a cult classic. I'm sure there will be many days when I'm just not feeling this, although I find "Love's Enough" to be one of the more underrated ballads ever. Would I regret branding this with a 4 tomorrow? Maybe. I might think it's a 2 in a week. It's clearly not everyone's cup of tea, but I'll take this over that sad sack Nick Drake anyday.

love's enough is unironically a good song goofy ass ballad of the ship of state one night stand made me sad idk why Nice christian anthem in family band LOL midnight carousel is a very disney villain type song waiting for the moving van made me sad but this one is more directly sad billy whitecloud works for peanuts, give him peanuts and he goes wild. oh wait this song is just racist? or a reference? yeah i kinda fw this kinda of thing, little corny, lil dramatic but idk probably a 3.5/5 but closer to a 4 than a 3

Excellent songwriting and beautiful arrangements. Highly recommend.

I have a soft spot for these lost masterpiece type albums, so I'm glad to see this included on the list. Although revisiting the likes of The Beatles and The Stones, et al. is a great thing to do, spending time with albums like this, that sort of fell through the cracks in one way or another, is the more rewarding part of the 1001 experience for me. Although I will most likely never come back to this album again, it is one I am glad to have heard.

This was a very interesting album that combines a vaudeville background with a contemporary pop style. Bernie Taupin’s production ensures that the songwriting is front and center. David Ackles is a very thoughtful songwriter and musician who lends a sense of theatricality to his work. Elvis Costello is right to state that Ackles’ work should be better known.

Great album, a wonderful suprise. Will definitely be listening to this many more times

Kova

Solid if over-produced

Reminds me of a less flashy more folky Neil Diamond.

Listened to this while playing Return to Dark Tower solo. I have never heard of David Ackles, so this was a completely new experience for me. As a pianist, I was immediately taken by the piano work throughout the album. It sounds like it would have been a lot of fun to play. I really enjoyed everything I heard. The arrangements were fun and interesting. I always hear lyrics last, and I feel like there was a lot of lyrical gems throughout that I'd need a second listen to appreciate. I enjoyed the one-night stand song more than I thought I would have. I'm giving this album a 4, though it may be closer to a 3.5 if possible.

Sraight forward story telling tike this than really bridge the the gap between musical interest and listening value. This was cool

It's the perfect mix of Tom Waits and Randy Newman, with a touch of musical theatre. Unexpectedly brilliant lost album!

Never heard this guy. Just one word. Fantastic.

I had never heard of this album, or David Ackles. But I'll definitely listen to it again.

very much like broadway harry chapin

This is Lite FM music. Lite FM is a radio station in NYC that plays midtempo, feel good, elevator-type music. I don’t mean that to be insulting. There’s a place for music like this for sure. Songs like Love’s Enough are comforting and sweet. They give you hope. Ballad of the Ship of State is more dramatic. It reminds me of a Broadway musical. Maybe off-Broadway. One Night Stand takes us back to Lite FM, but still sounds as if it belongs in the lineup for a musical. As does Oh, California! Then comes Family Band, taking us to church in a small town where everybody knows everybody and nobody locks their doors. Somebody should make a musical called American Gothic about small town, post-war America. All the music they need is right here on this album.

At first I hated this album. My first impression was that this was from a failed broadway show or some shorty high school musical. But by the time I got to the seventh track, Waiting For The Moving Van, I started to understand the brilliance behind this album. When I got to the final track, the ten minute epic Montana Song I was hooked. I listened to the album two more times. This album is a masterpiece, I ‘ve read a few review that compare David Ackles to a poor man’s Neil Diamond. My wife said as much. ND is great at what he does, but ND couldn’t do this. He could never each this level of uniqueness and disjointed chaotic beauty. I might have to start going to more of my local high schools musicals..

He has a very emotive voice, Midnight Carousel sounds like it could've come from a Sondheim musical. I particularly love his sense of humour!

Like Nick Cave does a musical? I quite enjoyed the drama of it and the storytelling, although, as ever, didn't listen enough to the words but I know he swapped the milk for booze.

Hmmmm, he's very Scott Walker, eh? Apparently more influential that listened to directly, so I guess I'm glad this project thrust him into my path! Fave track - "Ballad of the Ship of State", perhaps, or "Midnight Carousel"

I had never heard about David Ackles before. Based on the Wikipedia page and the first songs of this album, I was ready to consider this album just another folk-like attempt to be a great album and with a final importance only for a few Americans proud of anything produced in the USA between 1970 and 1990 as the "upper" quality among all songs (which is entirely fake). For me, it was worth a maximum of 2 stars. However, some other songs caught my attention when they sounded more like Sinatra-style, jazzy, and big-band songs I usually enjoy more. I also liked the last songs' beautiful instrumental/orchestral work, so my initial assumptions were wrong. Indeed, it can be an attempt to sound important. Still, the variety of styles and interesting instrumental work proved that if it's impossible to achieve it, the dedicated effort is worth it. Maybe it's not an essential album for everyone, but not being perfect and sounding like an honest musical attempt made this (before completely unknown) album important for me.

Het was een uitdagende dag om dit te luisteren maar hoorde wel dat dit heel bijzonder is.

Did not know anything about this one. I’ll give this another listen sometime.

Quite a fun album, the songs have charm - "Oh California" is a banger, and so is the title track and "Blues for Billy Whitecloud" - other tracks are middling, but still a good listen, and a couple, like closer "Montana song" overstay their welcome. It's not a perfect record, but it's a good one.

There is something delightfully vaudeville about this. Even when it isn't fantastic, it's still pretty interesting. It's almost like showtunes for a musical that was never made.

I can see how this is an understated Folk classic. Not quite getting to what I want, but quite enjoyable.

This dramatic and literary type of songwriting and singing sounds like a cross between Scott Walker and Gordon Lightfoot — while I don't remember much of it, definitely enjoyed it, so I'm definitely going to need to revisit this album and artist.

kinda like randy newman

david ackles' american gothic was country with jazz interspersed. some songs even sounded rather orchestral! other times, it was minimal, like with only a piano joining his voice. i enjoyed the mix. ackles enjoyed telling stories through his lyrics--he always had something to sing. i was left with such a feeling of homesickness. ackles keyed into so many emotions without being over the top. his lyrics were the key part of that, too. the whole album had a serene, wistful sense, and it hit a head when it came to "waiting for the moving van" toward the end of the album. "oh, california!" had a jaunty country attitude as ackles described an exciting return journey. "another friday night" puts you firmly by a campfire when camping with that opening harmonica. "love's enough," which absolutely took my breath away, was a softly beautiful song and described the beginnings of love. hymn-like "family band" was the oddball of this album, but with the memories of his family celebrating their faith together. i found myself reminded of leonard cohen, but not the music from his early career. cohen wasn't very country but was lyric heavy.

Right from the opening notes, I could tell that this was going to be a different kind of album. David Ackles’ voice sounds like a mix between Neil Diamond and Scott Walker. The arrangements on the title track are quite odd, which added to the appeal. “Love’s Enough” is a nice ballad. The weirdness came back on “Ballad of the Ship of State.” I can see why this album didn’t make any top forty lists. I am really enjoying the ride though. This guy is definitely committing career suicide here, but he’s got some really cool musical transitions on the track. The rest of the album keeps this Broadway inspired sound going. I’m not a huge fan of musicals but I enjoyed the mood he created on here. It’s different than a lot of the singer-songwriters that I’ve heard and did keep my attention through the whole album. “Family Band” almost took it down a star though, but “Midnight Carousel” brought it back on track.

Extremely bad and extremely good at the same time, somehow. This is the kind of unpolished gem (or...something) you get when you explore the world of lesser-known music. Really baffling to experience.

e nada de novo sob o sol

I mean it's okay, a piano album I'll probably never return to.

***A good easy listening album, beautiful vocals

530/1089 - Reminds me of Scott 2 but more music theatre-y and not as interesting vocally. High-tier 3

an interesting one, a bit of poetry, theatre and nice arrangements

good album

Didn't mind the compositions but it felt a bit self-important lyrically

Really seemed like a bunch of songs in search of a musical.

Never heard of album or band. Very European off the bat. I like the horns and piano. Very choppy. I don’t like the changes of pace. Very show tuney but the songwriting is good. Loves enough is well written again not the type of music I’m looking for but it’s a well composed track. Ship of the state is very show tuney again. Cool build up into the chorus. Really good piano. This is a cool song. One night stand is good story telling/song writing. Pretty good song. California is a banger. Have heard this song. Super catchy and good production. I like the strings a lot. Another Friday night is nothing special. Too slow for me. Not bad but not great either. Family band is cool. Very well written. Really cool harmonies. Good piano too. Carousel is a bit of a let down after that ballad. Good piano again on moving van. This is a a nice slow song. Blues for Billy is very 70s but catchy chorus and fun piano. Back to showtimes with Montana song. Not my fave but it definitely builds up as it goes and it didn’t feel like 9 mins which I did like. Good closer. Has all elements of a good song. Overall slightly above average e album. No bad songs, but no all timers either. Easy listen tho. 3.2/5 stars.

A good album, I liked Love's Enough and Midnight Carousel the most.

Pretty good album, I like the real orchestral parts. He reminds me a bit of Tom Lehrer. One Night Stand and Oh, California was my favorite. 5.3/10

A ‘nice’ album. Reminded me a lot of Neil Diamond

Not what I expected based on the album art.

Meilleur que ce que je croyais.

5 - AVERAGE

An album of good ballads. I could imagine Mr Ackles writing some decent musical theatre... If that's your kind of thing. Which it isn't mine, unfortunately

рил прикольный Vibe, необычный длч меня альбом

Is it just me or is there a melody in Oh, California! sound a lot like Pink Floyd's "Craaaaaazy, toys in the attic, I am crazy, truly gone fishing" in The Trial? This came first, so I wonder if this was in Pink Floyd's heads when they recorded The Wall. Overall this album is a pleasant, gentle listen. Nothing spectacular, but the songwriting is interesting and the songs are decent enough.

American Gothic 3 Love's Enough 3 Ballad of the Ship of State 3.2 One Night Stand 3 Oh, California 2.8 Another Friday Night 2.7 Family Band 2.5 Midnight Carousel 2.4 Waiting for the Moving Van 3 Blues for Billy Whitecloud 3.1 Montana Song 2.4 Score: 2.827272727

huh

Mediocre to nice, some good stuff on the piano and brass. 3* feels accurate. 3/5

Not good but hard to look away from. Captivating. 2.8/5

I enjoyed this

5.5/10

'It's much too dark to see the stranger / So she thinks of shoes instead.' An odd one, Ackles is an ok, agreeable alloy of Tom Waits, Randy Newman, & Billy Joel w/ some of the show-tune antics of Scott Walker &, unusually, the vocal inflections of Grace Slick. While I don't enjoy the parodistic flavors of many of these tracks, particularly 'Ballad of the Ship of State' or the numb 'Oh, California!,' the Sinatra in him (wee-small-hours-Sinatra) works the rare miracle w/ songs like 'One Night Stand.' At only 36 mins of action tho, the record feels too long b/c it's rather unmotivated & Ackles is not a very durable talent. 'Never stayed in one place long 'less I was doin' time.' +, I don't know what's particularly gothic about it. More like a portrait of meh.

It was good, however seemed a bit theatrical

decent record

Not bad, very musical theater esque.

Dramatic

Good but not my cup of tea

Track 3 - Ballad of the ship state: Picks up a bit more, more excitement and passion, like this song a lot. Currently dreading the final track that is 10 minutes long. Might feel different once I listen to more. Track 5 - Oh, California!: Feels comical but I like the beat to this one, I love the slight grit to his voice in areas. Track 8 & 9 - Midnight Carousel & Waiting for the Moving Van: These two together feel either like a musical or music for a darker scene in a family movie. Track 10 - Blues for Billy Whitecloud: I like the upbeat feel to this, his voice sounds familiar to other artist after him. Track 11 - Montana Song: I'm finally at the 10 minute song. Feeling hopeful, starting off smooth and I'm now looking forward to this. It does feel very musical/movie music. Upbeat and emotional, storytelling feeling. Soft finish, very enjoyable, the odd one or two tracks I would listen to again. Not sure I would suggest people to listen to the full album, maybe someone of a slightly older generation than me. 4/10

Throughout this album, I was unsure on my feelings... I still, now after finishing it, can't tell whether I loved it or couldn't stand it. Maybe it's a mix of both? This album had good parts and bad parts, but for the most I have to admit, I got pretty bored. But then every now and again, there were parts of some of the songs that made me sit up and think 'wow'. This is a very mixed review, but also a very short one because I really have no solidified opinion on whether I enjoyed it or not. Stand-outs: One Night Stand Oh, California! Another Friday Night

I imagine Bob Ross listened to this while painting

Any relation to Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame? No. But, some relation to Elton John (being produced by Bernie Taupin). Also, Dackles is a 2-time USC alum! Unfortunately American Gothic is already used as a title for a more famous thing. A clear voice and pleasant instrumentation, but the songs weren't super memorable for me. Some parts felt almost musical theater-y! (Assassins meets Les Mis, maybe.) Highlight: 'Oh, California'

ich chume erst jetz bim dritte song richtig drii. aber ich finds chli sehr goofy mit de posuune die ganz ziit. sehr randy newman i guess? okay one night stand isch suuuper schön wow ok nüt gseit ok cool fuesball. es isch würklich decent dings öhm singer songwriter. sehr musical mässig. family band het cools chörli. mega jesus time. okay weeeeirds album. glaub isch scho es 3 aber finds etz au nöd allzuu geil. sehr en stil mit de blöser und er cha songs schribe aber het mi etz au nöd eso abgholt irgendwie.

hmm nach wikipedia verstahni nöd ganz s spezielle am album aber jo ohh american gothic isch en coole ahfang, s klavier wo im hindergrund am umegumpe isch! aber auchli es zielloses lied? love is not enouuuugh schöni ballade ballad of the ship of state fangt cool mit energie und blöser ah und verlürt sich für mich denn auchli? halt iwie au cool, wills nöd linear isch aber BÖ ohh chli jazzyy sini stimm stört mich amigs chli? wie wenner de sinatra würd welle nahmache aber chli e z dünni stimm defür het au wenner jz kei schlechti stimm het findi family band isch ma herzig au wenn chli vill jesus hahaha de hindergrundgsang isch seehr cool midnight carousel isch na kreativ aber macht nüt mit mier mengisch erinnerets mich auchli ane chli langwiligeri version vom randy newman weiss nöd montana song isch eig herzig und mit lyrics würds sicher meh sinn mache aber es isch halt lang für "singe-rede mit chli striicher-untermalig" eig no es cools und viilsitigs album wo amigs au no schön gsi isch aber halt au villes wo ich scho wieder vergesse han

Fine enough folk/singer-songwriter album. Some pleasant songs to listen to with varying degrees of quality. Nothing I think I'd ever come back to, but certainly fine enough on a first listen. Top tracks: Love's Enough, One Night Stand, Another Friday Night

I like the musical theater-iness of this album.

I wasn't expecting to like this one, but I ended up really enjoying this album. It was really pleasant to listen to. Feels like a musical. I really enjoyed his voice. Even though I don't know if I'll listen to this one again, I'm glad I got to experience this album.

orchestral, free-flowing, Joanna Newsom, lounge singer vibes

This is definitely musical theater type music. I believe he went on to cinema music. Very talented composer. I felt like I went to a play/musical listening to this, a pleasant surprise.

This one is definitely weird - it's like Neil Diamond bailed from the Brill Building and went deep into chamber pop, somehow channeling Scott Walker and Tim Buckley without either's mysticism. And all of that doesn't really capture what Ackles is after here - it's a distinct sound, almost Copland-like in how it wants to dredge Americana in its purer forms. It's incredibly earnest, sometimes to a massive fault, but its originality stands out. An interesting hidden gem with some really cool tracks and some really annoying songs.

Theatrical and dramatic, there were a couple interesting tracks and others that didn't do much for me. Overall this was fine, but not something I'd return to anytime soon.

Kind of weird and interesting but I won’t be returning to this

Weak 3

Enjoyed it, this was a new one to me

Based on the title track opener I thought this was going to be some kind of dark vaudevillian historical concept album and got very excited. I was getting plainspoken Van Dyke Parks energy. But he quickly leaned away from this baroque opener and the whole middle of the album became kind of standard 70s balladeering. There was a taste of the discordant again towards the end, but not enough to steer this into something phenomenal. I liked it OK, his voice is very distinct. 3/5 from me.

Not my cup of tea. It’s like if Thornton Wilder wrote musicals or a less cool Scott Walker.

Sometimes it makes me think of Elton John if he was trying to do Scott Walker. This might sound fun but it's not as good as either of those two.

- oh this instrumentation is so cool - i love a song that builds an entire narrative - ekphrasis!!!! - musical theater-esque - somebody show this guy to lemony snicket - 10 minute montana song feels unnecessary im sorry david ackles - favorites: american gothic, ballad of the ship, oh, california!, blues for billy whitecloud - rating: 3/5

some really cool songwriting and instrumental experimentation, but overall most tracks are okay, second half falls off quite quickly imo highlights: american gothic, ballad of the ship of state 3.5/5

Chill

Interesting lyrics.

Never heard of this artist before; what an interestingly odd album. I don't hate it so, y'know, that's saying something...but I doubt I will ever listen to or think of this artist again.

Tricky one. I really liked some parts, but some were terrible.

lyric heavy. Bernie Taupin produced, so no wonder.

Good piano work. A story was told here. Now I want to start a farm in Montana.

Interesting. Enjoyed the majority of it but in the middle just went super religious and threw me off. Liked the instrumentation, reminded me of some ‘Born to Run’ Springsteen songs if they never kicked off. Overall, decent but not great.

This singer is very well respected by some great singer-songwriters (Elvis Costello, Elton John, Phil Collins), has had no commercial success. This album is very theatrical sounding. But it's understandable why there's critical success, but NOT commercial. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a

This guy clearly made the album he wanted to make - what an odd egg. I get a bit of Tom Lehrer if he were really depressed and not into politics, or simething. This feels a bit like the velvet underground in that his music doesn't really strike me as all that good but it's interesting in (what were probably then) new ways that inspire others. I can hear others building off this and, per my taste, doing a much better job, but they don't do that without this. It's not quite an objet d'arte, but it is a unique voice, and for that alone I think it needs some credit and has earned its spot. All those plaludits aside, don't really love it.

Now this is an Americana album! Very 70's and reminiscent of Disneyland.

Kul, nepoznano čist. Huda naslovnica. Zanimiv začetek! Not what I expected. (Velika razlika je, da je singer songwriter s klavirjem, ne s kitaro!) Zveni hudomušno, a besedila so žalostna. Sledi neka bolj balada, kar mi je smešno, ker ma šele sledeči komad naslov "Ballad of the Ship of State", k pa večinoma ni balada. V bistvu je ful zanimivo kok so razgibani komadi. Če pa kj ni, pa ni dolgčas! Kr neki komadov ma v bistvu zelo mjuzikel vajb, kot recimo "Oh, California!". "Another Friday Night" je kr epic. "Midnight Carousel" slightly creepy. Prot koncu me je mal zgubil, ampak na splošno zanimivo.

If you like show tunes…

not nearly as bad as everyone's saying. sure it's a little wonky at times, and the lyrics are sometimes off, but there's something objectively decent about this.

Oj... nudne to, niesfokusowane, trochę zawodzące. Czasami wokal jest mocny, czysty i trafia prosto do celu, ale zazwyczaj gubi moją uwagę już na starcie. Niezbyt to skomplikowane, może czasem abitne, ale głównie nie do końca udane. 5/10 i to naciągane.

It was OK, though I won't be going out and listening to it again.

I started out with my interest piqued. OK I thought, sounds like David Clayton Thomas of Blood Sweat & Tears taking on material somewhere between Scott Walker and Randy Newman. I might be able to get into this. That held my attention for a fair few songs, but it never really went anywhere. Bigger ensemble here and there, but the songs still seemed more driven by narrative and as a result the melodies seemed a bit convoluted and hard to get along with. I’m sure all my criticisms are of just the kind of aspects of this that people love and if I were to go back for more listens, the charm may reveal itself to me. My instincts are usually pretty good though, so I can’t see me putting in the effort. It is something a little bit different and as such I can see why it’s probably got its fans, but it’s not going to be a wonderful new 1001 discovery for me I’m afraid.

First time I’ve heard of him or any of his music. Skilful enough, but just a bit sickly or cheesy for me, somehow. A bit too polished and theatrical. Feels like a musical soundtrack. Kind of Neil Diamond on broadway and just doesn’t do it for me. If you like this, imagine it’s a good version of it but I’m done by half way and just 3* for me, for its skill at what it does. ‘Family Band’ finished me off and is maybe the epitome of this album.

An interesting folk album that has some Broadway and Vaudeville feels to it. Highlights: “Waiting for a Moving Van”

Very ambitious, well written and performed. Most of the tunes worked for me. Some didn't . It grew on me as I progressed through the album. Definitely worth further listenings.

Nowhere as bad as the reviews and ratings on here suggest. It was a totally new name and album to me and was pretty impressive, if not a total success. The orchestration by Robert Kirby of Nick Drake fame gave it all a quality sheen and he's definitely a wordsmith (Taupin produced but everything I've seen suggests Ackled wrote all the words and music). I'll come back to this in the future so it's a 3.

I'm a big fan of Father John Misty and I think that David Ackles here is like a precursor to Misty's sound, which is awesome. I never heard of him before but these songs are theatrical and cinematic and have a lot of twists and turns and fun energy to keep you tuned in. It's also packed with great vocal performances, and really nice arrangements. I do think it lacks a little bit on the composition side, like "Love's Enough" is a really nice song on a basic harmony + melody level, and I think I would have liked more songs that are that quality for the rest of the record. More songs where I can listen and think "this piece would sound great if it was broken down to just the harmony and melody and was played on piano and vocals". Regardless, it's a really nice listen!

Cool album, couple tracks stick out

Uneven. The title track was off putting, but the following ballads made up for it (Love’s Enough and One Night Stand). Like a strange cross of Randy Newman and Charles Aznavour. Not bad.

A lot jazzier and poppier than the album cover would have you expect. Very poetic lyrics.

Reminded in places of both Scot Walker and in a larger part Randy Newman. Wasn’t particularly bowled over

A strange album, I am not really sure what it is doing on the list. Happy to listen to it a couple of times, but not planning to come back to it

I'm torn by this one. I liked the orchestral, cinematic feeling of some of the songs, but on others it was almost cheesy. The lyrics were beautiful and really, really sad.

Some decent nothing special

217/1001 David Ackles - American Gothic Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I didn't mind this, but definitely wouldn't go back and revisit it. It's a Southern folky sort of musical, which kinda works, but equally doesn't for me.

There was some interesting stuff I here but nothing that I was head over heels for. Just a solid singer songwriter record from the 70s. It fits right in there. The instrumentation was the real interesting stuff. The vocals themselves were passable. Nothing to crazy. Just ok. Not really for me but I can see this being a banger for someone else

Meh. I mean, it's not as bad as some of you all are making it out to be, but it's not particularly enjoyable either. American Gothic is definitely one of the albums of all time. I will defend the album by saying that it isn't terrible or even particularly bad, but it is absolutely not a must-listen. Just because Elton John and Elvis Costello (BECAUSE IT ALWAYS FUCKING COMES BACK TO ELVIS COSTELLO) liked it doesn't make it important enough to music history to be here. It's just too obscure for a list like this. I'm fine with listening to music that's obscure to potentially find a hidden gem, but unfortunately, this isn't what I'm looking for. I'll give it this though. The album starts off decently enough. The opening title track and "Love's Enough" are pretty solid. Dare I say, those songs are actually quite good. After that? It's horrible, but it gets kinda annoying. The instrumentation is just... too much some times. I don't know how to explain it, but it's too much. It's loud and a bit discordant at times and I don't think it's a style that works for me. The album's also just a bit too long and drawn out. I feel like this could've been maybe 8 minutes shorter and not much would be lost. The writing's somewhat interesting. Not crazy interesting or impactful, but there's stories and symbolism and such. David Ackles does say the phrase "10 years" in three separate songs though, so that's something. Of course, I only noticed this because any time I heard him say it, all I could think of was the "10 years in the joint" meme from Yakuza. If you know, you know. His voice is fine. Kinda reminds me of the guy from Blood, Sweat & Tears. It took a bit of time for me to think of that though. I just knew that he kinda sounded like someone but I wasn't sure who. Overall, despite my complaints, I can't exactly call American Gothic a bad album. I think David Ackles clearly has some level of talent, though I don't personally vibe much with this album in particular. Light 3/5.