Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Singer-songwriter, estilo Sinatra. Es un poco rollo.
Some decent tunes.
Well this is something a bit different. Show tunes without the show. I found myself alternating between bored by it's loungey-ness and charmed by it's eccentricity (I was even a little moved by the earnestness of some of the lyrics). Yep, really not sure how I feel about this one but I think I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
De invloed op andere artiesten is inderdaad duidelijk. Het scheelt wel wat van nummer tot nummer
If you're interested in a Broadway musical that describes the American experience this is for you. It's not a bad album but I think it caters to a very specific audience.
Feel like I'm in a fancy bar, or at a concert hall. Fave track: Montana Song
3.6 - Neil Diamond sings in a one-man musical about an American tramp finding his way in modern America. Our protagonist often daydreams about a life in olden times, and there are scenes of him working as a deckhand on a ship ("Ballad of the Ship of State"), and living as a pioneer in the untamed West ("Montana Song"). In his searching, he falls in love with a promiscuous girl ("Love's Enough", "One Night Stand") who ultimately leaves him one fateful night for a carnie at an amusement park ("Midnight Carousel"). In a fog, he stumbles through the park grounds but hears a choir singing a spiritual and is drawn to the glorious sound ("Family Band"). He's saved by the power of Jesus Christ, and gets the strength to continue on his bittersweet journey ("Moving Van"). Ultimately, he ends up in California ("Oh, California") and reunites with the unfaithful woman. They get married and it's miserable for both of them ("American Gothic"). We hear "Blues for Billy Whitecloud" as the credits roll.
Bits I actually quite enjoyed, there's a good narrative in the music. Doesn't stop a lot of being tedious and boring though. I spun up and down the score slider for this one so I guess it averages to a 3.
Interesting
Folk . Un poco aburrido.
3+/5
Vi fattar du läser biblen
This isn't something I would typically go in for, but I'm glad to have been exposed. There are some pretty songs on here (Love's Enough, One Night Stand) and some groove (Ballad of the Ship of State). The whole production has some staginess about it, as if it is part of some bigger production. All in all, I found myself really enjoying the first half of this. The latter half either I got distracted or the music got less interesting. Either way, I feel like this falls into a hard 3 / 5.
Another album that sounds like to belongs in a musical. That's not necessarily a knock, but it just stands out to me. Fairly pleasant album to listen to, no real highs though.
Sounded like a Broadway musical score. One of those albums that I am happy I listened to but will never listen to any of those songs ever again
This album is ambitious. It's vivid and lyrical and self-indulgent. It's certainly interesting, and I can sense it's influence in more modern self-deprecating songwriters, particularly on Jim O'Rourke's Drag City outputs. Great listen and always happy to have something unknown like this come up.
Ja, beetje een erg klassieke zangstem/stijl maar wel lekker op zo’n warme dag
Ik vond dit verrassend aangenaam
Eh
I understand why Bernie Taupin would like this guy. He is like Tom Waits might have been in his early days if he had been sober (but he isn't at all like Tom Waits when he actually was sober). I hope that makes sense.
I found it hard to believe that Bernie Taupin produced this album because it was the first and last thing he would have produced. But Robert Kirby, who did the orchestration for this album, also did Bernie’s poetry album a year earlier so there may have been connection. The arrangements are interesting, and it was brave to put out an LP like this in the early 70s, but his delivery can be schmaltzy and the lyrics hold no mystery. As my co-judge said, he sounds like he’s trying to sound like the guy who left his cake out in the rain, but that was a great song (and there are none here).
David s'est retrouvé bloqué dans un studio d'enregistrement contre son gré et essaiera tant bien que mal de produire quelque chose de pas trop mauvais. Avec un peu de chance et de débrouillardise, il réussira finalement à s'en sortir sans trop se ridiculiser.
I enjoyed it more than i thought I would but I'm unsure what to rate it I espacially liked the first half but it got a bit boring after a while but it was still not something I had to force myselft through so I think I will go with 2.75 Stars so ~ 3 stars
Was slow. Good but slow
Ok, I was expecting folk/country but this is... Nick Cave long before Nick Cave? There's an obvious Americana theme, which matches up with the album art & name, and it's kinda miserable, as somewhat expected lol, but it's all piano/croon/jazz driven. Manic vaudeville vibes in places. A bit too out there for me, but nothing awful. 3/5.
I love a good story album, and this one was alright
honest folk
It was alright, nothing special but not too horrible
Not bad.
A different style of album. It's nice to have variety
Started promising, but became a bit Broadway musical meets Peter Allen meets Hot August Night. Anyway nice to discover someone I'd never heard of.
Bit of Scott Walker and Neil Diamond energy but even after a couple of cracks couldn't get into the style of it all
This guy is part old school crooner, part American Elton John (or maybe I'm predisposed to think so because Taupin produced), and part folksy poet (but not in a Woody Guthrie way, more of a stuffy academic way). The effect is somehow less than the sum of its parts. Did not work for me, but I respect the effort. Best track: Ballad of the Ship of State
This album was confusing. I certainly appreciate the uniqueness of the album itself compared to much of the rest on this list. I was confused why an album called American Gothic written by an American singer songwriter was recorded in London. This gave me Broadway vibes. It was weird and I’m not sure this is an accurate rating, I neither loved nor hated it.
liked the second song a lot. Seems like an album that could grow on me. Also seems like it could be a good listen on a long drive
J'ai quand même bien aimé. Les risques, les paroles, et aussi les expérimentation de certaines chansons. 3.85
Reminds me of what we get from Nick Cave later. Nice soft music for listening, but lacks melody and catchiness to really sell it. The lyricism is the biggest selling point.
Enjoyable and soothing, bit reminiscent of Nick Cave at times.
weird
Was quite enjoying it in a Neil Diamond kinda way, until Family Band, and it went all religious - not my thing. Rest of it is easy listening though.
Sounds like show tunes done by an admirer of Jacques Brel and Scott Walker. Not as interesting as Taupin’s work with Elton John. Not awful.
Have never heard of David Ackles so first time listening to this. Very nice voice and great songs through the whole album! Good and very soft and easy listen to this one!
Weirdo early 70s fancy ass folk pop
Is it me or does this sound like a Scott Walker album? It’s nice, but on first listen I rolled my eyes a bit. After listening more, I started to like it more.
This album is really not my type of music, and I found it quite dull. I could see why people would like this. There are lots of other albums that it sounds like, but it also predates a lot of those albums, so it deserves credit for that. To me, this is basically what Leonard Cohen would sound like if he wasn't as good a poet and had less interesting backing music 3/5 I think he deserves some credit for taking some chances and experimenting in these songs, but at the same time I was bored the entire time I was listening to this album
Couldn't quite place what his sound reminded me of on the title / opening track. But the first few piano bars of the second track Love's Enough made me think Neil Diamond, and his vocals on that track solidified that belief for me. Once I got there, my ears pricked up. I really loved that second track; ditto Another Friday Night and Waiting for the Moving Van. One Night Stand wasn't bad; maybe a bit too much cheese or Sinatra ripoff. Keep the composition but change the lyrics. Family Band was a good start, a bit meh by the end. Ballad of the Ship of State and Midnight Carousel was a bit too much pomp. Oh California was the right amount of pomp. It feels like a 3.5 but I don't know if there's enough to round up.
Ääähhhhhh. Kai tääki on jotain kansantaidetta ja historiaa ja lyriikkaa, mutta ei kyllä meinannu jaksaa päätyyn asti kuunnella. Puhelaulanta ja tän tyyppinen musiikki ei oikein jaksa itseä viihdyttää.
This is a roller coaster ride, but not in the way that leaves you excited and happy. It’s more of the ups and downs that leave you feeling indifferent overall, but also wishing that it was so much better. And honestly, a little sad at the wasted potential. Lyrically this listens like a book of Charles Bukowski poems. It’s beautiful, introspective, haunting, relatable, and provoking. But the delivery leaves a lot to be desired. There are times when his voice makes me wonder how this guy ever got a record deal. Other times it’s tolerable and even fitting. Musically, it’s a little all over the place, with some tracks being better than others. Some songs sound like a cheesy carnival, others are quite beautiful. The lasting impression is of a guy who couldn’t really sing that well, but had a lot to say, and didn’t quite know how to deliver it. Maybe he should have been a writer instead, because after this I know that I would much rather read Bukowski than listen to him.
This is #day697 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I mean, at least the piano is beautiful. Also, I loved the sax on "Blues for Billy Whitecloud," which is probably my biggest highlight on the record. Otherwise, this all feels a bit too theatrical and pompous for my taste. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day698.
There's moments when it comes together, but it otherwise sounds like a West End version of Neil Diamond. We already have Neil Diamond, we don't need a worse version of that.
Spoken word theater tunes with a generic musical bed. While the stories and images are compelling at times, in the end, I just felt the execution wasn't interesting enough (or I don't have the taste or patience) to engage with the music or the artist.
Muy americano, como todo el proyecto este de 1001 albums
Boring
This Neil Diamond album SUCKS
Literally what was this - album art so misleading I was expecting normal Americana folk but it’s like Americana the musical?
makes me wanna listen to black country new road - interesting and good story telling just not as gripping as i'd like it to be
Reminiscent of Paul Williams. First track good then a bit samey.
MKAYYYY, three songs in and so far I'm not hating what I'm listening ONE NIGHT STAND? 💔 Uh Family Band.... Okay... it started w the right foot but then it went downhills. Idk I think I liked the first three and maybe Midnight Carousel bc it gave me musical vibes
Aunque la escucha sea placentera, como bso de fondo… antes pondría cualquier disco de Plastic Bertrand
very dramatic another friday night is a great song also midnight carousel's instrumental would fit perfectly in a horror movie almost every song sounds like "my way" is about to start but then it never does too
I was trying to get into this album but just can’t. DNF
A little too show tunesy for my liking. I cn see how this would be someone’s jam but its not mine.
It's hard for me to rate this so low because I know the dude put a lot of time and effort into putting this mostly unlistenable piece of "art" together. I'll be nice and give it a 2.
Hell no. 1.9
Very large production throughout the album. Pulls from all sorts of Americana in snatches. Montana song sounds very Copelandy
Not really for me. I appreciate learning about how Ackles was super influential to artists like Elton John and Phil Collins, and that after "American Gothic" came out he felt he couldn't top it and just kind of... stopped. Very melancholy. Bittersweet. Would probably make a great biopic. Musically, though, not for me. Album makes for a better story than listen.
2,5
It earned an extra star just for the lovely nap it gave me. 2 stars
Not my bag tbh
Whoever said "A bit like a Billy Joel composed Broadway musical." is spot on. I couldn't take this seriously at all. 2/5.
I quite enjoy musicals, but I really don't enjoy music that sounds like it belongs in a musical.
mano eu sla eu tenho ctz q alguns álbuns foram pagos ou n sei não dá pra explicar
Not really my thing, but it was okay
I wanted to like this with like the Bernie taupin influences and stuff, but honestly it was just too like Broadway, vaudevillian for me. 5/30/26
2.5.
Such a bore. Desperately needs some excitement. Musically it's fine, but it's the most vanilla experience you could have listening to an album from 1972. Each track sounds like it was written specifically for a different stage show.
Nah
This was terrible in an amusing kind of way. It was all over the place musically and the lyrics were something. It’s like he was making them up on the spot as he thought of what to say next. It was a good chuckle listening to though.
This album is in English and I comprehended every word that was said, but i have no idea what he was talking about. …like pretty much on any song. Pirates, artists, a funny girl from a one night stand, and countless other references that don’t seem to connect. This was lounge singing from a dive bar that you wouldn’t expect lounge singing to be happening. Not a winning combo for me.
Singer songwriter meets broadway. Ridiculous, but entertaining.
Unremarkable
Pretty, lots of different instruments involved. A bit too theatrical for me, feels like it has an attached play that I'm not seeing. And musicals aren't usually high on my music-listening list.
Not really my thing
An odd little artifact and a favorite of Elton John, apparently. Critically acclaimed and commercially forgettable, and I may have to agree with the commercial reception. It’s got nice moments and his voice is great, but I’m not clamoring for another round.
Right off the bat, did not like the first song at all. Gave it a few more tracks and started to grow on me, really liked the third song. I likely won't go back to this but I didn't hate it
Not *quite* as sucky as Kanye West.
this album is nice to listen to for the majority of the run but lacks any depth or real value to the purpose of this list. i didn't like the last track one bit.
Not particularly my album, it really comes across as a musical but it really doesn’t have much depth throughout. The one thing that I’m glad about leaving high school is that I don’t have to watch any more plays and this is evident of it.
01) American Gothic - 5,5 02) Love's Enough - 6,5 03) Ballad of the Ship of State - 5,0 04) One Night Stand - 6,0 05) Oh, California! - 5,0 06) Another Friday Night - 6,0 07) Family Band - 5,5 08) Midnight Carousel - 5,0 09) Waiting for the Moving Van - 5,5 10) Blues for Billy Whitecloud - 5,0 11) Montana Song - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,45 (55/100)
Thought I’d like this way more than I did
I'd never heard of David Ackles, or this album before! Unfortunately, as far as I could tell, this was just another early 70s singer-songwriter album, albeit one that never made waves at the time. I suspect its un-noticed nature is what attracts it to the music magazine critics! Inoffensive.
I think this will have to wait a while longer to be rediscovered.
70’s Country
Best Songs: Ballad of the Ship of State Midnight Carousel
not my bag
The themes in other reviews that I agree with: - like a bad Billy Joel attempt at a high school theater musical - over the top Neil Diamond - comparison to Jacques Brel (for style, but not favorably) My favorite was the one that took the time to list 75 albums better than this that are not on the list. I’ve had that same reaction many a time, but rarely actually wrote out those albums. That is a white-hot disdain for David Ackles American Gothic. Anyway, I agree with the above, and the review that says if it’s from 1972 and never “found its audience” then it’s not a hidden gem, it’s just not good. 1.5⭐️
I can appreciate it for what it is, however it’s not my type of music. What it was trying to do it did well!
Not my thing.
The opening title track barely rhymes and is barely sung, and I couldn't remember the tune immediately after it finished, and this was an experience which repeated itself throughout the album. Having finished it, my memory is hazy, of ballads like showtunes and overlong narrative songs about sad Americans. I suppose I have heard worse and it wasn't an endurance test like one-star albums are for me, so a generous two stars. I don't think that this is a metric which necessarily should be applied to all artists, even ones in this list, but with 6,645 monthly listeners on Spotify how influential and important can this guy be? And 1001 albums has thousands of monthly users driving that number up. Yeesh, this list badly needs some revisions.
Very average music - I really do not catch what it is on the list...
not the sound for me i found his voice grating
Didn't do it for me. Sounds like uninspired show tunes. Not even interesting enough to justify this over many other albums in time. 1.5/5 Won't listen again
la mec m'a pas touché du tout, on dirait juste qu'il chante des chansons de disney, pas grand chose à dire
No I didn’t like this at all. I considered giving it a 1 but I have to really hate something to give it a 1. Way too slow and just so much rambling it felt like.
2/5
70s, but weird?
very middle school play coded
Despite a lot of good arrangements, varied instrumentations, etc... This album is rather boring and strangely annoying.
musical soundtrack
Reminded me of Leonard Cohen. I don't like him either.
I haven't heard of this before, but the reviews scare me. It's not so much the low rating as it is the descriptions of the music that give me trepidation. He's one of the least listened-to artists on the list, being second only to the Hookworms who gave me my first album in obscurity. Immediately, as I begin the album, I learn that all the flak it gets for being "shitty theater kid music" is completely spot-on. It sounds exactly like Scott Walker being cast in some obscure musical from the era. Lyrics aren't that good and feel just as much "Off-Broadway musical" as the music. Fortunately for this album, I am a high school thespian, so I have a high tolerance for musicals. Within that context, this isn't a bad album. It's also not essential listening. It just feels like a cop-out for including an actual musical on the list, if that genre is even worth including. It would probably get just as slammed in the reviews as this if I'm being honest. So, yeah, this is a mostly forgettable- and forgotten- album with no real reason to be on the list.
frank sinatra aaaah je peux le dire ?
Overall, it was just meh, I don't particularly enjoy folky(?) music, and I really couldn't sit through it, but if you like it then that's amazing - 2/5
2 out of 5. Had no idea who this guy was but there were some nice moments here.
This album probably doesn't deserve such a long review but ...My take: a mixed bag that finishes stronger than it starts. This album was a bit of a journey. Early on, both my wife and I were bracing ourselves — the opening stretch felt rough, and his talk‑singing delivery just isn’t a style that clicks with me. It kept the first half from landing emotionally, and honestly, we were both thinking “oh boy, this is going to be a long listen.” But the second half my wife was out but it surprised me. As the album moved along, the melodies settled into something much more appealing. Several of the later tracks have genuinely nice musical moments — warm, tuneful, and far more engaging than the opening songs. Even though the vocal approach still wasn’t my favorite, the songwriting itself showed flashes of something worthwhile. Overall rating: not a one, definitely not a disaster — more in the 2 to 3 range. There are a couple of standout songs I’ll pull into my personal rotation, even if the full album isn’t something I’d revisit often. Bottom line: uneven, occasionally charming, and worth hearing once — with a few keepers I’m glad this was put into the list.
fav songs: love's enough dramatic, theatrical, dense 40/100
hmm.. not overly excited by this album. Background noise
lowkey theater kid vibes, not my fav at all but i could see like 2 growing on me: Another Friday Night and Oh, California!
I would like to know who decided this was a great undiscovered album? It feels more like music that someone with the microphone enjoys so that means we all have to listen to it. This is all very theatrical. Perhaps one of the reasons American Gothic remains an undiscovered album is because those individuals who have heard the album didn't like it enough to tell others about it? Bernie Taupin produced this one, which only serves to remind me this is not an Elton John album. I know David Ackles is not trying to be Elton John, but he's also trying to be Elton John. This doesn't hurt my ears. It hurts my nerves because sometimes undiscovered is for a reason and just because the editors of this book wanted to show how well they recognize great music doesn't mean I need to be impressed. The entire time I was listening to this album I felt like I was back in high school and was being forced to attend a play that my girlfriend's sister was in. I just want to be somewhere else. It's an obligation, not entertainment. "Waiting for the Moving Van" was my favorite song on here. Not because it is sentimental, but because it's the one song where Ackles doesn't try to do more with the song than he should. The narrative is also more interesting than tales about a carousel or a family band. I also enjoyed "Another Friday Night."
Música de teatro. Es inevitable imaginarte a unos bailarines si escuchas esto.
proper crooning with just a piano. sounds a little like neil diamond but not as exciting
That's a theater no from me
This is some weird Scott Walker Neil Diamond shit. “Never found its audience”, my ass. It’s just weird and nobody wants to admit it.
The people who submitted too-cute records for this list, like this one, should be jailed. David is just some idiot. We shouldn’t blame him.
not gonna lie, i put the Walk Hard soundtrack halfway through the song about the moving van
Interesting at the most? I mean one can tell he tried. I liked it better than Throbbing Gristle.
Album Review 091 American Gothic by David Ackles (1972) Rating 2/5 Take a spoonful of Jacques Brel, a pinch of Neil Diamond, and a handful of downers and what you’ll get is one of the most depressing albums ever recorded. This is not music to dance to, it's not life-affirming or at all joyous; it's 42 minutes of abject misery.
This album is somehow... interesting. It is labeled as Singer-Songwriter and "Show Tunes". The first style I'm familiar with, but the second not at all, and looking up information, it seems that it is music focused on mainly accompanying Broadway musicals, and I do see how this album fits this category. What stands out about this project is the quite ambitious instrumentation, specially in the songs "American Gothic", "Ballad of the Ship of State" and "Montana Song" which features possible the most lively performances with a a lot of horns and strings. The rest of the songs are more Singer-songwriter inspired, and could be summarized as the man singing over the piano with some additional orchestration here and there to add a bit more of feeling. However, here's the big problem with this album. I don't find this to be very appealing. I think my appreciation for it comes down to the use of a wide range of instruments, and also the song "Midnight Carousel", which sounds a lot like "Tho You Are Gone I Still Often Walk w/ You" from "The Silver Mt. Zion" and has a sense of suspense and tension. Basically, I think this album lacks interesting ideas and I even dare to say that the more piano driven tracks sound a bit too similar. Kind of unfortunate because I believe there was passion put behind this project.
This is unlike anything I have ever heard before
I don’t want to dismiss this as another Brit audience curio, but the evidence more or less proves it out: popular, if at a cult level in England, barely known at all outside of music biz circles in LA. I can’t really find a way into it, too much of a music theatre vibe.
The first song starts off kind of janky but I think I like it. I don't know what it was about the song but it got me hooked. He has a kind of janky sing song way of singing and it's a bit off putting but not terrible. Part of this sound like he is trying to be Neil Diamond, or maybe Neil Diamond was doing a David Ackles. I don't think I would go out and search for more of his music but it's not so terrible for a single star, but not good enough for a 3 star. This is a high 2.
Understand the appeal, but I didn't love it
I did not care for his voice.
nothing on here that jumps out at me ...
Feels like one man stage musical.
Highlight: Love's Enough In a nutshell: sing us a song, Mr Piano Man Supposedly Elvis Costello and Elton John are fans of this guy. And a critic declared this album "The Sgt Pepper's of folk". I really don't see it. It's reminiscent of Scott Walker and Neil Diamond for me, *maybe* Nick Drake, Tim Buckley and Leonard Cohen. Lyrically, Ackles is great. Musically, it feels more suited to a Broadway show. Americana never sounded so despondent. Overall: 3/10
Damn I was game in the beginning. I thought this was going to be some hidden gem. But it quickly dissolved into muttering hillbilly show tunes. Pretty disappointed, 2/5.
I really like this album cover. It’s a great photograph. And with an album name like “American Gothic,” there’s a lot of pressure on the album art. The photo nods slightly to the painting by featuring a man and a woman, but it also offers something new. The composition and colors are great. And the location is distinct. Looks like a rundown house that I would love to stay at. But I guess I like the album cover more than the music. This is a very theatrical singer-songwriter album. His voice is nice, the production is nice, and the arrangements are nice. But I don’t really know who this is for. Songs about sailors and family histories, with an almost cabaret style on certain tracks. It’s not for me. 2.5
David Ackles seems like he is trying his absolute hardest to take seriously something that mostly came across as a ridiculous pastiche of aged songbook tunes. He is imposing so much gravity into something that just doesn't feel like it can carry the weight. However, the vocals are so earnest that you can't help be charmed at moments. At times this felt like a parody of a washed up broadway star trying to maintain his Tony award winning status from 20 years ago while doing a children's show at Chuck E Cheese. It's like a respected classicly trained actor appearing in a Sandler flick and trying to prove that he still has the chops to act despite showing up in a bad wig and making a fart joke. One of the more puzzling entries as I just can't imagine who the target audience for something like this is. Although I was not a fan of American Gothic I'll admit I was entertained at times. Maybe it made more sense in 1972 but nowadays it was hack-y and cheeseball, but also kinda stupid and bad-good. It is so far down both ends of the spectrum that I have no idea how to rate this. For some reason I feel like South Park or Family Guy could nail a ridiculous David Ackles-like singer character and it would hit perfectly. 1.99 stars I guess?
Love's Enough is good, reminds me of John Denver. I wish a John Denver album was on this list instead of this. I'd give it a solid 1.5, or even a 2. It's campy and ridiculous but necessarily in a good way, more in a way that makes me want to shake my head in confusion.
folk rock, singer/songwriter, 1972 -> 2
I’m not sure how to rate this one. On the one hand, I don’t like it. On the other, it’s at least interesting, which is more than I can say about most 70s singer/songwriters. Also apparently very influential on folks like Elton John and Elvis Costello, who to be fair, I also don’t really care for, but both are unquestionably talented and know their shit, so there’s that. What I find challenging about this is that it’s not really musical in any conventional sense, at least not in its totality. The music kind of follows the vocals, it feels more like it’s improvised to spoken word than anything written as song. This is why a lot of people are saying it’s like listening to amateur theatre. Sonically this comes closest to Scott Walker, though, again, without the musicality. Some of Ackles’ observations of the mundane remind me of John Prine. And then there’s the gauzy 70s singer/songwriter songs like “Love’s Enough” that takes it firmly out of the weird. And I guess when it comes down to it, I want this to be some kind of weirdo outsider album but it never gets there. This might be one of those albums that grows on you over time, but I’m not inclined to give it that much of a chance. I’m not upset at having heard it though.
Dramatic and not in the good way
# Album Name: American Gothic # Artist: David Ackles # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Absolute snooze fest..... ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
Not very my style, it sound like a musical play.
mag ik Downloading The Repertoire van Jack Mudurian aanbevelen? is heel wat interessanter dan dit
Weird as shit, but kind of in a good way. Can’t really see how it made this list. There probably 1001 similar records that are better.
Sounds a bit like jeremy irons. Not a bad album, not my type of.music. plink6 plonky piano, gospel backing singers
I don’t know if there’s more to it, but it’s an objectively strange album. It’s theatrical with specific details in the lyrics making me think I’m watching a play, but in the wrong order and I’m the only person in the audience and I’m blind. 1.5/5.0
I did not like this
Sounds like listening to audio book over piano playing(which was decent). Not that bad. But I’m not a fan of this storytelling approach.
Epätasainen paketti, joka kuitenkin paranee edetessään. Ärsyttävimmät biisit olivat kuin suoraan jostain musikaalista, mutta tavanomaisemmat pianobiisit olivat ihan jees. En nyt kuitenkaan ihan kolmea tähteä vitsi antaa.
Fairly dull singer song writer stuff
This is not an album; this is a cast recording of a musical. A musical that sucks.
This was a Midnight Carousel, whatever that is.
Meget mærkelig blanding af noget vildt gammeldags, 50'er-agtigt, noget nærmest musical-like og noget helt over i Nick Cave-stil... Tror ikke, jeg forstår det ...
1.82
There are a lot of singers of this style that should be on this list before this dude. 2 stars or D-.
Repetitive, but not horrible. Its below average though
Like if Neil Diamond wrote Broadway songs with no hooks. Well-executed musicianship, I suppose, but I don’t get it.
Ну и скукота
Dated. Musically uninteresting
What the hell was that? I could've easily made it to death without that.
AllMusic said "American Gothic remains one of those great albums that never found its audience. It waits to be rediscovered". After listening to this boring and forgettable album, it's not difficult to see why it's still undiscovered more than 50 years after it's release. It's not terrible - I've heard far worse - but why is it in this list?
Compelling theatrical voice. Had me at the self titled AMERICAN GOTHIC, lost steam with some of the slower numbers.
New artists to me. Ok
David Ackles – American Gothic (1972) ist das dritte Studioalbum des US‑amerikanischen Singer‑Songwriters, aufgenommen im IBC Sound Recording Studios in London und produziert von Bernie Taupin. Stilistisch vereint es Elemente aus Folk, Americana und erzählerischem Songwriting mit orchestralen Arrangements und einem Hang zur musikalischen Theaterform. Die Songs entfalten eher szenische Atmosphäre als klassische Hits und zeichnen ein vielschichtiges Portrait von amerikanischen Bildern und Stimmungen. Das Album enthält elf Titel, darunter die prägnanten Stücke „American Gothic“, „Love’s Enough“, „Ballad of the Ship of State“ und das ausgedehnte „Montana Song“. Die Produktion ist dicht, arrangiert und legt den Fokus auf erzählerische Dichte statt auf radiotaugliche Singles. Insgesamt bleibt American Gothic ein introspektives, konzeptionell geschlossenes Werk im Bereich Americana/Folk‑Rock. David Ackles’ Stimme und die orchestralen Untermalungen tragen zur Theatralik des Albums bei, das trotz seiner musikalischen Ambition und dichter Kompositionen bei Erscheinen wenig kommerzielle Aufmerksamkeit erhielt und heute als einflussreiches, aber selten gehörtes Werk gilt.
Blind album and artist. To quote AllMusic, "American Gothic remains one of those great albums that never found its audience. It waits to be rediscovered." It's still waiting cause I ain't it.
Its fine, another one of those that sounds like a musical ive never seen. It is what it is, and what it is is meh.
I’m sure this is a great album if your into this kinda thing, I just don’t really enjoy folk music all that much.
The opening track caught me off guard in a pleasant way, although I still prefer 'Ballad of Ship of State.' While the instrumental arrangements are the highlight, the rest of the album feels quite strange and could easily be replaced by many of the records that didn't make the list.
Linda portada de álbum. La única canción que me gustó (hasta ahí) fue la tercera canción; Ballad of the Ship of State. Las demás canciones me recuerdan a cuando te despertas en los creditos de películas de Pixar o inclusive las de Disney de antes de los 2000, no te quedas escuchandolas, solo sacas la película. No están tan mal pero no son mi estilo.
Not a fan of the voice, but it's not bad. Just not for me.
Odd
Why?!
Voice sounds a lot like Neil Diamond...but that's the only positive thing I can say.
Elvis Costello and Elton John both rave about it, but it’s no surprise that this grab bag of unused musical theatre bits remains obscure. Even my friend, LD, who knew everything hadn’t heard it when I brought it to him. We immediately agreed to cover the remarkably overwrought Midnight Carousel on the album he didn’t finish before he died. Very American Gothic. But, honestly, I haven’t - and couldn't - much listen to the album beyond that absurd track, but it was fun to go through today, even if nothing else is quite so extreme. Half sounds like Blitzstein’s Cradle Will Rock, which places it a little behind the time. Half sounds like the rock band musicals that would dominate the 80s and 90s, so, in that regard, slightly ahead of its time. What a proper, intelligible musical from David Ackles would have sounded like, I don’t know. Would have Costello and John like it so much if it was in its complete form, rather than its current presentation as a failed singsongwriter album? Probably not. But that is the time in which it was released: 1972, the height of California singsongwriter stuff. It is unfair and unedifying to consider the album in that context, but that is the only context in which it has been given to us. 2.5 ‘They suffer least who suffer what they choose’ (American Gothic) Today the Generator has bestowed David Ackles upon us. I have an original vinyl copy in the house, which my father gave to me years ago. It is one of only two among his hundreds of vinyl records that he has gifted me. Glenn Frey’s ‘No Fun Aloud’ is the other. I requested neither, nor even spoke kind word about these albums in his presence. This is mere trivia, you understand. I am giving this album 1/5 but it’s nothing to do with my relationship with my father. David Ackles lyrical instincts are a unique mixture of Walt Whitman and Ringo Starr. Although there is nothing as good as the best work of either on Ackles’ album we can credit him with that voice. Not a good singing voice exactly but at least one brimming with confidence in the boundless profundity of his work. A strong voice in the sense that you will hear what he is singing on the other side of the prairie, even with the wind blowing. The enunciation is consistently good. The music, overwrought and pompous, would be funny if the lyrics weren’t so oppressively witless especially in those moments in which Ackles actually attempts levity. You can actually hear him smile to himself at times. It’s not gothic it’s just grotesque. I understand my father. When a man retires he has time to do things at home like really take stock of the quality of his record collection and perhaps even attempt to perfect it. He wasn’t recommending David Ackles, he just didn’t want it in his house. And what harm could it have done to the quality of the record collection of his son? Sure my father knows rightly the sort of shite that I listen to. 1/5
водевильные песенки весьма странные))
Nick Cave lite with terrible lyrics. Some of the music was ok but I couldn’t get past the lyrics!
What an interesting album. The weird thing is that it's like a musical but also is just normal in a way. Some of the songs just when you are like "yeah this is ok" turns to be weird. Some of the piano key choices were very interesting. I did some research and people said it had glowing reviews when it first came out, but yeah I think it just didn't age well. I was between a 2 and a 3 for this one because SOME songs were ok at best, but I ended up leaning closer to the 2 because it just couldn't save itself.
Gražus balsas, bet nelabai įdomu. Skamba lyg būtų skirta vaidinimui.
The third of four albums by an idiosyncratic singer-writer who was considered to Tin Pan Alley and was underappreciated in his own time. Sometimes these pan out for me and sometimes they don't. This feels a bit like a one-man, dramatic Broadway musical that I'm missing context for. It's a committed performance but it's bewildering. My old music teacher described music as a tension between the familiar and the novel: too much repetition and your music is boring; not enough and it's inaccessible (and, ultimately, also boring). This contains not enough repetition and, as a consequence, the conviction and seriousness of it sound pretentious (the pretense being that I have any clue what's going on). Anyway, it's some 70's music with a rambling singer, a piano and a bit of orchestration. It's like if Neil Diamond had no bombast and couldn't write a refrain. 2/5: not painful to the ears but a bit painful to my sense of patience. Note: after having read some user reviews, I feel the need to establish that I wrote the above *before* reading everyone's thoughts. We all hear Neil Diamond and musical theatre, apparently -- and in the worst way.
awful. not my thing at all.
theater kid ass music...but somehow also boring. bernie taupin you will begin to cough in seven days
The sorta album that your elder friend David claims he made half a century ago and you act like, “sure you did, David” only to look it up later and it’s actually real only it doesn’t entirely suck so you feel obligated to listen to the whole thing and have an opinion on it.
Kind of a strange one. Never heard of this guy, but that's apparently the trend. Reminds me a little of Gordon Lightfoot at moments, but then in other moments it's just something totally unique. Maybe it's just his voice and singing style that is Lightfoot-esque. Ballad of the Ship of State is definitely on the strange side. And the strangeness doesn't really stop. Sounds like a cheesy movie soundtrack. Undiscovered genius or just random experiment from the early 70s gone wrong? I know which one of those options I choose. 2/5
This is... ok? It's interesting, but it's super theatrical. Too much so for my liking. It sounds like Neil Diamond and Gordon Lightfoot got together and made an early America concept album. It's... a lot. I won't come back to this one. 3/10
Not bad per se, and kind of a cool secret, but the theatrics are a bit much. Ackles strikes a balance on four or 5 songs here, and I really like the title track, but sometimes, I just *can’t* do it. Like, the music plus his Sinatra crooning makes this sound like it’s off Broadway sometimes Oh, California! in particular is kinda insufferable. I guess I’m glad I know about this now, and it’s cool to see what else Bernie Taupin is up to, but I just don’t think I’ll be revisiting this.
1.5
I don't even need to listen to this one (I still did). American Gothic doesn't belong on this list. The streaming numbers are some of the lowest I've seen in the Dimery docket. Stylistically, very concert-hall-esque. It's definitely outdated, even for its time (remember how much Lennon scorned McCartney's "granny pieces"?), but it's still charming in its own way. After 6 or so tracks, though, that soft-spoken rambly concert hall style gets old *really* quickly. Tracks like Family Band and Waiting for the Moving Van just lack that punchiness or creativity most listeners are looking for somewhere in an album. By the beginning of Montana Song, you're breathing a sigh of relief, thinking, "okay, just one more track. I can do this." In a sinister twist of fate, though, Montana Song is over 10 minutes long, and doesn't showcase any sort of progressive element to make up for it. There are some minor ups and downs in energy/texture, but absolutely nothing that justifies taking up almost a quarter of an already questionable album. Love's Enough sounds like something off the Billy Joel debut record (the year nearly matches too) but with a different vocalist. Neil Diamond, maybe. The whole record is like a sack of Diamond trinkets created after he went completely mentally off the rails. Another reviewer described Ackles's delivery as "manic" and, though it's subtle, I have to agree. It's a weird, fevery, mildly uninteresting sound that I don't see myself revisiting. Nor do most other listeners, it seems. Wikipedia notes AllMusic's mini-review: "American Gothic remains one of those great albums that never found its audience. It waits to be rediscovered." That feels like a cop-out comment for unpopular albums, and doesn't consider the possibility that maybe people haven't heard it because other people didn't enjoy it. 2/5 Key tracks: Love's Enough, Oh California!, Another Friday Night
This was bad lounge / off Broadway music. Somebody will love it, just not me. 2/5
I have visions of a Viking funeral, with the boat going up in flames as it vanishes into the horizon. It's not a complete disaster (it is not irritating or grating) but it didn't move me emotionally. Makes me wonder if this is music for a science boff who just wants the fact of the matter, with not even a whiff of human emotion or empathy. Shame, because this guy wrote The Road to Cairo, as covered by Julie Driscoll Brian Auger & The Trinity. Now that is a banger!
Seems like it wants to be a shit eighties musical more than an album. Too theatrical,melancholy and folky for my tastes. My it takes a second listen with a song sheet, though. I did like the song Down River, but that was on a different album.
It's an odd album, definitely wants to be a musical, a neurotic cabaret, of sorts. The artwork cracks me up! 🤣
Some cool songs, but not a strong album for me.
It's like Neil Diamond, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Richard Carpenter all got together to make the most overwrought emotional Musical ever. I unfortunately ran out of Pepto listening to this. 4.2 ★★
I like the last track, but the rest is too theatrical and corny. 2.5 stars
2.5
A supposed lost classic that pretty much sounds like Neil Diamond in an ultra grim, ultra cheesy off-off-broadway show. Bernie Taupin produces so there are at least a couple of Elton-esque piano ballads but the orchestral accompaniment tends to be very stark and unsettling. Ackles’ delivery throughout is so maudlin and over theatrical that it’s basically a hoot throughout. His voice is actually not good or sweet enough to be Neil Diamond and is more like Tom Lehrer if he wasn’t trying to be funny on purpose. A lost classic but for the wrong reasons. 2.5 stars.
The Divine Comedy. Scott Walker. Now this. The author of this book of albums sure has a weak spot for overwrought cabaret-type singers. Unfortunately, Ackles doesn't have the same sense of humor that the other two do. I found this to be like sitting through a musical with a blindfold on. No need to revisit.
Feels very Broadway, sounds like a musical blended with country and folk. It’s not an easy listen the songs are dramatic and theatrical, but there’s definitely something to appreciate about the emotion behind it. You can tell the talent is there, but this style of music isn’t really for me. Favourite track: Love’s Enough
Neil Diamond-mania, not Neil Diamond but an incredible simulation, now off-Broadway. Honestly, the music and vocals on this album are not terrible, I just didn't like it.
This is a pretty confusing listen. The tracks go in so many different directions within the same songs. The singing voice and instrumentation are both really good, but I don't think I've ever heard more literal lyrics in my life. It's almost like he's singing a journal entry
An Americana album that was recorded in London? Strange. However for a folksy album, I've heard worse. Best: Oh, California Worst: Montana Song 2.5 Stars
Leonard Cohen for total cornballs
104 Por suerte fue corto. Al menos era original, pero no entiendo cómo llegó a esta lista.
Blues for Billy Whitecloud is a good, jazzy track. You can absolutely keep the rest.
So he is criticizing and making fun of America using traditional Americana music. But his way of doing it is just annoying. He is full of stereotypical female troupes that do nothing to internalize what his part in the issues might be. He just sits and complains but never really comes up with any solutions, is just mad but doesn't want to do anything about it. I appreciate the nods to the Vietnam War and the plight of the returning soliders but thats about it.
This draaaaged
Day622 - i read comparisons to elton john or james taylor but this sounds like a failed broadway musical. no wonder i’ve never heard of this guy
Overly bombastic, like a soundtrack to a musical or a movie that was never produced.
Sonic soporific. Did it say anything? Who knows?!
I wish I could say I enjoyed this more, but it just wasn’t really my thing. It has all the right elements to make for an enjoyable album, but what killed it for me was the cinematic, Broadway musical vibe. I’ve never been into musicals, and this album didn’t change that for me.
This was unusual. Not to my liking. A bit too dated and bland.
Sounded like I was at an off (off off) Broadway musical, although the storyline was a montage and the chorus (in either sense) didn’t show up. Still, there were a few tender moments and a lot of laughable ones (although not intentionally), and the orchestration was interesting.
That was all right to play in the background while cleaning in the garage
How American Gothic had me doing a double take as in what if David Eugene Edwards traveled back in time and was forced to listen to boozy Frank Sinatra during his trip, only to arrive in 1972 to write, perform and record the song American Gothic, only then to fade away to be replaced with another performer named David (as D.E.E. borrowed some schmuck's suped-up DeLorean to get back to the future). Body swapped and smiling like a man in a canoe, this album seems to have planted awkwardly honest strange roots in our psyche. Scott Walker, Tom Jones and Tom Waits in a Captain Beefheart meets Neil Diamond musical theater mind grinder. What else can be said other than the feeling that I've heard so much of it before and yet I can't detect the trace? My only hope now being this review is as off-kilter and slightly weird as the record itself. Better than the curious 2 stars it's received from me, but keep your expectations low in order to be pleasantly surprised as you frequently raise one wtf eyebrow.
This album was weird!! And so cringy at times. One Night Stand was just…and Midnight Carousel….I felt embarrassed listening to this album alone in my car. I kept thinking, oh my gosh what if I get into an accident and this is the album that all the rescue workers hear as they pull my body out of the car. I’d deliriously try to explain my odd choice in music as I slip in and out of consciousness. I can’t give it a 1 though. It was so brave.
Dette er et svært teatralsk album, nesten litt pianist-i-saloon stil over flere av låtene. Det er nok i meste laget for meg, det hørtes ut som filmmusikken til en musikal.
This is country? At least it sounded like he was having a good time
Wasn't completely off-putting but didn't enjoy it all that much either.
It's not like offensive or anything, but I wouldn't say that it's "good." I got like 3/4 of the way through and stopped.
Montana Song sounds like a far too long demo version of a Disney princess song that never made it. The rest is okay, not something I would listen to in my spare time.
Take the theatricality of Scott Walker, the vocal stylings of Neil Diamond, the lyrical storytelling of Randy Newman stripped of all its humor and charm, and stir it all up and amp up the campy melodrama to 11 and you have some idea of what you will encounter with this album. Listening to this record is more akin to hearing a Broadway soundtrack, and because of that it gets points for originality as I can't recall hearing anything quite like it. It succeeds best on the ballads where it is more traditional - tunes like "Another Friday Night" or "Waiting For The Moving Van." On the other hand, the talk-sung stories and ragtime sendups border too close to the ridiculous. I give it 2 stars for interesting, but can't see revisiting it.
2* for comedic value, she really wanted those shoes... and suffers less than those that choose!
Piano meh
I would like to start by i have almost no musical education, nor i know a lot about historical progression of music and this spesific genre. None of my words need to be taken seriously. I want to listen to more and different music and thats why i started to this project. Anyways, this album was from a completely unbekown genre. While i have heard the turkish folklore music and am somewhat familiar with those sounds, i have never encountered a american folklore music. However i am familiar with the americana asthetic as in a visual style and the overal "redneck", rural, small town american patriotism (i am sure there is a better way to express this) is kind of burned in to my brain through hollywood films and other exported american cultural elements. Still this album was a new listen from every angle. I really enjoyed the piano and the occasional church music (gospel? I suppose) Although there is definitely more to unpack ,as in there are some subtle themes, the unenthusiastic and relaxed sound of the vocal really unmotivates me. I am not saying the artist wasnt electric about this album nor he didnt put enough effort, perhaps because of the the demands of this genre or his personal style, he just doesnt sound interesting. This may not be problem for the long time listeners of american folklore music, but i find it quite hard wait for that 20 second phase of the song where the piano picks up the pace and vocal to show some alive emotions and some unexpected instuments come in to play. You can tell there will be a slight crescendo (i think thats the right term?) but it always comes up short as in length of the song and as in the peakwise. Of course that may never be what the artist envisioned or what regular listeners of this genre wants, still from my shallow 21st century oriented music taste it is simply too dull. Again it is impossible to say there are no emotions. Some of the songs touch on very ineteresting storys which i presume come roght from rural america. Folklore music probably always includes a lot of feelings and storys in every language that is sang and i can hear it in this album too, it is just that as a 19 year old i expect and want more energetic music. Probably because of the time passed, i cant fully emerse myself int to world of american gothic. It could be wiser if i got introduced to this genre by a softer album. Maybe one day this album will meet exactly to my demands but till then i doubt i will give this one an another chance. 5/10
That’s a no for me, dawg
I vividly remember the hype when this came out in 1972 as being the next Dylan or next big thing. I bought it and was underwhelmed. I was hoping that hearing it again 50+ years later would be different. Nope. One Night Stand and Another Friday Night are decent enough, but too much of this sounds like an over-conscious effort to be “serious”.
It’s just fine. Not sure why it’s in the list
It certainly music. Not good music mind you but at least there is melody and singing. It’s too theatrical in a bizarre way to ever be popular. I just wished for it to stop playing the whole time I endured this album. Within the first 15 seconds of the first track, I knew it was going to be a tough listen.
Not as bad as some reviews here make it out to be. Not as good as some other reviews do, either.
What the heck? That was the first thought... Its weird, but I liked the piano line in the first song enough to overlook the poor singing and pretentious lyrics to keep going. I dont know, I should hate it, but i dont?
He's just storytelling. Without punchlines, metaphors or anything that would make it worth listening to. Like reading a plot summary
Sounds like a collection of songs from different musicals. Very theatrical and often orchestral, with a variety of influences. It was interesting to hear and very different from a lot of other music on the list, but it's not something I'll come back to. From a first listen my favourite was the Ballad of the Ship of State.
I feel like this dude wrote some very compelling classical music opera, and then decided to talk over the whole thing. It doesn't work for me, but I can tell a lot of effort went into it. It's like when they put the Harrison Ford narration over top of the original Blade Runner, because they thought audiences would be too dumb to follow along.
Not a fan of singer songwriter
This album is the lovechild of Neil Diamond singing Leonard Cohen’s lyrics with Charles Mingus’ band playing John Lennon’s score. The song American Gothic definitely has that free-jazz influence, and I actually checked the stereo to see if was playing in addition to the IPad. In truth, I got it, but not a fan. The mixing across the album seemed off, with certainly sections listening imbalanced. My favorite tracks of David’s were his solo piano ballads like Another Friday Night and Love’s Enough. I don’t regret listening but I probably won’t return.
Random thoughts: * This was a weird one for sure. I can see why maybe this album has a cult following. It is not for everyone. * Maybe this is just the last track but this felt like Randy Newman + Musical Theatre + Aaron Copland. * This is pretty downer music overall. * I basically didn't like but didn't absolutely hate it.
This is going to be a weird review. So this album gave me a feeling that a good friend told me that someone they knew was doing a one man show and they had to go but really didn't want to and asked if I'd join so they didn't have to go by alone. This feels very much like the artist is loving what they're doing and that's pretty much where it feels like it ends.
Doesn’t really work, do like some stuff here.
A bit odd and quite sad. Too much like “talking-singing”. Very depressing.
This album was somewhat entertaining from just how bizarre it was, a mashup of showtunes, church hymns and folk songs, you never know what you're going to get with the next track. That being said, if I wasn't told it was specifically important or acclaimed I would have probably turned it off immediately.
All I really got from this album is that this guy wishes he was born in the Bible Belt. It’s just a bunch of piano ballads that sound kind of similar to Neil Diamond or Elton John. Doesn’t really do much for me.
Some of the songwriting seemed very lazy. The vocals were decent but should've been given better songs to showcase this
★★½
Average
This album continues to not find it's audience. Frustratingly so, because there's some pretty good songwriting going on here, but the music itself is ridiculous and overblown and does not serve the songwriting at all. I get why the person who made this list feels like there's something here though, I feel like someone with a better sense of musicianship could make these songs something much more beloved.
This was just okay.
Neil Diamond doing show tunes. Not for me
God here goes, I'm excited for this after reading the reviews. I'm scared I'm going to love it... Crikey, there was no need to worry.
Not very good, is it?
Ain't nobody got time for this
This sounds like what your local theatre would come up with if they put on a panto 2 ⭐️
eh
I did not use a private session on Spotify for this one. I didn't know what I getting in to, I am still a little confused. Discount Randy Newman? Way to dramatic and melodramatic, as if Calculon created an album.
Not for me
Как Джонни Кэш, только хуже
Not bad just boring 70s stuff
Definitely a unique album and well worth listening to. I think the theatricallity and sentimentality of the music as well as of the singing voice don't work together the way they should. There is a sense in which all the stories are pushed away by how they are presented as a thing to look at and be heard rather than pulling you in and experiencing the events. In short, the album fails to overcome its own stylization and fights against itself.
Bit dull
I tried really hard to get into this one, but could not. It might be the voice.
There's a reason this never found its audience. Half-arsed show tunes that think they're smarter and funnier and deeper than they really are - they even wouldn't make it to a muppet musical. Drab. Best Tunes: Love's Enough; Another Friday Night; Waiting For The Moving Van
Echt niet mijn ding, met vlagen zelfs irritant. Wel goed gemaakt.
Sounded like it was intended for a theater production, but it’s not that good.
Pretty good singer songwriter album. Didn't really click with me though. 5/10
The man is clearly talented but Holy Shit this plays like a soft rock parody of Billy Joel.
제스탈은 아니셈
It’s like you smashed every 70s singer songwriter guy into an incomprehensible mush
Pretty damn bad. Not my thing
A bit too grandiose for me.. Hard to appreciate.. :(
With the best will in the world this did nothing for me. I tried and I see what he was going for. Not averse to a touch of musical theatre, I recently gave The Srnsational Alex Harvey Band 5 stars, but this just didn’t work for me. Some interesting lyrics though
Not really my thing
Songwriting and composition were fantastic, I simply just didn't jive with the music
Was gonna give a 1star, but his voice isn't to bad.
What a booming voice! This may be the only album I've ever heard on which all the lyrics are clear and easy to hear. It should be a play.
I guess there's some good song craft but there's too much Neil Diamondesque bellowing without the reach for the stars everyone sing along bombast for my taste. I believe that's enough shade thrown for one day.
At least it's an interesting listen, but like most narrative based showtune type songs, it's only interesting for a single listen.
I don't mind country, and I like musicals, but this was just a classic mess.
Tää tarinallinen teema-albumi ei nyt iskenyt, ei napannut mistään kohtaa mukaansa. Miksi piti puhelaulaa, olisin kaivannut lauluun kiinnostavampia melodioita. Mutta en vihannut.
2.5/5. Trying too hard to sound like Frank Sinatra, mate.
2/5
Not for me.
When you graduate from the Renaissance Fair to Open-mic night at the coffee house. 2.5/5
broadway x country????? no thanks
Knockoff Sinatra sings sarcastically about Vietnam-era USA.
Sounds a little like a Dracula musical
Not for me
felt like it was a musical, interesting but not pleasing to me
I liked things about it like the dramatic piano bits, but I probably won’t listen to this again
I like the jangly piano on the first track and there were a couple moments that made me laugh a little, so not all bad. I doubt I'll ever seek this out again and I definitely don't think you need to listen to it before you die.
What, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the fuck, did I just listen to
I feel like this guy just treated this album like a stream of consciousness, he has some good instrumentals but just kinda talk-sings over it. Its like he's trying to hit those Frank Sinatra notes, but also trying to be introspective. I couldnt help but think of My Way through most of this listen. You know it reminds me of that Americana, turn of the century type sound, I'm sure there are better references, but Bioshock Infinite background music. Just weird. kinda spooky, and annoying.
Weird annoying songs that belong to the worlds shittiest, most heavy handed musical.
Interesting and a very seventies singer songwriter
Not for me. Kinda folksy, jazzy, I don't know.
How is this album classified as country/singer songwriter? This sounds like the score to a play I would have been bored with and abandoned during intermission. It wasn't quite bad enough to inspire anger or hate so this gets a generous 2.
Sounds like a score to a musical, not a big fan of this one. The music wasn't bad per se, but not for me and by the looks of his Spotify, not for many others either... lol
Just uninteresting. Have heard better singer-songwriter from this list.
Dull