1972

Josh Rouse

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 26, 2003)
• Original Release Date: August 26, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000AM6K2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,948 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In this song cycle inspired by the year he was born, the wispy-voiced Rouse conjures (or imagines) the era's essential groovy vibe, from the title track's homage to Carole King's "It's Too Late" to the Brady Bunch bounce of "Love Vibration" to the flutes, falsetto, and jazzy guitar licks of so many of the retro arrangements. Yet Rouse's spin on the era transcends simple nostalgia, as the lyrics aren't always as buoyant as the sunny musical interplay, with "1972," the psychedelic soul of "James," and the piano-driven "Slaveship" all suggesting a darker tinge within this world of lollipops and rainbows. The bass pulse of "Comeback (Light Therapy)" has a hypnotic effect beyond the time warp, although a come-on line such as "it's the end of the night and I'm feelin' sexual" (from "Under Your Charms") would have sounded as lame in 1972 as it does three decades later. Apparently, those barely old enough to remember the '70s are doomed to repeat them. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A-Rouse-ing Beauty, December 21, 2003

By	Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Josh Rouse has been, quietly and without the benefit of a huge record company's promotional machine, putting out great album after great album. And, already apparent in his prior release Under The Cold Blue Stars, he's not interested in milking anything he's already done for guaranteed kudos. 1972 is a lovely set of songs, with the kind of balance between a unity of theme and diversity of moods that confirm the power of albums, over the "immediate-gratification" glory of churning out singles. The whole thing is a gorgeous homage to the seventies without the cheap sentimentality that could result from looking back at the music of any given past decade. Among other beauties, there are gorgeous things like the eponymous 1972 or Sparrows Over Birmingham, the groove of Love Vibration, or the rising arrangement in Rise. And all of it touched by the wild honey -wild, not processed- of Josh Rouse's voice.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 70s Rock for Now People, September 26, 2003

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Let's focus on what Josh Rouse is: a brilliantly eccentric and refreshingly original songwriter, and not what he'll likely never be: a mainstream success. What Rouse has done on the excellent, but not quite a classic "1972," is make a Josh Rouse record that sounds like it was recorded the year of his birth. The album has plenty of decent tunes to recommend it, particularly the soulful title track (in which he cites Carole King in the second line), "Sunshine," "Slaveship," the ace lovesong "Under Your Charms," and the amazingly spiritual "Sparrows Over Birmingham."

Through four albums, Josh Rouse has been a uniformly excellent songwriter. Those who bemoan his lack of mainstream success are missing the point. If he ever did shoot for a larger audience, he'd lose what it is that make his music so special.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brooklyn Train, May 18, 2005

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

From the opening bars of "1972" we know this is going to be a special treat as Rouse opens with a homage, "She was feelin' 1972, groovin' to a Carole King tune, 'Is it too late baby?'" "Love Vibration" hosts a flower power message with Rouse's joyful chorus, "Now you people all know what I'm talking about." "Sunshine (Come On Lady)" has Marc Pisapia's bongo rhumba beat upon which Rouse builds a shimmering little ditty. "James" is a breezy melody with Jim Hoke's flute giving an airy feel about a loser who abandons his family and embraces a life of alcoholism. James Haggerty's bass sets a nice jazz groove on "Come Back (Light Therapy)" and then Josh layers in a delightfully addictive soulful melody, "I'm gonna stay on this mountain high 'til you come running back." "Flight Attendant" starts with a Latin-flavored soft rhythm and then Josh's hushed Nick Drake-school vocals whisper, "I grew up so scared, the bible belt, redneck lifestyle; one day I'll fly free in the airplane." "Sparrows Over Birmingham" starts off with a gospel flavor and then transforms into a soft shoe, "You grew up an isolated pup, you had some books, you had some love, oh god was watching over you." The CD concludes with "Rise," a stunningly original melody, "I should of caught a ride on Brooklyn train, meet on the corner & I'll entertain." "1972" is a fully realized set that satisfies completely. Bravo!