Customer Reviews

20th Century Masters

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
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A sampling of work from Charlie that varies somewhat in style and substance, seeing as how it is compiled from a reperatoire that spans two decades. His early hits from the "Pictures For Pleasure" era are fairly typical early '80s pop production, but the songrwriting and production quality both take a quantum leap forward for the three songs taken from the first (and only) "Arcangels" album - Sweet Nadine, Living in a Dream, and Paradise Cafe. Vocals for these three songs are shared with fellow Arcangel and former Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Doyle Bramhall II. The final four titles are taken from the Charlie Sexton Sextet offering of "Under The Wishing Tree", and show a more mature, darker, and musically dexterious Sexton as he plays several different instruments on "Wishing Tree" over and above his trademark virtuoso guitar work.

This is a broad sample of what Charlie has done over his career, but having spent the last several years as guitarist for Bob Dylan it's certainly not where he's at these days musically. In my own opinion this is a light snack, but if you want a real Sexton feast, then you may want to try his last two albums - "Under The Wishing Tree" and "Cruel And Gentle Things", two albums in which Charlie first faces the demons of his early life with frank honesty, and proves that the consumate musician and songwriter he has become may well be, in a large part, because of his tumultuous upbringing rather than despite it.

Alot of great tracks both solo and with different variations of performers. Brings back great memories of the mid-80's. Don't understand why he wasn't more mainstream but the critics really loved his music. Maybe that's the way he wanted it though.

I am a fan of earlier Charlie Sexton but this has a good mix of old and newer material. I wish it would have had more songs but the Millennium Collections never do.

I bought this because I really like a couple of his songs which you can't get anywhere else. I like the songs despite the fact that they are dealt death blows by the worst 80's production ever, production which would have made most songs unlistenable. In fact, they may be unlistenable to most people. I don't know what the deal is exactly, but apparently Charlie Sexton is a pretty talented guy who sold his soul to the record company in order to get records out (calling Cheap Trick...). Caveat Emptor.