Customer Reviews

Abulum

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Glen Phillips, former vocalist/songwriter from the terrific Toad the Wet Sprocket, has finally released a solo album (the first full album of material from him since Toad's 1997 overlooked masterpiece "Coil"). Musically, this album is more in line with the earlier Toad output ("Pale", "Bread & Circus"). Some of the edge from the band's later output is missing. Nevertheless, this is an album of great pop songs with the typical lyrics you would expect from Phillips (some quirky songs--see 'Drive By' and the single 'Fred Meyers', some moving songs--'Darkest Hour', and the standard depressing fare--see most of the other songs). Overall, this is a solid album from start to finish and well worth obtaining for any fan of Toad the Wet Sprocket.

The lyrics in Abulum are not a far cry from his work with Toad...expressive, deep thinking, and beautifully delivered. Each song is musically exclusive to Glen's creativity...I felt like the lyrics and music tie more closely in this album than ever before in Toad.
Abulum is the opportunity to get to know Glen as a solo artist. Those who listen expecting to hear another Toad album will be disappointed because this is just Glen Phillips' creative work. Those fans of Toad that were so extremely disappointed by Abulum obviously set themselves up for it. Glen put the magic in Toad...take a listen and really let it flow through you and you'll see that, too.

this cd explores the depths and heights of humanity. the depths contain a tragic beauty, the heights are indescribable. this cd is not, however, for some toad fans. it has a very elvis costello meets elliot smith meets toad feel with some old johnny cash and willie nelson thrown into the mix. if you are able to glimpse the hidden beauty of sorrow or elation, this cd is not for you.

each song has its own distinct presence, yet as a whole the record feels amazingly cohesive. personaly, my favorites are "darkest hour", which glen wrote about his father's passing. although i was disappointed that the album version is different from the first version i heard online earlier this year.
after listening to "train wreck"(amazing imagery) i'm convinced it was written about a girl i know. every time i hear it i think of her.

i can understand why some toad fans don't like this disc, it seems to have been written during a darker emotional period in glen's life than most toad fans are used to, but it also contains the same poetic beauty, with lyrics like "tear me open, sanctify me/find the beauty thats dying inside of me"-(maya); i could go on and on, but i would end up writing the entire liner notes, and we don't have enough space...

An album with no filler material (ie, an incredible album from start to finish) is quite a rare find indeed. I can think of a few off the top of my head: Radiohead's "OK Computer", Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea", Guster's "Lost & Gone Forever" and Glen Phillips' "Abulum". I preordered the CD when it was first available on Glen's site, waited, waited, finally recieved the cd, and was completely blown away. Though I had already heard most, if not all, of the songs through various live recordings and such, the full band versions on the cd are so well done, so incredibly textured. Some of them bear little resemblence to the original solo versions. As fans of Toad know, Glen has an incredible talent for songcraft. Throw that in with Ethan John's talent for production, orchestration, and guitar playing, you have abulum. It's hard not to gush about something so beautiful when most of the music put out these days is absolute drivel. The 11 songs alone, remixed in 6 channel surround, would warrant purchase of this dvd, but with the interviews and 16 or so live solo tunes, including Toad favorites Something's Always Wrong, Crowing, and Dam Would Break and unreleased tunes such as Easier and Sake of the World. At under 20 bucks, it's a freakin' bargain.

Glen Phillips, the lyrical mastermind behind Toad the Wet Sprocket, has finally released his long-awaited solo disc, strangely titled "Abulum." Radio fans of his former band might be in for a surprise; gone are the polished sounds created by pop-rock producer Gavin MacKillop, leaving us with a more stripped-down presentation of Glen's lyrics. The songs have a certain wit about them, something that was missing from his earlier work, though I honestly didn't notice until now. However, don't let these patches of deadpan humor fool you. "Darkest Hour" is probably one of the most depressing songs I've heard in quite some time. With the death of his father looming over the production, Glen lets us into his inner-most thoughts in a much more natural fashion than expressed on most Toad albums, allowing long-time fans to experience something we've been wanting to do for a long time.

To get inside the head of Glen Phillips.

Mission accomplished.

I've followed Glen and Toad the Wet Sprocket's career(s) for years now and am a huge fan. Being so, I bought an album by Flapping, Flapping, a group that Glen worked with during/after the Toad breakup and was disappointed, both with the lyrics and the melodies (some of which were written by Glen Phillips). So when I heard that Glen Phillips had come out with a solo album, I bought it a bit cautiously, not knowing exactly what to expect. Have to say, I love it! Definitely shades of Toad but missing some of the rich harmonies, a more stripped-down feel that works wonderfully. Hope it gets some well-deserved air play; I believe that Glen Phillips and Toad the Wet Sprocket have some of the most under-appreciated music of the last decade. With little girls and boy bands being nominated for Grammys, maybe I'll just turn the radio off and put Glen's Abulum on repeat until the rest of the music world wises up.

When I first heard Glen Phillips he was with Toad the Wet Sprocket. I was immediately taken in by his excellent songwriting, in particular his incredibly deep and grammatically fascinating lyrics. Now that he is no longer with Toad the Wet Sprocket he has the creative flexibility that he wants. This is nothing like Toad however and fans of the band should beware. If you are looking for more of the Toad sound you should try Toad Guitarist, Todd Nichols band, Lapdog. There are some wonderful cuts on this CD. I was particularly fond of "Train Wreck" in which Glen's fabulous story telling ability has never been better. I think the highlight would have to be Fred Myers which is a unique and awesome description of a post apocalyptic life. Glen is simply awesome. Bravo!

I'm not sure how anyone could be disappointed with this album. I have read a few negative reviews that were posted here and adamantly disagree. Abulum is a great collection of songs that were written from the heart and sung with every ounce of passion that Glen has in his body. I have every Toad the Wet Sprocket album and have been to dozens of concerts between the years of 90-96, but Glen's solo work is nothing short of brilliant. It's obvious that the group's success was entirely dependent on his melodic voice and soulful interpretations.

Glen's lyrics are emotional and true to his fun-loving nature at the same time. Several songs were directly influenced by the passing of his father and are obvious dedications to the memory of him. I have become big fans of Darkest Hour, Back on my feet, and Drive By.

I am a fan of Toad and an even bigger fan of Glen Phillips. I know that this is an album that will continue to be on the top of my list. If you're a fan of soulful folk music true to the Toad the Wet Sprocket spirit, you won't be disappointed with this album.

since this album came out in 2000 (the original version), it's obvious why such radio friendly tracks like "Never Once Cool" and "Falling" would not appear, as they were written in 2002 and didn't exist when "Abulum" was recorded, they are tracks Glen is working up for inclusion on either his second solo album........or a new toad album

Glen went with the decidedly laid back feel on this record, causing such rockers as "Easier" and "Chapel Perilous" to be left off

This album is an amazing record as a whole, very different from toad which is what was aimed for, it was recorded live to tape in Glen's garage studio (a studio which he lovingly named ED) with his band, followed by some additional overdubbing for texture, though not enough to clutter the mix, it's stark and beautiful and everything but made for radio.

stand out tracks include "Professional Victim", "Maya", and "It Takes Time" (a remix of the demo glen did in 1999), and "Darkest Hour", Glen's beautiful tribute to his father

this CD belonds in any toad fan's collection

Once again...amazing. He is the master at putting the story to song and back again. Listen to Men Just Leave and Drive By, tell me he isn't and I'll have a good laugh. I thought I read somewhere this album is like his earlier stuff, Bread and Circus and so forth. Wrong. Sorry, nothing like it. Maybe a little country here and there. It's just new, just as good as all the earlier stuff, just good listening. Everything he puts out kind of makes you go, "I can't believe this guy, every song is good". I couldn't wait to get it. Now I have it. I always look forward to seeing him play when he comes home. Just listen to him live, outside in the sun, or...on cd, and enjoy.