After the Wrecking Ships

David Berkeley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ten Good Records
• ASIN: 1689258942
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,745 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Berkeley sings in a lustrous melancholy voice with shades of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake. As his melodies ascend to become benedictions and consolations, the music shimmers and peals. --The New York Times

Product Description

After the Wrecking Ships by David Berkeley

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We should have listened, should have answered the call. . ., October 18, 2004

By 

Florestan "Florestan" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

My first impression of David Berkeley was of the "grace-under-fire" variety. I had purchased exceptionally good seats to see Rufus Wainwright perform at the Vic Theatre in Chicago. As I soon learned, "good" simply means an auspiciously placed posture-punishing folding chair. The promotional material gave no indication of an opening act, so at 7:30 p.m. we were sitting (somewhat less than stoically) waiting for Rufus Wainwright to emerge. Out walked David Berkeley, who is without doubt one of the bravest musicians of our time. Immediate heckling ensued. I did not hear one scintilla of artistic commentary, but rather a prominent (if not petulant) suggestion that he wear tighter pants. He handled this misplaced attention with admirable aplomb, and managed to win over most of the crowd by the end of his 45 minute set. A more sympathetic venue might have latched on far sooner. He played his heart out, and amused at least some of us with his keen but decidedly deadpan sense of humor. Twelve hours later, I visited amazon.com to invest in both of his albums ("The Confluence" is his first).

Berkeley's songs are introspective and mostly melancholy, but take the occasional playful turn (Red, Matador, even Bushwick.) Most moving for me are Little Fists, Chicago, and Fire Sign. In rare instances, his inspiration seemed less obvious (Boxes, a crowd favorite which took some warming up to on my part). As for the musicianship, I cannot say that I heard any astounding instrumentals save one bravura mandolin passage in Times Square. What makes this album is Berkeley's voice. To tout it as good is to understate the case. He sings with such purity of tone that I am hard-pressed to draw adequately flattering comparisons: the male equivalent of Joan Baez, maybe? A slightly more velvety James Taylor?

One artistic-worthy he could stand to emulate less is Meryl Streep. Berkeley makes some transient but jarring shifts into exotic dialects which I find unnerving. I first allude to "Little Fists," when he seems to pronounce the word "world" like John Fogerty rather than someone who majored in English literature and philosophy at Harvard. He does make amends to his alma mater (but not to me) during Fire Sign, when he tinkers intermittently with a decidedly George Plimpton-esque approach to elocution.

Isolated pockets of enunciative turmoil should not deter anyone with taste from following Berkeley's career closely. He's a hell of a nice guy, and his is the sort of stuff that should be strutted at choice venues. This brings us to a pervasive / perverse theme in the careers of the best singer/songwriters of our day: the cruel and capricious nature of the music industry. Clubs and lounges seem to be in Berkeley's immediate future. Until such time as a Don King, Brian Epstein, Col. Parker, or Karl Rove take up his cause, you would do well to monitor his activities at his website or on myspace.

I hope opening for Rufus earned Berkeley some new fans. Say what you will of Rufus' fans on the whole (I certainly do, vitiating the spirit of the Fifth Amendment to egregious new depths), but no one can deny, let alone match their loyalty. Berkeley deserves no less, pants be damned.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid all the way around, July 27, 2004

By 

J. F. Rick "bricoleur, hobbit" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

In his sophomore outing, David Berkeley shows he is a great musician ready to be discovered. His catchy melodies, sophisticated lyrics, and beautiful voice have matured since "The Confluence," his first album. These elements come together to create one of the best albums of the past couple of years. Honestly, I can't get it out of my CD player. Each time I put in something else, I keep returning to it. The last time that happened was "Late for the Sky" by Jackson Browne. A comparison to that album is warranted. Both are filled with honest songs channeled through exquisite voices.

I was introduced to David Berkeley through "Fire Sign" on "Without a Trace." It was the perfect song for the episode; I immediately liked it, which is a rarity for me. After listening to some more songs on his website, I bought both albums. If you liked "Fire Sign," you'll like the other songs as well. There are no throw away tracks on this album. From the upbeat (Red, Times Square, Bushwick) to the somber (Chicago, Boxes) to the sublime (Little Fists, Shiloh), this album will move you through an emotional rollercoaster.

It's a joy to find music with lyrics good enough to remain in your subconscious, bubbling up at times. "Our dreams aren't quite as big as our boxes." "Bloodstained, the blue and grey look just the same." "You clench your little fists against the world."