Customer Reviews

and All the Colors

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It has taken a full 5 years for this album to appear, but it is well worth the wait. On his Modernday Folklore album (Capricorn, 1995), Ian Moore made significant musical strides away from the predominantly blues-rock feel of his debut (the self-titled release from 1993) and towards an original synthesis of pop, rock, jazz, soul, and (of course) blues. The best songs on that album ("Today", "Daggers", and "Morning Song") suggested a more ethereal, if still grounded, sound that showcased Moore's songwriting and vocal talents as much as his exemplary guitar playing. Following his release from Capricorn, Moore relased Ian Moore's Got the Green Grass (1997) - an album that continued to explore those non-guitar centric aspects of his work. With Green Grass under his belt, Moore's live shows in anticipation of And All the Colors (punctuated by a series of riveting solo acoustic performances) revealed the degree to which Moore had become one of the most underappreciated lyricists and vocalists of his era - possesing an extraordinary vocal range and control that at once referenced Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Buckley. It is against this backdrop that And All the Colors appears. Easily Moore's strongest work to date, one can only hope that this album reaches the widest possible audience. "Float Away", "Johnny Cash and his Electric Bible", and "Leary's Gate" are charecterized by barely controlled electonic hysteronics from which beautifully crafted melodies somehow still emerge. "Magdelena", "Closer", "Angelyne", and "Oceansize" indulge Moore's fascination with borders (geographic and otherwise) that at once seperate and unite people. Along these lines, "Retablo" is as good a song about metaphysical emptiness as any written this decade. Finally, "Time of Dying", which builds to an irresistible bagpipe crescendo (trust that it works), couples with Steve Earle's "Ellis Unit #9" to explore the usually neglected side of legally sanctioned death - from the viewpoint of the executioner rather than the victim. In all, the 13 songs that make up And All the Colors offer to the listener things that are rare in these days of corporately manufactured pop bubblegum - integrity, vision, and challenge.

Somehow, Ian Moore's early public music efforts were Texas country-blues, and he is only now really finding his own voice. I've listened to this a lot for the last year, and it just gets better and better. Thats pretty much my standard for really good music. Its a little hard to label stylistically, since he draws from a wide variety of music, but I'd say he fills the space between Los Lobos and Jeff Buckley. More rock-art than Los Lobos, less fragile than Jeff Buckley. And he's got just a fantastic sense of rock dynamics, like Led Zep or Straitjacket Fits. There are pop songs presented with a murky buzz, like Float Away and Rollercoaster, beautiful ethereal songs - Magdelena and Coming Around, and a rock epic with an Eastern vibe in Leary's Gate. I see some similarities to U2, the Edge-like guitar-scapes, although Ian's are much denser, and check the backing vocals on Magdelena, Love! I am also reminded of Ben Harper on occassion, that South West vibe in amongst the blues rock. Another thing I like about this is that its emotionally evocative without being angst-ridden. So you can enjoy it even if you are in a good mood! Its alternative rock with a bunch of new flavors, and really great song writing, musicianship, and vocals. Spare no effort to see him live, I stumbled across him in Bozeman, and saw him in Seattle, and I feel privileged to have seen shows that great in small bar venues. Catch it before he's filling stadiums! Anyway, if you're getting bored with the standard FM radio fare, and want something a bit more rewarding, then give this a try. The only problem is it'll make most of your CD collection obsolete!

The music world has been invaded today by manufactured "popstars" who lack the musical talent that our music industry once boasted. But Ian Moore proves to be a promising talent, with such original music and a new approach. I worked in a coffee shop in Louisville, KY the summer of 2000 and Ian Moore and his band came in for some breakfast before they headed on to their next stop. They were so friendly and gave me and my coworker each a copy of their cd. We immediately put it in the store cd player and I fell in love! When artists can write their own music and express themselves so beautifully, it is an amazing talent. But more importantly, one song on the cd does not sound like the next; each song has its own distinct sound. And even more impressive is the fact that every song is actually good...not just a few of them. The variety of musical instruments Ian uses is so cool and fresh! The instrumental intros to many of the songs are smooth and immediately catch your attention. Ian Moore is definitely for people who appreciate music for the art that it is.

Ian's website allows you to write him.When"Colors"came out,I told him that he'd finally made his masterpiece.This CD blows away all of the pretenders out there."Room 229" is psychadelic Al Green""Johny Cash and his Electric Bible"is one of the catchiest songs you'll ever hear."Oceansize"should be played at every wedding.You'll not find a prettier song.And then there is the majesty that"Leary's Gate".As close to Hendrix as one man can get.Impress all your friends-BUY THIS CD!!!!

Ian Moore has come a long way since his self titled debut on Capricorn records. Being from Austin and playing a strat immediately gave him the tag as the next Stevie Ray, a tag that was not justified. First, there will never be another SRV and secondly, Ian has so much more to offer than strictly blues rock. "And all the Colors" is a showcase of amazing musical talent. The cd can take on a million different trips. His guitar playing, always brilliant, is still there, but clearly not the showcase. His songwriting and lyrics are suberb. I highly recommend this album, it has come out at a time when music needs a shot in the arm. One day the masses will finally catch on and he will be a superstar!

I think Ian strikes the best balance here, out of any of his recordings, between guitar heroics (featured prominently on his earlier two albums) and songwriting (perhaps overemphasized at the expense of the music on his later release, "Luminaria").

This recording is full of great songs, many of which rock, some don't, but all convey interesting ideas and are sufficiently thought provoking. My favorites are the opener, "Float Away" (perhaps my favorite Ian Moore song), and "Room 229" a quirky tune that succeeds overall despite an absolutely horrific guitar solo. I've recently been spinning "Fickle" a lot.

I was aware of this recording for a while before I bothered to buy it. Then I stumbled - by accident - upon an Ian Moore show at Smith's Old Bar in Atlanta a few years ago and was blown away by the music on this album. Check it out.

This album was a bit different than I expected. I was thinking blues based hard rock and at times it is but it's filled with a lot of soul. Plus in addition to fine guitar he is a much better vocalist than I expected.

Ian Moore continues to follow his own sound with his fifth release, "And All the Colors..." on a new label. Moore returns to a slightly more mainstream feel from his "Ian Moore's Got the Green Grass" release, and although this remains a departure from the blues of his self-titled debut, he still is a great singing, guitarist and song-writer.

I was excited to see the appearance of "Leary's Gate" which I had first heard during a show shortly after the release of "Modernday Folklore". The acoustic beginning is slow, almost to the point of stopping, and then he kicks it up with a fast, loud rhythm pulling you into the song. Blues? Not really, but he rocks out before giving us a break in the middle. The adrenalin picks back up with his solo, almost Hendrix style with a lot of whammy and dive-bombs. "Magdelena" is begins as a soft song where Moore's voice takes the center stage through the first chorus with very little backing, and then he adds acoustic guitar filling out the song. The slide solo is cool, and has a bluesy feel to it. Moore picks it up with "Johnny Cash and His Electric Bible". Another song of great rhythm and feel. "Rollercoster" has a great sound. Another best of the songs is "Angelyne," which begins simply and becomes more complex with each layer of sound Moore adds (even a singing saw) building until it reaches a crescendo.

Moore has definitely departed from his roots of a third-generation Texas Blues guitarist, running away from the title of the next SRV. The guitar doesn't take front billing on this album, and he even doesn't take long solos on most of the songs. Instead, he has created cuts relying on his other talents, letting them come to the forefront. The music is good, a departure from his past, but definitely headed towards a bright future.

My brother has been trying to get me to go see an Ian Moore show for the last five years. Unfortunately, we have extremely different tastes when it comes to music, so it took Ian playing a show with one of my favorite performers to get me to finally experience the spectacle. Ihad never even heard a song by Ian until I saw him live last week, now I listen to this CD at least twice a day and when I go to sleep at night. Songs like "Oceansize", "Magdalena", and "Room 229" are just as powerful on CD as they were live. "Fickle" co-written by Da-vid Garza, brings to mind Beck at his soulful best. Do yourself a favor and go see the psychedelic live show when it comes through your town, and if you haven't heard this CD, do so immediately!! No matter what your musical taste, you won't be disappointed. And if you like this, ...

normaly i dont like these type of records, but after hearing this one and seeing ian several times live. im sold, float away is amazing room 229 takes you on a very cool trip, and if magdelena does not cause any kind of emotion to you, you have problems. this cd has a lenny vibe, it has a portishead vibe, what more do you want. buy it