Customer Reviews

All Y'All

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

 

 

Mister Morrison may have it rough. Or maybe he has it going on pretty nicely. This album (and various interviews) indicate that the latter is the case. All Y'All further cements Travis' fantastically unique musical output and, kind of like a consistent Lou Reed, or a more post-punk Paul Simon, lets his fans know where he is in life right now. It seems like a nice, familiar place: contemplative (of course), occasionally anxious, with refreshing politics ("I always fight the power/unless it's really powerful/and then I just say f* it and I run," on "You Make Me Feel Like a Freak") and a lot of exuberance (in the trademark Travis Morrison brand; when listening to this album, I can see the face he makes when he gets really happy at a live performance). I like to hear Travis' observations, and I like the music he puts around them. The observations are splendid on this album, as is the music.

I love Travis Morrison's music pretty thoroughly (I thought and think Travistan contains some of the best political music ever--I think of it as a shorter, more DC-centric Sign O the Times). Like the aforementioned Lou Reed, I think I'll always appreciate that he's putting out documents to let us know what he's up to, what he's thinking. Unlike Lou, I think Travis is good almost all of the time. And this is a really fine moment.

I'm fairly certain that when I sit down and try to determine what my 10 favorite records released in 2007 were, All Y'all will be one of them. There is a bit of a nod to Travis' Dismemberment Plan past. Which is certainly welcome, but here he takes those ideas in a new direction. "As We Proceed" is the standout track in my opinion, it's bridge takes the steadiness of the rest of the song and let's it build into a wonderful blast of shimmering guitar, and then lets that sound settle to close out the song. The lyrics are smart,funny, and he often takes on themes not ordinarily approched in pop songs. The accidental voyuerism that occurs from living in a small apartment for example (on "Catch Up") "Book of Names" is another stand out, and "Saturday Night" is an ideal way to close the album. All Y'all is kind of addictive. I find myself wanting to listen to it more and more lately. Given that you've read this far, you'll probably feel the same way.

I'm a big fan of the music of Travis Morrison and The Dismemberment Plan, and this CD also fits nicely in a top slot on my favorites list. Having been fortunate enough to catch a few live performances of the Travis Morrison Hellfighters, I feel that the CD exhibits their very best strengths: the upbeat, catchy, positively danceable beats; the wickedly funny, clever, and ironic lyrics; the clear, bold, and infectiously fun vocal treatment of Mr. Morrison--the familiar friend/voice whose stories you crave to hear again and again. It's all there, along with the unabashed delight in taking risks, the sprinkling in of outrageous surprises, and the emotional twists and turns that make this so much more than a CD. It's a glimpse into a personal adventure that is human, vulnerable, and irresistible from beginning to end. Each song is a story with its own distinct personality and the album as a whole will leave you with an undeniably good feeling from the top of your head to your tippy-toes--there's so much positive energy and an absolute love of music and life being shared here. I wouldn't say that this CD sounds just like Mr. Morrison's previous work, but there are wonderful moments of tribute to days gone by. It's an interesting mix of old and new, head and heart, calm and totally off-the-wall. The blend of sounds (electronic, jazz, rap, funk, pop, rock, and, yes, marching band), along with the continual pushing past boundaries and that unmistakable DC attitude, are a welcome breath of fresh air when put next to many of today's predictable, timid, and boring musical choices. I have to say that Travis Morrison's storytelling ability is second to none and he certainly lives up to the hype on this one (Like the first reviewer, I, too, think his solo CD is a shining moment on his lyrical resume); I'm still amazed at how he manages to fit so much information into one song and in a way that not only makes perfect sense, but also keeps you humming and hitting the repeat button. I love All Y'All in its entirety and I honestly can't find a weak song in the bunch, but my stand-out favorites are "As we proceed", "Catch up", "You make me feel like a freak", and "Churchgoer". My favorite line, hands down, is, "All my elderly friends are my fun. We play gin and poker and rum ..."

A review of this CD would not be complete without mentioning the lovely artwork that helps give the first clues as to what we as listeners may find inside: something unique, poignant, and most likely unexpected. The collage is a window into yet another tale of the human experience and becomes the perfect visual counterpart to the colorful collection of stories and observations we are about to hear. In short, All Y'All is a brilliant beginning to yet another chapter in an already-brilliant career. Go Travis! (;

It's Travis' second album after the D-Plan stopped, and it's great. Check out some samples and see for yourself. I feel his writing show much maturity, and I appreciate an artist who evolves. Great stuff.

I recall the first time i ran into Travis Morrison, it was because Pitchfork media decided to give his first solo album a rating of ZERO. (i mean, really?!) In any case, i picked up said first album and loved the mess out of it! Onto album two with him adding his band, the Hellfighters and i'm once again quite pleased. The songs are easy to get into, which in my estimation means they are well done. While i'm not huge into combining rap into rock music, he also does that and makes it work. (on one track)

People may enjoy his past band work more but going by what i know, i'm quite pleased with both this album and his first solo work.