Customer Reviews

Always Stay Sweet

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

His Name Is Alive is a great, great thing, and even though I embarrassed myself once by talking to Warn Defever after a show and NOT RECOGNIZING HIM ("what's your affiliation with the band?" I asked) I will always love this group and the music they create. I came across HNIA by accident, searching through some used CD bins and only noticing HNIA because they were on 4AD. It took me a long time to get used to their sound, and this compilation catches some of those strange moments from their early years - when Karin and company sang in a near-monotone and the music changed abruptly between ambient instrumentals and fuzzed-out guitar squeals. I have to say that as much as I've come to be obsessed with Defever's music, this is not the best introduction to his work. "Mouth by Mouth" is probably the most accessible HNIA album, and I'd keep going forward from there: to the dangerously eclectic "Stars on ESP" and the funk/rock influenced "Ft. Lake." That said, just about everything they've put out is worth owning, including the early albums "Livonia" and "Home is in Your Head," which are largely represented on "Always Stay Sweet." I don't think that the best tracks from those records can be found here, however, except for "Chances Are We Are Mad" and "Sitting Still Moving Still Staring Out (Sitting)." The latter was used in "Jerry Maguire" - apparently Cameron Crowe had asked for a new HNIA song but only received an unmarked cassette of some noise...now that's just a rumor, but it is a believable one. "Underwater" is worth having even if you've got the rest of this stuff. "In Every Ford" and "Last One" are standouts from later albums. I really think that the single albums are better than the compilation, and I'm speaking from years of listening to this stuff, which makes me highly opinionated (for better or worse). Please investigate this band. It may not appeal to you, but if it does you will be well rewarded. Much strangeness and beauty to be found here. Check out timestereo.com for more information.

If you like His Name Is Alive you may want to investigate Velour 100, Red House Painters, Ida, Liquorice, This Mortal Coil, February, Reba Fritz, and Smattering...just to name a few.

His Name is Alive is one of the greatest bands you never heard of. Defever is a fearless genius, completely free of conventions, without adherence to a particular style or notion of what is "correct". He made a name for himself as a producer by figuring it all out himself on home recording equipment. He went against all the notions of what is correct production, mixing instruments at "wrong" levels and panning and recording/processing things in strange ways, employing folk, avant garde, goth, indie, funk, pop, psych, garage band and dub styles and production techniques, often within a single song. His approach was at once loose and tight, being unafraid to inlcude chance and mistakes as integral elements in his highly detailed productions. His huge influence on the current trend in indie rock production away from live band guitar-bass-drums puritanism towards eclectic multi instrumental tape experiments and bedroom pro tools cutups is largely unrecognized. The band's early work was unfairly grouped by critics with goth bands and other 4AD artists of the day, but they quickly showed that they were forging new directions in music. Mixing pure emotional passion with extremely advanced intellectual and sonic exploration, HNIA releases defy categorization. This album offers a nice introduction to the band. It is perfectly sequenced, and the tracks are well-chosen (although I might have chosen some different representatives from "Stars on ESP"). The compilation samples from their first eight years of releases(the last of which happens to mark the end of an era for the band, which subsequently moved into a sound inspired by Detroit soul and dance music). It is certainly no substitute for buying each album it contains tracks from, but if I had to take only one HNIA CD with me on a trip, this would be it.

I don't fault the above critic for his review, I just feel sorry for him. HNIA is one of the reasons life is worth exploring. What comes out of their music is beyond the normal. I feel lucky to know of it, and I feel thankful to have been considered worthy of receiving it. The only word that sums up HNIA that I can think of is perfect. And thank you Warn for evolving. I've been right there with you. Of course, you already knew that. This album is a great introduction to that evolution. The most amazing thing about HNIA is the fact that I love, and I mean love, every single song that they have ever created. That's no small feat.

You need to listen to music in (at least) three dimensions to understand what is going here on Ft. Lake. And if you can open your mind and spirit (some people just obviously can't). And I mean open them wide. You will start to see right through these self-called "critics". How can we leave our decisions as important as where our soul finds >joy< to the closed minded. I hope this critic sold the cd to a used shop. I'd wager a bet on how fast it flew off the rack and into someone's soul. Thank goodness we're not all the same! Anyway, this band is an ever changing work of art, sometimes bold, sometimes beautiful, and always covering new ground. I hear something a little different every time I put it in. Vocals from Heaven, a guitarist who cares, and a band that puts it soul before the industry. As for me, my soul resides in the horse barn. Recommended if you have attention deficit disorder, small amounts of depression in a very happy life, or are able to attend church, watch a David Lynch movie and enjoy an indie show all on the same day.

jeez... i don't know what that review ("what the critics say") is about, but it's pretty obvious that nick duerden didn't take much time to listen to this album before he reviewed it--if he listened to it at all... it may be true that warn doesn't get out much (it also may be untrue) but that would explain the introverted nature of his music and (awe inspiring) lyrics. "music that suggests he's barking"? on the contrary, this music is extremely pleasure inducing--about as far away as barking as you can get. "beautifully ethereal" is right, but more than just occasionally. hmmm. i must have missed the "wailing female vocals" too, because i only got blissed murmurs in my ear. "no real tunes"? try 21 of them. *crushworthy.*

I'd been wanting this CD and by some miracle I found it in a 'bargain bin' at Barnes & Nobles. This album is absolutely wonderful. I love every track; quite a feat, especially considering there are 21 of 'em. I immediately ordered Ft. Lake and Stars on ESP. They're both enjoyable (especially Ft. Lake) but don't compare to this album. I think I finally know what 'ethereal' music is--or should be. I haven't heard another group that does it nearly this well.

Goth...ambient...folk...bubble gum pop...blues rock...His Name Is Alive is the ultimate musical chameleon. "Always Stay Sweet" is a complilation of (most of) the best songs from the best band you've never heard of. Those who know of HNIA probably own most of the originals, but this album is the perfect intro for those who want an unforgettable music experience.

ALWAYS STAY SWEET is a sort of "greatest hits" or, since the project had no hits exactly, a sampler of His Name Is Alive, the brainchild of Livonia, Michigan musician Warren Defever. The compilation was originally released in Mexico on some local label in 1998, but a US release came out the next year on the band's own 4AD label.

As it was compiled by 1998, the disc collects songs from the 1990 debut LIVONIA up to STARS ON E.S.P. of 1996. Though the four albums HNIA had released came over a period of only six years, the material is highly different, almost as if we were listening to the work of multiple bands. LIVONIA and its 1991 follow-up HOME IS IN YOUR HEAD are brooding creations inspired by a difficult adolescence, where female vocals sing of murder and madness and Warren's guitar stylings, limited at the time, collapse frequently into bursts of noise. 1993's MOUTH BY MOUTH saw Warren giving a little bit more control to other musicians, with the project taking on a collaborative sound instead of his singular vision. The result falls into early 1990s indie pop rock, but stands out from the crowd by its perverse lyrics. Finally, STARS ON E.S.P. is Warren's attempt to recreate the spirit of the 1950s, with retro songwriting, production techniques, and boy-meets-girl texts. ALWAYS STAY SWEET does feature one exclusive track, "Underwater", a drastically reworked version of "Honey-Babe, My Blue-Eyed Babe" off of the limited edition release KING OF SWEET.

Could I recommend this album? I'd have to say no. Each of the His Name Is Alive releases that appeared before this album created a singular atmosphere and are as a whole nice musical journeys. Taking songs out of their context and mixing them with other songs of different musical styles makes for a bewildering experience. While His Name Is Alive is a project I think everyone interested in indie music of the 1990s should get acquainted with, I suggest doing it by picking up one of their individual albums.

"Always Stay Sweet" is a beautiful collection of songs from His Name Is Alive. I can't say enough about HNIA and the songs included on this compilation. These songs and others by HNIA are basically the soundtrack to every meaningful moment of my life. The early days of HNIA consists of a sound that is enigmatic. I've never really been able to classify it...and I hope I never do. The sound is flinty, yet peaceful and it is almost like listening to a part of the Earth itself. "In Every Ford" will never stop to totally rock. Others like "If July" and "How Ghosts Affect Relationships" just seem too good to even exist. Obviously HNIA is an incredibly talented band. However, their later music has a different sound from their earlier works on "Home is in Your Head", "Livonia" and "Mouth by Mouth, there are subtle detections of their earthy beginings. I recomend "Always Stay Sweet" to any music lovers who wish experience a heavenly brand of music to push your mind into a new teritory of sound. Also, this CD is a good starter for a HNIA collection - I recomend "Mouth by Mouth" as a second purchase. You will not be disappointed by His Name Is Alive's beautiful vocals, earthy/spiritual sound and unmatched style.