I Am the Portuguese Blues

Starflyer 59 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tooth & Nail Records
• ASIN: B0001BKAI0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,016 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Starflyer 59 Strips Down!!!, February 25, 2004

By 

Louie Bourland (Garden Grove CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Am the Portuguese Blues (Audio CD)

Starflyer 59 is one of the most innovative bands in existance today. Over the last 10 years, bandleader Jason Martin and his revolving door of musicians have created alternative rock masterpieces that all vary in sound and texture.
The band's latest "I Am The Portuguese Blues" is no exception. The material on this album was originally intended to be recorded and released in 1997 after the band's "Americana" album but before 1998's "Fashion Focus". Now, seven years after these songs were written, they are finally recorded and released on this album.
With this album, Starflyer has stripped down their sound to its basic elements of guitar, bass, drums and vocals with absolutely no studio tricks or special effects. Yes folks, this is a barebones Rock and Roll album. Tracks such as "Wake Up Early", "UnLucky", "Teens In Love" and "I Need Some Help" have a style similar to 70s glam-rock acts like T-Rex, Queen and David Bowie. "No Revolution" sounds like a pure Black Sabbath track with Jason Martin filling in for Ozzy. The instrumental "Sound On Sound" has a definite Led Zeppelin/jam-band quality to it. The remaining tracks are loaded with ear-crunching guitar riffs that rank among Jason Martin's very best. On previous Starflyer albums, his guitar work is more fluid and restrained. On "Portuguese Blues", he lets it all come loose as if something he'd been keeping inside just erupted.
This is Starflyer 59's greatest album yet. A small complaint would be the fact that this album only runs for 27-minutes total. However, considering the high musical quality of this album, its short length hardly seems to matter. Jason Martin and friends have undboubtedly created another modern rock classic with "I Am The Portuguese Blues".
Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Starflyer 59 returns to their roots, April 14, 2006

By 

Charles Wesley (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Am the Portuguese Blues (Audio CD)

What has gotten into Jason Martin? Martin, singer and songwriter behind shoegazer veterans Starflyer 59, could always be counted on for waves of earsplitting guitar feedback. Fans of the band's mid-90's output were understandably thrown by 1998's The Fashion Focus, a release that heralded a shift toward shimmering, polished pop songs. Hardcore fans complained, but Martin's change took the band to new heights in songcraft and melody.

Just when Starflyer fans have wrapped their minds around the new sound, Martin records I Am the Portuguese Blues. On this album, a collection of songs written during his mid-90's period, Martin returns to the noisier sound he was once known for. So has Martin's experience in the pop arena enhanced or undermined this album?

Whatever Starflyer purists may say, Blues tops even Martin's best work from his early period. Martin has ruthlessly cut out all unecessary sounds on this album, leaving the sound of a lean rock band who seems hungry again. The guitars on the album are reminiscent of Starflyer's early work, but they are stripped down and move with a bluesy swagger. Similarly, the songs themselves are leaner; the album runs only 27 minutes. Martin is finally comfortable enough to put his vocals higher in the mix, and his voice has a new cocksure attitude that threatens to outsleaze even the guitars. And how about those guitars? They come in with the force of a freight train on opening track "Wake Up Early," and they propel the album through all 10 songs.

Martin has never been known for his lyrical genius; he once stole a lyric from a FedEx slogan, and his lyrics on this album range from the obtuse to the awkward. It's hard to sound cool when intoning lines like "I wake up early / just like a birdie," and it's a tribute to Martin's new vocal confidence that he manages so well.

Critics have complained about the record's length, but Blues has the perfect run time for such a relentless album. If you're new to Starflyer 59, pick up the Easy Come, Easy Go box set and get educated, but when you're ready to hear the band at their most explosive, come back for I Am the Portuguese Blues.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars starflyer rocks out, March 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: I Am the Portuguese Blues (Audio CD)

Jason Martin can write these albums in his sleep. After the majestic pop release "Old" last year, Starflyer 59 returns with a bluesy rock masterpiece "I am the Portguese blues". This album was written around the time of their "Americana" album in 1997. The emphasis is on crunchy guitar hooks that build stellar songs like "I need help" and "No revolution". These songs really have a clean rock sound and that is good news for fans of Starflyer 59. With each album, Starflyer keeps getting better and "I am the Portguese Blues" is no exception. Why this band hasn't gotten the recognition they deserve is beyond me; oh yeah most people are clueless to good music even when it slaps them in the face.