Customer Reviews

Barbarians

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4 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

i like to think of davies as an aussie andy partridge, though he may have more in common with fellow aussie robert forster of the go-betweens. "barbarians" is not quite as good as his last two efforts, "there's never been a crowd" and the terrific "telegraph", but mostly because, at 33 minutes and change, there's less of it to enjoy. It's also not quite as consistent as those records, but "palo alto" and "stars" alone are worth the price of admission. Definitely an artist worth supporting. And check out his obscure aussie band "the moles" and his partnership with eric matthews in the band "cardinal".

This is wonderful music. Lopes down smooth roads to oceansides, over hot pavement through American deserts and stops to pick rocks from the soles of shoes with a popsicle stick. This is truly the America that we as Americans think we still are. Richard Davies captures it perfectly. Wonderful.

Another fine collection of Richard Davies songs. This album continues his progression toward a more traditional pop sound and song structure. However, there is still much nuance and charm, but nothing like the artsy Cardinal album or his first solo album "There's Never Been a Crowd Like This".

One thing I don't understand is the cover art and album title. The cover depicts an Uncle Sam hat with the album title below it: "Barbarians". It seems strange that a young man would leave his native Australia to come live in a country he felt to be barbaric. Perhaps he had something else in mind(?). Whatever...bottom line is that this album is certainly no disappointment, and a worthy addition to your Davies collection.

Old worn-out sound. Waste of money. As another critic wrote, the montage of word and motif for the album cover is Un-American. Very '60s and British sounding. Buy it for your Mum.

Unfortunately, compared to Crowd, Barbarians sounds like a group of songs recorded quickly, before their possibilities were fully explored and exploited. The songwriting is still there, but the extra care and refinement that made Crowd so rewarding has been replaced by a more one-dimensional sound: changing electric guitars, fewer counter melodies, harmonies that teeter, and simpler, more staid rock arrangements.