Customer Reviews

Beautiful Door

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

 

 

Hard to believe it's been this long, but "Private Radio" was my favorite record that came out in 2001. Thousands of listens and several copies later, that album has not lost one ounce of punch and I still break it out frequently. "Edge of the World" (2003), despite a few flaws, was by far and away my favorite. I loved the story it told by weaving together so many different styles and it still stays on heavy rotation in my truck or on my ipod. I thought He could never top that one. There was a certain magic going on that could have had to do with the personal drama he had going on at the time. It was (and still is) one of the most ambitious albums, in my opinion, since Willie Nelson gave us "Red Headed Stranger". Unfortunately, it wasn't as well recieved as it should have been. The combination of so many styles kinda threw people off, and the mere fact that Billy is not what one would call a "crooner". His voice is exactly what it should be for the songs that he writes. Their sorta mini-stories about (or told through the perspective of) the everyday folk. The guy or gal who takes your money and gives back your change at the local convenience store. That one guy that no one seems to notice, sitting alone at the end of the bar staring at a half-empty bottle of High-Life. The lonely. The misunderstood. The brokenhearted. The downtrodden. Their all there. It's the same sort of approach that he used when he wrote out the characters in "Sling Blade" and "Daddy and Them". It all translates seemlessly into his songwriting and delivery.

"Hobo" was a unique and great effort in its own right. It was on a smaller scale and with that one, he found a certain vibe and stuck with it. The theme was about California being "the new frontier" and it was sorta semi-autobiographical. It all resulted in a wonderfully re-playable and rewarding record that played oh-so-wonderful late at night with the candles lit and a fifth of rum (or maybe a little Purple Passion). I was still so wrapped up in "The Edge of the World" it took me a good year to really appreciate its greatness.

With "Beautiful Door", he's finally done it. He's made a classic that will stand the test of time and serve as a time capsul for the era. I'm happy/sad to admit that he did the unthinkable (for me, anyway) and topped "The Edge of the World". This time out, he co-wrote with Brad Davis, handled vocals, drums, and production on his own. If you've been there for the last three records, then the first thing you will notice is that everything is tighter. Tone wise, it's similar to "Hobo" with more of a 60s and 70s vibe and it rocks a little harder and a lot more frequently. His vocals are a bit different. I can't make any comparisons because I can't think of anyone that sounds like him. He's certainly found a vocal style that is more versatile and distinctive, and 100% his.

"Beautiful Door" isn't what I would call a bonafide concept-album, but all of the songs do flow together, despite covering such a wide variety of styles. The theme here is a lot broader than "Hobo". The lead-off track, "It's Just Me" is a song about suicide told in first person and "Restin' Your Soul" is the companion track told through perspective of the person left behind. Very unique and oddly comforting. "In the Day" is a look back to how we all remember our younger days as being more innocent even though the world was still far from it. "Hearts Like Mine" is perfect for radio play and will, I'm pretty sure, have a few people wondering just who he is talking about. "Always Countin'" is already one of my faves. It's about OCD and it's dead on. One of the boldest statements on the album comes in the form of the album's most rocking track "Hope For Glory". And it's awesome.

It's probably fair to say that the scope on "Beautiful Door" is on par with "The Edge of the World", even if it doesn't tell one specific story. The varitey is there too, without killing any of the vibe. Needless to say, it was well worth the wait and it's his best album yet.

As a country music lover, I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to Billy Bob Thornton's latest record, Beautiful Door. I've already listened to it over and over, and enjoy it more each time. It's easy to hear that music is Billy's true passion - his talent really comes through in the awesome music and great lyrics. Even if you didn't like Hobo, or some of his other albums, check this one out. I promise, if you appreciate good music, you won't regret it. Defnitely a "5." No question.

The first actor-gone-singer that I feel is worth listening to. This guy writes good music with very intelligent lyrics. Also, he is not just another shallow Hollywood member.

Every song here is great.

It's possible that BEAUTIFUL DOOR is Thornton's best since PRIVATE RADIO. That debut record will always be my favorite, if just because I stumbled upon it by chance, and it subsequently changed my outlook on music as a whole. But enough about me and how Billy Bob Thornton influenced my musical philosophy (or theology; we could debate endlessly on terms); let's move on to more (de)pressing matters--BEAUTIFUL DOOR.

DOOR is, indeed, beautiful, in its stark despair ("You say you want to talk about a better world/But you've closed that beautiful door") contrasted against hope for a better future (a minute-long chant of "hope for glory," the meaning of the phrase changing from a condemnation, to a prayer, to a motto). Thornton spends much of his time looking back, often with a despair so deep it pains you to hear it ("Something's wrong when you can't find meaning since 1972"), occasionally with wry humor ("I gotta grow up/I gotta go to work/Quit countin' on luck/Even if it hurts"). He spends his time with a carnival girl who has the stare of a twenty dollar prostitute; bemoans a suicide; blames the pretty people for the world's problems; wishes a lost lover a good life; counts his pills instead of eating them; and basically sings of life on the other side of the tracks. And it all comes off as authentic.

The authenticity isn't the only thing that keeps the album flowing smoothly; Thornton cowrote all of the material with guitarist/producer Brad Davis, and also provided all the drum work. The result is an album that is a piece of art; dark art, yes, and art that is just a few steps away from being too morbid to admire--but do we care? No, we do not. Thornton is no crooner. Do we care? Absolutely not. He has a ragged voice, the perfect voice for delivering these honest, gut-wrenching songs. Thornton is one of those few actors-turned-singers who is worth listening to. And why? Because his music is his life. On BEAUTIFUL DOOR, Thornton takes his life and applies it to these country/folk/pop/rock tunes, creating an album that will stand the test of time. Just like its three predecessors. It's impossible not to take Thornton seriously as a musician, because it just seems that he was born to do this. Poor fellow. At least we get some great music out of it all.

I bought this after seeing Billy bob Thornton and the Boxmasters play. though this was not the songs played that night, I love them everybit as much and more then the Boxmaster music.

I'm no music reviewer, I only know I like what I like, and Beautuful Door is unlike anything else I own, BUT, I love music that you can understand and says something, expresses something, speaks to you not only in words but music, and that is what I have found with this cd. It's a keeper that stays in the changer in the car and is a staple through the week.

I've only heard two songs from this, on Pandora, and I'm so excited to get the CD (I ordered it here last night), excited like I haven't been about music in a long time.

Private Radio is still in my work playlist, four years on. When my heart hurts, when my soul aches, it never fails to soothe me. When my brain is numbed by moon/june overplayed country radio, it never fails to challenge me. When I'm lonely to the bone, hearing it feels like finding a cherished friend.

Edge of the World and Hobo didn't strike those chords for me. But even so, I ordered this one just because it was only ten bucks and I was "voting with my card," so to speak. Even if one of BBT's CDs doesn't grab and hold me like Private Radio, I consider it money well spent to support an artist and his work.

So today I was chopping veggies for some homemade marinara to use up a batch of tomatoes and dialed Pandora in for its lack of commercial crap. I called up Billy Bob and got two songs off this CD, Beautiful Door and Restin' Your Soul, and was struck by how his voice has improved. Cynics will say it's the production that's improved, but technotweaking can only go so far. It can't put something in a voice that isn't already there, and I hear resonance and confidence.

I can't wait to hear the rest.

Billy Bob, if you ever read these reviews, and I hope you do, thank you.

It's hard not to think "dilettante" when a celebrity crosses over from one field of artistry to another. But in Thornton's case, music was a part of his life long before he found acting fame. He spent time in cover bands performing from the catalogs of Creedence Clearwater Revival and ZZ Top, and played is several high school and college groups. He left music for acting, but returned in 2001 with the solo debut, "Private Radio," written and produced with Marty Stuart. Additional albums followed in 2003 and 2006, and this fourth release, co-written with guitarist Brad Davis, is his most focused and personal yet. Thornton and Davis' country-tinged Americans is laid back, yet dramatic, hinged upon Thornton's deadpan delivery and rough low notes in the Dave Alvin vein. Graham Nash's harmonies provide sweetening on several tracks.

Thornton's not a particularly artful or refined singer, but his directness fits the lyrics and the heavy topics that are on his mind. In "Restin' Your Soul" he contemplates the moment of death and the life of those left behind, he recalls the past on "In the Day" and questions those who hang on so tightly that they can't live in the here and now. He pines with a broken heart tortured by the never-ending appearances of a matinee idol former flame, detests the selling of human-scale tragedy as prime-time media soap, and laments the loss of youth. It's pretty gloomy, but comes up for air with "Carnival Girl," a surprisingly romantic song of the can't-tell-a-book-by-it's-cover variety, with a clever chorus that cleverly works "Tilt-a-Whirl" into rhyme.

This is obviously much more to Thornton's musical career than an actor finding a creative outlet between film projects. Thornton writes with an openness that's almost unnerving, but his expression doesn't yet rank with those of his musical kin, and his vocals, though moving, can sound more like acting than singing. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

Seriously! I learned about this CD via NPR and Mr. Thornton was saying "Always Counting on You" wasn't just the love song it sounded like--it was a song about dealing with his OCD concerning numbers.

According to his own admission, Thornton got a lot of his music from his own life. Before he was an actor, he worked at a mill, as a waiter, and other jobs.

He's definitely in touch with the common man. "Carnival Girl" talks about a life few of us see.

Thornton touches subjects few artists would. "Restin' your soul" touches on suicide:

I've always wondered if
we black out and just go
That has always been
my fear
If you're looking for the
magic that's unknown
Just know that you stole some
magic here

His voice isn't pretty, but what he sings about isn't always pretty, either. Guy Clark likes his diction, so we've got no "Louie, Louie" effect. The musicianship is very good.

"Door" is definitely an eye-opener for me. I've been fond of Thornton's acting for a long time, but had no idea he was a musician as well. He's well worth listening to as well as watching on the big screen.

An excellent album-well-played and well-produced; avaialable at a great price and shipped with alacrity.
How little life must you have that you're making VIDEOs of the reviews? (Because we CAN do something doesn't mean we should, really!)

Billy's vocals are pointless endeavors. Listening to these tracks is like listening to a drunk uncle trying to get through some honky tonk tunes at a country bar after everyone's gone home. Billy, leave us out of your narcissistic musical hobby. Spend your millions on other things. You're a fine actor. You're a terrible singer.