Befriended

Innocence Mission | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 2, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Badman Records
• ASIN: B0000A1HSG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,094 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very nice cd, July 3, 2004

By 

Jeremiah McManus (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Befriended (Audio CD)

Although this cd from The Innocence Mission is not aggressive and masterfully produced as Glow it is very good in its own right. A much quieter cd than Glow- it is probably the most relaxing cd I own. A word of caution: do NOT play this cd while driving but DO play this cd if you want close your eyes and be completely relaxed for a half hour. Also, this cd sounds much better on very high end systems as the arrangements are so subtle that it takes a good stereo to really appreciate them. I recommend this cd to anyone looking for an interesting and unique sound as it is very quiet and refined but certainly not boring which is quite an accomplishment.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sad and Beautiful, July 4, 2005

By 

J. Riley (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Befriended (Audio CD)

I love music. The Joshua Tree is my favorite album (along with a billion other people). Befriended is my second favorite.

I'm a little embarassed to admit this, but I've never listened to this album the whole way through and managed to stay composed. I cry everytime and believe me, that says much more about the music than it does me. One For Sorrow, Two For Joy is one of the most heartbreaking songs ever, and yet it does manage to express this incredible joy. Beautiful Change, When Mac Was Swimming, and I Never Knew You From the Sun are some other favorites, but it's hard to pick when the whole album is so great. If you're like me, you like an album where you never skip a song and this album is like that for me.

The group's approach is pretty simple. Gentle melodies with subtly breathtaking arrangements. In regards to the lyrical themes, the band's name begins to make perfect sense. The songs are all about friendship, love, loss...basically life told through a gentle song. I was making a lot of edgy rock music when I first got this album and it was a revelation to me: pain and happiness expressed with a quiet, honest voice is more powerful than loud, angry guitars. The Innocence Mission, what a concept.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like a peaceful dream, September 2, 2003

By 

William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Befriended (Audio CD)

There was a strong whiff of '60s folk music in the air as I sat listening to the sweet singing of Karen Peris and her guitar strumming plus Don Peris' guitar playing. I thought of Peter Paul & Mary (sans harmonies) or Fairport Convention. There's also a resemblance to more modern folkies like Natalie Merchant in Karen's vocals, but there seems to be an almost intentional feeling of looking backwards on Befriended, as with the hint of Bacharach on "When Mac Was Swimming," or the old-timey piano on "Look For Me As You Go By." However you want to characterize it, this is very nice music. It's not the kind of listening experience that hits you over the head, more like drifting on a boat on a still lake on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

The arrangements on Befriended are fairly sparse and open, allowing Karen's voice and Don's guitar to remain out front. And as much as I've emphasized her singing, his guitar plays an important role too. The luminous, shimmery solo he lays down on "Walking Around" is just one delightful example. Don sings backing vocals on occasion too - just a ghost of a male voice in the wings. Mike Bitts' bass is also a steady and effective presence.

The members of The Innocence Mission have been together now since the late '80s. The risk of stagnation after such a length of time is relatively great, but Befriended still sounds fresh and alive. It's one of the better things I've heard this year.