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Editorial Reviews
Deluxe two CD edition includes a bonus CD that contains 11 additional tracks. 2011 covers album from the singer/songwriter, a tribute to the influential sound of Sun Records and the artists who helped shape Rock 'n' Roll. Since he fell in love with his parents' 45s as a child in Stockton, California, this passionate writer/artist has been obsessed with the glory days of Memphis' Sun Studio and the visionary artists who got their starts there including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis...all of them discovered and nurtured by Sam Phillips. Now, at long last, Isaak magically recaptures the transformative brilliance of the classic sides cut by these greats at Sun with Phillips during the mid-'50s, while also getting down to the nitty-gritty of his own deeply rooted musical identity.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
96 of 100 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Dear Music Appreciators,
I've been a fan of Chris Isaak since hearing "Wicked Game" in junior high - I still remember that famous music video oozing sex and cool and how many mix tapes I made for girls with that song on it...that was about 22 years ago and Chris Isaak is still at it...and still extremely underappreciated.
This latest album finds him paying tribute to the sounds of Sun Records and covering songs by some of his influences who recorded there. If the Sun Records story is unfamiliar to you it might be worth your time to read up on it a bit, you know - Google it or whatever.
If you're a fan of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, or, well, Chris Isaak of course, then I think you will find something to like here.
My overall impression of this album is that Chris Isaak alternates between turning in respectable, slightly reserved performances of some of the more famous songs ("Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line") and high-energy, hot performances of some of the lesser-known songs ("Trying to Get To You," "Miss Pearl"). This highlights the fact that there is no one that can do those legendary hits like the original legendary artists, and maybe that's not a bad thing - after all , one wouldn't expect an album of, say, Beatles covers to transcend the original versions...this is a tribute album really, and a darn good one, and Chris Isaak gets bonus points for achieving his usual cool guy/fun guy/blue guy/retro guy dynamic, complimented as always by his usual breathtaking good looks and remarkably beautiful vintage voice.
Put this record on and let Chris Isaak take you back to the glory days of Sun Records...and let him make you feel just a little bit cooler along the way. This kind of music can fill a room with what I like to call "Instant Atmosphere," which is great for parties, or romance, or heartbreakingly cool, dimly lit moments of loneliness with a drink in your hand...
Sincerely,
Constant Listener
I've been a fan of Chris Isaak since hearing "Wicked Game" in junior high - I still remember that famous music video oozing sex and cool and how many mix tapes I made for girls with that song on it...that was about 22 years ago and Chris Isaak is still at it...and still extremely underappreciated.
This latest album finds him paying tribute to the sounds of Sun Records and covering songs by some of his influences who recorded there. If the Sun Records story is unfamiliar to you it might be worth your time to read up on it a bit, you know - Google it or whatever.
If you're a fan of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, or, well, Chris Isaak of course, then I think you will find something to like here.
My overall impression of this album is that Chris Isaak alternates between turning in respectable, slightly reserved performances of some of the more famous songs ("Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line") and high-energy, hot performances of some of the lesser-known songs ("Trying to Get To You," "Miss Pearl"). This highlights the fact that there is no one that can do those legendary hits like the original legendary artists, and maybe that's not a bad thing - after all , one wouldn't expect an album of, say, Beatles covers to transcend the original versions...this is a tribute album really, and a darn good one, and Chris Isaak gets bonus points for achieving his usual cool guy/fun guy/blue guy/retro guy dynamic, complimented as always by his usual breathtaking good looks and remarkably beautiful vintage voice.
Put this record on and let Chris Isaak take you back to the glory days of Sun Records...and let him make you feel just a little bit cooler along the way. This kind of music can fill a room with what I like to call "Instant Atmosphere," which is great for parties, or romance, or heartbreakingly cool, dimly lit moments of loneliness with a drink in your hand...
Sincerely,
Constant Listener
55 of 57 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Chris Isaak Record That's Not Just "Another Great Chris Isaak Record"
October 20, 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
First let me say that "Beyond the Sun" is a great album by Chris Isaak. And it is great in large part because it is not just "another Chris Isaak album." It is an album devoted to a music he loves, that he has in fact based his entire career on - rockabilly and early rock and roll. But it is also a deliberate departure from the songwriting formula that he has followed, with great success, for his entire professional life. We, and he, are better for the chances he takes here.
Like many reviewers, I am an enthusiastic fan of Chris Isaak. I first heard "Blue Hotel," from the album "Chris Isaak," while driving home from work. I bought the album the next day. I was hooked by the purity of Isaak's voice, his range, and the feeling he conveyed. The amazing guitar work of Calvin Wilsey (now unfortunately long gone from the band) perfectly complemented the brooding voice of Isaak. From the barely contained anger of "You Owe Me Some Kind Of Love," to the mixture of desolation and cynicism of "Lovers Game", Isaak displayed his mastery of a type of singing I thought had disappeared with Orbison and Elvis and Jerry Lee. It was a distinct style. It wasn't "Cathy's Clown" - to take nothing away from the Everly Brothers, or "I'm A Loser" - the Beatles had other ways of singing about broken hearts. And it sure wasn't the Stones or the Who.
The style adopted in "Chris Isaak" and the albums that came before and after it, is one of real teen angst, a style of songwriting that first flowered in rockabilly and the earliest rock and roll. It shows up repeatedly in many of the records by artists associated with Sun Records. These songs weren't just about poor guys who got dumped by their best girl, or were so dizzy over some prom queen that they lost control of their car and flew off the road and up to heaven. The new songs were complex and full of contradiction; at their best they had a depth and expressivenes that knocked the Bobby Rydell's, Bobby Vee's, and Fabian's right out of the box and off the radio. Who wanted to hear "Blue Velvet" when you could listen to "Heartbreak Hotel," "Any Way You Want Me," or "Running Scared"? Those songs convinced you with their lyrics and their passionate singing that their protagonists were as confused, co-dependent, and self-pitying as you and the guy who sat next to you in homeroom were. Those songs said no one has ever felt as bad as I do. They were self-absorbed, like most real adolescents are, and they didn't pretend to have all the answers. Even hard-boiled rockers like "Great Balls of Fire" were light years away from "Go Away, Little Girl." The first lines say it all - "You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain, too much love drives a man insane, you broke my will, what a thrill, goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" That's pretty powerful stuff, even without the not-so-subtle innuendo of the title.
Chris Isaak's genius has always been in his ability to capture that sound - the wailing pain and intensity that were so much a part of the birth of rock and roll. On album after album, he never fails to concoct convincing variations on his introspective "forever blue" rock persona. I remember a joke he told about himself between songs at a show - he's standing outside the venue between sets, and a man walking by stops, looks at him closely, then says "Hey, aren't you the guy who sings all those `sissy' songs?" Isaak replies, after a beat, "they're not sissy, they're sensitive."
Issak has the retro, sensitive "blue" rockabilly song down pat, from "Wicked Game" to "Funeral in the Rain" to "Speak of the Devil." Even a "light" tune like "Don't Leave Me On My Own," with its gently rolling rhythm and up-beat hooky melody is not immune - if the girl who ditched him will come back, "I'll fix the place up." Offering to clean his apartment in a pathetic attempt to win back his girl.
It is precisely because "Beyond the Sun" is filled with songs that are rockabilly classics but aren't classic "Chris Isaak" songs, that this record so satisfying. Several reviewers have noted that he is at his best on this album singing lesser-known tunes, particularly rave-ups like "Miss Pearl" or "Dixie Fried." I think that's because those songs are the ones that take him farthest away from his own songwriting style. They are songs that he obviously loves, but generally doesn't attempt. They come out sounding fresh, energized, and rocking.
Isaak also says in the liner notes that he tried to stay away from rote "covers" of the iconic tunes that everyone knows. And that approach generally works. On "It's Now or Never," Elvis' great homage to Mario Lanza, Isaak doesn't try to out-bombast the King. He pulls back a little, and his version of the song shines a new light on an old chestnut without being self-consciously different.
We can thank Chris Isaak for loving a music that was "uncool," so much so that he has devoted his career to it and written a great many songs that are very cool along the way. And we can thank him for taking a deliberate step away from the relative comfort of his own particular songwriting style this time around and giving us an album devoted to exploring some of the other styles that make up what we call early rock and roll, or rockabilly. Highly recommended.
Like many reviewers, I am an enthusiastic fan of Chris Isaak. I first heard "Blue Hotel," from the album "Chris Isaak," while driving home from work. I bought the album the next day. I was hooked by the purity of Isaak's voice, his range, and the feeling he conveyed. The amazing guitar work of Calvin Wilsey (now unfortunately long gone from the band) perfectly complemented the brooding voice of Isaak. From the barely contained anger of "You Owe Me Some Kind Of Love," to the mixture of desolation and cynicism of "Lovers Game", Isaak displayed his mastery of a type of singing I thought had disappeared with Orbison and Elvis and Jerry Lee. It was a distinct style. It wasn't "Cathy's Clown" - to take nothing away from the Everly Brothers, or "I'm A Loser" - the Beatles had other ways of singing about broken hearts. And it sure wasn't the Stones or the Who.
The style adopted in "Chris Isaak" and the albums that came before and after it, is one of real teen angst, a style of songwriting that first flowered in rockabilly and the earliest rock and roll. It shows up repeatedly in many of the records by artists associated with Sun Records. These songs weren't just about poor guys who got dumped by their best girl, or were so dizzy over some prom queen that they lost control of their car and flew off the road and up to heaven. The new songs were complex and full of contradiction; at their best they had a depth and expressivenes that knocked the Bobby Rydell's, Bobby Vee's, and Fabian's right out of the box and off the radio. Who wanted to hear "Blue Velvet" when you could listen to "Heartbreak Hotel," "Any Way You Want Me," or "Running Scared"? Those songs convinced you with their lyrics and their passionate singing that their protagonists were as confused, co-dependent, and self-pitying as you and the guy who sat next to you in homeroom were. Those songs said no one has ever felt as bad as I do. They were self-absorbed, like most real adolescents are, and they didn't pretend to have all the answers. Even hard-boiled rockers like "Great Balls of Fire" were light years away from "Go Away, Little Girl." The first lines say it all - "You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain, too much love drives a man insane, you broke my will, what a thrill, goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" That's pretty powerful stuff, even without the not-so-subtle innuendo of the title.
Chris Isaak's genius has always been in his ability to capture that sound - the wailing pain and intensity that were so much a part of the birth of rock and roll. On album after album, he never fails to concoct convincing variations on his introspective "forever blue" rock persona. I remember a joke he told about himself between songs at a show - he's standing outside the venue between sets, and a man walking by stops, looks at him closely, then says "Hey, aren't you the guy who sings all those `sissy' songs?" Isaak replies, after a beat, "they're not sissy, they're sensitive."
Issak has the retro, sensitive "blue" rockabilly song down pat, from "Wicked Game" to "Funeral in the Rain" to "Speak of the Devil." Even a "light" tune like "Don't Leave Me On My Own," with its gently rolling rhythm and up-beat hooky melody is not immune - if the girl who ditched him will come back, "I'll fix the place up." Offering to clean his apartment in a pathetic attempt to win back his girl.
It is precisely because "Beyond the Sun" is filled with songs that are rockabilly classics but aren't classic "Chris Isaak" songs, that this record so satisfying. Several reviewers have noted that he is at his best on this album singing lesser-known tunes, particularly rave-ups like "Miss Pearl" or "Dixie Fried." I think that's because those songs are the ones that take him farthest away from his own songwriting style. They are songs that he obviously loves, but generally doesn't attempt. They come out sounding fresh, energized, and rocking.
Isaak also says in the liner notes that he tried to stay away from rote "covers" of the iconic tunes that everyone knows. And that approach generally works. On "It's Now or Never," Elvis' great homage to Mario Lanza, Isaak doesn't try to out-bombast the King. He pulls back a little, and his version of the song shines a new light on an old chestnut without being self-consciously different.
We can thank Chris Isaak for loving a music that was "uncool," so much so that he has devoted his career to it and written a great many songs that are very cool along the way. And we can thank him for taking a deliberate step away from the relative comfort of his own particular songwriting style this time around and giving us an album devoted to exploring some of the other styles that make up what we call early rock and roll, or rockabilly. Highly recommended.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Music
I'm a huge Fan of Chris Isaak, and Elvis, Cash, Roy, Jerry Lee, and the whole Sun recording catalog. When I heard that Chris was paying tribute to his idols and recording their work in the original Sun Studios, I was excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on the recording.
Though the wait seemed like forever, I wasn't disappointed. This is a great release from Mr. Isaak and a fitting tribute to Sun Records and its many artists. I've been listening to this all day, and there isn't a bad track on the whole recording.
I really appreciate that fact that this is a deluxe double recording with lots of material to indulge my sonic appetite.
Chris makes these songs both tributes and his own in a very subtle fashion. The music and vocals are sublime.
Sun earned its place in musical history by the material it produced, and Chris does that tradition honor.
Though the wait seemed like forever, I wasn't disappointed. This is a great release from Mr. Isaak and a fitting tribute to Sun Records and its many artists. I've been listening to this all day, and there isn't a bad track on the whole recording.
I really appreciate that fact that this is a deluxe double recording with lots of material to indulge my sonic appetite.
Chris makes these songs both tributes and his own in a very subtle fashion. The music and vocals are sublime.
Sun earned its place in musical history by the material it produced, and Chris does that tradition honor.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love Chris Isaak
I love this cd, he is one of my all time favorites. I love the fact that it was recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis.
Published 23 days ago by Katie Cardenas
5.0 out of 5 stars
She loves it!!!!!
I ordered this for my Mom. She heard him do 'Great Balls of Fire' and liked it much better than the Jerry Lee Lewis version, so she had to have it. Read more
Published 23 days ago by mindy j
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you like the 50's sound you will like this cd
Chris Isaak has a great sound. These CD's brought back memories from the 50's. If this is the music you like you need to purchase this CD.
Published 23 days ago by Cheryl L. Kohnhorst
5.0 out of 5 stars
CI is still the best
Great tunes. Chris continues to provide great nostalgic
music. I won't get tired of this CD !! He is a genuine rocker.
music. I won't get tired of this CD !! He is a genuine rocker.
Published 1 month ago by B R Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgia at its best
Chris Isaac is a fan of 50`s rockabilly and his love of these tunes shows on this effort. I especially appreciate his Elvis covers. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Thomas C. Beall
4.0 out of 5 stars
Memphis Sounds Ring True
Chris sings many of the great Memphis tunes of the past from out music legends. He did a great job with his own twists.
Published 1 month ago by Lawrence D. Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Listn to daily.Too bad this is not played on radio. Most under...
Listened to this man app the way from Oregon to Kansas. His voice and sounds and words tell so much. The music is soothing to the emotions,
Published 1 month ago by SHARON lOSEY
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chris Isaak at his best!
I love this set and am so glad that I noticed there was a 2 CD set. Chris's voice is as great as ever and his band is the best. Read more
Published 1 month ago by SuperDad
5.0 out of 5 stars
Isaak's best work ever!
I never realised how many old Sun songs I knew until I heard this recording...and likewise, I never realised how very peculiarly characteristic that room sounds; it carries... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Dee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaning
I enjoyed the discs because Chris did selections by some of his favorite artistists from the early fifties in Memphis.
Published 2 months ago by Ted Philbin
