Black Sheep

Martin Sexton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kitchen Table
• ASIN: B00023GGMG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,864 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible acoustic album, January 14, 2005

By 

Athina Levesque "athinalev" (cortlandt manor, ny United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Sheep (Audio CD)

Martin Sexton, has a vocal style like no other, it is powerful, emotive, and soulful. Those who are new to Sexton, would benefit by picking up black sheep, as the arrangements are simple, not over-produced, allowing the listener to appreciate the amazing beautiful vocals, with a range that I've never before heard! He accompanies himself on most tracks with an acoustic guitar style, that is percussive, and fitting to his musical style. Lyrics reflect his personal life journeys, and are intimate and inviting. Sexton does not fit neatly into a specific category, he is simply great music, highly recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The emotional singer/songwriter, October 17, 2000

By 

RainDelay (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Sheep (Audio CD)

Black Sheep, finally rereleased for those of us who missed it the first time around, is an outstanding work of art. Martin Sexton brings us an album that cries out with pure honesty. If this is your first time listening to him, start with this album. I was first attracted to him becuase I was a Dave Matthews fan and I heard that he did some nice solo acoustic stuff. I couldn't have imagined how this album would completely captivate me. He has a unique blend of rythem and voice that is soothing and emotional. Do yourself a favor and get this album today.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Stop Thinking About Martin, June 13, 2000

By 

Rachel Blum (Croton-on-Hudson, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Sheep (Audio CD)

I was first introduced to Black Sheep last year when I was a freshman in college. It was playing in a friend's dorm room, and the creative instrumentation along with smooth, passionate vocals drew me in instantly. For months after I found out who Martin Sexton was and the name of the CD, I looked in every music store but couldn't find Black Sheep on the shelves. I soon forgot about it and stopped looking.

About a year later I passed by another friend's room at school and heard a voice that could only be Martin's blaring through his door. (His flawless falsetto is unmistakable.) Needless to say, I went nuts. My friend lent me a mix tape of songs from Martin's three albums (Black Sheep, In the Journey, and The American), and then asked if I wanted to accompany him and some other people to a concert of Martin's at a rather intimate venue in Middletown,NY.

Although I wasn't too familiar with all the songs yet, I went to see him live, and was totally blown away. He and his percussionist, Joe, have a synchronocity that is unsurpassable--and it was obvious that they enjoyed every minute of that show. The friendly, familiar atmosphere of the show (including the president of the school in which the concert was held personally introducing Martin) made me realize that this singer/songwriter/performer is all about personal experiences. His concert was an intimate event, and so is his music. He sings from the heart, conveying his situations with passion as well as with grace.

In the lobby outside the auditorium, Martin's promoters were selling CDs, and this is where I finally picked up Black Sheep. Not only is it fun to listen to with tracks like "Diner" and "Gypsy Woman," but the songs' lyrics have such strength that I find myself thinking about him as a person as well as a performer. Martin sings about leaving home, traveling to find himself, and returning after he's had enough "Freedom of the Road." Highlights for me include "Caught in the Rain," where he takes a break from guitar licks and driving percussion and simply sits at an acoustic piano; "Over My Head," which builds from an innocently quiet guitar intro to an internal epic about looking out into the ocean and trying to find himself; and "Can't Stop Thinking About You," which includes a wonderfully provocative muted trumpet and slow, driving lyrics comparing his self-destructive love for another to "loving a house on fire, burning and yearning 'til the damage is done." Whew.

This CD never gets boring, just better and more burned in your brain. The final track, "America the Beautiful," is awesome! Martin takes a song that is familiar to a lot of us and puts all his soul into it to make it HIS. Once you hear his voice, you will realize that virtuosity is an understatement for Martin. Pick up Black Sheep because after you've listened to it, you'll wonder how you went all this time without it.