Customer Reviews

Blood of Man [Vinyl]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
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What in the world has gotten into Mason Jennings? That was the question that I couldn't get out of my head after listening to his latest LP, a dark and heavy set of songs dealing with death, loss, murder, grief and all other sorts of cheeful themes. Not that Jennings hasn't tackled these issues before, just not so intensely and never in such a condensed set of songs. Past recordings from the singer/songwriter have dealt with issues such as spiritual searching, love, family, politics, faith, etc. But the music has always been upbeat and melodic. Things aren't so pleasant this time out. The lyrical subject matter is darker than anything he has ever released before. Songs such as "Pittsburgh" deal with a friend's drug overdose and the emotional aftermath while "The Field" looks at the current conflict in Iraq through the eyes of parents who have lost a child to the war. The song is drenched in grief and it's hard not to choke up when Jennings sings, "I don't want a victory. I just want you back". It is perhaps one of the most honest and effective anti-war songs to come along in quite a while; avoiding politics and appealing to the humanity within everyone regardless of their stance on the war. But just when you think your heart is going to break from listening to that song, along comes "Black Wind Blowing", a pitch black tale of murder and revenge between two brothers that will send chills up and down your spine. These songs are the heart of darkness on this album. They form a trifecta of agony and despair that is unlike anything the troubador has turned out before. The rest of the songs are stellar as well, but don't expect hook laden folk songs which has been Jennings' style. The songs here are very basic and they are not filled with catchy melodies. That is probably by design since that forces the listener to hone in on the lyrical content. As for the music, it matches the subject matter perfectly. Each song is stripped down to the bare bones essentials: guitar (electric or acoustic), drums and bass. There is no fancy polish or window dressing on these bitter pills. Jennings wants these songs to be tough to swallow. Indeed they are. Blood of man is a remarkable album from a remarkable talent. It's proof that Mason Jennings is first and foremost an artist who won't compromise his vision. This dark gem may not rank as his best album, but it may be the hardest to shake.

Just when I think Mason Jennings is going to "top out" with his previous release, he continues to grow and get better with each successive release, it's really quite impressive. This album has reinforced in me that Mason Jennings is now quite possible at the height of his powers. The music and melodies on this newest recording is really fantastic. To describe its sound I would use the word dry, not raw. It's really well produced and it has an excellent track sequencing. Another interesting aspect here is how Mason himself sounds. His voice is a bit more Lou Reed like and it really comes off well and fresh. It's so great to see Mason Jennings become another hometown great to Minneapolis.

i have never done a review before but 'blood of man' impressed me so much and had so few reviews i just have to drop in my 2 cents...

i was on the lookout for new music and this was one of the amazon recommendations based on my purchasing history (m83's saturday = youth, michael penn, clear tigers, decoder ring). i had no previous knowledge of mason jennings but there was something ominously beautiful about the album cover. so i previewed the album. what followed deffinitely did the album cover justice. by track 3 i was ready to purchase.

the greatest thing about this album is that unlike its genre peers it doesn't try to be anything more than just simple, poiniant, melodic. sure some of the tracks have a point to make (the feild) but the message doesn't take away from the beauty of the song. 'sing out' melted my heart and 3/4 of the way through the final track i was eager to listen to it all again. its just one of those albums.

'blood of man' was such a pleasant surprise. its one of those albums you can listen to over and over. and i have. i hope more people purchase this album - i can't believe something so great has so few reviews.

I have all of Mason's albums, and this one is amazing. It is a different sound, but not a different ideal. The lyrics are heartfelt, and the stories he tells this time around are very graphic and wonderfully brought to life. Though a deviation in sound, I believe any fan of Jennings will fall in love with this latest offering and music lovers will find the singer/songwriter's newest album absolutely amazing. My favorites tracks- Ain't no Friend of Mine, Pittsburgh, and The Field.

I own all of Mason's Cd's Blood of Man blew me away. Each and every song on the Cd was mesmerizing. I hardly have words to describe how I felt listening.... The Field a song on Blood of Man is one of those songs you hear in your life time that changes you forever. Thank you Mason.

It's a time of uncertainty, we don't know exactly where we are going or where we will end up. What we know is that there is some design greater than us and we have to try to have faith in it. We're all swimming together not sure where to or why. What's missing, maybe this, "If I was the President if I was that man/ I would walk out with those kids/ Out across the sand" (The Field). In this world what keeps us going? Love. Something like, "Simple things turn magical/ Minutes freeze like popsicles/ And drip their seconds down our shirts/ I love you so much it hurts" (Sunlight). If you're looking for the world to make a little more sense, call on this album.

As a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar and wordy songs of social and political observation, Mason Jennings could nominally be called a folkie. But much of his inspiration came from mid-80s punk rock and his work with drums and bass (sometimes his own, sometimes additional players) has been infused with rock `n' roll energy. His eponymous debut, with Jennings overdubbing guitar, bass and drums into a loose, homebrewed production, ranged from folk songs with narrow melodies (think Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman and Ben Vaughn) to thrashing acoustic punk rock. Jennings' early songs were terrifically conversational, sung variously to a third party or directly at the listener, and his lyrics were personal and often philosophical.

Hooking up with a bassist and drummer, his music gained some bottom end and tightened up, but retained the unfinished edges of his initial homemade productions. More importantly, his lyrical view turned outward to political and social observation, and his musical styles expanded to include the reggae rhythm of "United States Global Empire," middle-eastern melodies, and jazz sax riffs. Over the next couple of albums he returned to his earlier ragged style of guitar, bass and drums on Use Your Voice, a thicker, more highly produced sound on his major label debut Boneclouds, and again to simpler sounds for In the Ever, his first album for Jack Johnson's Brushfire label.

Throughout all the musical transitions, Jennings calling card has been his lyrics, and even as he plugs in his guitar for this latest release, the focus remains on words. He plays his electric with the same sort of propulsive chord strums as his acoustic, and the simple leads often match the narrow melodies of his vocals. What's changed is the lyrical tone, which is substantially darker than on his earlier releases. Jennings writes of isolation, loss, loneliness and despair, unmet expectations, murderous retribution, war and death. You might wonder if Jennings' dog died on the way to the studio. The album's one moment of unobstructed lightness is the idyllic childhood memories of "Sunlight," which sounds like one of Pink Floyd's Meddle-era pastoral numbers.

There are a few musical adventures, including the opening "City of Ghosts," which fits nicely into the post-punk vein of Television and the Neats. The heavy bass and distorted vocal of "Ain't No Friend of Mind" suggests the blues of numerous two-man-bands descended from the White Stripes, and the closing "Blood of Man" runs the album's gamut from rumbling low-strummed electric to sharply picked acoustic to a rocking climax. Eight albums into a decade-long career, these are fruitful new musical and lyrical directions for Jennings. The undercurrent of his folk style remains, as it has on all his records, but there are storm clouds directly overhead and the rain will both cleanse you and leave your skin raw. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Let it be known that I generally don't like most of what Mason Jennings has done in the past, but I love this album. I feel that a lot of his other music is kind of slow and boring. This album is not that.

here are the pros

-The mood of this album is very dark, and I enjoy it.
-The overall feel is much grittier
-These songs feel like they come from his heart, and it shows.

Cons

-His voice shows very little range and variation at times (like he's speaking the lyrics) but this is often not bothersome.
-The lyrics some times can be repetitive.

This album is at least worth a listen. Then you can make up your own mind about it.

Mason Jennings' voice will probably never warrant him doing an album of cover tunes. Nevertheless, his limited vocal ability is maximized. As a songwriter, he's hard to predict. "Blood of Man" is darker that the previous CDs. "Tourist" has a haunting melody that grabs me, "Is it what you wanted, really what you wanted or is it nothing like you dreamed?" "Black Wind Blowing" also has a catchy tune, a seductive harmonica & a very dark lyric, "I put my gun up under your chin; My hand was shaking so I dug it in; You started laughing & said, 'I understand; You wish you couldn't but I know you can.'" "Ain't No Friend of Mine" has a wild violent feel with Jennings' vocals distorted, "You could be sweet, baby; You could be kind, but you ain't no friend of mine." "Lonely Road" disguises its emotionally heavy lyric with a light carefree melody. My favorite track is the opener "City of Ghosts" with its pounding percussion and Mason's vocals sounding like a renegade track by the Kinks. "Blood of Man" continues Mason's musical journey and takes us along for the ride. Enjoy!