Customer Reviews

Blue Horse

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There's something innocent and rough around the edges, almost tomboyish about this excellent CD. Where else can you find the childlike sense of wonder at singing a dog lullaby; a naivette that produces lines like "the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs," and the pure joy of a banjo playing a reggae beat (Rain and Snow)? The lyrics are sweet, the instrumentation pure and raw. Campfire harmonies make the cover of O Susanna a natural choice. I can almost smell the woodsmoke and smores, and see the glint of the strings from three great musicians just plain making music they love, and loving it. This album puts the folk back in folk music while managing to stay fresh and new. It is an incredible work of neo-traditional North American folk art -- trust your instincts and buy this disk!

Late last night I was driving between New York City and my home in East Hampton. I was listening to a new cd (well, new for me, the album is from 2000) by a group of female singers called The Be Good Tanyas. They are absolutely amazing. They play music that is kind of folky, bluegrassy--though mutedly so--and traditional, though none of those labels really describe what they do.

There are three female singers, and their voices are plaintive, sweet, forlorn, and gorgeous. They accompany themselves on guitar, banjo and mandolin, and the music has a purity and simplicity that allows it to be piercing and haunting. Their harmonies braid and intertwine and make you want to sing along with them (which believe me you do not want to hear when I do it), and then make you want to shut up and listen, because their singing is so gorgeous you need to be silent in order to appreciate it.

Not a bad song on the album, but check out their renderings of two traditionals: "lakes of ponchartrain" and "oh susanna" to see what these women can really do. If you had told me I would LOVE a version of that old chestnut "oh susanna" I would have thought you completely bananas, but fact is, it is amazing.

Blue Horse was the perfect music for being alone in a car hurtling through the night darkness thinking of love and loss and past and future which I was doing. This is the best cd I have purchased in a long time. I also recommend their second cd, Chinatown, and am waiting breathlessly for the third (oh please hurry up!).

The Be Good Tanyas are the perfect antidote to the soulless treacle passing for music these days. With their sparse, flawlessly executed tunes, haunting, elegant vocals, and intelligent lyrics, one gets the sense that they actually recognize the power of music and are devoted to their craft and not the pursuit of profits. Instead of providing merchandising opportunities or a springboard into multimedia dominance, the Be Good Tanyas make music that speaks directly to he heart. The messages are simple - pain and hope and comfort - but eternal. Refreshing as a summer rain, shining with understated enthusiasm, I can only hope the US music industry is paying attention. After the success of Down from the Mountain, one would hope that major record labels would be quick to seek out quality artists for a thirsty audience wandering too long in a desert of Brittany's and Jlo's. Equally disheartening is that the very best in music these days comes from Canada (besides the Be Good Tanyas, check out Sarah Harmer) and Australia (Kasey Chambers). Do yourself a favor, toss all of those American Idol wannbe CDs in the dumpster, pick up the Be Good Tanyas, and listen to what quality music should sound like. Maybe in a few years, the anemic US music industry will finally catch up to the discriminating standards of fans that appreciate music and not celebrity.

The group named themselves after the title of a song by Obo Martin McCrory despite the fact that none of them is actually called Tanya. Still, the verse of the song that is printed in the booklet (about a free-spirited gypsy soul wanting to get away to sing) provides plenty of clues as to why they chose the name.

Frazey Ford (guitar vocals), Samantha Parton - no relation to Dolly (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Trish Klein (electric guitar, banjo) recorded two albums together, this being the first. Jolie Holland was not a member of the group but appears on several tracks variously singing, playing guitar or playing fiddle. Other guests provide electric violin, double bass and drums as required. Trish is also an artist - her painting of a train provided the cover for the front of the booklet.

Despite the inclusion of a banjo among the instruments, the music here is generally mellow and reflective. On this album, their voices sound fragile so it was probably wise of them to avoid picking up the tempo too much. The songs are a mix of originals (mostly written by Samantha and / or Frazey) and covers of traditional songs. The original songs are the best here, especially Littlest birds, Only in the past and Don't you fall. Among the covers, the most famous is the Stephen Foster classic, Oh Susanna, though this song doesn't really suit them. Nevertheless, their cover has a charm of its own. The best of the traditional songs are Rain and snow and The coo-coo bird, both of which suit them ideally.

The Be Good Tanyas, with their fragile voices, take a little getting used to (and some may never get used to them) but they know exactly what they are capable of and make the most of the talent they have. The result is an album of mellow folk-country music that is distinct from the alternatives on offer.

who would have thought that this would be the album that finally made me admire canadian music as an entity and even begin to love its inherent gritty charm? i mean, i know that a lot of amazing musicians like joni mitchell, neil young and fred eaglesmith are canadian and they're great and everything, but i've always thought of great canadian music as an exception to the rule. it's an ethnocentric world-view, i know, but i've given it up; The Be Good Tonyas' Blue Horse insists that there is a rawness and depth that is uniquely northern, and i have not found that essential vitality in american music, ever.

upon listening to the album, two things immediately occured to me: 1) the melodies of these songs are simple and flawless, the harmonies beautiful and completely unexpected. i found myself constantly thinking, 'wow, i never would have thought of that'; and 2) they're just so cool, and they don't even try. in fact, i'm going to go out on a limb here and say that frazey ford's lazy, seductive, semi-slurred vocal delivery is the essence of what jeff tweedy, ryan adams, and their alt-country disciples have built careers around trying to simulate.

the be good tonyas are the real deal. you can't listen to their songs without believing them and without your heart breaking along with theirs because they don't fake it. there's no bells and whistles and what you see is (thank God!) what you get. they could be your sister, your girlfriend, that wierd hippy friend you see once a year--sitting on your couch and singing you a new song she just wrote. and you can't help but love it, glitches, flubs, off-key notes and all.

I love them. They are fabulous! They have their own unique kind of down-to-earth sound that is like a blend of two or three different music styles. They are a new generation of folk music, with their acoustic guitar and poetic lyrics. But, the background sound of Mandolin and Violin give them a Bluegrass touch. There is also a little twist of 90's style Alternative there. Lyrics are full of feeling, both happy (The Littlest Birds) and sad (Rain and Snow) but there is not a song on the album that is too blue or too peppy.

I especially like the non-synthesized sound they have, with mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar and unique vocal harmonies. Lead singer has a unique mid-range voice that is unlike anything I have heard before. To describe them better, take a dash of Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, Alison Krauss and Tracy Chapman and then stir well.

I bought this CD a year ago after seeing an ad for the Tanyas in "No Depression" magazine and then hearing to "The Littlest Birds" on their Web site. I played the album every day for weeks, and still listen to it regularly.

The CD would be worth it just for "Birds" and the trio's beautiful rendition of "Oh Susanna," but it turns out the rest of the music is good too. There's "Dogsong," a soothing, whimsical lullaby for a canine, and the gently lilting "Rain and Snow." Primary vocalist Frazey Ford sometimes mangles the words with odd pronunciations, but that's part of what makes the album so fresh and endearing. It's truly original.

These songs never fail to make me happy, and they're a great change of pace from the formulaic and insipid tunes that dominate popular music these days.

This is the best CD of any genre I've heard this year, even though I'm not sure what genre it is. I suppose they've created a new one. If you like the sound clips here, you'll like the entire CD, which is remarkably consistent.

I am absolutely delighted to have discovered such a unique sound. In a broad sense, it reminds me of discovering the Band 30-some years ago, with the loose homey feeling of their music, but these sweet little songs make the Band sound pretentious by comparison. Yes, there are other folk singers, bluegrass singers, alt-country singers with girlish voices who make beautiful music. But none of them makes music like this, and this CD has become an indispensable part of my collection.

It isn't that there is a remarkable voice here, or an amazing instrumentalist. It's the creation of a sound that's truly their own. I'm not sure I'd go as far as those below who call it angelic, but it's surely a sweet, if light, pleasure.

I have to give 5 stars to women who put themselves out there and do what they want. Their music is familiar, yet different enough to keep my interest. I can't help but take the less than esctatic reviewers (those that gave less than 4 stars) personally, but all I can say, is if you like what you hear on the snipets that amazon.com offers, you will like the CD even more (the snipets don't do the songs justice). If you hate it, you hate it. I can't convert you. For those who tend towards torch-and-twang/folk music, this cd and this trio is for you. I love them like I've known them for years, and I just bought both their cds 2.5 hours ago at the suggestion of an in-law. She knows me better than I thought...

These four women (that's counting Jolie Holland!)
produce some of the most beautiful, sweet, wierd,
intriguing, compex, and utterly arresting haunting
vocals I have heard anywhere ever. And I listen
to a lot of stuff -- broad spectrum, as it
were ... "Oh Susanna", "The Lakes of Pontchartrain",
and "Littlest Birds" are three of the most beautiful performances you will ever hear. Trust me. And
the rest of the CD is good too, but you can discover
the rest for yourself. The price of the CD is worth
the three above-mentioned songs alone. (You've
heard "Oh Susanna" a thousand times? You're bored
with the song? Listen at it again, Jack ... this is
the definitive version. It's sublimely beautiful,
beyond your wildest expectations.)

Cheers to all of ya (and Be Good, you Canadian and Texas
Tanya girls ... I'm looking for you to show up in New
Orleans. I'm holding my breath.)

-- Charlie D.