Customer Reviews

Boxing Mirror

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whether you'll enjoy this album really depends on how much of Al's previous work you're familiar with. I say this because if you're expecting Man Under The Influence Pt.II you will be disappointed. It's clear that Escovedo is no longer content making rote "alt-country" records, and has decided to expand his sound. This will inevitably lead to above-average reviews from newcomers who weren't on board for any of the past half-dozen albums, but might leave established fans a bit disconcerted. Truth is, first time i heard this album in its entirety i was severely nonplussed. Personally, i don't look to Al for avant-garde production theatrics, or overblown triple-tracked string sections. I thought the work he did up until the illness was the best he'd ever done, and i have to give him full credit for coming back and making a statement, i'm just not 100% sure i'm on board for it. He's reaching, and i completely understand why, but the pursnickety sonic experimentations often leave me yearning for a simple song like Rhapsody again. Though to be fair, a lot of these songs sounded better live during his last tour with the "orchestra." Maybe Cale is who i should blame here.

So that's my take: older fans approach with caution, but keep an open mind. You might agree with the current critics who seem to think this is some sort of watershed moment for the man. It certainly is a change.

Alejandro Escovedo who is related to Sheila E & has been in rock bands Rank & File, the Nuns, & True Believers has produced an excellent CD. Escovedo's "Pyramid of Tears" from his "Gravity" CD remains one of my favorite classic album cuts of all time. On this CD we have a number of excellent tracks. "Break This Time" rocks with roaring electric guitar and strings to great a vibrant rock hybrid, "Whoever told you there'd be no danger, nothing to fear here in this house of pain; So speak to me softly & tell me you love me & we'll join together in the refrain." It's a breathtaking stew that climaxes with the closing bars. "Take Your Place" places a complicated lyric on a driving rock beat, "I'm going down, down, down, even deeper still, 'cause this world has gotten so f***ed up." "One True Love" written with Chris Stamey is a wild rocking track, "I'm all messed up; I got nothing to take your place." The opening cut "Arizona" is a haunting melody that snakes eerily through self-exploration, "I turned my back on me & I faced the face of who I thought I was." Mark Andes who was in the bands Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne & Firefall plays the bass on the set. This is a dark album. Escovedo explores themes of loss, regret and sorrow in an original blend of musical styles. Enjoy!

It's been 6 years since "A Man Under The Influence" as Alejandro battled (and still does I am sure) Hepatitis C. The production on this album is different than his others, there is less space and Alejandro's voice is up front. I think it works to the music's benefit as Alejandro's great songs sound terrific. Worth picking up for sure.

Alejandro Escovedo is a phenomenal talent, one whose musical outpourings feel so deep, so real, and so thrillingly alive that they connect with this particular listener on an almost spiritual level. Whether delivering hard edged, gritty rock songs or elegant acoustic folk-pop, the Austin-based singer-songwriter never ceases to amaze me.

Having survived a near fatal bout of Hepatitis C in 2003, the once hard-living Escovedo was forced to give up the bottle and the smokes, and so it comes as little surprise to find that much of his latest album is about staring down his demons and confronting his own mortality. It may be heavy-going at times, but The Boxing Mirror also achieves staggering levels of depth, beauty and emotional honesty. Remarkable really, given that Escovedo wondered if he'd ever make music again.

On the moody, gripping album opener `Arizona' Escovedo sings like a man possessed, lost in his own thoughts and facing up to a life of sobriety. Right from the outset, it's hugely compelling stuff - complex, weighty and riveting. `Dear Head On The Wall' and `Notes On Air' follow-on in a similar vein and provide two more of the album's highlights. By some margin though, The Boxing Mirror's standout cut is the heartbreaking Evita's Lullaby, which finds Alejandro consoling his mother after the death of his father. A song coloured by deep sorrow, it is almost unbearably beautiful.

As good a record as this is, I'm reluctant to say that it's Escovedo's greatest artistic achievement to date. As far as career highlights go, 2001's masterful A Man Under The Influence will take some beating. The Boxing Mirror though, without a doubt, is his most rocking and intense set of songs to date. Proof positive that Alejandro Escovedo the musician is still well and truly alive and kicking.

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Matthew Ryan - Regret Over The Wires

As usual & as I've come to expect, Alejandro's music comes from his heart & soul & this cd gorgeously reflects this in every note. His recent "boxing" with life has been mirrored here in his music with beautiful juxtapositions. Darkly stirring, this cd is laced throughout with all of his influences, punk, rock, & classical (orchestral & strings) with his voice coming over each song clear & strong. Using John Cale (The Velvet Underground) to produce this was the perfect pairing, each musician who plays here gives a stellar performance & the monster bass work of Mark Andes (Spirit, Firefall, Jo Jo Gunne, Heart, etc.)should be noted. Definitely discover Alejandro & this is a great place to start......

The other reviewers summed up many of my feelings about this CD. Why don't I love it? It is because I have come to expect a certain sound from AE. I am listening to a previous release called Gravity right now and can imagine listening to it 100's of more times.

The Boxing Mirror, produced by John Cale, has some excellent songs that rock as much as anything AE has ever done - Arizona and Sacramento & Polk come to mind immediately. The hooks are in you real fast and I listened to Sac & Polk many times at AE's website totally mesmerized by the big raunchy sound. But, will this disk survive in the heavy rotation of my CD changer staying for months like the Buick MacKane and True Believers CD's - probably not.

For fans of John Cale, I think they will love this disk and I heartily recommend it to them and also new fans of AE. For the older fans, you may be dissapointed.

All in all though, I did give this 4 stars because it is better than 99% of the stuff being released today as music! Go AE!

I saw this guy on PBS and he sounded great playing live, so I bought this CD, which has a many of the songs he did on TV. The album doesn't seem as powerful as the live show. There are some good songs, though. I like "Arizona" & "Break This Time." Escovedo has a melancholy sound, but not quite depressing. Also I have to admit, I just love pronouncing his name!

As if ample evidence were needed that extraordinary music can be made without benefit of chemistry, Escovedo, his co-writers, and Cale have produced a darkly jeweled kaleidoscope, a flowering of post-illness creativity that incorporates some of the most interesting instrumentation I've heard on record in some time. No longer satisfied with the usual, Escovedo stretches far beyond the punk or alt-country mold with a symphonist's virtuosity. These songs are punctuated by stunningly surrealistic lyrics and the twisted virtuosity of some of the most unusual ensemble players and soloists I've heard in years.

The Boxing Mirror
Anything Alejandro Escovedo does is great, this dude should have a room full of grammy's and a vault full of cash, He is the biggest unknown in the world...check him out and GOOGLE his name, he is talent incarnate, the whole family is talent, if you are ever in Austin, Texas go see him live, if he's anywhere near you, GO SEE HIM LIVE.....

Like some others, I saw Escovedo and his band on Woodsongs, and Austin City Limits. Those performances are what I want to buy, not this album. The songs are worth 5 stars, but the production by Cale sucks. I bought the album, but I hope they put out the Austin City Limits performance - that was worth 5 stars!