Customer Reviews

Cardinal

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4 star:		(1)
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As I write this review Amazon is offering CARDINAL as half of a twofer with Eric Matthews's FOUNDATION SOUNDS. There are a couple of problems with that offer. First, FOUNDATION SOUNDS is absolutely not the album by Eric Matthews that you want to get. Try IT'S HEAVY IN HERE instead. Second, the offer somehow suggests that Eric Matthews and Richard Davies are equal attractions on this album. They are not. While Matthews did the arrangements for the album, sang back up, and penned one of the songs, this is very close to a Richard Davies solo album. Davies wrote nearly every song on the album and sang all except the one written by Matthews. Furthermore, upon ending their one-album collaboration Davies went on to a string of absolutely stunning solo albums. Matthews has had a decent solo career, while Davies has had a stellar one.

This album resulted from Richard Davies first leaving his previous band The Moles and then leaving Australia for the United States. On one level Davies doesn't break much or even any new ground on the album. On the other hand every song on the album is simply a perfectly crafted gem. Many of the songs are almost delicate in their construction, as befitting the somber, melancholic tone of the songs. Even in songs where the lyrics belie the sound, the album has a sad, yearning feel to it. "You've Lost Me There" is merely one example. That song is, by the way, one of the standout cuts on the disc. There are many others, though my other favorites include "If You Believe in Christmas Trees," "Big Mink," and "Silver Machines."

I would strongly recommend getting the expanded version of the album. to be honest, most albums with bonus cuts feel cluttered to me. I usually find that when I put the CDs on my iPod I just eliminate the bonus tracks. Usually they get it right in the original cuts selected for the album. There are obviously exceptions (e.g., the extended version of The Byrds' SWEETHEART OF THE RADIO, which restores all of Gram Parsons's lead vocals), but for the most part bonus cuts are a waste. That is NOT true here. The additional cuts are either songs that didn't make the final version of the album but didn't or wonderful demo versions. I especially love the demo versions of two of my favorite songs, "If You Believe in Christmas Trees" and "You Lost Me There." I don't think the original version of the album is currently available, but I put there out there as a warning to anyone who might be contemplating buying the album used.

I would definitely put this album in the "must-own" category. Certainly anyone who loves alt-pop should own it. Anyone who is already a fan of Richard Davies probably already has it, but on the off chance that someone is a fan but doesn't know this, it is probably the best work of his career. And that is in part the result of the excellent arrangements by Eric Matthews.

I agree with the reviewer who wrote "this CD has fascinated me for over a decade." I know when I first heard it I was confounded: how could such diverse tracks as "Big Mink" and "Tough Guy Tactics" be on the same disc? No matter how many times I play it, it's always great to hear Eric's trumpet solo emerge from the smoldering, melancholy "If You Believe in Christmas Trees." The songs sometimes have wild changes, but the pieces fit somehow. Unexpected trumpet fluorishes appear out of nowhere. It's lyrically challenging, too. At times it seems that every *other* line has poetic meaning. All kidding aside, though, this is something rare...a musical collage of the highest order.

a remastered and remixed reissue of Cardinal PLUS 11 extra tracks!!! An incredible album from Richard Davies and Eric Matthews from 1994 just got a whole lot better. There are 2 issues, one in the US and one in Europe. I got a copy of the European edition and it's incredibly packaged. Miniature gatefold sleeve (like an old lp) with booklet and wallet, hand-numbered too, wow! Wonderland Records issue, I recommend it wholeheartedly, worth the extra bucks.

a beautifully packaged reissue. miniature gatefold lp sleeve and 11 bonus tracks - that's a hell of a price for the deluxe import though! sign-in on amazon's uk site and pick it up for 10 usd!

Call it what you will, chamber or baroque pop, but in my estimation there is simply nothing quite like Cardinal. This CD has fascinated me for over a decade, an impenetrable, but wholly human concoction by two very different musical minds. The 10 songs that comprised the original release sound as amazing as ever here, and the addition of the bonus material is a real plus. They offer a look into the development of the spound that would become Cardinal forvever. A pleasant surprise is a bare bones version of Love's Willow Willow, and the tracks from the hideously rare debut 45 Toy Bell are a complete breath of fresh air to this listener. The insert includes recent interviews with Richard Davies and Eric Matthews, which shed light on the Cardinal story, without dimming the mystery. Heartily recommeded, your ears will thank you.

I have to agree with the first reviewer - at a point in time when music seems to be getting a little jaded again (who needs another Maroon 5 record?) this great album receives an update and expanded reissue. The 11 extra tracks range from sublime to the ...sublime. I can't fault a track on there, just a pity the reissue doesnt include every single track the pair ever recorded (missing a couple of tracks from the TOY BELL ep). I live in Derby and also bought the Wonderland edition - it's one of the best packages I've seen this year, a real fan's delight (...). If you already have this, buy again, you wont be disappointed.