Cellar Door

John Vanderslice | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B00015HVLK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,526 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Usual J.V. Delivers, April 15, 2004

By 

Sair K (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cellar Door (Audio CD)

I was very excited by this album's release, as I am a huge J.V. fan, and I was not let down. John Vanderslice's 4th album again delivers. Like his previous releases, Cellar Door is a rich pop/rock album infused with guitar, keyboards, samples, and of course poetry. John Vanderslice is a brilliant songwriter. While this album departs from the previous 2, in that it is not a concept album, there is definately the theme of family, self-doubt, and regret running throughout. I actually think this album is probably better than Life and Death of an American Fourtracker as it focused more on each individual song, rather than building the story.

Particularly good tracks: They Won't Let me Run, Family Tree, When it Hits My Blood

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It would be a mistake not to hear this album., June 4, 2004

By 

*three imaginary girls* "*three imaginary girls*" (Seattle, WA [USA]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cellar Door (Audio CD)

What are we going to do with John Vanderslice? It's been two years since the last taste of anything by the ex-MK Ultra studio whiz, and just by reading the press packet, it's clear the San Francisco analog junky is making some pretty big claims with his new record. First off, he's calling it "Cellar Door," the same phrase a character in the film Donnie Darko calls the most perfectly beautiful linguistic combination in the English language. As if that weren't ballsy enough, the lyrics off the record's first track are directly adapted from Percy Shelley's "The Mask of Anarchy."

Now that's not to say "Cellar Door" is a poor title, or that Shelley was somehow insignificant as a Romantic poet, he pretty much founded the Satanic School of poetry for crying out loud. But to allude that your new album is somehow connected with the most beautiful phrase in the English language, while also borrowing lyrics from one of history's most well-known poets, well, that seems almost arrogant enough to make one not want to listen to the album.

But that would be a mistake, because Vanderslice definitely pulls it off. After 400 hours of recording in his analog-happy San Francisco studio, Tiny Telephone, John Vanderslice - and Seattle's Barsuk Records - have a solidly good record on their hands.
The album begins with "Pale Horse," the borrowed Shelley poem set to music. Behind Vanderslice's rough tenor is the repeated chorus, "Rise like lions, after the slumbering / in greatly unknowable numbers." A meticulously crafted, veritable landscape of sound accompanies him - strings, horns, distorted acoustic guitars - but rather than tracking instrument after instrument just because he can, Vanderslice is sure that every instrument has its place and nothing gets too cluttered.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to know whats in store if you buy Cellar Door???!!??, March 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cellar Door (Audio CD)

I'll tell you what. Pure unadulterated genius on every level. But you have to hear it with you own ears to believe me. I personally have not been this excited about a CD in a very long time. I also have seen him live many times and the tunes sound just as good live as on his recordings. He does surround himself with amazing talent but then again I think talent gravitates to this man because he inspires. He is touring right now and do yourself a favor go see the show he has an insanely good band with him right now. For tour dates and schedules check his website at www.johnvanderslice.com - Please trust me on the purchase of this cd if you were smart enough to even search for John Vanderslice on hear then please reward yourself with buying it. Go ahead. Click it. Click it and then get a ticket.