Dark Shades of Blue

Xavier Rudd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B001B92EJY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,275 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #33 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Urban Folk

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 19-AUG-2008

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the same Xavier Rudd you've grown accustomed to., September 26, 2008

By 

M. Salvagni "shaolin37th" (Syracuse, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dark Shades of Blue (Audio CD)

I should preface this review by stating I'm a loyal fan who has attended several live performances and regard Xavier Rudd as one of my most followed artists. However, this album is very different from previous releases. It is dark, loud, and in my opinion cluttered.
Xavier Rudd commented recently: "We captured what we do live, the thickness of it, the tone. I think we finally achieved what I've always wanted to hear on my recordings." One must respect the artist's thoughts regarding his own work, and to some point, it's quite interesting to know that he regards this as his live sound captured in a studio album. I've been to several live shows and Xavier Rudd is often alone, playing Didgeridoo, Lapsteel, Harmonica, Tongue drum, and guitar. On the Food in your Belly Tour he also added a drummer. His sound is simple but complicated as he predominantly plays all of the music himself simultaneously. This new album features bass guitar, electric, keyboards, and several ambient sounds that are unconventional to his sound. This provided a heavy, loud, and aggressive sound that often times sounded busy or cluttered to me. Some may have been waiting for an album like this, but I myself prefer his traditional sound.
In conclusion, if you are starting to listen to Xavier Rudd and don't have the ability to get to a live show, then Good Spirit is a great live album to start with. As for studio releases, it doesn't get much better than Food in the Belly or White Moth. All three of these titles are excellent and clearly merit five star rating in this format. Bottom line, get to a live show. Xavier is very accessible as most shows are general admission.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I had hoped for, April 4, 2009

By 

A. Bolos (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dark Shades of Blue (Audio CD)

This is hard for me to write. I have been a huge Rudd fan for as long as he has been around. As another reviewer mentioned, it's hard to say what exactly is wrong with Dark Shades of Blue. The overall sound was hard to listen too and not the smooth, easy music that I am accustomed to with him. The instruments seemed to clash and the aggressive style seemed to drown out the message. Overall, not his best work. If you are just getting to know his music, buy "Food in the Belly" first, and save this one for last.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good progression, August 20, 2008

By 

Mike Klement "Mike" (Lake Louise, CANADA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dark Shades of Blue (Audio CD)

This album is moody, heavy and emotional. I thought it was about time he tried something different and it works great.