Customer Reviews

Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry For Bringing You Here, Love Dad

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

P.M. Dawn are back--and not a moment too soon. After 3 long years, P.M. Dawn fans are treated to a brand new album, with a decidedly darker edge. What some people may not realize is, their music has always been dark, in a way. Forget Trent Reznor--Prince Be is music's real tortured soul. And it is really evident on 'Dearest Christian..'. You're lured into his psyche with the jazz-lounge first cut, 'Music For Carnivores'--a brilliant track with their trademark vocal harmonies. Things get rocking on track 2, 'Art Deco Halos', as guitarist Cameron Greider is allowed to cut loose with some heavy riffs. As I stated, this is a dark album, and it's no more apparent on 'Misery in Utero'--one of the saddest songs I think I've ever heard. But don't let all this talk of darkness turn you off--there's some tradional P.M.D moments on the cd as well--the rasta-flavored 'No Further Damage' and the moving 'Faith in You' among them. 'Hale-Bopp Regurgitations' is one of the most profound musically philosophical statements in a long time. P.M. Dawn has yet to completely disappoint me, and I would definitely recommend this album. I would also recommend checking out the 'Senseless' soundtrack, which features two tracks 'Gotta Be Movin On Up' and 'Perfect For You', the former of which has some of the most recent rapping in years from Prince Be. And the latter I dare say is one of their greatest ballads ever.

This is they're last full length commercial release. They released a thousand or so copies directly to fans of another album. But they were forced to stop because of sampling/legal issue's. Dearest Christian... is beautifully honest and very well crafted smooth pop music. Original lyric's, beautifully arranged music. I wouldn't say it is dark...just very sad at times. But there is so much that breaks through that keeps it from ever becoming dark. The album ends with Prince Be talking softly and candidly with his son whom is trying to pull him away from his work in the studio... "Are you finished with you're la la's da da?" ... "yeah, I'm finished with my la la's." very sad ending. All the stores I've checked over the last year or so have even pulled they're P.M. Dawn tags from the cd racks. If this is they're last effort. It was they're best.

Whereas PM Dawn's music had in the past been sad and insightful, their 1998 (and likely last) studio album is downright depressed, if not angry. The songs sound different, too. The stunning opener, featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra, is like nothing the duo had ever put out before. The singles "I Had No Right" and "Faith In You" are moving stories of loving regret and unshakeable companionship and understanding. Overall, though, the theme of the record is disappointment, seemingly in everything (himself, relationships, society, the record business). "Hale-Bopp Regurgitations" is a clever poke at the world, with a lot of '90s nostalgia. Harmonies and acoustic guitar/piano accompaniment help make a lot of these songs feel very intimate, almost coffee-house performances (notably "Screaming At Me," and the heartbreaking "Broken." For sheer innovation, check out "Untitled," a nearly 9-minute opus consisting of 3 completely different songs intertwined.

Being a huge fan of their last album, i couldn't wait for "Dearest Christian...". The first time i listened to it, i thought "what the heck are they doing?"...but after a few listens, i know what they are doing. If you listen to their albums in order, you'll be able to hear the musical and lyrical progression/evolution. Going from thinking "there's not one song i like on here" to "i can't stop listening to this CD" is a strong statement. This album has what other albums hope to have, VARIETY. there's something for everyone, and PM dawn fans will really appreciate it. Though there's no one song that stands out as a catalyst, this is an ALBUM...a collection of songs and philosophies. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY gave it an A-...i'll go a notch higher...A.

OK, half the time, I have no idea what their lyrics or song titles mean. They've got that new age spirituality thing going on and it's kind of hard to keep up. But their music is constantly innovative and provides some of the best pure pop bliss around. "Dearest Christian" is yet another unappreciated gem from PM Dawn. "So Not For You" was its only radio hit and it's so not the best song on the CD. The opening "Music for Carnivores" is a gem, with its rolling synth bass and layered vocals. "Art Deco Halos" is a loopy, guitar-driven pop-rock ode to the desire we all have to be someone else sometimes. The ballad "Screaming at Me" features beautiful acoustic guitars and vocal arrangements. The message: We're too hard on ourselves. My favorite track, "No Further Damage," combines a summer-ish reggae lope, a rolling bassline and a way-cool electric guitar break to detail how being in love with someone can be troublesome. "Hale Bopp Regurgitations" is typical bizarre-o PM Dawn - Beatles-esque, hard to figure out what they're talking about but unbelievably catchy. Other CD highlights include "I Hate Myself for You" and "Misery in Utero." It's too bad PM Dawn is so underappreciated. They're made some of the most innovative, tuneful and strange music in the last decade.

This album seems less questioning and more decisive than previous albums on what's going on in the universe. It's also more polished and a little more bitter.

This isn't necessarily bad, just surprising. Less of a surprise is the fact that, following their past progression, there's less rap and more actual singing on this album. Much of the music here has a very gospel sound to it, despite the words of a given song.

There's no intro to this particular album, which is another noteworthy change. "Music for Carnivores" is a wonderful piece to open with, as it has an appropriately utopian feel to it. "Art Deco Halos" is strong and snide. "Being So Not For You" is rich and remoreseful (I wonder how many such adjective pairs I can come up with?).

I must admit, though, I mainly got this album for "Hale Bop Regurgitations," which is probably the single cutest and pretentious song I've ever heard from them.

Not all the songs on this album strike me as individual treasures, which  probably means that I either have a poor attention span or that this album needs to grow on me. However, I think that most PM Dawn fans will find something new to meditate on.

First off, if you're not a PM Dawn fan-you should be. Sublime lyrics, harmonies, and melodies. Most people know PM Dawn for "Set adrift on Memory Bliss", "Paper Doll", or "I'd die without you", and that's about it. A shame. It's a shame because people are missing out on one of the best artists of our time. They continue to make albums like this---quality pieces of work. Stay away from "Art Deco Halos" and "Hale-bopp regurgitations" which sound like they belong on a Beatles album from the 60's, and you'll enjoy EVERYTHING ELSE. The clear masterpiece on the album isn't "Being so not for you", the single that was released, it's "Untitled"...an 8 minute, 36 second EXPERIENCE.

PM Dawn explodes the slew of vocal bands out there for what they are- a bunch of boys. PM Dawn follows in the stem of Steveland and this album does not disappoint. Do not be turned off by the religious character of the album title. The first four tracks will have you on your knees thanking the almighty for the beauty of it all and this album.

It's been over 3 years since PM Dawn released an album, but 'Dearest Christian' is more than worth the wait. During this time, the brothers have done everything from have a kid (Prince Be, the big guy with the pretty dreds) to get arrested for sexual assault (J.C., the other guy who never does anything), but in between they've discovered a maturity and a gravity in their music never before seen.

By far the most musically advanced album of their career, 'Dearest Christian' exists both as a collection of individually addictive songs as well as being a consistent thematic package. In contrast to their older style peace-rap music, 'Dearest Christian' is about hate and reality, rather than about love and fantasy. It's honest, it's sincere, it's more introspective than the Pet Shop Boys ever were, yet at the same time it's soft and gentle and inviting.

In the past, PM Dawn's albums have had one or 2 standouts (Patient Eyes and Plastic from 'The Bliss Album ('93), Puppet Show and The 9:45 Wake-up Dream from 'Jesus Wept' ('95), and the rest were a flow of sparsely tuneful pieces with a sameness about their poetic rhythm and their ultimate spiritual content. But not anymore. Here, PM Dawn have left off their traditional tone-setting intro, preferring to go straight into the main act and let their music speak for itself. They still have fun - they're not too earnest or self important - but they have it at a much higher level than in the past (see "Coconut", song 13: Jesus Wept). Seemingly more self-assured than before, they don't crutch themselves by ripping samples from other people so much, and are willing to explore their own boundaries; ultimately finding them more fertile and bountiful than initially imagined.

The sheer risk of their experiment with song 013: Untitled has resulted in a composition unlike any I've ever heard before. Sometimes it's like Boys to Men, sometimes it's like the Beatles, sometimes it's like Queen, but by the end, you wonder if any other band could ever do anything quite like it. While 'Untitled' is haunting and touching your soul, at the same time it respects Prince Be's personal integrity and, most significantly, his family.

Dearest Christian isn't rap, it isn't hip-hop, it isn't R&B, it isn't soul. It's PM Dawn, and it rocks.

There aren't too many groups left today who make albums with this kind of depth of emotion and do it consistently. They're always switching vibes and styles with each new album, but that's what makes pm dawn interesting. If you compare this to the first album, it's like you're not even listening to the same group.

I would almost say this is a dark album, but offers hope with songs like "so much faith in you" and "I had no right". With strong tracks like "Misery in utero" ,"if i could be your star","music for carnivores", "broken", and "untitled", this is one of the best albums of the 90's.

THe opening track has an alternative edge to it. I would compare them to Depeche Mode in alot of ways. That is to say, pop with an edge.