Destination Unknown [Import]

Ron Sexsmith, Sexsmith & Kerr | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 26, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: V2
• ASIN: B000AOF8VM
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,464,624 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Listen

2. One Less Shadow

3. Lemonade Stand

4. Reacquainted

5. Chasing Forever

6. Counting on Time

7. Only Me

8. You've Been Waiting

9. Raindrops in My Coffee

10. I've Been Away

11. Diana Sweets

12. Your Guess Is as Good as Mine

13. Tree-Lined Street

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The debut release by this Canadian duo could easily have been billed as the latest from Ron Sexsmith, who writes all the material here and sings all the leads. Yet the harmonies of producer Don Kerr, a frequent Sexsmith sideman, are more than background vocals, as the two strive for a brotherly blend reminiscent of the Everlys and the Louvins. The arrangements are largely acoustic, the melodies often folkish, from the mandolin-driven "Listen" that opens the CD through the country strains of "Reacquainted." Poppier fare such as the dreamy "Chasing Forever" and "Counting on Time" pay homage to the brothers Davies of the Kinks, whose reveries of sunny days and village greens find kindred spirits here. Few can match Sexsmith for melancholy, and the lovesick "Only Me" reflects his bittersweet best. --Don McLeese

Product Description

Although this is the first official Sexsmith & Kerr album, Don and Ron have been making music together since the day they met back in '87. Don is the long time drummer/cellist for Ron from countless tours. Most of the songs on Destination Unknown were written during the same period as the ones from the last Sexsmith record, Retriever. At some point it occurred to Ron that the song 'Only Me' had sort of a Everly Brothers vibe about it and a light bulb came on. Don and Ron had already been huge fans of The Louvin Brothers and had recorded a version of their song 'You're Learning' years earlier. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that all of these songs could benefit from a little two part harmony and so they went to work on a collection of misfit songs sung by a couple of misfits. Platinum. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "To condemn life or rejoice?", September 11, 2005

By 

Oren Kessler (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Destination Unknown (Audio CD)

Sexsmith's songs, poignant and concise, are the stars of this folky collection, delivered with spare arrangements of guitars and mandolin. Words embrace music as if revealed together, and Kerr's clear tenor is honey harmony to the songsmith's quivering croon. The themes are, as always, love lost or misplaced (and sometimes even found), and the pair break no stylistic ground here. Rather, on this release they nourish North American roots music to glorious, heartbreaking bloom.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely New Set from Mr. Sexsmith, October 15, 2005

By 

Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Destination Unknown (Audio CD)

I've been enamored with Sexsmith's work ever since the classic "Blue Boy" and bought every one of his albums, over time, from the moment I heard that album.
This is not to say that every one of his recordings has been as packed with exquisite melodies and thoughtful lyrics as the above-mentioned treasure, in Sexsmith's albums there have always been beauties to relish but not quite another album which held my admiration from beginning to end.
That said, this collaboration with Don Kerr -Ron's longtime companion on the road and in studios- may be the one that reaches such heights.
Although the instrumentation here is far more spare than in "Blue Boy," consisting primarily of guitars, an occasional cello and some drums, the quality of the writing is impeccable and the mood the two voices conjure up will remind you of his signature romantic touch.
The songs, by and large, are tunes originally written for "Retriever," this album's predecessor, and the idea of recording them as a duo grew out of playing and harmonizing them while traveling from concert to concert. As far as the general feel given to them, it is mainly the result of Sexsmith's admiration for the Louvin Brothers and the Everly Brothers, which will bring memories from both famous groups without ever making you suspicious of plagiarism. Sexsmith is a remarkable composer and singer in his own right, and Kerr provides the perfect vocal counterpoint.
It is hard to single out songs because the compositions are consistently good and the performance throughout is quite faithful to the influences I alluded to before. Still, "Tree-Lined Street," "Counting On Me," "Only Me," "Raindrops In My Coffee" or "Chasing Forever" are sufficient proof of this album deserving a place in your collection.
So, if you already like Sexsmith and you could use some beautiful music early in the morning, before the world revs up to break-neck speeds, this may be just what you've been waiting for.
Lovely music, where "lovely" means beautiful, tender and unconcerned with what people might think of the plain joy of singing pretty songs.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful album from one of the world's best songwriters, August 26, 2006

By 

Gulley Jimson (Bethesda, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Destination Unknown (Audio CD)

It's incredible how astonishingly consistent and prolific Ron Sexsmith has been over the past decade. I keep worrying that the pace at which he puts out albums is going to dilute their quality, but it certainly hasn't happened yet. Everything he's put out since "Ron Sexsmith" is worth owning, and each contains at least a handful of masterpieces. How an artist this accessible and talented hasn't found more than a cult audience is beyond me. Anyway, Destination Unknown is one of his loveliest albums. Even the songs that don't rank with his best have inched their way into my consciousness, and the great ones -- to my ears, One Less Shadow, Raindrops in My Coffee, Diana Sweets, and Tree-Lined Street -- are genuinely timeless. Maybe a few others could belong in that list, depending on my mood. The few that don't do as much for me are still melodically inventive and worth listening to, but the lyrics tend a little bit towards sentimentality and self-pity; I'm sure, however, that other people feel differently.

I tried to get one of my hipster friends into Sexsmith, but something seemed to put him off. I think he heard the surface prettiness and assumed that Sexsmith was somehow a safe bland coffeehouse kind of talent, who couldn't possibly have anything exciting to offer. But daring goes beyond throwing in distortion and computerized skronks, or spouting lyrics that express shopworn alienation; it also means looking deeply into yourself and caring enough about your craft to keep working until you cast that state of mind into something permanent and honest. A bubbly tune like Diana Sweets, for example, is actually a hard look at the simultaneous pointlessness and irresistibility of nostalgia. It takes a great deal of courage to look inside yourself and pull that out. Perhaps Sexsmith will never have a large audience -- although I certainly hope he does, because he deserves it -- but anyone that really listens to these songs closely will carry them around for a lifetime. Buy it, you lucky few, and enjoy.