Customer Reviews

Devil You Know

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As if Huckleberry Finn had grown up to be Mark Twain, this alright guy has sharpened his narrative skills to such an extent that his eye for life's details now cuts as deep, and as frequently, as his non-stop wit, genuine empathy and inclusive social consciousness. Every single song adds a new twist to either genre or subject matter, most are better than that, and several (for me 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8) have layers of surprise and subtext that reward like screen plays and tell like clinic notes. The energy with which he and his responsive, kick aayess band present these slices of low life matches the hard luck circumstances of his characters while revealing a passion and joy for existence that is his true message. These human dramas are occupational, spiritual, romantic, socio-economic, cultural, criminal, political, sometimes all of the above in combination, and as real as the ground is hard. This is the album that should have been titled "We Shall Overcome". And supposedly, the yarns that introduce these songs on stage are even funnier than the songs. With anyone else, that would be hard to believe. With Todd, you know it's true.

"The Devil You Know" is yet another solid album from Todd. If you've never heard Todd Snider's music before, you are definitely missing out. He's tremendously talented, and writes very memorable songs. He's in a sort of folky-country-hippie-singer/songwriter vein.

This album, like all of his others, are based in good old country music when country music had stories to tell. Nearly all of the songs on this album are what I would call "story songs". So you actually have to actively listen to his lyrics to really truly enjoy all that's in them. The lyrics tell very vivid stories, funny and witty. This album has a few more darker hints on it, but I think that's a result of the chaotic world we're living in and Todd reacting to that.

"The Devil You Know" keeps growing on me with each repeat listening. I'm enjoying a new story or chorus each time. I would definitely recommend this album to people who like artists who write their own songs - really great, cool songs!

....what was it Todd Snider said towards the end of that last album (East Nashville Skyline)?? "...I don't know when it will be, but the next time you see me I'll be tapping to a whole new beat.... walking souls into the holes of my shoes down the sunny side of the street..." --- this album is definately different, but it has my five stars, and that's after a hell of a lot've listens (downloaded it early on)... tunes that i skipped over early on, later becoming my favorites; new meanings coming from songs i thought i had wrapped up the purpose of; Todd takes the despicable characters and losers (some we feel for, others we loathe and abhor-)... i hear a little of todd's midtown memphis attitude coming back with this album, as well... just a little of that "what the hell-ever, man.." Every Todd Snider album is different, this one is no exception. No point in me listing my current favorites, give it a listen, they'll come to you as they must.... warning, though: i've known snider fans who expected an 'east nashville skyline,pt 2' who gave this one a single listen and then out, claiming to really dig 2, 3 songs and do without the rest... i take the stance that it is these 'rest', those that many todd fans will go 'what's this?', which can be the most powerful songs on the album with a second, third, fourth listen.... if 'east nashville' was todds 'bruised orange', i'm not saying this is 'pink cadillac', but i am saying it's about as different as john prine went direction-wise with those.... this album is really powerful, really, really a powerful set've songs with a little more attitude than we may have expected from Todd....

Todd Snider has a knack. Call it wit, call it wisdom, call it a few too many beers; whatever the case, he knows how to perfectly play upon the universal--but often overlooked--concept of irony. In a Snider song, everything is ironic...when you laugh you should be crying, when you're crying you should be laughing. You tap your toes and hum along...until you realize the song is about two criminals out for a little illegal fun. The good guys are never quite so good, and the bad guys ain't all that bad. Snider's characters are real people, in real situations, dealing with life as you or I would. It just so happens they have a narrator to tell their story.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is a catchy, thought-provoking album, much like all of Snider's work. Starting with sin and ending with redemption (of a sort), Snider takes the listener on a ride through his twisted, interesting, and highly accurate concept of reality. Stories and humor abound; so does heartache and despair. And through it all, you have country/rock/blues arrangements that keep you--and the performers--glued to the ground. Todd Snider has crafted another masterful album; you don't want to pass this one buy, not if you like your music real, honest, and true. And perhaps a bit quirky.

Will this guy ever get a freaking job!
I hope not cause he's too much fuuuun!
We'd miiss him like a long lost frieeend.

It's a long way to the top
if you want to sing your own songs!

I'm glad we made it!
It's been a long time comin'

Devil You Know has more great Todd Snider songs performed extremely well.
Nice coherent studio album
Consistent Quality
These same songs heard live are also very unique and satisfying.
The rocking songs done live in a more toned down acoustic style make the stock for these studio versions sky rocket.

Another Excellent Album By Todd Snider!
Highly Suggested Listening
Recommended...

I'd never even heard of this guy until I saw him on the Tonight Show a couple of weeks ago and then it was difficult to find the album locally. I'm glad I did. It's the best album I've bought this year. If you like folk/rock with a bite, then this is the album for you. The social commentary of "Looking for a Job" (performed on the Tonight Show) puts me in mind of Woody Guthrie and a lot the others remind me of a young Bruce Springsteen.

And about that invite to the White House . . . "You Got Away With It (A Tale Of Two Fraternity Brothers)" pretty much rules that out.

Great album!

I've been a Todd Snider fan from the get-go, with his terrific debut disc, "Songs From the Daily Planet" to his new disc "The Devil You Know". Todd performs a great blend of folk, rock, country and really, if you think about it, spoken word. The guy has a great sense of humor and it shows in his music whether he does it deliberately or not. You'll get through this disc in about 40 minutes, short for this day in age, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Highlights for me are "Looking for a Job", "Thin Wild Mercury", "Happy New Year" and the title track. But there are no clunkers here.

Get this, then get every other Todd Snider disc (even if you have to buy one or two of them from 3rd party sellers) because I guarantee you'll have a good time. I'm glad to see with appearances on Leno and Letterman this year that he's getting some national exposure, but the guy deserves a huge fan base.

But my even stronger recommendation is to get to one of his live shows. The stories he tells will have you rolling in the aisles before he has you singing in them!

Todd Snider is a thirty-nine year old Nashville, singer/song-writer who has been writing music for nearly twenty years now. Over the years he has released East Nashville Skyline and Songs for the Daily Planet and now "The Devil You Know". All being great albums with Snider's loose, charming and fun attitude with his music.

The title song states "There's a war going on that the poor can't win". It gives you an idea of what's to come. The album is filled with solo tracks as well as band-backed songs. His lyrics are far from shallow. "You Got Away With It" is about a prank where three party'n frat brothers beat up a sissy without any consequences. This southern guitarist/song-writer put out a great album here and it's one that doesn't disappoint.

i was getting ready for a fishing trip with my father. i was out at the pond behind our house, catching frogs for bait. suddenly i slipped on a wet patch of grass. i felt the icey water close over me. death's fingers tickled on my skin. next thing i knew i was waking up in a hospital bed, hooked up to a lot of expensive looking machinery. i was alone, disoriented, scared. then from down the corridor i heard some music playing: loudly, from a boombox. a nurse walked into the room. "nurse," i said, "what's that music i'm hearing?" she smiled, and in the voice of an angel answered, "that's the new todd snider album." i smiled, too. i knew that everything was going to be alright.

Let me first say that I had never hear of Todd Snider until I went to a show several years back with some friends. It was one of those rare transformational performances that held me transfixed, singing his songs the next day and beyond and immediately buying several albums. He is the real deal.

This album is one of my favorites, it seems to mark a transition into a more polished studio sound for him, which I think is nice, especially to hear the different versions between the studio and live performances. Several songs get the full on rock out treatment (If tomorrow never comes, The Devil You Know), which I love.

Todd Snider clearly digs what he does, and I dig it too. He deserves all the acclaim and sucess that comes his way.