Customer Reviews

Dig

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start by stating I rate the albums based on the genre they fit into, so a 5 star may not be truely reflective of the lasting greatness of the music. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE CDS. THIS GETS A 5 STAR BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE BEST EVER MADE.

Gene Eugene, God rest his soul, was a genious: period. Everything he touched became gold. What he did in Lost Dogs was nothing short of a miracle. Seeing them live was a memory of this terminal existence I call my life that will resonate with me forever. Adam Again was a band that deserved world wide notice. I hope that one day someone makes it big and points to the Adam Again collection as an inspiration.

Specifically, Dig defines what Christian Rock should be about. Not just praise, but serious existential inquiries. Honest heartfelt cries to the unknown.

If you want a song from humanity, you have it with Worldwide. "Yeah we all loved that desert thunder, we put some sticker on our bumper, 3 million nothings in the world why should anybody bother Worldwide". As was stated it ranks with What's Going On, Imagine, and all the other "popular" songs of hope and desperation. Hopeless, etc is a classic call of the human spirit, while in the throes of self effacement, recognizing that the Nietzschian Uberman is lonely and weak.(I am Hopeless...Hopeless and tired, would give me the sign I'm looking for, I am mired, with the earnest and sight inspired")

These are but 2 songs that make this what I consider one of the best albums EVER. Dig, Deep, they just don't stop. The one poster was correct, if you are reading this you have been digging. [...].

"I've had my conscience bent, I've had my patience tried. I've been up in the desert and down by the river side. Will the eagle fly, if the skies untrue. Do the faithful sigh, because they are so few. Remember when I cried, remember when you knew. Remember the look in you eyes, I know I do. And count the stars to measure time, THE EARTH IS HARD THE TREASURE FINE, TO THE SEA I'LL CRAWL ON MY KNEES. AT THE SEA I'LL WAIT ON MY KNEES"

WE MISS YOU GENE

This album first introduced me to the infectious vocals of Gene Eugene, and I am a better man for it. Well, maybe a bit harder of hearing, anyway.

Adam Again has an exceptional talent for combining guitars, bass, and vocals into this hooky, loopy thing that wears out the repeat on the CD player. While almost impossible to sum up the album in few words, elements of funk and rock combine to force the volume up and the windows down. This strong, driving style remains throughout the album, pausing only briefly for the ballad-esk 'Dig' and 'River of Fire' and the short, poppy and extremely catchy 'Worldwide' that makes me wish I could whistle nearly as well as Gene. The only exception I had to this was 'Hopeless', where I felt the driving beat was a bit drawn out. Mind you, it was effective in driving the point of hopelessness across, but I still usually give the track a skip.

The lyrics stand out, in that Gene's vocals are really a part of the song, versus music accompanying the singing. You come away absently singing the lyrics, then think about what your singing, then have a compelling need to listen to delve into what the songs are saying. At face value, the songs are creative combinations of catchy phrases. After further analysis, you start to grasp what they are trying to say. On careful reflection, you are emotionally moved as you say "Yeah, I'm there.". At whatever level you take the lyrics, they often say more than face value. One of the most played tracks from my CD player is the smooth 'River on Fire'. Once I learned about the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio that caught fire due to pollution, the song meant much more to me. And so it is with many of the songs, where you are left wondering, "Am I really getting what's being said?"

This CD is definitely in the collector's category, and for good reason. A welcome addition to the Alternative genre, with hooks and vocals that make Dig a timeless classic. And if anyone knows what the front cover is all about, please let me know!

Chad
--The Edge

This album is one of the most moving in my collection. The lyrics linger in the mind and the music is just plain beautiful. I find myself just closing my eyes during tracks like "Dig" and "River on Fire", and playing air drums to "Hopeless, etc." Overall, a truly original work of art.

Having already been made incredibly sad by the recent passing of Adam Again frontman and songwriter Gene Eugene, I grow sadder still as I realize that this fine album is tucked away in this little "Christian/Gospel" ghetto.

I listen to a lot of music, from people of every religious/philosophical persuasion, and I have to say this: THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE LAST 25 YEARS. "Dig" is truly a classic, in every sense of the word -- right up there with The Clash's "London Calling," The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" or any other album that would make a "critics best" list.

This is a record that works on every level. It is simultaneously a work that appeals to lovers of strong songwriting, lovers of raucous guitars and lovers of danceable beats. The enigmatic and evocative lyrics, not characteristic of those artists tagged as "Christian," will get into your head and under your skin. Even now, certain lines give me shivers.

If you're reading this page, you've obviously being "dig"-ing a little deeper than the average music fan. Do yourself a favor and unearth this gem -- it's absolutely worth the effort.

"The earth is hard, the treasure fine."

Dig is, simply, a work of wonder, wired through with emotion and electricity that, combined, grace this disc with a synergistic shot of soul stripped raw and shining.

Ditching his previous lyrical style in favor for a murkier, streaming flow of evocative phrases that combine into his most moving songs yet, Gene Eugene exposes the struggles, both spiritual and relational, of humans with metaphors and images that pry deep into the mind and nestle. Musically, a double-guitar attack melded with a solid, funky slab of bass and drums helps propel these songs, tugging at the feet to dance while the words work their way into your mind.

I am waxing entirely too much. This album is a sadly overlooked one, especially since it is one of the best of the decade. You owe it to yourself to find a copy. Dig, if you must. The earth is hard; the treasure fine.

If you've ever done the excercise where you stare at your CDs and try to pick 10 that were the most precious, you know what I mean in my title. _Dig_ is a no-brainer for that list. It's as if you really only have 9 choices, because Adam Again's _Dig_ is, by logical necessity, entailed in the making of such a list. I bought _Dig_ in the summer of 1992 when I took a trip to Anchorage, Alaska. Hadn't ever heard the album, just knew that Adam Again was one of those bands that was affiliated with other bands that I owned, like Daniel Amos and Undercover. God must have been with me that day, because that album permanently occupies portions of my brain. Infectious riffs, poetic and enigmatic lyrics, and a down to earth REM-meets-Hewey Lewis voice. But even more. Anyone can bring together a list of good components. This is so much more. The album *is* music, in a way that defies language. Gene Eugene and Adam Again did not record an album. They pulled music out of the human soul and the image of God and humbly presented it to the world. March 20, 2000, will probably not mean much to most people, but to the few blessed ones that have discovered Adam Again, and this perfect album, _Dig_, it will be remembered sadly as the day that a humble artist took his final ascent. Those of us that remain tarry for yet a little while, with unspoken questions about reality and life that push at the heart and blur our eyes.

You know how a lot of music that came out in the 90s can kind of, well, sound like it came from the 90s? Either it's cheesy, or it's too grungy, or whatever. "Dig" is not one of those albums. Its well-mixed instrumentation, thoughtful (major understatement) lyrics, and lack of over-production makes this an album that will stand strong for many years. Too bad Gene Eugene died a few years ago. This is, I think, the strongest mark he left behind. Even when put up against non-Christian music, this album puts many mainstream efforts to shame. And I say that as a person who is very, very picky about what Christian music I like.

Some favourites are "Dig," the song which got me into the band in the first place, and "River On Fire," a beautiful ballad which sings about the Cuyahoga River catching on fire, and as the song winds down and fades out one can hear the crackling of flames in the background.

As others have said here, this is a gem of an album, and is well worth your time.

This CD is perfection. To say more is just adjective.

This CD is a veritable gem. If you've never listened to Adam Again or heard of Gene Eugene and somehow ended up on this review page anyhow, I urge you to get your hands on this CD. Think REM with a harder, more existential edge and sound, although give me Adam Again over REM anyday. That's how good this is!

THIS ALBUM FOR ME ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE HURT AND PAIN OF A FELLOW BELIEVER IN A *REAL* WAY.... JUST LISTEN TO THE SONG "RIVER ON FIRE" A SONG WHICH WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT ALMOST BROUGHT ME TO TEARS......

IF YOU FIND THIS ALBUM AND LIKE LYRICS THAT SAY SOMETHING UNLIKE MOST OF MUSIC TODAY THEN GET IT YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.....

RIP GENE EUGENE!... MISS YOU MUCH.....