Customer Reviews

Drum

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had considered the possibility that I only love this album because I was exposed to it at an early enough age where I had heard nothing like it before & so it made a great impression but I didn't know enough about music to be objective. Twelve years later when I listen to it my jaw hits the floor just as it did the first time I heard it. This is the most gorgeous album to ever come from a self-professed "art-rock" combo (Talking Heads included). The closest points of reference would be the Cocteau Twins & Brian Eno, but you really have to hear this music for yourself. The basics: 2 Bass Guitars (played tastefully & impeccably by Tim Sommer & Adam Peacock), a violin (played by Hahn Rowe, who recently released an album of drum'n'bass music under the name Somatic), and the unique vocal stylings of one Mimi Goese (whose first solo album 'Soak' was one of last year's best releases)... Both 'drum' and the follow-up 'Mettle' are works of art that defy easy description or categorization, suffice to say that once you add them to your collection you'll treasure them, and be annoyed as hell that they didn't stay together to make more music for the ages.

"Drum" is a great album. The simple arrangements for guitar, bass, mandolin, violin, and organ render Mimi Goese's beautiful voice all the more powerful, embedded in an atmosphere of chamber music, or folk songs in slow-motion...Best played in your house in hazy summer with all the windows open, the smell of thunder and ozone in the air. The title's ironic; not a drum to be found here but for the penultimate (and best) track, "Second Skin."

i used to go see hugo largo in the late 80's as a teenager in n.y. Never have I forgotten their music although they had disappeared from the music scene. I have had the album since those days and was thrilled to come across the fact that they have c.d.'s. recently, i was introduced to the music of the band Rasputina, who seem to be on the same track that hugo largo was on. i only wish that hugo largo would resurface so i could introduce others to their brilliance. Buy this c.d.

The first time I heard this album it burned holes in my brain the way hearing late 60's Miles Davis albums did, and for the same reason. Hugo Largo turns pop music on its head and forces you to hear its music on its own terms. With two bass players, an electric violin, a vocalist, and no percussion, the band paints sweeping, impressionistic pictures that move from airy fragility to chilling climax, sometimes within a single phrase. The vocalist's sound seems to mimic the violin, bending each word so that her lines swoop and plummet through the simple bass melodies. This music sounds like something you half-remember hearing in your dreams and wish you could recapture. A definite desert-island disc for me; you may especially like it if you're a fan of the early Cocteau Twins or the very early R.E.M.

I first saw Hugo Largo in the mid-80's while attending the University of Georgia in Athens. What a scene for music, you could really get to know the bands that you saw in the small venues. This group stayed in Athens for quite some time and mesmerized many. I once had Mettle on cassette tape, before it was released on Warner Brothers in 1989. I think that there are some minor differences. Look for previous Opal records releases or old WB stuff. The songs 4 Brothers and Ohio would put you in a dream state. These songs are similar to climbing peaks and descending valleys. Voice, bass and violin sound like a full orchestra. This is truly beautiful music.

I just got this CD and I have a feeling it won't be leaving my CD player any time soon. Mimi Goese has an amazing voice. Her work with Moby is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard, and this album comes close too. I'm looking forward to buying their other album.

Hugo Largo produce a disarmingly simple mixture of organic guitars, bass and strings with the acrobatic vocals of the fabulous Mimi Goese. This is their first album, now available on cd. Following this, the band released their second album, Mettle, which continued in a similar sonic vein but with better songwriting. Now, Mettle is very hard to get and never even released on cd (to my knowledge). Why o why o why not??? ...

I have had the tape drum since 1989 and I have been meaning to get the CD forever, but never did until I picked up Mimi's "SOAK" a few weeks ago and her hauntingly beautiful voice reminded me to get it. Though the songs are short and sweet, they do provide you with brillaint images and put you in a great mood. The words don't make any sense, but you'll find yourself singing along in no time. Your friends will think you're batty. Just tell tell Mimi made you do it. Get "Mettle" while you're at it. It's Drum Volume II.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world ever to have stayed up late in the 80s to watch Post Modern MTV. For those of you who do remember the show, you'll remember its host, Tim Sommer. If you enjoyed his eccentric presence, you'll love his band. It's a real shame that they are no longer together (as far as I know), but at least we have this gem, as well as another album called "Mettle," to remember them by. It's hard to describe the music; made up of violin, bass, and the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Mimi Goese. You just have to hear it -- preferably loudly and in the dark. One of my all-time favorite bands. Michael Stipe says he likes them, too. (He did his own a capella version of "Harper's" on the Green tour). Enjoy.