Drunkards Prayer

Over the Rhine | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 29, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B0007QCLPY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,366 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the heavily produced Films for Radio and the sprawling double CD Ohio, Over the Rhine retrenches for this stunning follow-up. Recorded in the living room of the duo's home, the low-key glow that results brings the music even closer to its source. Bits of folk, jazz, pop, and country intermingle as the singing and songwriting husband-and-wife partnership of Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler let the sparkling, yet subtle melodies of these ten originals--plus a lovely cover of "My Funny Valentine"--dictate the sparse instrumentation and languid but never haphazard tempos.

This is music of delicate beauty, tinged with regret, sadness, and hope, yet devoid of pretense. It sounds like these songs fell out of the sky, drifting through the clouds and arriving with help from Bergquist's exquisite voice. Her double-tracked vocals dart through tinkling piano lines on "Born," making the already exquisite song shimmer. Stand-up bass and occasional cello and sax along with a dash of percussion bolster these chamber-styled ballads that float like lilies on a pond. But there's a flickering intensity to like "Firefly," in which Bergquist repeats "My memory will not fail me now," that adds an edgy tautness to this emotionally stirring album. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

Stunning New Album from Over the Rhine, Produced by Linford Detweiler, Karin Bergquist and Mahan Kalpa. Features the New Single 'i Want You to Be My Love'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple and stripped-down elements form "Drunkard's Prayer", April 1, 2005

By 

Andy Rector (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drunkards Prayer (Audio CD)

"Drunkard's Prayer," the latest release from Over the Rhine, reflects the attempt to simplify their lives and strengthen their relationship. Bergquist and Detweiler dropped everything during their "Ohio" tour to rest and "reinvent our own relationship" as Detweiler revealed in an interview. The result is this CD. "Drunkard's Prayer" strips everything down-melodies, lyrics and production.

Most noticeable are the simpler melodies. Early Over the Rhine produced some funky sounds, but Drunkard's Prayer arranges the notes in an easy fashion, making for choruses that the listener will hum with absent-mindedness. "Looking Forward" and "I Want You To Be My Love" exemplify the unadorned sound found in this project.

Simpler lyrics are also found in Drunkard's Prayer. Detweiler's writing usually contains word play and metaphors, but they are less obvious here. The word play is still there; it just relies upon more common themes. Instead of "what a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be" it is "I cry just a little bit, just a little bit, everyday." Instead of "I drink you `cause it's easy to see it's mostly myself that's killing me" we get "You're my water, You're my wine, You're my whiskey from time to time."

Production was also toned down for "Drunkard's Prayer." Instead of a studio, Detweiler and Bergquist recorded their songs for this CD in their living room. The result is a quiet evening at home, a stretching in front of the fire, a sitting on the back porch.

Is "simpler" better or worse? Probably neither; it may just be a reflection of where these two people are at in their lives right now.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a mix!, March 30, 2005

By 

Richard Wells (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drunkards Prayer (Audio CD)

This is the first "Over the Rhine," cd I've heard, and it's a pleasant surprise. The genres are mixed, and you get a little country, a little Kurt Weil cabaret, a little folk, some jazzy sort of pop, and a lot of music. It's a collection that got me in its cumulative effect. The first track had me wondering if I hadn't made a mistake, and if the disc wasn't going to put me right to sleep. Well, I didn't nod off, and the disc grew on me. It's a mellow listen, with good musicianship and lyrics, and well worth the purchase.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Personal Album from OtR, April 10, 2005

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drunkards Prayer (Audio CD)

In the Fall of 2003, Over the Rhine was touring behind the critically acclaimed "Ohio" album, and out of the blue the national tour was canceled not even midway through it. No explanation was given, and there was rampant speculation on the band's forum boards. Only much later did Karen Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, the husband-and-wife team behind OtR, admit that the tour was canceled due to relationship issues.

"Drunkard's Prayer" (11 tracks, 51 min.) is the "catharsis" album of the breakdown-and subsequent restrengthening-of their relationship. The album is deeping personal, almost shockingly so, I cannot recall off the top of my head another such album (although I'm sure there are others). This is the first OtR album whose songs are all credited to "Bergquist/Detweiler" so it's hard to tell who wrote what lyrics. Musically, this is a return to the sound of the "Good Dog Bad Dog" era (1996), with sparse instrumentation: mostly piano and accoustic guitar, although at times augmented by drums and bass. My favorite tracks include "Born" (the original intended title for the album, changed at the last minute), "Spark", "Lookin' Forward", and "Who Will Guard the Door". The album closes with a nice cover of "My Funny Valentine". Karen's voice has never better sounded than on this album. She's truly a "best kept secret" in today's music scene.

As a fan since the early days (OtR formed in 1989), it remains fascinating to watch the history of OtR unfold. Counting compilations and live albums, "Drunkard's Prayer" is the band's 12th album and quite a nice addition to the OtR catalogue. A quiet album that should be played loud. For OtR's most adventurous (and, in my opinion, best) album, check out 2001's "Films for Radio" album.