Customer Reviews

Ear Candy

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Strong album from start to finish. The Texas trio hit the mark with this collection of 13 songs; each track is distinct and highly-crafted. One of my favorites is the Beatle-esque 'American Cheese', which features a rare lead vocal by Jerry Gaskill. Also, the hypnotic 'Mississippi Moon' seems to contrast nicely from the rest of the album, and is the first of three great songs which feature Ty Tabor on lead vocal. Some of the more straightforward songs that really shine are 'The Train', 'A Box', 'Looking For Love' and 'Picture'. The disc's final cut, 'Life Going By', has to be one of my favorite Ty Tabor songs; it features very melodic acoustic guitar work and a terrific lead vocal, combined with a nostaglic chorus. Doug Pinnick sings with such great emotion throughout the whole album and his 12-string bass thumps wonderfully on every cut. And as usual the vocal harmonies on this disc are complex and stay with you for days. I've seen these guys live and know that the harmonies are not studio-generated--they can sing their butts off live! Way to go, King's X.

In 1994, King's X unleashed their most unrepentantly heavy album to date, Dogman. It was a smouldering pile of angst, frustration and existential doubt, and played like a raw nerve ending set to music. It was an exhilarating venting of demons coming from a band who had, til then, been known for their championing of virtues like faith, hope and love. It could have been called Anger, Frustration and Disillusionment.

Their follow-up to Dogman, 1996's Ear Candy, sounds almost like an exhale by comparison. The band seem resigned to their fate, but in a wistful, philosophical sense rather than a bitter one. The music itself is as sharp as ever and there are some achingly beautiful songs on this album. Pinnick's "lost my faith" confessional "Looking for Love" is one of the most brutally honest things he's ever written. Meanwhile, "Picture"'s ode to forgiveness and reconciliation is surprisingly moving.

Ty gets some gems the mix: "Mississippi Moon" is nothing less than guitar pop perfection and "Life Going By" has all the delicacy and yearning, plangent beauty that makes King's X so much more than a mere hard rock band. Ear Candy is an inspired chapter in the group's story that finds the perennially overlooked band coming to terms with itself.

`Ear Candy' marked a significant shift in the King's X sound, leaving the proto-metal progginess of the 1st 4 albums and the riff-heavy attack of `Dogman' behind in favor of a 70s-inspired, Grand Funk Railroad style of psychedelic jam-rock that was at least half a decade before its time. From opener `The Train' to closer `Life Going By', this album presents what is arguably the most honest vision of the band's collective mindset to date. It is fairly stripped down and raw, with effects used to signify emotion rather than showcase out-of-this-world musical ability, and an overall lyrical approach that relies less on POV storytelling and more on cathartic expression. This is the King's X album for those who just can't seem to `get' King's X - and definitely not one to pass over for everyone who `gets' them just fine.

These legends hit another home run with Ear Candy. Each song should have been a radio hit. This was really King's X at the peak of their career. They have been on a slow down cycle since, culminating with the horrible release "Black Like Sunday" in 2003.

and this one is simply the best of the lot. You can't go wrong here. It is very diverse and has a nice mix tempo and styles.

Much has been said about Ear Candy, that the songwriting isn't up to the quality of previous King's X albums. I disagree. This is a quieter, more pop oriented album which still manages to rock out, just not as authoratively as previous CDs.

When I listen to Ear Candy I enjoy it for it's melodies, the general good feeling it gives me and because it is extremely well played besides being well written.

Artists change and develop, the true mettle of a fine band is their willingness to try new things or in this case to make a somewhat psychedelic album that concentrates on simpler ideas without compromising the band's aesthetics.

I think King's X does so quite well on Ear Candy which gives it a special place alongside their other (equally different) albums.

If you need big crunch you won't find it here. If you want to hear the more pop side of King's X look no further.

I agree with what a couple other reviewers said here -- the drums on this CD are substantially better than on any other CD I've heard, from King's X or any other band. Jerry's finest moment, and if you are a drummer, you need to listen to this CD and try to understand why fans are impressed with it.

I'm writing this review 3 or 4 years after the CD was released mostly because they have released a new CD, Please Come Home Mr. Bulbous, that has some of the most mediocre performances I've heard. That has motivated me to go back and celebrate in writing the King's X I once knew.

Buy this CD, buy Dogman, and buy Gretchen Goes To Nebraska. You'll have a trio of CDs that highlight King's X at the top of it's game. This one highlights the drums, Dogman highlights Doug's singing and bass, and Gretchen highlights Ty's guitar. Excellent stuff.

This CD is Brilliant. I think most people who don't rate this one high are generally Kings X fans from the Gretchen Goes to Hollywood and Out of the Silent Planet period. This CD is as much of a departure from that period as Rubber Soul and Revolver were from the earlier Beatles recordings. There are no throw-away tunes on this CD. Each song is a jewel. Production is phenomenal. I had to re-check the cover a few times to make sure George Martin wasn't listed. There is a lot of experimentation with different sounds. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but on Ear Candy all the experimentation serves the song, and is integral to the composition of the individual tracks. No gimmicks. As for Ty Tabor, he is not known for playing many wasted notes, but on Ear Candy everything he plays is essential. Take a solo out and you've screwed the song. I think this CD holds his best playing. There is a little more of Ty's vocals and influence on Ear Candy, and Doug comes out a little more subdued, but what you learn from that is how versitile and subtle Doug can be. Jerry's drumming is fabulous, as always. One of rock's most under-rated drummers!If you are new to King's X, I would start here. This CD has the most to offer to the widest audience. Usually that means a crappy album, but occasionally, as with Ear Candy, it means a masterpiece.

This was wrongly ignored and underrated on release by critics and fans as it came after KING'S X much heavier DOGMAN album. This is a stunning heavy modern rock album, but with a classic rock sound in it too. Very cool, very big, wild, hopeful, poweful. Great rock slab.

Ear Candy was released in stark contrast to the previous King's X album, Dogman which was dark, self-searching and responsive to the negatives in life.

This album begins with "The Train", a lighthearted romp in heavy rock. With this song, King's X seems to find some sunshine after the clouded world of Dogman (which I actually prefer to this album).

The rest of the fare offered is about the same. Lighter, pithier songs; lyrically speaking. Doug, Ty and Jerry still keep the hard rock pounding.

The album as a whole is good with some high and low points, but still very good overall. A definite must have for the King's X faithful. If you are new to the band, try some of their earlier stuff before you grab this one.