Customer Reviews

End of Amnesia

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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If you are reading this then it is fair to presume you are out on the Ward highway and unless I miss my guess, traveling from Transistor Radio and Transfiguration back to the End of Amnesia. You have been hearing some fabulous sounds and incredible tunes on your way here and let me be the first to tell you that more of the same awaits you here in Amnesia-ville. In fact, this may be the best of his four solo albums and that in itself is a strong statement considering the one that preceded this one (Duet) and the two that followed (Transitor and Transfiguration). Ward is a musical genius, no doubt, and this collection of songs from a wholeistic perspective may be the clearest manifestation of that genius. His tune "half moon" simply has to be heard to be believed. "Carolina" is gorgeous and "seashell tale" defies description. But if I were standing in the front row of a Ward concert and calling for him to play a tune, it would be "bad dreams" (the opening chords to this song have to be heard to be believed: so subtle, so deep, so resonant). I think it is the best song Ward has ever written and immediately after he played it, I would yell up at him to play "fool says"(Transfiguration) and then "from debbie's stairs" (Duet) and then "here comes the sun again" (Transistor) and then "seashell tale" (Amnesia) and then "outta my head" (Transfiguration) and then "lullaby + exile" (Transistor). But if Ward leaned down to me and said that he would play only one of his four albums for us tonight from front to back, I would pick End of Amnesia. Everything Ward touches shines with a depth and beauty that has been missing from modern music for far too long but like I said, End of Amnesia would be my pick. It might well be the best complete album ever keyed and picked and sung by a man whose best musical work (if this is even conceivable) may well lie ahead of him. He is 31 years old; he is an incredible musical genius; and he has a talent and a musical muse that seems to be just getting untracked.

"End Of Amnesia" makes you feel like you're sitting on the back porch of some log cabin in the mountains, and after hearing this cd, I wouldn't mind feeling that way all the time. This is a collection of serene, melodic, acoustic tunes, which blends country, folk, bluegrass, and modern abstract rock all together. This is a cd that makes itself appear sparse on the surface, but is actually maticulously composed. It is sophisticated, but not inaccessible or overly abstract. The albums' energy peaks with "flaming heart", a catchy, upbeat country song featuring a rare instance of electric guitar. Mellowness peaks on "O'Brien"(part 1 of track 15), where he is just about whispering the lyrics. I find this cd to be extremely enjoyable and relaxing, and I highly reccomend it for anyone looking for some good chill out music.

I don't want to play it anymore because I don't want the feeling to go away.
Every 10 years you find music that comes across as a revelation. For me, in 1989 it was the Doors, in 1996 Gillian Welch, and now M. Ward. This album has the voice of Louis Armstrong, the gentleness of Nick Drake, the delivery of Roy Orbison, the class of Perry Como, the sweetness of Neil Young, the boogie woogie of Jerry Lee Lewis.

First off - Thank God Howe Gleb has the good taste to get behind this guy. Matt Ward puts out some of the best guitar music I've heard since Michael Hedges, OR Leo Kottke (Check out "Psalm" track 11). But Ward has great pop sensibility on top of his vast technical skill.
With a scratchy voice culled from Gonzo The Great (compare Ward's wonderful "Carolina" to the classic "Someday") and all the latent emotion and urgency that entails, Matt Ward sings from the edge of everything important. Even if it is just a high school reunion ("So Much Water" track 4). I'm not sure how much of a hand Gleb had in the sculpting of this album, but it is very consistent. I loved all the soft background found-recordings throughout. They were inserted with such taste that they always add to the texture and never annoy like they are apt to do in lesser hands. And just like the O'Brien of the last track (14) Matt Ward quietly and humbly "blew my mind."

End of Amnesia is a modern folk rock classic. From the first line sung in the album to the very last, Ward's mellow raspy voice conveys a immense sense of feeling and emotion which perfectly compliments his acoustic guitar playing. While the songs on this album are typically quite mellow and relaxed, it is extemely capable of holding a listener's attention for an infinite amount of plays without getting boring. There are also tracks on the album which are very upbeat and more fast paced, so it never lacks in energy.

While there seems to be an emphasis in modern music to convey a complication and strength in musical arrangement, Ward finds a point that combines perfect simpicity with stunning technicality in each of his songs. Not only is his song writing wonderful, but his entirely captivating stage presense as well. Not many modern artists can hold an entire audience's attention through a ten+ minute guitar solo. Ward's energy and humbleness on stage is unmatched by any other artist. If you have the opportunity to see Matt Ward live, or pick up one of his albums, you will not be disappointed.

This is flat out the finest and most consistent album I have heard in years by any artist in any genre. People ask me to compare it to other artists, so I'll summon the ghost of Nick Drake possessing Jeff Tweedy as he sits alone in Tom Waits's studio at 3am on the longest day of the year. But that's a very imperfect comparison. Listen to some clips on the web, and I think you'll want to buy this cd, turn down the lights, put on the headphones, and begin forgetting.

M. Ward's "End of Amnesia" is a flat-out marvelous record. Discovering his work is one of those joys of music listening which come along every few years. He doesn't introduce a new genre of popular music, like the Sinatra of Capitol records in the 50s, or the Beatles in 1962, or even the Clash or the Talking Heads in the 80s. Instead, like Randy Newman or Gillian Welch or Patty Griffin, Ward's music heads off of the musical Interstate to explore the twists and turns of the two lane "blue highways" that meander nearby. In Ward's case, the music is rooted in the existing tradition of Americana and mainstream folk and rock music. But Ward uses these tools to create music that is both dreamlike and self-consciously contemporary in the best sense of the word. Bits and snatches of sampled sounds of machinery, old lullabies, or a moment from a jazz tune of the 1930s, float in and out of an often simple melody to create a feeling of wistfulness and deep emotion.

In "Half Moon," the song begins with a four second excerpt from a Hubert Rostaing clarinet solo recorded in the late 1930s with Django Reinhardt, which is then immediately succeeded by an acoustic guitar in a midtempo melancholy vein which itself introduces the main melody and is only later joined by the voice of Ward. It is a brilliant intro which sets the mood of the piece perfectly. The song is hard to imagine without it.

Elsewhere, throughout the album, Ward uses mechanical sounds or distorts the guitar or the vocal to create an otherworldly atmospherics which are not easily forgotten.

Despite this overlay of "found" sounds, which so often create a sense of being in one of Ward's dreams, he never employs them for cheap effect. Their use is deliberate and the listener's interest in the song is deepened rather than dulled.

The album overall also projects a surprisingly upbeat mood. The fuzz tones, the use of mechanical sounds, and distortion of instruments and voice are not used to create a sense of gloominess or despair. Instead, they engage the listener consciously and encourage him or her to pay closer attention to the song writing and the intentions of the artist.

The lyrics of the songs on "End of Amnesia" compare well with the best of today's singer-songwriters. Ward is a master tune-smith, who can not only write an engaging melody, but is careful not to ruin it with trite or mediocre lyrics.

"End of Amnesia" continues to engage both the mind and the emotions of the listener with each rehearing. There is always something new to notice. "End of Amnesia" is a true treat for fans of introspective and intelligent songwriting in this new century. Highly recommended.

I also think Transfiguration and Amnesia are M Ward's best (so far...I want more!) but Amnesia edges out in the top slot for me. Absolutely haunting from start to finish. I don't think I could ever get tired of Bad Dreams and O'Brians's Nocturne should be a requirement for anyone studying guitar.

The dreamy artwork on the case really sets the mood, too (much like on Duet For Guitars #2). Turn the lights down low, grab yourself something to sip on, sit back in a rocking chair and let this music cure what ails ya.

The very first time I heard M.Ward, I had to have it. It's just so.....good, for lack of a more profound term. When I first heard Beck (indirect comparison) I loved his slide guitar, I thought wow, how clever Beck, slide guitar. If you love the feeling that slide guitar and acoustic guitar eminates, you'll love this album. The review that compared M.Ward to Tom Waits and Grandaddy, a true comparison. Lighthearted, makes me want to skip around with my headphones on, oh yeah, smiling.

m.ward --i discovered his music and approach and found it exciting and it revived the kind of freshness when i first herd syd barretts solo album . i think it is cleverly done and arrest the wrong feelings in yer head and brings elements of surprise and joy and it takes a certain music education level and good sense of intellectualism and humor to appreciate it so hats off to m .ward