Epiphany in Brooklyn

Brenda Kahn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 8, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028PF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,689 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Album notes Personnel: Brenda Kahn (guitar, vocals); Matt Wehling (mandolin); Noah Hoffeld (cello); Gregory Pryor (trombone); Caleb Palmiter (bass); Steve Foley (drums). Recorded at Gark Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Brenda Kahn's Epiphany in Brooklyn takes the same approach to lyrical content as Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, in that her songs paint portraits of characters from all over the landscape of the United States. Her main setting is New York City, which is captured appropriately in the caffeine buzz of the first track, "I Don't Sleep, I Drink Coffee Instead." The album closes with "In Indiana," where she sings, "Brooklyn is a long cab ride away." In between, her destinations include the Mojave desert, Ohio and the Bible Belt. The albums mood fluctuates between excitement (the Dylanesque "Mint Juleps and Needles" and "She's in Love") and the despair caused by relationships ("My Lover" and "Lost"). The bleak "Sleepwalking" is a subtle masterpiece, with its observations of the contradictions inherent in the United States of 1992. Brenda Kahn's folk-punk sound and highly energized lyrics make Epiphany in Brooklyn a hidden gem. ~ Brian Flota

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brenda Kahn's Guided Tour of the Midwest, August 7, 2002

By 

Aaron Dietz "aarondietz" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Epiphany in Brooklyn (Audio CD)

There are not many singers that work with dense vocabulary (when is the last time you heard "sardonic" in a song?) without sacrificing fluidity or poetic simplicity. In "Mint Juleps and Needles" the lyric, "We are the people our parents warned us about" is one simple example of how Brenda Kahn magnifies life without losing any of the detail.
Intelligent, witty, and truthful, Brenda Kahn's lyrics combine with a varied attack on guitar (from wicked to playful to sadly gentle) to form sketches of loves, losses, and frozen moments of cosmic importance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars superb spikey folk rock, October 26, 2005

By 

J. Holmes "blood+whiskey" (yokohama, japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Epiphany in Brooklyn (Audio CD)

throughout Epiphany In Brooklyn, Brenda Kahn's acoustic guitar strums along with a fiery drive that enforces her sharp songwriting skills. her songs are stories littered with colourful characters and broken bleeding hearts. the music is Dylan-esque in it's basic approach, but employs plenty of heart and soul to make it stand out as her own. this is a superb collection of songs with "She's In Love" probably being my all time favorite. Brenda has a skill for penning some great lyrics and she comes accross as a master storyteller with a sarcastic smirk that seems to cut both ways. i first bought this album on cassette after seeing her "Eggs On Drugs" video on some very small independent music video show years and years ago. eventually, i wore the tape out and was saddened to learn that this cd went out of print. thankfully, i got lucky when i found this in a used bin and i've been enjoying relistening back to these great songs full of love, life, wisdom and wit.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it a try, June 2, 2004

By 

J. F. Rick "bricoleur, hobbit" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Epiphany in Brooklyn (Audio CD)

I saw an extremely positive review for this album on the web. Since that person seemed to like similar music (Counting Crows and Hole), I went ahead and bought this album. Considering how cheap it was used, it wasn't much of a gamble.

Anyway, the gamble payed off. This album is a really solid outing. I'd probably put it in my favorite 25 albums of all time. My favorite songs are "Mojave Winters," "Mint Juleps And Needles," and "In Indiana." Definitely, give it a try. I don't think you'll regret it.

My biggest problem so far has been getting more Brenda Kahn albums. They seem to be in too short supply.