Customer Reviews

Epiphany in Brooklyn

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I first heard it on college radio, and my friend who worked there got me a demo of the CD before it came out. I was stoked.

She is as talented a lyricist as any out there, and actually sings beautifully. More hardcore and opinionated than the early Jewel CDs (which is fine with me), but it would be hard to place her in a category.

I have about 1000 CDs, and this is the best one I own. I think it's horrendous that Kahn did not become a star as a result of this album. She's the best songwriter of her generation and no one knows who she is. If you can find this out-of-print album, snatch it up. It's a diamond.

Without hesitation I think this is one of the ten best albums of the 1990's. Her "punk with an acoustic guitar" brand of folk shines through on the Dylanesque "I Don't Sleep, I Drink Coffee Instead" and "Mint Juleps and Needles." But it's her examination of American life that elevates her above most other artists. "Sleepwalking," "Lost" and "In Indiana" show how the "American Dream" is more of a nightmare, but Kahn never condemns it, but merely presents it, a la Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" and "The River" albums. It was produced by David Kahne who went on to greater fame producing for the inferior bands Sublime and Sugar Ray. This album is simply fantastic, and if you can find it, get her follow up album "Destination Anywhere," which is as good if not better than "Epiphany."

The album is ok at best. However ''Madagascar'' hits you like an atom bomb. l've listened to that song on repeat for a 45 minute stretch at one time and it only got stronger the more you listened to it. Despite being a brilliant songwriter and performer, Brenda unfortunately is not that nice of a person. When fans come up to her after a show and praise her for musicianship she doesn't seem the bit gracious. And getting her to autograph a CD that she hawks about 3 or 4 times during her show, is a nerve racking experience. She does oblige, but it's like pulling teeth with her.

This album is one of the best I've ever bought. A friend turned me on to it, and everyone I've shared it with has loved it. It's an edgy sort of folk, like Bob Dylan with PMS. Brenda is funny, cynical and loving all at the same time. BUY THIS ALBUM!

If you need something to listen to in the car, try this album