Customer Reviews

Evening Call (Dig)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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Greg Brown is a heartland troubador, both literally and metaphorically. Based in southeast Iowa where he grew up, Greg is a strong, deep voice of sanity in a world gone mad. THE EVENING CALL is a powerful set of 12 new songs, featuring Brown's gravelly baritone, acoustic guitar and harmonica along with the reliable accompaniment of Bo Ramsey on electric guitar (plus bass, drums and keyboards). If you've followed Greg Brown over the years, you will have recognized his trajectory toward the slower and lower, closer to the earth, closer to the bone, closer to the heart, closer to what's real and important. THE EVENING CALL takes us the closest yet, grounding us in earthy love and matters of the soul, in the face of the rampant materialism of our spiritually sick society and world.

Four songs stand out in a consistently strong set -- "Cold & Dark & Wet" is the downside, the hell of lovelessness. "Bucket" is the sweet upside, one of the most perfect of Greg's many songs. "Kokomo" is a raunchy cautionary tale about succumbing to worldly temptations. "Whippoorwill" sings of love and devotion. The only number that doesn't do it for me is "Eugene," which isn't a song, but rather a spoken-word rambling ode to camping and fishing across the US of A.

Greg takes his stand in the realm of everday life, rooted in the here and now. That he is all too aware of the wider world is evidenced by "Treat Each Other Right," with the refrain "We got so evil, I feel troubled tonight. This old world brought us all here, so why can't we treat other right." The song concludes with this thought -- "...I'd say we all better pray to each other for forgiveness before we all lose our sanity."

Amen, Greg! And thanks.

... better with each and every passing calendar. this man is an ambulatory historical landmark and a cartographer of the truest American heart, no less. that he continues to grow new and sweeter songs while never leaving his particular musical garden only shows that he is authentic, singing and writing and singing what he is. "evening call" is a another beautifully raw piece of work; raw being honest and accurate and lovely to folks with deeper souls and simpler wish lists. if the stark, spurned groove of "cold & dark & wet" does not move you, then heaven help you.

Greg Brown, along with Bo Ramsey, never disappoint. This new recording of all new material takes you to that place, that, in my mind, only Greg Brown can. Down by the river with a fly rod in hand; those intimate moments with a loved one; the description of places that make you want to live the song. Whenever a Greg Brown recording comes out, the only disappointing thing is that I have to wait again until his next release.

I can't really say anything about the artistry of Greg Brown that has not already been said. Men can love him as much as women, because his often highly poetic lyrics contian as much masculinity as they do truth and sensitivity.

Throughout his body of work, he embraces and/or confronts most everything it means to be a man, and to be human, in this world we all inhabit.

As far as I know, no one does this better, or even equal to, Greg Brown.

I am a huge Greg Brown fan and have all of his recordings but I have to say, this is his very best. I've waited some time before making such a pronouncement because with each new CD I think he can't get any better but this man continues to top himself. That said, "The Evening Call," after several years of frequent listening, is Greg's finest. The first three songs alone are worth the price of the CD. Do not hesitate to get it. In fact, get his entire CD collection. You will never tire of them and everyone will be impressed with how you always know the cool stuff, you're always hipper than hip.

Of all Greg's CDs that I own, this one is my absolute favorite. Every song is great!

that I am a Johnny-come-VERY-lately to Greg Brown. but I have to say that I am soooo happy that I found him, because this CD is flat out amazing!

First song I ever heard by Mr. Greg Brown was on some Montana internet radiostation in august 2006. (I live in Amsterdam/Netherlands).
Had never heard about Greg Brown before. The song was "two little feet", and already when the intro began, I knew it was going to be so damn good.
Immediately afterwards I googled for him, landed at Red House and he had just released "The Evening Call". They played a full version of "Joy Tears" on their site. No words to describe how overwhelming his voice and music are. I really have no idea why he's not a BIG STAR. Immediately ordered "The Evening Call". A treasure.
Hope you will be doing some shows in our sincity one day. Greg, be assured the Amsterdam-crowd will embrace you.

Greg Brown writes intelligent poetry with a sense of resigned humor that's captivating if you pay close enough attention ("She found a new man on the Internet," he writes. "Wham I'm spam and it's cold and dark and wet.").

But even if you miss a telling detail or two in these story songs, Brown's propulsive guitar playing and voice, which is veering towards a Tom Waits growl on his 23rd album, pulls you along the folk blues tracks. This is a wise, experienced, self-deprecating wit telling tales, pondering the emotional truths of love (a recurring theme on this disc) and our place in time.

The centerpiece is "Eugene," a mostly spoken word travelogue told from the viewpoint of a veteran RV and fisherman pondering where his country has gone. But Brown wisely follows that with two stunners, "Coneville Slough," looking back at an old romance and "Kokomo," a ride out of town that's a descendant of "The Weight." Just to show he's an old softy, Brown ends the disc with "Whippoorwill," a valentine guaranteed to leave a lump in your throat.

This CD is great. Very dark, thought-provoking, funny and always musical. Greg Brown's voice is truly soulful and deeply rooted in the blues, but his music defies categorization. It's pretty meaningless to call him a "folk singer", except that he's a brilliant observor and chronicler of human behavior and American culture. Folk musicians are noted for that kind of thing I guess. As others have said, it's very surprising that Greg Brown is not way better known by lovers of all kinds of music from blues to country, folk and rock.