Customer Reviews

Everybody Loves You

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

It's really simple. As an accomplished acoustic guitar player myself, I can speak from relative experience that this album is nothing short of the most astonishing SOLO INSTRUMENTAL ACOUSTIC GUITAR recordings of the last 20 years. Kaki's techniques, although not necessarily groundbreaking, are very virtuosic and disciplined, to say the least. Give her a break...she's 23, and she self-produced her first album. I give her props on that basis alone.

To the point: if you enjoy Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi, Preston Reed, Billy McLaughlin, Pierre Bensusan, and any other acoustic guitar virtuoso that fits this bill, BUY THIS ALBUM. I own more guitar-based albums than any other type in my 1000+ album music collection, and very few of these guitar albums BLEW ME AWAY within the first 20 seconds of listening (Michael Hedges did that to me). I knew instantly that this was a genius artist, and was so thrilled that finally a woman (a very young woman) has entered this male-dominated genre with such presence, confidence and grace.

Kudos to Kaki!

Now buy this album.

Obviously no one in these reviews has ever heard of Preston Reed. Kaki sure has as most of her music is a straight "lift". I do like her song Carmine Street as that sounds original. Please listen to the true master of tapping and the "over the top" technique , Prston Reed, before you crown her queen.

Not unlike many other converts to her music, I first heard of Kaki King when she was opening act for one of a diverse number performers with whom she has been touring. In my case, she opened up for Victor Wooten. The audience was ready for FUNK! And here comes this diminutive player with hippie clothes. My first reaction was probably echoed by many: "Not another folksy singer-songwriter." This impression was shattered after a few seconds of this virtuoso's playing; many a jaw dropped when witnessing this master at work. The only better acoustic guitar performance I have had the pleasure to witness was when DiMeola, De Lucia, and McLaughlin toured together in the early 90's. As wonderful as this CD is, you will still be amazed when you see her perform live.

Get this CD!

Listening to the tracks of Everbody Loves You it's hard to believe the sounds King can get out of a single guitar. Virtually all of the tracks are instrumental (with the exception of a bonus track of King playing around). The melody and bass lines are well woven with the percussion King provides and gives you something that will stick in your head for a long time. If a great storyteller could only communicate by playing and smacking a guitar, this is what it would sound like.

If half stars were possible I'd give this album a 4.5 stars rating because it runs on the short side and some of the tracks could have been longer. King's performance really must be seen to be believed, and, fortunately, the CD contains a quicktime movie that you can play on your computer to get an idea of her unique picking style (and her somewhat odd sense of humor). If you like acoustic guitar you cannot go wrong by adding this unique album to your collection. I haven't heard anything so well balanced between folk and rock since Steve Howe's solo album Natural Timbre.

I just saw Kaki King at the Bonnaroo festival in TN the weekend of the 13th. I had never actually heard any of her songs before the show and went on only having read about her music. I must say that I was completly blown away right from the start. ... her technique isn't exactly groundbreaking, but she does it so well, with so much dicipline ... that it is nothing short of amazing. The first person I thought about was Michael Hedges upon hearing her play. I can't wait to see the direction she goes in the future...especially since she is only 23!!

I definately disagree with one of the reviews made. The guitar is a percussive instrument. The art of abstraction through guitar can be seen in kaki's playing. Although not perfect, it almost seems as if she will only continue to grow as a musician, her tracks vary considerable on attack and complexity. I'd expect more on her up and coming albums. Nobody has ever said experimentation will lead you to the perfect solution every time. In Kaki's playing, her experimentation on various levels is merely her way of pushing the envelope on music showing guitar in both light-hearted and rocky compositions. Don't lump this girl in any category as a wannabe, you might as well say everyone whose ever tapped on guitar is a van halen wannabe and evereyone who plays a power chord is a nirvana wannabe. Believe me, an appreciation for
the auv on gaurve (spelling?) genre never hurt anyone. Its art, not politics. Listen to reed and hedges carefully, they vary considerably.

This girl is absolutely amazing at guitar. She's been playing since age 5, and it shows. I love her innovative style, mixing bass, guitar, and percussion into one. I'm not going to compare her to any other guitarist, because, as far as I know, you can't. She has a unique style that says "Kaki King" all over it. My only complaint, is the cd is half as long as it could (and, in my opinion, SHOULD) be (38:21). I think the songs could be longer, and definately at least a couple more. My favorite tracks are 'Happy as a Dead Pig in the Sunshine', and 'Close Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames'. This cd, and the artist herself, is very inspiring. I recommend this cd to any guitarist of any style.

One night I went to go catch a concert downtown, I was going to skip the two opening bands, so I came late. Right when I walked in I was hit by some amazing acoustic guitar. I caught half of her set and was blown away. I've never seen anyone play like that before. I went and bought the album when it came out. To my surprise every song was outstanding. Everyone I've played the CD for also enjoyed it. It is also nice to see a female tear it up on Guitar. Buy and enjoy!

If you're a guitar player, or a guitar enthusiast, you need to check out Kaki King's debut album, Everybody Loves You. All instrumental (except some mildly annoying humming on the last piece), mostly acoustic, and completely brilliant. She fully realizes the percussive range of the guitar in a way that very few guitarists (that I've heard, at least) ever have, but without the one-trick pony gimmickry common to a lot of the "artists" that try to do so. And she embeds the percussive aspects of her music firmly within a melodic framework; this is not "experimental" music, but lyrical, inspired songcraft that incorporates nearly every aspect of guitar technique that I'm familiar with, but does so strictly in the service of the music.

Kaki King's mastery of the guitar is nothing short of phenomenal, but it's not what makes the album shine. Rather, she plays as if her formidable chops are not something for her to show off with, but rather a tool box that allows her to build the shapes and structures with her sound that reveal the architecture of her unique musical vision.

Which is probably the wrong metaphor, as it makes it all sound very clinical, cold and calculated, when the opposite is true. There are a few pieces on the disc ("Close Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames" comes immediately to mind) that are flashy, fast, and a little brash, but for the most part these are intensely personal, almost meditational compositions. I've only listened to the disc a couple of times, so I'm reserving final judgement until I've really wrung it out a bit, but so far, I'm incredibly impressed, and more with her musicality and the relative maturity (for such a young artist) of her writing than with her admittedly formidable technical skills.

This is another artist I encountered while listening to Pandora.com. [I have my personal station set up for Leo Kottke.] In fact, my last two guitar player purchases (Trace Bundy was the other) came about as a direct result of Pandora.com.

After having listened through this a few times time, it's easy to see some of King's influences: Preston Reed ("Kewpie Station," "Carmine Street"), John Fahey ("The Exhibition," "Fortuna"), and Leo Kottke ("Happy As a Dead Pig in the Sunshine"). But rather than be a mere clone, she assimilates these different styles and makes them her own.

There are occasional missteps. For instance, "Steamed Juicy Little Bun" and the title track tend to be overly repetitive--song fragments that don't really go anywhere. But "Night After Sidewalk" has a subtle beauty to it, and "Close Your Eyes & You'll Burst Into Flames" slowly builds until the midpoint of the song where it explodes into a cascade of blistering fretwork. Also, note there is a bonus track. The final track, "Fortuna," actually ends at 6:16. At the 7:13 mark, King begins playing a simple melody and later adds wordless vocals. After the final note, she concludes with a spoken "yeah, whatever," clearly indicating that this is not yet a finished song. It's a pleasant if not memorable piece.

While this may not be King's crowning achievement (as some reviewers have claimed), it certainly bears repeated listening. This is a gifted guitarist looking for her voice. And to my ears, she's on the right track. RECOMMENDED [Running Time - 38:03]