Field of Crows

Darden Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dualtone Music Group
• ASIN: B000AO9NYK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,498 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another gem from darden smith....., January 10, 2006

By 

J. Bilby "littlebibs" (Kingston, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Field of Crows (Audio CD)

I bought this cd in the fall when it was released in England
and have been playing this on heavy rotation in the Cd player
since. It has so many great songs and his focus on world issues
and love and loss always find there way into your head, great
singing, the band is exceptional this time out, everything about
"Field of Crows" is classy, its Darden's mature, smooth vocals
and laid back approach to recording that makes his music
stand out, especially on this one. He writes songs so well, "Mary" for instance has
a different perspective on a father trying to explain and
be supportive to his little girl whose mother is about to marry
another man. The title cut is one of my favorites, just
so filled with atmosphere. Taking in so many classics from
the 70's from Neil Young and Jackson Browne to name a few, Darden has gone back and written a patch of songs that one
can listen to over and over through the years, another winner
in his 10+ collection.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely good, takes a while to get into though., January 10, 2006

By 

A. Butterfield (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Field of Crows (Audio CD)

This is an interesting album from Darden Smith. It echoes the softly, softly style of its predecessor, Circo, but its themes are somewhat more earth-bound and universal, usefully ditching the awkward spiritual ambiguity I disliked in that album. It's an album suffused with the malaise felt by forty-somethings with a lot on their mind in 2006 - Field of Crows is coloured by world events and a realisation that life is changing, and generally not for the better. Leaving aside the somewhat half-hearted `Fight for Love', Darden seems to have cottoned on that he can't do much about these changes, though he chooses one minute to keep trying, but from a different angle (`Golden Age'), and the next to feel sorry for himself (`All That I Wanted'). Trouble is, Darden's so good at expressing the way many of us are feeling about the state of our lives and the world just now, that `Field of Crows' borders on the depressing. The downbeat mood of this album is pressed home by the whispered vocals and arrangements that send the music into dark, quiet corners. At times Darden really does sound like the man `making his last stand in a field of crows' as the lyric goes. `If anybody asks,' he says in `Mary', `say I'm doing fine.' But he doesn't lose all perspective thankfully - there is some hope! Some very good songs too. `Satisfied' is my favourite, perhaps because it harks back to an earlier style (like `Two Dollar Novels') and is so beautifully constructed and executed. This is a gem. `Mary' too is very well done, moving even. I'm also a fan of the title track, which has a very catchy melodic opening line or two. `Spinning Wheel' has an infectious groove to it and a nice bluesy quality. Nicely produced, there's a dark, velvety quality to the sound that'll make this a late-night favourite. And only a couple of tracks (`Boy' and `Fight for Love') fail to meet the high standard of most of the songs on this collection. So it's highly recommended, but not if you're feeling depressed already!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Soft Breeze, May 28, 2006

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Field of Crows (Audio CD)

Darden Smith's "Field of Crows" is a vibrant subtle work that deepens with repeated listenings. The opener "Talk Me Down" is a sweet melody that goes by like a soft breeze. "Mary" is a touching song as a divorced father reassures his daughter about her mother's upcoming wedding. Eliza Gilkyson's vocals back Darden on the percolating "Golden Age" that splashes vaudeville sideshow music onto gentle sadness. "Wide Open" is a tender tune about a guy who is carrying a torch for a lost love, "Love just doesn't disappear with a lover; you're always with me wherever I go." "Spinning Wheel" spices country flavoring with a ditty backed by Stuart Smith's harmony vocals. "If I could love you like Elvis, Elvis back in '62, hips on fire full of desire, it wouldn't be good enough for you," Smith whisper-sings on the soft melody "Satisfied." Phil Roy helps Darden pen "Fight for Love" with Eliza harmonizing softly. "Boy" bounces with a backward glance at the past, "Let the colors wash all over you; Amsterdam to San Fran, no one plays it like you can." "Field of Crows" is a soft dreamy set that explores sadness with a gentle tenderness rather than wallowing in the blues. This set is a quiet fireside gem. Enjoy!