Customer Reviews

Fleeting Days

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just as reflective lyrically, yet more easy-going than Dan's previous full-length (the epic "New American Language"). The slightly poppier, countrified feeling does not take a shred of conviction and truth away from Dan's songwriting. Dan's wit is sharper than ever, with each song leading to the next like a story. The opener "Baby Bye Bye" brings you full-force into Dan's world, and puts a great smile on your face if you are alive. Other highlights include the distant love of "I Need You," the irrestibly catchy "Jane" and the rant against giving up one's dignity to make a few bucks "Crow." "Fly Away" chugs along with Dan drunk on wordplay, and annilihated by his senses. "Soul" ends the album with Dan putting to words what he always has proven in his art..."Are you gonna follow your soul/ Or just the style of the day?"...If only more songwriters, and people of all sorts, answered this the same way as Dan.

This latest offering from Dan Bern and the IJBC is a wonderful tapestry of witty pop, soul-country, airy-folk, and even some dirt-road blues. His usual combination of biting sarcasm and humor are displayed in the songs "Graceland" and "Crow", but Bern also appears to be venturing out into new ground. "Don't Make Me Leave" is a beautiful ballad that asks some of the same questions he was asking in "Turning Over" from 2001's "New American Language". But, like many of the songs on this new album, he's making his point faster and more poignantly--'I would like to live forever/With you and me as all the people/All the roles would be defined/Here's the church, here's the steeple'--. His slight nasal voice gets to the heart of these songs while his Martin Guitar is creating the backbone for his incredible lyrics to ride upon. Backing him, the brilliant, Wil Masisak produced, IJBC, finds their moments to truly shine on the songs "Fly Away"(possibly the best track on the CD), and "Baby Bye Bye". There aren't many artists today making music with this kind of spirit, soul and integrity.

For diehard fans, at first listen you may scratch your head a bit with this album, as Dan takes a bit of a turn in the road, so to speak. Mostly gone from this offering are the tounge-in-cheek politics and pointed rants that we all love so much, but what we get in it's place is equally rewarding and speaks to his versatility as an artist. His lyrics on this album are more introspective and personal as a whole, and while I did miss Dan's wicked sense of humor here, I was impressed with his deceptively light and breezy depth and his surprisingly strong pop sensibilities. This is not his best album, but it's still better than 99% of the crap out there. The IJBC is tight and backs Dan with really awesome, if understated musicianship. I would recommend this album to anyone really, it probably has the broadest appeal and is more universally accessible than any of his other work. You will like this, and your grandmother probably would too. My real recommendation though, is that if you like Dan Bern, you MUST go see him perform live. It is an experience like no other, and I am constantly amazed that he is not one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world. I have been to literally hundreds of concerts over the years, and have seen many of the greats do their thing, and I would put Dan's live performances that I have been lucky enough to witness right at the very top. As much as I love his albums, there is nothing like just Dan and his acoustic guitar up on a stage. If you are just getting into Dan, I would recommend picking up "New American Language", "Dan Bern" or "Fifty Eggs" before getting this, but once you get reeled in by those and his many EP's, this album becomes essential in rounding out the spectrum of who Dan is musically and fleshes out the true extent of his copious musical powers.

I'll be honest. It took me a few listens to see the brilliance and beauty of this album. But it finally clicked and rocketed to the top of my list of favorite albums of the year. I think it's fantastic--another great collection of incredibly catchy, clever, well-produced songs. I loved New American Language but I think I might almost love this even more.

Dan has been cranking albums and EPs out fast lately (hey, the guy writes songs constantly. Whatdaya gonna do? Not release them? That would be a crime!), but don't worry. There's nothing shoddy about this. It's a beauty all the way through. The stand-out track is Fly Away. At once absurdist and serious, it builds and then comes together perfectly.

Dan has the ability to channel other singers when they were at their best and yet still remain very much himself at his best. In the past, he has inhabited Tom Petty (Marylin), Leonard Cohen (Rome), and Bob Dylan (well, there's a few of those). "Fleeting Days", you can hear traces of Bruce Springsteen (Baby, Bye Bye) and even The Eagles (City--which is better than any Eagles since Hotel California). Then of course there is his Graceland song--which is a lot more fun than Paul Simon's (if not completely successful). Pop music, like literature, should reference that which has come before. And Dan shows that there are better ways than sampling to harken back while going forward.

On most of the songs, all you hear is the pure Dan Bern sound. Which is getting better all the time. I still want to hear just him and the guitar sometimes. But if you're going to have a band, this is the way to do it.

Dan, hurry up and get the next one out!

Dan Bern writes excellent music. But he writes classic lyrics! This CD, coming after New American Language, had me wondering if he could maintain his high standards. Whew! No problem. It's GREAT!

I can't believe Dan's not a superstar, but that's OK, I kind of like that he's a best-kept secret for those of us "in the know." I've got everything available on CD now and I truly think Dan deserves more public recognition. His lyrics are very smart and insightful, he's got a slightly twisted and smartass sense of humor, and there's not a dull song on this CD.

Unlike a lot of my downloads, which get played a few time and then just take up space on my external hard drive, this and any other Dan Bern CD gets regular rotation on my little 4 gig Nano. Because it's 256 kbs mp3 as a download, it also burned quite well to CD, so I listen to it when I'm in my Jeep, which has no mp3 jack.

Great stuff.

As a Dan Bern fan, I was eager to purchase this CD and ordered it as soon as it came out. I must day, it was not at all what I expected. These songs sound like Elvis Costello's throwaway tracks. The lyrics are flat and poppy (none of the philosophical zingers he's known for) and the arrangments are uninspiring and, at times, manic and nonsensical. Even the lovely "I Need You" loses its charm from overproduction (the acoutstic version I have is MUCH better). I don't know where these 5 star ratings are coming from. They must have heard a different CD than I heard. Coming after the PERFECT "New American Language" this was simply a big disappointment.

Dan Bern is one of the best artists working today and this is his best album yet, which is a huge statement. Everyone should own this album it will change the way you hear music.