Customer Reviews

Fool's Paradise

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

 

 

My favorite songs on this CD are "Halfway" and "Since You've Been Gone" -- but I pretty much like every song and can hear this album again and again. These songs tell real stories and there's a lot of experimentation and variety in Hawks' musicianship and melodies, from the Spanish guitars, acoustic guitar, and rhythm electric guitar to the Springsteen and Willie Nelson styles mixed in here with Hawks' own unique lyrics. Hawks has a George Jones knack for telling the story full of sorrow and a voice that makes the bitter pill of his struggles easy to swallow. He can make a metaphor and a rhyme that isn't forced but really fluid and something you can relate to.

I'm startled by the mysterious "a music fan" review...why do people write these bitter, personal-attack-type reviews? It's so obvious that was a grudge post, someone who hoped to see sales go down. There's enough room for everybody to be an artist. It's not a competition. Get rid of your scarcity model. :-)

If there's honest criticism to be given, then give specifics. [...].

It's rare that I find a CD that's out of the range of my everyday tastes and end up enjoying it so much. This country rock CD is much richer than that limited label. The lyrics are original and penetrating. Here's a real person telling real stories to catchy melodies. They mirror the moods and stages we all suffer of frustrated longing, misfit loving, and wheel-spinning stalling. Even the saddest tunes leave you thinking something better's around the corner -- since something beautiful has been wrought from life's ugly moments.

I received this album as a promo. Not really into country music, especially traditional country music but this album grabbed me by my alternative rock roots and hasn't let go 18 months later. You'll find that the music tracks are not particularly "original" in style, but Greg and the boys find the groove for each song (style) and then simply claim ownership of it. But that's not what makes this album stand out, there are lots of good tracks and grooves here in Nashville. What makes this album stand out are the lyrics. Not the same ole "know the rhyme before its time" country victim BS. These lyrics are thoughtful, mature and add depth to a genre all too often light in content. Can't wait for the next album. Since you won't get a free promo copy for your magazine to review, I suggest buying this disc now.

Though Hawks' debut mixes strong elements of Bakersfield and Austin with a hint of the Beatles (by way of co-North Carolinian Chris Stamey's chiming dB's production touches), the emotional tenor often resounds more of folk singer Phil Ochs. It's not that Hawks tilts at political windmills, it's that he often captures the sort of romanticism Ochs found later in his career. Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest" is delivered with a tenderness and intimacy that liberates it from the plodding epicness of the original. Drummer Nate Stalfa's gentle brushes underline the meloncholy in a way that E-streeter Max Weinberg couldn't fathom.

The title track provides a powerful barside purge of sadness and frustration, while "Downtown Lights" leans on superb droning, mountain-influenced vocals that bring the pain of unforgettable memories out of the shadows. "When You Tell Me Lies" weds the same sort of wail to a bent, blue melody, ringing mandolin and a New Orleans cadence. Throughout, bandmate and co-producer Danny Kurtz (ex-Backslider/Whiskeytown) adds steady bass and backing vocals, and Mike Krause provides terrifically atmospheric electric guitars such as the sliding moans and wails of "Life and Love."

Great straight ahead roots country. Solid lyrics combined with a tuneful old time country sound. Will please the intelligent roots/alt country listener. If you like Dwight Yoakam's better discs, you'll enjoy this.

I just found a used copy for a friend -- didn't realize it was still available new. It was a total delight to put it on after not playing it for a few years, and confirm (once again) that it really was as good as I had advised that it would be (whew!). Greg wrote all but one song (Springsteen's Tougher Than The Rest -- but he 'owned' that one, too). All are strong, both lyrically and musically. The band is on the mark, with guest vocals by Tres Chicas members on a few songs. Chris Stamey's production work is, as usual, terrific.

All of those factors still don't make a 'timeless' recording, but somehow this one seems to be. That's my own experience, but note the reviews here -- they are spaced over a number of years, not all from the release time period. That should tell you something ... and I hope it tells Greg and the band something, too. I know they have moved onto other projects, but they should be proud of what they put together here. And thanks for that, too.

I think Greg has a new album out now. Might have to contact him directly, but I wish they would carry it here. But this one -- this is the starting point anyway. It's a very safe bet that if you like alt-amerigrasscountrybluecowsongjazzwriter styles (whatever that is -- No Depression, in other words), you will enjoy this little jewel like the rest of us have. Ok, all but one of us has. There is no accounting for lack of taste.

You can really hear Hawks' alt-country roots in this album...His songwriting is fantastic and his soulful voice reminds me of the Nashville country crooners of years past. Fantastic!

Unpolished lyrics and note transitions and a pretty crappy cover of tougher than the rest. The cd sounds like what it is and that is a struggling artists first (and what should be the last) cd. Don't be fooled by anyone who says this is remotely close to being good.