Customer Reviews

Forever

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

 

 

I have yet to hear a bad song by Cranes -- They're by far one of my favorite bands. Alison Shaw's voice never fails to make me smile; she often sounds like a cute (or sometimes demented) doll. She's awesome. So is the music, which is comparable in quality to early Lush, the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, etc. A must for any fan of dreamy Brit pop or etherial music... they also fit well into the Goth genre.

One of the best albums ever produced, right under Cure's Disentigration in my book. Songs like Clear and Adrift are so beautiful and full that I quiver and shake hearing them. The drums are complex, yet not overbearing... the keyboards are well thought out, siren-like, composed. Shaw's pixie-girl voice takes some getting used to, but get used to it! Follow up with Loved... it too is a 5-star. And I don't use 5 stars lightly.

Chilling yet beautiful, much of the appeal of the Cranes' music resides in its ritualistic nature. It is simple, ethereal and primal and not too far removed from the more minimal excursions of Death In June or Sol Invictus, albeit more conventionally "pretty" and with more emphasis on melody. Like those bands, the key here lies in rhythmic repetition and crescendo: the songs tend to start simply, becoming more layered and complex as they progress toward a blunt ending (ie, the music seeks to function subliminally as an analogy to life; a dangerous attempt in less capable hands: portentious can equal pretentious, with unintentionally comic results). And as with those bands, the music ranges from the (morosely) beautiful and resigned ("Far Away") to the intensely defiant ("Clear," "Sun And Sky"). The heavily echoed voice is largely unintelligible but this in itself speaks volumes. Exhilarating and compelling: listen and get cold.

Alison Shaw's voice....what's the word? Ethereal....haunting....otherworldly. She whisps along in a voice that shouldn't work with the music, but does. Sometimes she sounds lost, but almost deliberately so. Other times she grooves along in a more dramatic fashion. And I don't think I was expected to like it as much as I do. But I do. Ten years behind the times, granted (the album was originally released in 1993), but I'm sure enjoying listening to it. For me, it's the vocals that make it, but the music varies from spooky to more driving beats, which is also intriguing. Plus, there are lots of strings - mostly guitar, granted. But some cello (yum), violins and so forth as well.

I love the Cranes. This is one of my favorite albums. It is ethereally beautiful and haunting. I highly recommend it!

A retreat into a dark inner world ... Alison Shaw's voice is haunting as always. The sound is harmonious ... soft yet energetic, dark yet safe ... there are lyrics, but the emotions this album evokes are far, far beyond words.

Yeah, this album brings back some real great memories for me. This music seemed perfect for the era and trime in my life that it was released. But enough nostalgia, what is great about this album is how well the music holds up. "Forever" is ethereal and moody and gentle and hard and creepy...all while retaining a very unified sound. It is a perfect album. The follow up to this release, "Loved" is also a great work worth getting. I would suggest purchasing them both with "Wings Of Joy". This is the Cranes at the height of their brilliance before the "Population 4" fiasco. For me, "Forever" will always remind me of the dark, exciting, romantic (in the grand sense) days of my college years. It will always remain the perfect soundtrack for that moment of time.

I love the Cranes. They've earned the rank of my all time favorite band. While their style has evolved significantly over the years, it's all quite good. I must admit I'm partial to their early gut-wrentching catharsis, as most evident on "Wings Of Joy" (God That's Good!)While this is still dreamy and dark, I would say it's their most beautiful. I read a magazine review once about the Crane's which said "sometimes beauty is a terrifying thing" This album is totally immersive and subliminal, and moves me in profound ways, but I feel it's particular beauty resides in it's relative accessibility...While "Wings of Joy" shares all these traits it doesn't gently push you to these highs of confronting one'spirit it unnerves you from the get go, forcing you to find it.

After listening to the CD for ages, I'm suprised and grateful for the extra track found here. It's as lush and georgeous as anything else on the original album. It's another great piece from the Cranes of a very fine vintage...Lovely!

Heard songs from the Cranes for the first time in college so I had this cd since it came out in the early 90's (1998 is a WRONG release date). Being that the two songs most played on the radio were Jewel and Everywhere, those are my favs off this album. Rainbow is ok, but a little depressing in melody. I keep those in a playlist I call "Chill" that tends to take the edge off rush hour traffic. I love her voice, and I think it's a situation where you love it or hate it. Been looking for later work from them since the local Best Buys don't tend to carry their stuff, so I'm anxious to see what they've been up to. With the acquisition of an iPod and auto hookup, I've been uploading old cds and had forgotten how much I liked this one. To find more music from 1994 in this genre, WBER keeps a list of their top 100 from every year. I think that was the first year for the Cranes.

A little gem that shines bright. This album is what the Cranes are all about. Soft 'little-girl' voice with melodic beats and guitars. A rythmic journey that some times leaves you off the deep end, with single notes coming in from the darkness. Perfect for right before bed.