The Freed Man [EXTRA TRACKS]

Sebadoh

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 2007)
• Original Release Date: September 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Domino
• ASIN: B000RGSOP0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #157,781 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The first Sebadoh album feels like a prized artifact from an era when a couple of emotionally wracked college kids could lock themselves in the bathroom with a guitar, drums, and four-track recorder and emerge a few hours later with something truly revolutionary. With 52 tracks crammed in just over an hour, this deluxe reissue of The Freed Man--originally released on cassette tape in 1988 for $1--captures everything that made Lou Barlow and Eric Gaffney progenitors of a lo-fi movement that inspired countless other maverick musicians from Kurt Cobain to Beck. Matching tongue-tied folk confessionals with unruly punk noise and primitive samples, it doesn't really give a good indication of the sharply conceptual work that would follow so much as offer an invaluable insight into the inner workings of one of the most important acts of the DIY era. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description
"The Freed Man" was one of the first and most crucial releases in the burgeoning lo-fi movement, which would peak in media attention in the mid-90s with the success of Beck, Guided By Voices, and Pavement. But while it helped inspire and define a global movement, there's little trace of that ambition within these tracks. Sebadoh in this incarnation are a cherishably intimate experience. The 70-odd minutes of wayward brilliance collected here offer the listener a rare and recommended opportunity to transport themselves to the weed-hazed bedroom where these scraps, songs, and pranks were recorded, to imbibe deeply of the haywire creativity that went on in these sessions. This deluxe edition re-issue has been re-mastered and includes a whopping 52 tracks on a single disc, including many that haven't seen the light of day until now. Liner notes by Lou Barlow and Eric Gafney.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How is this "The Freed Man"?, July 31, 2007

By	Andrew Kruczek (Dearborn, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A lot of good memories are associated with Sebadoh's "The Freed Man." I used to play my LP copy a lot during high school about 10 years ago. It was totally inspirational for me recording with my own four-track at home. Luckily back then, I was able to find a copy on cassette just in case something happened to the vinyl. It's low-quality stuff (audio-wise), but it has a nice feel to it.. not only do-it-yourself, but you-too-can-do-this. Even today, playing these songs makes me want to dust off the four-track all over again.

However, this reissue from Domino Records, assembled by Eric and Lou, doesn't have "The Freed Man" resembling what we're used to. It had 32 songs. They cut out "Careless Mind Hands," "Growing up with You," "Burning Out," "Why Do you Cut off your Sleeves?" and "Mothra." The fun between-song transitions we've grown to love are mixed all over the place. Some are totally missing.. some in new places.. Some of the remaining songs are alternate recordings, some slightly longer mixes. Then they added 25 rarities, some of which are very welcome, like the rare 7"'s from the time period. (Though not all the songs from those are included either.) All these 52 tracks are thrown together in a type of random-shuffle mode that bares no resemblance to the original LP running order. It would have been nice just to put the original 32-track album first, then the rest as bonus tracks, instead of this revisionist history.

That being said, the 79 minutes here just fly by, and you're caught up again in Lou and Eric's lo-fi tapes of the late 80's. The sound quality is actually quite improved. Much better than before, with a lot of tape hiss removed. It's a solid document of the time period.. I just wish they wouldn't call it "The Freed Man." It includes most of those songs, but if you have a spot in your heart for these recordings like I do, then don't throw out your Homestead vinyls and tapes when you pick this up.