Customer Reviews

Fuzzy (Reis) (Dig)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As much as i love the original album i must say this ain't it.

Back in 1993 i found a used promo of "Fuzzy", checked it out and purchased a minute later.
Over the years the disc has been replaced for various reasons (one was given to an ex girlfriend, another played to death prompting me to buy a third copy late last year).

Last week - hey! - i discovered a reissue and was thrilled to hear the 2007 edition AND read the "liner notes written by Grant Lee Phillips himself" (as opposed to the other Grant Lee Phillips??)

The original intent was to sum up my review in one sentence:
"Great, always wanted to hear the inferior version of one of my favorite albums".

Yeah that's childish...however true.

As the magnificent opener "The Shining Hour" came to a close i was quite happy with this reissue. Slightly more vibrant, drums clearer sounding but not too much high-end which is a problem with most "Newly Re-Somethings..".

So we're good and now "Jupiter & Teardrop" should come stomping in and...and... and no because "Shining Hour" has not yet finished as a new section has been sloppily pasted to the end.

WHAT!?!
Well kids, that's why we have liner notes.

Woops, the liner notes are but one vague paragraph as Grant Hisself offers up the geography of the recording sessions or whatever else i skimmed through. Curious there's no mention of "By the way, this is not the album you have been buying since 1993" but i guess i just have to be crazy.

Perhaps this is the original version? Has the curtain finally been pulled back to reveal the rejected mix? If so then lemme go on record as saying for once a record company actually made the proper decision.

One example is how Grant awkwardly moves into the first chorus of the song "Fuzzy".
As a songwriter i understand though it simply does not work as well as the 1993 version.

My next thought: "please tell me you did not screw up 'The Hook'".
Well that one's safe because you really CANNOT improve on perfection.

OK Kids, check out the clip of "Grace" from the reissue then scroll down to the same song listed as Audio CD 7/30/96.


i am sure ego, politics and a few thousand arguments (probably dating back to '92) are reason enough to release these (inferior) versions but under the guise of the original (same packaging aside from those extensive liner notes)this is all a bit "fuzzy" to say the least.

In any case the material is superb and alt. mixes can not detract from the original spark of what is a masterpiece.

It is painfully obvious this should have been a double-disc package.
A few dollars more and we all would have gained so much.
And why should i be the one telling you this?
rb

this album is in my opnion the best grant lee buffalo album out there. it's pure americana folk rock that reaches to your spine. grant lee philips has the best voice i've ever heard, surpassing jeff buckley. how can this guy give it only three stars? it deserves as many stars as the night sky, and more.

'Fuzzy' is an album that winds the bittersweet nostalgia of a faded, yellowed American flag with incredibly intelligent songwriting. Not a single song on this album is disappointing: some really rock, some tug at your soul, some are clever enough to make you laugh out loud...Buy this album if you are a true fan of good, honest music.

I'll be brief, Grant lee Buffalo is the f*cking greatest. It all started here with this masterpiece of an album and just blew the hell up. I listen to this and get angered that people would rather listen to BAckstreet Boyz then this fine album. Oh well, what can I say...most people are complete morons. Save the human race, listen to GRANT LEE BUFFALO!

"Fuzzy" is a powerful debut for Grant Lee Buffalo. It manages to be one of those rare albums in which each successive hearing brings out moods and depth that make the songs seem brand new all over again. The highlights are the 3-song suite of "Fuzzy," "Wish You Well," and "The Hook," each of which aches to the bone as deeply as the saddest lovesongs. But the focus of the album is its confident versatility and its panoramic lyrical landscapes. Each song is like a short movie, reminiscient in lyrical style to Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush." I strongly recommend this album to anybody, whether your tastes run to hard rock, country, folk, or alternative.

Fuzzy takes me back to when I was 16 and the title track was in semi-regular rotation on MTV Europe. I bought this re-issue knowing little of the band's ouevre beyond that title tune, and I've not been disappointed. There's kind-of an alt-country vibe before the fact here, mixed with the odd feedback freakout, to create a sound that, while original, reminds me a lot of American Music Club. Some of the melodies aren't that sticky, but it's by-and-large a great-sounding album.

Can't add anything more to what has already been said by the reviewers below. This is a great band. You can here some of their influences but at the same time they sound like nobody else. A truly unique band of this era.Phillips' voice is powerful and emotive, the groups' sound huanting, somber, exhilerating and relaxing. A fine deut.

and still my favourite by Grant-Lee Phillips. If you like this artist and don't have this CD it's a no brainer. You could say it makes me feel warm and...

If you like Buffalo's current hit single, "Truly", you will fall in love with this melodic juxtaposition of emotional outbursts and soothing comentaries. Each title is a novelette, some with very dark overtones. The deep, modulating lead vocals are imeasurably seductive. I believe it to be best travel CD of all time, as it dominated my entire musical collection during my four month sojourn abroad. I give this, the Buffalo masterpiece, a 5 star plus rating.

Each song is a screenplay. Please listen to "Fuzzy", even if you have given up on modern music altogether.