Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
TOFOG Shows Promise, October 3, 2002
By A Customer
I was so impressed by TOFOG's live L.A. show in August 2001 that I couldn't pass up buying "Gaslight" when I saw it was available for purchase after the concert. I discovered that this band is much stronger on stage than "Bastard Life or Clarity" suggested.Although "Gaslight" is not the greatest album, there are some gems, namely "Circus," "Oblique Is My Love," "What's Her Name," "Eternity," and two unlisted bonus tracks, "Castle Builder" and "Danielle." Then there are "She's Not Impressed," "David," and "What You Want Me To Forget?", admittedly weaker songs that I nevertheless like, partly because I can still picture them being performed more than a year after the concert. Owning both "BLOC" and "Gaslight," I have to say my frustration with Crowe's vocals is that he sometimes (surprisingly) "holds back" in the studio recordings. (A notable exception is "Things Have Got to Change," a *great* song from "BLOC" and my personal favorite.) That's why I think "Oblique Is My Love" and "What's Her Name" are two of their best songs; they are live recordings that show their strengths as a band. Overall, I enjoy TOFOG's music. They have a good sound and seem to have a good time making music together, which is always a treat. Even though they are a much better band live than the weaknesses in their albums might suggest, I'd still recommend giving their music a try.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rough and ready, Russel ROCKS!, April 17, 2003
I first purchased Bastard Life or Clarity, and I was hooked. GASLIGHT is a previous CD, and has two tracks that were re-recorded in studio for BLOC. This is Aussie folk-ROCK, which is all about storytelling, and Russell can really tell a story! 'Circus' is a mellow and pleasant piece; 'You Treat Me Like Chocolate..."something you shouldn't touch between meals....instead of having at it...." is a slightly mournful plea to a lover. 'Oblique is My Love' and 'what's Her Name' are harder rocking bits with a great beat. "it's a wonder that I get any sleep....I ache for more of--what's her name".
'The Legend of Barry Kable is a fabulous live recording, great story. I can't decide if I like this or the studio version better, so I keep listening to both! This song alone is worth buying the CD for. 'What You Want Me To Forget' and 'Nowhere' are catchy rock tunes, the latter with a bit of rap thrown in (somehow it works); 'Wendy' is a terrific story about a single mom "she's got no husband, but who cares...she can find a man--any time she wants one. Don't you put her down, she tried to do it right, but sometimes things don't come out quite...the way we plan them......" Great lyrics, 'Wendy' was rerecorded for BLOC, its a bit rougher but more heartfelt here. There's an annoying 6 minutes of silence on the CD between this song and the next 3 "bonus" (unlisted) tracks, which are all decent songs, if not terribly special. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing Bastard Life Or Clarity along with this CD.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Singing Crowe, September 5, 2002
Loved the live stuff....made me want to rush out and see TOFOG live..sounds like they put on an awesome show...Seems that Mr. Crowe can rock the house too.
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