Gentleman'S Blues

Cracker, ????? | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 29, 2011)
• Original Release Date: August 25, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol Music
• ASIN: B000009RNB
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,449 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Beware the cry of critics everywhere: Cracker have run out of material. But hold on, not so fast. On the fourth recording from this eclectic roots-pop quartet, frontman David Lowery may indeed address the topic of success, celebrity, and the life of a rock band (i.e., his life), but that's hardly saying he's at a loss for originality. With characteristic irony, these 16 songs sprawl across a landscape of misbegotten fame, lost love, even religious faith. The opener, "The Good Life," is vintage Cracker, replete with throbbing percussion and frontier twang. From there, Gentleman's Blues undulates its way through the retro-Americana reminiscence "Been Around the World" and thrusts guitarist John Hickman on the mic for the bluegrassy "Trials and Tribulations" before finally settling into the irresistibly tender strains of the title track. That kind of Cracker soul will never grow old. --Nick Heil

Product Description

Gentleman'S Blues by Cracker

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars too much emphasis on imports, January 24, 2000

By 

jonathan slack - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentleman's Blues (+1 Bonus Track) (Audio CD)

This is an excellent cd, except for one detail. You can find the last "extra track" also on Kerosene Hat. If you let the cd to continue to play, this will be song nomber 89. There is no need to buy the import, as long as you own the other cd.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Incredible Journey, November 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentleman'S Blues (Audio CD)

You sure don't get cheated when you buy a Cracker album. Their 4th studio release features 17 songs and more than 73 minutes of music. And while more is not necessarily better, it is safe to say that any album that gives you 60 great minutes of music has to be forgiven the quarter hour of overkill. Cracker's music takes on many personallities, with three distinct styles vying for control on each album. There is good old fashioned alternative guitar rock; pop with a bit of an edge, mostly written by frontman Dave Lowery. Guitarist Hickman contributes a number of country/roots rock-flavored songs that sound nothing at all like Lowery's songs. It's like listening to two different albums, especially confusing because the order of the songs is usually Lowery, Hickman, Lowery, Hickman. The 3rd style is the one that sets Cracker apart from the pack of 90's guitar rockers. On each album, Lowery puts forth a couple of songs that are slow. I don't mean Celine Dion-type slow. I mean, ssslllooowww. These would be slow by slow blues standards, but they are extraordinary. On this album, the title track stands out. It is an intoxicating dirge that saps the life out of the listener, leaving you hypnotised and mesmerized and any other "ized" you can think of. These songs create an atmosphere that is so pervasive that you just want to stop and lie down and let it wash over you. Wonderful stuff.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Partial Rebound, March 2, 2003

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gentleman'S Blues (Audio CD)

Cracker's fourth album, "Gentlemen's Blues" is a marked improvement from their previous effort, even if it isn't quite on par with their first two records. The album contains the greatest diversity in sound the band had yet achieved and their Virginia roots shine through more than ever in their music (see: "James River" for details). Leader David Lowery has regained his deft sense of humor and longtime sideman Johnny Hickman comes up two of his best ever songs in "Wedding Day" and "Hold of Myself."

Other highlights from the album include the gorgeous "Lullabye," and the rocker "My Life is Totally Boring Without You" that is as close to a signature tune as Lowery can get. There's also some hidden material with a strong Blues bent, which is fitting of the whole album's more adventuresome style. It might be a tad overlong with a few bland songs, but it is nice to see Cracker back near the top of their game.

Overall, a mini-comeback album from Virginia's best known rock band.