Customer Reviews

Gerald Collier

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

 

 

Yes, I adore this album and most anything Gerald Collier or Best Kissers in the World I can get my hands on.

But don't listen to this album unless you area in a "good place" or you might find yourself wanting to end it all.

In the early 90's, Gerald Collier led a criminally overlooked band called Best Kissers in the World. Even then, he was writing some of the catchiest songs you've never heard with lyrics that were equal parts heart-on-sleeve and twisted wisecrack. A sample lyric: "I wish I had kept a list of all the funny things that you said to me/ Like 'I can quit any time I want to'/ And 'I guess you're gonna have to trust me...'/ Thanks a lot, che sera, sera" Now, in his solo guise, Collier continues to write the stuff that underground legends are made of. Whereas with BKITW, his songs were played at Ramones-y tempos, now he prefers to play the part of the wisest drunk at the bar (kind of like Neil Young at his most lonesome). This self-entitled second album takes Collier's heartache and puts some soft, moodlighting on it. The results are nothing less than classic. From the opening "Dark Days" ("Somehow it's my fault you have no dreams..."), to the self-slaying "Don't Discard Me" ("Don't believe everything you hear/ 'Cause you're gonna hear everything...you know I'm not a good time at all"), Collier and his excellent support cast deliver the emotional goods every time; always a half-step away from being corny and a quarter-step from summing up the meaning of life. He sings "I'm holding up my end/ Of the bar again..." and you feel like joining him for a glass of whatever he's been having for eight inspired years now.

This is an album that presents real life in a beautiful and simple setting. You can hear the joy and the pain, as Gerald's voice goes from sweet to scratchy, and the music goes from just his guitar to full band. It's very basic, the lyrics and Gerald's voice carry the album, with a backing band filled with pedal steel, drums and bass. You don't really need anything else - the power is in what he as to say and how he says it. Anyone who listens to this should be able to find at least one song they can completely identify with, if not more. These are songs that can help soothe your pain, because you know someone else has been there and felt it too. Enjoy!

As the first reviewer of GC(superstar) i feel obligated to say more. If anyone (like me or Lindsay Tod) has a thing for lyrics that are poetic and voices that soothe.. lyrics---- "Do dark days make you sad... do you long for what you had way before my time... some how its my fault you have no dreams... and youre mad at me" 2 - don't kiss her on the neck because it reminds her of her father... its the diamonds in the rough that are tossed away like granite...no body should have to be whored out this way...every day." 3. "can you see me now? am i close enough 2u yet, or have you forgotten all about me now.. God takes everyone except the ones he should, and he should have left you alone"4-"the women R all attractive, after surgery" 5"Its days like this that drive me to drink, cause its better than drinking alone..when you dont come over i find it hard to come home"DO YOU GET THE POINT? out.

March 1998, Seattle WA, a friend says come up the road with me and hear this guy Gerald Collier, he is something else. That was the day this album came out. We drove the 45 minutes up the road, all the while listening to this album, it turned out to be the greatest musical decision I have ever made. Buy this album, only if you like real music from a real artist. Make no mistake, these are not light pretty songs, this is gritty, emotional, at times painful music, done in a beautiful style. If you get a chance to see him live, do not pass it up. Gerald is a star, the ONLY real writer of great music I have heard in years.

Sorry I can't jump on either of the bandwagons below. This isn't a 5-star effort, and it sure isn't a 1-star, either. I'll make this short:

"Fearless," "Hell Has Frozen Over," and "Wings You Can Rely On" are awesome. Nearly brilliant. The rest? It's okay, I guess <shrugs shoulders.> Is it worth buying? In my world, 3 good tracks is a goldmine. Let's keep Gerald in his smokes...

Time to nip it in the bud. There are few artists I simply can't stand (I mean, anyone who takes a stab at music deserves some respect), but Collier is one of 'em. Best Kissers tanked, so he heard about the No Depression thing and went out and bought himself a nice, new shiny white cowboy hat. A harsh thing to say? Maybe, but this disc is so cliche, it seems to be the only explanation. The lyrics are clunky at best, the melodies are tired. I tried to get into this disc, I really did, but it's an absolute snooze. (Note: Live, he's even worse.) Trust me: Save your dough, and buy some of the CDs Collier is so obviously stealing from: Willie Nelson's The Red-Headed Stranger, Wilco's Being There, anything by The Replacements, etc. Maybe I got this guy pegged all wrong, but something tells me I'm right on the money.