Greatest Palace Music

Bonnie Prince Billy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Drag City
• ASIN: B0001KL50S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,601 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Greatest Palace Music appears to be a strangely-packaged greatest-hits collection, stuffed nicely some of the most affecting songs Will Oldham's penned, "Ohio River Boat Song" and "Horses" among them. But while his own fan club picked these songs, here they've been wholly re-recorded by Oldham under his currently-preferred moniker Bonnie Prince Billy (though he continues to record under his own name when he feels like it) since retiring the Palace name and its permutations in the late 1990s. Sings was cut in a fancy Nashville studio, with a host of wizened session pros including pianist Hargus "Pig" Robbins and bluegrass fiddler Stuart Duncan. Each song has layers of fiddle, pedal steel, vibes, vocals, even saxophone. You'd sooner have expected an electronic album from Oldham than this--none of it appears to have been played by a drunk indie-rocker. A few of the arrangements are almost Branson/ Mandrell-ish and seem like a put-on at first (witness the off-Broadway gospel backup vocals on "Pushkin.") But with a few listens, the album's adult genius is clear. Here are intriguing, laidback versions of a master songwriter's best songs, sung in his most assured voice yet. Is it some bizarre, ironic in-joke? Who cares, when the result sounds this great? --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, April 19, 2004

By 

John (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest Palace Music (Audio CD)

I love this disc. Different from other reviewers who seem to know BPB's former works well, I do not--and therefore had no expections. I just think his voice is fantasticly rich, his lyrics very thought-provoking and his musicianship stunning. Mind you, I enjoy the Nashville sound-- and this disc does the genre well conjuring a haunting and beautiful sound without the bleek depression. If you like country, you'll love this. If you're taken by all BPB's other stuff, this may require an adjustment. For my taste, this music fits wonderfully in my livingroom on a regular basis.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you wait another day, it's NOT okay, March 31, 2004

By 

Tim Ruesink "fael569" (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest Palace Music (Audio CD)

I have fallen in love with this album, from the first tone to the last. Oldham is a genius. Where his previous work made me feel bittersweet or melancholic, this album with the 'same' songs makes me happy all day long. Very rich, very nice. A perfect CD to start this summer. Oh, and Will proves he CAN sing!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting Take, May 20, 2004

By 

Danny Champagne (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest Palace Music (Audio CD)

This album is one of the most interesting takes that i've ever heard a performer take on his/her own songs. i love will oldham's work. he writes some of the most haunting, saddening songs ever. just beautiful folk music. now this album takes some of his best songs and turns them into traditional country songs. most of these songs originally use minimal instruments and the recordings are very low-fi. now this recording he uses traditional country instruments and the recording sounds very produced. this gives these songs a completely different feel. the original recordings are sad and simple. now they sound ornate and upbeat. these songs sound like they are completely different from their original recordings and this is a good thing. though they are not better than the originals, they give a new perspective that is nearly just as interesting to hear. if you want to hear will oldham for the first time i suggest "days of the wake," "lost blues," or "i see a darkness" (actually anything he's ever produced). if you already know will oldham and want to hear a new perspective on him, pick this album up with an open mind. it's different from anything else he's done, but definitely worth the purchase.