Customer Reviews

Green Fields of Foreverland

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

 

 

This is enjoyable album, all 31 minutes of it, which is frankly the perfect length. Lovely background music to tea and cakes on a rainy day or having a nice little picnic with a shy friend. It's Winnie the Pooh music. And I mean that in the very best way.

I was underwhelmed the first time I heard it as, like others, I was somehow stupidly expecting Belle & Sebastian again (which, admittedly, this isn't THAT far from, philosophically speaking). But I'm listening to it right now and it's grown on me. It is simply a sweet CD.

Those negative reviews are, judging from their tone, written by people who get angry fairly easily. This album was clearly not made for that audience.

By the way, "Weathershow" really rocks!

I was honestly embarassed to read the negative reviews of this album. There is nothing not to love. Isobel is a beautiful artist full of songs which, while on the surface seem compositionally and lyrically simple, are truly completely relatable and beautiful in a simple way.

Maybe those who don't like the album can't relate to the album. There are Belle and Sebastian motifs running throughout this disc, but with a differnet (feminine) yet equally passive tone.

If "To Salt A Scar" and "Renew and Restore" aren't your taste, you must at least love the catchy pop of "Evensong" and "Weathershow".

For everyone looking to compare it to someone before, look at it for what it is.

The arrangements on The Green Fields of Foreverland are wonderfully sparse and lovingly played. They are clear and simple, a virtue that most bands could learn from. The playing is certainly amateur, but makes no effort to hide this and that is (mostly) charming. Most of the songs are very quiet and full of atmosphere.

The lyrics are lovely and poetic, occasionally funny. It's not navel-gazing stuff.

Really, I don't know how you could end up disliking this album. To be honest, it won't change your outlook on life any, but it is...well...a gentle, pleasant experice to listen to. Seeing Belle & Sebastian in concert, I wished that she would sing more, and now my request has been answered. So, If you are a B&S fan, walk at a leisurly pace to the music store (or your computer, I suppose), but definetly pick it up, because it is wonderful. And if you are not a B&S fan, what's your problem? Go buy their stuff, now!

i didnt like this album when i first heard it. i had ripped to to listen on my computer and shuffled amoung other songs. when it came on, it finally hit me. i enjoyed it so much. i think maybe if some of the negative reviews gave it a second, or even third, chance, it may grow on them. i would recommend it to a listener who wants to try something different. (btw, i heard this before b&s!)

also a note- if you dont like this album, or anything else here, would it be too much trouble to state it in an 'intelligent' manner? (...)

once more - four stars and i would recommend it for something different and wonderful. but like another review said, if you prefer you music loud and heavy then you may not like it. its safe to call this album 'airy'. but give it a shot, who knows? ;-)

The title of this review says it all, this is a very beautiful and thought provoking album. I believe that to truly appreciate this album you have to give it a chance, but if you do, you'll reap great rewards.

I was lucky enough to see the gentle Waves in concert for free (don't ask, it's a long story) before I had even heard any of their material. All I knew was that It was Isobel Campbell from Belle and Sebastian.

After enduring two 'Arty' films, the band cam on and performed a good, 'amateur' show. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mean that as a bad thing, It was, and is part of the charm of the Gentle Waves. The sort of meek and friendliness of the band is part of their persona.

Anyway, the album sounds pretty much as they do live, very folksy, with Isobel's whispy vocals oozing all over the songs.

Belle and Sebastian fans will like it. Fans of folk music will like it. Marilyn Manson fans may not find it their cup of tea.

I am baffled by the negative responses to this CD because it ranks as a favorite of mine. The lyrics are clasically-romantic and naive, but this is a bonus if you have the heart of a child. Isobel purposefully set these songs apart from Belle and Sebastian because they are a different style that should be cherished as a return to traditional folk ballads. Of course, modern and pessimistic ears aren't used to this shift in tone, but I love it.

But this soft and pretty album is a good purchase if you're a big fan of Belle & Sebastian. It features players from B&S, especially Isobel Campbell the singer, but is a far more simple sounding affair. I think "A Chapter in the Life of Mathiew" is far and away the best song of the cd and by itself warrants the purchase. It'll tide you over nicely 'til they re-release Tigermilk this summer.

This is a very enjoyable CD and a perfect way to end a day. Given the work with B & S it was going to be interesting to hear what this sounded like and I was pleasantly surprised with how different it sounds.