Customer Reviews

Green Hills of Earth

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

 

 

The recent announcement that the hips were going to hang up their boots as a band prompted me to write this review. For those of us lucky to have experienced the Hips live this announcement is greeted with heavy hearts. Quite simply the Mother Hips are a truly great American band that has/was neglected by the wasteland that is corporate formated radio. Though "Green Hills" is filled with songs that instantly jump out of the speakers at you such as, Smoke, Del Mar Station, it is an album that gets better with repeated listening. The Hips influences really prevented them from being pigeonholed...Yes there is alt-countryesque tunes on this album...There is also a smatering of rich tuneful Byrds/Brian Wilson harmonies. There is also a nice touch of psychedelia. I have always believed that this in an album that Lennon and McCartney would "get"....If this is the last Hips record they have left behind a true masterpiece (no hyperbole).....It is sad because of the total corporatization of American music a band like the Mother Hips can't breakthrough. Anyone who were lucky enough to see the Hips live know what a loss to the "do it yourself" music scene this will be. Great band. Great album. Buy this album you will not be disappointed!
To the Mother Hips...thanks for all of the great shows and great music! P.S. I saw them open for Wilco in Denver and the crowd loved 'em!

If you pride yourself on your ability to discover the best albums that slip under the national radar, this is an essential addition to your collection. If you love the Beatles, Marley, Zeppelin, the Dead, Townes Van Zandt you will love this band. They make good on the promise of so many bands of yesteryear who seemed to be part of a soulful rebirth in rock and roll after the flaccid 80's and instead were usually a corporate retread (that means you Blues Traveler, Big Head Todd, and the other bands from the HORDE tour a few years ago, which the Hips also appeared on.) The Mother Hips are the real deal, and their unabashed love for making glorious, honest music is something that simply isn't seen in today's music landscape. They have dropped most of their hippie leanings for streamlined, powerful songwriting and instrumentation, making this record a real case of ear candy, but all the while feeling completely warm and organic. This is one of those albums that comes out of left field and immediately becomes essential to you. I don't know how this band has gone unnoticed, but don't be surprised if they seriously change the way people see the music scene today. It is real, raw, sensual and rockin. Lots of guitars and melodies and, for the first time in years, I am actually listening to the lyrics. A true sonic and emotional journey, it made even my black heart melt. And it's like $11? Damn, buy it.

While The Mother Hips have been rocking the west coast for over a decade, this will undoubtedly be the album that brings them to the rest of the world. From sweet sounding numbers like "Sarah Bellum" and "Take Us Out" to the groovy "Such a Thing" and on to the unbelievable rock of "Rich Little Girl" and "Smoke," this album has it all. It may not be the Hips best album, but it is by far their most diverse and it could become a huge hit.

This has to be one of my favorite all-time albums and is definitley the best release of 2001. Opening with an addictive invitation to join in a fantastic music journey the album holds its promise to the very last note. I still can't take Green Hills of Earth out of my 5-disc changer!

Whether or not this album becomes well-known around the world, one thing is clear -- Green Hills of Earth is an authentic masterpiece that I will treasure for many years to come. If you are a fan of great music this album is a must have...

Although the Mother Hips are not your typical indie rock band, they are lurking under the huge blanket corporate rock has placed on radio dominance and mass promotion. Robert Plant once said recently that "mistakes rarely happen in the recording industry" referring to the unlikeliness of a band slipping through the cracks and making it big without the aid of a major record label. The Mother Hips may be one of those bands. Through their 11 year existence the Mother Hips have honed their ability to produce an album which accentuates their unique sweet sound. I highly recommend you get your hands on this album before the major labels do.