Customer Reviews

If I Had Known: Essential Recordings Vol. 1, 1980-1996

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Living as I do in the UK, I've never had the chance to see Greg Brown 'live', so I was keen to get this DVD and CD combination. The DVD is very interesting. Greg, who comes across as very warm and intelligent, is interviewed throughout, and there are 'live' performances and nice scenes with Greg's folks back in his home town of Hacklebarney. You really get a feel for where 'Greg Brown' came from, and where he still is in a way, something that must be the key to his success and longevity as an artist. He's unspoiled.
The CD is crammed full of some of Greg's greatest songs from the past few years. They need a bit of listening to before you realise just how good they are, but instantly obvious is Greg's unique style and the humour in his unique voice. What's interesting, seeing the background in the DVD, is how he has kept to his roots while at the same time creating music that's universal and whose themes go beyond the 'down home'. This is really well worth getting.

You can't call the songs "greatest hits;" Greg Brown isn't the kind of artist who has had or even wants pop hits. You can't call them his "best songs;" there's no agreement on what song is best, other than perhaps the last song you heard him perform. So I will settle for calling this a retrospective, a look backwards across twenty plus albums over twenty plus years. It's imprecise, but close.

It's equally hard to characterize Brown's song writing. There are elements of gospel - he's the son of a fundamentalist minister - and blues, a lot of traditional American folk music, but the mix is peculiarly Brown's own. The style has evolved over the years, as this album demonstrates. What's consistent is the use of specific images, sometimes apparently unrelated images, to make broader, allusive messages. His music is deceptively simple, even catchy, but it never leaves you feeling manipulated.

His musicianship is fine, but there are lots of fine musicians. What sets Greg Brown apart as a performer is his voice, which ranges from a baritone to a gravelly bass. There are very few folk artists who can use their voice as the bass line in their songs. His voice is remarkable, and he uses it intelligently, adding layers of meaning to songs.

If you are new to Greg Brown, this is a terrific introduction. If you are already a fan, you may still want this album: some of the older songs benefit greatly from remastering, and sound much better here than they do on their original albums.

Strongly recommended.

Simple, honest music. This is a perfect CD/DVD to purchase to get to know Greg Brown and his music. The CD provides a nice variety of songs taken from some of his numerous albums. The DVD gives great background of his life, including interviews with friends and family members. The DVD also has some nice concert footage and reveals the nature of the man and his earthy, somewhat mischeivous background and outlook on life.

To those of you not in the know (and there are far more than there should be), roots legend Greg Brown popped out of the Iowa cornfields in the early eighties. Raised on roots music, Brown cut his teeth on the ecclectic scenes of Greenwich Village and Minneapolis before releasing a remarkable string of independent albums that continues, unbroken, to this day.
"If I Had Known" is not a summary of Brown's career. Indeed, it neglects his past six years of recording which were easily as fruitful as any other such period of his career. Instead,it is an attempt to bring the listener up to speed by exposing, as close as is possible, the incredibly diverse songwriting that Brown has contributed over the years.
From quirky bohemian rave-ups (Good Morning Coffee) to stark, Sprinsteenesque political-ballads (Our Little Town), "If I Had Known" is a primer on the Brown catalogue. But what this album does so nicely is what most greatest hits packages fail to do. It emphasizes what really matters in Brown's music: Love, humanity, family and a connection to "home"- whatever that means to you.
Between the cracks are songs of enormous heart and nostalgia "The Poet Game", "Hey Baby Hey," "Worrisome Years," and one of the best love songs of the last fifteen years "Spring Wind," to name a few.
This album is a rare treat: an overview of a widely overlooked and diverse artist to say the least, but more importantly, a collection of songs that will become like old friends: inspiring and affecting you in a way that will be undeniably your own.

An amazing girl I know recently played me the live version of "Spring Wind" and it, well... it blew me away. I had to hear more of this incredible artist. I enjoy listening to many other singer/songwriters: Bruce Cockburn, John Hiatt, Leonard Cohen, et al, but had never even heard of Greg Brown. His lyrics are soulfull and entertaining and his voice is deep and warm. I am also quite the audiophile and I'm *very* impressed with the recordings on this disc. Greg's voice is right there on center stage and the instrumentation and imaging are spot on; excellent job of remastering on this one. I highly recommend this CD to fans of the previous artists I mentioned and specifically to audiophiles who just like to sit and listen to beautifully recorded music. I haven't watched the DVD yet, but it's a great bonus to an already great CD!

Could Greg Brown be the best singer/songwriter-type of our generation? Who knows - make your cases for a lot of other people, but you can certainly make a case for this guy.

Brown's music is simple guitar-based, he's got a great smoky storytelling voice, lyrics are smart, songs are well-written, stories are funny at times and it makes you want to cry at times - basically it's just really good music...

This is a great way (and an affordable way) to get an introduction to Greg Brown's rather large collection of music.

I have several of Greg Brown's CD's, and I love every one of them. The thing that sets this one apart from the others is the DVD that accompanies it. I grew up in the midwest, and for me to be able to "see" his grandparents, who he sings about with such love, and to see where he grew up just makes me feel like I actually knew him! This DVD is full of interviews with family members and friends, Garrison Keillor included, and is well worth your money.
The CD offers many of Greg's really good songs. I cannot to this day drive through a small town without singing "Our Little Town" in my head.

Whether you are a current fan, or have never heard of Greg Brown, this is a must for your music collection!

The first two paragraphs have been used in other reviews of folk musician/singer/songwriter Greg Brown's work.

Greg Brown is a particular kind of folk singer who before I listened to his "Greg Brown-The Live One " album reviewed elsewhere in this space I had not really paid attention to since the days of my early youth when I listened intently to Woody Guthrie whose songs were seemingly forged from the very heart of Americana. As a child of the urban folk revival of the 1960's I got caught up in listening to the more political message songs provided by the likes of Bob Dylan or Phil Ochs. As a poet/singer/songwriter Greg has come out of the heartland of America, like Woody, in a fury to write and sing his tales of love, remembrance, tragedy, desperation and, on occasion, just pure whimsy. He is thus in very good company, and belongs there.

His songs evoke, under more modern conditions to be sure, the days gone by when the community spirit of small town life meant something. A strong bass voice grainy with the trials and tribulations of life lend authenticity to his words, as does strong guitar playing when necessary. Needless to say the variety of topics covered in his songs speak for themselves from Grandma's food cellars to vanishing Iowa family farms to sweaty nights of lovemaking entwined with the up and down battles of love and, of course, the ubiquitous bouts of fishing that gain more than a nod in his albums.

Outstanding here in this version of a "greatest hits" -style albums are: the title track "If I Had Known", "Canned Goods", "The Train Carrying Jimmy Rodgers Home", Where Is Maria", and the classic "The Poet Game". As always Greg is on top when singing about the seamy side of life, love and the mysteries of human existence out in the heartland.

Greg takes you back to simplier times and helps you appreciate what you know or should know.

The best.

I had owned this collection for some time and purchased it as a gift. The recipient was thrilled. It truly covers the indicated stretch of Greg Brown's long career and it's fun to see the evolution of his talent.