Holy Pictures

David Holmes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mercury
• ASIN: B001CD9K5U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,648 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

'The Holy Pictures' is an album whose incubation has lasted almost the entire length of Holmes' career. To cut straight to Holmes own words, The story of this album really began on the 4th of August 1996, when my mother, Sarah Holmes, passed away. I had always wanted to make a record about my life in Belfast and all the things attached to that family, friends, loss, love and starting a family of my own. All the stuff that shapes the person you become. Personal themes as a basis for creative work proved to be challenging though, hence The Holy Pictures brewing for a period of over a decade while Holmes carried on with his eclectic and productive career to date. In terms of its musical direction, The Holy Pictures shares with Holmes other work a rich and idiosyncratic fusion of influences. The first single, I Heard Wonders, (which will be released with a remix by Andrew Weatherall amongst others) calls to mind The Velvet Underground, Blondie and La Düsseldorf. David teamed up with Martin Rev from Suicide to write the lyrics for this track. Threaded through the rest of the album are myriad other influences from the Jesus and Mary Chain on Story of the Ink, through the Soft Machine and the Beach Boys on Melanie and Hey Maggy, to Daniel Johnson and early Eno and Lanois on the beautifully haunting track The Ballad of Sarah and Jack. As well as Rev, The Holy Pictures features collaborations with Leo Abrahams and Jon Hopkins. The album was recorded in Belfast, which, given its themes, seems only fitting. Universal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get The "Pictures", October 16, 2008

By 

J. Rick (SoCal) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Holy Pictures (Audio CD)

David Holmes first release under his own name in at least five years doesn't disappoint. Not the dark and introspective vanity project that you might suspect, The Holy Pictures is, in fact, a strong and uplifting collection, featuring the smooth production that anyone familiar with Holmes' music would expect, along with hooks aplenty. It's also essentially a "Rock" record as opposed to Holmes' past excellent work in the DJ/Dance and Soundtrack genres. The opener, "I Heard Wonders," kicks the disc into gear with a driving beat, sweet surf guitar accents and Holmes' vocals reminiscent of Primal Scream or JAMC at their best. "Love Reign O'er Me" (fortunately not a cover of The Who classic of the same title) is another highlight. Instrumental tracks like "The Story Of The Ink" and "Melanie" are among the finest of Holmes' career. It's strange that The Holy Pictures is flying a little bit beneath the radar since its release a month or so ago. It definitely deserves an American release (as does Primal Scream's latest, Beautiful Future). The Holy Pictures is an import worth springing for.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars holy pictures, March 31, 2009

By 

M. Kurzweil (Orland Park, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Holy Pictures (Audio CD)

overall this is a great album. I just had it for a few days and have listened to it maybe a dozen times already. My favorite track is The Story of the Ink. The other songs a good too, but that one sticks out a little more. And Holmes sings on this album, which I don't remember on any previous albums. He sounds like the singer that sang 'Nicotine' for Deep Dish. If you're a David Holmes fan, you'll probably like this

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but a little disappointing., August 4, 2009

By 

S. Sagheb "Stepf Sagheb" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Holy Pictures (Audio CD)

I loved "Come Get It I Got It" and "Let's Get Killed." This album is different in scope from those, and it took a few listens for me to get into it. Rather than the jazzy/loungy/dj mixup of "Let's Get Killed" or the groovy 60s feel of "Come Get It I Got It," this album is a guitar-driven romp that reflects some of Moby's more rock moments crossed with the Dandy Warhols. A good solid album, but not what I was expecting.