Hourglass

Athenaeum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Athenaeum
• ASIN: B00006EXJZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,259 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lacy

2. On Her Way

3. I Don't Wanna Be The One

4. Walk Away

5. Young Again

6. One Day At A Time

7. Family Tree

8. Banana

9. If Baby's Gone (Demo)

10. If You Want Me To

11. Sweeter Love (Demo)

12. Paragraph

13. Hourglass

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have CD if you're an Athenaeum fan, July 30, 2002

By 

fiveftsmall (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hourglass (Audio CD)

As it says on the CD cover this is "a collection of outtakes and rarities." But all of the songs seem to go together and make what feels like a complete CD. It includes the demo versions "If Baby's Gone" and "Sweeter Love" off of the self-titled album. Some songs were once bouncing around music download programs, and some have never been heard at all. All of them are awesome though. Favorites of mine include "On Her Way", "Family Tree," "Sweeter Love (demo)", "If You Want Me To", and "Hourglass." Here's a synopsis:

1. Lacy - once only on music download programs. It's slower, like something you would find on the Radiance album.
2. On Her Way - another song that you would think would be on Radiance. Another kind of slower paced song.
3. I Don't Wanna Be The One - another slow one. But awesome. "...sometimes I can't believe that you were mine..."
4. Walk Away- a faster song, and really catchy.
5. Young Again- this song is slow, and kind of bluesy.
6. One Day At A Time- this is a slow, sweet song. aww. "Maybe we should take it one day at a time.."
7. Family Tree- a little faster...with cute lyrics.
8. Banana - named after the "ba na na.."'s in the song. This was another famous one on the music download programs.
9. If Baby's Gone (demo)- a bluesier version of the original.
10. If You Want Me To- "if you want me to...I will." awesome song.
11. Sweeter Love (demo) - this song is the sexiest song I have ever heard. And with the demo, it only gets better. Mark Kano's voice kills me.
12. Paragraph- apparentally, a pretty old song. Somehow, you can tell in Mark Kano's voice, that he recorded it quite a while back. The chorus sounds kind of like a country song.
13. Hourglass- a slower, more intimate song. It's not the kind of style I ever thought Athenaeum would go toward, but..wow.

Just buy the CD! It's only available in certain stores too, so buy it here while it's still available.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Farewell to an amazing band, August 15, 2004

By 

Dan Solera (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hourglass (Audio CD)

First off, Athenaeum is one of my favorite bands. This may come as a surprise because that means I'm placing it with the likes of Dream Theater, Rhapsody and Dave Matthews, musicians capable of highly complex musical arrangements. Although Athenaeum excels in musicianship, their songs don't have the same twists and turns that these three said bands have. Their songs are much more (for lack of a better word) simple.

But even so, I am inexplicably drawn to their simplicity, and in having done so, I connect with the sound in ways I cannot explain. It started with the first song on their self-titled album, "Suddenly". The harmonizing voices and whimsical guitars were enough to enamor me of the band and its intimate sound. And now they have released their third album, Hourglass, a compilation of previously recorded and unreleased material. As far as anyone goes, it's a new album, completely new material. So I give it a listen, hoping that it will be half as good as Athenaeum and their 1998 release Radiance.

No disappointment. None whatsoever.

Hourglass's catchy hooks made their way through my head just as Radiance kept me hypnotized for months. Besides being able to `hook' the listener, Athenaeum is also very capable of varying the speed at which they play their songs. The second track, "On Her Way", which is quite possibly one of the best songs the band has ever recorded, is much faster than the band's trademark tempo. At the same time, "I Don't Wanna Be the One" has a sound reminiscent to Hootie, like the kind of song you'll listen to on your front porch. And despite its name, "Banana", will have you singing along with Mark Kano, whose voice seems to fit absolutely every emotion.

I can't help but listen to them endlessly. It's the music I can't get tired of, and it seems to fit the moment no matter what you're doing. You can be remembering a memorable day, lost in a love-struck conundrum, or simply thinking of someone. The songs will find their way to the moment, they will live the moment with you, and you won't feel so alone anymore.

I love this band.

Recommendations: "On Her Way", "I Don't Wanna Be the One", "Walk Away", "Banana", "Hourglass"

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melodic music graced by flowing lyrics, December 12, 2002

By 

Blake Brundidge (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hourglass (Audio CD)

This group of songs really gets better the more time you give to it. It has beautiful subtleties in melody and the lyrics flow easily in relaxed ballads, such as Hourglass and If Baby's Gone. Just a great overall album.