Customer Reviews

How I Quit Smoking

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

 

 

After the dramatic and (comparatively) upfront debut I Hope You're Sitting Down showed a remarkable combination of satirical lyrics and oddly beautiful folk music, Kurt Wagner and company moved much further down on the follow-up "How I Quit Smoking".

At first, "How I Quit Smoking" might appear to be merely badly played orchestral music that has no emotional effect on a listener whatsoever. The instruments that back the sparse folk-rock band that Kurt Wagner and company assembled appear indeed to float in and out of the mix at random from Kurt Wagner's first soft and hard-to-hear vocal on "For Which We Are Truly Thankful". Whilst the sparse beauty of this is undeniable and its emotion unique, it is only on the fifth track "Life's Little Tragedy", that we see the manner in which Kurt Wagner's eccentric chamber-folk has become a vehicle for what is not beautiful romance. Rather, the music serves as a perfect concealment to biting social commentary. Yet, unlike political punk bands, Lambchop's music has all the intimacy and folk group should: Kurt Wagner always is singing to the everyday person rather than just his fans.

The psychedelic, horn-laden "The Militant" is where "How I Quit Smoking" really takes off. The electric guitar is so soft and dense as to be a lurking complement to Wagner's lyric "he's directing his misinterpretation" and "any order, KKK". Even when one does not understand Kurt, it is clear to whom he is speaking. The discordant "All Smiles And Mariachi" showed Kurt to be actually capable of singing with real emotion behind a lurking drumbeat and guitar, whilst "The Scary Caroler" and "Smuckers" showed Wagner able to (like Shame MacGowan before him) use the most appropriate instrumentation to convey the truth behind the lives and wishes of the working class.

The second version of "The Militant" (track #10) is true druggy psychedelia that shows Kurt Wagner to be able to get angry seriously. The electric guitar on this version is remarkbly tuneful and the horns honk like few other albums, but still Lambchop managed to play as a unit like no other band. Deanna Varagona's plaintive voice here is an amazing contrast to the electric guitar, and this combination is seen again in a chilling manner on the chorus of "Garf". The closer "Again" strips "How I Quit Smoking" to its essence with a short instrumental consisting purely of strings.

Though this beautiful yet chilling album defies all notions of accessibility, it should prove, like Lambchop's unique 1994 debut I Hope You're Sitting Down to be one of the most rewarding purchases among 1990s music.

It's taken me 10 years after hearing 'the man who loved beer' to finally pick up this album. I've always loved the comtemporary music with an earthy american feel or 'alt-country' as its sometimes pigeonholed this includes great bands such as Uncle Tupelo, Calexico, Drive by Truckers, Jayhawks, Whiskeytown. Lambchop belong in this company, on the more laid back side, but no less essential for this.

It doesnt work immediatly, but then the best music never does. Once you are drawn into the atmospheric and laid back mood it takes you over. There is some fine songwriting and musicanship in there, and tracks like 'The scary Caroler' and 'The Man Who Loved Beer' are the real standouts.

4 stars - Don't want to bring the average down, but you can't give everything five stars.

Many bands require several albums to hone a distinctive sound. This fringe-country troupe, led by guitarist/singer Kurt Wagner, came out of the box fully developed--quiet back-porch melodies punctuated with jarring explosions of percussion, subtle steel guitar and trumpet, and soft-spoken vocals. On How I Quit Smoking (the bands second release) Wagner pumps the volume down even further. Musically, for the most part, quite normal sounding but the lyrics paint a different picture--demented character sketches dealing with all sort of obsessions. This is the band's most fully realized release--my biggest complaint about Lambchop is that some of the songs start to sound alike. Here there is a lot of variety. Compared to their entire catalog, this CD could be known as Lambchop's "psychedelic album." Great songs abound from start to finish, especially We Never Argue, All Smiles and Mariachi, Suzieju, Smuckers, and the stunning The Scarey Caroler. Absolutely essential.

I like chilled music and they don't come much more mellow than Lambchop! I first heard "the man who loved beer" about 4/5 years ago onthe radio and had to buy the album. It took me a while but I found it and was not disappointed by the rest of the tracks. Music to smoke to, and you don't have to like or listen to country to appreciate it as its much, much more than that. Just listen to it, see for yourself.(apparently in top 100 country albums of all time?)

The greatest record Lambchop has released. Togheter with "Is A Woman"
this stands out as their finest achievement. It's an album that doesn't
wear out, and Nashville Soul has never sounded as beautiful, spooky or
elusive as this.

As a whole I think it's superior to "Is A Woman". Lambchop were 16 members
strong when they recorded it, and all the players contribute with moments
of brilliance. A lot of these arrangements are so gorgeous and ingenious
they could soundtrack magic.

It doesn't make much sense to review this record, because it's something to appreciate when you have the time to really get into the atmosphere of it. I think all songs are superb miniature musical stories, with great instruments. Just check it out, who needs my opinion?