Customer Reviews

Human Condition

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Gary Bennett sounds better than ever on the new cd human condition. As a songwriter he is at the top of his game with songs like Human Condition,Heading Home,Aint Getting No younger,and My Illussion.

The musicians on the cd are some of my favourites. Kenny Vaughn is always amazing with Marty Stuart and shines just as bright here. Jimmy Lester is from Los Straightjackets and I wondered what he was up to now.

I have a feeling that this cd is going to take off. This is good music for people who like old rock, old country, rockabilly, and even new country.

Gary Bennett was the heart and soul of the most successful alt. country band of all time, Br5-49. They graced the cover of the legendary Billboard magazine before they even had a record deal. Allegedly, Timothy White saw the boys down their on Broadway playing for tips at Roberts. That night he told them as well as his co-editor that he was putting them on the cover of Billboard. The next morning.. after the alcohol wore off the co-editor asked Timothy if he was still puttin' them country boys on the cover of Billboard to which Timothy replied.. "yes".

So.. many tours with the likes of Bob Dylan, the Black Crowes, Brian Setzer, Merle Haggard, etc., and after four records with famed label Arista and one record in 2001 on Sony.. Gary Bennett left the band along with their bass player, "Smilin'" Jay McDowell. When Gary left he completely walked away from music and none of us in the Br5-49 community really knew what happened. The guy who wrote the best songs as well as half the songs and sang on half the songs, left the group. It completely destroyed the community and really broke it up. Apparently Gary took a job at Home Depot from what the latest article in No Depression stated. Then he went to managing the legendary Ernest Tubb Record Store in Nashville Tennessee. After a short period he was convinced to do a solo record by some excellent guys like Kenny Vaughan, Jimmy Lester, Mark Winchester, and R.S. Field . The result is an amazing collection of original songs and some of the best cover versions of other songs that I've ever heard. Gary's version of Bill Ray Reynolds' "Steel Ball" is out of this world! The music is something Merle Haggard would've done back in the 80's.. similar to the music on his best work "What Am I Gonna Do (with the rest of my life)", "Going Where the Lonely Go", and "Are the Good Times Really Over For Good".. the vocals Gary puts forth are similar to the Hag except done in Bennett's own style.

The rest of the record is just absolutely classic. It's one of those cds that you put in an instantly know it's special, magical, and classic. I haven't felt this way about an album since Ryan Adams' "Heartbreaker" and the first Br5-49 "phone" record. This is a true masterpiece and I'm highly enjoying it. While the current lineup of Br5-49 is consistently trying to find themselves musically and lyrically, Gary Bennett has proven that he knows who he is and thank God for that. From start to finish this is a journey, I encourage you to buy the cd and go on it yourself. It's an amazing collection of songs, folks.

THESE ARE SONGS.
YES INDIE ROCK RECORDS ARE GOOD AND YOU CAN GROOVE TO THEM BUT WITH A LOT OF INDIE ROCK AND A LOT OF MUSIC IN GENERAL THAT IS RELEASED THESE DAYS, THE SONGS ARE LACKING.

THIS IS THE FINEST COLLECTION OF SONGS RELEASED IN QUITE SOME PERIOD. THIS IS BENNETT SINGING AT HIS FINEST AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WRITING AT HIS FINEST. I PICKED THIS UP AFTER HEARING IT ON XM. I KNEW THE BR549 RECORDS BUT WASN'T EVER THAT IMPRESSED WITH THEM. I LIKED THEM, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT IT. AFTER HEARING CROSS COUNTRY SPIN THIS CD A BUNCH AND THE CD CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THEIR CHART, I BOUGHT THIS IMMEDIATELY.

I HIGHLY SUGGEST IT. AND AMAZON SHOULD PUT UP AN EDITORIAL REVIEW OF THIS CD BECAUSE THEY REVIEW A BUNCH OF HORRIBLE STUFF THAT SHOULDN'T BE REVIEWED, LIKE THE NEW VAN MORRISON RECORD WHICH IS GOD AWFUL. VAN MORRISON DOESN'T NEED AMAZON TO HELP SELL HIM RECORDS, ESPECIALLY SINCE HIS NEW RECORD IS A LOAD OF TRASH. THIS IS THE KIND OF RECORD THAT AMAZON SHOULD BE SUPPORTING AND TRYING TO PROMOTE THROUGH PUTTING UP EXCELLENT EDITORIAL REVIEWS.

SO, HOP TO IT AMAZON. THIS RECORD NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED CAUSE IT'S WAY TOO F'N GOOD TO GO IGNORED!!

PICK IT UP IF YOU LIKE SONGS AND GOOD MUSIC IN GENERAL. IF YOU DON'T LIKE GOOD MUSIC GO LISTEN TO JOHN TESH

Gary Bennett was great with BR549 and even better solo. I recommend everybody that is into Country and Rockabilly to get this cd.

I saw Gary perform in a small bar two days prior to getting my cd in the mail. I knew from the performance he put on that the album would be equally as amazing. He played songs off of the human condition album and made me very eager to have it and hear the other songs that he didn't play. Gary's voice on the album lets you hear the emotion that he puts into his songwriting. Every song on the album is true and tells the stories of life the way they were meant to be told. If you are wanting an album from an artist that pours his heart into his product than Gary Bennett's Human Condition album is the one you need to pick up.

If I was trying to sell a cd, I would at least post a track listing.

01 Human Condition
02 Headin' Home
03 Things That Mean A Lot To Me
04 Just Wanna Be With You
05 What I'm Here For
06 Ain't Gettin' No Younger
07 Steel Ball
08 Better Than This
09 My Illusion
10 Ship In A Bottle
11 What Turned Out To Be
12 American Dreamin'