I Before E

Carissa's Wierd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 9, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sad Robot Records
• ASIN: B00065GI4G
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,303 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Phantom Fireworks

2. Die

3. Blue Champagne Glass

4. Heather Rhodes

5. One Night Stand

6. Drunk With The Only Saints I Know

7. Brooke Daniels' Tiny Broken Fingers

8. Bathtile Green

9. September

10. Ignorant

11. Blankets Stare

12. Fluorescent Light

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great compilation, but originals are a must, November 19, 2004

By 

"scorpiolicious" - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Before E (Audio CD)

I am afraid of the Carissa's Wierd 'empire' beginning to resemble the whole Jeff Buckley situation. Keep sprewing out as much unreleased/live stuff as possible, no matter how bad or how poorly recorded (see Jeff Buckley - "Mystery White Boy"). Keep giving the fans more, as much as possible, to keep the memory of this amazing band alive. I really hope this does not happen with Carissa's.

Needless to say, this is a wonderful collection of live stuff (namely "Brooke Daniels' Tiny Broken Fingers" and "September"). They portray the band as is, and perfectly depict the amateur perfection that makes Carissa's Wierd the best indie band to exist today. The new tracks are wonderful - "Die" is a total gem, and perhaps the most rewarding track on the album.

This recording is essential for existing fans, but newcomers should move to other releases, with "Songs about Leaving" being the most accessible. Although Sad Robot plans to reissue "Ugly but Honest" and "You should be at home here", who knows when this will happen. Random original copies pop up on EBay once in a while but go for about $80US. Carissa's Wierd is a band that should NEVER be overlooked by anyone who's tastes are based in the ever-growing category that is indie rock. They are the best band you have not heard.

4.0 out of 5 stars Studio cuts before live hits, November 6, 2009

By 

Davewise (NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Before E (Audio CD)

This CD is worth getting to anyone unable to obtain the band's studio albums, anyone who truly loves their studio albums and needs more of their wonderful songs, and anyone who can find this CD at a decent price (say, under $50). When I purchased it, I fell into the middle group (and paid over $60 for it). Chances are if you're looking at this CD on Amazon, then you've probably heard of Carissa's Wierd before and know what their sound is like. If not, their music is beautiful low-fi indie rock, with a great mix of perfect melodies and classically-inspired instrumentation.

The first three songs are the previously unreleased studio cuts and are worth a lot on their own, particularly "Die". The remainder of the CD consists of live recordings of some of their best songs. Their live sound isn't all that different from their studio versions, although they have a bit more of a raw sound. The instrumentation and lyrics are the same, I haven't detected any noticeable deviations; granted, I tend to listen to the studio versions a lot more. As a result, it's a good substitute for those who can't find their first three studio albums. Out of the live songs, "Drunk With The Only Saints I Know" and "Brooke Daniels' Tiny Broken Fingers" are probably my favorites. The CD contains a little bit of the band talking with the audience to introduce a couple songs, but not much.