Customer Reviews

I've Seen Everything

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Best moments here rival the best in pop history. Essential album from the 90's. Shimmering waves of silver light wash across a pitch-black canvas. Ethereal and haunting like the most beautiful of dreams. Like visiting heaven with your ears. Highest recommendation possible.

The first time I heard this band I thought they sounded a bit bland but this CD has grown on me. TCS is a fine Scottish band with a rich, emotive style that's truly cathartic. The melodies are superb and they are matched with equally delightful lyrics (lots of coy wordplay). They remind me of Prefab Sprout by way of the Proclaimers. This was a solid debut album, though they didn't really hit their stride until "A Happy Pocket," their third, hard-to-find in the U.S. album.

While Cake remains high on my playlist, this is really a much more sophisticated CD. The rough edges are gone and TCS seem way more polished here.

TCS are definitely the best known of a group of bands (The Bible, Mexico 70, The Railway Children, Liberty Horses) that I would say are very similiar. All produced CDs that are rich, mellow and age well.

That being said, this CD merits a listen without the proverbial skip button. My favorite tracks are "Easy Read", "Hayfever", "Send for Henny" and "Earlies".

It's tough to rate TCS CDs, best to just get them all.

Frickin' genius. Don't buy this album if you don't like pefect melodies, stunning production, clever lyrics, and aural pleasure. From "I'm Immortal" to "Orange Fell" this album is perfect.

TCS are perpetual favories of mine... as the summary suggests, the songs on this album are wonderfully warm and, at imes, a little bit dark. You've got to really listen, though, for the latter, as the moodier lyrics are often veiled in catchy pop vocal hooks or ingeniously-layered guitar warmth. "Orange Fell" and "Earlies" are gentle faves, while "One at a Time" really rocks out (and listen here for those "hmmmm, what's THAT mean?" lyrics) and "I've Seen Everyhting" SHOULD have seen the top ten (if there were any musical justice in the world). These guys are the consumate musical perfectionists (I know, I've talked to them) and will NOT dissapoint.

TCS' second album is a masterpiece. While their first album is great, "I've Seen Everything" shows even stronger songwriting and no reliance on fancy production techniques. Don't get me wrong, the production here is pristine, sparkling, and inventive, but omits the hazy washes of sound from the first album. As for the songwriting, every song is great, wonderful pop hooks and quality lyrics. The songs build organically and don't always go with the standard verse-chorus etc. form. If you like great British guitar pop from the late '80s/early '90s (think Railway Children, House of Love, etc.), you will enjoy this album.

Since I bought this album in 1993 when it came out, I have learned to appreciate many other forms of music other than pop/rock (formost among them Jazz), but I still listen to this album on a regular basis. No other album has come close to 6 years of longevity in my music collection (I'm surprised that the disc still plays!) This deep and contemplative music has a reminiscent quality about it that the listener cannot escape - the mood, textures, and lyrics continue to have relevance as years go by. Both the lyrics and the music can be taken on both a simple and complex level; the astute listner will rewarded with every perusal, and the casual listner will drift away into a fantasy. "I've Seen Everything" is sometimes charming, sometimes disturbing, and usually somewhere inbetween, but always downright brilliant.

Who knows why a certain disc can grab your attention and never let go? "I've Seen Everything" is my favorite cd of the 1990's (and I own a couple thousand). Brilliantly lush, more complex than the debut. Just a wonderful cd from start to finish.

This CD is great. I just recently discovered the Sinatras and I wish I had heard of them years ago -- they are great. I love the Brit rock/pop sound, and this CD goes above and beyond anything I have heard before. There are beautiful harmonies and guitar rifs that seem to blend together. You could get lost in songs like "Earlies" and "Send for Henny". "Hayfever" (US released single) and "I've seen everything" (as are the others!) are full of witty lyrics and great rythm. If you like that melodic brit sound only with a little more depth, you need the Trash Can Sinatras "I've Seen Everything"

If you love the lush crafted pop of the Beatles, then this album, tho not sounding Beatlesque, is for you.