Customer Reviews

Just Like There's Nothin' to It

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great CD with serious songs written and perfomed with passion. As I get older it gets harder to find new music that stirs the soul despite a constant search for such. There just aren't as many singer song writers today making music for art v. profit. Steve Forbert is an exception. Any mid-lifers in the crowd will connect with these tunes as they reflect a lifetime of experience. "What it is is a Dream" and "Autumn This Year" are awesome songs. Good soul food indeed, Steve. Many thanks.

I have been an ardent fan of Steve Forbert's work ever since his "folkie" debut, "Alive On Arrival," way back in 1978. Despite the burdensome "New Dylan" tag that has continued to dog him through the years, Forbert is simply not cut from that visionary cloth. However, I find in his songs something just as profound, a world view that--ultimately--hits much closer to home. He is the poet of the everyday frustrations of the average working stiff, a role he consistently excels at in beautifully crafted songs, with a rare blend of wit, ironic humor, keen observation, and real passion. "Just Like There's Nothin' To It," his first collection of all-new material in four years, finds him in top form. Although his voice is thinner and reedier than in his youth, it suits his new material beautifully. The songs themselves are brimming with the rich, precise wordplay which has won him so many loyal followers. This is perhaps his finest album to date--a welcome treat for long-time fans, and the ideal introduction for the neophyte.

Upon first listen, I'm struck at how consistent Steve Forbert is as a recording artist and "Just Like There's Nothin' To It" continues Forbert's streak of quality album releases. Who wouldn't include "There's Everybody Else (and Then There's You), "I Just Work Here", and "About A Dream" among Steve's greatest songs? The writing, arrangements, and the musicians fit together perfectly and it's wonderful to have a batch of brand new Steve Forbert songs after nearly four years.

"I Married A Girl" is brilliant and the use of the melody from "Oh, To Be Back With You" is genius. The new piano melody for the "I Married A Girl" portion of the song is as strong as the melody from "Oh, To Be Back With You" and I think the two outstanding melodies put this song over the top - amazing, truly amazing. The piano is fantastic on the album and my jaw dropped the first time I heard this track. I'm sure there will be some people that feel that this song is a bit negative and I understand why they see the song in a negative light. I think Steve does an excellent job of finding a sort of closure, with a nod to acceptance, by the end of the song. After Steve performed this song live in Milwaukee on February 14, 2002, he commented that there's "two sides to every story and sometimes many, many more". Very true.

"I Just Work Here" is another song that really hits hard and I see it as a sort of "Responsibility, Part II". "I Just Work Here" is possibly the best "rock" song that Steve's recorded since "It Sure Was Better Back Then". I think nearly anyone that's been involved in a divorce, whether it be the mother, father, or child, will relate to this song on a number of levels. A wonderful bridge and subtle piano are the highlights of this track and it has a way of getting stuck in my head longer than I thought possible. It's hard not to look at many, if not all, of the songs on "Just Like..." as being autobiographical and wishing, as a listener, that I could not relate to the words being song.

When I first heard "The World Is Full Of People", I immediately thought that it sounded like a Randy Newman song. Who can't picture Randy sitting at his piano working his way through this song with his trademark phrasing? I actually think that this song has a very cinematic quality to it and that it would work well in a movie with the main character drifting about town searching for "something". I also love the verse about the waitress in the coffee shop - classic Forbert - a true slice of life verse. I'm intrigued to see if Steve alters the live arrangement on the upcoming tour to make it somewhat similar to the studio version. This could be difficult to do since the studio take doesn't feature the acoustic guitar at all. With a quiet audience, I believe that it would be stunning to see this song performed live a cappella.

"What It Is Is A Dream" and "About A Dream" are great bookends to the disc and continue Steve's long time discussion with his audience on the subject of dreams and the possibilities that they offer. There's a wonderful sound loop that runs in and out of "What It Is Is A Dream" that can be heard prominently as the song fades out. To my ears this sound reminds me of any beacon's signal that can be heard by those that need/want to hear it...much like a dream that can be lost if the person listening refuses to hear it's call. Edie Brickell's harmony vocals are as sweet as ever and truly shine silently on the songs that she contributes to. "About A Dream" has a beautiful "sleepy" quality in the instrumentation that perfectly fit the lyrics. It's a wonderful lullaby.

I know "Wild As The Wind" is the first single from the album, but I think the true hit of this record is "There's Everybody Else (and Then There's You)". It's as if this song has existed since time began, floating around the universe until Steve caught it and decided to write it down for everyone to listen to. The melody sticks with the listener even after hearing the track for the first time...it's simple, yet complex, if that's possible. The lyrics have a universal quality that everyone can relate to...a perfect love song. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this song becomes the most "covered" song in Steve's catalog.

Live versions of "Wild As The Wind" date back to at least 2000 (if not earlier). It's nice to see a studio version of the song made available to the public and it truly shines with its use of "Band"-like backing vocals on the chorus and a wonderfully layered mix that allows Steve's vocal and the steel guitar to shine. I think any controversy that some are having with the lyrics to this song will be limited to fans of The Band and Rick Danko. After hearing the lyrics actually sung, it's apparent that Steve is not outright condoning Rick's behavior. It's my thought that we're getting a first person account of Steve's own experiences with Rick and Steve's vocal take tells the listener all they need to know about Steve's feelings about Rick Danko, the man, and his death.

Overall, I believe that this is possibly Steve's most accessible album to date. It's bright musically, dark lyrically (in places) and is the type of record that you want to play again after track 12 fades out. It's excellent - not that I'd expect anything less.

If you're a Forbert fan, you'll love the cd. The understated lyrics presenting pictures of life experiences flows easily from Steve's mind to his music. Written during and after a breakup from a long term relationship adds theme and passion to his latest release.
I've seen him live a couple of times, own four of his cd's and would probably rank his "The American in Me" in my top "100". If you're a fan buy it. If you've never listened, try it.

As a die-hard Steve Forbert fan who owns everything he's released (see my "So You'd Like To" guide on Forbert), I was rather disappointed with "Just Like There's Nothin to It." It isn't a bad album (I'm not sure that Forbert is capable of recording such a thing), but it's far from Forbert's best work. Song by song, each song is consistently listenable, but also consistent in falling short of the brilliance to which Forbert is capable. I certainly would recommend that newcomers start with Forbert's masterpieces, such as "Alive on Arrival" and "Jackrabbit Slim," before buying this one.

The musical, lyrical, and vocal genius of Steve Forbert is on display, perhaps better than ever, on his newest release. As often is the case for him his unique meld of various genres mean he may be played on all the radio formats or perhaps none. This is probably not a big deal to him anymore. He'll continue to garner appeciative fans via song to ear advertising among friends and via his 40 year ongoing tour of small venues.

Maybe some playlist generators will smarten up so more folks will have a chance to appreciate this truly creative artist. I don't think he'll be dumming down his approach to fit into a particular market anytime soon....thank goodness!

The opening track, "What It Is Is A Dream", is awesome and would fit in equally well on any of Forbert's recent albums. Unfortunately, that is the only outstanding track on this the tenth(I think) studio album of original material from America's most under-appreciated singer songwriter. The sound on this album is a little more country with quite a bit of piano mixed in than his last two efforts(more similar to 'Crossroad Palms' than 'Evergreen Boy' or 'Rocking Horse'). Edie Brickell provides fine backing vocals on the opening track as well as "There's Everybody Else" which is probably the second best track. Generally the songwriting is lacking and although Forbert takes chances like he always does, I think he has more failures than successes this time out. Nonetheless, I applaud his effort and hope he keeps up the process which has produced at least four or five brilliant albums in his 25 plus year career. For new listeners I would recommend either his debut 'Alive On Arrival' or 'The American In Me' and if you are already a fan of his but haven't picked up 'Evergreen Boy' yet I would highly recommend that one as well.

The lyrical and musical genius of Steve Forbert has never been displayed better than on this newest release. Cliche free lyrics combine with his unique meld of musical genres to produce this truly creative work of art.

As always, Forbert will walk the line of being played on most all radio formats or (quite probably) few or none of them. That's OK because Forbert won't dumb down his lyrics or unique musical style at the expense of his art. Hopefully more playlist generators will instead smarten up and help others enjoy what great music is all about...a truly creative genius sharing his craft.

4 Stars? Somewhere between 3 and 5? Don't know what to do here. Forbert fans should buy this album - it's Steve Forbert and he's still putting out good music for Pete's sake. But like all pop artists with staying power, Forbert's music is evolving (see Springsteen, the Stones, Bowie, etc.). Some evolutions are good, some are disappointing, and some are with amazing progression (Van Morrison, hands down). The other reviews on this page display the possible spectrum of reactions to this album - gushing praise, grudging acceptance, apologetic explanation. No one seems to recommend this for an introduction to Forbert. Seems to me that this album might be so pure Forbert that you have to be a real fan to 'get it,' but that doesn't mean it's a bad album. This has everything that the listener should have come to expect from him: clever and honest lyrics (often with a dash of humor), sophisticated compositions, and Steve's talented guitar and harmonica play on display. That's what you get. Is it ready for Top 40 radio? Of course not. Steve's lyrics, as always, are reflective of where he is in life, so if you aren't ready to listen to him talk about middle-aging and separation and losing some of the fire of youth, then pick the era of life that you prefer and buy an album from that decade of his life. My favorite cuts from this album are the opener "What It Is Is A Dream" (a poetic string of life analogies) and "Wild As The Wind" (a tribute to Rick Danko - everything I know about Rick Danko is this song itself, but this is a wonderful composition and excellently performed, and I appreciate what it is - a nice tribute to a fellow artist).

Just Like There's Nothing To it is one of Steve's finest albums yet. There isn't a bad song on this album. His tribute song to Rick Danko "Wild as the Wind" is an awesome number. Even if you never heard his music before, you will love this album. Steve is the most prolific yet underrated artist of our time. He's the best kept secret around - to those of us in the know!