Customer Reviews

Little by Little (with Bonus disc)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To make a long story short, Harvey Danger broke up sometime after King James Version was released--5 years to the day (plus one) of this album's release; the members went their separate ways until deciding to play a reunion show on April 21, 2004, which thereafter brought about talks of a third album that would later materialize as 'Little By Little...'. Now, all during this "hiatus", HD's message board was still active, allowing for us diehard fans to foam at the mouth every time a band member would post letting us know of news of possible shows or possible third albums. And when everything finally became official, I found myself looking forward to an album's release more than I ever have before. On top of everything, too, it is a double-disc. (I should note that before Christmas of '04 they released an EP with the previously-available classic "Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)" that included a demo of "Wine, Women & Song". And I should also note they now have a new drummer, Michael Welke.)

The two songs that jumped out at me from the start were "Cream And Bastards Rise" and "Little Round Mirrors". "C&BR is comparable to HD's harder rock tunes like "Authenticity" and "Carlotta Valdez" (and includes the likely-to-be-often-quoted line 'you don't have to be a genius / but it helps to'), while "LRM" is more melodic and beautiful, all the while staying as catchy as possible. Since I'd already listened to "Wine, Women & Song" about a million times I had a hard to taking to it here, although it is a terrific song in any case. Two sleeper tracks that seem to grow on me more each time I listen to them are "War Buddies" and "Moral Centralia". I get chills when I hear (in "War Buddies"): 'if you've got guns / well now's the time for sticking / resistance is already forming / the second shot won't be a warning'. And the same can be said for the 'you are weak...' interludes in "Moral". Those are the top five songs, I believe, followed closely by the epic closer "Diminishing Returns"; "Happiness Writes White", a beautiful ode written for Sean's wife; a reworking of a song done by Sean's side project band, Mortal Enemies--"What You Live By"; "Cool James", which was apparently written, originally, for the 'Merrymakers' album; and "Incommunicado", a short, back-and-forth duet with Rachael Bowman of Some By Sea.

As for the bonus disc, "Picture, Picture" and "Cold Snap" (featuring The Long Winters' John Roderick on guitar) would knock out "War Buddies" and "Moral Centralia" to move into the top 5 (if we're judging all 19 tracks). "I Missed It" isn't far behind, either. "Elvis, I Don't Love You Anymore" is an interesting song. It takes on an almost punk-like feel, which might be off putting for some people. The demo version of "Moral" is everything you'd expect from a demo, although there appears to be a (larger) number of fans who like it more than the original. "Cream And Bastards Reprise", which is live, finds Sean Nelson being more off-the-wall than I can ever remember him being, as his intro will no doubt make you chuckle a tad. The writing snippets of "C&BR" and "Little Round Mirrors" are both poor, 1-minute recordings of the respective songs' sound right out of the womb, though it's rare to hear such raw samples. Finally, the not-so-hidden track, "The Piano Lesson", I will leave for you to discern on your own. (I will, however, say that it's a cool nostalgic reminder of trying to watch Sportscenter while my little sister learned to play piano.)

This is undoubtedly my favorite album right now; though time will have to tell whether or not it outshines 'Merrymakers' and/or 'King James'. But right now that doesn't matter. Since I got 'Little By Little...' I have been listening to few other CDs, and see no reason why anyone would want to. Whether you simply like or simply love Harvey Danger's other albums, you are going to attach yourself to these 19 tracks. And (to be horribly cliché), they will, little by little, grow on you until Harvey Danger is one of your favorite bands. That is, of course, unless they already were. This is the album of the year. Buy it.

Even if you've listened to this album all the way through and hated every second, you should still buy it. Harvey Danger made a brave statement by releasing this album for free via BitTorrent, and should be rewarded for it.

However, I doubt you'll hate this album. Harvey Danger is so brilliant that even an angst-ridden goth-wannabe like me (I'm a huge NIN fan) has to smile and enjoy their cheeky cynicism and playful sound. I hate pop, as a rule, but this stuff is genius. The lyrics are clever, almost to a fault. The singer belts out his abundant, saucy one-liners with glee, and his biting humor is contagious. The music is a perfect match for the lyrics: snide, snickering, and absurdly catchy ("Flagpole Sitta" was not a fluke). The band has moved away from its more punk-rock sound on "Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone" and moved more toward subtle pop (example: "Wine, Women, and Song"), but have lost none of their edge.

If there's fault to find, it's in the production. It's clear that this album didn't benefit from an unlimited budget and top-of-the-line equipment, but most people probably won't even notice. Even most audiophiles should find the recording tolerable, particularly given the quality of the material.

To make a long story short, Harvey Danger broke up sometime after King James Version was released--5 years to the day (plus one) of this album's release; the members went their separate ways until deciding to play a reunion show on April 21, 2004, which thereafter brought about talks of a third album that would later materialize as 'Little By Little...'. Now, all during this "hiatus", HD's message board was still active, allowing for us diehard fans to foam at the mouth every time a band member would post letting us know of news of possible shows or possible third albums. And when everything finally became official, I found myself looking forward to an album's release more than I ever have before. On top of everything, too, it is a double-disc. (I should note that before Christmas of '04 they released an EP with the previously-available classic "Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)" that included a demo of "Wine, Women & Song". And I should also note they now have a new drummer, Michael Welke.)

The two songs that jumped out at me from the start were "Cream And Bastards Rise" and "Little Round Mirrors". "C&BR is comparable to HD's harder rock tunes like "Authenticity" and "Carlotta Valdez" (and includes the likely-to-be-often-quoted line 'you don't have to be a genius / but it helps to'), while "LRM" is more melodic and beautiful, all the while staying as catchy as possible. Since I'd already listened to "Wine, Women & Song" about a million times I had a hard to taking to it here, although it is a terrific song in any case. Two sleeper tracks that seem to grow on me more each time I listen to them are "War Buddies" and "Moral Centralia". I get chills when I hear (in "War Buddies"): 'if you've got guns / well now's the time for sticking / resistance is already forming / the second shot won't be a warning'. And the same can be said for the 'you are weak...' interludes in "Moral". Those are the top five songs, I believe, followed closely by the epic closer "Diminishing Returns"; "Happiness Writes White", a beautiful ode written for Sean's wife; a reworking of a song done by Sean's side project band, Mortal Enemies--"What You Live By"; "Cool James", which was apparently written, originally, for the 'Merrymakers' album; and "Incommunicado", a short, back-and-forth duet with Rachael Bowman of Some By Sea.

As for the bonus disc, "Picture, Picture" and "Cold Snap" (featuring The Long Winters' John Roderick on guitar) would knock out "War Buddies" and "Moral Centralia" to move into the top 5 (if we're judging all 19 tracks). "I Missed It" isn't far behind, either. "Elvis, I Don't Love You Anymore" is an interesting song. It takes on an almost punk-like feel, which might be off putting for some people. The demo version of "Moral" is everything you'd expect from a demo, although there appears to be a (larger) number of fans who like it more than the original. "Cream And Bastards Reprise", which is live, finds Sean Nelson being more off-the-wall than I can ever remember him being, as his intro will no doubt make you chuckle a tad. The writing snippets of "C&BR" and "Little Round Mirrors" are both poor, 1-minute recordings of the respective songs' sound right out of the womb, though it's rare to hear such raw samples. Finally, the not-so-hidden track, "The Piano Lesson", I will leave for you to discern on your own. (I will, however, say that it's a cool nostalgic reminder of trying to watch Sportscenter while my little sister learned to play piano.)

This is undoubtedly my favorite album right now; though time will have to tell whether or not it outshines Merrymakers and/or King James Version. But, overall, that doesn't matter. Since I got 'Little By Little...' I have been listening to few other CDs, and see no reason why anyone would want to. Whether you simply like or simply love Harvey Danger's other albums, you are going to attach yourself to these 19 tracks. And (to be horribly cliché), they will, little by little, grow on you until Harvey Danger is one of your favorite bands. That is, of course, unless they already were. This is the album of the year. Buy it.

Footnote: the track arrangement on this Kill Rock Stars re-release is slightly different than on the original Little By Little..., that was released on Phonographic Records; here, "Incommunicado" is replaced with "Picture, Picture" (rightfully so) on the main disc, while "Incommunicado" essentially then becomes part of the bonus disc. Other than that, the releases are the same.

Harvey Danger is a Seattle band that formed in 1992. Their claim to fame came in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." Though that is all they are really known for, these guys are no one-hit wonder. All of their offerings have been excellent, if not earth-shattering. They haven't brought anything incredibly new to the rock community, but their lyrics and tunes are definitely among the best. They deserve a lot more recognition than they've received. For this reason, Harvey Danger has released the first CD of this most recent album ("Little by Little...") for free on their website.

This may be the best offering of Harvey Danger to date. The tracks are not as heavy or rocky as their past offerings, but you've got to remember it's been five years since the debut of "King James Version." This band has evolved over the time and their music seems slightly more subdued and mature. They are not as calm as Coldplay, yet they're not as rowdy as they used to be.

As other reviewers have pointed out, "Cream and Bastards Rise" and "Little Round Mirrors" are probably the best tracks on this CD. "Cream and Bastards Rise" reminds me of the old Harvey Danger that we all know and love. It's a spunky, catchy tune with a rich dialogue that is just plain fun. "Little Round Mirrors" Is a masterpiece that shows how far this band has come. It reminds me of something Keane would do. It's one of those songs that will put you into a trance and leave you breathless at the close.

This album demands your ear and allegiance. It's a tragedy that this band ever fell off the earth. I suggest you buy the 2-CD set, but if you aren't convinced download the first off the Harvey Danger website. If you enjoy it, pass the goodness on to your friends.

I remember picking up Harvey Danger's first album when it came out. That seems like a long time ago. Admittedly, at the time it didn't do a whole lot for me. Since then, I'd forgotten all about Harvey Danger.

As so many other people, I heard about the fact that they were releasing their latest album for free download. Wow, a band I've actually heard of *giving away* their music? How could that be? Perhaps they are struggling and this is a last ditch attempt at garnering some sort of following that might even translate into a few sales.

At this point I was curious enough to go download it and give it a shot. From the opening notes of Wine, Women and Song I was captivated. This was the real deal. Alright, though, a good opening track isn't everything. Then came Cream and Bastards Rise. An even better track. At this point I was already suitably impressed.

Now it was time to start seriously listening to this. I was at work at the time, listening to it in the background while I tried to get some work done. I had to turn up the volume and really dig in. The other item I noted right away, but even more after I sat up and really took notice was that the recording quality was superb, even on these MP3 files.

As Moral Centralia wound down and Little Round Mirrors wound up, I was practically in a trance. After numerous listens, I think Little Round Mirrors still hits on all cylinders. The slow build-up of emotion gets your toes tapping at first, but by the end you realize you've stopped whatever it was you were doing and are just trying to soak in this song. The emotional outpouring is palpable.

I could continue and describe every song, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I generally like to listen to different albums all the time. There aren't many that I return to again and again in short order. However, this one still hits my playlist at least a couple of times a week every week. There is not a weak link to be found here.

As of my writing, I have yet to go officially buy this, so I have not heard the bonus disc. I'll take blame for that. I need to go buy it right now. So do you.

If this was a fair world,these guys would be world renown instead of a "cult" secret. Speaking only of the 1st disc(I've been so intrigued with it,I've played virtually nothing else since it arrived,including the bonus 2nd disc),I can't imagine how any lover of intelligent rock music,creatively arranged and lmpeccably played,would'nt consider this an instant classic. Not a weak track on it,and if something does'nt jump out and grab you right away,I guarantee it will by the third listen. The most obvious hit (if only!) is "cream and bastards", but then that's what I thought of "show me the hero" on King James Version, and of course,justice was denied back then also. I hope these guys can keep it together and continue recording great new songs every couple years for what I hope is a good-sized but very loyal following.

Seriously, this band was an instant favorite after I bought my first album, "Where Have all the Merry Makers Gone?" featuring the hit "Flagpole Sitta."
The next album, "King James Version" was equally incredible. This album willl not disappoint at all if you are a fan, although its less punkishness and more piano. Not a bad thing if you love them because of the writting... this is an excellent addition to your Harvey Danger Collection, as unfortunatly limited as it is.

DOWNLOAD THE FIRST 1/2 OF THIS ALBUM FOR FREE ON THEIR WEBSITE! then come back here and buy the whole thing. Because you will want to!!! the extras are awesome, I downloaded the album the day it came out, and bought the 2nd disk shortly thereafter. getting it on their site gets you cool swag too, like buttons and whatnot, t-shirts but you dont get that nice speedy amazon shipping... your call.

The lyrics, the humanity, all of it exciting, fun, sad, evocative, and most importantly intelligent and clear. too many bands are drowning in their egos, whenever Danger gets to this point, they do so in a self deprecating and fun manner, and certainly don't leave anyone alienated. If you like the witty lyrics of artists such artists like Elvis Costello, hook this up!

As far as I know, Harvey Danger have three well-known albums: Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?, King James Version, and Little By Little. The first two are enjoyable, sure... but sweet Jesus, this one is by far the best! As a note, I bought this directly from their website, and the track listing might be slightly different... for example, on my version, Picture Picture is on the bonus album, while Incommunicado is track six of the actual album. And the ordering is slightly different. Nonetheless, I'll make my considerations according to the Amazon redux version. Tracks one through four are fabulous, so it has a really powerful start, then it dies off a little... but it finishes oh-so-strong! Standout tracks include the ending of the version I have (What You Live By, War Buddies, Diminishing Returns) and the beginning, too. Sometimes I skip over my middle (Happiness Writes White, Incommunicado, Cool James), but they really aren't bad songs. A super album from an underappreciated and relatively unknown band. And Sean Nelson's voice is so, so wonderful... honestly, I'd compare him to, say, Paul McCartney. Or Paul Simon. Or some other Paul. Or even Art Garfunkel. His range is amazing, as is his clarity and emotion. And the lyrics are always clever, too! Spread the word, this album is the one you need.

I'll keep it short. I never really liked Harvey Danger. I didn't like their big hit song. With that said I heard they released a torrent file with the album so I gave it a listen (side note, I wish more bands did this). Continue... This is a great album, I can't get these songs out of my head. I want to gush on and on about every song. There are some slow spots but those are growing on me.

I said I'd keep it short. Go to the website and download the torrent. After you listen to it I am sure you will want to buy it for two reasons: First to support a band that took a chance and second because it is just so good you will want to sleep with the cd tucked under your pillow at night.

Rather than reiterate what other reviewers have said well, I want to point out a couple awesome tracks on the bonus disc: "Picture, Picture," a perfectly crafted angry breakup song, and "Elvis, I don't love you anymore." You won't get these on the free download.