Customer Reviews

Looking Out the Fishbowl

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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We decided, a friend and I, that this was actually a perfect cd. Rarely leaves my cd player, after about two years, and I'm still not tired of it.

EFO's strange and marvelous for a number of reasons, mostly because it's tough to get tired of them, because every time you think you're burned out on Julie Murphy's voice, one of the guys steps up and does a terrific song like "Woman of Faith" or "Twenty Thousand Hearts." But lemme back up.

First couple times I listened to this cd, I only made it through the first four songs. Not because the rest wasn't great, but because I got SNAGGED by the likes of "Stupid American" and "Fifth of July" and then spent about six months trying to decipher the wondrous tale of "From Dacca." And that was enough to make this cd more than worth its while.

I think I found "Bleecker to Broadway" next, and listened to that one on repeat long enough to get sick of it, over and over and over again for months. And then! I discovered "Twenty Thousand Hearts," ("They said it's still last year in New York City / you said, 'New York where?'") and "Irish Dream" ("and your conspiracy theories on space travel said that you just hadn't found it yet"). And those were the guys, Mike, Eddie & Robbie, and if I'd been burned out on Julie after my repeated "Bleecker to Broadway" listenings, they jump-started this cd again for me.

And then! "Minnesota 1945" appeared, which is, no fooling, one of the all-time greatest songs. I mean: "and they talked about Hitler, and made love to piss him off." Tale of a black woman and a white man: "you are the burlap sack, you are Indian silk, you are the terror and the comfort of night. You are white and black, and I am chocolate milk, I am the breadth and you are the height..."

Haven't burned out on that one yet. Revisiting the early ones too. But then I found "Atlantic," the last song on the cd, which I'd always sort of ignored, except it turns out it's TERRIFIC. Long distance love affair, meeting in dreams. "Till the airfares drop to Greyhound rates, for now that'll have to do."

I think the whole story about this album could be summed up in my relationship with "Loitering in the Lobby," though, which was the last song I grabbed onto. On first listen, on first five thousand listens, it's just an EFO-style gimmicky song, the repeating of "loitering (loitering!) loitering in the lobby!" Except, whoa. Turns out, there's a marvelous story there, using the Wizard of Oz, of all things, to offer a non-rose-colored look at the mid-South, tobacca-and-gun-country.

"So the straw man comes to the city of green / says look at my field and see what I've seen / tobacco leaves blowin' say that I'm a man who's upwind from Virgilina.

A heart of gold but a mind of air / I'm not asking for the till. / My son's band played at Farm Aid / but my plow is still / and how much longer will I keep the crows at bay..."

So I found that little gem, smack in the middle of a song I thought I knew, in a cd I thought I was sick of already.

And that's about the shape of this perfect album. It's got treasures buried everywhere, the stories are perfect, well-wrought masterpieces that are just so catchy you might miss the brilliant message the first thousand times through.

Get this cd. You can't possibly go wrong.

The problem with reviewing a band like Eddie From Ohio is that I am forced to try and describe the music in relation to bands you might have heard of, and this isn't fair to an outfit as creative and original as EFO. Is it pop? Is it folk? Is it serious music? Is it "gimmick" music? The answer is (e) All of the above. EFO hails from Virginia and plays a great blend of folk-ridden pop... or pop-ridden folk that features some of the sharpest, cleverest, wittiest lyrics you'll hear these days. The songs range from very funny (Stupid American, Eddie's Concubine) to deeply moving (Minnesota 1945, Twenty Thousand Hearts) and everything in between you never thought someone would write a song about. It's sort of like the Beautiful South... without the bitterness... and sounding completely different. Imagine XTC... from Virginia. Anyway, despite a couple of musically nondescript tracks, the overall quality is high and the mood is upbeat and fun. For a good time, dial EFO.

I'm not sure how much I can add on this one. "Looking Out The Fishbowl" is, in my opinion, Eddie from Ohio's finest studio offering to date. The songs are tightly crafted and beautifully performed. All the spunk and fire from the live shows is there, plus the higher production standards of well-recorded studio album.

If you are new to EFO, buy this and "Portable EFO Show" for a taste of the live experience.

Why am I just now finding out about this group. Oh my gosh! They are wonderful. Their lyrics are witty, their musical abilty is versatile and they are just down right fun to listen to. I never expected to hear the range of songs that are on this cd. My favorite is Stupid American. My 16 year old son loves it as well. Eddie's concubine is clever. But I also like the one about the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is not one bad song on this CD. Don't wait until you are 46 to discover this highly versatile, smart and talented group. Go EFO!

It don't get much better than this. Mix Americana (i.e., rock, country, folk, big band) with a generous helping of humor and you end up with this delectable treat. Can't even review the songs individually as they are so diverse and there ain't a clunker on the disc (i.e., they all work toward a greater whole).

Funny story here is that I stumbled across this treasure when I was working in Washington D.C. (where they are from)...although I lived in Maine at the time. Became a rabid fan, as you will instantly after you purchase this because it is one of those rare offerings that grabs you right from the intial listen! My wife got me a t-shirt next Christmas and I wear it whenever we travel abroad ---> and I am always greeted with "Hi Eddie from Ohio" by some passing stranger in foreign lands. But the punchline is that we just moved to Ohio, so my shirt ain't no big deal anymore. EFO is however...score this yesterday!!!

The first time that I saw EFO live, I rushed home and logged on to amazon.com and purchased this CD. It is the best EFO CD to date. The opening chords of Stupid American make me giddy. It's the best noise in the world. Robbie Scahefer (guitar, vocals) and Mike Clem (bass, guitar, harp, vocals) share songwriting awards on this CD, Robbie covering the spectrum from sincere to sarcastic and Mike adding his humor. Julie Murphy Wells (lead vocals) is the best singer in the business. Bleeker to Broadway and Good at That are my favorites, but the whole CD is amazing from start to finish. EFO is best live, nobody will deny that. Still, buy this CD now and it will be stuck in your stereo until you get a chance to see EFO live and then you'll know the words at the concert. Check out the band's webpage for tour dates.

This album is chock full of all the things that make Eddie From Ohio so great - tight, crisp harmonies, inventive percussion, creative lyrics, and catchy melodies- while also adding a few fantastic surprises. Guest artists like John Jennings on "Stupid American" add subtle texture to the already great tune, while the amazing blue grass additions of Bela Flec, Tony Rice and a few others on "The Old Dominion" add a whole new, and awesome, dimension. There are also two songs that a brand new - "from Dacca" and "Atlantic" have yet to be played live. "Fishbowl" has a great balance of both upbeat and laid back tunes, and with 15 songs total it is a very satisfying album. "Fishbowl" will please long time "Edheads" and newcomers alike - and will hopefully have Eddie from Ohio looking out a much larger fishbowl to an even bigger devouted fan base.

Every song performed by EFO is magical! They are an incredibly talented band, and I wish they would visit the South more often. Great live performances as well as studio work. I am impressed with every new album I buy. Keep up the good work guys!

i was introduced to this band last summer when i saw them perform at a county fair. they're awesome! their lyrics are hilarious and the tunes are catchy. this album contains all of my favorite EFO songs, including "old dominion" and "stupid american." order the album, sing it while driving in the car, and then go see them live! they're the best!

Each album keeps getting better and this is definately their best work. This folky-rocky quartet's ability to mix skillful playing and delightful harmonies is so refreshing. Not meek enough to be labeled folk and not angry enough to be rock, they tend to fall through the programming cracks. But take a chance, this album has it all....ballads, rollicking singalongs, fun, quirky numbers and some thought provoking ones too. And if you ever get the chance, see them in concert. They are an excellant live band!