Customer Reviews

Love Story

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

 

 

When I bought this CD on a whim, I had never even heard of Lloyd Cole. Suffice it to say that I introduced myself to Cole when I was still thoroughly naive of his incredible talent; this was back when I would've thought The Commotions was some kind of debilitating illness, and not his former backup band.

I fell in love with the CD in a slowly-progressive manner similar to the way innocent crushes are formed. To say that I was overwhelmed with admiration from the beginning wouldn't be accurate. Rather, I casually figured this was an album to keep around and spend some time with in the future if the mood seemed right. Soon, I found myself spending more and more time with "Love Story" and before long, there came that pivotal moment in many a CD's lifetime when I "heard" the album for the first time. That's when my devotion to "Love Story" and, more broadly, to Lloyd Cole's music in general, emerged.

After more recent purchases of Cole's though, I can confidently say that "Love Story" is more the exception to his style, than the rule. Certainly, familiarizing one's self with Lloyd Cole by means of "Love Story" is like being introduced to U2 with the "Pop" album. It simply wasn't a portrayal of the past, and this, I believe, is what made some longtime fans look elsewhere, while simultaneously turning some window shoppers like me into dedicated listeners. Where much of Cole's previous projects are guitar-driven, bold works only sparsely tempered by the occasional reflective serenade, "Love Story" is quite the polar opposite. From beginning to end, this is a nocturnal delight, blatantly engineered for the immediate pre-dawn hours. Which is not to assert that this is music to sleep to. On the contrary, the vast majority of these songs are gently melodic, lushly acoustic, and delicately formed within the womb of Cole's undeniable emotion; this disc belongs in your insomnia first-aid kit, next to Everything But The Girl's "Amplified Heart."

This is the solo album that fans of Lloyd Cole & the Commotions had long hoped he'd make. After some interesting false starts over the years, Cole finally seemed to be revisited by his songwriting Muse. This isn't "Rattlesnakes", but there is an austere beauty and musical commitment present on every track of this lovely CD. In some ways, it reminds me of vintage Van Morrison or even a Frank Sinatra recording from the 1950s--it is romantic yet knowing, musically well-conceived giving each song just the right instrumental treatment and, as a collection of songs, it has a cohesive mood and tempo. "Love Story" contains what I feel is some of Cole's most intimate singing and his lyrics are wry and sophisticated. Musically, this is probably Cole's finest hour as each song has a memorable melody line and pleasing chord changes. Songs such as "Trigger Happy", "I Didn't Know That You Cared", "Love Ruins Everything" and "Like Lovers Do" get under your skin very quickly and very smoothly. This album won't knock you out at first, but really grows on you after repeated listens. It will receive heavy rotation in your CD player because it lifts, soothes and heals in ways to which the pretentious Lilith Fair set can only aspire. An overlooked gem!

While I'm not a professional musician, I am in the music business (of sorts) - I'm in a principal position for a major audiophile loudspeaker manufacturer, and as such, hear countless recordings from every facet of the music business from all four corners of the earth. Most stuff sucks, some is tolerable, memorable happens a couple of times each year.

This album changed my life. It is one of the most heartbreaking, intelligent, wry, clever, melodic, introspective collections of music you'll ever hear. Why this album isn't among the 100 greatest, most influential recordings on every music reviewers' millenium list continues to baffle me. The juxtapostion of major chords and happy, tuneful melody set to chest cavity exposing lyrics is beyond brilliant. If any one of the four Beatles released this album, it would be their most heralded work.

I'm not (much of) a musician, but I still get jealous for not having written many of these songs myself. And I've never written a song.

Buy this album - if you don't love it, I'll give you your money back.

I must say I was expecting a disappointment when I bought this CD, instead it sounds very good, good lyrics, great songwriting, as usual with Lloyd Cole. The songs are nothing new, they resemble a lot the ones in rattlesnakes, but they are very good to listen when coming back home on a sunday evening, looking at the sunset colours. "Happy for you" is a great song, really sad and about something which every man hopes never to go through but knows it will happen sometime in life. Similarly, "I didn't know that you cared" is a pretty little song, as is "trigger happy". A record which will never stand out as a "great" record, but a beutiful record which is difficult to get tired of.

I bought this album from Columbia House a couple of years ago. "Manic-depressive folk-rock" was what they called it. Somehow, it was implying that Lloyd Cole was a manic depressive. Anyway, with that buying and that listening, I was blown away. To give this CD the tag of "manic depressive" is a grave underservice. It is quite sad at times but also very beautiful and haunting. It's also loaded with music references. See if you can spot Roxy Music, Sly & The Family Stone, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Kurt Weill, Charlie Parker, The Who, The Fifth Dimension, Bob Dylan, the Righteous Brothers, and some others I'm not astute enough (or have enough CDs) to recognize.

Never short of talent, but sometimes short of an audience (at least of the proportions he deserves), Lloyd Cole is releasing superb albums or nothing. I found the 70's-sounding "Bad Vibes" brilliant, but have understood that Lloyd Cole wanted to return to "what he's good at" with "Love Story". By that he meant - if I'm to judge by the resulting CD - pop music with lyrical substance, in a Raymond Carver meets a brilliant guitar kind of way. "Love Story" is not "Rattlesnakes", Coles classic masterpiece with The Commotions, instead it's much more mature. It's not "Don't get weird on me babe", Cole's solo masterpiece, instead it's much more relaxed. If you are in love with love and a perfect story, I strongly recommend this album as an introduction to a high-quality artist.

Lloyd Cole's new CD Love Story is unquestionably his best work to date! Cole is the essence of `cool'. Lyrically he comes across as a sensitive gentleman poet and musically he offers plenty of catchy melodies and atmosphere. Vocally he has matured and bares his soul with simply written words that probe LOVE and it's questions. "Like Lovers Do" & "Happy For You" are superb examples and destined classics. Back in tow is N.Y. ace guitarist Bob Quine who add's perfect grace to these songs of loveliness. Everybody needs a Love Story and this CD is the place to start. REVIEW BY HOPE SMITH: LONG ISLAND, NY

Did not think Lloyd could ever top his 'NY' debut - the self titled 'Lloyd Cole' - but 'Love Story' ups the ante. Few if any singers combine wit, melody and song craft the way Cole can. The album holds together with an underlying theme of the trials of middle age life crossed with wavering idealism. Check out all the tracks.

I bought this album (likely from the cutout rack if I recall) when I had only a passing knowledge of Mr. Cole's work. So glad I did. The album song's document the breakup of a relationship, but they are not that depressing, just mater of fact. Some of the songs are actually upbeat, thought the backstory is not.
The Album is a gem, overlooked by in Cole's fans. That may be part of the problem. I was never able to warm up to his other work. I wonder if his long term fans reject this effort because it is different.
I think that the album means a lot to Cole as well, I saw him a several years after it's release, and I think he played every song on the CD.

I was a huge Commotions fan back in the day and I have continued to follow Lloyd Cole over the years. This album is definitely my personal favorite of his solo efforts. Very moody, yet every mood is covered, not just despair. ;) Anyway, pick this one up, you'll thank me.