Customer Reviews

Lunapark

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

 

 

Luna did not really perfect their sound until their second album, "Bewitched," but it is this very fact that makes "Lunapark" an essential part of any Luna fan's collection. The sound of this album is more jagged and more spontaneous than anything they've recorded since. Some of the tunes here, like "Time" and "I Can't Wait," are rather nondescript, but most are above average and "Slide" and "Slash Your Tires" are Luna classics. More importantly, all the songs work together to establish a mood.

Dean Wareham's lyrics are clever and amusing, often dealing with romantic obsessions. The object of desire hovers just out of reach, somehow eluding the protagonist without even trying. But it's all part of the game, and what a fun game it is. (Luna would explore this theme again and again, especially on the underrated "Pup Tent.")

Though Dean Wareham is often compared to Lou Reed, and for good reason, I believe he has more in common with Neil Young. Like Neil, he projects warmth and quirkiness, with none of Reed's forbidding coolness. There are no folk songs here, but there is a slight country twang that gives a distinctive edge to Luna's polished urban sound. This album was the first of a string of very good releases from Luna.

I can't believe I bought this CD almost 12 years ago it's still in my current rotation. This is a classic CD and I can't imagine my life without it. There are so many songs that fascinate me with their wit (Slide, Slash Yuor Tires) and many that make my heart ache (Time to Quit, I Want Everything.)

This CD makes it into my top 5 CDs of all time.

This band seems to have become a little side-tracked lately. Their last two albums haven't measured up to the brilliance of the first three, although they do have their moments. This one is my personal favorite. "Anaesthesia" and "Crazy People" are just about perfect. "Hey Sister" is grand like the best Galaxie 500. Wareham, master of the slow and expressive solo, showcases some of his best guitar playing. The lyrics are also above average on this one, with lots of memorable lines ("I look at my dog / We're both confused" "All my nasty habits / Are walking further away" "Hey soldier, hey soldier / Things die on their own"). He even sings a little better than usual.

In the case of Luna, first may be best. I have four of their CDs and this is my favorite, cut for cut, although both Bewitched and Penthouse come very close. (Pup Tent's the other and I find much of that one erratic.)

One would have to be remarkably churlish to not like a CD in which the first line after nearly a minute of lullingly lazy guitar/drum playing is "You can never give the finger to the blind." Or how about "Soho's got the boots/Noho's got the crack/New England's got the foliage/but I ain't going back," also from the first song, Slide? Askew lyrics backed by insistent, but laid back and unobtrusive -- well, there is the occasional wa-wa pedal reverb -- arrangements mark nearly every one of these songs. Most involve Wareham's romantic entanglements, which bemuse more than anger him. As violent as he gets is Slash Your Tires, and that's only in his dreams. Goodbye and We're Both Confused, the two fine closing cuts, are more typical, bittersweet and tinged with "if-I'd-only-done-this" regret. And when love works, as in Nasty People and I Want Everything, Wareham understands that it makes one a better person in every way, "all my nasty habits are walking away." Smile and the eager I Can't Wait are the closest Lunapark gets to loud, with fuzzed and reverb sound partially masking the vocals. Probably the weakest cut is the short (2:04) Time, with a slight story and light Nashville lilt to the guitar work.

A definite buy.

This is my favorite luna release to date (funny it was their first). This is a timeless collection of tunes. Dean wearham shows how beautifully written songs can be acheived with a lowest common denominator approach. Nothing there that need not be; straight to the point non-flash. Wonderful release well deserving of my review umpteen years after my initial spin. if you don't own, buy.. if you own, spin.

That's what Rolling Stone calls Luna. I call it art-pop genius. This band is the best thing since the Pixies although it has much less of an edge. I saw Dean Wareham and "Galaxy" (his earlier incarnation) open for Cocteau Twins in 1991 and while the band didn't make an immediated impression, I remembered the performance. With Luna, Wareham has perfected his act. From the driving Slash Your Tires, to the hard pop Time to Quit, this album will stick to your ribs but still leave you hungry for more. Happy Listening!

Very cool slacker-soundtrack that distinguishes itself by not always sounding the same, having a perfect grip on pop sensibilities and a lyrical/vocal quirkiness. A tremendously good band and an album I don't think I could make it through my twenties without.

Solid and smart- from the lilting pop of "Anesthesia" to the yearning of "I Want Everything" to the driving "Time to Quit", this one's a winner. Note that the reviewers all seem to have their own favorite tunes; no catchy grooves here, just a strong collection of good, thoughtful tunes.

This is the type of album that grows on you with repeated listenings. I liked it initially, put it back in the rack, picked it out a few months later, and didn't put it back in the rack for a long time. The melodies grow on you, as do the quirky lyrics. The vocals are also an acquired taste that, like a fine wine, get more palatable with time until they are one of the sweetest delights you've had the pleasure to imbibe. Standout tracks include "Smile," "I Can't Wait," and "We're Both Confused." A fine addition to any music lover's collection.

I have seen Luna several times in concert, and they're a great band. Particularly if one is feeling mopey, resentful or disconnected from oneself. Hey, everyone needs that kind of thing once in a while. The lyrics from Lunapark in particular are just spectacular-- just from "Slide," we have "You could never give/The finger to the blind" and other great little quasi-zen one liners. Definitely pick this one up if you like their newer songs like "IHOP."