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Editorial Reviews
This October, acclaimed singer-songwriter Dar Williams returns with reinterpretations of her most cherished songs on a definitive double CD release spanning her entire career from 1993 s The Honesty Room through 2008 s Promised Land. This unique two-disc set is comprised of all new acoustic recordings of her most loved songs featuring such luminaries of the folk scene as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks; Gary also produced the album) and Sara and Sean Watkins (of Nickel Creek), and a greatest hits compilation featuring all the best songs from her nine-album career. This exciting release offers a unique new take on Dar s music, with the two full length discs providing great value for fans new and old.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you've had the good fortune to see Dar Williams live, the first disc of Many Great Companions seems plucked straight from one of her set lists. And by and large, most of the tracks are performed just as you'd hear them live -- minus the applause and audience interaction.
"But... but... she has guests on this album!" Yes, absolutely... just like a live show, though the guests are a bit more famous than usual. Personally, I would have loved if Shawn Mullins had been on the album in place of Gary Louris, but that's not to say that it isn't an outstanding album anyway.
On the other hand, if you haven't seen Dar live, you're in for a real treat. There's an indescribable quality in her pure acoustic work that even "Oh yeah, I've heard of her... she does that Christmas Pagan song, right?" listeners are sure to appreciate.
The second disc is simply a best-of, taken straight from her other albums. Don't expect to hear an acoustic version of "Are You Out There" (but really, find an acoustic version of it, because it's excellent) or even re-recordings of anything that's on this disc. Do, however, expect to have an incredibly well-rounded compilation that covers virtually all of the essential listening for a casual fan, and is like a convenient travel edition for those of us who already own Dar's previous albums.
"But... but... she has guests on this album!" Yes, absolutely... just like a live show, though the guests are a bit more famous than usual. Personally, I would have loved if Shawn Mullins had been on the album in place of Gary Louris, but that's not to say that it isn't an outstanding album anyway.
On the other hand, if you haven't seen Dar live, you're in for a real treat. There's an indescribable quality in her pure acoustic work that even "Oh yeah, I've heard of her... she does that Christmas Pagan song, right?" listeners are sure to appreciate.
The second disc is simply a best-of, taken straight from her other albums. Don't expect to hear an acoustic version of "Are You Out There" (but really, find an acoustic version of it, because it's excellent) or even re-recordings of anything that's on this disc. Do, however, expect to have an incredibly well-rounded compilation that covers virtually all of the essential listening for a casual fan, and is like a convenient travel edition for those of us who already own Dar's previous albums.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By R. Berman
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The problem with Dar Williams, if you want to call it a problem, is that her great songs are so evenly distributed among her albums that there's no easy answer when a novice asks, "Which Dar Williams album should I get?" My standard answer has been to sample the first part of her career with Out There Live from 2001. She's had three more albums since then, so that answer is increasingly dated. Now the question is easy to answer; give _Many Great Companions_ to Dar newcomers. One disc is a standard "greatest hits" compilation, and the other contains new coffeehouse-style recordings of other Dar favorites, accompanied by Gary Louris (formerly of The Jayhawks), Sean and Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek), Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Motherlode. The breakdown by original album is as follows; asterisks indicate new recordings.
The Honesty Room:(1993) *When I Was a Boy; When I Was a Boy; *The Babysitter's Here; The Babysitter's Here (both songs appear in both formats)
Mortal City (1996) *As Cool As I Am; As Cool As I Am; *The Christians and the Pagans; *Iowa; February; The Ocean
End of the Summer (1997) *What Do You Hear in These Sounds; *If I Wrote You; If I Wrote You; Are You Out There; Better Things; End of the Summer
The Green World (2000) *Calling the Moon; * Spring Street; Spring Street; After All
The Beauty of the Rain (2003) * The One Who Knows; The One Who Knows; The Mercy of the Fallen; The Beauty of the Rain; Closer to Me
My Better Self (2005) *I'll Miss You (Till I Meet You); *You Rise and Meet the Day; Teen for God; Empire
Promised Land (2008) It's Alright; The Easy Way; Book of Love
The new recordings, by the way, are superbly engineered, with crisp guitar. "Iowa" benefits particularly from its new, heavily harmonized arrangement. Her crystalline voice shows more rasp than ten years ago, but not in a displeasing way, with no loss of range or tonality.
Two minor complaints: First, there are no previously unreleased songs. It would have been nice to hear a new cover song (perhaps from one of her collaborators) or original. Second, I question the inclusion of six of the tracks in both original and re-recorded formats. Half the songs on the "coffeehouse" disc are also on the other disc. I would rather have seen as many different songs (and thus more of her wonderful lyrics) featured. This is especially an issue on the original songs that were already practically solo acoustic performances in the first place, e.g. If I Wrote You, When I Was a Boy, The One Who Knows. I miss Buzzer, I Had No Right, It Happens Every Day, Mark Rothko Song, This Was Pompeii, So Close To My Heart, and so on. As I said above, her repertoire is impressively even across time. For Dar fans looking to introduce her to new friends, this package is a slam-dunk. And even for those of us who own the whole Dar catalogue, the disc of new recordings easily justifies the purchase.
The Honesty Room:(1993) *When I Was a Boy; When I Was a Boy; *The Babysitter's Here; The Babysitter's Here (both songs appear in both formats)
Mortal City (1996) *As Cool As I Am; As Cool As I Am; *The Christians and the Pagans; *Iowa; February; The Ocean
End of the Summer (1997) *What Do You Hear in These Sounds; *If I Wrote You; If I Wrote You; Are You Out There; Better Things; End of the Summer
The Green World (2000) *Calling the Moon; * Spring Street; Spring Street; After All
The Beauty of the Rain (2003) * The One Who Knows; The One Who Knows; The Mercy of the Fallen; The Beauty of the Rain; Closer to Me
My Better Self (2005) *I'll Miss You (Till I Meet You); *You Rise and Meet the Day; Teen for God; Empire
Promised Land (2008) It's Alright; The Easy Way; Book of Love
The new recordings, by the way, are superbly engineered, with crisp guitar. "Iowa" benefits particularly from its new, heavily harmonized arrangement. Her crystalline voice shows more rasp than ten years ago, but not in a displeasing way, with no loss of range or tonality.
Two minor complaints: First, there are no previously unreleased songs. It would have been nice to hear a new cover song (perhaps from one of her collaborators) or original. Second, I question the inclusion of six of the tracks in both original and re-recorded formats. Half the songs on the "coffeehouse" disc are also on the other disc. I would rather have seen as many different songs (and thus more of her wonderful lyrics) featured. This is especially an issue on the original songs that were already practically solo acoustic performances in the first place, e.g. If I Wrote You, When I Was a Boy, The One Who Knows. I miss Buzzer, I Had No Right, It Happens Every Day, Mark Rothko Song, This Was Pompeii, So Close To My Heart, and so on. As I said above, her repertoire is impressively even across time. For Dar fans looking to introduce her to new friends, this package is a slam-dunk. And even for those of us who own the whole Dar catalogue, the disc of new recordings easily justifies the purchase.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you know Dar Williams' music already, you will enjoy her "songs revisited with guitar and a few friends," as she labels the new, acoustic disc of this pairing. Joined by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Patty Larkin (among others), she revisits "As Cool As It Gets," "The Babysitter's Here," "When I was a Boy" and other of her lyrical gems. The booklet includes brief reminisences by friends and folk artists including Patty Griffin, Catie Curtis and Shawn Mullins.
The second, "best of Dar Williams" disc surveys her singing career over seven previous albums, and here too are pieces which delight and inform. Highlights include "If I Wrote You," "The Mercy of the Fallen," and "Book of Love." Her poignantly clever "Teen for God" and socially gripping "Empire" had me searching out "My Better Self" to double-check the lyrics. Songwriting from so honest a room offers hope for "Better Things" indeed.
The second, "best of Dar Williams" disc surveys her singing career over seven previous albums, and here too are pieces which delight and inform. Highlights include "If I Wrote You," "The Mercy of the Fallen," and "Book of Love." Her poignantly clever "Teen for God" and socially gripping "Empire" had me searching out "My Better Self" to double-check the lyrics. Songwriting from so honest a room offers hope for "Better Things" indeed.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
So glad I found this
This is a great collection of "old" Dar Williams favorites and some new ones. Can't go wrong with any of her CDs
Published 2 months ago by Darwin Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dar williams 'must have'
The first time I heard of Dar was with the pre-release of In the time of Gods. I got that and its good. Read more
Published 12 months ago by G. Linton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vocal variety
I've been enjoying this 2 disk collection on long rural drives. Songs tell stories from the heart, and clever lyrics enhance the melodies. Read more
Published 16 months ago by A. C. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful collection for Dar fans
The first disc offers very interesting new versions of favorite songs and the second disc is an excellent greatest hits collection.
Published on November 23, 2010 by Cookie Monster
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dar unplugged & uninspired
As most performers go, this would be a great CD. But it pales in comparison to all of Dar's discology. Read more
Published on November 15, 2010 by Foxpaw6
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Collection of Old Favorites
This is a fantastic collection of Dar Williams' music dating back to her first album. Long time Dar-lings will recognize the beauty of her accoustic guitar and strong, smooth... Read more
Published on November 13, 2010 by H. Donovan
4.0 out of 5 stars
She sings about people!
This is an artist who sings about you and me and everybody else - and with her friends joining in it is all a joy to be listening to. And amazon. Read more
Published on November 9, 2010 by Bente Nilsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
This needs to be in your collection.
I can't remember when exactly I first heard Dar. I know it was around the time of "Mortal City". I also know that when I heard her, I had to have everything she had done. Read more
Published on November 9, 2010 by Patric O.
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