Customer Reviews

Master & Everyone

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recently pulled out my old copy of "There's No One What Will Take Care of You" and gave it a listen. That album is still outstanding but what's truly incredible is how much Will Oldham has evolved over just the last eight or nine years. Ever since first taking on the Bonnie Prince title a few years back he has reached a new plateau in his song writing. Where "I See A Darkness" was bleak and frightened and "Ease Down The Road" was drunken and melancholic, "Master and Everyone" is much more subtle album. It is more endearing than "Ease Down The Road" and at the same time more devestating than "I See A Darkness." It is a collection of some of the most resonant and profound songs I have heard in the last... well, ever. The writing and presentation work hand in hand to bring out the emotions this album inspires. At once a work of great beauty and great sadness, I can say without reservation that this album is my favorite of all Oldham's releases, and I've heard almost every last thing he's done. Only a talent like Oldham could make a line like "It's a hard life for a man with no wife" ring with deep resonancy and continue to haunt with a transcendant melancholy. Have you figured it out yet? I LIKE THIS ALBUM!!

This album, like most great albums doesn't jump out at you right away saying, "I'm a Great Album." Instead it sort of weasels it's way into your mind until you realize that you haven't taken it out of your cd player in about two weeks. Then you leave it in for another two weeks, because you finally realize how great it really is.

The pace of this album is very slow, and the instrumentation is minimal. It's the type of thing you'd play to just wind down and relax. But honestly, it's hard to relax when you're hanging off of every word this guy is singing.

Bonnie Prince Billy, in my opinion, is this generation's Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen as far as lyrics go. His lyrics on this album are the type that you may not get right away, but when you do understand what he's talking about, you love the album even more. Every song on this album is fantastic. At first listen, a few tracks seem to stand out more than others (not that any of them are bad), but as this album gets into your heart, you realize that every track is essential to the one behind it and before, therefore creating what I call a great album.

So Will Oldham, if you are reading this, please never stop making music.

Having long ignored Will Oldham's previous output due mostly to pursuit of music in other genres, but not immune to the seemingly endless stream of effusive critical praise he garners, I finally became overwhelmed with curiosity and decided to purchase one of his Bonnie "Prince" Billy albums. Most reviews of "Master and Everyone" cite "I See a Darkness" as Oldham's definitive artistic statement. Ultimately, I purchased both, and discovered they are very different albums, with very different merits to recommend them.

Having listened to both records several times now, I find myself far more impressed with this latest offering. "I See a Darkness" benefits from inspired contributions from talented collaborators, and the counterpoint Oldham creates between gloomy atmosphere and dark energy is terrific, as are the song structures and lyrics. Yet I believe "Master and Everyone" is a far more mature, intimate and above all else subtle piece of work. Perhaps not enough has been said about the production on this album. The gorgeous cello arrangement that underpins "The Way" serves as a lead for an album's worth of other austere and effective flourishes, including naked tambourine rasps, ghostly organ drones and even a well-placed accordian. These elements and others, together with the rich, sure quality of Oldham's voice, result in a work of tremendous control that is haunting and resonant.

It's been said that a great work of art is defined by how much of it you can remove without sacrificing its intensity. Lilting and refined, "Master and Everyone" is a sonorous study in perfect economy.

When critics reference Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, they tend to emphasize the shortcomings of everything following I See a Darkness. Heck, it's no wonder. Pitchfork's Samir Khan hit the nail squarely on the head, stating in his 10.0 review that ISaD is "not music." Indeed, that enigmatic album stands out as something of the "other"--from its skull-centered cover to its gypsy-funeral feel.

True, Master and Everyone echoes neither the ghost-folk eeriness of I See a Darkness nor the family-reunion feel evinced by its follow-up, Ease Down the Road. Nonetheless, when considered song-by-song, MaE represents BPB's most cohesive, melodic (though sparse) work. In fact, I would argue that it is--taken as an entire album--"better" than I See a Darkness.

Master and Everyone retains the gut-wrenching honesty set forth in ISaD. What it does in addition, though, is strip away the Halloween spirits and fiery chants. Rather, Master penetrates to the inner feelings that fuelled these chilling displays. One senses a strong degree of solitude in songs such as "Master and Everyone" and "Wolf Among Wolves". I cannot help but picture a broken man, sitting alone on his prairie porch, defeated by love, war, and/or life writ large.

This brokenness seems intense, yet it is not final. In "Maundering" and "Lessons...", BPB grabs hold of something--a hope born of faith, love, and humanity. The fact these songs feature little more than the barest of guitar strums effectively places our attention on the vocals--on the man whose ever-fluctuating cycle of direction and despair we are witnessing.

The album's closing track, "Hard Life", provides a fitting end to the sentiments expressed therein. Whether or not such is its intent, BPB's last number conveys a feeling of...contentedness, and even humble appreciation. "And it's a hard life/For a man with no wife/Baby, it's a hard life/God makes you live. But without it/Don't doubt it/You don't even have/Your tears to give." We have drawn an often trying and tumultuous lot; nonetheless, it is what we have, and we (or, at least he) will strive to survive the terrain.

Indeed, these 10 songs present to us the core of a tormented, yet beautiful, soul. He still, no doubt, sees a darkness. There is, however, light at the end of the road. There must be, or else why is living worth it?

Will Oldham's first singing credits can be traced back to John Sayles' 1987 film Matewan. He co-starred as a 15-year-old preacher caught in the middle of a union war and sang along on three church hymns included on the soundtrack: "Avanti Populo," "Blood of the Lamb" and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Draw whatever conclusions you see fit, but I tend to think this had a big influence on his music.

Oldham's caustic and completely unique approach to American folk music has always stood out from the droves of roots-music ramblers and ersatz Dylan singer/songwriters. His first two albums conceived under the guise of The Palace Brothers, There Is No One What Will Take Care of You and Days in the Wake, revealed Oldham as a weathered wanderer: His gravelly tenor focused on love, death and religion while relating experiences that were well beyond the years that his still young face wore.

As good as his early releases were, and still are, Oldham was known best for his lyrical content. Barring the rock excursions on 1995's excellent Viva Last Blues, his arrangements were merely appropriate until, oddly, after he christened himself Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was then that his music as a whole became greater than its parts. Piano accompaniment, percussion and rich backing vocals dressed "I See a Darkness" and "Ease Down the Road" in a warm shade of black, making them perfect companions for your breaking heart.

His newest Bonnie 'Prince' Billy installment, Master and Everyone, is not the follow-up that everyone is likely expecting. It is, more importantly, a good album that finds Oldham retreating from the layered solemnity of his most recent releases in favor of a mood that is as intimate and delicate as it is bittersweet and biting.

The album opens with Oldham singing Winter comes and snow/ I can't marry you ya' know, as if it were a lullaby -- and even though it's not. Each squeak of the chair, each toe tapped on the floor, every deep breath drawn can be heard dancing among his acoustic guitar and haunting voice (The sprinkling of strings and an organ throughout the chorus do nothing to lighten the mood).

On "Ain't You Wealthy, Ain't You Wise?" Marty Slayton makes her appearance as Oldham's duet partner. Her presence, however, does nothing to keep him from ruminating on a loneliness that functions as the album's solitary theme. Shivers run up my spine when the two unapologetically harmonize, There's no pain to lament, and no dream undreamt. Tragedy, not irony -- that's why fans flock to Will Oldham concerts.

Overall, no new ground has been covered on Master and Everyone. Oldham has been known on occasion to let listeners down (anyone buy Ode Music?), but that's not the case here. There's more than enough material to keep fans happy, and, according to the opening verse of "Hard Life," there will be much more material soon.

Wake up and I'm fine, with my dreaming still on my mind
But it don't take long you see, for the demons to come
and visit me.
And I've got my problems, sometimes love don't solve them/
And I end each day, in a song.

Ronald Andryshak
February 5, 2003
Junkmedia Review

I purchased this album without any former knowledge of Mr.Oldham's work - it was simply on a whim after seeing a review of it in my local record store. It's perfection rings throughout every lonely track. Musically, it is heavily reminiscent of John Martyn and Guy Clarke, relying on guitar picking rather than strumming, however it still retains a sense of Country sound. Lyrically, I was reminded moreover of Neil Young's "On The Beach", but overall "Bonnie Price Billy" feels like the latter day Nick Drake (my favourite recording artist). The bleak and tired voice of Oldham combined with his slow and modest guitar make this a mandatory addition to any Drake or Martyn fans collection, as well as a must-have for the rest of the world.

Amazing record. So simple, so delicate, so neccessary. Will Oldham nails the gentle folk genre on the head with his musings and cooings. This is probably the simplest record that I can obsessively listen to over and over. When the record does break the simple arrangements for a female backup vocal or concertina, it is aural poetry at its best. If the samples sound like anything that you would remotely be interested in, then buy this record immediately. "Wolf Among Wolves" has been a personal theme for sometime and I highly recommend that track, as well as "Joy and Jubilee" and "Ain't you Wealthy, Ain't you Wise?"

I have been a Palace/Oldham fan for some time and was starting to worry about his prowess after the disappointing "Ease On Down the Road," but "Master and Everyone" has calmed my fears. This is a small masterpiece, and an interesting one at that. It is his tightest album to date, with little of the endearing sloppiness of old, yet it is also his most subdued since "Days In the Wake". As a result this album demands a very close listen. This isn't an album that you can just put on in the background and it will hunt you down. Instead, you have to meet it on its own terms. But once you give it the attention it deserves you find an album that unfolds beautifully in a manner not unlike Nick Drake's "Pink Moon". I find it hard to listen to this album and not be stunned by the amount of power and beauty found within such a short and quiet release. There is more depth and wonder in this album's half hour than most artists produce in thier entire careers.

I loved 'Ease Down the Road' and saw Oldham live about a year after that album came out. When I heard 'Master and Everyone' was due for release, I grabbed it at first opportunity. I put it in my CD player and I was immediately disappointed. It seemed to be a flatter, less varied affair than 'Road', so I put it away and decided to wait for either his next tour (Oldham's amazing live) or album.

A few months ago, I decided to toss a majority of my music collection onto my computer at work. I had to buy a new hard drive to do so, as I have amassed well over 1,000 CDs. I use iTunes and often just switch on the random feature in order to make things a little more interesting. One day, while iTunes was jumping through the tracks in my library, it stumbled upon 'Maundering', a track off 'Masters and Everyone'. I liked it and decided to give the album another chance.

'Masters' is a very subtle collection of songs, its greatness veiled in both Oldham's quiet approach and unwavering tempo. But repeated and focused listens reveal melodies, harmonies, and lyrical gems that will stick the songs in your head. The choral melody on 'Wolf Among Wolves' is pretty perfect. It's got an emotional and musical impact that's moving without being forced. The quiet, somber tone that Oldham delivers on 'Masters' works with his voice -- a voice that's been tamed over the years. Gone are the deliberate bad notes and voice cracks (which weren't without charm -- just a little bit too stylistically motivated) of his Palace days. His voice is controlled and mature without seeming dull in that AOR sort-of way. So, in essence, what made Beck's last album an awful, contrived-for-critical-praise bore fest makes Oldham's 'Masters' work. Oldham's been working toward this for a while and his soul oozes out of every song, whereas Beck's soul seemed afraid to leave the house on the day he decided to record 'Sea Change'.

The last thing I'd like to offer is this: some of you will find this album boring and/or not worth it. That's OK. I'm pretty sure I would have intensely disliked this album in college, but now that I'm older, I appreciate subtlety and substance over style. Gone are the days when Jon Spencer's calculated 'soul'-howls got me into a song. To those who say 'Masters' is pretentious or favors style, I'd ask you to listen again. It's a pretty amazing collection of songs that requires attention, but also delivers on the attention paid.

When I first heard Billy's new album a couple of weeks back I was a bit surprised. It sounded somewhat awkward in comparison to his recent output. For instance, there isn't a single drum to be heard throughout, which hasn't really been the case since his second lp (Days in the Wake/Palace Brothers), the exceptions being some singles and his soundtrack album, Ode. He has also adopted a rather peculiar picking style on his guitar. So I wasn't particularly impressed at first listen, no more than I was of Ease Down the Road (which has grown to be one of my favourites). The prince proved me wrong, of course, and I've hardly taken it out of the player since that first day. I listen to it at work, play it as soon as I get home and hear it in my head in what there is of a spare time. Inexplicable. It's such a low-key affair, you'd never imagine how haunting this album is. A random couple of lines from "Wolf among Wolves" say more than a 1000 words on my part: "Why must I live and walk / unloved as what I am / Why can't I be / loved as what I am / A wolf among wolves / and not / as a man / among men". All in all, it's one of his finest records - not that I can remember an album that isn't one of his best. This is a country & western record, by the way. His lyrics are solid as ever as he continues to get more straight-forward and personal and less vague. The last song - A Hard Life - is just too beautiful in its own honest way. Get it - or get out of here.