Customer Reviews

Music for Elevators

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I'm beyond amazed. This album has a wide variety of song stylings, ranging from a song in French to more upbeat tracks, from lyrics about being apart from your children to reflecting on your past. Anthony Stewart Head (vocals, lyrics) and George Sarah (music, arrangements) have created an emotional and unique musical journey.

Track 1: "What Can You Tell Me?" starts the record off at a good pace, making your head bop along.

Track 2: "Babies (The In Between)" tugs at the heartstrings for anyone who misses their children, or even friends or family members - and remembers when they were young - and can't believe that they've grown up so quickly.

Track 3: "Owning My Mistakes" is about admitting what's past and dealing with what's present.

Track 4: [segue] An instrumental piece.

Track 5: "We Can Work It Out" is a remake of the classic tune written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung as a duet by Anthony and Holly Palmer. Holly's voice makes you take notice - and the modern take on the background music makes it all the more unique.

Track 6: "Qu'est Ce Que J'ai Fait" is in French. Voila.

Track 7: "All the Fun of the Fair" is incredibly catchy and is about revisiting something you did when you were younger, and seeing it with different eyes. Justina Machado is a featured vocalist. Amber Benson is also one of the vocalists on the track, singing the top line. Suzy Pradden provides the voice of the short speaking bit.

Track 8: "This Town in the Rain" describes Los Angeles during a rainstorm. Been there, lived that, strongly agree with the descriptions and emotions.

Track 9: "Talk to You" is beautiful, with strings and heartache. It's in the vein of Duncan Sheik. Pardon me as I put it on repeat. It may very well be my favorite overall track.

Track 10: "Mum's Song" is another delightful short instrumental piece.

Track 11: "Last Time" is the song which Joss Whedon wrote in full - music and lyrics. Amber Benson and Justine Machado are again featured on background vocals. You keep swearing it will be the last time, that you're done with that person, but you keep going back and you get your heart ripped out every single time.

Track 12: "One Man's Rain" includes Tony on the piano, as does the opening track, "What Can You Tell Me." It reminds me of Sting for some reason - and that's a very good thing in my book. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Camille Saviola and Justina Machado provide background vocals.

Track 13: [segue] Something to sleep to, indeed. You are getting very sleepy. . . Immensely relaxing instrumental piece.

Track 14: "Change" - The first beats of this song like "Back 2 Life" from the 1990s. Just as quickly as you remember that song, the melody kicks in and changes things around - no pun intended. You may be afraid to break free, but it's time. Move on. Be strong. Change.

Track 15: "Staring at the Sun" is another piece discussing the views of a child. It makes me remember a science moment in grammar school when they had us stare at the sun, then look at a piece of paper. That was safe and smart to teach children, wasn't it?

Track 16: "End Game" is a hidden track. Shhh. . . Here's where Alyson Hannigan comes in, talking over the music at a point. This song is all about pain and unanswered questions.

Once "End Game" has struck its final chord, keep the CD playing. There's another hidden surprise. About twelve minutes later, you'll hear a verse from "Owning My Mistakes," as a spoken by James Marsters.

The CD is a delight from beginning to end. I applaud not only Tony and George, but the various guest singers, artists and speakers as well. This is a CD I can listen to from beginning to end, skip no tracks, and have on repeat all day long as I'm working. Five stars, hands down.

I bought this album out of curiosity for the most part. And, being a Buffy fan, it was something I should have even if I didn't like it. I already knew from the show that Anthony Head was more than adequate as a singer, but a lot more than a good voice goes into being a musician. So Music For Elevators turned out to be quite a surprise, and a good one at that.

Head is responsible for most of the words and a good piece of the eclectic music on this album. George Sarah is responsible for most of the sound except for Heads voice. The combination is quite effective. Anthony Head's voice lends itself to an intimate style, the musical delivery adds interest, but is very careful to leave the core content and it's style the predominant elements. Considering how many times I've had to sit through a 'star' album that has been over-produced in order to disguise the more obvious faults this is a refreshingly genuine piece of work.

It's hard to critique the debut album of someone whose creativity you really do admire. One wants to gush, and there is a lot to praise here. But if Head has a weakpoint, it is as a lyricist. His words are far from terrible, and they address some interesting subjects - a father's lament in 'Babies,' the depressing side of Los Angeles in 'This Town In The Rain.' But he always hovers on that ever-dangerous border between trite and meaningful - and doesn't always land on the good side. He does really try to say a lot in his songs and there are certainly no abject failures. Just be prepared for a dash of almost boyish awkwardness.

Among the very good is the aforementioned 'Babies,' a very unusual cover of 'We Can Work It Out,' the almost metaphysical, very environmental 'One Man's Rain,' and 'Change' where the content almost runs away with the music, but not quite. Over all this is a very satisfactory album - speaking as someone who buys very few 'pop/rock' albums in any year. Maybe that's something I should change...

I honestly bought this album simply for Anothony Stewart Head's voice. I'm not a big fan of the more electronic music (I'm too much a fan of guitars and pianos) but the work on this works surprisingly well. As someone said already, the music tends to overpower Anthony Head's fantastic singing, but the songs are still beautifully put together and the lyrics are emotional and haunting, at times. I'd love to see a more accoustic album from Anthony Head, at some point. Pay attention to:

Babies (the in between)- This song will break your heart. One of the more lyrical songs on the cd and incredibly powerful.

We Can Work it Out- A very, very different take on the Beatles song. The play between Head's vocal line and Holly Palmer's is beautiful.

Qu'est ce que j'ai fait- Just wonderful to listen to, seeming as I don't know any French.

Talk to You- One of the shortest songs but probably the most accoustic on the cd. The lyrics are, again, heart breaking. This is one of the best displays of his voice.

Last Time- I'd love to see Joss Whedon and Anthony Head work together on a album at some point. Between this and what he wrote for the Buffy musical, I think that Joss writes amazing things for Head's voice.

End Game- This one will stick with you. An absolutely haunting look at loss.

Also, read the lyrics to Staring at the Sun. The song is mixed in such a way that you can't really understand them, but they're like poetry.

The first time I listened to the tracks on this album, I thought that they could have been better. But each time I listen to it, it gets better and better. I knew Anthony Head has a beautiful voice from the songs he's performed on "Buffy," but his voice seems too soft in some songs, with the overpowering effect of the music. This album is still amazing, from opening to closing. "What Can You Tell Me?" is a great opener that has you tapping your feet. "Babies" is so beautiful, my friend started crying the first time she heard it. Head sounds so sincere in this song that it takes the lyrics to another level. "Quest ce que J'ai Fait" (which means "What Have I Done?" in French) sounds beautiful, about a person who can't understand why his lover walked away.

"All the Fun of the Fair" is one of many tracks that features actress Amber Benson, and she does a great job with the part she gets. The opening line to this ("I wrote this song when I was younger/Blind to the lessons I could learn") tells you just how much you can mature through music. "This Town in the Rain" is great... probably my favorite track. The opening beat is catchy, and ASH takes it away with some catchy lyrics.

"Last Time" is the other song that may give "This Town" any competition. Written by Joss Whedon, it's a song about someone who keeps on saying "this is the last time... I won't put up with it anymore," but can't help but go running back. Amber Benson again does amazing vocal work here. The last song I wanted to mention was "End Game," a slow but stunning song that gives you a strong visual about what might be going on. Alyson Hannigan and James Marsters both guest on this track. Alyson has two lines ("Like a beetle on its back" and "Look at the beetle on its back") and James recites what I think is a poem about eight minutes after the song is over (by the way, he's not using his English accent here).

All in all, this album left me breathless. Anthony Stewart Head is a wonderful vocalist, and his lyrics are absolutely beautiful. Even the songs that don't stand out are still great, just because Head's voice is so soothing. Hopefully this won't be his only album.

Stand out songs: "Babies (The In Between)," "All the Fun of the Fair," "This Town in the Rain," "Last Time," and "End Game."

There's no question that Anthony Stewart Head has a terrific voice. Anyone who's heard him sing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have certain expectations of this album. Unfortunately in this production somebody evidently thought that completely drowning his voice with ornate electronic curlicues would be a good idea. Trying to groove on the lyrics gives me a serious headache, it's like listening for bird song off in the distance while working on a metal lathe. I'd thought that by now we had gotten past that whole 'let's see how many different kinds of loud noises we can make with this here new-fangled electronic keyboard gadget'?

Before I got the CD I'd been wondering if it was going to be in the nature of low-rent lounge music, but mercifully the songs themselves probably were better than that, from what I could tell, although they would have been sedate. I doubt that anything I say is going to change anyone's mind about buying `Giles' record'; but be forewarned that unless you love oomph-pah-pah electronic music you may be disappointed. As for the much-touted guest voices from Amber Benson, Alyson Hannigan, and James Marsters, their contributions are miniscule to begin with, and cannot be picked out of the layers of bombastic cacophony. Let's hope Mr. Head some day puts out an album that will showcase and do justice to his voice.

I originally purchased this album just because I was a fan of Anthony Stewart Head's work on Buffy, including his singing (I wish his lovely rendition of "Behind Blue Eyes" had been released). To my surprise, "Music for Elevators" has stayed on heavy rotation in my CD player. Many of the songs are strongly reminiscent of Sting's "Brand New Day," but ASH appears less whimsical and more earnest, producing passionate, poetic lyrics perfectly accompanied by the catchy beats of collaborator George Sarah.

In contrast to previous reviewers, I would rate "This Town In the Rain" as one of my least favorite tracks; highlights for me included the opener "What Can You Tell Me?" "Owning My Mistakes," the quirky reworking of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out," and "Last Time" by Buffy creator Joss Whedon. I also adore James Marsters' husky spoken reprise of lyrics from "Owning My Mistakes" at the very end of the album, just under 12 minutes into the 16th track.

I honestly was blown away by this CD, Anthony Head and George Sarah work wonderfully together! The overall feel from the music is kind of a New Age Gothic feel, however it goes perfectly with Anthony's beautiful voice. Hot picks out of the CD are tracks "Babies (The In-Betweens)," "All the Fun of the Fair," "This Town in the Rain," And "Last Time". This is a perfect CD to listen to on rainy days or while going to sleep. The contributions of fellow BtVS cast members Amber Benson and Alyson Hannigan in the songs gave a familiarity to the songs, not to mention added a "little something" to the music. James Marsters reciting lyrics as the hidden-hidden track at the end of the CD is the perfect wrap to a perfect CD.

Definately buy this CD, you will not be dissapointed!

I couldn't believe it when I heard that Anthony Stewart Head (best known in America for his role as Giles in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer series) had a music album. And I have to tell you, this is not just some cheap attempt to cash in on his TV popularity (Are you listening Shatner?). Having just seen the musical episode of Buffy (Once More With Feeling), I knew he could sing. The surprise I had in store was just how well he could sing. And furthermore, that "Spike" (James Marsters) sounds nothing like his character. That's right, he sings backup on the third song, and Amber Benson and Alyson Hannigan also drop by. As an added bonus, Joss Whedon, the creator of the TV show, writes a song ("Last Time").

All in all, this is a fun album -- very peaceful. Duncan Sheik really is the closest comparison to the style of this music, and yet, Music For Elevators is still different. The only mistep, and thankfully, a minor one, is track #5, a cover of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out." It just doesn't do the song justice, and is way too slow and moody. Luckily, Music for Elevators regains its steam, and makes this one of the surprise albums of the year.

Hopefully, there are people who are considering purchasing this record who have not heard Anthony Stewart Head sing on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." These people will not be disappointed. Others, probably just about anyone liable to giving this album a spin, will be.

Head has a beautiful voice and admirable vocal control. But his talents are largely wasted on this recording. The words - mainly Head's own lyrics - get in the way. So does the music, which seems largely the creation of co-credited George Sarah.

Musically, comparisons to Sting's "Brand New Day" are apt, in that both records consist mainly of overproduced tracks with little to say. Both are guilty of sonic bloat. There is simply too much going on here; it sounds like kids in a garage experimenting with their first synth. Nothing, it seems, was left out. On its own terms, as contemporary techno or world/jazz fusion, the music fails. Few tracks match sound and lyrics; usually the instrumental sound works at odds, or seems simply to ignore, the lyrical tone.

Which isn't as bad as it might be, since the lyrics are almost uniformly banal. Except for a few verses scattered through the album, Head's lyrics sound very much like the earnestly overwrought dashings of a bad teenage poet. The difference? Instead of vacuous songs about adolescent angst, here we have vacuous songs about middle age angst. And Head seems overly concerned with his writing; he sounds hesitant and reverential for most of his own lyrics. Whatever the cause, he rarely sounds like he's letting his vocal performance get out of second gear. Head can sing, he really can, but you might not know it from this album.

It's too bad. Head can't write songs, yet he seems to have put his role as a songwriter first on this project. He has an incredible voice, yet Sarah's music utterly obscures Head's singing on the album. Ballyhooed duets with various "Buffy" stars are completely lost in the sonic bloat. And while the one Joss Whedon song is a much better lyric than any of Head's own work, it's still no great shakes, and certainly not as good as the work that Whedon eventually included in his 2001 musical episode of "Buffy."

If only Head would find some songs to cover and sing them in the company of a small acoustic group he could do great work. "Tony Head and Union Station" would be something to write home about. "Music for Elevators" is not. Best to pass on this in hopes that next time, Head will not let the words, or the music, get in the way.

Like most other commentors here, I bought this CD in the mindset of a Giles fan. If I had never even heard of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," however, I would still love the album as a music fan. Anthony Head has an amazing and rich voice that stirs your heart, though it would be much better suited to an acoustic accompaniment. The lyrics, as well, are stirring and dramatic. Tracks like "Owning My Mistakes" and "This Town in the Rain" are pure poetry. The only track I don't enjoy is Head's remake of "We Can Work it Out," which is just a little too eerie and melancholy for a song designed to be light and cheery. Non-"Buffy" fans will appreciate the knowledge that the CD is not in-jokey, neither does it feature extensive work by Head's costars. While I think that going with such heavy electronic sounds for backup was a poor choice, it in no way diminishes the wonder and beauty of this album.