My Friends Are My Estate

Belleville | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 2002)
• Original Release Date: October 15, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00006NSX4
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,582 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Light

2. Wait To Stop

3. Sunday

4. TFT

5. Shy

6. Cabin in the Pines

7. Cue

8. The Crying Shame

9. Skinny Boy

10. Out on the Side

11. My Friends Are My Estate

Editorial Reviews

Fufkin (The Big Takeover) November,2002

'My Friends Are My Estate' includes ten original songs that combine jangle’n’twang in a very appealing fashion.

Product Description

Belleville, My Friends Are My Estate. Del-Tona Records 2002

One of the problems with classifying music is that it almost always does a disservice to the bands that come to be defined by a specific genre. Take Belleville, whose latest release My Friends Are My Estate has enough pedal steel, bluegrass-inspiration and harmonica to guarantee them a spot among the legions of alt-country wannabes. Add to that the fact that the band is named after Belleville, IL, the hometown of alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo, and Belleville would appear to have painted themselves into a creative corner. And while alt-country may not be an entirely inaccurate label, Belleville proves to operate as much in the pop tradition as they do in country or roots rock. My Friends Are My Estate is loaded with tight, clever tunes that show Belleville to be smarter and more skilled than many of the bands they are likely to be classified with. The opening track, "Light," is a shuffling rave-up that sets the tone for what follows. Particularly telling, however, is the second cut, "Wait to Stop." This is a pop gem that defies categorization, complete with string accompaniment and Beach Boy harmonies. Like Joe Pernice who continues to defy his alt-country categorization, Belleville appears poised to follow his lead. "Sunday" opens with a Bacharach-esque trumpet flourish and piano accompaniment. Front man Mark Caputo sings, "Life can be a hard master, I know, I've done my time," setting the tone for the entire album. What follows is a fine album that bounces between styles like flipping through a music fan's record collection. Belleville has managed to create a gem of an album that continues to grow more and more appealing with each listen. With any luck, Belleville will avoid any labels placed on them and continue to make solid music for music fans uninterested in genre limitations.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Diversity Of Our Country, October 16, 2002

By 

PopTodd (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Friends Are My Estate (Audio CD)

A disclaimer: I do know songwriter/lead singer Mark Caputo, but this review does state my honest opinion of the CD. If I was not fond of it, I would have simply remained mute.

That said, Mark Caputo and company already proved their songwriting chops on their self-titled debut. But with My Friends Are My Estate, they expand upon their sound, stretching out with a few more rockers and even a bluegrass tune ("Cabin In the Pines") that sounds like it could be a lost classic.

Strongly recommended for fans of Americana bands like Whiskeytown, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo and Neil Young.

4.0 out of 5 stars Genre free ?, December 22, 2002

By 

Charles (Nashville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Friends Are My Estate (Audio CD)

Great sophmore release from an up & coming band from the left coast. Songs people, you gotta have'em and Belleville delivers the goods on this one.

4.0 out of 5 stars Top of their game, November 27, 2002

By 

Peter Dominguez (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Friends Are My Estate (Audio CD)

This album is a must buy. Belleville has matured and in firing on all cylinders on this one.