Customer Reviews

New Connection

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On his first albums Todd Snider sounded like the new Tom Petty. There were some promising songs though, like Joe's Blues and Doublewide Blues, that had their own sound. On this new album New Connection, everything fits like a glove. Great songs, easy, laidback singing, beautiful arrangements, a band that has just the right feel for "near perfect" (that is: not too smooth). A masterpiece that reminds me of Eric Andersen's Blue River.
And it's one of those rare records that grow on you: it gets better with each spin.

I am a big Todd fan, but I did not expect to like "New Connection" as much as I do. Reading about 15 reviews here, and some comments on Snider fan websites, I thought I might be disappointed in this one. Each of Todd's five albums has a distinct approach. His first, "Daily Planet" gave us startlingly brilliant songwriting in four or five selections; then, "Step Right Up" had two or three near-brilliant songs; "Viva Satellite" was in-your-face rock, but lesser lyrics; next, "Happy to Be Here" was one voice, one guitar, personal confessions. "New Connection" probably does not have any single song which stands out as a masterpiece either of passion or of humor, but all 13 are high-quality. It is his most consistently enjoyable work. There are no "lows" here, and if the "highs" are not quite as strong as some of his older songs, it doesn't matter because the backing band here is superb. This one is less country-sounding than "Happy", less rock-sounding than "Viva" and less indie folkie sounding than "Planet", but its mixture of those elements is nearly flawless. Read the other reviewers to get details of particular songs that people love or hate...my advice is to buy this and make sure your first listen is with earphones, no interruptions for 50 minutes or so. Why Todd hasn't made a bigger splash in the industry is a mystery to me, but he has soul and brains and attitude and poetry and sensitivity and occasional crudity and the world should keep an eye on him.

Excellent CD from start to finish. This one has all the best of Todd Snider. It has funny, upbeat songs ("Beer Run", "Vinyl Records"); it has quiet, introspective songs ("Anywhere", "Class of '85"); the Buddy Holly-esque "Easy" with excellent backup vocals by Kim Richey; the great duet w/ John Prine on Prine's "Crooked Piece of Time"; plus many more including a haunting tribute to Todd's good friend Eddy Shaver ("Waco Moon"). Buy this one and several for your friends and family...you won't regret it.

I tried to pick a favorite song on this CD but I just can't... They are ALL so good. Truly a couple of the best love songs I've ever heard (Anywhere, Close Enough to You). They are just so plain spoken, or sung, and down to earth. Tug at the heartstrings. Speaking of tugging heartstrings, Waco Moon will do that to you - quite the ode to a friend who's gone. A lot of the reason I listen to Todd Snider's music is cause he makes me smile (and sometimes grin), like in Vinyl Records (I've got about a quarter of it memorized and I've listened to it over and over..). I can just see him flipping through all his old albums. Statistician's Blues amd Broke have so much humor and so much truth in them. Both are funny, and not, cause their just too damn close to home. I love singing with Todd at the top of my lungs driving down the road and his songs make that so easy to do. Crooked Piece of Time is brilliant. New Connections just makes me feel good. And of course I'm learning to play Beer Run for around the campfire this summer.

This is Todd's 5 release that I own. I place it as my 4th favorite. I prefer Songs For The Daily Planet, Happy To Be Here, and Step Right Up before it. There are some good songs on this CD. New Connection, Vinyl Records, Waco Moon, Rose City among my favorites. I have heard the humorous Beer Run and Statistician's Blues on a live bootleg and they destroyed these songs in the studio. I hope to see these songs on a live CD in the future. The studio version just takes too much of Todd's style away from the songs. The remake of John Prine's Crooked Piece of Time is done very well with Prine in on the duet. Overall, a bit disappointing but I still enjoy listening to it.

Top to bottom this album has it all - makes you laugh , makes you think , makes you want to dance. I can't wait till mainstream finally catches up and the music industry finally recognizes what a gift Todd Snider is and the talent he posseses. His music will inspire you to move something whether it's your brain or your bottom! Check him out.

I was listening to Bob & Tom in the morning and heard Todd singing Beer Run and had to buy it. This guy has so much range! He sounds rock one minute, country the next. Beer Run is definately my favorite track, I also like Vinyl Records and the title track, New Connection. Some tracks didn't grab me but overall I think its a solid effort.

I've been a fan of Todd Snider since his first record and all of his records have been consistently great. This is no exception. If I had one complaint it would be the blotchy photo on the cover, I guess this makes up for the eye-liner on "Viva Satellite". The last record "Happy To Be Here" sounded pretty stripped down, there were some production flourishes, but it was basically Todd and a guitar. This record sounds much fuller. Even when it is just Todd and a guitar, everything has a fuller tone to it. One can listen to the various Todd Snider records and hear his evolution as an artist. It's really exciting to be a part of it. I feel like I know him just because his music has been such a constant part of my life. "Class of 85" is especially dear to me since that's my class. The song "Easy" has a real Buddy Holly feel to it, along the lines of "Every Day". A little heavy on the love songs, but they're great songs. I can't recommend this album enough. I buy a lot of records and listen to a lot of different types of music. This is the greatest record I've heard in a long time. Todd Snider's songs have always been close to my heart and I look forward to listening to this album for the rest of my life.

I've been a fan of Todd Snider's ever since a friend of mine played me his first CD, "Songs From The Daily Planet". Todd is part folk, part rock, part country and part humorist and wholly entertaining. He toned down the harder rock tones in his previous CD, "Happy To Be Here" and has turned it down another notch on "New Connection" with lower key, but still usually well written songs.

Highlights are "Rose City", "New Connection", "Broke" (hilarious) and "Vinyl Records". "Beer Run" and "Statistician Blues" are fun, but like another reviewer said, I've heard live versions of both of these songs and the studio cuts just don't have the spark when compared to the live performances. I'd also like to see a live Todd Snider CD in the future because he seems to be on his game in this situation.

There are also a few too many brooding mediocre ballads to make this the five star effort of Todd's earlier works, but it's still a must for any Todd Snider fan.

Okay, I admit it, we are huge Todd Snider fans. He has a worldly insight, incredible talent, awesome, yes I said it, awesome stage presence, and a great love for his fans/friends. What's not to like? However, that doesn't mean that this record isn't up to his usual appeal. We anxiously awaited this release and were delighted when it finally arrived!