Customer Reviews

Omnibus

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have never wriiten a review for anything on Amazon and I probably won't again, but listening to this album has brought back a flood of memories of my school days in Missoula. My friends and I were all going to UM at the same time of Tarkio's hey day and this collection of their recordings has made me think of places I haven't been to in years.

When my roommate, Bert, came home from a Watsonville Patio show, he said the main act was mediocre. However, he couldn't stop talking about the opening act, Tarkio. Bert is exceptionally levelheaded and doesn't rave about bands too often (he still doesn't). From that point forward, we made it a point to catch Tarkio whenever we could. We badgered Truxton for an album and actually finagled a copy of their demo tape. I can't remember how many times we saw them play at Jay's Upstairs with PBR in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

As the band began more recognized we felt we had stumbled onto a gem. When we saw the same people on campus that we saw at shows, we would talk up the band. It was fun and we all felt we had discovered a band at the beginning of their career. When they pressed their CD, I think we played it for days without changing. Everyone knew this band could break big and we wanted to help make it happen.

Needless to say, everyone graduated and moved on in life. My friends and I all ended up in Portland and we'd occasionally see the band if they swung through town but it wasn't the same. College bands are just that and we seemed to realize it.

A couple years ago, Bert called to tell me he heard a song on the radio and the lead singer sounded like Colin Meloy. It actually was him and so we became fans of The Decemberists. Life is funny that way.

Anyways, this is a great collection and if you were at UM when they played I highly recommend it. I especially found the liner notes fun because they name check so many places in Missoula my friends and I spent time at. In addition, I went to high school with Andy Smetanka and he read the morning announcements when I was a freshman. We live in a small world and in this case, we have Tarkio to thank for it.

I'm pretty sure that if even if I hadn't ever heard of the Decemberists, I would really love this album. A lot of the press was quick to dismiss it as amatuerish or 'for die-hard Decemberists' fans only; however, I'm pretty sure there's a wider market for Tarkio than even the Decemberists. The sound is less centralized on Meloy's affection for 18th or 19th century British literature and far more a direct product of classic indie rock, like the Smiths or early R.E.M. Tarkio may be more diverse and less blunt in its intentions. The Decemberists excel in melody and production.

The album is a collection of Tarkio's two LPs, and, I believe, an EP, as well as a 4-song radio appearence. It's difficult to pick out a few songs I like above the others, but if I had to, I'd say the opener, Keeping Me Awake, Tristan and Iseult and maybe Sister Nebraska (I'm probably missing a few worthwhile tracks here). An old version of "My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artists" appears here. Interestingly, they sound more and more like the Decemberists as the album progresses. The liner notes contain written memories from the band members and a number of old photographs.

One thing is for certian, that this isn't just for Decemberists fans. It's a treat for them, but even those who find the Decemberists a bit annoying ("indie bedwetters" is the popular putdown) will find Tarkio far more digestable. They were an excellent indie pop band in the Smiths tradition that probably would've made it on their own had they been signed. This is a great album, highly recommended for all music fans. I was tempted to give it 4 stars, but as I'm listening to it, I'm enjoying it more than most of the albums I've bought recently.

I was raised on the classic folk/bluegrass sounds thanks to my father, who's a great musician. I also happen to be a HUGE Decemberists fan (almost obsessively so!). For me this is the perfect blend of a song style I have loved my whole life and Colin Meloy's unique sense of musicality and, of course, his trademark vocal quality. Upon hearing the first song, I immeadiately fell in love. This album is a truly amazing piece of musicianship.

Listening to this CD was like slipping into a great worn-in LP. The songs may sound familiar, but they're not. Sounding alot like the Jayhawks or America, only a lot more progressive, these guys have a great future ahead of them. Rarely do you hear so much stellar songwriting on one album. WOW! If someone stole all my CD's today (God please don't let that happen) this would be one of the first I would buy again. And I have A LOT of CD's.

I can't get enough of Colin Meloy lately. After purchasing Colin Meloy Sings Live, I've been on a hunt for more. This is a very good double CD. Great quality and great music! Thanks Amazon for letting us sample CDs before buying.

I really like the Decemberist's Colin Meloy's storytelling style and musical compositions. So I was intrigued when I stumbled across this earlier incarnation. After trying out a few songs I was hooked. There are some really amazing songs on the album, my favorites are Keeping me awake, Tristan and Iseult, Sister Nebraska, Neapolitan Bridesmaid, and If I had more time. His songwriting skills are unbelievable, weaving in literary references to Camus along with lyrical imagery like a shy pigeon toe'd state of Nebraska smiling at you. The only real problem with the collection is that the musical style can get a little repetitive. If you like guitar and violin heavy musical stories you'll love this album. Take the Decemberists and dial back the experimentation and dial up the country/bluegrass elements.

Many Tarkio songs are on my regular playlist and are among my all time favorites.

Tarkio reminds me of the best of early R.E.M, 10K Maniacs, and even a lot more. I love bluegrass, alt rock, and even some alt country - especially bands like Blanche, Gun Club, etc, etc. Tarkio shows how Colin was a very good songwriter from the start - and his band mates are all very accomplished and excellent musicians. Yes - it does come across like a college radio favorite, but hey - I love that sound. Young, hungry and full of bright potential.

"Better Half" is such an amazingly great song - it gives me goose bumps . . .

Ignore the music press - they are always flatulent anyway . . . . big noisy airbags . .