Customer Reviews

Pale

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I discovered this album during perhaps the darkest period of my life. I had already been a fan of Toad the wet sprocket for several years but was unfamiliar with their early work. I had never heard such intense melodies and chords combined with such deep and penetrating lyrics that seemed to express exactly what I was feeling at the time. I was especially touched by the song "High on a riverbed" whose dark yet beautiful melody and profound lyrics seemed to be speaking right to me and no one else. "I think about" is the other song which really grabbed my heart.But the entire album is nothing short of BRILLIANT! I was even more impressed when I found out how young these guys were when they made this album(They were only 18 year old kids at the time!)

I highly recommend this album to anyone who has ever been through tough times and lived to tell about it. It is one the greatest tragedies of the modern music era that such a talented band like Toad never achieved the commercial success that they so richly deserved yet we are forced to listen to an endless barrage of countless Boy/Girl bands who don't have even half the raw talent that these guys do. Nuff said!

In the early 90's, on a classic rock stations venture into alternative music, I heard, on this Sunday night, Way Away from Bread and Circus. From that night I was taken with the expression of the human condition that this band spoke of, not only through lyrics, but also through the accompanying music. My fear is that their influence on the music scene was not far reaching enough to keep their legacy in print.

This album is a must. It is a dark album, but within the darkness are moments of clarity, as the clouds recede. Nothing is Alone and I Think About are 2 of the more stirring moments, but what I feel is the classic Toad song is High on A Riverbed. This song makes this album worth the money. This is the song that causes you to persevere in light of any circumstance. This is the echo of hope from the canyon walls when it is grief and pain that you have thrown to it. This is a song that all should hear.

Pale is the last of what I would call the non-commercial sounding Toad albums. This is not a cut at Toad, I rate all their albums with 5 stars, but the mood on the subsequent albums takes on a more playful and mature sound.

Add this to your collection. Add this to your life.

Who the he** is Toad the Wet Sprocket? How many times have I heard that question? Ironic, though, that these words, uttered by me as a pimple faced, head-banging, college freshman, were the first words out of my mouth when my then roommate first put this album on back in 1990. Alternative, progressive, folk-rock, whatever you wanted to call it, I wasn't gonna have any of it...at the time. Metal music was where it was at. However, Glen, Todd, Randy and Dean had the power and ability to open my eyes. This album MOVED me. From the opening sounds of Torn and Come Back Down (not to be confused with Come Down from Coil) to the false ending in Jam to She Cried, the album was wonderful. It was the first album outside of the "Metal" genre that I was open to. Once that door is open a crack, it's easy to open it the whole way. One of their better albums.

pale speaks purely with the lyrics and not so much w/ the musical aspects which is why i like it so much. although the guitars, drums, etc. still are lovely as w/ any toad album. the lyrics from pale truly stand out as the focal point.

as the second work from this band, i'd say they did an excellent job in showing improvement from the first "bread and cicus." pale starts off w/ a bang w/ the infectuous "torn." the song is rather depressing, but let's the listening sort of relate to this feeling.

"come back down" starts w/ the same tone as "torn" but shortly picks up later on. it's hard to explain the way this song makes me feel, but it's almost like the somber feeling after you get done crying, but yet at the same time over what you are crying about and ready to move on.

the mood shifts slightly w/ "don't go away." sort of a mere plea to tell someone to stay around. almost as if the song is begging to the listening and wants them to keep listening to the rest of the album.

probably the saddest song is "high on a riverbed." a man walking in the rain w/ his head down just thinking comes to my mind. as if something terrible just happened and they are trying to walk away from it. very moving song.

the next song, "i think about" is my favorite song on the album. the same sad, depressing sound continues in this song. but a ray of hope is noticed in the chorus. i like this song, b/c it gives promise and hopefulness to whoever can relate.

"corporal brown" is w/o a doubt the strangest song on the album. probably the most playful song, even though the lyrics are really hiddeous. a man gets drunk, hits his fat wife, and kills her then buries her. the man is then worried what will happen to them. although the tone of the song is ironic w/ the words, it's really a mystery what the true meaning of the song is.

the single "jam" which might be the only reason someone has heard of this album back in the day before toad really started to make it big, is really a nice song. it has the quality of a single, but unfortunately doesn't rank up w/ their later work. still good.

my next favorite song, "chile" is sort of a haunting song. it's sort of like a strike against society. morality vs. the law, and expressing free speech. toad does a good job in expressing their beliefs, and the song sounds beautiful as well.

"liars everywhere" sounds like it should be on 'fear." it's a short little song, not a lot of lyrics, but it certainly sets the stage for their next album and their next phase in their music.

"nothing is along" can be considered a song about faith. talks about how no matter what, you will never be alone, and someone is always watching you. very nicely done.

the final song, "she cried" is a relief from all the sad songs about how the guys are stood up by the girls. this song is about the girl who can't get the guy. it's reassuring that this occurance happens on both sides. once again, the awesome deep sound is here, making it another classic toad song.

"pale" may not rank up w/ the commerical success of "fear" or the brilliance of "dulcinea" but it is surely not to be ignored by any toad fan. i must say that the few people who own this record are grateful they can here all the wonderful songs which toad have to share. it is truly a work of art.

"Pale" is a wonderful album, and worth owning, especially if you are any sort of TWS fan.

Most fan's introduction to Toad was the album "Fear" (another great work), which is much more polished and cleaner sounding than "Pale." However, "Pale" really gives you insight into where the band came from.

Amazing songwriting, a subtle sense of humor, and stories that pull you into their world are all trademarks of TWS, and this album does not lack in any of those areas. It's "Toad" through and through.

For the listener who's entire image of the band hinges on the production value and pop sense of "Fear," this album may disappoint. But, great music is great music. Let go of what you think you know about Toad the Wet Sprocket, and listen to this album. Your appreciation of a great band will only grow deeper.

Most people were introduced to Toad w/ the album Fear --- Unfortunatly the band was at its best before this time and this album, Pale, is the best reperesentation of that. Lyrically, it is masterpiece. The music and lyrics work together passionatly . It touches my heart and mind. The songs touch on things as social issues as in "chile"; personal dilemma as in "torn"; and fun songs as "Corporal Brown". This is a must have album for any fan of Toad and any fan of good music.

As a "Toad primer" (if there is such a thing), this album would probably fail for its abandonment of typical teen angst clich?s (melodically and lyrically); for a new fan, Coil or Dulcinea (maybe Fear, but to a lesser degree) would probably be best suited as intro albums. That's probably why a good minority of reviewers (on other sites, especially) open their texts with witty puns e.g. "Pale pales in comparison to other Toad albums." I was introduced to Toad with Coil, their final studio album that spawned some radio and television play (Dawson's Creek, &c,). Honestly, at the time, I probably would have thought Pale the weaker of Toad's repertoire. But after listening to all albums (several repeated many times in my playlists), I must say I have begun to find Pale the strongest of the lot.

As an album, Pale epitomizes Toad's ability to weave intricate lyrics with melodious vocals and instrumentation, giving rise to a very cohesive musical package. From the sullen opening of "Torn" to the despairing verses of broken promises in "She Cried," the songwriting in Pale embraces the melancholy that has so often yielded great Toad music. Glen is at his best lyrically, although vocally he still has a ways to go (one can follow his maturation from Pale onward, through Fear and Dulcinea); however, in the context of this album, his ability as a literate lyricist and talented composer trumps his vocal shortcomings and gives way to some amazing plaintive songwriting.

I would recommend this to anybody with a shred of musical taste, especially if you're a Toad fan who's playlist has been restricted to the more popular Dulcinea and Coil. Give it a chance; it's one of the few albums that I think genuinely deserves 5 stars and should be considered one of the best albums of the 90s.

Imagine yourself on the Pacific Coast Highway nearly fifty miles south of Carmel. You park that old car off the highway, and find your own path down the cliffs to the ocean a few miles below. You reach the sandy deserted beach just as the first lights of dawn shine through the towering mountains at your back. The only sounds heard are the crashing of the shorebreak, the bark of the distant sea lions and birds that cry their song for the new day. You look around at the world dancing around you and it brings a good smile to your choppers...This, is indeed very good!

All those words I have posted above, begin to explain just what the music of "Pale" means to me. In 1990, Toad The Wet Sprocket (Dean, Randy, Todd & Glen) had grown from the small town heroes of Santa Barbara into a band searching for a global audience. Being true to themselves and their longtime fan base: "Pale" was the perfect record to come forth as a second big label recording. But for the rest of the planet, this record was not noticed in the fading days of hairbands and before the rising of the Seattle sillyboys.

From the cool mists of fading night the gentle guitars of: "Torn" slide back and forth from the sand to gently ease you into this world of grace and beauty. The sounds you hear sound distant, but they are close enough to pull you right into the cold water of this vast ocean all around you. Voices chant and sing but they are muted so only key words and phrases reach you still standing on the shore. The jangle of: "Come Back Down" was sound that could have sold a zillion singles, but nobody arrived at the beach to give this wonderful song a listen.

By the time you reach: "High On a Riverbed" you notice that happy words are presented with somber musical forms. Life is being told in reverse. Is everything backwards here at this place? As the chords of: "Jam" really begin to mesh into one cute beast, you are ready to sell the farm and move to Toadville forever. No home will seem as wonderful as this misty sea swept garden now does.

From: "Chile" to "She Cried" you hear goodbyes that really want you stick around for more of this experience, (replay buttons on CD machines, wear out quickly with "Pale" on the top of that stack of discs!) This music contains a pure beauty that you are seldom going to hear in the world of pop & rock music. "Pale" did not set the music world on fire as it should have, but for a lucky few it is a treasure that is huge in riches.
A great record, this one is.
FIVE STARS !!!

Santa Barbara band Toad the Wet Sprocket's second album "Pale" arrived in 1990, recorded independently for $6000 but released through a major label deal with Columbia. Although "Pale" did not sell as well as their later more popular efforts, it's a wonderful album, and it's easy to see why it would catch a record exec's interest. More so than their 1989 debut Bread and Circus, "Pale" is an extremely dark and gloomy album, but one that possesses so much raw soul and emotion that it becomes addictive. "Pale" operates at a somber tempo, marked by melancholy chord progressions, tight and at times jangly guitars, sturdy percussion, and periodic instances of subtle piano and background instrumentation. Although they employ some similar approaches to their alt-rock contemporaries, the effect is quite unique. Far less produced than subsequent recordings, "Pale" was recorded completely acoustically, lending a brilliant live feeling to the studio sessions. Vocalist Glen Phillips impresses as a phenomenal lyricist, especially given his age of 18. His words are truly powerful, conveying real soul and emotion, and although his voice had not matured to its eventual melodic quality, his young performance conveys pained, genuine expression. Even as a teenager Phillips possesses a rare combination of poetic ability and vocal talent, in addition to his songwriting and guitar playing. Through the songs' range of feelings, smart hooks and clever arrangement pervade the tracklist. "Pale" is extremely consistent, albeit short, and is such an expressive, powerful album that its effect is timeless even if it clearly belongs to a bygone era.

"Torn" is a sparse and dark opener, anchored by a steady acoustic and drum cadence and vocals seeping with misery. While catchier and more upbeat, "Come Back Down" feels equally dark if not a tad more optimistic and is an early highlight. The deep chords and numb yearning of "Don't Go Away" give way to the phenomenal "High on a Riverbed," perhaps the best song. A well-conceived hook highlights the great arrangement and verses. I love "I Think About," which even at a slow tempo is infectious. "Corporal Brown" and "Jam" are the most upbeat and perhaps radio-ready (the latter was the first single), and both shine. "Chile" precedes two short gems, the soprano sax-laden "Liars Everywhere" and the swirling "Nothing Is Alone." The closer "She Cried" is expressive brilliance.

"Pale" catches an early Toad the Wet Sprocket at their finest, capturing the band in an organic, genuine setting. Even without a studio polish, the band's magic is completely imminent. Whispers of a reissuing project have circled in recent years, but I still see "Pale" used from time to time and recommend that listeners take the initiative to track it down. The sentiments of "Pale" are universal, the music beautiful yet very accessible, and this album can be appreciated, if not loved, by anyone.

Pale is an outstanding and overlooked album. I only heard about the band cause I heard the song 'little heaven' in buffy the vampire slayer some 5 years ago and was intrigued enough to check them out. it was worth it! Don't Go Away is the best song, a great emotional song with perfect lyrics and music, it makes the album worth owning just on its own, but there are 10 other great songs that you can just put on and chill to. She Cried has an awesome vocal part at the end that gives me chills everytime. Torn, high on the riverbed, come back down, and liarsrs everywhere are all great songs also. so take a chance and check out this album..,you won't regret it!