Palms & Runes Tarot & Tea: Michael Penn Collection [Original recording remastered]

Michael Penn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B000NJISH0
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,725 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Penn Fans, and a Great Introduction for the Uninitiated, April 18, 2007

By 

The Somnambulist "CGC" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palms & Runes Tarot & Tea: Michael Penn Collection (Audio CD)

Palms & Runes, Tarot & Tea is a collection of never-heard-before alternate takes, brand new versions of old favorites, and best-of-the-best album cuts -- selections from all five of Michael Penn's albums, spanning the course of more than 15 years.

This CD is so much more than your typical "Best of..." with Penn himself hand-picking the tracks, as well as the order in which they appear on the CD.

It's worth buying solely for its revamped version of "Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun" with a completely different feel from the original (on Penn's debut album, March) featuring a bluesy piano, a freer vocal, and a driving chorus (horns and all!)

The CD also contains a beautiful new rendition of "Long Way Down" (Look What the Cat Drug In.) This song's lyrics expertly convey the melancholy resignation of staying in a relationship well past its expiration date ("...if I wear apathy's crown, don't call me Highness, it's a long way down") even though "I've got a feeling she's been sleeping with the whole wide world."

If Penn's delivery of that line doesn't touch your heart, you've never been in love (at least not with the wrong person!)

Michael Penn wraps his pessimistic (or realistic, take your pick) and insightful lyrics up in pretty hooks and harmonies, mixing the sweet and the sour, and taking the listener someplace unexpected but ultimately recognizable.

And Palms & Runes, Tarot & Tea is simply a darned good collection of well-written songs that any fan of pop/rock/singer-songwriters should appreciate.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great collection - neat alternate versions of songs, April 20, 2007

By 

Ex USAF (Reno, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palms & Runes Tarot & Tea: Michael Penn Collection (Audio CD)

I am a longtime MP fan and have all of his albums. I bought this to hear the "remastered" versions of original songs, as well as the alternate versions. I can say that it is neat hearing the different versions of songs. However, I was a little disappointed that "No Myth" (which I think is the greatest song ever written) sounded pretty much exactly the same as it does on my 15 yr old CD of March. I thought it would sound better since it was "remastered." I was also hoping MP would have recorded an new version of it, or even included the awesome acoustic version.

MP also left off "This and That" which was his only other radio hit. I have heard that at his live shows, he refuses to play this song. I wonder if he has something against it because it is also an awesome song.

Overall, it is still a good collection, especially if you're a first-time Michael Penn listener.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good for a Penn anthology, October 10, 2007

By 

B. Coffey (SLC, UT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palms & Runes Tarot & Tea: Michael Penn Collection (Audio CD)

While it's hard to criticize this CD when Michael himself selected the tracks, I think the song selection missed the mark. Whether it's considered a greatest hits collection or a showcase for rare/alternate songs, there are absences I consider glaring. On the greatest hits side "Seen a Doctor", Free for All's first single, should definitely be on here. I'd argue that "Like Egypt Was" and "High Time" belong, as well as a Patrick Warren instrumental from one of the albums. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to see "Don't Let Me Go" included.

On the rare/alternate track side, none of the entries really impress. The new versions aren't terribly different. The non-album tracks aren't very interesting except for "Macy Day Parade", which I've been listening to for years from the Godzilla Soundtrack. And how could Michael leave off "Rising Steam" from the list of unreleased tracks? Surely there's a studio version somewhere. And live material would have been nice, too.

I give it three stars for the quality of the songs, but as a compilation it's hardly essential.