Peace Love & Anarchy

Todd Snider | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Oh Boy
• ASIN: B000NIIURO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,649 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After five years on John Prine's Oh Boy label, Snider joined New Door Records, leaving behind unreleased demo and studio material at Oh Boy. Many artists, unsure of the quality of their outtakes and demos, resist releasing them, as the Beatles did until the Anthology series. Luckily, Snider helped compile this one, a collection of material (including a haiku) as powerful as his finished work. Beginning with a wonderfully loose rendition of his original "Nashville," one hears Snider's renditions of tunes he cowrote that were later recorded and released by his cowriters, including "Barbie Doll" and "Feel Like I'm Falling in Love" (Jack Ingram) and "Deja Blues" (Billy Joe Shaver). "Combover Blues" offers his satirical view of middle age. Ironically, "East Nashville Skyline," an outstanding performance featuring pedal steel legend Lloyd Green, didn't appear on the Snider album that used the song's title. The entire compilation reflects the raw immediacy of a field recording. In fact, that's what's endearing about it. Sometimes, even alongside a great studio performance, an earlier version, rough edges and all, packs a punch all its own. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rejects? No, treasures, April 7, 2007

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Peace Love & Anarchy (Audio CD)

Todd Snider's PEACE, LOVE AND ANARCHY is a collection of "rarities, b-sides, and demos" (Volume 1). Don't let that fool you...the songs you'll find in here could all have been put on Snider albums (hell, "Nashville" was, and others have been recorded by other artists). These are the kind of songs that just sit around and linger, until they get a record of their own; the result is a cohesive album that doesn't feel pieced together in the least bit.

A sarcastic version of "Nashville" (much more sarcastic than the version that appeared on EAST NASHVILLE SKYLINE) kicks off the album, which ends with the rockin' "Cheatham Street Warehouse." In between you'll find a whole slough of material that features Snider at his storytelling best. There are humorous pieces of course ("Combover Blues"), rockin' pieces ("Barbie Doll"), sad pieces ("Missing You"), thoughtful pieces ("East Nashville Skyline")...hell, there's even a haiku. The spoken-word "From a Rooftop" is a pure delight as well; not to mention the exquisite gospel number "I Will Not Go Hungry" and the Billy Joe Shaver co-write "Deja Blues." Let's face it--there's not a bad song on here. But that's Todd Snider for you.

The fact that most of these songs appear to have come from the EAST NASHVILLE SKYLINE project probably helps with the cohesion; not that this is a bad thing, because that album was arguably one of Snider's best. Really, none of the tracks stands out from the other, which is the way you want it to be. This is simply another great album in a long line of great albums from the incomparable Todd Snider. Let's hope there's a Volume 2 somewhere down the line.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great as always., April 4, 2007

By 

Alf Landon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace Love & Anarchy (Audio CD)

Another great album by Todd Snider--and not the typical outtakes/B sides junk that other people might put on an album like this. Every song is excellent, and there are 2-3 songs here that rank among the best Snider has ever recorded.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dust Settles Just Fine, May 25, 2007

By 

Muddy in Indy "Muddy" (Noblesville, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace Love & Anarchy (Audio CD)

Normally when a package of this type of music comes together, it's usually when: A] an artist is deceased/dead, B] the record company is trying to milk the artist from an old record contract of product still owed or C] there isn't really anything for the artist to say anymore.

Thankfully, none of those are the case here. In fact, what Todd Snider says and sings here is simply, well, simple yet memorable. Not just the solor material, but the songs with help from Peter Holsapple [dbs], Jack "selling out" Ingram [okay, that wasn't nice], Keith Christopher [The Yayhoos], Craig Wright [Steve Earle], Tommy Womack [duh!]and more.

If this is Todd just dusting off his slew of one-takes and mishaps, then I want more. My favorite Todd Snider yet.