Customer Reviews

Peculiaroso

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

 

 

This album was my first exposure to Leo Kottke and as such it will be the album I review. I hosted a little blues show at UCF (that's Central FL) here in Orlando for a time and had the opportunity to play many a cd and LP. I played some good stuff, but this album stood out and haunted my thoughts like no other. I didn't even have to play this album when I picked it up I knew I was in for something impressive and I wasn't wrong. This album changed the way I play guitar and it led me to Leo's great body of work. Four years and many hours of practice later I can say that I am a Kottke head and I own all but one of his albums. I've had the pleasure of seeing Kottke live numerous times and plan to make it a tradition as long as he's still touring. Most of the readers of this review are probably already fans so they already know that seeing Leo live is a special treat which I promise you won't be prepared for. Before you understand his playing style it can at times sound like a blizzard of notes, impossible for one man to produce, yet it is perfectly coherent, melodic, and rhythmic. I almost wish I haven't come to know his music as well as I do, now it's harder to just listen with virgin ears. Peculiaroso is a good place to start because it captures many of Kottke's facets. I would also suggest the Chrysalis compilation "Essential Leo Kottke", "6 and 12 String Guitar", or "Leo Kottke Live" to start.

I have heard some Kottke fans express disappointment over this album. All I can say is, ease up on the wacky tabacky, fellas. "Peculiaroso" is delightful to the rest of us who aren't cursed with your tragic hipness. Every one of the cuts is highly enjoyable, and both his guitar-playing and rumbling vocals are dead solid perfect. Buy this CD -- it's a keeper.

Nobody seems to have paid much attention to Peculiaroso. I myself enjoy it. As somebody else said, it's perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Leo's gruff, mumbling vocals give the tracks an unhurried feeling, which compliments the offbeat, dreamy vocals and guitar playing. Speaking of which, the guitar work is great - Leo is quite good in this respect, but this obviously is not a trophy album for his technical skills. Sounds good all-around.

The one line summary review says it all for me. This is his best ever. Period.

I am not a musician, have no formal musical training, have tastes that run the gamut from country to classical -- which is to say, "I know what I like, but not much more." I like this collection because it has enough tempo and variety to hold my interest without holding my attention hostage with noise and angst. Kottke does some mellow renditions of a couple of standards, mixed with some humorous upbeat numbers.

I have quite a few of Leo's albums and this is one that I find myself reaching for often. While I enjoy his amazing abilities to make a 12 string sound like 36, this album is slower paced and much more mellow. Several of the songs contain themes that amble along like an old cow pony on the trail. One of the other reviewers called it "perfect for a Sunday afternoon" and that is a very apt description. Its not Sunday, but its a holiday afternoon and it was just the perfect thing to accompany the chores I needed to do, infusing the afternoon with just a tinge of melancholy and reminiscence, and yet contentment.

I really enjoyed this cd. It wasn't my first taste of what this man has to offer, but it's the first collection of music that I purchased. Fans of his earlier work will see that he pretty much eshews some of that speedy fleet fingered playing and relaxes on some very nice mellow tunes. Some of the fans think this is a bad thing, but I completely disagree. This is a perfect cd to listen to on a sunday or any day at that. I see it as a great rainy day music choice, myself. Parade is still one of my favorite Kottke songs of all time. He may drop the speedy songs for this one, but he never loses his touch on some great melodies and percussive acoustic sounds. I give a 5.

Want to know how to see whether this is a winner? Check how many used ones are available, and at what price. As I write this ther are 24, starting at $... Clearly, the market says this CD is not among his best. And I agree. Weak, limp, flaccid, dull, and boring.

Leo Kottke has recorded two of the finest CDs I own. And he has many other lovely ones. But this is a shame. I found it after hearing nothing new in many years, and regretted both the purchase and the knowledge. What a step down. What a decline from absolute greatness. Like the once feared hitter who's lost a half-second, it is painful to listen to after such beauty, joy and majesty.

I've been enjoying Leo's music for years. This one was truly awful. If you want to hear Leo at his best, try "My Feet are Smiling" or his 1976 greatest hits LP, "Did You Hear That?"