Customer Reviews

Peter Case

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this LP back in '86 when it came out, and pretty much wore the grooves out on the record. Case is one of the great, mostly unknown songwriters we've got. I finally broke down and bought the CD recently, and still sounds as good as it did 15 years ago. This is stronger than his later work. This guy was doing alt country before the genre even existed. He draws on the feel of Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams. It's largely an acoustic affair, but he's got the guitars firmly plugged in and turned up loud and clear, and for someone who smokes cigarettes while playing live, he's got plenty of lung power to wail away on the harmonica throughout. The production and mix are excellent. You can thank T Bone Burnett for that; in fact this album could just as well be titled Burnett and Case. Anyway, great CD for driving down the road, or just sitting on your couch drinking beer and stomping your feet.

If you've ever seen Pter Case live then you how powerful these songs can be. This is without a doubt THE BEST american folk art album of the decade. I only hope this review makes you want to hear this album. Small town spree alone is worth the price of admission. Give it a listen and discover a true master of the art.

I practically wore out my vinyl LP in the 80's, made a cassette (and did wear it out!), now I'm odering the CD and can't wait!

If you aren't a Peter Case fan (yet) then pick this up for a few bucks and hop on the bandwagon. If you are a fan, don't forget to go back and get those highly underrated Plimsouls albums! (And just for fun, go watch "Valley Girls", the flick that made Nick Cage a hit. The Plimsouls--with Peter Case--perform a few songs in a club scene. "A Million Miles Away" was a great song, and a sneak peak at what was to come from Peter Case.)

...and then there wasn't. What followed on this debut caught many of us by delighted surprise. Jangly, heart felt: a guitarist's album released when there was still room for such solid music.

This album is a joy. And for 7 bucks, wow...get it. Echo Wars, w/ it's snaking beat, stark but perfect musical accompaniment is cool. Steel Strings is great. Walk in the Woods is a fantastic, rocking acoustic tune with great harp by Case. Horse and Crow is another. Icewater; great acoustic blues number - good guitar picking, classic bluesy lyrics. A Pair of Brown Eyes is wonderful rolling ending to this album.

I went through 2 vinyl copies of this one and then paid 20 bucks for a special order of the cd years ago. Now available at this price....it is well worth it.

Although folksy in some sense, Peter Case packs a lot of sophisticated story into his songs. Whether he draws upon his own life, or that of others I don't know, but the characters ring true with their idiosyncrasies. I wouldn't agree with the term 'bloodless'. These songs are understated and wry, singing about tough people in tough places, with something that could only be called delicate holding them together. A finely crafted album I've had for years, and I still pull it out for a listen. Plus, look at the price.

I love this record. One of my top ten of all time - I never get tired of it.

Peter and producer T-Bone Burnett assemble a great cast of musicians that bring out the best of these great songs.

Peter's singing is emotive. The lyrics are layered. The music is awesome. I love evey song on here, but "A pair of brown eyes" is truly awesome.

Some of his other records are spottier affairs - all worthwhile for fans. Peter is an awesome songwriter, but some of his records are not that musically engaging. On his one, the music holds together, smartly played, crisp, but still has nuance and dimension.

And a $6.00 - you can't walk into starbucks for less than that. The caffeine will wear off - this album will stay with you.

I'd been afraid of playing my tape of this album (recorded in about 1988) for fear of wearing out the tape before I could replace it with a CD. Now I've found it - and at a great price! - so I couldn't be happier. A great folk-indie-rock typical of the times, but still sounds great today.

I just dug this CD out today after moving and not unpacking for a while. It is still great. I checked out Amazon to see if there was anything new from him.

The best songs on the album can't be listened to here, so if any of the ones that can be listened to appeal to you, definately buy it.

Not quite as consistently good as Blue Guitar, but the 4 or 5 best songs here are as good as anything on Blue Guitar.

At least 5 songs that should've been hits: Old Blue Car, I've Been Looking for You, Horse and Crow, Sattelite Beach and More Than Curious. Definitely worth the $$$.