Customer Reviews

Poseidon And The Bitter Bug (Deluxe Edition)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There were some who said that the Indigo Girls changed with the release of "Become You," a change that continued with "Despite Our Differences." While both of those albums were classic IG, they did carry a different feel, with "Despite Our Differences" especially carrying a more pop-type theme. When the Girls were dropped unexpectedly from the Hollywood label and decided to strike out on their own, I was one of the skeptics.

Fortunately, "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" met all expectations and banished any doubts that I might have had -- on top of being a powerful comeback CD after the Hollywood Labels hooplah, "Poseidon" is also something of a return to the Indigo Girls' roots as true folk-rock musicians.

Ray and Saliers combine for a powerful duo, continuing in their usual method of splitting the tracks between themselves. Saliers' tracks tend toward the darker or more melancholy on this collection, but they create a subtle power while Ray continues to draw her conclusions through metaphor and lush imagery. Each track has its own strengths and weaknesses, but "Poseidon" itself is something of an original idea. While at times the flow is somewhat put off, it comes together for something with spark and originality in an industry that seems to have largely lost that spark.

The best feature of "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug," however, is the inclusion of a second CD. True fans of the Indigo Girls will be utterly thrilled because the second CD is essentially a deconstructed acoustic rework of the original. The songs are in a different order with one new track that wasn't featured in the studio album, and it's merely Ray and Saliers doing what they've been made famous for: playing and harmonizing in perfect and oftentimes mesmerising melodies.

"Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" is a classic Indigo Girls album, both a continuation of some more innovative songwriting and also a return to the formulas that made them so successful and powerful in the first place. The studio release will likely please both old fans and new fans, while Indigo Girls purists who disliked "Become You" and retained their love for works like "Swamp Ophelia" will be thrilled by the acoustic sessions.

In the end, "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" is everything that got me started on the Girls -- melancholy and brave, dark and light, folk and rock, country and bluegrass, a spark of originality and a true talent for melodious harmonizing coming together in one spectacular package.

5/5 stars.

This CD exemplifies why I love Indigo Girls. In my opinion, it is far better than the last two albums. But please buy the acoustic CD - you'll not regret it because it's minimalism reveals Amy and Emily at their very best. Both are incredibly talented and are overlooked way too often by the entertainment press. There are not many artists who can write all of their own songs (each crafts their song, then get together to arrange), walk into a small venue carrying only two guitars, without amplifiers, and create truly moving, beautiful music with thoughtful lyrics. That they have prevailed for nearly 30 years, and left a legacy of nearly 250 songs in an extremely competitive, male-dominated, industry attests for itself. Musical tastes are subjective, and so I won't elaborate on why Ghost of a Gang, True Romantic, Love of Our Lives, and Second Time Around are my favorites. But I think that most who enjoy harmony and meaning in song will really enjoy this laudable piece of work.

I know it sounds like a cliche but "Poseidon" really is a return to form for Indigo Girls. It's an album I've been waiting for for a very long time. The key? It's an acoustic album. Even the "big band" versions are mostly acoustic...this harks back to the halcyon days of "Stange Fire" and "Indigo Girls" and it's a welcome return to that sound.

I just got the album today and I can't stop playing it. I love the "And I Love Her" style guitar break on "Sugar Tongue"...I just can't get over that! It's so cool!

Every song is great...I can't tell yet but this could be one of their strongest albums.

I love hearing the stripped down acoustic arrangements on the second CD. I've heard the acoustic arrangement of "Perfect World" and it shreds the over-produced version on the "All That We Let In" album....I wish they'd given us an acoustic disc of that whole album as well but I'm grateful for this one. I hope they continue this practice...it's a great idea, especially for this group.

I really only ever listened to "Retrospective" but loved their music. I touched upon a few other songs but was never crazy about them...then there came this CD. I have to tell you it is a complete breath of fresh air. Their voices are so peaceful and relaxing. I don't know what to write about this CD, it is amazing, plain and simple.

With all the junk out there today (turn on your local radio station and just listen), this CD is a reminder that there is still some great music and MUSICIANS out there. You can tell, THEY controlled this recording not a Producer or a computer.

Great work ladies...please keep it up. I feel 10 pounds lighter when I listen to the angelic nature of your voices.

Make no mistake. I LOVE Indigo Girls!!! I have every cd and some of them twice due to the remasters. They are one of my favorite bands and I travel around the East Coast to see them on every tour. Some will say that I am not the most objective person to write this review, but if you believe that and you do not listen to this album, you will be losing out.
Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is a FANTASTIC CD!!! The feel throughout is of freedom. - Most likely due to leaving the major record labels behind and creating their own label. The Girls put out a very optimistic vibe throughout the entire collection!
I highly recommend purchasing the double disc "deluxe" version, as it has all of the songs on disc 1 as just Amy & Emily, all acoustic. Plus there is an extra song by Amy that is terrific!
I cannot pick a "favorite" track as I find a new favorite everyday. However, I am very drawn to both versions of "Digging For Your Dream" and "Ghost of the Gang" brings back memories of my high school days.
I am so happy that this record is finally out and can't wait to hear all of these songs done live on tour.
If you like Indigo Girls, BUY THIS CD!!! You won't be sorry!

The Indigo Girls still create evocative and moving music unlike few other artists, even on this their eleventh CD. And for a group that seemingly might have little left to prove the duo of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray always seem to dig a little deeper and come up with songs that resonate with listeners. Perhaps it is the counterpoint of their voices, Saliers's keening higher voice contrasted by Ray's lower and rawer register, but it is the songs they sing that pack the emotional wallop that keeps fans coming back for more. On "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" the duo opt for a shift away from the more pop-infused tone of their last CD "Despite Our Differences" and back towards more serious and somber sounding music. That's not to say it's funereal, as it's quite melodic, and in fact, the duo have opted to give fans two discs of these songs to peruse: one with the band versions and the other with stripped down acoustic versions. At times the music is very jaunty, hardening back to the athleticism of earlier releases. Standout tracks include "Digging For Your Dream," "Love Of Our Lives," "Sugar Tongue," "True Romance," and "Driver Education." The move to add the acoustic disc was a stroke of brilliance, especially for their longtime fans who enjoy more pared down performances. Rather than resting on their laurels the Indigo Girls make records like they have nothing left to lose; this is the sound of a group willing to take risks and wear their hearts (and minds) on their sleeves. And those risks make for VERY enjoyable music!

As a true Indigo Girls fan, I can't say that there's an album I don't like, but there are multiple songs on this one that could become part of that return to concert playlist. I also highly recommend getting the double CD, as the acoustic version is like having a whole different album.

Make no mistake. I LOVE Indigo Girls!!! I have every cd and some of them twice due to the remasters. They are one of my favorite bands and I travel around the East Coast to see them on every tour. Some will say that I am not the most objective person to write this review, but if you believe that and you do not listen to this album, you will be losing out.
Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is a FANTASTIC CD!!! The feel throughout is of freedom. - Most likely due to leaving the major record labels behind and creating their own label. The Girls put out a very optimistic vibe throughout the entire collection!
I highly recommend purchasing the double disc "deluxe" version, as it has all of the songs on disc 1 as just Amy & Emily, all acoustic. Plus there is an extra song by Amy that is terrific!
I cannot pick a "favorite" track as I find a new favorite everyday. However, I am very drawn to both versions of "Digging For Your Dream" and "Ghost of the Gang" brings back memories of my high school days.
I am so happy that this record is finally out and can't wait to hear all of these songs done live on tour.
If you like Indigo Girls, BUY THIS CD!!! You won't be sorry!

This album was intended to be released with 2 discs (the full band version and the acoustic version) but Amazon is releasing this one with only the full band version. For the same price you can get the 2-disc version.

In 2006, roughly the 20th anniversay of the Indigo Girls, the band released "Despite Our Differences", which I thought was the band's best release in quite a few years. Now finally comes the next album, which the band, having left major labels after 10 years, has released independently.

"Poseidon and the Bitter Bug" (10 tracks; 36 min.) comes neatly divided into a song from Emily, then followed by a song from Amy, and so on. Emily starts things off with the somber "Digging for a Dream", which sounds beautiful. Amy follows with "Sugar Tongue", which starts off with a jazzy-feeling but evolves from there, with a great chorus line "I've got the blacket boots/I've got the whitest skin/Satify my sugar tongue again". Great track after great track follws, indeed, I dare say that there are no weak tracks on here. Another highlight I need to mention is the poppy-sounding "What Are You Like", which reminded me of K's Choice from the mid-90s. At 36 min. the album clips by in no time, and you'll find yourself playing this again and again.

There is a "deluxe" edition of this album as well, with a second CD providing the same songs just featuring Amy and Emily in an acoustic, stripped down, setting. I'm not that interested in that, as I prefer the full band sound, but others may feel different. I've seen the Indigo Girls in concert a number of times over the years, and I hope to catch them on tour sometime again to see how these songs come across in a live setting.