Customer Reviews

Reiter in

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What an incredible career. Chris Whitley was a very special man and a musical icon that went largely unnoticed in his lifetime -which was all too short. I've been listening to Chris' music since 1991 and have seen his intense live performances everytime he came to the Los Angeles area.

Without getting overly sappy about this, 'Reiter In' has to be one of CW's greatest records. If only for the Flaming Lips cover, "Mountain Side". It's one of my favorite CW songs (more Chris' song now, than the Flaming Lips, of which he was a huge fan). It's a real treat that on what ended up being his last album, he came full-circle in a way, back to the electric sounds of 1995's 'Din of Ecstacy', while still adding a contemporary touch to his unique and ever-evolving style of music.

It's getting harder for me to write this review, as the album is currently playing in the background and I want to commence to grooving! It's too bad Amazon doesn't make the song samples available, because the visceral quality of the music is immediate. Highlights: "Mountain Side", "Reiter In", "I Go Evil", "Inn", "All Beauty Taken From You In This Life Remains Forever".

If you love Chris, go buy two copies of this album ASAP. Even if you've never heard a note of his music, go buy two copies anyway. Your life will be changed forever.

For an artist who seemed capable of slipping in and out of a number of styles (though I persist in thinking that all the perceived differences were simply aspects of the same style ) it's hard to imagine a more fitting close to a powerful body of work.

The range of pieces here is broad, wry and eclectic, and the highlight is Whitley's choice to use the words of an anonymous poet. This last embrace of an anonymous work speaks volumes about his artistic and personal character, and underscores the absolute authenticity of everything he accomplished as an artist.

Here he out-stooges the Stooges and takes a neutered-sounding Gary Numan song and brings in all kinds of life. From Detroit punk to untraditional and traditional blues to some experimentation, Whitley's judgments are spot-on, his delivery offering a spontaneous and genuine poignance. He accomplishes something pretty rare, again. As a friend of mine said "I'm liking this a lot, mostly because of who it is. Feels like being right there with them, and having a great time..." Nothing more to ask, nothing better to say than that.

When Chris Whitley died of lung cancer in November of 2005, the music world lost a restlessly creative soul. People say that the restless spirit will continue to visit the living world in search of release. We are lucky to have Whitley's restless spirit visit us with one last poignant release, REITER IN.

Recorded just months before his untimely demise, REITER IN returns to fiery sound of DIN OF ECSTASY and TERRA INCOGNITA as well as touching base with his more stripped down, earthy styles that marked such classics as LIVING WITH THE LAW, DIRT FLOOR and WAR CRIME BLUES with stunning results.

A stunning guitarist, a great intuitive vocalist and an under appreciated songwriter, Whitley was a true musical pioneer who left few options open in exploring country blues, blistering hard rock, smooth ballads or electronic sounds. No matter what style he played, or whose song he sung, his talent would stamp his signature on each piece of music. The cover versions on this CD show his range, which include the Willie Dixon classic BRING IT ON HOME, New Waver Gary Numan's ARE FRIENDS ELECTRIC, psych rockers Flaming Lip's MOUNTAINSIDE and Iggy and the Stooges proto-punk classic I WANNA BE YOUR DOG. The originals stand tall next to these fine covers, with the eerie/electronic/poetry jam REITER IN, the harsh I GO EVIL and bluesy/jazzy ALL THE BEAUTY standing out. The raw, no frills production is ideal for these songs.

Chris Whitley is gone, but certainly not forgotten. I am thankful that I will be able to re-visit this album as well as the rest of his stunning discography for years to come. I would not go as far to say that REITER IN his best recording (I've only listened to this three times), or even a place for someone just approaching his work to start, but it is a strong work that fits well within his outstanding catalog of music. As an artist, he has made his mark.

Up till now my favorite Chris Whitley album was Dirt Floor. There's another favorite now; this latest album by the late great floor-stomping singer is raw and rocking with a twist. The hard drive works to perfection in combination with a souring violin. Buy this CD and if you do not own a copy of Dirt Floor buy that one two

Reiter In deserves a listen if only to explore Chris Whitley's restless approach to music and his always present desire to push himself creatively. So many memorable tracks! Each song evokes a completely different vibe, yet they all work together to illustrate Whitley's range and massive talent.

I came across Chris Whitley's cover of Mountain Side in a podcast, and when I looked at the album and saw that the first track was a cover of I Wanna Be Your Dog I just bought it. I don't know many of the other original songs that he covered but it doesn't bother me - almost every song on this album is hypnotic. Whitley's guitar doesn't sound like anyone else's, and when he's using electric it's just unbelievable.

Recommended.

Wow, I just received "Reiter In" and am in agreement with other reviewers. Chris Whitley has always been a favorite of mine, ever since the stunning debut of "Living With the Law". I saw Chris on tour supporting that album in Seattle, on a double bill with Toad the Wet Sprocket. The auditorium was packed with young Seattle suburbanites to see Toad, then when Chris took stage, half the place emptied out. The faithful, knowing remainders witnessed a typical Chris show; searing, passionate, but also flawed and overly amplified. Chris chain-smoked the entire show, and said little to the audience, but when I left I knew I'd seen an artist with no peer.

"Reiter In" is an amazing cd-probably for the first time, Chris sounds like part of a band and not just a phenomenal solo artist in front of backing musicians. Although unpolished and recorded to analog, the band is cohesive, lending a jukejoint feel to Chris' guitar playing. This music doesn't even directly compare to his previous stuff-it's got elements of Led Zeppelin/The Black Keys/"Achtung Baby" U2, with some Depression era blues tossed in between. Rather than annotating his impending death with dusty acoustic dirges, Chris gave us sweaty, soulful, life-affirming music, a most fitting end-note.

Stripped down, bare-bones, foot-stomping, kick-a** rock and roll. This album is GENIUS. I love it. We may not have the beauty of Chris Whitley's physical presence on this earth any longer, but we certainly have a reminder of the beauty and bigness of his life and talent with this record. I can't seem to take it out of the CD player. Thanks for the incredible sayonara, my friend. We miss you.

Chris saved the best for last. This should go down as a classic in anyone's book. The rawness, spontaneity, and creativity rate this one right up there with the great rock recordings of all time. Chris was a musical genius and Reiter In is the exclamation point on his legacy.

Chris Whitey's posthumous release, Reiter In, finds the criminally underrated songwriter/guitarist still challenging himself even while he was fighting to survive. Rather than go in the atmospheric direction of Soft Dangerous Shores, this is live in the studio release with a "just plug in and let it rip" feel to it. Chris was near his demise at this point and the performances here echo the wide range of emotions one goes through before their passing. The opening tracks are a furious take on the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and a joyous version of the blues classic "Bring It On Home" that features great call and response between Chris' guitar and Tim Beattie's harmonica playing. After these tracks, the album is a very moody affair as the tracks "Inn" and "Cut the Cards" are very melancholy while the closing instrumental "Come Home" and the version of the Flaming Lips' "Mountain Side" are very upbeat and give a sense of hope. The version of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric?" is actually a little bit funky until Chris' passionate soloing kicks in. While all of these tracks are very good, it's Chris' original songs, all of which have a very hypnotic feel, that work best. "All Beauty Taken..." is a rollicking blues with a loose vibe while the title track is a spoken word piece told over a repetitive yet beautiful guitar line. Finally, the plodding "I Go Evil" is absolutely killer, possessing a wicked groove never heard in his previous work. All told, while this isn't one of Chris' best albums (his albums of all original material give a better description of his vast talents), Reiter In is another strong album from a true artist that played and wrote what he felt rather than give in to commercial gain.