Customer Reviews

Ron Sexsmith

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reviewers use words like sublime for albums like this. I've never been over-sure what that means exactly. But if it means life-changing then that's close enough. Ron's debut album is the stuff of Astral Weeks or Pink moon..his songs will go with you like a second skin. "Galbraith Street" ,"Lebanon" "Speaking with the angels" are like best friends to me..I could wax lyrical about the unique juxtaposition of the universal with the intimate in Rons lyrics but that would be like talking about how well Dali uses beige !! This is pure soul food. I've bought it 20 times or so for friends and companions. It has never failed to bring a new dimension into their lives. This album really should be issued free of charge by the National Health Service to cure Soul Damage.

A naturally sensitive and finely nuanced voice that is remotely reminiscent of Tim Hardin, a deft songwriting talent that includes (in different songs) echoes of Costello, The Beach Boys, and North American folk, Ron Sexsmith manages to conjure up his own distinct sound with a cd of incredibly memorable melodies and often poignant lyrics. Froom's production, as usual,is subtle and very effective. This is Sexsmith's best cd, though his first.
If you dont own any of his cds, this is the one to buy. (By the way: like all terrific music,if you are mildly indifferent on first listen, listen to it again and by third exposure it will be one of your collection favorites).

Wow. Plain and simple. Whereas many who have fallen under his sad-eyed charm have chosen to tout his 1997 offering "Other Songs," by no means should that sway you from purchasing his eponymous debut. This man's amazingly crafted songs seep with a sorrowful, lost beauty not heard since Elvis Costello crooned Cole's classic, "Love For Sale." Costello comparisons are inevitable; Elvis, afterall, is an incredibly vocal fan. But what Sexsmith puts forth on this album has the ability to rival and even supersede some of the spectacled one's most loved early catalog. Full of tracks that bring to mind a lonely afternoon pouring over old photographs and getting lost in forgotten love letters, Ron Sexsmith warrants a listen, if not a permanent space in your collection reserved for all his future efforts.

Excellent debut album. I first saw Ron perform in 1996 in Columbus, Ohio, at a large venue (opened for Sarah.) Over the years at several Chicago coffee houses and small clubs and bars....without a doubt, one of the best voices this decade.

All three albums are fantastic. If you are interested in experiencing Ron, purchase the 3 albums in the following order (allowing time in-between each purchase to absorb the lyrics and hypnotic voice...) Ron Sexsmith Whereabouts Other Songs

Enjoy.

These quiet and well- crafted meditations on life are certainly the real thing. Ron Sexsmith must qualify as one of the masters of understatement in contemporary music. I am reminded of that other Canadian poet of understatement, Elizabeth Bishop. Although the songs often sing of loss and regret there is a lovely undercurrent of acceptance throughout the album.

Favourites of mine include Summer Blowin' Town and Galbraith Street. I mentioned earlier the theme of acceptance in this collection. I would also add that suffused with acceptance there is mingled the complementary note of forgiveness.

The words in Ron's songs are uncluttered. They create a space in which we the listeners are allowed the opportunity of locating ourselves.

This albulm is full of emotions. Ron's voice is absolutly incredible. Moreover, i had the chance to see him twice in shows and it was better than in his album. His "heart of companion" is a real success. Thanks Ron for being here! Thanks for being so pleasant, so nice...and so talented!

This albulm is full of emotions. Ron's voice is absolutly incredible. Moreover, i had the chance to see him twice in shows and it was better than in his album. His "heart of companion" is a real success. Thanks Ron for being here! Thanks for being so pleasant, so nice...and so talented!

I'm really enjoying this music - this is an early one I believe so some of it's a bit raw but still great.

I became a huge Ron Sexsmith fan after buying his latest album "Retriver" on a whim, having never heard a song by him. I fell in love with the album so much that I've since been purchasing all his previous releases, working backwards from latest to oldest. I have to say that his debut is my least favorite, mainly because the songs aren't as instantly memorable or catchy as the later stuff, and Ron's voice isn't as husky and mature as it is now (which I prefer) but this is still a beautiful, wonderful album of pop perfection that shows Ron's enormous gift for melody and poignant lyrics. Ron may be the most underrated (and under-listened to) artist of the decade, a guy who has pretty much held his strong loyal fan base from the get-go and has yet to achieve any cross-over success, despite such luminaries as Elvis Costello & Steve Earle calling Ron one of their favorite artists.

Sexsmith's songs are deceptively simple, but the grace, warmth, and clarity of his poetic style is rewarding upon repeated listenings. The acoustic-based arrangements are gentle and spare allowing the listener to focus on Sexsmith's beautifully crafted lyrics and innocent, rough-hewn vocals. Songcraft of rare quality.