Customer Reviews

Sacred Cow

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'll be honest, I bought the CD for the song "Whoever You Are"...based on that television commercial. I was pleasantly surprised that the rest of the CD, while different than that song, pretty much rocked. This is a CD you can put in, and listen from beginning to end, straight through. There are not too many that can get away with that, so this one is definitely a keeper.

I first heard Geggy Tah as the opening act for Rusted Root several years back, and they were one of the best openers I've ever seen. I got this album the day afterward. Several weeks later they came back and played a full show, which was equally entertaining. Their energy and humor live doesn't really come across on the cd, but it's still a very enjoyable album. Apart from the perfect pop of "Whoever You Are," standouts include the room-cleaning anthem "Lotta Stuff," the melodic funk trips "Don't Close the Door" and "Las Vegas with the Lights Out" and "Gina" one of the finest ballads ever written about a dog (she's on the cover.) Several of the songs are rather monotonous, but they generally have a good vibe. Also the album notes are very clever. This is not a classic album by any means, but it was a neglected solid piece of work from the mid-nineties.

Ok... one star? I'm sorry, this is BY FAR a 5 star album, it's been one of my top ten favorite albums since I bought it back when it first came out several years ago. Yes they had a hit song, which is a fun song, but all the other songs are so incredibly intelligent and diverse, if you're looking for simple stupid music (like the other guy who reviewed it), you're going to be challenged. Beautiful songs for all different moods, very good instrumentation (Tom of the band is also a very very good pianist), and VERY intelligent lyrics. Check it out if you want, but don't be turned off because some guy gave it one star, it's much better than that.

Wow.... whenever art really breaks into new territory, some people get it and some people don't. If you appreciate radical musical genius and you're not afraid of the raw emotional underbelly of life, Sacred Cow is something you wanna get. Sure, it's often fun, in that playful Geggy Tah way, and the musicianship is world-class, but the real beauty in this record for me is in the subtlety, the layers of sound and meaning that make this one of the deepest albums i've heard in a long time. Sacred Cow takes you on an intimate adventure through a variety of major metamorphoses, dealing with true stories of love and death and bouncing back with an outrageous sense of humor. That all this breadth of experience comes from one source is truly remarkable, and makes for an album that rewards repeated careful listening. Some albums make me laugh, but not many can make me cry. Sacred Cow does both. What more can i say?

Geggy Tah, the trio of Greg Kurstin, Tommy Jordan, and Daren Hahn, pull off a bizarre but ultimately very satisfying record with "Sacred Cow." The group sounds nothing like anything I have ever heard before, due to the wackiness of the songwriting and the odd sounds implemented. Nevertheless, they're not 'just trying to be strange.' These are real songs, from the radio-friendly "Whoever You Are" to the tongue-in-cheek "Las Vegas with the Lights Out" to the distinctive love song "Gina." These three men are also exceptional musicians. For a few examples of their prowess, check out "House of Usher" which is in 11/8, or "Sacred Cow," a bizarre phantasmagoria of shifting time signatures and melodies that float across barlines, defying meter. The more "straightforward" songs (if that word can even be used about Geggy Tah) are just as interesting, in part due to the quirkiness of the music and the odd lyrics. All in all, this is a highly enjoyable album that deserves to be checked out.

In a world of packaged tripe, Geggy Tah was a real deal meal... multi-instrumentalists (often playing several instruments at the same time), with voices like chirping angels, too clever by more than half. Seen them live many times. They would enter from the back playing percussion and a steel drum while waving a ten foot long trombone like instrument over the crowd's head. Fostering a real communal feeling, Tommy their lead would then sit down in a rocking chair which was wired for midi, so each rock would trigger samples. Their inventiveness, pop chops, memorable melodies and down to earth everyman humor is what will delight anyone who wants to look beyond their tune which made it into a Mercedes commercial.

I had obviously heard the song "Whoever You Are" and chose this disc for that reason. also, I read a couple of glowing Amazon reviews, which seemed to be from some very satisfied customers. However, now that I've heard the entire disc, I have to say that I do not agree. The one song is excellent, but the rest of the disc is erratic; too many styles mashed together. I do recommend their more recent disc "Into The Oh". More upbeat and pop-sounding.

No doubt when you listen to this album you'll hear influences across the music industry (Allman brothers, Gershwin, Steely Dan, Phish). This album starts off with a great pop tune and gets better as it goes. This sacred cow is no lamb to the slaughter, buy it!

Wow.... whenever art really breaks into new territory, some people get it and some people don't. If you appreciate radical musical genius and you're not afraid of the raw emotional underbelly of life, Sacred Cow is something you wanna get. Sure, it's often fun, in that playful Geggy Tah way, and the musicianship is world-class, but the real beauty in this record for me is in the subtlety, the layers of sound and meaning that make this one of the deepest albums i've heard in a long time. Sacred Cow takes you on an intimate adventure through a variety of major metamorphoses, dealing with true stories of love and death and bouncing back with an outrageous sense of humor. That all this breadth of experience comes from one source is truly remarkable, and makes for an album that rewards repeated careful listening. Some albums make me laugh, but not many can make me cry. Sacred Cow does both. What more can i say?

This CD had 2 good songs that I listen to off of it. Whoever You Are and Gina. But mainly Whoever You Are, which is a good reason to buy this CD if you can find it real cheap. You may like the CD more than I do. But if you are looking for some odd sounding bands, then pick this up. And try to get the Space CD Spiders. Which is another odd sounding band that is better than this.