Customer Reviews

Shadows & Dust

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lene Lovich is one of the late 70's-80's most underrated performers. The music in "Shadows and Dust" is Lene in a more gothic mood. Ocasionally,some of her playfulness with the music comes through such as in "The Insect eater" and "The Wicked Witch". "Gothica" and "Ghost Story" are lyrically more ...goth. Some people may take a few listenings to really get into this (me for one), but I think it's worth it. I took away one star because it drives me nuts when the songs are not in the same order as the song list. I'm sure that this is more the record companys fault than Lene's but... As a side note, this is just as good as her earlier albums including "March". I think that album was underrated. The only thing that threw me off was her vocals...I swear it was Nina Hagen and not Lene Lovich (I love both artistes enormously, so this would not have really been a bad thing). Anyway, for all of Lene Lovich's fans I say...go for it. You won't be sorry.

Despite my age, I'd never heard any of Lene's work because I was more inclined to the hard rock sound during my youth. After recently checking out a broad list of Lene's compilations I have to admit this is one of the most genius women artists I've ever heard. The way the CD is put together is refreshing and welcome in a time when clipped sound bytes and layered drum tracks seem to be the norm in the music industry eg. boring, loathsome and repetative. Each song here carries you through a story and mindset like you've never been through.
One of the tracks that really grabbed me was "Gothica". The beat is reminiscent of the 80's wall of sound but with a grinding edge of guitar tastefully blended in and backing vocals that are layered just right so as to not distract the listener.
If Lene's voice and lyrics weren't enough there is also Les Chappell's fluid guitar work that adds the mix and bite that makes this batch of work so uniquely entertaining. It's incredible to hear how far along he's come as a musician from the days of "Lucky Number" (another brilliant and fun song). You hope musicians will mature and their sound will remain familiar in some ways and here Les has risen well above what I'd hoped for.
What I feel and hear from Lene's music in this compilation is exactly what had been missing from so many Goth wannabees (including Nena Hagen). It's eclectic, entertaining, fun, and eerily operatic in that it tells a theme and story. Not just a mindless diatribe of songs thrown together but an actual audio movie in your mind that absorbs you into a completely different thought process.
Lene achieves what no other New Wave/Goth performer is able to do in my opinion. She brings you into the Goth mindset and makes you think for yourself (Independently) while your filled with a feeling of enjoyment, unlike so many other artists who leave you feeling depressed and hateful towards the world.

The only sad part is that Amazon only allows 5 stars for reviews. In my own opinion this deserves 10 stars!
If you want to expand your taste in music to something that's new and horizon breaking I can't recommend this CD highly enough. This is pure genius from beginning to end!!!

Lene is back! And stronger than ever! Lene has released a new cd on the stereosociety web page run by Mike Thorne, the 80's producer. It's a startling come back....Lene is in top form just as if she never left! It honestly took me a few listens to like this cd...but it has grown on me, and in my honest opinion, it is Lene's best, right next to FLEX. Lene proves she is Queen of the fun gothic dance songs.

The cd is packed with sounds...voices echoing the the background...calls and shrieks, la la la's and sonic blasts of synth. Les Chappel's deep baritone echoes in places, and adds a dark atmosphere to the music. Lene's voice has never sounded better. It's full and rich as she sings, calls, speaks and shrieks through this 10 song set. I wish it had been a longer cd!

The cd begins with "Craze" a snewy, plucky song, with Lene's rich alto singing against the music...not with it...and she uses her voice as a squealing escalating trill up and down as a hook. A new, funky lene has been born! Possibly one of the best songs she has ever done!!!!

Lene touches darkwave with the passionate "Remember"....and once again her voice is rich and full...and lonely...

She then hits a fast pace with "Gothica"....a driving, guitar powered song....with her and les shouting "Goth-ic-ca!!!" as the hook. It's a fun, spooky song...with echoing voices and odd sounds popping in and out of the mix....this song should be the single. Les is also in top vocal form providing a deep croaking buried into the mix. It sounds like he is chanting "ooga shocka ah ooga shocka ah"

The song "The Insect Eater" is a brilliant masterpiece about Renfield, the crazed slave of Dracula. It's cartoony, and fun...and when Dracula speaks to Renfield, the production is top-notch, with Lene and Les's altered voices speaking...it's brilliant! Lene sings "earwigs in my fridge at midnight put me in a dancing mood" then Les screams "Earwigs!!!"

The cartoony, gothic fun contiues on "The Wicked Witch". You'll find yourself singing along to the chorus. It's a cross between the Wicked Witch of the West and horror movie witchcraft with blaring synth and guitar...and more voices and calling in the background. A memorable line "I'll do more than make you cry!"

This is a deep cd. the production is some of the best you will ever hear. It's thick, and sonic...and the vocals come at you from all directions, as screams, yodels, whispers, croaking, singing, chanting...and it all blends together into one startling masterpiece.

For those who don't know her; Lene Lovich burst onto the music sceen in 1978, like a breath of fresh air, and scored a Top 3 UK hit the following year with the song "Lucky Number". More greatness was to follow from this unique artist, but unfortunatly Lovich was mismanaged by her record company and disappeard in the mid-80's after only three albums and a handful of hits. She reappeared in 1990 with the album "March" a low key release on a small independed record label that unfortunatly collaped short time after.

More than fifteen years later she is back with "Shadows And Dust", which according to the Music Press is a comeback album they wish every 70's or 80's veteran could muscle up. The magic is still there and Lovich has not stagnated, but moved on building on her earlier work, rather than falling into the trap, trying to copy old merrits. The music is haunting ("Ghost Story"), electrifying ("The Wicked Witch", "Gothica") and strangely uplifting ("Shape Shifter"), but there is a sense of maturity in places to remind us of that many years have passed since Queen Lene sat comfortable on her throne ("Remember") and perhaps a tad of bitterness ("Little Rivers") at the army of immitators who were somehow able to muscle her aside. Lovich's voice is still in a terrific shape and her lyrics are spellbinding. This is easily her strongest album since "Flex" (1979).

It's incredible that this album has not been picked up by one of the major record companies and given the release that it truely deserves.
Do yourself a favour and buy it before it disappears.

Tracking List:

1. (4.24) CRAZE
2. (4.30) SHAPESHIFTER
3. (4.08) SANCTUARY
4. (4.10) REMEMBER
5. (5.00) GOTHICA
6. (3.52) GHOST STORY
7. (6.06) THE INSECT EATER
8. (4.34) LITTLE RIVERS
9. (4.09) THE WICKED WITCH
10.(4.02) LIGHT

I've been a big fan of Lene (say it correctly, now!) Lovich since her first release on vinyl (that's where you'll find the correct pronunciation of her first name, by the way -- on the cover title). My favorite of her albums has always been "No Man's Land," which is impossible to find on CD for anything even close to a reasonable amount of cash. I have the vinyl album, but the volume could be boosted on that, and a bit of remastering wouldn't hurt. So, if you are listening, dear Lene, bug your record company to remaster that album for CD!

After retiring for a few years, Lene released "March," which was not a disappointment at all. I saw her "live" after that album was released ("I've been released from the dungeon!" she declared to much applause), and she was great!

Now we've seen an even longer retirement and a new CD, although a couple songs aren't exactly "new" in the sense that they weren't recently written or haven't shown up on bootlegs previously, in particular "Insect Eater," a nod to the bug-eating Renfield from the Dracula books and films.

It took me a couple listenings to really decide what I think of this new CD. It seems Lene's very unique (with all due respect to Les, an integral part of her life and music) didn't hit the spot with the next generation when "March" was released. She's toned it down on some of the songs included on this new CD, but that's understandable as change is good. I do miss her showing off her vocal range (which she may no longer have completely, though she still sounds great) on this new CD (see her "Bird Song" on the "Flex" album/CD). But after listening to this new CD a few times, I have come to the conclusion that it is a worthy scion of Lene's previous work. Some of the songs are very much old-style Lene that translates as excellent in my estimation), while others are a little different. All-in-all, I like the CD as a whole, and I am convinced most long-time fans will agree. Lene is as fun as ever, and I hope this CD sells well enough for her to get to record another CD!

Mix one part Lene Lovich "March" two parts Nina Hagen - early Nina & well produced - and you have "Shadows and Dust". A great album, especially for fans of Nina, Lene, or Lauri Anderson. Sounds great on a consumer or audiophile system.

"The Insect Eater" and "The Wicked Witch" recall some of her earlier magic. This is an amazing album. At once 21st Century and thoroughly Lene. I did like "March", but this is far, far, better. Right up there with "Flex" & "No Man's Land". I hope she does another one soon.

Not bad, but not a true return to form. Lyrically, she's as insightful and humorous as ever. Vocally, she sounds great. I think the music, which essentially comes from husband Les Chappell, has taken a turn for the worse. He used to be a master at combining quirky beats and instrumentation with songs that underneath it all had great melodies. Sadly, those melodies have flown like the bird in "Bird Song". Still love her, though.

This album is best appreciated as something to have of Lene Lovich this long after her hey day. It becomes evident that she has lost a lot of what makes her particular style of singing work on her first two albums. Her 1989 album March had her doing her style on a collection of songs. This album is similar to it in that way. Her style seemed to make the songs on the first two albums but she is repeating herself without connecting to the music now. She unfortunately seems to have turned either intentionally or not into a singer resembling Siouxsie Sioux. Probably the best song on the album is The Wicked Witch that starts to work because her humour shows. It may require further listening to really appreciate this album.