Customer Reviews

Shag Tobacco

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

 

 

Gavin Friday is a very talented and varied artist, and his 'Shag Tobacco' is an album you will most certainly want to own. Mr. Friday's haunting vocals are superb, his voice ranging from deep and sultry, to a falsetto, to a teasing lounge lizard. Each song presents you with a different atmosphere, never giving into one style. Maurice Seezer's masterful playing of many instruments adds a whole new layer to Gavin's vocals. From the accordion to the bass flute (which is very beautiful and rarely heard ever, as far as my musical knowledge takes me), it's like a fine icing on a cake full of surprises. I'm really good at metaphors.

In any case, if you enjoy the sort of mellow/in-your-face sort of experimental music, get this album now. Actually, get it now anyway. It's that good.

This is one of the best future sounds of the nineties. Gavin Friday is what you can describe as one of the last true artists of the music comunity. He's helped composed for U2's Actung Baby and Zooropa which speaks volumes about where he's from and where's he's going musically. Shag Tobacco is handsdown one of the most fabulous albums in the past decade. Ultra abientism meets rock edginess and blends with jazzy downtempo techno remeniscent of New Order and Radiohead on valium. Combine that with beautifully poetic, hypnotically sensual,quikily cocky, and depressingly fatalistic lyrics, and you've got an album that is not an accident...but a distinctly, well planned work of a modern musical genius.

This album is driving along the river on a rainy summer night, cityscape shining in the windows - Chicago - New York - Toronto - London - Paris... Slow dancing on a rooftop while the city burns below. It's holding your lover in a passionate kiss as the world spins out of control. This is the soundtrack for lovers in a dangerous time. Put on that dress, you know your "throw yourself out the window" dress. I'll wear my suit, my wedding ring...

Wanna hear the fat lady from U2's Achtung Baby and Zooropa sing? Well here she is. Falsetto voices, thought-provoking lyrics (check you, me and WWIII), beautiful instrumentation, extemporaneous vibes, references to artists of all sizes and colours and kinds. A very well concocted CD with a definite euro sound.

Gavin Friday is different form anything you've ever heard, or will likely ever hear again. His talent of performance and songwriting is on a level far above any other comtemporary group. Buy this album, listen to it, lose yourself in the beautiful haunting atmosphere it creates, and you will never be the same again! END

As a long-time fan of the Virgin Prunes, I've been heavily into Gavin's work for about 24 years now. As the years have gone on, I've appreciated his solo work more and more, especially in realizing now that there are only 2 official Gavin solo cds, Adam 'n' Eve (1992), and this one, Shag Tobacco (1996). If you ever read this Gavin, we need more, please! It would be absolutely impossible to give either one of these less than 5-stars, both are absolute masterpieces. NO ONE sounds like Gavin Friday, and this voice needs to be heard more!

Does anyone know where I can the song "Look What You've Done (to My Skin), from the film The Passion of Darkly Noon? I've tried everything. [...]doesn't even recognize it. This album was so good and so is everything else Gavin Friday does but that song is my favorite and i can only hear it if I watch the movie.

Item received quickly & in better condition than I had expected.
Thank you. I thought I had lost this Cd forever.