Customer Reviews

Shaking Off Gravity

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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My first exposure to Vance Gilbert was a convert he performaed at the Cla-Zel theater in Bowling Green, Oh. His performance had me in tears of laughter one moment, tears of sadnes the next. Vance loves to work the audience. Noticing that my young daughters working their way down the aisle back to their seats, he asked their names and proceded with an imprompteau song featuring their names and the name of the girl seated next to them. While there is no substitute for seeing Vance live, Shaking off Gravity exudes Vance's energy and passion. Highly recommended.

I seems Vance only gets better with age. This CD does not have a single weak track, I never skip over track when I listen to it. Although faulted in the past for "fluffy lyrics" this album is full of powerful stories and unblinking introspection.

This album is second only to his latest -live- release, available on his website.

This gifted folk performer has it all: the vocal quality and range that makes one green with envy, masterful guitar skills and lyrical storytelling. Any of these gifts, alone, would make him worth listening to. He has ALL THREE! I put this CD on when I first arrive home and the whole day just dissolves. You absolutely MUST see him in concert but, if you can't, this recording is a close substitution. Thanks, Vance.

I have now heard all of Vance Gilbert's CDs and seen him live three times. There is no substitute for his live performances---a concert he did with Ellis Paul last year was the best show I have ever seen---but this album comes close. I sort of miss the half-spoken poetry that he has on Edgewise, and "Twice Struck" is not a song that I can listen to repeatedly. Other than that, I have no reservations about this album. It is poetry, lyrical and parts of it have seductively catchy melodies.

This album is one everyone should own, even if you don't consider yourself a "folk" fan. His lyrics are powerful and honest--"Twice Struck," is a favorite and "Charlene" breaks my heart every time I hear it. See a live show if you can (vancegilbert.com has dates and more).

I got into Vance's music very recently after seeing him at a concert at the Canal Street Tavern in Dayton. He was opening for Guy Davis - good lord, what a great show! I bought "Unfamiliar Moon" at the concert and added "Shaking off Gravity" shortly thereafter.

It is a wonderful album, equally good if not slightly better than "Unfamiliar Moon." Vance is gifted on so many levels; his voice has a seemingly boundless range and perfect clarity, so none of his thoughtful, intelligent lyrics go misunderstood. The instrumentation is minimal and acoustic and complements the vocals without ever competing.

So many songs stand out on this album that it's hard to choose which ones to highlight. My favorites are the songs that create a character and tell a story; Vance has the rare ability to stuff a novel's worth of meaning into a few pithy lines. The "Hey Lah Dee Dah Song" is a strong opening track with a lot of energy, carried on a driving acoustic beat. It's the story of a woman facing an existential crisis - "When they break out the photos/with the Christmas stuff/You look more like the mailman/and feel less like yourself...There's a man on your front porch/with a big belly, too/he's whistling Sinatra/he's married to you."

One of the best and most heart-wrenching stories is that of "Charlene." This song is an elegy to a victim of incest and abuse; she may represent all such victims, but at the same time, her character is so intimately detailed that one wonders if the song is about someone in Vance's own life. The lyrics carry their message with admirable subtlety, never becoming smarmy or lurid. Lines like "There's a southern contradiction at your core" and "Cigarettes and crucifixes all became the same" tell of the miseries Charlene has suffered, just a few very potent images that frame an image filled out by the listener's mind. Even though there is nothing graphic in the lyrical content, the pivotal lines convey such a brutal scene that I don't really want to quote them here - but don't let that discourage you. This song should be heard.

Several songs are more obviously personal, like "House of Pain" - "Critics' words previously residing in my head/have found their way inside and I've locked them there instead." This is a good song for anyone dealing with self-esteem issues or creative blocks, or just feeling a bit down. It's a little bit "self-helpy," but that's not necessary a bad thing. "Fly" is another song that anyone who has ever been in love (or who has lost their love) can understand. It's beautifully written, sensitive, and powerfully sung. Speaking of powerfully sung, you might want to turn it down a notch on "Could You Believe," lest you blow your speakers on this a cappella number.

This is a wonderful album, certainly Vance at his best. I hope there will be many more like this one!

This album reflects Vance at his best - his humor, his sensitivity and his incredible performance style shine through in this album.