Customer Reviews

Slide

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lisa Germano was dropped from 4AD in 1999 and, to many of her fans, it was a devastating blow -- especially coming off what some consider her best work to date.

Slide was our pick for the best album of 1998. It combines all the ingredients that make a great album: songwriting, artistry, and innovation. Although this isn't Top 40-ready music, it's Germano's most accessible piece of work to date. Lush, flowing melodies are interlaced seemlessly with lo-fi, muffled tones. Her voice is as melancholic and inert as always which suits her passive yet passionate writing style. This is Germano's most inspired work since 1996's Happiness (Capitol) and it also features her most hopeful writing ever.

What a soothing album. I heard "Wood Floors" from a friend and couldn't stop listening to the song. When I wasn't listening to it, I found myself humming it. The song reminded me of twirling around in my socks on the hardwood floors of my parents' house when I was a kid. It made me want to be 8 again and skating around the house in my socks.

The rest of the album is really nice. I've been listening to it at work practically all day today. I just put it on repeat and let it go. Some of the songs make me want to slow dance with my honey. There isn't anything extra original on this album, but it's a good album that makes you feel like there is something extra original about it.

I'm currently borrowing this album from my boyfriend, but will be adding it to my collection soon.

I can't say how sad I am to hear that she has stopped making music. I can't really understand it...I love her previous work very much. She's the first american artist that I've ever come to love VERY much.
I think this is her best album so far, cause it is more varied in a way..or maybe just better balanced? Geek the girl comes second right after Slide. Hard to say why..cause I think they're both her best albums. Geek the girl just touches something else. Maybe it's songs like Wood Floors and No Colour here that make Slide a little better. I'm just happy she's done as much music as she have. But I hope from deep within my heart that she hasn't given up on us or herself. Please Lisa...come back! You can't just leave... :(

SLIDE is the one release by Lisa Germano that could be said to have traditional song structures and lyrics. After the concept albums GEEK THE GIRL and EXCERPTS FROM A LOVE CIRCUS, both obsessed with depression and angst, SLIDE's songs show Lisa with (just a little) more self-esteem. While I enjoyed her earlier albums immensely, I'm happy to see Germano, with the help of producer Tchad Blake, change gears and bring her talent to something a bit more mainstream.

The opening track "Way Below the Radio," with its verse-chorus-verse arrangement is our first clue that Lisa's musical ideals have changed. It's a powerful, sweeping song and Lisa's vocals are actually acceptable, a major shift from the depressed droning and murmuring of her earlier albums.

The melancholy "No Color Here" has the down mood of earlier Germano songs but with prominent guitar playing. "Electrified" and "Reptile" are two of the album's standout tracks, the former due to Lisa's honest singing and the latter due to its unusual lyrics.

Lisa Germano's draw has always been the unusual and bleak feeling of her songs, but with SLIDE she finally matured musically and wrote songs that were catchy. It is truly a shame that she left the music industry after the release of this album.

Lisa Germano is an extremely unique artist. Her voice, her sound, her lyrics - all of it very different. So most of her takes a little bit to get into. While Slide is a little bit more accessible than past albums, it is no exception to that rule haha.

Starts off with the extremely catchy (well, for a Lisa song!) and almost organic sounding "way below the radio". Familiar Lisa territory is covered, with her glum outlook on life - but there is a little bit more of an optimistic look on it especially on "Reptile".

Some songs are so beautiful (Gullotine, Wood Floors) in their simplicity, that it reminded me that you didn't need layers of didn't instruments to make a great song.

My favourite track is probably "If I think of Love", but all are great. If you like music that pushes the line with creativity, you will love Lisa Germano. Highly suggested. You also might want to look into her previous releases, especially Geek the Girl.

"Slide" is like a Lisa Germano greatest hits album-- there are songs with the stripped down music of "Moon Palace", with the bold textures of "Happiness", the darkness of "Geek the Girl" and the dreamy childishness of "Love Circus". But "Slide" takes it a step further-- the songs here are tighter and more accessible, yet lose none of those challenging aspects of her music that entrance her fans. This album is good enough to bring her a wider, more mainstream fan-base without having to compromise her musical integrity.

Lisa Germano is undeniably gifted . She has a voice so sensual and haunted , a dreamy lyrical agenda which captures daily thoughts and feelings and turns them into something so special and the talent to pen dark romantic melodies . When she manages to combine all these elements effectively she delivers truly essential female songwritting ( " Cry Wolf " , " From A Shell " , " I Love A Snot " ) . On 1998's " Slide " though , most of the time she seems unsure of what she wants to talk about .

The spooky artwork with the dead butterflies gives an idea of what's about to follow . Germano seems to be suffocating in her own sadness but her bitter lullabies ( " Guilliotine " , " Reptile " ) are often felt like being left half told . What's so frustrating about it is that it's clearly 100% heartfelt stuff but the listener can't help but being just an observer rather than experiencing what the artist is going through .

Ofcourse some touches of magic are still here like on the tittle track , where towards the end she grabs her violin , a for a few seconds she gives life to an overall indifferent composition . Still , for an album so heavily based on atmosphere it's strange that the best track is it's most simple one . It's " Wood Floors " , a stark piano piece which beautifully points out the power of the singer's vocals .

As Germano wanders around her cold room in her wedding dress mourning lost loves and watching the world through her dusty window , one could only hope she would find a more emotional and direct way to express her feelings . There's actually a song here tittled " No Color Here " . There's a color alright but it's not even as strong as black . It's grey .

"Slide" may very well be an introduction to a wider audience for Lisa Germano. It has a sparser sound than one might expect from her previous work, and I was disappointed that she elected not to use the violin this time around. This new album lacks the dark nature of "Geek the Girl" and the cynicism of "Excerpts from a Love Circus", but what it lacks in those qualities is replaced with warmth. This is a beautiful, sometimes poignant, piece of work that may appease listeners who qualify her work as "difficult to listen to," but it's not by any means a happy album. Standout tracks: "Way Below the Radio", "Wood Floors", and "Guillotine."

Slide is my favorite Lisa Germano album and is also one of my all-time favorite albums. The songs are weird but accessible and timeless. The production is somewhat abstract and spacey while maintaining a sense of intimacy, and nowhere does it sound like anything is out of place. She doesn't have a huge vocal range in terms of notes or dynamics, but her voice is warm, earthy, and perfect for her songs. Beyond that, it is hard to describe the style of her music.

Aside from being her most accessible album from a general listening standpoint, Slide also contains my favorite song of hers, "Wood Floors." It is just beautiful and simple, magical. Other favorite tracks on Slide include "Way Below the Radio," "Tomorrowing," "Crash," and "Reptile."

I never get tired of listening to this, and I've had it for a couple years. If you like melancholy, beautiful, odd music that also has a sardonic streak, give this a listen.

This album was released the week I ended a four year relationship and was falling in love with someone completely unattainable. I couldn't have asked for a better soundtrack. Thanks Lisa.

If any album deserves to be called "otherworldly" this is the one. The sounds on this album are so unnatural, but the performances are so human and organic that it constantly plays tricks on your ears. I don't know how someone would classify this music, or what type of radio station would dare to play it.

Lyrics have always been a strong point for Lisa and this album showcases her range extremely well. From childlike and playful to distressed and wicked, Lisa captures a wide range of emotions in each song, allowing a different inturpretation with each listen. The melodies are stronger than they've ever been and the overall mood of this album stays consistent with her previous work (though decidedly not as dark as Geek the Girl.) Among the most remarkable tracks are "Way Below the Radio," "Crash," "If I Think of Love," and the most amazing "Reptile" which still sends shivers down my spine.

Thought I was lucky enough to start with Happiness and work my way forward, I could see starting here and working your way back. Be prepared for a revealing internal experience.