Small Turn of Human Kindness

Harvey Milk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hydra Head Records
• ASIN: B0039L1J66
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,251 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

As dense & as heavy temperamentally as it is musically

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult but Fantastic, May 25, 2010

By 

Handsome Dan (Suwanee, Ga USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small Turn of Human Kindness (Audio CD)

With A Small Turn of Human Kindness, Harvey Milk have once again made a sharp left turn in their musical direction, but still they maintain to deliver an incredible listening experience.

First off, this is not a continuation of their last two records. And, unlike several journalists have wrongly noted, neither is it a so-called "return to form" record. No. This is not like anything Creston and company have ever done before.

This record is a story album. It's meant to be listened to in its entirety in one sitting, and I find that this whole experience is better and much more enjoyable if the listener familiarizes themselves with the lyrics/story.

The story itself is about a young couple fighting over an unplanned pregnancy while on a camping trip. It reminds me of grimmer version of Hemingway's "Hill's Like White Elephants" with a Flanery O'Connor-style ending.

The music is one very harsh, painful dirge. Unlike other Harvey Milk records with odd, unpredictable shifts and contrasts in melody, dynamics, tempos, meter, and mood, this one stays pretty constant. There is one pivotal dynamic change when the characters in the story each have their moments of grace. But other than that, the band has held back their proclivities for strange contrasts for this record. But still, they do an excellent job of complementing the story since it is clearly the main focus.

With all this being said, Kindness is really going to confuse and possibly even alienate some folks. It, like several Harvey Milk records, takes a few listens to really sink in. And even then, it could still be seen as difficult and pretentious. However, I find it to be a fantastic milestone in heavy music. Harvey Milk have effectively proven that it's possible combine the great, grim storytelling of southern literature with the slow, heavy bliss of sludge metal.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man...that Amazon description NAILED it..., May 30, 2010

By 

D. J. Galante Jr. "GoaT" (watchcity, Ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Small Turn of Human Kindness (Audio CD)

Dear Product Description Guy-"Where to display this fine album if I have no mantle-piece? My dumpy apartment has no such thing."

I'm not much into rape cinema either, but as far as rape goes, each day you interact with another, time will be stolen from you. You will say things you don't mean, you will pretend to care about things others say, and you will see things you wish you never did.

So I stay home and listen to this record instead. It's pretty much the same thing as living, just the contents of the fridge are always there to pad the blows.

This is the sound of the blues for suburban white kids, those of us who had all the breaks in the world, yet somehow we blew it on purpose...and it feels good.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I saw Harvey Milk perform this entire record last night., September 13, 2010

By 

frankiscool - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small Turn of Human Kindness (Audio CD)

And after hearing it several times from the CD...seeing it live was one of the most prefound musicaly experiences of my life. Get this CD and listen to it 5 times from start to finish. You will be glad you did and you will be one of the few who "get" it.

I've been seeing HM since 1992 and they continue to put out music that is years ahead of everyone else.