Customer Reviews

Something Deeper Than These Changes

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is my first introduction to the world of Stew, and I am definitely hooked. My taste in music varies widely, but I tend to go for faster, more electric sounds over all. "Something Deeper Than These Changes" is extremely mellow and accoustic, and I absolutely love it. The lyrics are incredibly clever, such as "Statue Song", and often endearingly sweet, as in "The Sun I Always Wanted". Back up vocalist and co-producer, Heidi, gives a wonderfully light contrast to Stew's rich, deep voice. This album's sound is somewhat simliar to John Cale and Leonard Cohen; however, I really hate to pin him to a particular sound or era. It's the kind of album that goes well with a long car drive in the rain.

Stripped down instrumentation and great songwriting present a chill-out version of TNP. Minimal percussion and slow tempos create an almost ambient vibe to this very personal and sometimes unusually direct collection of songs from Stew.

Very satisfying record, one to be LISTENED to and worthy of buying. Complete lyrics included are a nice bonus as is the hidden track (#15) "Lazy Emergency".

Stew continues on the path that started once "Naked Dutch Painter" made it's mark. One noticable difference is that Heidi's background vocals seem to fit in much smoother this time out. Maybe it's because she co-produced this album, or just because I'm getting used to hearing her more prominently in the tracks, either way, I feel this album is her vocal breakthrough. There is an absence, in my opinion, of a track which is a rabble-rouser like "Naked Dutch Painter." Certainly the "Statue Song" is a great 'tribute song' to a piece of art and the song whose title escapes me, which is about modern love and the varying expectations of the two sexes involved. The hidden track is also very good, but I feel that it disappoints on one level, when the song starts with that funky groove bass, I think that it's going to end the album with a punch, but it ends up being more of a shove than anything else, which isn't a complaint, it just doesn't go where I thought it would go. "Le Arteest Cafe" is a great number that I will constantly go back to and marvel at. Alas, I must go so that you can listen to to tracks and not have to read my review any longer. Enjoy

...or almost no one else, Stew walks the line between kitsch and art, or between the sexy and the spiritual, or between dewy-eyed romance and cutting sarcasm. His work is entirely his own, even as the spit-and-polish arrangements of the group make their nods to late 60s/early 70s pop time and time again. The musician he reminds me most of in this regard is Marshall Crenshaw. Though their styles are not alike, both men have a genius for crafting songs that can have rough or delicate vibes while only seldom falling into either laughable mawkishness or boring machismo. Both make you feel you've heard their songs before, but they bring an undefinable "something" to the mix that is entirely unique and new. "The Constellation Jeeves" is one of those songs that smudges joy and sorrow together with seeming effortlessness. "lazy emergency" (one of the "hidden tracks," is almost British in its dry humor. These two tracks by themselves would make the disc worth owning for anyone who likes their pop music brainy, but not pretentious.

This is my first introduction to the music of Stew and I can honestly say I am hooked. This album, from first listen instantly begins to grow on you. I find myself listening to certain tracks over and over and gaining more insight after each listen. Personal favorites include the brilliant Statue Song, the melodic sadness of Way of Life and the masterpiece Kingdom of Drink. If amazing production, beautiful vocal arrangements and clever lyrics are your cup of tea then pick this album up - you won't be disappointed.

I believe I now have all of The Negro Problem's albums, as well as Stew's solo albums. All of them are great. He has an interesting style that lends itself to all the various genres he explores, but it all still sounds like Stew.

He's one of my favorite songwriters, and this is another strong solo effort.

Hard to say if "Something Deeper" is better music or better poetry...it is most certainly great poetry, made better by a remarkably simple but effective, melodic musical bed. Enjoy the music, but if you don't read the liner notes/lyrics, you miss the real power of this CD.Something Deeper Than These Changes

One of the few cd's you can hit play and leave in all the way through.

Stew's songs (solo and with TNP) vary wildly in quality -- except for the ones found here, which are remarkably consistent. Consistently dull, that is. Try as he might, Stew just can't seem to emerge from Andy Partidge's shadow, let alone Arthur Lee's. Clever lyrics, though, if that still means anything....