Customer Reviews

Son of a Plumber

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

 

 

I love this album. I had heard a number of tracks through some scattered downloading of Roxette and Per Gessle songs that are next to impossible to find here in the US., and I eventually found this set for a reasonable price.

I'm not sure why it was put on 2 discs, other than as a way to jack the price up, but it does have the feel of a double album, even if the length doesn't really justify the designation in the cd age. But that doesn't much matter, overall.

What does matter is the music itself, and this is from beginning to end one of the best albums I've heard in ages. "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her" is a perfect album opener. "Jo-Anna Says" is perhaps the best Beatle-esque song since the Beatles themselves. And it just continues from there. It's eclectic, yet with lots of pop and rock appeal, and it's as fun as music gets.

Per Gessle's solo work is the best kept musical secret of the past decade. I feel very fortunate to have been let in on it!

I thought this album sounded a bit light-weight at first,but found it more enjoyable every time i played it.The junior suite is brilliant, i especially like the way they merge together and the key and tempo change between speed boatr to cuba and come back tomorrow-very clever!the backing vocals from Helena are awesome and there are a couple of tracks where i'd swear it was Marie!!! Per's voice has'nt changed-still smooth.most enjoyable!!!!

SOAP is excellent Per Gessle music, and should be part of your collection if you enjoy Roxette. And, that long silence gap after track 11 on the second CD (mentioned too below) simply was not a good idea. That definitely discourages one from, say, mixing this CD with several others for a party or gathering, and using a random play setting.

The thing I like about Per Gessle is his ecclectic nature. He takes bits from everywhere and adds them to the mix meaning there is always some surprises and it always sounds fresh and not laboured. There are a couple of throw away tracks on this double album and I am not going to mark it down because of nitty gritty things like it being on two Cds or the 10 minute gap at the end for the hidden track or whatever, butI am going to say that this album contains some real gems and possibly some of Gessle's best compositions yet. The new element that Helena Josefsson brings to Gessle's music for a start seems to add a magical etheric quality, giving it a different feeling than any album done with Marie Fredriksson. Notice I say different not better or worse lest I offend some hard out Roxette fans. "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts about her is a nice album opener, but it is the second piece Joanna says that really brings the album up a gear. This is such a catchy number with a sort of sixties feel to it that will have you humming hook lines in the shower. It is such a cute bubblegummy piece typicial of Gessle's more sunshiney filled pieces such a June Afternoon, and yet even more catchy. "I have a Party in my head" is another beaut. It has a really relaxed vibe to it, and this is perhaps something that id different about this album is it is more playful than his other works. This song really takes on a character of its own, especially with the great flute accompaniment. Not so fussed about the falsetto Cmon, its ok. After the instrumental track though "Hey Mr DJ wont you play another love song" again has that smokey chilled out feel of "Party in my Head", and here is where Josefsson's vocals are at their best complimenting Gessle's smokey voice as if they were in some lounge bar. I like it. A lot.
The mellow feel of this album has a contentment that it brings only matched by albums such as Cat Stevens Greatest Hits. Late LAter On is another example. The instrumentals in between also provide nice breathing space between the next tracks. Are you an Old Hippie sir perhaps sysnonymous of the style of this album. It is peaceful, hippie maybe but in a hip kind of way. Double Headed Elvis is another falsetto number that is ok if only add variety. The final tracks on the first side of the album haven;t left too much of an impression on me so I will gloss over them.
The second album begins with a beaut. Kurt the Fastest Plumber in the West is a great instrumental piece, again with real character. This album has character like no other of Roxette's albums do - I guess they are more commercial while this is more a personal project. I guess we get to know Gessle here more than we do on Roxette's albums. "I Never quite ogt over the fact the Beatles broke up" is another beaut that uses Joesfsson's vocals again to beautiful etheric effect. Again it adds to the mellow feel of the album. The next piece that probably stands out is "I LIke It LIke That" half way in. This is a really nice tune with a great rhythm to it for a ballady type number. Its more upbeat than a ballad though. Its hard to compare these songs to other Gessle inspired numbers. The rest of the album mellows out but there are no real standouts to come. The fact is this is perhaps what makes this album different from a lot of Roxette's work or perhaps even Gessle's previous work. Gessle is normally a hit machine pumping out fifteen tracks in an album that could almost all be singles - poppy catchy tunes with typical verse chorus bridge arrangements to a formula that has worked. The thing that is different about this album is it is more like other bands albums I guess - in that it has a few hits and the tracks I've mentioned are (hmmm - I dont even know if you could describe them as hits because they are not so commercial in that way, but they are very memorable tracks. They are the ones that stand out). There are other songs on the album that dont stand out so much, and aren't so memorable but dont detract from the albums greatness, they just fill the gaps in the album between the hits and give the album more of a moody feel, as oppose to other Gessle albums which are hit after hit after hit almost with no breathing space. (Not that that is bad) This album has breathing space and that's why I like it. Its good for a long journey or for background music while you are occupied with other things. You dont feel like you can't miss a song which is sometimes how you feel with Roxette albums. But you can sort of half listen and enjoy the modd the album is creating as oppose to having to be intently listening all the time. That is perhaps also the beauty of the instrumental tracks. You dont have to try and catch the words. SOmetimes silence speaks louder than words. Get this album: Its worth it and give ti room to breathe. You wont regret it.

I am a huge Roxette fan from way back - as a music lover I get completely lost in Roxette's engaging lyrics and soulful attitudes. But this album blows all that away! Per Gessle reaffirms his rightful title of timeless musician and incredibly gifted song writer! Although I will always have a special place in my heart for Marie's powerhouse vocals, Per's new band members are no shrinking violets! Helena Josefsson's sweet, almost Celtic sound will surprise and amaze while continually keeping you guessing. She matches Per's vocals in brilliant form creating a harmony so sweet it does the unimaginable - she actually manages to add to the perfection of Per Gessle's amazing voice! But more than anything, this album is a truly artistic beauty with captivating lyrics (terrific song writing) that are guaranteed to move you and stay with you long after the music has faded. This is a must-have for any Roxette/ Gessle fan!! My only regret in all of this is that the US has not managed to move this piece of art into the limelight in order to lure Mr. Gessle to a concert in my area! :-) Great job Per!

Well, Son of a Plumber came about when Per got the idea that he wanted to make a "first CD". Which he'd already done 3 times: with Roxette, solo and Gyllene Tider.

Anyway, I must confess that I don't own the entire CD, but I have (legally) downloaded the three tracks that really caught my ear. I love Jo-Anna Says. Hey Mr DJ was played so frequently on Swedish radio, sort of insisting that I'd fall in love with it, which I eventually did. And finally I Like It Like That (on the double CD). It reminds me of this really amazing solo song Per did in Swedish (Tycker om när du tar på mig). The magic of this solo song lies in understanding the lyrics, and I Like It Like That sort of catches a little bit of the feeling in it.

But what can I say? Son of a Plumber has about a million influences from the music industry, besides that you can hear both Roxette and solo-Per in it.

I bought this album understanding that it was supposedly an "oddball" Gessle-related album, so I was prepared for anything. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. Most Gessle albums have a few tracks that I absolutely love, however on this album the only one I really hooks me is "Jo-Anna Says". That said, I really enjoy this album in its entirety. I keep it at my house and often find myself wishing I had the album on me when driving in my car.

I think that first Swedish solo album is the closest thing in his portfolio that matches this album. So if you are the other person in the world outside of Sweden who owns that album, and you like it, then this would be a good buy for you too.


I did not rate this a 5 because of the following reasons:
1) The album could easily have fit onto a single CD. If you don't rip it to your PC you'll find yourself exchanging discs quite often since each disc is short. Per Gessle may have grown up in the vinyl era and has fond memories of that antiquated analog technology, but I'm a digital guy: music is supposed to be a series of 0s and 1s to me :)

2) The secret "Jo-Anna Says Farewell" track that concludes disc 2 is an interesting 45 second version of the song, but the 10 minute silent gap between it and the preceeding track is annoying. I know it's supposed to be a neat little surprise, and it is the first time you listen to it, but when it's no longer a surprise that 10 minute gap is a tedious pain.

3) It's a copy protected CD - whatever that means! Like I said I'm a digital guy so one of the first things I did with my CDs was rip them to my personal PC (yes, for my own use) and didn't have any problems whatsoever. So how exactly is it protected? Sounds like all this protection's going to do is potentially cause a consumer with an incompatible CD player to fail playing back. So if you buy this CD as a import or used through one of Amazon's partners you may have a minor headache on your hand if it fails to play. That possibility must exist otherwise Capitol Records wouldn't have placed that warning on the back of the disc!

4) Tracks are not divided by silence but will sometimes flow into the next song. This is annoying for those of us who like shuffle play. (Remember, I'm a digital kind of guy)