Customer Reviews

Swan Dive

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently purchased this cd after hearing "Rome Will Fall" on a compilation cd from uncut magazine of Britain. It's a purchase I will never regret. The Cd is itself a compilation of 3 albums Swan Dive released in Japan where they are very popular. It makes me wonder what I'm missing because these folks are great. If anything they remind me of the great Burt's happiest songs, wistful,jazzy, upbeat POP music with a Big "P". Songs like "Groovy Tuesday", "Circle", and the afforementioned "Rome Will Fall" are quirky,catchy and timeless. They make me smile whenever I put them on the player and give them a spin. I can't reccomend this CD enough and if you like this CD check out "the JANUARIES" it's in the same general vein as Swan Dive. You won't be dissapointed with either disc.

I wish I could write an unbiased review of this CD, but I can't. I used to play with Bill and Molly several years ago, and I'm actually playing on this record. But that doesn't matter... what matters is that they are 2 of the coolest people I've ever played with and the talent and songwriting is unparalleled in my opinion. Bill makes an excellent foil to Molly bringing his pop influences to meet her jazz stylings. I've said this to everyone who's asked me about this group; if you could fall in love with a voice, it'd be Molly's. Smooth as silk. I wish they'd've put out the albums in their entirety over here in the states. What you get here is the high points, but there's some real gems to be found in the full releases if you can track them down. I'm glad they're still making music, and I'd play with them again if they asked me to.
Try out the cd and see what you think...

for my critical points on this records - see the other reviews above, but i feel there are some more things worth mentioning, and if i'm not mistaken, no one's pointed them out yet. The first is that 'ordinary day' was co-written with legendary Tony Asher - he of 'Pet Sounds' fame - yes, that one. Also, 'and she dreams' features backing vocals from no other than 'Andy Sturmer', co-writer with the ultimate powerpop band of the nineties - 'Jellyfish'. Now if the above review weren't enough incentive to buy, with this info you really shouldn't have any excuse anymore

Most of the music on this CD is the kind that makes me want to get up and dance around my living room (feeling a little 70s funk, a little 80s pop). There are a few that are more mellow, but hey, I'll be needing a break. The only song that I really don't care for is the cover of Blondie's Heart of Glass. I really love that song, but I personally think there are some songs you just don't even try to touch.

I saw Swan Dive perform last Sunday (7/9/00) and was really quite blown away. I don't think I've seen a live performance that good in a long time. Their voices are so crisp. They played most of the songs on this CD and a few others that I was disappointed not to find. I kind of wish they had replaced some of the weaker songs found on the CD with some of the stronger songs they played that aren't found.

All in all, I LOVE THIS CD. My only regret is that I didn't buy it weeks ago.

Wow, I am glad I found this album due to a lucky click from another web page. This duo is great!

Swan Dive possesses a wonderful sense of melody, harmony and arrangement. Encompassing styles from '60s dance music, bossa nova, a bit of jazz, and breezy pop, the songs here are wonderfully uplifting.

My favorite moments are some of the little touches they put into their songs. The wavering sound that travels from ear to ear in "The Day That I Went Home." The way the chorus of "Better Fly" builds up in a delicious crescendo. The plaintive guitar strums in "Goodbye September." The economic but effective use of wah-wah guitar in "Groovy Tuesday." The chord changes and vibes in "Ordinary Day." The subtle brass, wind, and string arrangements in all of the songs (including cello, viola, violin, bass clarinet, trumpet, and other instruments).

I did dock this one star for two reasons (I very rarely give anything 5 stars): I find "Moodswinging" to be a bit too "dancy" for my taste, and the melody doesn't do much for me, unlike all of the other songs here. And the cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" is interesting, but a bit too tame and too short. I feel like they could have done more with it, with their arranging abilities and the other instrumentalists they have at their disposal. It's certainly not a bad song, but just a bit of an anticlimax to the album.

But those are minor quibbles. If you find yourself at all intrigued by the sound snippets you hear here, GET THIS. You will NOT be disappointed.

Somewhere down the line pop (as opposed to pap) became little more than a commodity to be bought and sold like teenybop, to modify an epigram from the mighty mighty Mekons. So what's an adult with a sweet tooth/ear supposed to do? Give in to Britney or Boyzone? I'd rather go deaf. Last year Swan Dive's Circle arrived just in time as a Japanese import, and may well have been the pop record of the '90s. In 2000, the domestic release -- a compilation drawn from the whole of the group's Japanese releases, with the main emphasis on the Circle album -- is nearly as wonderful, although I miss "Breezeway," and replacing "Starfish" (no coffee) with a lukewarm cover of Blondie was a huge mistake that costs them a star here. To me that latter song embodies what makes Swan Dive so wonderful. Like Belle & Sebastian, they negotiate a fine line between art and bliss, edgy and twee, but unlike B&S, their sensibilities are far more sanguine, and they can get funky as they prove on the sublime "Circle." If, like me, you find yourself more drawn to your old Jackie DeShannon records, the Fifth Dimension, Sergio Mendes and Brasil-pick-a-year; if you think the most interesting musical breakthrough in years has been the reclamation of Tropicalia and Yeh-Yeh, you have to hear this. And I guarantee that outside of I Am Shelby Lynne, you'll not hear a better songcycle this year than "Better to Fly," "Goodbye September," "Circle," "Ordinary Day " and "Rome Will Fall."

This CD is full of wonderful pop music that both recalls and transcends its influences (Beatles, Bacharach, bossa nova, Simon & Garfunkel, 60s Euro soundtracks). To listen to it is to be moved! Don't wait, get it now!

Swan Dive's US release was not only imminent, it's been long overdue. Smooth, hugely creative, colorful "Up, Up and Away" with a modern alternative spin. Molly and Bill's voices blend like buttah on catchy, well-written tunes. If you want to see what will be hip tomorrow, tune into Swan Dive and hear it here first. Also like the QT music videos on the enhanced CD. Nice, unexpected bonus. :-)

Ok, my first review of this CD mysteriously disappered. I'm feeling pretty stongly about it, so here I am again.

Swan Dive plays the kind of music that makes me want to get up and dance around my living room (feeling a little 70s funk, a little 80s pop). There are a few songs that are more mellow, but hey, I'm going to need to rest too. The only song I do not care for is the cover of Blondie's Heart of Glass. I really like that song, but I feel that there are some songs that you just don't touch.

I saw Swan Dive perform recently. All I can say is wow. I didn't think it possible, but they are actually better live. They played a few songs that aren't found on the CD. Maybe they're on the Japanese import, I don't know. I kind of wish some of those songs were on the CD in place of some of what I feel are weaker songs.

This CD was definitely a wise purchase. The *only* regret I have is the fact that I did not buy it sooner.

Swan Dive is a collection of the best from three of Bill DeMain (guitar, vocals) and Molly Felder (vocals, cocktail drum) Japanese albums now recorded for an American audience. Hallmarked by strong melodies, intelligent lyrics, and arrangements evidencing a sense of musical playfulness and adventure, Swan Dive is composed of: The Day I Went Home (3:07); Better To Fly (3:19); Goodbye September (3:25); Circle (3:50); Ordinary Day (3:01); Rome Will Fall (3:46); Charade (3:41); And She Dreams (3:25); Groovy Tuesday (3:41); Moodswinging (3:42); Sweet Enemy (3:17); Luckiest Girl In The World (3:45); Heart Of Glass (3:00). Total Time 45:59