The Long Surrender

Over The Rhine | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: February 8, 2011
• Label: Great Speckled Dog Records
• Copyright: 2010 Scampering Songs Publishing (ASCAP) Ariose Music (ASCAP)
• Total Length: 55:26
• Genres:
  • Folk
  • Rock
• ASIN: B004HKP8EW
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,791 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Only God Can Save Us Now" February 8, 2011

By Paul Allaer TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Over the Rhine (these days the husband and wife team of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergqvist, with assorted extras) had 4 releases in 2007, the last one being the "Trumpet Child" studio album, and when that came out, the band toured behind it as never before. Along the way there were some memorable moments and milestones. In May, 2008, the band opened a new venue in Cincinnati (then called the PNC Pavilion) by performing the "Ohio double album in its entirety. In December, 2008, the band celebrated 20 years of music by reuniting the classic line-up for an evening of music of "the first decade" (this was released in 2009 as the "Live from Nowhere. Vol. 4" CD), with the regular line-up playing "the second decade", at the Taft. In June, 2010, the classic line-up reunited one more time in celebration of the 15th anniversary of "Good Dog Bad Dog", perhaps the band's most beloved album (but not by me), playing it in its entirety. And oh yea, along the way the band wrote some new songs, which finally are released on this, the band's 11th studio album.

Produced by Joe Henry, "The Long Surrender" (13 tracks; 56 min.) was recorded in a matter of just one week at Joe Henry's home studio, but you could never tell that from the end result. Opener "The Laugh of Recognition" starts things off gently and to me it's immediately clear that this album falls musically somewhere between "Drunkard's Prayer" and "The Trumpet Child". "Sharpest Blade" is the first highlight of the album, a piano-led ballad featuring Karin's soaring vocals. "Rave On" plays great. THE best track on the album comes towards the end of the first half of the album, when "Undamned" comes on, a dramatic tune (featuring Lucinda Williams on vocals, no less). Now the album is in full throttle: "Infamous Love Song" continues the heavy undertones, and then comes "Only God Can Save Us Now", a live staple for some years and now finally committed to CD (it's Karin's song about characters she's met at her mom's nursing home, heartbreaking and funny at the same time). After this we need a change of pace, which we thankfully get with "Oh Yea, By The Way", a lazy duet between Karin and Linford. After that we are on for the home stretch, with a few more nuggets (the jazzy-sounding "There's a Bluebird in My Head", and the epic, feel-good "All My Favorite People". The album closes with "Unspoken", a short piano instrumental from Linford.

This album is not for anyone in a hurry. Incidentally, the band self-financed the recording and release of this album by asking fans for financial donations, and the rabid OtR fan base responded massively, to Karin's and Linford's surprise but great appreciation. To reward those fans, the band played the new album front to back here in Cincinnati in December (with Joe Henry as a special guest), and as much as I like the new album, I must tell you that the songs live sound even better, some of them just massive. There is a good reason that in the "thank you" notes, Linford again reminds us that a quiet record like this "is designed to be played at magnificent volumes", in other words: PLAY IT LOUD!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars KEEP LISTENING: the knife enters slowly March 1, 2011

By Joel D. Ealy

Format:Audio CD

as a longer-time-than-i-care-to-mention fan of OtR, i usually like what they do, but my first impression was "huh, they sorta missed it a bit with this one, good try."

then i let it play.
and i let it play.
then i wanted to hear it.
then my 13 year old daughter asked to borrow my disc for her iPod.
then we took it on a car trip (per my daughter's request).
now, I am hooked- and i chill, cry, and laugh a laugh of .... well, you get the idea.

it is a different album, perhaps a bit more subtle than some others-combining all styles they have ever played with....
still, they retain a spiritual profoundness, perhaps even more because you have to pause, sip, and breath it in.

Infamous Love Song should be re-recorded by Leonard Cohen.
and any of their music could be recorded by Rufus Wainwright... (um, PLEASE!)

DO NOT WRITE THIS RECORD OFF BECAUSE IT WAS RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD...

it is nothing short of another chapter of the epistle they have forged such latter days...

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Hit and miss February 21, 2011

By Count Istvan Telecky

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Already some solid reviews here so I will try to be concise.

Notwithstanding the gorgeous title song of Over the Rhine's last album, 'The Trumpet Child', I was not a huge fan. 'Nothing is Innocent' was the only other cut that's on my best-of-OTR list. While there is no seminal song like TTC on 'The Long Surrender' I like it a little better overall than TTC.

'Surrender' opens solidly with its two strongest tracks...'The Laugh of Recognition' and 'Sharpest Blade'. Things drop off for a while before two other excellent songs, 'Days Like This' and 'There's a Bluebird in My Heart', rescue 'Surrender' from disappointment. However, four very good cuts do not a four/five star review rate. If it were possible, we'd be talking 3 1/2 stars here.

Karin and Linford still are creating some great music and likely will for a long time. However, it's going to be hard to put together a nearly flawless gem like 'Drunkard's Prayer' or an opus like 'Ohio' again.....not that I don't think they have it in them or that it's even necessary.

I believe you'll enjoy 'The Long Surrender' best if you don't over-expect; the handful of really fine songs will then be most enjoyable.