There and Back Again [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Vertical Horizon

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 12, 1999)
• Original Release Date: 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000IM6H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,479 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Joy, April 25, 2000

By	C. Burgess "chico_bkny" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Recent fans of VH may think it's crazy that Matt Scannell and Keith Kane both cite James Taylor as one of their major musical influences, but their affinity for his style come through clearly on "There and Back Again," their debut album. Like JT, their songs are heartfelt and personal, and they are perfectly matched with complicated fingerwork on their accoustic guitars. The difference here is the harmonies. Matt and Keith have different, but extremely complimentary voices. When they are harmonizing on songs like "The Mountain Song" and "Willingly," the sound is pure magic. Both guys are great songwriters and musicians, and these songs are just beautiful.

"On The Sea" (in a very different form) is the only song from this CD that concertgoers will still hear from VH. The band has changed considerably since this album with the addition of electric guitars and a rhythm section, but recent fans would do themselves a favor to buy this album to see the roots of "Everything You Want." It's a gem.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely a must have!, November 26, 1999

By	Tiffany (Columbia, MO) - See all my reviews

I bought this Cd in 1994, and although the band has changed and grown since then, I will always come back to this one. I've probably listened to it over a thousand times over the years. I can't even express in words how incredible this album is; if you like acoustic music and lyrics full of meaning and emotion, this is a must have. I love every song, especially "Trying to Find Purpose". The songs are very powerful and moving; very melodious. I'd recommend it to anyone!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant suprise!, June 15, 2002

By	John Margaritis (Floral Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I guess it helps to know going in that this album is nothing like Vertical Horizon's hit album 'Everything You Want', and that's not neccessarily as bad as it sounds. 'Everything You Want' was a great pop/top-40/commercial rock album that transcended the limitations of that genre because of the great muscianship and quality songwriting, while 'There And Back Again' shows the early beginnings of those positive qualities and strips down the music to its barest essentials: two vocalists who play acoustic guitars.

All of the songs on this album have a down-to-earth, folksy feel to them, but should be accessible to fans of rock music as well. Obviously Keith Kane and Matthew Scannell are influenced by James Taylor and you can hear that throughout the ten compositions. Contrary to that, most of the acoustic guitar work is very aggressive (no laid back folksy strumming here) and includes many muffled and muted chords with a choppy rock style that is more reminiscent of Pete Townshend than anyone else. Both players wrote five songs each for this album, and their song styles are distinctly different; you will immediately hear the difference from 'Trying To Find Purpose' to 'Children's Lullaby'; the former is my favorite song on the disc--I love the guitar work and inspirational lyrics.

Overall, this album fits nicely in my collection because it is so different from most of the music I listen to. If you are not ready to go in with an open mind, then you might be disappointed, especially if you became a fan after 'Everything You Want' and specifically like that type of music. I tend to like all types of music, and 'There And Back Again' was certainly a pleasant suprise from what I expected.