Customer Reviews

Thud

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is THE GUY--the guy that wrote one of the most interesting pieces of music ever recorded. I'm talking about "The Last Plane Out." A song that Kevin Gilbert put together with a band called Toy Matinee. What? You've never heard of "The Last Plane Out," you say? Never heard of Toy Matinee?? NEVER HEARD OF KEVIN GILBERT?!? Tragically, that's not surprising. Kevin Gilbert is no longer with us. He died a death probably not fitting such a broad and compassionate soul. He died, similarly to actor Brandon Lee, that is, on the verge of immense success. I didn't know Mr. Gilbert personally, however, I've listened to the man's music. I know him every time his lyrics float through my brain. "Dense" is probably the best adjective to describe the tracks on this CD. Each song seems to have been packed with complex lyrics, social concepts and commentary, thoughtful melody arrangements and instrumentation that are polished off by clean production and tight engineering. Most bands/musicians would kill to reach such a level of production perfection, yet this is merely where "Thud" begins. Kevin's real power is his ability to make you look at yourself and realize that you could be working a little bit harder at making yourself a better person. Despite this feeling, you never find yourself being moralized to by Kevin--he is not "without sin," he "casts no stones." He, unlike many of us, however, seems to be a little less willing to sucomb to his human frailties. Kevin touches all the common musical topics. You know, LOVE, DEATH, the BLUES, SEX, all that. But make no mistake, Kevin casts a very different light on all of these subjects--rips some of them to shreds before you even realize it. Buying this CD won't make Kevin rich. He's well beyond all that now. But I guarentee that if you pick up this CD you'll find yourself a little richer. Yeah, I know it sounds corny but I can only relate my own feelings about the music. Hopefully you'll agree.

Like Nick Drake's Pink Moon, like Eric Clapton's Layla (yes I know that wasn't just EC's project, but bear with me here), Kevin Gilbert's Thud is a troubled masterpiece. It's a work of pure art forged through bleak turmoil. It's the sound of someone sinking into a pit of despair and yet creating a timeless work of heart-rending beauty in the process. It's.. nevermind all the weak similes, they're only words. The talent, brilliance and raw emotion that went into making this disc can't be accurately described in our language. It's pop rock that unfortunately seemed doomed to semi-obscurity from the start: it's too cerebral and literate to be radio-friendly, too downbeat to be catchy, too skewed and offbeat to be mainstream. Too bad. Thud manages to take some themes and thoughts universal to all of us, quirks and warts and all, couch them in a wonderfully inspired set of lyrics that's both simple and profound, and still make it all beautifully accessible in a way that won't put off those folks who're just looking for a singable tune as well. And that, my friends, just might prove to have been Kevin's biggest talent of all.

"When You Give Your Love to Me" is a simple acoustic strummer that Warren Zevon might have written (that's a Very Good Thing), an upbeat declaration of hope with more than a hint of desperation. And once the bright melody fades, we're in for a dark ride. Kevin alternates between black humor (or at least sarcasm, as in the sleazy club-jazz groove of "Joytown") and heartfelt honesty, delivered with such conviction that the humor seems like a thin facade after all. "Goodness Gracious" and "Waiting" spit pure venom at our society while "All Fall Down" looks at it with more of a fatal resignation. "Tea For One" and "Tears of Audrey" are personal laments as simply honest and sadly beautiful as you're ever likely to hear. The only track outside both those camps is the unclassifiable "Shadow Self," which sounds as if he had Peter Gabriel, Todd Rundgren and Les Claypool over for a jam after a hearty dinner of linguini laced with angel dust. And still, after it all, it's "Song for a Dead Friend" that leaves the most haunting impression once the CD fades into silence; the lyrics don't have the steady poetic rhythm & rhyme most songs tend to, but it's such a painfully heartfelt performance that any little complaints fade into insignificance.

My copy came with a short extra CD containing Kevin's cover of Led Zep's "Kashmir" - he reworks it much more rockingly with Indian percussion - plus alternate versions of "Waiting" and "Joytown." I don't know if it comes with all copies, but it's a nice bonus if you get it.

This album works on so many levels it's almost scary. Whether you want something to weird you out, make you laugh, make you think, make you dance, make your thoughts drift into space, give you some hope or or make you want to kill yourself.. no matter what, you'll find something for it in Thud. Spread the word if you can. This kind of brilliance should never be overlooked.

Back in 2004 I was listening to an internet radio station, when this tune, TEA FOR ONE, came over the cheap computer speakers I was using. The melody was haunting. I checked around and found it was a song composed and done by a fellow named Kevin Gilbert. I also found out that Mr. Gilbert died in 1996. So I went on Amazon to purchase the CD THUD by Kevin Gilbert and was quite pleased to find out that it came with a bonus CD, with a cover of Led Zeppelin's KASHMIR. This album has feeling of longing, displayed beautifully in the song TEA FOR ONE. Come to find out Kevin Gilbert, while very talented, just could not get the major record labels to acknowledge that talent. The well known, and now pop singer, Cheryl Crow was his protege. He also worked with Madonna on the Dick Tracy soundtrack, and at one time was considered as a replacement for Phil Collins, when Mr. Collins left the band Genesis.

THUD, while not original in approach, was a solo effort much on par with earlier solo efforts by folks like Paul McCartney, Al Kooper, Emmit Rhodes, and Todd Rundgren. These solo efforts, I always felt, best give expression to the artist's, in this case, tortured soul. Gilbert expresses that longing for the recognition of his efforts in songs like WAITING and SHRUG.

A gifted musician, Kevin Gilbert, apparently was a self-taught Cellist. If you purchase the THUD CD try and get the issue with the bonus CD, if only for the cover of KASHMIR. Gilbert really does make the classic Zeppelin tune his own. I have played THUD for family and friends and some of the tunes have left them in emotional shambles. TEA FOR ONE is the anthem for all who have longed for love. Despite his tragic end, we can only hope that more people discover the genius of Kevin Gilbert.

That's what I thought when I first heard Thud. Simply amazing. What can be said about Kevin Gilbert that hasn't already been expressed in the many reviews here. His complex imagery; the play on words; the quirky philosophical views on life. He was truly one of the greatest lyricists of our time. But perhaps that was one of the contributing factors in his relative lack of popular success. No one disputes the incredible gift that Kevin had for music and musings, but was it too cerebral for the masses? Or was it Kevin's sly way of letting only those worthy of understanding to belong to this elite group of true music lovers? I had the good fortune of finding the version of Thud which contained the second disk. This bonus disk contains a rendition of "Kashmir" as well as re-mixed versions of other songs from Thud. And while Kevin is no longer with us, it is apparent that his words and music will continue to have an impact on people's lives.

From "Last Plane Out", the opening track on Toy Matinee's debut album, Kevin Gilbert's lilting-yet-ferocious vox & sardonic-yet-haunting lyrical imagery has stuck with me, refusing to be ignored. I didn't find out about "THUD" until after Kev died & I find every review of the CD a mix of emotions, ranging from unbridled euphoria to unmatched anger at the disservice that was committed upon this man & his brilliance. It's simply one of THE finest recordings EVER, made scrupulously by Kev's meticulous standards of writing & recording, not forgetting his rather naughty & haughty sense of humour. The fact that he was almost completely unknown to & ignored by the masses becomes doubly important when coupled with the knowledge that his ex, Sheryl Crow, sprang, rocketlike, from his coattails, then essentially refused to acknowledge the help she received from Kev, David Baerwald & the rest of the Tuesday Music Club to become the poor, put-upon insecure whiner with inexplicably platinum-selling albums that she is today. It's a shame that the tripe that has become status quo for "Top 40" & "Popular Music" overshadows someone of Kevin Gilbert's genius, innovation, sensitivity & sensibility. At least we still have the brief legacy of a young man who truly knew how to speak eloquently with his silver tongue firmly embedded in his cheek!

Kevin Gilbert was his own worst enemy and in the end, it proved fatal.

He wrote some of the most articulate, accessible music found in pop, then wrote lyrics that were far too clever for many to understand. This album is full of examples of this. "When you give your love to me" has a beautiful, plaintive acoustical presentation, but the lyrics are full of sly asides and references. It's sort of the musical version of a Dennis Miller rant. I love the song, but my friends just don't seem to get it. You really have to love words, more than music, to really get a Kevin Gilbert song. The fact that he could write beautiful music was a bonus.

I think this is why he never got the airplay he deserved. His music couldn't be packaged; it wasn't really pop, not really rock. He had a folkie's way with words, but a punk rocker's sensiblities. This does not play well on the radio because he could not be categorized as top forty or hard rock or any of the columns they put music into these days. He was an original.

This is a great album, if a little uneven. The music styles swerve a bit from thoughtful, inward looking songs to full out rage. It might be a bit too broad for some. Kevin's best work was on Shaming of the True, an album that is not in broad circulation.

Like others, I started admiring his work quite by accident. I had enjoyed the song "Last Plane Out" from the Toy Matinee CD, but didn't buy the album. Then I heard "Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and I realized that I had to have the album. Problem was that I could not find it anywhere, my little town didn't have much of a selection and this was 4 or 5 years before the internet. I forgot about it until I moved to a larger city because of a job. I was browsing through a used record store rack and found a cut-out version of the album. That was the best [money] I've ever spent. I've had three copies of the album since then.

I kept waiting for another album to come out from Toy Matinee (an album called Third Matinee came out which was Patrick Leonard and the vocalist from Mr. Mister), so when I read about the Thud Album, I had to buy it. Once again, probably the best money I've spent on a CD.

The day I heard that Kev had died, I was in a bit of shock. It was really depressing knowing that I would never here his biting lyrics, beautiful music, and distinctive voice on another original recording. You can imagine how happy I was to hear Shaming of the True.

All of the reviews of this album have reflected more on how Kevin Gilbert's music touched people's lives rather than the album at hand. It is a testament to how moving his music really is. I treasure this album, along with Shaming and Toy. You will too.

I first heard of Kevin Gilbert listening to a public radio station late night in my car. They played "Waiting." I was so refreshed listening to that song that half the time I was watching the radio and the other half the road..."Who IS this?!? What's the name of this album?!?" When I found out I rushed to get it and have a listen. I was blown away immediately.

After doing more research on his work, I realized what a true genius he was and how immensly talented as a writer and a musician. I also have a intense hatred towards anything Sheryl Crow has ever done or ever will. Sheryl was a school teacher and Kevin's girlfriend when he introduced her to the Real "Tuesday Night Music Club". He wrote most if not all the songs on her debut album with the same title, only to have her take credit for writing them and leaving everyone, including Kevin by the wayside.

Anyway, to get back on track...I heard him play live on the same station at another time. He played "when you give your love to me" and it was brilliant and flawless.

When I read later of his untimely death, I was floored. Listening to "Thud" now has even more meaning and when I hear his last song "Song for a dead friend" the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Now, as a musician/writer myself, I say that I am in awe of the late great works of Kevin Gilbert and the world should know more about the music...the art...the gift that he's given to us.

So without delay, check this one out. You'll see why most everyone here gives it a solid 5 stars.

I'd like to think that someday people with appreciate the music of Kevin Gilbert (along with Toy Matinee) the way we appreciate the works of James Dean... a troubled, uncompromising artist who's life was cut way to short by his own all too obvious problems.

His bio in a nutshell: Musical Prodigy with the ability to create music on almost any instrument. Was the driving force behind progressive band Giraffe. Almost made the 'big time' as the driving force behind Toy Matinee, but was foiled by the corporate record executives who wouldn't take a chance. Had his record company back out half-way through this album. Created Sheryl Crow (she was a keyboard player in his band) only to have her turn her back on him after she hit it big with his music. Was one of the most sought after 'unknown' producers in Hollywood. Died of an accidental suicide not long after this album came out while trying to finish his opera-like the Shaming of the True.

Anyway... this is complex, layered music that sounds like pop on the outside, with clever lyrics and phenomenal production values throughout. Some of the tracks are a little flat, but if you can get your hands on the 'Live at the Troubador' versions they really perk up. BTW: Kevin produced Spock's Beard's breathru album 'Beware of Darkness'

Check it out and prepare to be changed...

First of all, the fact that this disc is not a Certifiable #1 Smash, (Kevin fans disregard the pun please=),is one of the biggest crimes in the history of the corrupt, greed filled world of the music industry. Anyone who is a fan of music, in any form, should give this a listen. Kevin did a masterful job of making progressive, talented music fit the ears of even the most dense and thick headed of listeners, espiecally on THUD. Every song is amazing, but I`ll run down a few of my personal faves... Track one "When you Give Your Love to Me" is one the most catchy tunes I`ve ever heard, with a GREAT chorus and smooth acoustic balance. Track Two "Goodness Gracious" really rocks, and has a cool, generation to generation theme. Kevin was also the best lyric writer to ever put a pen to paper, bar none. Track Six "Shadow Self" is totally epic progressive masterpiece. The guitar in the in the bridge gives me goosebumps, and the lyrically involved harmonized vocal ending segment is pure genius. Track Nine "All Fall Down" reminds me of Roger Waters (with a better voice!) meets Genesis (uncorrupted by Phil). A very classy tune, as is the entire disc. Anyway, I hope I sold someone on the music, because it should not go unheard. I would feel very comfortable saying Kevin Gilbert was the most talented man to ever grace the modern music scene. His high school band teacher compared him to Mozart after all! It`s such a shame that he is no longer with us, and I miss him.

Wow... where to begin on this. I first heard Kevin Gilbert in the early 90's on his Toy Matinee effort. Toy Matinee was an interesting mix of stunningly crafted and produced pop rock, with touches that reminded me of everything from Pink Floyd to Steely Dan and a whole spectrum in between. Fast forward about 12 years where I ran across a commemorative disc of the original Toy Matinee release with extra cuts and some liner notes covering the creation of the disc and the unfortunate death of Kevin Gilbert in '96. I was sort of taken aback and after doing some on-line research, I learned Kevin Gilbert had been involved in ALL sorts of musical projects, many of them I was familiar with but not aware of Gilbert's involvement (Spock's Beard and Sheryl Crowe being two of them). I also ran across "Thud" and decided to "one-click" it and give it a try.

Wow again. The reviews here do a decent job indicating the complexity and variety of music on this disc, but until you hear it yourself, it's hard to appreciate. Take biting commentary, insightful (and heartfelt) observations about relationships, human nature, politics, and the like; mix it with a variety of popular (and less popular) music styles immaculately produced; add dry, witty, and emotional vocal performances from Kevin and you have a masterpiece of an album. To be honest, the CD as a whole almost plays like some "record label sampler" with no coherent theme or style other than stunning musicianship (which Kevin--a multi-instrumentalist--largely performed himself) and phenomenal production.

All I can say is if you liked Toy Matinee, and are open to an eclectic selection of musical styles (still predominantly based in sometimes-jazzy, sometimes-folky, and sometimes-poppy rock), you'll likely find something moving on this disc as well.