Customer Reviews

Touched

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Ken Stringfellow is a multifarious talent. Whether it's with his on-again, off-again, apparently on-again hard pop band the Posies or pitching in with R.E.M. and the Orange Humble Band or on his lonesome in a more experimental mode (1997's "This Sounds Like Goodbye" is definitely outre), the flame-haired musician has demonstrated he's got as many facets as a fly's eye. Now out of the remnants of his never-quite-got-off-the-ground Saltine project comes this latest solo venture. Adroitly produced by Mitch Easter, "Touched" is filled with plaintive songs and gentle melodies, as on the country-tinged opener "Down Like Me" or on the ruminative "Find Yourself Alone." Momentarily separated from the vocal interaction of Posies partner Jon Auer, Stringfellow's voice takes center stage; although it's a high, clear and ringing instrument, it still conveys the intended pain and desperation on tracks like "Reveal Love" and "The Lover's Hymn." Plumbing both the depths of despair and the high peaks of hope, this is an album that's touched with beauty and grace.

Ken Stringfellow has created his masterpiece with this his second solo album.It would have been easy to fiddle around in the studio and continue with the experimental style of his first solo album but Ken instead decided to play it straight and has come up with a varied batch of pop songs which are quite personal but never introspective or plodding.This is pure power pop at its very best.It combines influences like the Posies ,Big Star ,Cheap Trick,the Byrds and the Replacements.His voice has never sounded better.There are bucketfuls of harmonies on each and every song.We all know that Jon Auer is missing but you would not notice it because Ken is not afraid to multitrack his voice and I am so glad he did .
On a few songs his voice sounds amazing ('Reveal Love','Uniforms','Find Yourself Alone' are prime examples).
The songs themselves vary in tempo from the very quiet and poignant 'Fireflies' to songs like 'Find Yourself Alone' which is guitar-driven and utterly fantastic.'Uniforms' contains the strangest lyrics of the album but is absolutely brilliant musically.'Down Like Me' is jaw-dropping Gram Parsons country rock which is effortless and one of the many highlights of the album.'Lovers Hymn' could have been written by Curtis Mayfield and contains the best lyrics of the album.
Ken is such a wonderful artist because he always gives one hundred and ten percent on every thing that he does whether he is singing Daryl Mather's songs with Orange Humble Band,playing keyboard with R.E.M or performing as one half of the Posies.

I had high expectations of this solo release but I never thought that it would be THIS good.I mean I am a Posies fanatic but this has surpassed all of my expectations.It is a songwriting masterclass that has elevated Mr Stringfellow into the big league occupied by Messrs.McCartney and Finn.

"At last I understand the consequences/Of my love" Ken Stringfellow sings on the opening track of Touched, his latest cd. And his fans can be grateful that the consequence of his love for music is an amazing album rarely paralleled in today's pop-trash- 'disposable' music world.

Touched is a consistent and wonderful album, ranging from deep sadness to elation, despair to hope, with each emotion bearing Stringfellow's trademark violin-strum of a voice. A fantastic work.

The second track, "This One's on You," an anthem to new love and infatuation, brings about a needed sunbreak from the depression-infused (complete with country-twang) song, "Down Like Me."

The album goes on to explore themes of the confining binds of religion (without getting too specific), to an exploration of finding love that one feels they have to hide, and how ridiculous this is("Uniforms").

"Reveal Love," a gorgeous, catchy song, with a great guitar riff, is one of the highlights of the album, a true pop gem.

"One Morning" is a Beatles-esque little tune with some very happy/fanciful guitar work (as well as a sunny and beautiful vocal harmony).

"Spanish Waltz" is an interesting little number with a unique melody, and Fireflies is a telling tale of some sort of smoky Rock'n'Roll myth.. the man, once a child on the beach and surrounded by beautiful fireflies, is now a man, searching for new forms of light and beauty. The only song without a traditional chorus, it stands on its own, with its haunting background organ sequence.

Lover's Hymn is a fabulous foray into an R&B-influenced world. With its enticing organs and fantastic concept, LH is a prayer of sorts, for love, for ecstasy... a lasting, inventive effort. As Ken strays from Posies territory, he is clearly finding his own brilliant way to go.

The album rounds out with the now-classic, "Here's to the Future," which first appeared on Ken's initial solo album, This Sounds Like Goodbye, in 1997.

Looking forward to Solo Record #3 from the aptly named Stringfellow, not to mention any new Posies efforts. Highly recommended.

Though still busy part-time with the Posies and REM, Ken saved all his best stuff for this solo disc. Leads off with a suicide song, and only gets more emotional after that.

As a long-time Posies fan, I must say these songs are among Ken's finest, even in the absence of Jon Auer's fabulous harmonies. Nobody can hit the high notes with as much passion.

A full album of great songs from 1/2of the seminal 90's pop duo The Posies. This disc easily stands up next to any of The Posies better efforts, and stands well above Ken's previous solo EP "This Sounds Like Goodby"

I always hope that great pop singer-songwriters will get commercial, as well as critical acclaim. Unfortunately I have resigned myself to the fact that what sells is whatever pre-packaged crap Lou Pearlman is concocting in his lab this week.

I should be thankful that Ken Stringfellow IS successful enough to keep making records like this. Won't YOU support this cause and go spend your hard earned cash on this CD??

The first five songs along with the remake of "Here's to the Future" was in itself worth the price of the cd. I wasnt sure what to expect after the very tepid recordings from his first cd...granted the music was there for the most part, but the production and care was woefully lacking, whether for artistic reasons or not the Good bye cd failed or pales in comparison to "Touched".
I guess we can thank god for Mitch Easter being on board for this one.

I have almost 4,000 albums in my cd collection.
Touched is certainly in the top ten. Possibly top five.
I've played the cd to death, and I still can't stop listening.
Yep, it's that good.

Ken Stringfellow from the Posies recorded this solo disc that came to my collection 6 years later. On "Touched," the low-fi disc boasts melodic gems. "Down Like Me" opens, a catchy quirky tune, "At last I understand the consequences of my love." "This One's on You" is a midtempo track with Stringfellow's emotionally laden singing nine-tenths hopeful, one-tenth scared, "This new love could fit you like a glove, this one's on you, say goodbye to the self you knew." "Find Yourself Alone" pumps vigorously with a wistful sadness, "I watch myself laying on the floor; If there's pain here, I can't feel it no more." "Sparrow" has churning electric guitars thundering like a storm around Stringfellow's high wailing vocals, "Narrow as your caged beliefs." My favorite track, "Reveal Love," has a gorgeous melody with Ken's vocals frequently flying into a higher register as if borne away by emotion, "There's so much pain, pain behind us, pain beside us & through us, pain to make us sorry, erase our sense of trust." "One Morning" has great harmonies on the vocals with a sunny melody that crosscuts a darker lyric, "Did no one ever hold you when you cried when you were small? So now you hold yourself up like a star, outshine us all." Stringfellow's voice is airy on the childlike "Fireflies." This is a good disc whose intricacies unfold with repeated listening. Enjoy!

As a POSIES fan, i had high expectations for TOUCHED, specially since the great Mitch Easter was involved. Overall, my only disappointment was the absence of Jon Auer's guitars and harmonies. Stringfellow shows he can cut it as a solo with moving songs such as DOWN LIKE ME, REVEAL LOVE. The real clicher for me is the last song, HERE'S TO THE FUTURE. What a heart=rendingly beautiful song it is! I'd recommend this to POSIES fans and pop rock fans alike.

Quite simply a great record. Beautiful on almost every track (I wish he has left out the unfortunate "Uniforms"). A must for any fan of power pop or pop/rock.