Tower of Love

Jim Noir, Jim Noir | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 8, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B000GFRDU4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,909 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

US version features two exclusive bonus tracks, 'Tell Me What to Do' and 'Climb a Tree'. Imagine a Wurlitzer jukebox stacked with the hits of ELO, Super Furry Animals, Pepper-era Beatles, The Beta Band, The Beach Boys, early Pink Floyd and Supertramp. Now imagine blowing that jukebox up with a cartoon-style dynamite stick and making a record from the exploded fragments of vinyl and luminescent tubing. That's a bit like what Tower Of Love sounds like. My Dad. Warner. 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and enjoyable debut, August 8, 2006

By 

M. Lohrke (Saratoga Springs, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tower of Love (Audio CD)

i don't typically hand out five-star ratings. for something to earn five-stars, it's gotta sound like nothing i've heard for before, all the while keeping in mind the importance of solid musicianship and songcraft. when i first plopped in 'tower of love,' i wasn't quite sure what to expect, but after a gave the album a listen, i can quite comfortably state jim noir is a genius.

the album opens with 'my patch.' it begins with some beach boys-esque harmonies and an electric piano before materializing into a plunky, catchy little number. the lyrics are a tad silly: 'if you ever step on my bush, i'll bring you down, i'll bring you down.' 'i me you i'm your' sounds a bit like the heavy blinkers. it's a track not out of place on 1970s AM gold radio. 'my computer' is again a bit silly lyrically, but musically entertaining. 'eanie meany' is one of the album's standouts. it's currently used by addidad in their amazing world cup ads. for the sake of reference, it sounds like the best track the byrds never wrote. 'tower of love' is a perfect slice from a 60's cinematic soundtrack. 'in the key of c' sounds as though mozart spent some time at willy wonka's chocolate factory and wrote a disco song. i know, i know...

if it sounds like the album's all over the map, it is. noir experiments with quite a number of styles and sounds from the comfort of his home studio (and from what i gather he plays all the instruments, too). the kicker is that he actually pulls them all off. his melodies are tight and effective. it'd be easy to abuse the beach boy harmonies (as so many do), but fortunately noir refrains from over-indulgence. he uses them when he needs to, and thereby gets maximum effect. it's a tribute to his talents.

what impresses me most is that the album is that it's endlessly interesting. it's a perfect example of using modern technology without sounding excessively modern. noir likes to dip his finger in nostalgia, pulling out just enough to remind you where his roots lay. in the end, noir is a product of the computer generation and uses it to advantage to weld the past and the present together. in short, noir is a force to reckon with.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Songs stick in my head, really!, December 14, 2006

By 

D. Gaynor "Label Junkie" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tower of Love (Audio CD)

One could pigeonhole Jim Noir as a Brian Wilson/ Paul McCarthy hybrid, but they would only see a fraction of what Mr. Noir brings to the table. His genius is surreal and hypnotic, if not a catchy verse, the layers of tracks meld together to create a warm and inviting song. I dare one to listen to this album and not want to hum, head bob or plain out enjoy his craft. Almost like Pringles, once you pop in this CD, you will find yourself wanting more. His infectious pop rock ranks up with bands like Of Montreal and Brendan Benson. This light, poppy, funny tune packed CD would appeal to fans of Pop rock of the last three decades, classic harmonies and embellished caricatures of songs passed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars packs quite a punch in the songwriting department, February 15, 2007

By 

George Dionne (Cape Cod, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tower of Love (Audio CD)

An intoxicating blend of Brian Wilson-like vocals and Beatles-esque back beats. It packs quite a punch in the songwriting department for a mellow album.