Customer Reviews

Trouble With Poets

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Almost two years ago I saw Peter Mulvey perform at an outdoor music festival and immediately bought this album. Never have I seen a contemporary singer-songwriter whose music was so rich, so full of original ideas and images, so devoid of cliches, and so full of mystery. Even after almost two years of listening, I never get tired of the songs because they still make me think and wonder. "Wings of the Ragman" is my favorite -- a dead man reaching out to implore the living to see what's around them. "Every Word Except Goodbye" is a most unusual will, an accounting of what should be given to whom. I love the lyrics, "Give my arms to your waist," and "Keep for yourself the thought of my favorite sin." Why, oh why is someone this talented -- as songwriter, singer and guitarist -- not more famous? Why are his songs not played on the radio? This is the kind of music I want to hear when I turn on the radio!

Peter Mulvey records only great CDs, and The Trouble with Poets is another winner. It starts with songwriting that is masterful, astonishingly wise and mature for a man just 30 years old, who only recently added musician/producer David "Goody" Goodrich to the songwriting mix. Though Mulvey's writing is often labeled dark, these songs vary in tempo, in instrumentation, and in mood. There is hope here, and compassion, in songs like Tender Blindspot, Wings of the Ragman, and Home. One also finds pain, introspection, paranoia, and flights of fancy (hey hey hey): just another walk in the park of these creative minds. The execution is equally fine. Mulvey's guitar playing is legendary, and Goodrich sprinkles effective instrumentals all over the album -- in addition to producing it with flare and skill. The result is the delicate acoustic Home, the special effects on Bright Idea, the flowing musicality of Ragman, and a delightful mandolin feature on the only cover on the CD, You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams. Guest vocalists make valuable contributions as well, but holding it all together is Mulvey's rich, soft, and very expressive voice. This is a hard-working musician with enormous talent. Buy the CD; discover a new obsession.

To portray Peter Mulvey as one of the myriad under-recognized singer-songwriters is accurate, but insufficient. To describe the man and his music (which are inseparable) as Lou Reed meets Bruce Cockburn with a dash of American Music Club's laconia might give the unfamiliar listener a glimpse of Mulvey's edgy noir folk. This is risky, no-holds-barred, soul-bared, bardic wonderfulness. The album opens with the punchy title track, then meanders like a stream into an ever darkening and foreboding abyss. Kind of like Martin Sheen's upstream sojourn in "Apocalypse Now." Lyrically razor sharp and delivered with a twist here and a snap there, the man and his muse come through unfiltered and unadulterated. Highly recommended for those willing to take a walk on the edge, looking down all the way.

Peter's latest outing is definitely among my favorites of the recordings he has released to date. "The Trouble With Poets" definitely represents his most mature work so far. His songwriting ability is unparalleled -- with his words, he echoes thoughts and feelings that everyone has but can never give voice to, from the whimsical to the fearful. Listen, and you will find something in his songs that will make you feel like someone understands, no matter what your mood is or where you're coming from. Particularly excellent tracks are "Words To Small To Say," "Tender Blindspot," and, of course, the title track, wherein he gives the poet in all of us pause. You'll never get tired of this one...

It's hard to imagine a better album coming out this year. This latest offering is evolutionary from a musician who just gets better with each release. The production by sidekick David "Goody" Goodrich is amazing! This music is head and shoulders above the music that you hear everyday on the radio. I find this ablum inspiring and not dark at all as some have said. The lyrics are intelligent, poetic and insightful. The music, which is hard to classify, is both beautiful and powerful. This is sophisticated, semi-acoustic, rock. The two songs that I like the most are "Every word except goodbye" and "Wings of the Ragman" which are tracks 4 and 5 respectively. Both songs are so beautiful and inspiring that they leave me feeling filled and content. On the other end of the spectrum, "Bright Idea" just rocks me and the spooky, eerie mood of song is great. Peter's & Goody's ability to convey an emotion or feeling with each song is matched by very few artists.

I have only seen Peter Mulvey in concert twice but it was incredible. He performed many of these songs live and I can only say the energy in the live show was so intense that the album could not reach 5 stars after seeing him really put his heart into it. Of all of Peter Mulvey's albums I would say this one is my second favorite, next to the first one I ever listened to which was Rapture. I do however, recommend that you purchase ALL of his albums because Peter Mulvey is the best.

Every once in awhile, I am lucky enough to come across some music that takes over my world; I can listen to it over and over and just not get tired of it. Peter's newest CD is simply wonderful and after weeks of it playing in my car, at home and at work, I still haven't had enough. In addition, if you like David Gray, you will be twice as thrilled.

Peter Mulvey is truly one of the best songwriters out there today. His songs reach a level of musical brilliance that I have not heard since Leo Kottke; aside from musical beauty, he also conveys intelligence, social concern and awareness, personal depth and an uplifting amount of lightheartedness through a combination of poetry and prose.

This is possibly going to be the finest folk/acoustic record of the year. There have been brilliant albums put out by such folk giants as ellis Paul, Richard Shindell and the forthcoming Dar Williams CD, but ths one exceeds the boudaries that these other artists have set for themselves. It has so much more substance than the average record. As a long time admirer of Peter's I have to admit that Rapture ad Deep Blue both showed amazing promise, but this one is a flawless masterpiece, the one that we all knew he was gonna make eventually. The songs here are resonant and do take multiple listens which is the great thing abouth this album and all of Peter's records, they get better with age and require many listens to settle and squirm around in you for a while before they become weaved in your own life. Can't wait for the next one.

Ok, I had never heard of Peter Mulvey before. I went to the Winnipeg Folk Festival for the first time a couple of days ago, and I saw him play a couple tunes ("Trouble With Poets", "Check Me Out"). I went and bought the CD. This is definitely one of my favorite CDs, not just because of the music on it, but because of the type of CD it is. This is the type of CD where, the more you listen to it, the more you like it. I know that sounds pretty standard, but it's got some serious meaning, I honestly like this CD more now than I did 3 hours ago. And in my opinion, any one of the great songs on it would be worth the full price of the CD. So buy it now.