Customer Reviews

The Trouble Tree

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

 

 

This CD is a lot different than Freedy's mellower, more introspective current work, but it's well worth a look. It's raw - his voice isn't as polished, and the feeling is generally more "rockin'" than anything other than a few tunes on "Can You Fly." But it gets under your skin - great songs like "Trouble Tree," "Nature Boy," "Gina," and "Fun Ride" are all great tunes by one of music's best songwriters. He sounds young and hungry and it's great to hear him "cut loose." If you've never checked out Freedy Johnston, "Can You Fly" or "This Perfect World" would be better introductions, but if you're already a fan you don't want to miss this formative early work!

Sure the voice is raw and unrefined and the production is lacking--hell, you should have seen the first cover, it was a joke! But almost song for song this record contains material as good (Gina, Fun Ride, Nature Boy, Tucumcari, Trouble Tree...) as any of his other more mature and professionaly rendered albums.

Listen to 'Gina' and tell me you're not witnessing a lonely drunk at some seedy bar rambling on, almost inchoherently, about his lost love. Listen to 'Fun ride' or 'Tucumcari' and tell me you don't see a frustrated working class guy struggling to make it all work despite the odds--despite himself. Johnston's genius is not in just making great tunes but also his ability to bring to life flesh-and-blood characters-- all in a three minute pop song no less!

The truth is, if we continue on this 'American Idol' trend of only wanting to listen to voices trained for musical theatre, we are doomed to never hearing anyone as good as guys like Freedy (who, by the way, has been dumped by his label!). Remember all good voices ultimetly sound the same--it's the "bad" ones that are most capable of being unique. This album along with the rest of Freedy's oeuvre will live on long after all the 'American Idol' albums are relagated to the bargain bins of history.

Here's hoping Freedy finds a label with vision-- not just dollar signs--in their eyes!

I'm a casual Freedy fan, I came across this jem when I was working at a used music store in college. I was hooked after my first listen. It's a very clean sounding record, not over produced. Freedy is a first class songwriter and it shows. I highly recommend this record to anyone considering it.

This Kansas native is not ambivalent about his tribulations of living life on the brink. His unpretty voice rings with the enthusiasm that preserves punk's integrity and with the emotion that signifies with the best in folk material. Its spare production gives the music its edge. The jaunty "Innocent" serves as a sensible opener. On "That's What You Get", he bares his punk, folk and country (dobro in the outro) influences. The romantically adrift "Gina" is sharp and detailed. He sing-speaks "Nature Boy", akin to Lou Reed, with guitar feedback as he tempers his frustration with wicked humor. The folky "No Violins" has R&B shadings in its melody and electric guitar. It's catchy and funny as hell. And has anyone ever shared a sadder tale on acoustic guitar-and-vocal only than Freedy has on "Tucumcari"? Unfortunately, here's just another classic that demands replaying but will never be publicly acknowledged.

My favorite cd ever. Funny nonsense lyrics and he can't sing but it is wondeful!! If you listen closer the lyrics do have a meaning.. it must be poetry then