Customer Reviews

Twilight of the Renegades

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Those of us who love Jimmy Webb as a performer and as a songwriter have waited with bated breath for 9 years for a new set of songs. As the Rhino set "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress: Jimmy Webb in the 70s" documents, Webb was an immensely powerful and inventive singer and songwriter. His albums have held their value as fans clamour to get copies. This set is probably not the place to begin for those seeking to hear the voice behind "Up, Up & Away" & "MacArthur Park." From the artwork sketch of a tired Jimmy and the cowboy sitting on his horse & the "Twilight" title, Webb is not going out with best shot, if this is intended as a parting shot. But his ardent fans like me will still welcome hearing yet a few more of his songs and his voice, even if it sounds a bit tired and offhand, not quite so full of passion at it had been. Vocally, the closer "Driftwood" written 15 years ago musters a great deal of passion and has Webb's lovely voice backed by his sister Susan whose voice blends seamlessly with Jimmy, "Through rainfall close ashore, Through the spray swept away, To the coastline tossed & torn, thrown high & falls to rest, Oh like people, baby like you & I." "How Quickly" has nice energy with Ira Segel's guitar percolating rhythmically and Beth Nielsen Chapman's vocals supporting the lovely melody, "So swiftly you turn without regret to the arms of your new lover, How quickly we forget." "Just Like Marilyn" is also a treat with Webb's witty lyrics, "In this old Ramada Inn bar singing 'All In Love Is Fair,' In this overstuffed naugahyde lounge with the organ thin trying to sound just like a singing violin." Of the other tracks, "Paul Gauguin In the South Seas" experiments with dissonance, painting a sonic landscape more than a pop song. "Class Clown" is a nice tune with Webb witty & worldly wise. While any Jimmy Webb set is going to have depth and intelligence, this is not the best. Knowing that, fans should still explore with confidence the nuances of this master musician's latest offering. Enjoy!

I have now listened to the Twilight of the Renegades, a little after dawn, as the afternoon ended, and at night. The times of the day, I imagine, that might have inspired some of these songs.
As happy as I am that Webb has released an album again, the offerings here are of different caliber, never less than well crafted and conceived and, in the case of certain songs, reaching the potential to be new classics.
All in all, this is not as superb an album as his "Ten Pieces," it lacks the emotional thread and intense honesty that was oozing out of each of that classic album's songs.
In Twilight of the Renegades there are, of course, several great Webb songs, "No Signs Of Age," "Skywriter." or "She Moves, And Eyes Follow" and one, to my taste, rather forgettable one: "Spanish Radio."
The rest, still, is probably better than most stuff being hailed lately. After all, this guy could probably stand side by side with Bacharach or Cole Porter or Stevie Wonder among the fundamental writers of popular song.
Yet, I'm not completely taken by this album as a whole. Perhaps it is my bias -I do compare Webb to Webb and not to other lesser artists- that, for me, this album cannot sustain the intensity and intelligence I expect from this man.
Still, take the opener, "Paul Gauguin In The South Seas," for instance. The song manages moments of sheer beauty, the words among Webb's most touching, yet it can move into passages where the orchestration and few tired songlines might remind you of a potential Disney movie theme alla Phil Collins. Both poles, present throoghout the album, in the very same song.
All that said, it is not a five star album nor a disappointment deserving of a harsh three-star review. So "four" it is. If nothing else, for the new glories.

PS: The fact that, as I'm writing these words, a domestic release of this album has not even been announced is nothing less than a shame.

After witnessing Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell perform in New York at Feinstein's this year, I was eagerly awaiting this CD.At that show Campbell sang No Signs of Age which is included on this disk and Webb performed Time Flies solo.Both songs are destined to be standards-there melodicism and timeless lyrics move and inspire. How many albums include even 1 standard? A standard is a song singers want to sing regardless of music trends for eternity.The rest of the album includes gems such as How Quickly which after repeated listens inspires with it's sad message-- a feat few songwriters can carry off.The beauty of Webb's writing as in Skywriter and She Moves is his melodies married to his lyrics is masterful.There is a variety of Webb offerings on this album.But most of all it contains some of his most moving ballads.Skywriter,Time Flies,She Moves,and No Signs of Age are songs singers will want to sing and players will want to play.Thank you Jimmy.

WARNING: Do not be put off Jimmy Webb by what I have written below. I strongly urge every music lover to seek out and discover for himself or herself the magic in Jimmy Webb's music.

Jimmy Webb's new CD TWILIGHT OF THE RENGADES is a disappointment, a disheartening letdown for Webb aficionados who have waited years for a new album. The album does contain inspiring moments and classic Webb songs that have cried out to be recorded and that deserve to be known more widely - 'Time Flies', 'No Signs of Age', 'Paul Gauguin In The South Seas', 'How Quickly' - but these are not nearly enough to save the CD. Sadly, there are few peaks on this record. A stimulating song or performance is quickly deflated by a weak one. Three superb songs, ''Time Flies', 'No Signs of Age', and 'Skywriter', are saddled with poor vocal performances or muddled arrangements. I felt strangely listless after listening to this CD. A Jimmy Webb album usually leaves me soaring. At best, TWILIGHT OF THE RENEGADES is a half-hearted effort. My suspicion is that Jimmy Webb felt an obligation to make this album and no more. There was obviously little motivation to record the best album possible. Discouraging after years of being fed the line that Webb really was hard at work on a solo album.

Study the track list: plainly there was no will to write new songs (ignore the stated copyright dates: the bulk of these songs have their roots in the '80s). Nor was there a will to freshly record a CD's worth of songs (only 10 songs are recent recordings and the CD offers a meager 12 tracks). There appears not even to have been a will to select first-rate material from the abundant Webb song trunk ('Class Clown', 'She Moves, And Eyes Follow', 'Spanish Radio' hardly rank at the forefront of the Webb song catalogue and the less said about the execrable 'Why Do I...', bafflingly issued as a one track promo single in the UK, the better). Even the track sequence seems to have been slapped together with little planning or thought directed to the flow of songs (I reshuffle the tracks when playing the CD). Inexplicably, the lessons of TEN EASY PIECES, by far Webb's best-selling album and the ideal showcase for presentation of his songs (as attested by the recent UK performances), were either ignored or not absorbed. Who's advising this guy? One could spew further but why belabor the point.

The upshot: TWILIGHT OF THE RENEGADES adds up to about a quarter of the superior album I had anticipated from this artist. If you are a Jimmy Webb fan, as with anything Webb-associated, you must have this CD; if you are new to Webb, begin elsewhere (LETTERS, EL MIRAGE, TEN EASY PIECES, SUSPENDING DISBELIEF). Resolve, as well, to attend a Jimmy Webb concert, where you will experience more passionate and stirring renditions of many of the songs that appear on this CD. One wish: that Jimmy Webb recognize the self-evident failings of this album and set a goal to produce a masterwork worthy, as the CD's sleeve suggests, of riding into the sunset to.

The man who had us rocking from the 60's on is back in business and it's like coming home to hear this CD. From "Gauguin in the South Seas" to "Driftwood", the collection is classic Webb: beautifully arranged, beautifully played and sung.

I happen to think "Skywriter" should be added to the list of future standards. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a different opinion. I can't quite seem to take this CD out of my player. If you've loved Webb's works such as "El Mirage" you will probably feel the same way, too.

If you've just been introduced to Webb, don't be surprised you won't be after the rest of his works. Lucky you, to hear it and fall in love for the first time. Lucky me to embrace an old friend again.

Welcome back, Jimmy, it's good to have you recording again. You've been missed.

...but ultimately couldn't!!!!

Agree with the other reviewers that "Paul Gaugin" is an excellent addition to the Jimmy Webb canon, but the remainder of the album is simply not up to scratch - and I say this from the perspective of one who considers "Ten Easy Pieces" one of my favourite albums of all time.

The other 2-3 strong songs on the album, in my opinion, are all done better on Michael Feinstein's magnificent "Only One Life" album of last year, recorded with Jimmy. Maybe Jimmy should have kept some of his creativity for his own recording, rather than selflessly giving it to Michael...

So - save your money with this album, but definitely buy Ten Easy Pieces and Only One Life instead!!!

Those of us who love Jimmy Webb as a performer and as a songwriter have waited with bated breath for 9 years for a new set of songs. As the Rhino set "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress: Jimmy Webb in the 70s" documents, Webb was an immensely powerful and inventive singer and songwriter. His albums have held their value as fans clamour to get copies. This set is probably not the place to begin for those seeking to hear the voice behind "Up, Up & Away" & "MacArthur Park." From the artwork sketch of a tired Jimmy and the cowboy sitting on his horse & the "Twilight" title, Webb is not going out with best shot, if this is intended as a parting shot. But his ardent fans like me will still welcome hearing yet a few more of his songs and his voice, even if it sounds a bit tired and offhand, not quite so full of passion at it had been. Vocally, the closer "Driftwood" written 15 years ago musters a great deal of passion and has Webb's lovely voice backed by his sister Susan whose voice blends seamlessly with Jimmy, "Through rainfall close ashore, Through the spray swept away, To the coastline tossed & torn, thrown high & falls to rest, Oh like people, baby like you & I." "How Quickly" has nice energy with Ira Segel's guitar percolating rhythmically and Beth Nielsen Chapman's vocals supporting the lovely melody, "So swiftly you turn without regret to the arms of your new lover, How quickly we forget." "Just Like Marilyn" is also a treat with Webb's witty lyrics, "In this old Ramada Inn bar singing 'All In Love Is Fair,' In this overstuffed naugahyde lounge with the organ thin trying to sound just like a singing violin." Of the other tracks, "Paul Gauguin In the South Seas" experiments with dissonance, painting a sonic landscape more than a pop song. "Class Clown" is a nice tune with Webb witty & worldly wise. While any Jimmy Webb set is going to have depth and intelligence, this is not the best. Knowing that, fans should still explore with confidence the nuances of this master musician's latest offering. Enjoy!

Jimmy Webb proves once again that he is one of the most prolific, and creative writers of our generation. The opening, "Paul Gauguin In The South Seas," says more about the artist, Jimmy - "the reason few are chosen is cause few can pay the price, I'm gonna keep searching for Paradise..." - a man in his middle years taking a new direction. Webb has written about different kinds of "renegades" with this CD - the meeting of an old friend "Class Clown," now discovered to be homeless and asking for money...the lovely, "She Moves and Eyes Follow...the gorgeous "Time Flies," a lament to the passage of time. yet he still shows his humorous side with songs like "Spanish Radio" and "Why Do I Have To Make You Say You Love Me" - all in all, a great collection of pure Webb genius. And it WILL be released in the US in mid-August - just check with the label!

When you hear a great song-writer sing his creations there is a magic in the air. Jimmy's work ha be made into hits by many other artist but he knows his music and interpets it best along with his great piano playing. You will play this often and enjoy each and every time.

This is an absolutely wonderful album. Somehow Jimmy continues to write masterpieces. This is as good as anything he's done. Unfortunately, we won't hear much about these songs until someone records them and makes hits of them.