Customer Reviews

Vuelta

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a fan of Richard Shindell's music for several years -- and while he's not an extremely prolific artist, each release is filled with finely-crafted songs of the highest order, melodic and insightful. The lyrics are some of the most literate being produced today -- right up there with some of my other songwriting heroes, such as Jack Hardy and Eric Taylor. Each song is like a mini-novel -- there are stories to be told, characters to introduce, moods and settings to be drawn. Shindell does all of this with grace and style -- I hear these new songs from the heart and in the voice of an 'old friend', welcome at long last on the shores of my consciousness.

One of Richard's strongest points as a writer (in my humble opinion) is his amazing ability to take the point of view of his characters and voice is accurately and honestly as his own, to the extent that he makes the story told by the song immediately believable and accepted by the listener. There are songs on every release that illustrate this -- on this CD, I would cite 'Che Guevara t-shirt' and 'The last fare of the day' as examples of this. The song 'So says the whipporwill' speaks eloquently to our innate fear of stepping outside of the 'safe' boundaries we have set for our lives -- much as 'Out beyond the iron gate' on REUNION HILL did, but not in a repetative way by any means. 'There goes Mavis' deals with some of these fears and challenges in a different way -- a little girl is setting her canary free into the world, with her mother warning her that the bird will never survive outside of its cage.

There's always a well-chosen tune by another writer on Richard's releases -- this time out, it's Pete Seeger's classic antiwar song from the 1960s, 'Waist deep in the Big Muddy', and we'd do well to pay attention to its wisdom these days.

There are a couple of heart-breakingly tender songs here as well -- 'Gray green' and 'Cancion sencilla', the latter being Richard's first in Spanish, a very moving love song.

Then there's the band. For this outing, since Richard is living in Buenos Aires, he's enlisted the services of Puente Celeste, a fine group of Argentine musicians. Hearing there work here makes me want to hear their own recordings. they combine the expected instruments -- accordion, keyboards, bass, guitarra and guitarron, percussion -- with some surprises, notably the wind instruments played by Marcelo Moguuilevsky (recorder, clarinet, bass clarinet and doudouk [ ! ]). They very ably support Richard's stellar guitar work and vocals, supplying arrangements that frame the songwriter's work without overpowering it.

Richard has lived in Argentina since 2000, and his passes through Austin have been rare -- I hope he makes a point of performing here on his next US tour. It's been too long -- as absorbing and memorable as his recordings are, his live performances take it up another notch.

I will just add one more note to all the fine (and largely accurate) reviews given here...I own all of Richard Shindell's recordings; and then some. Like several other reviewers, I bought 'Vuelta' sight-unseen as soon as it was released. Unlike some others, I did not immediately fall in love with it. Richard's musical style has shifted and flowed through the years, and this album is no exception. Something about the new "flavor" did not grab me right away - as is usually the case.

Luckily for me, I kept listening to 'Vuelta' simply to become immersed in Richard's consistantly wonderful storytelling. Details emerge with every listen to his songs. The rest took care of itself, as 'Vuelta' is now the Richard Shindell CD that I most often reach for.

If you have been exposed to Richard's music, and still do not have this CD - buy it. Whether on the first listen, or the tenth...you will be glad you did.

Vuelta, the latest release from Richard Shindell is the best of his albums yet to date. This singer/songwriter/producer aims for perfection and hits the nail on the head every time. His story-like songs are captivating, painting vivid pictures with lyrics and melodies that draw you into each song, making the experience even more moving. This is a song-writer that commands the listener to truly pay attention and appreciate the lyrics that he has woven together to create very memorable songs. Puente Celeste has also collaborated on this album, adding subtleties to each song, that compliment Richard's own musical talents. The best track on the album is "Last Fare of the Day, also very good are "There Goes Mavis" and "Che Guevara T-Shirt". I highly recommend this album to anyone who has a strong appreciation for music, as this man is an amazing artist that deserves the listener's attention and respect. He truly is one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our time.

There are only a few musicians whose work is so consistently good that I will buy their latest releases sight unseen, without having to preview them, knowing that I will like what I hear. Richard Shindell is one such musician.

Of course, he is so much more than simply a "musician." Mr. Shindell crafts beautiful stories about ordinary people, bringing us into their lives and hearts and minds. And though he notes on his website that there is a difference between writing poetry and writing lyrics, I have always thought of him as a poet who sets his work to music. His just-released Vuelta is a masterpiece of storytelling and imagery and musicianship.

A tourist on an eroding island; a stowaway on a freighter trying to reach America; a taxi driver in New York City: Mr. Shindell writes about all of them, simply yet eloquently, and makes them come alive for us in tunes that are, like his lyrics, simple but awesomely beautiful. There are songs on Vuelta so exquisite they can move you to tears.

Although this entire album is thoroughly enjoyable, I was particularly drawn to two songs: Mr. Shindell's cover of Pete Seeger's classic "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," and Mr. Shindell's composition "Cancion Sensilla." I've heard "Waist Deep..." many times over the years, but have never really cared for it until hearing this arrangement. Mr. Shindell conveys perfectly the stupidity of, and disdain for, authoritarian arrogance that is the theme of the song, and it seems especially topical and appropriate at this time in our history.

The liner notes for the album refer the reader to Mr. Shindell's website (www.RichardShindell.com) for the translation of Cancion Sensilla, which turns out, delightfully, to be about his great love for his wife and his desire to learn her native language. In English or in Spanish, it is a simple, beautiful, gentle, and loving tune.

Mr. Shindell's band on most of this endeavor, the Argentine group Puente Celeste, does a wonderful job fleshing out his tunes; the arrangements on this album are, like the lyrics and singing, simply beautiful.

Whether one is an established Richard Shindell fan, or relatively new to his music, Vuelta is sure to move you, delight you, and entertain you as you listen to it over and over again.

If you are familiar with Richard Shindell's Somewhere Near Patterson, then you'll love this as it's texturally similiar given the exception of Puente Celeste's efforts. I saw Richard perform a few of these songs live and wondered if perhaps the project would be slightly overproduced like Blue Divide, but no way!!! This is exceptional song craft. I've been following Richard since I was 17, and a decade later, I still find him to be one of the most beloved talents on the contemporary acoustic scene. A couple of these tunes pulled tears out of my eyes just an hour into owning it...It was released this morning...Chuh-ching!

Rating items on Amazon should ranged from 1-10 so people can get a clearer idea of the quality. This one I'd surely give a 10.

Richard Shindell writes some of the absolute best songs I've ever heard. There may only be a handful of these gems per album, but they more than justify buying the whole damn thing. The rest of the songs are very listenable as well.

As others have noted, Che Guevarra T-Shirt and Last Fare of the Day are standout tracks on Vuelta. I want to take a moment to emphasize how amazing and emotion-stirring these two songs are. You really have to hear them for yourself. His cover of Waist Deep in the Big Muddy is also superbly done, not to mention relevant to current events (not a coincidence). The album is filled out with several other solid offerings.

Richard boasts excellent guitar skills to go along with his moving voice. And he seems to have a good heart as well. I saw him live in San Diego in September (2004) and he was asking the crowd for donations for an under-construction soup kitchen for homeless kids in his adopted city of Buenos Aires (and many of us obliged). That certainly doesn't take away from his appeal.

If you don't know him, please look into Richard Shindell.

As a previous poster said, Richard Shindell is one of the few artists whose CDs I will buy unheard, without even reading any reviews. "Vuelta" is another amazing accomplishment by this man I first heard at a Cry Cry Cry concert, which I attended largely because of Dar Williams. (Thanks, Dar!) After two listens, I can already tell that "Vuelta" will be one of my favorite CDs in a 225+ collection. Just reading the lyrics is an experience in itself. I absolutely love "Che Guevara T-shirt," and I'm so glad that the Pete Seeger song is included--it's quite relevant these days. Buy this CD; you won't be sorry!

Richard blends a wonderful selection of material, from the anti-war songs "Fenario" and "Waist Deep" to the beautiful 9/11 inspired "Last Fare". "Hazel's House" seems a bit overly sentimental at first, until you admit that every family has a traditional holiday gathering place that is a bit of heaven on earth (For my family it was Madeline's Apartment, but that would be tougher to phrase in a song :-)) "Che Guevara T-Shirt" is part love song, part political drama, following the poorly planned attempt by a stowaway to make it to Miami (a prequel to "Fishing"?).

The production is more subdued than prior studio albums...without Larry Campbell there are fewer instrumental flourishes giving the album a more personal "acoustic" feel than "Somewhere Near Patterson" and "Reunion Hill". Hopefully Richard won't make us wait another four years for his next album.

I can't agree with any of the previous customer negative reviews at all. This CD may not have a cutting edge here as with "Somewhere in Patterson", but RS still strings along fantastic melodies and cutting edge lyrics. My favorites are "Hazel's House" and "The Last Fare of the Day". Two songs that should tug on anyone's heartstrings. Both songs weave a tale about life, family and the delicate balance of humanity through the interaction of strangers and family. This CD is filled with the quieter, gentler side of RS's music. A definite buy for any hard core RS fan.

I discovered Richard Shindell when he was opening for and singing with Dar Williams. It turned out that he would be leaving that tour because he was going to Europe to open for Joan Baez, which is a pretty good endorsement of your credentials as a folk singer, especially if Baez records three of your songs on one of her albums as she does for Shindell on "Gone From Danger." Her endorsement is entirely understandable given the quality of Shindell's songwriting, which, when it is not engaging in bitter humor, shows the sense of spirituality you would expect from a former seminary student.

The wry humor is notably absent from "Vuelta," Shindell's first new album in four years. Tthere was a concert album in between, but when you are talking about a songwriter of Shindell's capabilities that is a long absence, even given a move to Buenos Aires. The good news is that either "Vuelta" represents the cream of the crop of what he has written in the last four years or he has simply matured to an even higher level of his craft. The surprise is that unlike Paul Simon or others who have worked in foreign climes, Shindell's songs remain rooted in American folk both musically and lyrically even though there are clear indications of his new locale (e.g., "Canción Sencilla" and "There Goes Mavis" respectively). Because although he was recording with the Argentinean group Puente Celeste, Shindell has them playing his type of music for the most part.

One constant in Shindell's songwriting has been the emphasis on story songs about people who emerge as fully realized characters. "Che Guevara T-Shirt" is about a man who tries to stow aboard a boat leaving Buenos Aires for America while "There Goes Mavis" is about a little girl who goes to the beach to let her pet bird go free. In both, the stories reveal the character and bring these people alive. "So Says the Whippoorwill" reminds us of the roots of American folk music in that of England and while I often have a disdain for vocal affectation in folk singing (I know, a strange comment to be made from someone who lives in Bob Dylan's home town), I have come to the conclusion that I love the way this man sings, with the emphasis on the harmony line more than the melody in almost every song. Furthermore, when Shindell decides to go up vocally you pay attention because there is a reason to do things differently given what is being sung. The same thing applies when he incorporates piano into his songs, as with "The Island" and "Gary Green."

The one cover song on the album is the second track, in which Shindell does Pete Seeger's "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy." The irony that a song about an allegory about a good platoon lost and in trouble in a Louisiana that was used to indict Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War could now be used to critique George W. Bush and the occupation of Iraq is painfully obvious. The rhetorical choice to go with an obvious analogy rather than write a new protest song seems to be the right choice because any and all American foreign policy decisions for the last three decades have been judged by the national experience of the Vietnam War. Certainly this recalls a time when folk singers were more central to the national debate, which only goes to remind us that Richard Shindell is most decidedly in that tradition.

I thought Richard Shindell's previous albums were pretty good, but what we have on "Vuelta" is not merely more of the same. Instead we find him writing and singing on an even higher level than before. Granted, this is a time when folk singers are not going to be wildly popular, but with Shindell if you have heard one of his albums you want to hear the others and on that score few will be disappointed with what they find.