War and Peace

Syd Straw | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 7, 1996)
• Original Release Date: May 7, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capricorn Records
• ASIN: B000001EM8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,255 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Toughest Girl in the World

2. Million Miles

3. Time Has Done This

4. Love, and the Lack of It

5. Cbgb's

6. All Things Change

7. Madrid

8. Almost as Blue

9. Water, Please

10. X-Ray

11. Howl

12. Static

13. Black Squirrel

14. The Train That Takes You Away

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Let Those Guitars Ring!, May 26, 2002

By 

James Carragher (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War & Peace (Audio CD)

In War and Peace you get Syd Straw's terrific singing voice backed by the Skeletons, a bar/garage band that rocks loud (much better here, I think, than on their own CD)and often. It's a great match. Straw rangs right up there with Amy Rigby and the Go-Go's in picking jerk boyfriends, but the music she makes of these broken relationships is often superb. The Toughest Girl in the World, Million Miles, CBGB, and Madrid are the best cuts, where her longing, anguished, and plain furious vocals soar against the rousing Skeletons guitars and drums to project a party-through-the heartache determination. All Things Change, Howl, and Black Squirrel fall considerably short of the rest of the 14 cuts, however. The latter two are particularly overwrought. Leave them off and you've got an eleven track 5-star classic. As it is, War and Peace is still powerful evidence of rock's ability to make even the bad times something good.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Stop Listening!, December 7, 2002

By 

Ms. Adele L. Abrams "safetylawyer" (Takoma Park, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War and Peace (Audio CD)

I found this CD in a cut-out rack and bought it, unheard, on the strength of Syd's work with the Golden Palominos. It took a couple of listenings for the songs to sink in . . . but I haven't been able to rotate this out of my car CD player now in nearly a year! Her lyrics capture well the rough road of relationships (love, and the lack of it) and set forth vignettes that are almost video-like in nature. Highly recommended (although I agree with another reviewer that the album would've been perfect if Black Squirrel and Howl were left off . . . oh well, just skip those two and repeat!).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars syd rocks out on war and peace, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: War and Peace (Audio CD)

although War and Peace doesn't have the slick production of Surprise, Syd Straw's first solo album, this one is much truer to Syd's live shows. Pure honest American garage rock with excellent songwriting and memorable tunes that get under your skin. Syd is as funny as she is talented as a singer and the humor shines through on many songs. Once you get to know her music, you can't help but love this very talented highly under-rated singer/songwriter. If you're lucky enough to catch one of her rare live shows, you'll be hooked. Check out her records with The Golden Palominos as well.