Customer Reviews

Warmth & Beauty

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

 

 

This album is brilliant! I saw Thad play last year in Nashville and was immediately blown away by his voice. I went out and bought this album the day it came out and haven't taken it out of my cd player since...I like it more each time I hear it.
Thad's voice is incredibly heartfelt and the songwriting is some of the best I have ever heard. I want to especially note that this album contains incredible musicianship...the bass player is right on and the fiddle and pedal steel add beautiful texture in all the right places. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL!

The best way to describe Thad Cockrell is to say that he truly understands country music. He brings to this recording all of his knowledge of the great artists of this genre - Hank Williams,
George Jones, Buck Owens, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle. If you listen closely, you'll hear the plaintive chords and vocals of Hank Williams in "Some Tears" or "Why Go", the rocking swagger of Steve Earle or Dwight Yoakam on "I'd Rather Have You" or "Taking The View", the amazing balladry style of Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and George Jones on "Warmth and Beauty" or "My Favorite Memory" or "She Ain't No You" and finally a healthy dose of Roy Orbison's crooning on many of the tracks.

With all of this said about his appreciation of the roots of country music, I must say that this is still one of the best new and original talents to come along in a long time. He can sing as well, if not better, than all of these guys but, more importantly, he writes better than most of them. There are no filler or cover tracks on this record, only very well crafted tunes that remind us of just how good this kind of music can be.

I should also mention that his band does an extraordinary job in giving him just the right sound, especially Jen Gunderman's piano work. They're awesome. The arrangements are flawless. If I didn't know better, I would think that Floyd Cramer, James Burton, Hargis Robbins, Charlie McCoy, Jack Clement and the boys were all backing him up!

I own thousands of CDs and have probably bought 500 or so in the past year. However, I have been playing this CD over and over since it came out last year. Take my advice. This is a real keeper.

Don't miss the hidden track "Misery Feeling". Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens would be proud of Thad's Bakersfield sound.

Some achingly beautiful songs that burrow into the soul with each listen. It's not perfect, but much of it is damn close.

this is a solid country effort like they just don't do them anymore. great playing, slick down-to-earth production, "mostly recorded live". the acoustics sound great, as does his ryan adams-tenor on the slow tracks. big lyrics on "she ain't no you", and with caitlin singing it's almost like whiskeytown never died. beautiful record, perfect for driving. or a barstool, for that matter...

This is one of my favorite albums. This album rounds out my top 10 best albums of all time. It's songs just continue to grow on me even years after I first listened to it. They are instant classics. I can't describe this music perfect enough to justify it just right. Thad has such a great voice, it's really high and soft, kinda quiet... Beautiful... Perfect. If I had to describe this album in one word, it would be 'Perfect', this is the perfect country album. Like I said, each song is an instant classic. The first time I listened to this album I was playing Halo on my XBox with my brothers, every time I listen to these songs I think of that day... This is the kind of album that when you first listen to it, you remember that day like something special happened. There isn't a weak song on this album. This album is $5 used on Amazon right now, if I lost this album (physically and off my computer) I would pay more than $100 dollars to get it back, I'd pay more than 200.

The song 'Some Tears' is the highlight of this album, it's a song I have to turn way up when it comes on my mp3 player.

thad is one of the best musicians out there, i love the soul within this entire album. i would highly recommend its purchase as well as his other recordings, if you don't have them your missing out.

Every so often we need to have updated reviews of CDs that were released few years back. In this case we need to be reminded that this is one of the great country records of the last decade from one of the great country voices of all time. Not a duff track, great great songs, beautiful accompaniment and enough soul to fill a dozen records. Not the most prolific of artists but you should check out his various appearances on Facebook to get a feel for the warmth and commitment he brings to every song.Follow this up with Stack of Dreams and Begonias (with Caitlin Cary) and you have a body of work that ranks high up there with many true country singer/songwriters

Puts me in mind of the best of Dwight Yoakam. Do yourself a favor and get this and the Caitlin Cary collaboration, "Begonias".

Some people give everything they like a five-star rating, but this one actually deserves it.

This is a lovely, charming album from a modern alt-country singer/songwriter. It's very reminiscent of old-time country. It's beautiful at times.

I guess my only complaint is that at times it's a little too slow. But the faster songs really move.

So I say it's highly recommended. I find it grows better with each listen.

Why can't they put out more music like this?!

I didn't stumble upon this cd in January but it made my Best of 2003 list anyway. This is real country with smart, plaintive lyrics about heartache and the music to back it up that is hard to find, probably because it's so hard to do. Cockrell is country without over the top guitar or lyrics about pick up trucks. He also shouldn't be considered part of the folk/bluegrass resurgence that has been popular lately. At times bluesy, at times rock n' roll, this cd is just solid music all the way through.