Customer Reviews

West

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Hype killed this one before it hit the store shelves. Thats the story of Mark Eitzels career. All praise and accolades, zero sales. Co-produced and (co-)written with R.E.M.s Peter Buck--whose contributions to the process vary depending on who you talk to--over three days in '97, this was to be Marks last major label release. More textured and varied than his previous lp's, from the punch-drunk revelry of 'Helium' to the skronkin'sax of 'Move Myself Ahead', WEST is yet another example of Mark refusing to dilute his muse for the sake of greater public exposure. Celebrity, I geuss, just isn't his bag. 'Stunned and Frozen', though it features the single most haunting and defeated Eitzel vocal to date, is one for the ages with the saddest interplay of piano and accordion, augmented by Buck's razor-like acoustic flourishes. 'In Your Life', a rare pop item for Mark, is sweet and mesmerizing in its own awkward charm. How much you will like this lp may depend on your opinion of R.E.Ms 'UP' as many of the production tricks--vibes, synths et al.-- seem to foretell the ambitious R.E.M. project. Many Eitzel-watchers were put off by the jazz pretensions of this and 60 WATT SILVER LINE, but do not listen to them. Listen to me. Trust in Jason. Both of these discs, both high among the very best of the 90's, are all but impossible to find now but so very, VERY worth it. It is both a compliment and a insult to this talented man to regard him as the Nick Drake of our time. Do not let this talent rot in obscurity any longer. BUY THESE DISCS!

At the time of its release this album received a mauling from hard-core Eitzel fans(are there any other?)which seemed largely to be based on the fact that Peter Buck's guitar playing sounded like,er,Peter Buck.That view ignores two crucial elements:firstly,the friendship and mutual respect of Buck and Eitzel;secondly,the quality of the material.
'If You Have To Ask'is a slow-burner of an introduction but then we get the opening line of the second track,"The laws of purgatory...",which had me laughing wildly the first time I heard it,just thinking 'brilliant,Mark...'.There is a wry,very dry,wit at work here which is often missed.I would even go as far as to say that the live performances often become a cross between the heartache of the songs and the greatest stand-up comedy ever...
'In Your Life' was the potential hit single but we should all know by now what happens to ideas like that involving AMC/Eitzel,no matter how many formats I buy... It almost doesn't matter,it's a great song and the lyric,"Calling names and guessing games over my bi-loving life...",should really be the only interview Eitzel needs to give on this subject.
I think we all know the stories about how quickly this was written,recorded and mixed(what was it,ten minutes or so...)and I think this has become a long review because I wanted to defend it so...
Every great album has its central moment and this is no different.'Fresh Screwdriver'.It has Eitzel crooning ," I forgot there was such a thing as good people left..." before moving on to the chorus of,"I got a fresh screwdriver right before closing time...",making it sound like a celebration,a moment of wonder.Which,let's face it,it probably is.
A good intro,if you're into REM and are curious...for the rest of us,just a reminder that there really are good people left.Enjoy...

What if R.E.M. were a darker band? What if American Music Club had a more optimistic front man? What if, what if, what if...Mark Eitzel has always played with conventional sound, and it made for some incredible pop music that never became popular. (Think "Wish The World Away" from "San Francisco.") So it shouldn't be such a leap for the friendship between Peter Buck and Eitzel to yield an album like "West."

The first time I heard "West," I was in a transitional situation myself, in Austin, Texas between jobs, trying to scrape by in what was supposed to be one of the boomingest cities in the nation (at that time). That Eitzel managed to capture that sense so perfectly in a song like "If You Have to Ask" won me over immediately. Or a great opening line like "The laws of purgatory pulled you off the tracks..." from "Free of Harm." In the summer of the Macerana, it was the perfect antidote.

Peter Buck's main contribution seems to have been keeping the mood a little lighter than usual for Eitzel. There are shared elements from both of their bands -- the somewhat jazzy instrumentation from the best of AMC, the not so shiny happy undercurrent that often frequents R.E.M. at their best (most prevalent in the songs "Live or Die," "Helium" and "Fresh Screwdriver"). There was even a hit single contender in "In Your Life," which probably would have been a smash had Michael Stipe sang it.

But it is still Eitzel that carries the album. His close-down-the-bar personality still prevails on "West," and when he sings (on "Fresh Screwdriver") "I forgot there was such a thing as good people left," it cuts deep and in both directions. There aren't too many singers who can pull off that kind of depressed optimism, and Mark Eitzel does it masterfully on "West."

Basically, this is Mark Eitzel's worst album. On "West", his beautiful guitar work and songcraft has been traded in for Peter Buck's (which is very hackneyed). That alone does a lot of damage to the potential in these songs. According to the liner notes, Eitzel just sings and doesn't play any instruments on this CD. That would normally be okay, but his voice is definitely not up to par with his performances on other albums, which may leave you feeling a bit disappointed.
Even though this is nowhere nearly as spectacular as any other Mark Eitzel or American Music Club CD, there are still a few great songs to be found here, including "If You Have To Ask", "Helium", and "Live or Die". If you are already an Eitzel fan, you will want to check out "West" for these songs. If you are new to Eitzel and American Music Club (his old band), I would not recommend this. Instead, check out American Music Club's "Everclear", or Mark Eitzel's "60 Watt Silver Lining" or "The Invisible Man". They are incredibly beautiful, emotional, intimate, and full of the intense melancholy and great songwriting that sadcore music and Eitzel are known for.

A lot of longtime Mark Eitzel supporters don't like this album, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Because it's catchy? There are plenty of catchy AMC songs. Because it's poppy? It's not nearly as poppy as his previous solo album 60 Watt Silver Lining. Because he co-wrote and co-produced it with Peter Buck? So what? He's always had friends and supporters more famous than him, and Buck's always had great taste in collaborators. That it's slight? To me it sounds like he plugged his soul into the microphone and started channeling - just like everything he does.

Personally, I think this is one of his warmest and most inviting albums. The hooks make it easy to get into, the songs hold up well (my personal favorites are "Free From Harm" and "Stunned and Frozen") and his vocals have never been better. What's not to like?

After lamenting for quite some time that Mark Eitzel's genius was not known to the world at large (a crime worthy of a Rolling Stone cover story), I was sure that "West" would be the album that finally brought him the recognition he deserves. Instead, it found itself caught in no-man's-land. It didn't get the widespread support of the mainstream audience, but because it's more accessable than most of his earlier work, Eitzel disappointed some die-hard fans who think it's too simplistic or watered-down. As a result, it's languished somewhat.

If you really sit down and listen to "West" though (or if you were lucky enough to have caught Eitzel in concert soon after this CD came out, as I did), you will hear some mighty powerful stuff. Almost all of these songs are worthy of a place in Eitzel's catalog. I love the rolicking sound of the music and the rawness of his voice in "Stunned & Frozen." And "Three Inches of Wall" is just so well crafted. I think Peter Buck's influence can definitely be felt, but I completely disagree that Buck's presence has diluted Eitzel's talent or power. Is it a perfect album? No. But it's a damn good one.

While the thought of a collaboration between Mark Eitzel and Peter Buck initially sounds alluring the results of this one are often disappointing. Absent is the heartfelt longing and passion that so often shows up in Eitzel's earlier work and in it's place is Buck's signature REM guitar sound and song stylings. By no means should this CD be written off, as it contains some great music. However those familiar with Eitzel's work should not expect vintage Eitzel, but a departure that is not unwelcome, just different. On many songs Eitzel actually sounds like he's having a great time. All in all this is a nice collection of songs however I am more partial to "60 Watt Silver Lining" and "Caught In A Trap...".

This is a collaborative album, with Mark Eitzel supplying the lyrics and vocals and Peter Buck supplying the music and guitar. Members of various Seattle bands united to play on this album and to tour with Buck and Eitzel as Tuatara.

A lot of R.E.M. music is fairly melancholy, so this isn't the weirdest match in the book, but none of it reaches the bleakness and open-woundness of Eitzel's work solo or with American Music Club. But this is not a Mark Eitzel lite album. There are many rather harrowing songs here ("Helium", "Lower Eastside Tourist", "Three Inches of Wall" and "Old Photographs", in particular) that lie in the intersecting territory between AMC and R.E.M.'s spheres of melancholia.

There are only two clunkers here: "Free Of Harm" and "In Your Life" and they aren't really bad, but just lack the complexity that I expect from Eitzel. The music for these songs is too straightforward to be interesting, which is of course Buck's fault.

When I saw Mark Eitzel with some friends years ago in Seattle at the Crocodile Cafe, I didn't know what I was getting into. I heard all of the music that night that was presented, drinking my beers, and I had to leave the room, because I literally "wept". Years after that concert, kicked out to the street from Linda's Tavern, Mark Eitzel was walking my way up the street. I thanked him for that concert. Now even years later I realize why I love his music so much. I can identify with it. I believe this is why many people find their own personal album to love. What a great big gay heart Mark has. Peace! Sean Becker