Customer Reviews

What You Whispered

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

LOT'S OF FELLA'S FOOL AROUND WITH A 6-STRING & SING A BIT. SOME EVEN WRITE A SONG OR TWO. THIS AINT' NO FOOLING-AROUND. DAVE IS THE REAL DEAL & HE CAN SHOW YOU WHY WITH 1 LISTEN OF THIS CD. LESS IS ALWAYS MORE!!! THIS IS BARENAKED, AND IT WILL GRAB YOU RIGHT FROM THE FIRST SOUND OF HIS GUITAR, & WHEN THAT VOICE KICKS IN....HOLD ON!!! IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO HAVE SEEN DAVID LIVE SEVERAL TIMES ( HE IS A HUMAN JUKEBOX ) & YOU ALWAYS TAKE SOMETHING AWAY WI TH YOU AFTER ONE OF HIS SHOWS. SUCH IS THE CASE WITH "WHAT YOU WHISPERED", THE SONGS ARE CRAFTED & DELIVERED IN WAY THAT MAKES YOU FEEL HE IS PERFORMING FOR YOU, AND ONLY YOU. ALTHOUGH I ENJOYED HIS LAST CD (UNDERNEATH), IT WAS VERY COMPLEX AND YOU LOSE A LITTLE BIT WITH SO MUCH GOING ON. AS AN ARTIST GROWS THEY ALL SEEM TO EXPAND THE MUSIC (THIS IS NOT A BAD THING, WE DON'T WANT THE SAME CD EACH TIME), BUT ON "WHAT YOU WHISPERED" AS AN OLDER FAN I SEE HOW THE SONGS HAVE GROWN, ALONG WITH THE WAY THEY ARE PERFORMED. BUY THIS.....TODAY...YOU NEED IT....TRUST ME!!!!! BLINDBOYGRUNT61@AOL.COM

This album lands somewhere between "How Did You Find Me Here" (the best lyrical album Wilcox has produced) and "East Asheville Hardware", which captures David in what he admits is his favorite forum...the live performance.

Having followed his career for a few years now, I had heard a number of these songs...and the fun ones (Start With The Ending) don't sound quite as improptu as they did in concert, but the deep ones (When You're Ready) ring true.

Once again, we get to hear the musicianship which comes out of the miracle which is produced when David's fingers touch strings in a variety of tunings....and the marriage between voice and instrument are perfect.

You can learn to enjoy this album...but the best message in all of it is David's description of how and why he chose to record this at his home, Jim Infantino's barn and some obscure recording studio.

When you listen to this album, you simply need to picture yourself in the jungle....waiting and watching....and soon the animal which is David Wilcox and his music happens by....CLICK....it's been captured.

Buy it and enjoy it.

I have to agree with all of the comments of the reviewers so far. This is a great album and fans of David's music will be delighted that he is getting back to his roots as a sensitive and insightful songwriter. While I don't believe this is David's best album, it is very good and is a lot better than Underneath. I love this CD and it will join the rest of my David Wilcox CDs. I won't be surprised if it gets played as often as Home Again (which, in my humble opinion, is David's best album).

This album, and all of David Wilcox's work, is a little gem of songwriting and musicianship that is unique and personal while still accessible. Its like sitting in a friend's kitchen and talking on a winter Sunday morning. Some of the songs provide advice on relationships. Others tell a story. They all speak directly to you and engage you directly. As a plus, the recording on this album is absolutely phenomenal. A must own.

It's been many years since I first heard David Wilcox, and I must say his music has been dear to me ever since. I'm happy to add this new CD to my collection. A strong yet sensitive lyric has always been one of the hallmarks of a David Wilcox song, that and his smoky voice and confident guitar work. Heck, I guess it all comes together for greatness. On this release, check out the especially poignant and memorable "Deeper Still." Also terrific are "The Whisper of the Wheels" and "This Tattoo." I really love the simple sound of this entire CD -- nothing fancy, nothing over-produced, just honest emotion and melody -- the things that make music worthwhile.

I'm pretty sure that anyone who is an established fan of David will love this CD. It gets back to basics. It does away with some of the "over-producing" that some of his other efforts have fallen victim to. What I'm excited about is saying that this is a good record for the new listener. "Underneath" was a little on the gloomy side. But this CD covers alot of ground, and allows David's gifts to come shining through. My CD player is going to burn a giant hole through this one.

I bought this on the release date and immediately placed it in the changer in my Jeep. I was pleased from the first note. It's witty, humorous, touching...full of metaphors and double-entendres. Like many of his prior works, it requires a few good "listens" to fully appreciate it. Unlike his works on the Koch label, it's not overproduced. I'm a believer that less is more. Here, the accompaniment adds to the music, but doesn't disguise it. My personal favorites..."Inside of My Head" and "Guitar Shopping". With regard to the other reviewers and the opinions about East Asheville Hardware, I've seen DW live on two occasions and I enjoy the stories behind the songs...however, the material on EAH just isn't that strong. "What You Whispered" is a recording that you can listen to over and over again...each time appreciating a different nuance. Bottom line...BUY THIS DISC!

Once again David Wilcox shows how music should be made: melodic yet tastefully produced music woven around lyrics that are often wondrous and enlightening. If you haven't purchased every one of his CD's, then you've been missing the boat. Start with this one, but then make sure you get them all. You won't be disappointed!

If you are old enough to remember the subtitle to Lisa Birnbach's 1980 "Preppy's Handbook," you'll appreciate this paraphrase about David Wilcox's music - "Finally, Arthur, a middle-aged guy who sings for us!" No pretense at suffering to sing the blues, no naive teenage "I'm-in-love-for-the-first-time-no-one-has-ever-felt-this-way-before" revelations, and no whining that life is so unfair to me, me, me songs from this guy.

What you get instead is a clever, sincere, and often funny celebration of life when lived thoughtfully. Wilcox is at his best when he sifts through the worries and joys of everyday life to find a gem of everyday wisdom. Rather than stretching for the profound statement, Wilcox uses a clever lyrical or thematic twist to make fundamental goodness (how dull!) interesting; these songs celebrate maturity over testosterone. Thus, "Start With the Ending" and "Rule Number One" are great "relationship" songs precisely because they aren't about sexually charged rendevous's, but the virtues of sustained love.

"Step Into Your Skin," "The Inside of My Head," and "In The Broken Places" suggest that the insecurities we all harbor can be overcome by faith (not necessarily the religious type), love, and self-examination.

Wilcox can be a little preachy (e.g., "On Your Way Back Down," his speech to a battered woman) and he sometimes overworks universal truths (such as "Deeper Still," in which he reminds us that the love you make is equal to the love you take. But the preaching is never heavy-handed or overly sentimental.

Oh, yeah -- the music! Wilcox is distinctive without being redundant (i.e., you know its him, but you can tell the songs apart). His guitar playing is often spare, but always interesting and his voice is clean, clear and unaffected. Pop this CD in your player and leave it there for a week -- it will feel like a nice soft flannel shirt you've loved for years.

I've been listening to the music of David Wilcox since the mid 80's when his song "Language of the Heart" was being played on a few daring stations. His voice, his acoustic guitar work, and especially his lyrics pulled me in immediately. The music world is full of overblown, untalented types who are manufactured into media stars. Thank God this artist hasn't become one of them. This latest CD is a spare, home production that showcases his guitar and his solo voice to great effect. Listen to the opening title song and try not to imagine yourself walking down a country road. The initial lyrics are obviously about his relationship with his wife but the final stanza becomes something different--a man on his deathbed recognizing the voice of God in his ear. Beautiful stuff!
The final song (a hidden track at the end) carries this message further by ruminating on the soul of a person looking for something transcendent in life. David Wilcox is a rarity--a Christian artist who doesn't write overt Christian lyrics but is attempting to reach all people who can relate to his words.