Customer Reviews

Who Was Changed & Who Was Dead (Bonus CD)

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There's something to be said for playing to your strengths. John Wesley Harding's latest is 58 minutes of pure strength. The singing is clear and emotive, the playing crisp and complex without overwhelming the song, and the songs are simply his best set in a very, very long time.

He's done little to change his folk-rock template in terms of songwriting and singing, but somehow still finds a way to make it all ring true. If he were more autobiographical I might think of him as a British Loudon Wainwright, but that would be doing a disservice to both of them. Suffice to say that everything here works--the songs vary in tempo, there are no missteps lyrically, and his trademark wit is firmly in place, and is brilliant.

From the opener "My Favorite Angel," a humorous lament from God to Lucifer ("You put yourself at the top of the VIP list"), through the strangely joyful "The End" (which, oddly enough, is in the middle of the album), to the semi-autobiographical (and quite funny, even to a non-fan)"Top of the Bottom," this album simply doesn't stop.

It's bright, sparkling folk-rock and pop with a sharp wit and just enough cynical undertones to keep things interesting. Wonderful.

I really was surprised by this release from one of our excellent singer songwriters. Just when you think the well might be running dry, you get to hear another CD full of well-crafted lyrics. The bonus live CD is alone worth the price. This is not just for those of us that have listened to JWH over the years. It would be a great choice for first-time fans.

I have followed JWH's for quite awhile and believe this release is among his best. It is played over and over!