Williams Brothers

The Williams Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 30, 1991)
• Original Release Date: April 30, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002LOK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,993 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. People Are People

2. Can't Cry Hard Enough

3. Happy Man

4. It's a Wonderful Life

5. Miss This World

6. Give It All up for You

7. The Family Room

8. Shimmering

9. The Big Machine

10. Everybody Gets a Second Chance

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars +1/2 -- Early 70s teen idols re-emerge as pop masters, May 22, 2003

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Williams Brothers (Audio CD)

Having first found fame as Tiger Beat cover boys, David and Andrew Williams chucked it all as their popularity peaked, burnt out on the producer-led studio productions and the trapped life of teen idols. For much of the next decade they apprenticed as guitarists and vocalists with the likes of Joe Ely, The Plimsouls, Brian Setzer and T-Bone Burnett. The woodshedding obviously paid off, as their re-emergence as young adults on the 1987 release "Two Stories," and even more so on this 1991 issue, find them to be impressive purveyors of sophisticated pop-rock.

Many will know The Williams' music from the appearance of "Can't Cry Hard Enough" on the soundtrack of Beverly Hills 90210 episode #72 ("The Child is Father to the Man"). Co-written by David Williams and Marvin Etzioni, this emotional ballad is certainly the high-point of the album, with acoustic guitar and string arrangements that frame the Williams Brothers vocals beautifully. The result is intense and moving. Similarly, the Etzioni-penned waltz, "Miss This World," features Paul Simon like lyrical introspection, rendered in powerful brotherly harmony and fleshed out with a Celtic touch of mandolin and fiddle.

The rest of the album's eleven tracks, written in large part by the Williams Brothers, are an impressive collection of sophisticated pop rock tunes. The Williams' sound brings to mind Nick Heyward's post-Haircut 100 solo albums, E's pre-Eels work, and even the upbeat tunes of George Harrison's latter-day recordings. The production is punchy, yet polite: the drums and horns are energetic, but don't overwhelm the vocalists with a manufactured studio sound. This is a polished work, but not one drained of the artists' intensity. It's surprising that this album is seemingly little-known among the power-pop literati.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, February 21, 2001

By 

Dave Miles (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Williams Brothers (Audio CD)

The Williams Brothers write songs from the heart in a way that is rare nowadays. Their music speaks of the human condition. Happiness to sadness and all the colors in between. Painfully beautiful in melody and harmony. I was lucky enough to see them at, of all places, a coffee house in Hollywood for their Harmony Hotel album. I have seen many performances in my day, and I am a singer/songwriter myself. I can honestly say it was one of, if not the best.To top it off, I met them afterwards and they thanked me for coming. I said no, thank you.Then they graciously signed my cds. If anyone knows where to get information on what they are up to, please feel free to email me.Guys, if you read this, once again, thank you. I look forward to hearing more from you in the future. The world needs more music like yours. Dave Miles / Miles Sound Music Productions

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth its price, March 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Williams Brothers (Audio CD)

I initially bought this cd for the song can't Cry hard enough, when it was originally released, to this day, that song still produces a lump in my throat. It is one of the most touching songs ever written. It was recently covered by Susan ashton on her cd "closer", although it is not as good as the original, her version gave me the same lump in my throat. I don't know who they wrote this song about, but they must have been very moved by their departure. If for no other reason, this disc is worth its price for that song alone.