Customer Reviews

Words of Wisdom & Hope

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

 

 

This is a beautiful album full of joy, warmth and humour. Don't get me wrong when I say "humour" I don't mean it's a comedy album but it should make you smile. Teenage Fanclub are just about my favourite group of all time but it's nice to hear them doing something really fresh and different. Some people who want people just to do the same thing over and over again will be disappointed but if you open your mind, your heart and your heart it will be worth it. Half Japanese front man and aldult child talk/ sings on top of Teen FC's Stax-like mellow licks and grooves. Katrina Mitchell, from gods of the Scottish music scene The Pastels, provides sweet backing vocals.
Instant favourites for me were the beautiful I Feel Fine, could be like Louis Armstrong's 'Wonderful World' for the new century and the driving guitar pop classic Near To You.
Some people just won't get it but I hope you're wiser than them.
It Rocks! in a tender way.

Jad who? I hear you ask. Well, the lyricist and singer on this quirky collaboration with the Scotchy guitar poppers is an obscure offbeat American musician and visual artist whose approach to painting and music is basically one of child-like innocence. The cute cover art is therefore a good indication of what to expect inside.

Sounding like a candy-store Lou Reed, Jad Fair talks-more-than-sings his screwball cartoon lyrics against TFC's excellent musical backing. Just like when we were age 11, Frankenstein and Superman constantly get name checked.

Once the mild irritation factor wears off, you realize that it's actually very effective, as on the rocking "Crush On You," where Jad sings: "Well, if your looking for a love song/ you've come to the right place." Or the hilarious "Always In My Heart," where he admits, "I might not be a Beatle/ but I've got needs like a Beatle/ All I need is love."

It must be stated that one either likes the voice of Jad Fair or one doesn't, there's no middle ground. And if you don't like the voice of Jad and your favourite band happens to back him up, it won't change your mind. I have no understanding for those who want to copy and paste in recordings, just take it or leave it, I say. Yes, it's a matter of taste, let's strip it down to that reachable level, and yes, I'm biased, I like the voice of Jad. Here is Jad Fair at his peak perfomance accompanied by the wellplaying TF. It sounds exactly as it's supposed to. And it does make up.

This is an exceptional record. The pairing of Jad Fair and Teenage Fanclub is truly inspired. I've listened to this disk regularly for months now and I'm still not tired of it. Pay no attention to naysayers who were expacting full-fledged TFC recording. These songs are in an entirely different league. Think early Modern Lovers w/Jonathan Richman at his best.

I don't wanna be your Aquaman or Batman,
I wanna be your Superman,
because I want the very best

5 Stars for the Instrumental Performance of Teenage Fanclub + a NEGATIVE 4 Stars for the UNBEARABLE vocal "stylings" of Jad Fair = 1 Star.

Completely disappointed.

I'm one of the biggest TFC fans on the planet, and it[is sad]seeing them waste so many of these beautiful melodies that would have made another lush, harmonious new album, with a guy who sounds like the worst parts of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Jello Biafra rolled into one unbearable drunken karaoke stupor.

I've got my share of albums from each of the aforementioned artists, but I don't prefer their style to cross over with the wonderful melodic world of Fanclub. Also mad at Alternative Tentacles Records for not mentioning anywhere on the outside of the package that the boys from TFC are NOT SINGING anywhere on this album. I knew all about and expected it on "The King", their last instrumental album, but was completely in the dark on this one. ...P>If you like Vic Chesnutt fronting a great pop band who are 100 times more talented than he is, this is the CD for you. ... ...

This record surprised me quite a bit, and has led me to re-evaluate Teenage Fanclub, in this way. Jad Fair is not really a singer, but he definitely is a LEAD vocalist; he has a powerful forceful voice that is clearly leading each track. Teenage Fanclub, as instrumentalists, have improved over the years, and now they are a very cohesive unit capable of very delicate, gorgeous rock and roll. This record, and Howdy!, have made me realize that TFC would do better to have one lead vocalist, who is a real singer. The vocals on Howdy are the layered harmonies like on Songs Fron NOrhtern Britain, but the singers sound weaker than ever. Howdy is still wonderful, but I can't help but feel that it would be beyond belief if they had a real singer. DOn't get me wrong, I like the Fannies' voices, but they really aren's singers. That is why they resort to that layered harmony stuff. In an interview with one of them, he mentioned New Order as a band that shared their view that the music is more important than any person in the band. Ever since I read that, i can't help imagining New Order's singer singing the tunes on SFNB. Anyway, I'm getting off track. Words of Wisdom and Hope is an absolute delight. ONe word of warning: if you don't like Lou Reed's singing/talking style, you will not like Fair either. Me, I love Lou Reed, so this sounds like a really good Lou album to me. Essential for any TFC fan.