Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Their best release still doesn't compare to them live!, February 25, 2000
Lost & Gone Forever is the best of Guster's releases that comes the closest to their live sound. They have a great & interesting sound. Guster is composed of Brian, the drummer, who drums on bongos & djembe drums with his bare hands only. No sticks were harmed in the making of this album! It presents an amazing background to their music, both on this album & it's even more amazing live! Ryan & Adam share guitar duties; they don't really have a bass player, but bass is on the album. They have great harmony songs that really flow with the intricate guitars. The lyrics are definitely interesting & not the usual spam on Top 40-type radio. Outstanding tracks for me personally are Two Points For Honesty, What You Wish For, & Center Of Attention. I am newly obsessed with this band, so listen to the music, & then go see them live!This is my newest discovery from just last year. I experienced their live show first, having never heard of them beforehand. I think this alone has ruined any of their CD's for me because they are SO EXCELLENT LIVE! I got a hold of their first two CD's before this newest one came out & thought they paled considerably to their live sound, but you do enjoy them after some listens.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD..., March 28, 2000
Although this cd may not be as useful as sliced bread, and perhaps not quite as tasty, Guster's "Lost and Gone Forever" is one hell of a record. The boys from Guster really continued in their tradition of going against the grain in many cases; a perfect example is the second track on L&GF, "Barrel of a Gun." This was one of the first Guster songs I ever heard, and it was also the song responsible for getting me hooked to the band. Some unique aspects of this song that struck me as being brilliant, are as follows: in one part, brian (the conguero) plays some chimes with his hand, and then at the moment when everything in the song pauses, you can actually HEAR brian grasping the chimes together in his hands and muting them; a very nice touch. Later in the song, rather than playing any kind of actual drum, brian plays the beat on a typewriter, even working in the little "ding, sliiiiiiiide" at some points. The musical genious of this album is really just unparalelled by most other bands (save for the Dave Matthews Band), and it really shows on this album. One more thing......GUSTER IS FOR WORCESTER!!!!!!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Top CD of the 90's-Brilliant, June 19, 2002
I published a 25-CD list of my top CD's of the 90's and this was my choice at #1. Check it out.I am from New England and Guster had played at my university for years, but I had never heard them until 1999. I heard "Barrel of a Gun" and "Fa Fa" on the radio and thought they were great songs. Real catchy, upbeat, great bongo drums, harmonies. It's damn hard not to move and sing along when you hear these songs. "What You Wish For", "Center of Attention", "Happier" are also in the same vein as the formerly mentioned songs. Most of the songs on this CD could have been hit singles, they're all catchy and radio friendly while not sounding overly poppy. The melodies will really stick in your head. Just great songwriting and a real breath of fresh air. These guys are big on college campuses. I'm trying to think of a comparison to describe Guster. It's not too easy but when I first heard them I thought of Rusted Root meets the Beach Boys meets Dave Matthews. I can't really think of any bands all that similar to Guster, they are in my opinion the top band out right now. Guster has a great natural sound with acoustic guitars, harmonies, and bongo/conga drums. The bongos/congas really give Guster a distinct sound and approach to their music. It sill often sounds like there is a full drum kit and percussion section. The songs kick with energy. Lead singer Ryan Miller writes great lyrics. While a lot of the songs are fun and uptempo, most of the lyrics are dark or sad (even on the uptempo songs). He writes about depression, feeling isolated, being insecure, an obsession with a movie star, and breakups. No true love songs on this album. It's nice to have lyrics that most people can relate to and will make you think a little. "Rainy Day" is the only song on the album where the mood of the music is as dark as the lyrics. It was featured in the movie "Life as a House". Other excellenty slower songs are "I Spy", "Either Way" and the excellent midtempo acoustic "So Long" (reminds me a little of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be") and the most impressive musical track on the album, "Two Points for Honesty", which uses multiple instruments and tempos building to a stunning climax. I don't know what else to say except that this is a great album. The sound is incredible (producer Steve Lillywhite did a fantastic job translating their live sound to CD) and this is the best songwriting they've ever done. It's a wonder that this album didn't break the band nationally, although they still have a huge cult following. I feel that if it was realized today instead of 1999, it would go platinum. The one thing I don't like too much on the CD is the falsetto singing on "All the Way up to Heaven" which is a little annoying but that song has a great tempo/key change in the middle which almost makes up for it. Really, this is a classic and I listen to at least part of it everyday. If you're a new Guster fan, get this one first, as it's their best and most accessible. Then try their second album "Goldfly".
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