Bloodletting

Concrete Blonde

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1990)
• Original Release Date: May 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000000QFR
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,654 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Concrete Blonde's best and most mainstream album benefits considerably from a stronger focus and good production. Consistent songwriting means a lack of weak material, and the dark inflection of most of the music gives the songs an edge. The title track remains a favorite of the goth set, though it was the hit single "Joey" that garnered the most attention. The up-tempo songs are the best; "The Sky Is a Poisonous Garden", "Days and Days", and "The Beast" really stand out. Of the slower songs, "Tomorrow, Wendy" has an irony that gives it an edge. Concrete Blonde's later albums don't really measure up to the quality of this one. -- Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love is a ghost, October 15, 2003

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Bloodletting" remains Concrete Blonde's darkest, most masterful album. Mixing the gothic with the tragic (relationships gone sour -- "Caroline" refers to a "sad hallucination), it's dark and twisted, cynical and sad and angry. In short, it brims over with strong emotion and good music.

The brooding "Bloodletting" evokes the world of Anne Rice's bloodsuckin' charmers, with its references to vampires, New Orleans, and "I may never see the light." The more uptempo "The Sky Is A Poisonous Garden" is still tragic, as is the catchy "Caroline" and the eerily poppy "Darkening of the Light." "I Don't Need A Soldier" brims with bitterness and independence, while the blasting "Beast" is full of savage and romantic imagery, more vampires and ghosts. And "Tomorrow Wendy" is a pure cry of pain against God and an unjust world. (The religious may want to shy away from this last one, as it will probably offend)

The gothic flavor of "Bloodletting" is deceptive, with all its abandoned houses, vampires and blood, monsters and ghosts. The music, no matter how catchy it becomes, is never light and airy. It's relentlessly dark, sad at least and angry at most, claiming that "love is the leech... love is a vampire." The murky, creeping guitar seeps through the angsty songs like blood on the water.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of "Bloodletting" is the singing. While Johnette Napolitano clearly poured a lot of pain into these songs, as you can see in the writing, the emotion somehow doesn't filter through her rather low, occasionally hard to hear voice. But her growling works wonderfully in the less sad, more embittered songs.

Painful and dark, this is nevertheless a a spooky ride down into a gothic world of beasts, vampires, and love gone wrong in a dark way. A little flawed, but haunting (literally).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bloodletting: a beast and a lullabye., June 26, 2005

By	H3@+h (VT) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I've been a fan of the band for 15 years, and own every album. Though each other disc of theirs is nearly perfect, this one is. 10 tracks that are dark, beautiful, aggressive, and moving. Some absolutely rock, while some are soft as a feather. This album is often labeled as goth, and between the cover art, and tracks like "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)", I guess it just may be. Musically it's extremely consistent, and each track has a similar tone regardless of the pace. However I think that Johnette's singing makes the album (and band). Her voice is so emotional and strong it's addictive. Their biggest hit ever "Joey" is on here, but I gaurantee that it's an average song on a much above average album. Any of their collections may be a good pick also, but I could listen to this album for "Days And Days".

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbigly beautiful, July 4, 2000

By	Jeff Hughes (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews

Johnette Napolitano once said that she wished "Bloodletting" had never seen the light of day. It was written during a dark period of her life and the songs on this album reflect that. Amazingly (or perhaps not so,) it's the album her fans love most. The themes, music and lyrics of this album are very darkly tainted, and beautifully so. What initially drew me to this album wasn't the hit "Joey," but rather the lushly visual "Caroline" with its richly-textured melodies and haunting lyrics. It was just the tip of the iceberg. "The Sky is a Poisonous Garden," "Darkening on the Light," and "I Don't Need a Hero" are goregeous, moody masterpieces. The foreboding "Bloodletting" sings about vampires in New Orleans, evoking the vivid imagery of Anne Rice's earlier novels, and the classic "Tomorrow Wendy" is simply the most painful song I've ever listened to. As Johnette rails against God in her rage and frustration over the horror and injustice of AIDS, the world suddenly seems a very lonely place. Even the album's brightest track, "Lullabye" seems more a cry for solace amidst the darkness of the songs that surround it. This is the masterpiece album from a band without weak efforts. Napolitano is a consummate musician and songwriter, and "Bloodletting" displays her considerable talents at their darkest and most disturbing best.