Coil [ENHANCED]

Toad The Wet Sprocket

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BR9
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,166 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb blend of lyricism and music, September 19, 1998

By A Customer

This CD is unusual for Toad largely because of the dearth of ballads, a staple of past Toad efforts. Only "Don't Fade" and "All Things in Time" would adequately fit that description on this album.

The main characteristic that strikes the listener is the depth of lyricism. Glen Phillips really reveals the depths of his talent in these songs about such wide-ranging topics as mysticism ("Little Buddha"), the plight of American Indians ("Crazy Life"), and materialism ("Throw It All Away"). There is also one really gritty rocker on this album, "Desire," which is the most physical song Toad ever wrote. "Rings" is an extremely intriguing song, because it's written from the point of view of a tree, a device that is also employed for the first time (and unfortunately the last) here. All in all, this is probably Toad's most ambitious album. "Whatever I Fear" tackles self-doubt and self-loathing with an almost unforgiving cynicism, "Dam Would Break" addresses repressed memories and dirty secrets, and "Crazy Life" employs both 19th century ("Over Pine Ridge to Wounded Knee") and 20th century ("What have you done with Peltier?") allusions to attack, albeit subtly, the Americans' treatment of Indians. Another socially conscientious track is "Amnesia," about as close to rage as Toad ever got. The song attacks prejudice, ignorance, and genocide, specifically the Holocaust, and by extension, current examples of "amnesia in comfort" like the oppression of immmigrants and human rights violations in foreign countries. "Little Buddha" is also remarkably ambitious, and is also experimental, with its use of strings, nonstandard melody, irony ("Life is suffering, tee hee ha ha") and the almost Pinteresque gibberish of some of the lines. This song reflects a disappointment for me because it would have been cool to see Toad reach farther in directions like this, but that won't happen now. Anyway, the other socially relevant song happens to be my favorite song on this album: "Little Man Big Man," a warning against aggression, hegemony, and proliferation, and an encapsulation of international politics. This album is exceptional and shows great variety making it well worth purchasing.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A smashing finale!, December 9, 1999

By	"roadtripper" (Vancouver Canada) - See all my reviews

The final original album before Toad split up, Coil is a beautiful listen.

While "Come Down" and "Whatever I Fear" are the justifiable early hits off this CD, the hypnotic "Crazy Life", the dreamy "All Things In Time", and the idealistic "Throw It All Away" are all solid gems in the Toad tradition.

Listen to Coil, and pay tribute to a band that was destined for even better things...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Toad Gives Us Their Last Album, A Great Piece of Work Indeed, December 16, 1999

By	"kc-phoenix" (East Berne, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Having long since been a toad fan (since "All I Want" first hit the radio), I enjoyed their music but did not purchase any till recently, picking up In Light Syrup and this, their very last (excepting P.S., of course). Moving, sweet, and sensitive, and even when Toad breaks from formula, it is interesting rather than a jarring misstep. And the heartbreakingly sweet "Silo Lullaby" [found as a .mov file on the CD or normally on P.S.] is the perfect goodbye for a band that deserves every bit of praise it gets. From "Whatever I Fear" to "Dam Would Break" to "Little Man Big Man" (the best 3) and many others, this is an album that yes, some minor flaws, but still, one to treasure.