Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A little mainstream adoration and we're so quick to backhand, June 6, 2005
Judging by the reviews on Amazon for Connor's latest releases, there has been an incredible amount of backlash against Bright Eyes. Yes, the Jay Leno performance and the whole Winona thing were a bit much. And yes, it is insulting to Bob Dylan to be compared to Connor Oberst or anyone other than Bob Dylan, but come on.
If Connor is now considered mainstream, then I am hard-pressed to find an artist more emotive, but not necessarily sincere, than he is in the wasteland that is pop music today. I remember being in college and being given this record by a dear friend who was from Omaha and attended the same high school as Oberst. Connor's music was very dear to him and I decided to give Fevers a try. What I discovered was something truly special.
This album changed my perspective on music and broadened my horizons past classic and radio-friendly rock into lots of truly wonderful indie music. This is coming from a guy who used to believe that Nirvana's In Utero was the best album ever produced in the 90's (it is damn good though).
I believe Connor was only 19 when he wrote and recorded this material and I will be surprised if he ever surpasses it. From the first track through the last, there is nothing on this album that I would ever skip over. I don't know if this says more about me than I'd care to admit, but I'm 24 now and I still relate to this material.
If you've ever been clinically depressed, then you may instantly connect with this album because it is sincere in it's depression, as others have accused it of faking. They've obviously never been "there". I agree with a previous reviewer, I own many, many albums and this will always be placed near the top of my collection. Don't do yourself a favor and rush out to buy it, because you may not like it and you may end up writing an unfair, scathing review on this incredibly corporate, though very useful website. I personally hope you don't, so I have less one person to get angry with. After all, I need to keep this close to my heart where it will always belong.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I don't understand how music can be this good, February 25, 2001
... but it is. 5 stars? No. 5 million. When I bought this cd, I already had favorite bands. I already had albums that made me cry or gave that feeling which is deeper than tearful. I already had memorized a million songs and been mesmorized by them. And then, I found Bright Eyes. Conor Oberst writes and performs with such intensity, and I have come to the conclusion that he is God. This album makes you think. It makes you impressively and beatifully depressed. You fetus on the shower floor and sob, singing "And then the bridge disappears and I'm standing on air, with nothing holding me..." I can't get enough of it. Buy it. And don't even wait to buy Letting Off The Happiness, Every Day And Every Night, and A collection of Songs... Buy them all right now, and while you are at it, buy some stuff by Cursive and The Faint. When you get this massive package, become obsessed with one album at a time. Let yourself become really, hopelessly infatuated with each song on each album before you move on to the next. And if you were not a depressed neurotic freak to begin with, you will be a classic when you're done.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just when you thought indie rock was dead..., January 7, 2001
If you're like me, you have grown bored of all the Sebadoh clones out there by now. All the "I-will-out-lo-fi-your-ass!" bands out there have mostly brought the genre a bad name like sequels have soiled horror films in general. Most of the true music lovers out there have probably given up on the genre when the industry started popping out CDs like "Now THAT's indie rock Vol.6". But in the few recent years a few true gems have emerged from all the dust that has accumulated on the racks of your favorite local music store. One of these gems and the ones who, according to me, really bring new spirit to the music is Bright Eyes.Yes, some of the songs are REALLY lo-fi (television in the background?) and the frail vocals and "dollar-store-budget" production give it the standard sound. But, dear Jesus, how innovative the end result is! Amidst the beautiful melodies and the powerful, poetic texts we are offered moments of pure brilliance not usually found on this type of recording which elevate the album (and the group for that matter) over the rest. The possibilities with sounds and voices are really explored to the fullest and sometimes extremely inventive ("An attempt to tip the scales" is really the song one should hear to that affect. To witness the track go from a melodious song to a disturbing interview is amazing). None of it is flashy and these great moments punctuate the album to the tee, making it a beautiful listen, without a moment of boredom, from beginning to end. Describing the Bright Eyes sound on the other hand, is no easy task. The best possible comparison I could make is to the films of Harmony Korine. If any of you are familiar with and enjoy his films, you will truely feel at home listening to Bright Eyes. This IS the sounds of Nowhere USA. Like the films of Korine, we focus on little everyday events and experiences, dark and disturbing secrets, differences and indifference. All of this presented in the most poetic and personal way. If you are able to pierce through the first hard layer (and there might be for the first few listens), it is impossible not to be touched deeply by what is going on on this album. Remarkable.
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