3

Black Heart Procession

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 5, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 5, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Touch & Go Records
• ASIN: B00004WH9J
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,001 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo Fi

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Imagine an old, dimly lit cabaret, the kind of place where you can always hear rock singers with a taste for dark, romantic songs. It's the sort of boîte that might have featured Jim Morrison in the '60s, David Bowie in the '70s, and Nick Cave in the '80s. But sometime in the late '90s, the Black Heart Procession took over as the house band. The San Diego group likes to savor its gloom: slow to medium tempos and lengthy, atmospheric intros abound on Three. Piano is the key instrument here, but a plethora of noises create sonic webs throughout the disc. Organ stylings, the haunting tones of bowed saw, and occasional trumpet parts further color the songs. Three drumless tracks, "Till We Have to Say Goodbye," "Never from This Heart," and "The War Is Over" are standouts. But drumming features prominently on "On Ships of Gold," the CD's powerful closer. This depressed march, with eerie backup vocals by Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, possesses a delightfully odd and spooky vibe. --Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good start for anyone new to The Black Heart Procession, March 10, 2001

By A Customer

Just let me start off by saying that I LOVE this band and everything they do! Their sound is so amazing, so different that you really can't compare it to anything else, you just have to listen to it and give it a try. But as for the three albums, I would have to say that I like this one the least, not that I dislike it it. In fact, I like it a lot, enough to give it 5 starts. It's just that I enjoy 1 and 2 that much more, above 5 stars. And I don't think of their music as depressing, but instead beautiful, memserizing. I can't get enough!

If you're not familiar with The Black Heart Procession, then I think Three would be a good start considering the music is a bit more upbeat (I guess not as dark as the other two). If you decide that you do like Three, then get their other CD's. You will not be disappointed. The key here is that you have to ease into this style of music. If you jump directly into 1 and 2, you may be pushed away because of the new and different sound.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CMJ review of "Three", January 19, 2001

By A Customer

The Black Heart Procession creates some of the darkest, most melancholy soundscapes heard in a long time. The band revolves around Tobias Nathaniel and Paul Jenkins, both formerly of San Diego's Three Mile Pilot. Nathaniel's piano and organ work create a sparse, wintry feel, while Jenkins's vocals are plaintive and somber. Jason Crane of Rocket From The Crypt augments "Never From This Heart" with a trumpet sound that adds to the feeling of longing, isolation and regret that permeates the track. Also creating a sense of seclusion and distance is the duet between Jenkins and Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead during "On Ships Of Gold." Makino's vocals are recorded from a long distance phone call, and eerily weave into Jenkins's. The instrumentation throughout is minimalist, but has an astonishing density. Horns, organ and a musical saw add a sense of mystery to the album. The Black Heart Procession captures the sound of broken hearts and broken lives. Three -- like such moody watersheds as the Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions and The Cure's Seventeen Seconds -- triumphantly creates an atmosphere and maintains it until the curtain falls. - Michael Dabaie: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 681 - Sep 04, 2000

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars spooky piano/bass rock, September 15, 2000

By A Customer

this album is plenty eerie. i actually don't own black heart procession 2, but i do have their first album. the first one has about four songs that are so good you almost can't believe it. and about six songs that are interesting, but that you end up skipping because they're so slow, so eerie, in this cowboy way (the focus of that album), that you feel the trail dust rise up and begin to claim you. this album, 3, is a giant leap forward from that. all the songs are good. some are stand-outs: "once said at the fires" and "a heart like mine". but i don't find myself skipping over other songs to reach them. i've had this album about a week and i've probably listened to it more than i listened to their first album in the two years i've had it around. it's eerie, it's spooky, they're using more drums now, the organs are still there. you feel all blustery when you listen to it - like windy winter woods or like you're on an ocean voyage. and though it may seem too much, all the lyrics about hearts hit right. it's cohesive, but not staid. i like it lots.