Faces & Names

Dave Pirner

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 30, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ultimatum
• ASIN: B0000696R6
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,122 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Like Hüsker Dü and the Replacements, Soul Asylum started out as a high-voltage Minneapolis punk band in 1981. By the time they arrived at mainstream success 11 years later they had transformed into simple blue-collar rockers in the mold of Pearl Jam and Tom Petty. This solo album accompanies frontman Dave Pirner's latest metamorphosis as a rough-and-tumble lounge singer. He dips into sublime smooth-jazz grooves on "364," pays elated tribute to Al Green on the soulful "Feel the Need," and slips into Dusty Springfield territory on the lush "Start Treating People Right," which features a simple piano melody that would not sound entirely out of place on Norah Jones's record. The only nod to his rock & roll past is the tellingly titled "Much Too Easy," which starts out with a blast of distortion before dissolving into a muted electronic groove. Now more than ever, the verses of Soul Asylum's biggest hit seem apt: "Runaway train, never going back..." --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description
Solo debut from Dave Pirner the Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter for Soul Asylum. Featuring the first single 'Never Recover'. The album was produced by Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow) at Daniel Lanois Kingsway studios in New Orleans. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pirner Shows Another Side, August 15, 2002

By	"jbksauls" (Corvallis, OR United States) - See all my reviews

Die-hard fans of Soul Asylum may find this solo disc from frontman Dave Pirner a little tough to digest, at least at first. With the exception of the title track very few of the 11 tracks on "Face and Names" would fit on a Soul Asylum record. Anyone expecting the fury of "Somebody To Shove" or even the acoustic touches of "Runaway Train" will have to keep looking. Instead, Pirner and friends create a soulful, cleanly produced set of tracks that, for the most part, work very well. What makes it special is that, while Pirner has changed the sonic nature of his work, his insighful, personal lyrics remain. When he sings that he will "Never Recover", you believe him. Highlights include "Someday Love", "Teach Me To Breath", and "Start Treating People Right". Last but not least there is the title track which, honestly, is among the best songs I've heard this year. Similar to Soul Asylum's "String Of Pearls", the song "Faces and Names" is about as close to perfect as you can imagine and worth the price of the disc in and of itself. I still long for new Soul Asylum music but, if Pirner chooses to do stuff like this in their off-time or even for the rest of his career, I'll be the first in line to check it out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different clothes, same attitude, December 27, 2003

By	"laydownclown" (Bologna, Italy) - See all my reviews

As a Soul Asylum diehard, the 1st listen to this album was some kind of a shock, since the 2 extracts "Faces and Names" and "Never Recover" don't show Dave Pirner's "new sound". RnB Songs like "364" or "Feel The Need" have NOTHING in common with the band, be it Say What You Will or Grave Dancers Union era. But after 2-3 listenings you see the same attitude, same honesty, same talent as every Soul Asylum release. Pirner is now skillful enough to cross genres and still "lookin' good". And, after all this is another Dave Pirner album, the new influences don't make him sound like Blues Brothers!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He still has "Soul"., April 12, 2005

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

I always liked Soul Asylum, but the only reason I got this is because I found it for a few bucks. What a score. True, there's nothing on this disc that actually rocks, but I really like this new sound, and think Dave sounds as good as ever. I liken "Faces And Names" to the first solo albums from Chris Robinson and Chris Cornell, not as great as their former bands, but still very good, and a must for the real fans. "Teach Me To Breathe" must have been the single from this, but I also like "Feel The Need", "Someday Love", and honestly the whole thing is good. Sorry to see this is currently out of print, and no other news from Dave. If you find it, grab it.