Here Comes the New Folk Underground [IMPORT]

David Baerwald

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2007)
• Original Release Date: July 16, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Lost Highway
• ASIN: B000069COR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,287 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Following his move from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas (and to the alternative country Lost Highway label), acerbic singer-songwriter David Baerwald's third solo album sounds like a fresh start. It's been nine years since his previous release, but Baerwald's songwriting is as intelligent, edgy, and conceptually ambitious as ever. From the country harmonies and back-porch picking of "Why" through the brassy buoyancy of "Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down," Baerwald tempers his smart-aleck tendencies with greater melodic warmth and lyrical clarity. Both "If (a Boy Whore in a Man's Jail)" and the unlisted bonus track "Little Fat Cowboy" evoke the influence of Randy Newman, while the lacerating "Love #29" and the funky underpinnings of "Bozo Weirdo Wacko Creep" suggest that the album's title is a tongue-in-cheek band name rather than a musical mission statement. Though Baerwald remains best known for his audacious debut as half of David & David on 1986's Boomtown and as a catalyst for Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club, he's never made music that is richer or more consistently satisfying than this. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent cd for those who appreciate songwriting, August 19, 2002

By	Hammer "dburn59" (Arizona Bay) - See all my reviews

David Baerwald in one of todays most underrated songwriters. We all know what a masterpiece "Boomtown" was 16 years ago. Hell, it STILL is! Baerwald has covered a lot of ground since then. His first solo effort, "Bedtime Stories", was IMHO just as good as "Boomtown" but it didn't get the recognition it deserved. He follwed that up with "Triage"; a dramatic about face from his past two releases. Both "Bedtime Stories and "Triage" are now out of print but are definitely worth looking up on your favorite online auction site.

Which brings me to "Here Comes the New Folk Underground". For this release Baerwald collaborates with Will Sexton (yep, Charlie's brother) for one of the years best albums. As with all of his other albums, this cd contains Baerwald's image laden lyrics. You can always "see" his songs as they pour from your speakers. Very few songwriters possess this ability. Yet it seems to come naturally to Baerwald. These songs are an emotional rollercoaster, happy and upbeat (Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down), sad (Why) to introspective (If). This album has it all.

If you're a fan of Baerwald's, you probably already have this cd. If you're new to his music and are sitting on the fence about buying this cd, don't worry. I guarantee once you hear "Compassion" or "Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down" or "Wondering" you'll be humming them all day long. It's that good. Hell, they're ALL good!!

Thanks "Destructo"!

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars In Retrospect I Should Have Left It Alone, September 9, 2003

By	david baerwald (los angeles, ca United States) - See all my reviews

In retrospect, I think I was trying to make a hat out of a pair of shoes, and should have left well enough alone with the material on "A Fine Mess". Though I'm as narcissistic as the next guy, I honestly can't really recommend this album. Better to track down a copy of "A Fine Mess", if you're interested. Or better yet, "A Love Supreme". Just my two cents.

David Baerwald

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Effort, July 17, 2002

By A Customer

Baerwald is surfacing after a nine-year solo effort hiatus with what is a major musical and philosophical statement for the neo-Austinite. The project title is a scream. The heart-tugging, bluegrass/rock-flavored "Why" and "The Crash" coalesce with the CD's best track ("Compassion") into a melting pot of scathing Randy Newman-influenced poetry ("If" and the hilarious bonus track "Little Fat Cowboy") and straight ahead Beatlesque rock ("Hellbound Train" and "Love #29.") Yet with all of the nodding, his influences don't overshadow the originality of his craft, a testament to his remarkable singing/songwriting ability. This progression of Baerwald's talent is a signpost of the inevitable: with his recent Golden-Globe-nominated, soaring "Come What May" (his masterpiece from the 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack,) he now takes his place as one of America's foremost composers, and his formidable body of work (beginning with the 1986 wunderwork "Boomtown") demands study by craftsmen and cruising-with-the-top-down fans alike.