Ammunition

Tim Easton

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2006)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New West Records
• ASIN: B000EWAXTM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,909 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With the firepower title and powerhouse supporting cast--including Lucinda Williams, Tift Merritt, and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris--listeners might expect something a little more explosive than the stripped-down acoustic folk of most of this release. Tim Easton's songwriting can be as elliptical and enigmatic as the opening "Black Dog" or as straightforward as "Next to You," where the harmonies with Merritt have a pillow-talk intimacy. He pays homage to Bob Dylan with "News Blackout" (the protest side) and "C-Dub" (the bluesier side), and to folk-blues tradition with the closing "Sitting on Top of the World." Elsewhere, he extends the range of his material from the bittersweet kiss-off of "I Wish You Well" to the prayerful irony of "J.P.M.F.Y.M." ("Jesus, protect me from your followers"). The backing is typically so understated that the arrangements are almost subliminal, though Williams's vocal support on "Back to the Pain" seems more foreground than background to Easton's wispy, reedy voice, and the rock of "Not Today" seems all the more propulsive amid what surrounds it. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Safer Place, June 19, 2008

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Tim Easton's "Ammunition" sneaks up on you. It's a soft affair, easy to overlook its excellence. "Oh People" is one of those lovely tracks that jump alive the more you listen, "There's no safer place to be." He follows this with another delightful ballad, "Next to You," "I want to wake up singing every word you said." "I've watched you fall in love with anyone who would talk to you," Tim sings with Lucinda Williams on background vocals on "Back to the Pain." "Before the Revolution" has some sweet finger picking and a simple melody that works with Easton's understated delivery. "J.P.M.F.Y.F." wryly comments on the dangers of religious fanaticism. "C-Dub" sounds like "Blonde On Blonde" era Dylan with a bluesy talk-sing. Easton concludes with a sad reading of "Sitting On Top of the World." "Ammunition" is a good disc that seeps into consciousness with repeated listenings. Easton's muse is in good form. Enjoy!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TIM EASTON SAYS IT RIGHT!, November 9, 2006

By	Ode Lady - See all my reviews

This is a great album-I love his others-but this one hits some very real places within me. Tim's guitar playing is as crisp and clear as ever...his words are amazing-bringing the listener to their own Inside, a real luxury, to just glide on his tunes and simmer in the feelings that his music allows to surface. Tim, ya done good.......again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So glad I found this album!, August 17, 2008

By	Rusty Sharpedge (Redondo Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

One of the other reviewers said that Ammunition "sneaks up on you. It's a soft affair, easy to overlook its excellence" (Lee Armstrong, June 19, 2008). Very well put, and I want to second that.

Upon first listen I heard a fairly standard male singer/songwriter clearly influenced by Bob Dylan: Weathered voice? Check. Acoustic guitar? Check. Playful, social/political lyrics? Check. Blues references? Check. I thought it was good, but with repeated listens it just got better and better.

It's hard to nail down exactly what makes this album so enjoyable. I like the dark and homespun sound, reminiscent of Springsteen's Nebraska album with its minimal instrumentation and vintage slapback echo on the vocal. The lyrics are smart, thought-provoking and at times funny. The songs flow nicely with solid chord progressions and melodies that feel natural. The whole delivery is inviting, confident and unforced...not trying to shore up the tracks with big-name L.A. session musicians, which was one of the weak points of Easton's prior album, Break You Mother's Heart, in my opinion.

Ammunition is right up there with the all-time best of the troubadour/songwriter genre.