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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible, July 10, 2005
When a group comes out with some new sound that doesn't match anything you've ever heard, the rub is that it seems to be the only thing they can do. Jason Webley, in this respect, breaks two molds: he's not only different from everyone else; he's even different from himself! Only Just Beginning displays his talent well.
Some songs, like Music That Puts Everything Together and May Day, are lively and bring a smile to your face. May Day in particular is wonderful; I played it for a friend and she couldn't help but start dancing! He's dead on with "You hear that beat? Come on, move your feet...old man Winter's dead and gone! There'll be wiggling of the toes, there'll be taking off of clothes, there'll be silly naked dancing on the lawn!"
Other songs, like the first track and With, are gentle and calming.
I had never heard of Jason Webley (like most people) when I went to a Dresden Dolls concert a while back, and I have to say that his stage presence is stunning. He walked onstage looking very ordinary in a plain brown hat, and for a moment I thought he was just helping set up, but then he leaned down and lifted his accordion off the stage. He stood and slowly began to play it, beautiful and haunting...I could see his face from the side as it crumpled in seeming ecstasy with each controlled note. He wasn't acting; almost nobody could see him. He truly loves what he does.
Then, he lifted one foot and stomped the stage. He stomped with the other. He did this until he had a great thunderous accordioned rhythm, and then turned with a jump and began to sing in an oft-roaring voice. The majority of his performance was that way; surprising, entertaining, magnificent. And there is a track like that on Only Just Beginning (my favorite, I admit): Icarus. The way he uses his voice on it is especially excellent; by mere pacing he adds incredible emotion to the lines, "I'll say a word for sickness, she is my favorite mistress yes she knows my body like no other can...my flesh and spirit keep colliding when her fingers are inside me--oh my god Oh my God lady I'm your man."
That's his signature style, and it was all I knew before I bought this album. It came as a minor shock to me when I talked to him after the show and he showed 0 signs, from voice to demeanor, of being the same thunderous man. He was very kind and nondescript. I asked him which of his four CDs he would recommend me to buy, and he said that this album is the one of which he is most proud. I haven't heard all of his music, but I can't blame him after learning Only Just Beginning through and through. The combination of his smooth, arresting voice and less-used intruments such as the tuba and cello with his accordion, guitar, and piano (and others) merge with these fantastic songs and fitting lyrics to make an unforgettable CD.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tomato Soldiers Unite., August 1, 2006
I saw Jason Webley in Winona, Minnesota, at a small coffee house called the Blue Heron. My friend called me from there and she told me that it would be worth my time to skip across the railroad tracks and come see him.
I was amazed.
On stage with an accordion, a guitar, and a bottle full of coins from around the world that he shook like a maraca, Webley's live performance held so much atmosphere that I found myself shivering from time to time. He even made a phone call to a fan and talked to her in the middle of the performance, before asking us to look at our index fingers and spin around twelve times to get dizzy enough to appreciate his lively 'Drinking Song' ( from the album Counterpoint. ) Meeting him after the performance was probably one of the top five moments of my stay in Winona.
Every CD of Webley's is worth all the money you can pay for it. He combines folk, gypsy, and rock into a genre all his own, capped off by his deep, gravelly voice and enthusiastic accordion playing. 'Icarus' is definitely my favorite track on this CD, what with its pirate-esque feel and sing-along-ability. If you're to buy one Jason Webley CD in your life, I recommend either this or Against the Night. Either way, you won't be disappointed.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a note...., April 2, 2007
All of the other reviews are quite accurate. This is an incredible album! But if you buy if from the artists website it's cheaper new than it is here used, and worth visiting the site any how just to read his stories.
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