Around the Well

Iron & Wine

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 2009)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B001VKSPS2
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,108 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This double CD/triple LP collects songs ranging from out-of-print to never-before-released and spans Iron And Wine's earliest sessions which yielded the band's debut (2002's "The Creek Drank The Cradle") through material recorded for 2007's "The Shepherd's Dog". The double disc is broken into two sections. The first is an assortment of hushed home recordings, unedited and raw, and the second highlights moments captured in the studio with the help of other musicians, friends, and engineers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such Incredible Heights, May 19, 2009

By	Pat (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Here it is, finally! The collection of songs all of us Iron & Wine junkies have been collecting over the years, together in one package at last. Let me be clear though, Around the Well isn't just for the diehard fans. This is as good of an offering as anything Mr. Sam Beam has ever released. The first disc contains a collection of mostly lo-fi covers and singles spanning I&W's lifetime - most of which have popped up in various places in different formats. Very good stuff, but probably more appreciated by the long-time fans. The second disc is what I believe is really going to surprise a lot of people. Except for the epic fan favorite "The Trapeze Swinger" and "Communion Cups and Someone's Coat", this disc contains songs that are completely new to me, and I've been really quite taken at how wonderful they are. The songs "Belated Promise Ring", "God Made The Automobile", "Love Vigilantes", and "Kingdom Of The Animals" are among the best songs I've ever heard from I&W. As a whole I would say the second disc could easily stand by itself against all of his other full length releases. And with the whole collection closing with "The Trapeze Swinger" I really couldn't ask for anything else. Around the Well is simply a great, well put-together collection for anyone who enjoys Iron and Wine and will definitely hold me over until the next new release.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some good stuff from Sam, May 19, 2009

By	William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Although it's a collection of miscellaneous material - b-sides, rarities, etc. - this new double-disc set from Sam Beam is also clearly intended to work as an "album" that hangs together just as well as an all-new set of songs would. For me, it does work that way... Forget that this is a bunch of tunes collected from over several years, and listen to it as if it was a "regular" album, and it will stand as a really excellent Iron & Wine production. So far my favorite track is the Flaming Lips cover, "Waitin' For a Superman," which I think improves on the original (hard to do, for me). It's one of four cover tunes on Around the Well (the others being Postal Service, New Order and Stereolab songs). I also really dig the gentle folkish vibe and general ethereal-ness of "God Made the Automobile." Gordon Lightfoot meets Swamp Ghost. And those are just two of more than 20 songs and over 90 minutes of music - I expect I'll be greatly enjoying many of the others too. (A really good price for a 2-CD set, too - thanks Sub Pop!)

My only real frustration with this collection is the minimal liner notes. No individual song performance credits, no historical references (i.e., it would be nice to learn where the b-sides and rarities first appeared) [what're we supposed to do, google the song titles individually, or search the artist's web site?], and lyrics are given only for the songs Sam wrote, not the covers. But that's only a minor drawback from an otherwise topnotch release.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, May 20, 2009

By	Kyle T. Mcclain "Jungone" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Finally an artist who loves his fans enough to put all this music in one place! This 2 disc set is worth the purchase for all the music you get but it is definitely a must for any Iron and Wine fan. For those of us who have searched for these songs on soundtracks or b-sides on single, this collection is a blessing. Disc one brings the rough charm of the early works like The Sea and the Rhythm and The Creek Drank the Cradle. The disc progresses through Sam's work with new and old personal favorites such as Waiting for Superman, Dearest Forsaken, and Such Great Heights. Disc 2 shows has incredible growth and production without losing the intimate beauty of a live performance. Disc 2 has some of the best songs that always left me wondering why they were never on previous releases. Personal favorites on disc 2 include Communion cups & Someone's Coat, Belated Promise Ring, Kingdom of Animals and the always ALWAYS loved The Trapeze Swinger. Iron and Wine has won me as a fan forever simply for releasing hard to finds and rarities.