Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
All Phish Fanboy Fervor Aside..., August 6, 2008
...this is an entirely forgettable, albeit thoroughly pleasant listen. The studio lends a cleanliness to each of The Green Sparrow's crisp rock ditties. And yes, that's precisely what they are. It's at once strange, amusing, and placating to hear Mike sing so much. His voice is smooth, inoffensive, and not without a certain dreamy quality. The songs are mostly inane, but there are some nuggets of distinctly rich lyricism to be gleaned. Tracks like Another Door, Traveled Too Far, and Andelmans' Yard offer clever, catchy wordplay and are clearly highlights of this generally well-received album. It offers little in the way of jamming, but that's not necessarily a knock.
Mike recently launched a lengthy tour in support of The Green Sparrow. While his band is admittedly mediocre, the humility and intimacy of these shows are refreshing and provide an easy context for a good time. Get there early and you're bound to bump into the man - just like the good old days! Seriously, go support Cactus.
While I wanted to like this album more, I certainly wasn't disappointed. Gordo will always hold a special place in my heart. Dude just makes me smile. I trust I'm not alone.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mike's first clunker, September 25, 2008
While Mike hasn't been as prolific as Trey in the post-Phish years, his work has been more consistent. Trey has scored some highs ("Trey Anastasio" "Plasma") and lows ("Bar 17") as Mike's output has been smaller but more consistently good. Quality examples include "Clone" and "Inside In," both of which were fantastic albums. Unfortunately, there never was a GRAB (Gordon, Russo, Anastasio and Benevento) release. In any case, "the Green Sparrow" is Mike Gordon's first clunker. All of the good PR in Relix Magazine can't makeup for what's lacking from this album. It's not that there's anything wrong with this release, there's just nothing compelling about it. The songs are okay, but there are no highlights. It's enjoyable to hear Mike sing so much, but when the tunes themselves are so bland, the satisfaction is limited. It's hard to believe that Mike had a reputation as the weird guy in Phish when considering how stock this effort sounds. Improvisationally speaking, this material has been opened up on tour, but the album is very song oriented. At the end of the day, "the Green Sparrow" isn't a bad album, it's just mediocre. You win some and you lose some. Let's hope that after the current shows, Mike will recharge his batteries and get back in the saddle.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mike: Back And Groovy!, August 18, 2008
Ok, first of all let me say I usually don't write these reviews at all, so forgive me if this sounds stupid or something! I just recieved this album on Friday night(today is Monday morning), and I can tell you allready this is a good one. Some albums just dig a hook into you and don't let go for a long time, they latch onto something in your brain that picks up on a certain sound or a certain groove and keep feeding it until the album ends and I think Mike has really achieved that with this record.
I personally loved Inside In and think it is one of the best Phish side projects ever (what I refer to as really good "haunted house music"), and Mike had sort of flipped it over with "The Green Sparrow".
The record has a very light hearted and very upbeat sound with songs that are extremely catchy and fun, too "poppy"?...... maybe, if you are very anti "pop" sound, but not any more then previous Phish member albums such as "Shine" and the Page Mconnell S/T.
Mike really delivers a feel-good album with a sence that he is ready to start on a new path or make a fresh start with his solo music, and as usual gives the impression that he is not even really trying too hard to do so (his voice always gave me that impression and it's no different on this LP) and getting the job done just fine.
Don't look for any extended jams or ground breaking "Guyute" style anthems or anything, but if you are a Phish fan or enjoyed "Inside In" check this one out for sure. Mike proves that he is more then capable of writing, aranging, and recording truly unique and yet catchy tunes once again with a feeling of relaxed confidence.
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is one of Mike Gordon's 
