Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent, March 30, 2001
What could I possibly say to get you to see that you simply can't live as well without this album? When I first heard this CD in its entirety I was literally stunned, and I think this is (so far) Kristin Hersh's masterpiece, which is saying a lot for someone so consitently wonderful and lyrically singular. The chap who declared this disc not as "immediately catchy" as Sky Motel, well, I don't quite get that. Sky Motel, I thought, was a bit noisy and unmemorable, while Sunny Border Blue doesn't lack a single memorable song. In fact, "Candyland," "Your Dirty Answer," "37 Hours," "William's Cut," and "Spain" are simply among the best songs I think I've ever heard, and they stay in my head for days. Sunny Border Blue occupies a space between the generally softer tones of Strange Angels and the noisy fuzz of Sky Motel, leaning more closely to the tone of Strange Angels (but, ahem, perhaps more immediately catchy). Take Strange Angels' most memorable songs and they hold hands--gripping fists--perfectly with the tracks on Sunny Border Blue. From "Candyland": "Don't wait for pain/ to find out you exist/ Don't look for shame/ You're better off without it/ Life is unkind/ This isn't candyland . . . He gave me a reason to live it." A fantastic album from one of our coolest, too-much-under-the-radar singer/songwriter/joygivers.
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic..., January 24, 2004
This is one of those albums that you really have to sit with for a while and let sink in before you really "get it." You may like it right away and come to appreciate it deeper as time passes or you may be like myself and think it's boring and meandering when you first hear it. But, taking in the rest of her recordings (both with Throwing Muses and on her own) really puts this album in its place: among her best work. The songs are completely realized and some of the most well thought out pieces she's ever done. The real impressive part is that, in Stevie Wonder style, she played about 98% of the instruments on the album herself. So, it feels like the work of single person as opposed to sounding like a person singing their lyrics over musicians. Very cohesive, layered, and all around a very rewarding album. Possibly my favorite record of any Throwing Muses or Kristin solos.
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life is unkind..., April 17, 2002
Kristin Hersh's songs never quite do what you expect them to. Humor is always hiding behind her evil twin, heartbreak. Cynicism is partnered with emotional purity. This album seems to reflect Hersh exorcising her demons; buried pain from years ago. "Candyland," is apparently about her first son, Dylan, and is the most emotionally raw in lyrics like, "I was born with a sad song in my mouth. He gave me a reason to sing it."The song that's grown on me the most from this cd is "White Suckers." "You didn't disappoint me totally," she sings with only a trace of irony. Devastation lurks at the end of the song: "Driving around in your souped-up Jeep, like you've got somewhere better to be." Hersh reaches a subtle plateau of emotion, raising more questions than answers. Hersh's lyrics can be vulgar, which can have a jarring effect, and this seems most pronounced on this album. In a performance, Hersh introduced "Flipside," saying, "This song has so many swears in it I can't count them. And it's my sweetest one." Her lyrical styling keeps any song from being too coarse or too saccharine. The instrumentation on this album is varied and interesting; unlike Strange Angels, which was entirely acoustic, or Sky Motel, which was mostly electric, this creates a unified sound of rising and falling energy. This album could be a great introduction for those not yet familiar with Hersh's music, and a permanent addition for those who have loved her music for year
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ Kristin Hersh
![Hips And Makers [CD on Demand]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512WCTZNK7L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
~ Kristin Hersh
~ Kristin Hersh
~ Kristin Hersh
~ Kristin Hersh
by Kristin Hersh 
![Hips And Makers [CD on Demand]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512WCTZNK7L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
