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 Brilliant Sep 11, 2009
The first time I listened to this album, it moved me to tears. It's very introspective at times. The thing that is most striking to me is the interplay between the sparse simple tracks, and the more chaotic ones. It mirrors life. There are moments when you are ravaged by storms, both inner and outer - that is there on the album. Then there are moments when you are touched, like when you notice a beautiful flower or a baby - that is there too. I think that the world largely isn't ready for Edgar Meyer, which has happened many times with radical inventive composers. But I think that we'll be performing these songs (those who can manage!) for decades or centuries to come. As for the complaint that he's "showing off" I would say that by labeling it as that type of thing, one misses the beauty. That would be like saying that a brilliantly colored animal was mother-nature "showing off" and refusing to enjoy it.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Critics! Argh!!!!! Feb 17, 2009
Editorialists and critics-WHO NEEDS 'EM!
1. The jibe that this work is self-indulgent is just plain foolish. Wow-art as self-indulgent; who'd a thunk it?
2. I've always felt that a non-player who has no "prodigous talent" has absolutely nothing to say when it comes to criticizing/analyzing someone who does have any talent, let alone a "prodigous" amount.
3. Our insights can be of little value to a true artist or a genius of any ilk. How presumptuous human beings are.
Why do you think Dylan doesn't want to hear the drivel my "2 cents" would probably be? We aren't in the same ballpark kids. This is art, not science.
I suggest open-mindedness, gratitude, and delight as the proper responses to any good art, especially music.
Boy, if Chopin wasn't so darn emotional............and that darn Johnny Bach, what a snoot he was tempering all those scales! Did he really have to do ALL the possible variations????????????? Patrician show-off, HE!
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Deserving of 5 stars. Sep 09, 2007
Don't get me wrong, I'm a long-time fan of Edgar Meyer. I just really enjoy listening to every song on this CD.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!!! Mar 18, 2007
That really seems to be all that Edgar Meyer is saying with this new album. Because he plays all the instruments on the album, the record is less of a record and more of Edgar Meyer having a field day in a recording studio. The result is a bunch of superficial sounding, incredibly doctored music. Meyer's collaborations with the masters of other instruments are much better recordings than this show-off solo project.
Don't get me wrong, Meyer is a fantastic bass player. Probably the best and most creative player alive today by most standards. His piano playing on the album is alright, though it leaves a small amount of musicality to be desired. However the playing on the other instruments is really quite basic and in some places, rather clumsy. All the other instruments really provide more of a color change from bass and piano. This isn't a huge problem, it just leaves more to be desired when Meyer has recorded similar types of music with such greats like Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall and others.
The other problem with this album is that it sounds incredibly over-produced. Some sections of certain pieces seem to have been not overdubbed, but two independent tracks that have very little in common musically that have been spliced together. The most notable sections where this occurs are secitons of "Roundabout" and "Don't Feed the Bear." The result is music that sounds very doctored. Some sections of the album don't even sound like they could be realistically performed by any ensemble. Everything really sounds like an over-produced studio gimmick.
Whether it's the production or the music, I'm not really moved by the music on this album like I am by a lot of Meyer's other compositions on other recordings. This album is just too hard sift through to really find music I can sit down and enjoy. It's worth a listen just to hear Meyer's stellar bass playing, but you can hear that on his other much better recordings. Not to mention, stellar playing by other fantastic musicians. Don't throw away a lot of cash on this self-indulgent solo project, it's not really worth it.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Unfocused Jan 16, 2007
I am a big fan of Edgar Meyer and there are many pieces on this album that I enjoy. However, as an album, it lacks continuity and seems jumpy and inconsistent. The styles vary so much from song to song that it leaves you feeling a little unsettled. The other odd thing is that the break between each track is too short. How does this happen? They are so short that they feel like pauses in a song, but then you've moved on to the next song with a totally different feel and it feels a bit like whiplash.
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