KVR Audio

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:37 pm

May i also suggest the Akron Family as appropriate listening - kind of like a proggy, folky Led Zeppy thing going on.

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:47 pm

Having now listened to all of it, my biggest complaint with it is that the vocal harmonies are the best part, but the majority of the songs have one singing lead and the other swooping in for back-up here and there. It should have been the two of them singing lead together on every song.

The instrumentation could have been more spare, too, to show off their singing. As it is, it has the usually too-polished-for-my-tastes T-Bone Burnett style of production.

Chuck E. Jesus · Post by **Chuck E. Jesus** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:09 pm

i must have listened to a different record...

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:22 pm

Which part differs? You thought their vocal harmonies dominated?

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:32 pm

I just quickly scanned through to make sure I wasn't on crack (or confirm that I was).

Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us
Through The Morning, Through The Night
Please Read The Letter
Trampled Rose
Fortune Teller
Nothin'
Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson

These seven tracks all follow the model of one on lead, and one on occasional back-up. That's seven out of thirteen songs. And at least two others really under play the vocal harmony (where one vocal leads with a quieter accompaniment from the other, like for instance on Polly Come Home).

I suppose the instrumentation is spare in the grand scheme of things, but it's more embellished than say two voices and a banjo. I guess I meant the instrumentation could have used some loose ends. I find I get the same feeling from most T-Bone Burnett albums I've heard, they always sound really tidied up.

I don't dislike the album, and it has its merits, I just found myself as I listened wishing they had taken it all a bit further. It's a quirky pairing of singers, and they work surprisingly well together, but the album as a whole just doesn't seem to be trying to sell the pairing.

Shane Sanders · Post by **Shane Sanders** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:37 pm

My experience was one of floating like a firefly in a near-twilight back yard with songs drifting towards me from some timeless place. I really felt like they served the songs pretty well, really a cohesive album in my hearing.

Shane Sanders · Post by **Shane Sanders** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:39 pm

Of course, I listen to a lot of drum based music, so just about anything this laid back is gonna seem tamer and tranquil to me.

Chuck E. Jesus · Post by **Chuck E. Jesus** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:48 pm

shamann wrote:Which part differs? You thought their vocal harmonies dominated?

overall, the instrumentation was pretty sparse i thought, especially if you consider the average audience for the singers...mark ribot plays great, and it was pretty darn far from the country radio crap if you ask me...i could have used more of the "lead harmonies" as well, i'm guessing it was a commercial decision, but probably an on-the-spot production decision as well...but there were lots of harmonies too...i just think it was a great idea executed very well, and a pleasure to listen to....

EDIT: shamann, i just read your other post...i dig where you are coming from, and overall i agree...but it just sounds good to me, and i really don't like many things... i give credit to those who got this together, and i'd have to say there are enough good tunes to make it a

for me...

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:51 pm

Shane Sanders wrote:Of course, I listen to a lot of drum based music, so just about anything this laid back is gonna seem tamer and tranquil to me.

I agree about the tame and tranquil thing, but that might not register as a positive with me.

Nonetheless, I don't begrudge you your fireflies.

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:53 pm

Chuck E. Jesus wrote:i could have used more of the "lead harmonies" as well, i'm guessing it was a commercial decision, but probably an on-the-spot production decision as well

I thought maybe it was a time/scheduling thing. They needed enough tracks for an album, but getting vocal harmonies right can take a lot of time.

I didn't dislike it, just wasn't over the moon.

bluedad · Post by **bluedad** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:53 am

I loved it. I'm a fan of T-Bone's production, and hope they do more.

Chuck E. Jesus · Post by **Chuck E. Jesus** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:18 am

listening again a bit, i love alison krauss' voice...

siriusbliss · Post by **siriusbliss** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:52 am

I think it's brilliant.

Greg

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:29 am

Chuck E. Jesus wrote:
Shane Sanders wrote:Looks like you can stream the whole thing:
http://www.robertplantalisonkrauss.com/site.php

Rangtangtang · Post by **Rangtangtang** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:04 am

Trying to hear it, takes a while.

Are they planning to get married or something?

the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss record