Here’s an album that I absolutely dig. I know exactly how I came to find these guys. Like you good people that turn me onto new music with your takes I saw a review in my local rag by a reviewer I trusted ( the name will come to me eventually. I want to get it right and give credit ). So what lazy ass CB is going to do is pull some quotes from the original review that I still have.
“Places you’d like to hang out: Tangier in the late 50’s, Paris in the early 20’s, Howe Gelb’s house anytime.”
“For the last 10 years (written in 1994) Gelb and drummer John Convertino have made some of the finest American music committed to tape. Gelb’s idiosyncratic electric guitar style and endearing nasal monotone combining in primitive splendor to produce a sound one astute writer described as ” guitar strings the size of transatlantic cable plucked with loose chunks of floor tile and sung in a borderline psychotic drawl” IE Neil- After the Gold Rush. Howe – After the Breakdown.”
“For those who like Neil Young’s more extreme moments, enjoy feedback with a light Latin beat, believe Lou Reed reached his peak with the guitar solo on ‘I Heard Her Call My Name’ and think ‘Hard Rain’ is a great Bob Dylan album. Recommended.”
Those words prompted CB to get the record. I liked it right away. I’ve been listening to them ever since. Like Monk they don’t play it straight. They mix it up. I like the whole package with Howe’s word play getting into my cranium. Can’t say how much I like this music and their other recordings (Howe has mellowed and does a more country twang thing now. Out there country like it should be played). CB loves music (things) outside the box especially when it’s good.
Give GS and Howe some time and you might grow to like the music as much as I do. So if you listen to the song below you will hear exactly what CB heard when he first put the needle down. Make sure you have the volume turned up from the beginning. I love it and listen to it a lot. They really do it their way. If this is a little raunchy try another record, he only has a truck load of them.
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Jim S. on Movie : American Heart | |
Jim S. on Movie : American Heart |
Again ten good songs from Howe Gelb. “Glum” is not so dark as the previous album “Purch & Slough”.
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I know Fox is a Giant Sand fan.
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Yes, I like Giant Sand. Howe Gelb can do whatever he wants: there allways remain sand, dust and desert in his vocabulary.
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Yes!! I’m awfy fond of Howe. Loads of great stuff in his catalogue! (Helluva rich catalogue at that!). I’m a big fan of his more laid back twisted stuff… he’s Tucson’s Tom Waits.
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Close your eyes and pick an album. You won’t be disappointed . I seen the band when they were touring this album. great show.
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I picked Chore of Enchantment out. That’s one of those important albums for me.
I’d love to see Howe… I keep missing him.
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Now I’m going to have to listen to ‘Enchantment’
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Go for it, man. Pretty much perfect, I reckon.
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Somebody else in the blogosphere mentioned Giant Sand recently. Until then, I never heard of them or Howe. I’m liking some of it, some of it less so. Hard to pin the style down.
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Yeah GS and Howe definitely go their own way. If someone gave him a recipe for any kind of commercial success he’s go a different way for sure.
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