Music Worth Buying : folk rock

Artist: The Monsters of Folk

Album: The Monsters of Folk
Worth Buying? Yes indeed.
You might be interesting this album if you are a fan of: Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, She and Him, and........Mike Mogis?

Tell Me More: It's funny you know, I am not a fan of Bright Eyes. I listened to the latest album by My Morning Jacket and didn't get that into it. I listened to a bit of She and Him and wasn't all that intrigued by it (even though everyone was telling me to check it out).....and prior to hearing this album, I had no idea who Mike Mogis is.....so it's funny that I should start finding myself being enamored to an album that features members from all three of these groups (along with Mr Mogis) as a "Supergroup" with the humorous moniker of "The Monsters of Folk".

The Monster's line up is Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Yim Yames (Morning Jacket) M. Ward (best known for collaborating with Zooey Deschanel on She and Him). Rounding off the line up is Mike Mogis (an engineer and multi instrumentalist who has worked in the past with both Oberst and Ward).

A quick look at the album credits show that this is not a couple of Oberst songs here, a couple James songs there, etc, etc.

The 4 Monster's have written all the songs together as a four way collaboration. They have also played all the instruments themselves (taking turns on various instruments) with no outside players.

Stylistically this album is all over the map, so what's really impressive is just how cohesive it sounds. In the opening track entitled: Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.) matters of the spirit are discussed over a white boys playing old school R&B style vibe.

Dear God ...I'm trying hard to reach you.
Dear God....I see your face in all I do
Sometimes ...it's hard to believe in
But God....I know you have your reasons

Track two entitled, Say Please jumps right into classic rock (as in Rockin') territory and track 3 entitled Whole Lotta Losin (I can't help but feel that that title is a pun on Whole Lotta Love) moves into a fun early rock/americana vibe......Like I said, all over the map but it sounds like the same group with each song.

This is another one of those albums where I previewed the 30 seconds tracks on Amazon and was sold on just the 30 second previews.

When Crosby, Still's and Nash, first got together and released that first CSN album it was like lightning in a bottle. And while this album sounds nothing like it I feel a similar kind of excitement when I listen to it. These four individual artists got together and did something that they couldn't have done apart and in the process, they caught lighting in bottle. I don't if there will be a follow MOF album. Sometimes you can only capture lightning once. But if there is, I will certainly be curious to find out.

What about the packaging? The CD is packaged in a beautiful mini LP gatefold sleeve that includes very nice artwork, and lyrics booklet with art and photos.

TJR 10/21/09

Currently 8.99 for the mp3 version

Currently the CD is only 7.99 so get it on CD instead

Unless you would rather have it on vinyl (comes with fee mp3 version)

Artist: Yusef (Cat Stevens)

Albums: Another Cup and Roadsinger

Worth Buying: Absolutely

You will be interested in these albums if you are fan of: Soft Rock of the 70's / Folk rock / and Cat Stevens.

Tell Me More: Prior to these albums, I was only familiar with the hits of the Artist formerly know as Cat Stevens. I was not familiar with his albums at all.

I knew that he became a huge pop star in the 70s (Back when being a pop star could mean that you could also be a musician and a songwriter and actually have a musical point of view that was your own, and not the vision of your producer and or production team).

I knew that he left it all behind when he converted to the islamic faith. He sold his instruments, asked his record label to stop releasing his albums (they refused). To me, He seemed to be unable to reconcile a life of religious faith with the life of an artist.

I knew that he was involved in a controversy regarding the publication of a certain book for having said some inflammatory things about the author. This controversy still follows him, so on his website he gives his own account of how he feels he was mis-characterized by the media

So being only familiar with his hits, why did I pick up his return to the world of Pop music (Another Cup) in 2006 and his most receent release Roadsinger.

Well,.....I was curious.

What kind of music would he make after all this time. Would he still have his musical and songwriting chops? Would this be the return of Cat Stevens (under the name Yusef) Or would it be a musical preaching of the Islamic faith?

Another Cup turned out to be a musical breath of fresh air. Even though this album was released under the name of Yusuf, it sonicly it sounded like the Cat Stevens of the 70's stepped into a time machine, came out in the year 2006 and recorded a new album. He showed no Age or deterioration of his voice, his musicianship, or his ability to write good songs.

Lyricly he wrote about simple and universal themes. In the song Midday, he wrote about the enjoyment of watching children at play

I like to take a walk out in the midday
checking life out in the park
I like to take a walk out in the midday
Ah, but I avoid the city after dark

Oh, I love to see the children playing in the rain
Splashing boots and kicking mud
Oh, I love to see the kids playing in the rain
Ah, but I avoid the city after dark.

In the song Heaven/Where True love goes, he write about his wife.

The moment you walked inside my door
I knew that I need not look no more,
I've seen many other souls before - ah but,
Heaven must've programmed you

The moment you fell inside my dreams
I realized all I had not seen,
I've seen many other souls before - ah but,
Heaven must've programmed you.

Oh will you? Will you? Will you?
I go where True Love goes,
I go where True Love goes

In the song I think I see the Light, I might I might have been fooled by the title into thinking that it is a religous song. Instead he sings again about his wife

I used to trust nobody, trusting even less their words,
Until I found somebody, there was no one I preferred,
My heart was made of stone, my eyes saw only misty grey,
Until you came into my life girl, I saw everyone that way.
Until I found the one I needed at my side,
I think I would have been a sad man all my life.

I think I see the light coming to me,
Coming through me giving me a second sight.
So shine, shine, shine,

And any spiritual messages in these new songs where of such a universal nature that they could be appreciated by anyone......But spiritual messages or no, I just can't argue with good songs. And these are good songs.

Personally I have little use for organized religion in my own life (This is not to say that I don't consider myself to be spiritual, don't believe in a God, and don't believe in prayer, because I do). I am generally not a fan of Christian Rock since I feel most of it is often too heavy handed, to preachy, and that the message comes before the song. But when I hear great songs by an Evangelical Christian artist like Larry Norman, or Spiritual song Celebrating Krishna by George Harrison, my reaction is that they are great and enjoyable songs first and that they share the authors feelings and beliefs in an honest way rather than preach at me.

Also of note (And what is an obvious statement about how he feels the media has mis-characterized him) is an astounding cover of the Animals song "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".

Fast forward to May 09 and He has released 2nd album as Yusuf entitled Roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night). When I first imported this CD into my ipod the first thing I noticed was that Another Cup just listed him simply as Yusuf.

Roadsinger listed him as Yusuf (Cat Stevens). In fact the art and photos for the CDs booklet featured many visual references to his former name.

The cynic in me might say, I guess he realized he had to do this if he wanted the album to sell. But to be honest, as I listed to the songs on this album, all I could hear was a man who had found a reconciliation between his artistic and spiritual self.

The music video for this song even further illustrates this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfgdqk0QXm0

As do the lyrics to the song Welcome Home

Saw a sign on the path,
All seekers this way.
A very subtle left,
Through a petal my way.
As I neared the bridge
Two soldiers stood and stared,
"No one passes by us.....But hey....."You're welcome here."

Carried on down the road,
To the marketplace.
I was still alone,
No one knew my face.
Then a stranger sang,
With voice like the wind.
Then the hails began to sing,
"Welcome in."

Time rolls on,
Ain't no good to sit alone
Time rolls on,
And so we traveled on.

Never did I imagine,
What a dawn could be.
Till I opened my eyes, to see.
It was welcoming me.

At the end of my days,
On my way home.
I paused a while to gaze,
Upon the sacred stone.
There I stood in the middle,
Of the holy domain.
Then the people came out to say,
"Welcome home, again."

Time rolls on,

And so we carry on.
Time rolls on,
Ain't no good to sit alone.

In Another Cup Yusef reconciles his artistic and spiritual selves. With Roadsinger he re-embraces Cat Stevens and shows us that Yusus and Cat Stevens are one and the same. These are both really good albums and I enjoy them equally. It is also great to hear absolutely no diminishment of musical prowress from this man who is in his 60's now (disproving that mainstream music industries belief that youth is more important than talent). I still haven't listened to those older Cat Steven's albums, but I think I will start.

What about the Packaging? Both are packaged in standard jewel cases but have very nice booklets. I just with that the Roadsinger Cd had included all the lyrics.

Yusuf has also posted an FAQ to help those of you who might be under the mistaken impression that he hates America (He lives in London by the way) or that he wants to kill people, or any other mistaken impressions that my follow him.

Listen to samples of Another Cup in Mp3 format here

Another Cup in CD format

listen to samples and buy Roadsinger in mp3 format here

For a dollar more you can get it in CD format

BONUS: Check out the music video for Roadsinger here

Music Worth Buying

Pages

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Episode 59 - Fleet Foxes, Robert Johnson & Adrienne Pierce

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Monsters of Folk - Music Worth Buying 10/21/09

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

TJR reviews: Yusuf (Cat Stevens) Another Cup & Roadsinger / Music Worth Buying 05/18/09