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Hear Music: Waking
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Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
MiXed Results at 2006-05-22
Like most of the HEAR Music collections this is a mixed bag. But, with Rufus Wainwright, Leonard Cohen, David Byrne and Ryan Adams, this collection is better than most.
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Tales From the Edge - Volumes Nine & Ten - Deep Ellum: History Bites-eight Arms to Hold You
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The Boxing Mirror
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Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Worth the wait at 2006-05-14
Its been 6 years since A Man Under The Influence as Alejandro battled (and still does I am sure) Hepatitis C. The production on this album is different than his others, there is less space and Alejandros voice is up front. I think it works to the musics benefit as Alejandros great songs sound terrific. Worth picking up for sure.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Why Dont I Love This CD? at 2006-07-06
There is something about this CD that keeps me from raving about it. On the surface it is great. I listened to it regularly for about a week, and it still gets heavy rotation in my player. All the parts are in place...the lyrics, the passion, the emotion, the chamber music-like quality of the music. So whats the problem? The problem is the production is too distant from the emotional power of the lyrics. It is too polite, too clinical, too gothic. Kudos to AE for overcoming the heavy hand of John Cale at the controls, because this is a very, very good release.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Great at 2006-06-10
Escovedo has been a musician and songwriter who has been very prolific. I thought he died a few years ago, but I guess not. He has hooked up with John Cale on this record. Most of his music is mellow rock with county and folk references. Escovedo has written most of the songs here, with a little help. The band is very large. Even Cale helps out on a few tunes. Notes On Air is a brilliant song. Its good to see this class act back in business.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
the sound of an artist expanding his range at 2006-05-22
Whether youll enjoy this album really depends on how much of Als previous work youre familiar with. I say this because if youre expecting Man Under The Influence Pt.II you will be disappointed. Its clear that Escovedo is no longer content making rote alt-country records, and has decided to expand his sound. This will inevitably lead to above-average reviews from newcomers who werent on board for any of the past half-dozen albums, but might leave established fans a bit disconcerted. Truth is, first time i heard this album in its entirety i was severely nonplussed. Personally, i dont look to Al for avant-garde production theatrics, or overblown triple-tracked string sections. I thought the work he did up until the illness was the best hed ever done, and i have to give him full credit for coming back and making a statement, im just not 100% sure im on board for it. Hes reaching, and i completely understand why, but the pursnickety sonic experimentations often leave me yearning for a simple song like Rhapsody again. Though to be fair, a lot of these songs sounded better live during his last tour with the orchestra. Maybe Cale is who i should blame here.So thats my take: older fans approach with caution, but keep an open mind. You might agree with the current critics who seem to think this is some sort of watershed moment for the man. It certainly is a change.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Alejandro, brilliant as always...... at 2006-05-18
As usual and as Ive come to expect, Alejandros music comes from his heart and soul and this cd gorgeously reflects this in every note. His recent boxing with life has been mirrored here in his music with beautiful juxtapositions. Darkly stirring, this cd is laced throughout with all of his influences, punk, rock, and classical (orchestral and strings) with his voice coming over each song clear and strong. Using John Cale (The Velvet Underground) to produce this was the perfect pairing, each musician who plays here gives a stellar performance and the monster bass work of Mark Andes (Spirit, Firefall, Jo Jo Gunne, Heart, etc.)should be noted. Definitely discover Alejandro and this is a great place to start......
Alejandro Escovedo Album Editorial:
iAlejandro Agonistes may yet have a happy ending but you wouldnt guess it from this torrent of surrealism and gothic textures. Escovedos first album since nearly succumbing to hepatitis C and crushing debt in 2003 is the darkest most mysterious album of his career--a harrowing poetic soundscape partly the result of producer John Cales industrial-noir sensibilities but also Escovedos own avant-garde punk roots. The difficult trilogy which opens the album moves from arid Arizona (a wasteland where the soul finds nary a drop to drink) to a conversation with a dear head on the wall that becomes a negative Zen poem (The sadness will come / When there is no one) to a cryptic vision of a buck trampling a wandering doe. Writing with his wife poet Kim Christoff as well as Chris Stamey and guitarist Jon Dee Graham Escovedo isnt just confronting his own mortality and the mistakes which plunged him into a nightmare. Hes courting a idanse macabre for the sounds and poetry he finds there. On Sacramento and Polk he surveys a bohemian hell through a Thorazine haze while the Princely groove of Take Your Place only seems like a discordant funk party until the lyrics sink in: Im going down down down / Theres nothing here. Escovedos voice has weathered the physical ravages caressing all the Mexican nuances out of the synth- and cello-sweetened Evitas Lullaby and breaking beautifully on the country ballad Died a Little Today which like each of these emotionally concentrated tracks is as literal as it is elusive. --iRoy Kasten
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Room of Songs
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Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Welcome Back, Alejandro! at 2006-03-01
These discs showcase a marvelous performance in what sounds like an intimate setting. I wish I could have been there. The only reason Im giving it only four stars, is that I, personally prefer Alejandros electric music and I heard hes toured with a kick-ass rock band. Regardless, I hope he keeps cranking them out.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Same Church, Different Pew at 2006-02-24
While I absolutely enjoy the music of Alejandro Escovedo, this CD is much the same as his previous releases, only with a different musician line up. Dont get me wrong, it is a great representation of him in concert along with his string quintet. I saw him in Milwaukee with this current quintet and it was a night that I wont soon forget due to his show. Ill simply never tire of his music. If you have been following this amazing artist for a while, you would be set if you owned Gravity. However, if you are new to this mans music, filled with raw emotions bleeding in the lyrics, then this CD is a definite must. I am looking forward to his new material that I have heard is coming out sometime soon through Back Porch Records. Good to have a healthy Alejandro back!
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
rock band, orchestra, now try the string quartet at 2006-02-22
Those that now Als music already know hes not just another Tex-Mex/folk/alt-country singer of dusty, smoky tales. His resume reaches deep into the past (his first band, The Nuns, opened for the Sex Pistols last show) and spans such name-dropped outfits as the True Believers and Buick MacKane. His recent output, whether with the traditional rock band or his orchestra is some of his best, and despite serious illness he shows no signs of slowing down.This release is a 2-CD job of Escovedo backed by his string quartet (more than the rock band, not quite as big as his touring orchestra) which is composed of Susan Voelz on violin, and Brian Standefer and Matt Fish on cello, along with guitarist David Pulkingham. As if the songs in their original format arent enough to get yer motor runnin, the lush string arrangements here add color and depth to prove that Escovedos talent runs deep.As for value, thats where im not so sure. These are all well-traveled songs from the Escovedo catalog which fans have likely all heard before, only the arrangements make them different. And though there are 2 CDs, youre only getting 7 songs per disc, for a total of 14. So im sure the average fan would approve, but i cant say id start here if youve never heard the original source material. Though perhaps if youre the NPR-listening, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving type you might prefer this, as it does sand off some of the rougher edges.
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Por Vida: A Tribute To The Songs Of Alejandro Escovedo
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Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
13 years at 2004-11-15
Alejandro has been writing darn good music for a long time now. Often overlooked in the mass market popularity contest of the music business, but respected by his peers. Its a great intro to some of his music, and I recommend it as such. It may be only me, but Im a little tired of Los Lonely Boys, a better story than band, and Castenets is over played. And why did someone not cover 13 Years, one of Als very best songs ever?
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
These artists all love Alejandro, why wouldnt you? at 2006-03-10
Maybe Id been living under a rock or something... but Id never heard of Alejandro Escovedo until this tribute came out. My interest was piqued by the All-Star roster of artists that performed. The first song I heard was Paradise by Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly. Now THAT just blew me away, so I delved farther and found a lot of great songs on this album. This all lead to buying each and evey album that Alejandro has done, including his stuff w/ Buick MacKane and True Believers. I felt as though I missed something very important up until that point. This isnt a bad place to start for those unexposed to the brilliance of the man. He can rock, he can swoon. Make you giggle, make you cry. Check this album out, then check out Alejandros albums. You wont regret it! I swear!
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Por Vida Rises Above the Tribute Genre at 2005-06-20
Im skeptical of tribute albums and there are a dozen good reasons why nearly all tribute albums fail. The general rule of thumb and the best argument against tribute albums is that the original artist has already recorded the definitive version of the song. Tribute albums inevitably invite comparisons to the original versions and more often than not, come up short. I steered clear of Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo on the grounds of caveat emptor; let buyer beware of the uneven quality of most tribute albums. It was unlikely that even the most gifted interpreter would offer any fresh insights into Escovedos soulful renditions of his own music. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I finally purchased Por Vida a month ago.Alejandro Escovedo has walked a rough path as a musician since he appeared on the music scene in the Seventies. Hes so uniquely talented its diffcult to pidgeon hole and market him as an musician. Success has been within Escovedos reach but just beyond his grasp for too many years. Escovedos songwriting talent and body of work is on par with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen or any other great contempory songwriters. You seldom hear Escovedos name mentioned in the same conversation about relative merits of great comtemporary songwriters, like his noteworthy peers. Por Vida, as it turns out, is welcome exception to the rule of law. It is a testament to the universal nature of Escovedos song writing and his music flatters nearly every artist on this sprawling two disc album. Its a dizzying array of styles that showcases 32 wildly varied music acts with over hundred musicians in the various bands. Its about as diverse a group of musicians as youll ever hear including; John Cale, Lucinda Williams, Sheila E, Lenny Kaye, Calexico, Charley Musselwhite, Ian Hunter and the Mekons Jon Langford and Sally Timms. Por Vida may be only tribute genre album that delivers new rewards upon repeated playing. This tribute album is one that wont exiled to the shelf to collect dust after one or two spins. It wouldnt do justice to select two or three stellar cuts on the album, because each artist shines in the glow of Escovedos beautiful music. Alejandro Escovedo is a songwriter for every season and every generation. The fact that hes been stricken with often lethal Hepatitis C is yet another burden for Escovedo to carry. Escovedo, like most musicians, cannot afford the comprehensive insurance coverage to treat this deadly disease. All proceeds from this tribute album go the cost of his spiralling health care costs. Regardless of the musical merits of the album itself, its about the best reason I can think of to purchase this album.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
Loving Tribute to a Songwriting Great at 2004-12-25
You may wonder, who is this guy and why does he deserve a 2-CD tribute? But by the time you get halfway through the first disc, youll wonder no more: Alejandro Escovedo is a flat-out brilliant songwriter. His music has moved through genres, without losing his sensibility for both roots-rock and his Mexican heritage. Suffice to say that if you like Los Lobos (even though they dont appear), youll really enjoy this CD. In the same tradition as Sweet Relief (the tribute to Victoria Williams, who was stricken with MS about ten years ago), and other albums after it, this project was intended to assist Escovedo, who has hepatitis C and no health insurance. And what assistance he got: a first-rate lineup of artists, from Lucinda Williams, Son Volt and the Jayhawks to Charlie Musselwhite, Ian Hunter and John Cale. Just about everything here works very well, kicking off with Lucinda Williams great version of Pyramid of Tears, moving through hot property Los Lonely Boys cover of Castanets, and many other highlights by Cowboy Junkies, Chris Stamey, and Escovedo himself. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up (its a bargain for a 2-CD set with nary a bad track on it). Then, if you havent already, acquaint yourself with the original albums from this influential and gifted Mexican-American artist.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Review:
One of the best collections of covers youll ever find at 2005-01-20
If you cant find something on this that you think is first-rate, you dont like music. There are one or two weak cuts, but the best songs here are simply amazing. The Section Quartets take on Crooked Frame was a revelation. Other highlights include the John Dee Graham cover of Helpless, Peter Cases The End, and the Dragons version of Gravity. Ive already bought four CDs on the basis of what Ive heard on this one, and I will be buying more.
Alejandro Escovedo Album Editorial:
Stricken with Hepatitis C in April 2003 and lacking health insurance Alejandro Escovedo has been the focus of scores of benefit concerts in Austin Texas and across the U.S. These 32 songs offer further aid--and a dizzying daring appraisal of a brilliant if commercially hard-luck songwriter. Opening with Lucinda Williamss slurred Spartan electric groove the set covers the obscure (Sacramento Polk in a manic paranoid take by Lenny Kaye) and the exquisite (the road-weary ballad Thirteen Years in a stately aching reading by Tejano legend Ruben Ramos). Those familiar with the restless style-shifting of Escovedos career wont be surprised by the juxtaposition of Ian Hunters bar-band strut with the Jayhawks psychedelic wall of delay or Peter Cases glam garage with Bob Neuwirths unguarded accordion-laced sigh. Surprises include a poignant vocal turn from keyboard legend Ian McLagan a reunited and stunningly revived Son Volt and Escovedo himself charging through a new tempo-twisting rocker cut just before he fell ill. There is tangible enthusiasm even love in the performances of these wildly diverse admirers. Roy Kasten
Alejandro Escovedo Album Editorial:
On this two disc set Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo over 30 acts from across the musical spectrum - including Escovedos friends family peers influences and admirers - offer their inspired interpretations of his material packaged with liner notes by famed critic Dave Marsh. Participating artists include Lucinda Williams Steve Earle Los Lonely Boys John Cale Cowboy Junkies Son Volt Jayhawks Ian Hunter and many more. The album also features a previously unreleased performance by Alejandro Escovedo.
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