| | David Thomas & The Pale Orchestra Mirror Man CD David Thomas & The Pale Orchestra Discography of CDs
This solo effort from the Pere Ubu frontman is about as off-kilter and compelling as fans of the band might expect from this unique character. Like a radio picking up several stations at once, this "first act" of a cosmic rock opera weaves the recitation of impressionistic poetry with twanging, ethereal instrumentation. The disc is also notable for featuring a rare (and lovely) vocal performance by Linda Thompson. ~ Tim Sheridan
Concept Album;Pere Ubu Guy W/ Linda Thompson,Peter Hammill
Full performer name: David Thomas & The Pale Orchestra.Alternative Press (9/99, p.118) - 3 out of 5 - "...Thomas' ambitious project maintains a unified perspective by virtue of disparate geographical experience....This is the most cognet musical deliberation on reigonal diaspora since Van Dyke Parks' DISCOVERING AMERICA."
The Wire (4/99, p.72) - "...Free of all visual props, the music, songs and readings unfurl to reveal the richness of the project that got lost in the onstage bustle of the live performance....His surreal, sensual and visceral vision gives MIRROR MAN its strength and warped beauty."
Mojo (Publisher) (5/99, p.108) - "...Thomas...writes of his native America with the heightened perception of the exile. As this mesmeric, multi-layered album unfolds, it is clear that the Jack of the subtitle is, roughly speaking, Mr. Kerouac..." David Thomas & The Pale Orchestra Mirror Man Songs | 1. | Mirror Man Sees |
| 2. | Mirror Man Speaks |
| 3. | Lost Nation Road |
| 4. | Flying Dutchman of the Interstate, The |
| 5. | Ballad of Florida |
| 6. | Montana |
| 7. | Ribbons on the Road |
| 8. | Morbid Sky |
| 9. | Nowheresville |
| 10. | Shadows on the Face |
| 11. | Memphis / Over The Moon / If The Deer Blinks / Bus Called Happiness / Weird Cornfields |
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Mirror Man Review
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Purchase Mirror Man CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music Vol. 4 CDs (2000)
Mirror Man
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Includes a 96 page hardbound book with essays by Ed Sanders, John Cohen, Dick Spottswood, John Fahey and Greil Marcus.
Digitally remastered by Dave Glasser (Airshow Mastering, Boulder, Colorado).
Legendary filmmaker/cultural icon Harry Smith (1923-1991) was the living definition of the term "culture vulture." Smith pioneered animation in film and associated with everyone from Jean-Luc Goddard to Billie Holliday and Jimmy Page, and in the early 1950's compiled ...
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| | Silverwolf Homeless Project CD (1995)
Mirror Man
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Proceeds from the SILVERWOLF HOMELESS PROJECT will go to The National Coalition For the Homeless and Habitat For Humanity.
Billed as a "Homeless-specific song-cycle," The Silverwolf Homeless Project compiles 16 cuts from artists as diverse as Cheryl Wheeler, John Gorka, Tom Paxton, and Ani DiFranco, some recorded for this project, others drawn from previously released sources. The common tone is one of heartfelt sadness (even in Greg Brown's "Just a Bum," which has a faux-jolly tone to it), which fits well with the assorted factoids and pictures of homeless people included in the booklet. Sadly, while Silverwolf is supporting a worthy cause here, the magnitude of the problem is overwhelming, and depressing. Which is no reason to ignore or bypass this set, however. ~ Steven McDonald
Cheryl Wheeler,Ken Gaines,John Gorka,John Mccutcheon+++
Personnel: Crow Johnson, Amanda Stark, Greg Brown, John Gorka, Michael Elwood, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, ...
| | Saints Little Madness To Be Free CD (Import) Australia
Mirror Man
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On this album, the Saints shift gears yet again. A Little Madness to Be Free takes the band (which is actually just a vehicle for singer Chris Bailey at this point) in a denser more layered direction. This time, brass and strings dominate with lush acoustic guitars underneath. Obviously, any trace of the punk band that was, is gone. The power, however, remains. Like it's follow up, the devastating All Fools Day, this record explores the depths of irony, and the ironies of depth. Through exploration of the soul there is (musical at least) redemption. From the incredibly beautiful photo of a bay at sunset on the album cover, to the opening track, "Down the Drain," the tone is set. "Still I think it's better to stand out in the rain/ then go slipping on down the drain," Bailey sings. A melancholy rainy day vibe so damn gray it's vibrant. You can't help but be transported by it. This is the kind of album that makes you think about stuff. Stuff you'd rather not think about, like, "what the hell have I done with my life." Somehow there is catharsis, so the end result is not an overall bummer. The somber and powerful, "Photograph" tells of a lost love, and the beautiful, "Angels" will leave you singing along ("we can't waste another day") to the point of wanting to play the track again. The album concludes with one of Bailey's all time classic songs, "Ghostships," a track so amazing he went and put it on several more albums, re-recording it twice. While electric guitars are not the centerpiece of the sound here, the layers make for an equally powerful experience. Suprisngly, ...
| | Umphrey's McGee Anchor Drops CD (2004)
Mirror Man
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With the release of Anchor Drops, Umphrey's McGee has made only two studio albums to go with its four live albums, an appropriate balance for a band more comfortable jamming on-stage than writing songs and trying to come up with definitive performances of them in the studio. Necessarily, a studio collection focuses more on the songs as compositions consisting of lyrics (usually) and melodies, rather than on flashy playing before paying customers. Boasting 14 tracks, only a couple of which run over five minutes, Anchor Drops demonstrates that Umphrey's McGee remains a collection of riffmeisters who haven't quite figured out how to make music that is as involving as it is admirable. The players remain formidable instrumentalists who like to construct tracks from interesting bits they've stumbled upon while jamming, instead of actually composing within a structure; the songs tend to consist of sections of involved playing and furious rhythms that stop and start and change on a dime. Most of them have lyrics wanly sung by lyricist and guitarist Brendan Bayliss, but few of those words convey much meaning beyond occasional attempts at self-deprecating humor. Having gotten them out of the way, the ...
| | Status Quo Thirsty Work CD (1995) (Import) Bonus Tracks; England; Japan
Mirror Man
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1994's Thirsty Work is one of those peculiar albums that Status Quo seemed increasingly prone to during the 1980s and 1990s, whereby they would follow a return-to-form corker with something that leaves you wondering just who you're listening to. In this case, it was the spectacular Rock Til You Drop that had just raised hopes back to stratospheric proportions, only for them all to be dashed within minutes of the next record's opening cut kicking off. And "Going Nowhere" is actually one of Thirsty Work's better moments. Returning to the more pop than rock realms that scarred their late-'80s output, Thirsty Work is best remembered for the hit "I Didn't Mean It," and the driving pulse of "Rude Awakening Time." But a band that prided itself on its ability to revamp the most unlikely ...
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