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(TV) RE: The Wonder/"Prayer"



Brian Y. wrote , "I'll throw something out there for potential discussion:  The Wonder.  I looked for it for years before finally buying over the internet, and when I finally got it, I was hugely disappointed."

I like The Wonder but it is my second least favorite of his solo records (comes right before Warm & Cool).  Don't get me wrong I love it; it's all relative, I just don't love it as much as the others).  

One of the problems for me is that the although the drumming by former Roxy Music session man Alan Schwartzberg(sp?) is proficient, it's too prominent in the sound mix.  "Ancient Egypt" has great guitar and reminds me somewhat of "Coming Apart" "Kaleidescopin'" is too slight a song to be first----ever notice how the first song on a Verlaine record/cd always has an extended killer guitar? 

One reviewer called Verlaine's vocals on The Wonder, "..sleazy, smarmy and oily"; I obviously diagree, but I don't think his  vocals here overall are his best despite his attempt to sound more(?)naturalistic. 

I find the last song, "Prayer" to be one of his best and most heartfelt.  Its ending has one of his more beautiful guitar solos, but unfortunately it is faded out much too prematurely.  I'd sell my soul to be able to hear the rest of that solo.

	Leo
  


-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Young [mailto:raggedglory57@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 6:25 PM
To: tv@obbard.com
Subject: (TV) I'll miss Mr. C but...


...I must admit, hearing of this list's recent playlists and discovering 
that a lot of us shared a respect for if not passion for Neil Young to be 
good fodder for discussion.  I admire artists like Tom Verlaine and Neil 
Young who remain idiosyncratic artists true to their inner spirit, but 
there's not been a lot of proof in the pudding lately for Tom.

I'll throw something out there for potential discussion:  The Wonder.  I 
looked for it for years before finally buying over the internet, and when I 
finally got it, I was hugely disappointed. And when I saw Tom play 
acoustically at the Paradise in Boston on April 12, 1990, I was also let 
down that he gave such a lackluster performance.  In comparison to acoustic 
performers such as Richard Thompson, Neil Young, Peter Blegvad and hell, 
Louden Wainwright III fr crying out loud, Tom lacked charisma and compelling 
songs.  And I have the bootleg of that show (taped poorly, by myself 
unfortunately) that I've gone back to a number of times thinking I must've 
been previously wrong.

I say this although I have deep respect for him as an artist.  I will now go 
back to The Wonder and this bootleg and listen again as penance and to see 
if I have since changed my mind.

Well, there you go, the cat's outta the bag. Now I'll probably be banished 
or shunned. Or both.

Cheers,

Brian
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