Produced by Anton Barbeau. "Third Eye" produced by Scott Miller. Recorded at Enharmonik, Sacramento, CA, mastered at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA. Art Direction by Steven Cardoza. Cover photo by Cynthia E. Jones. (c)... more » and (p) 1999 Untitled Music. All rights reserved. Manufactured & distributed by frigidisk. A Splendid Tray is the fourth CD from Sacramento, CA native Anton Barbeau, and features stellar guest performances from Scott Miller of the Loud Family and Gabe Nelson of Cake. Like Waterbugs and the earlier Horse's Tongue, Splendid Tray is full of vivid, unexpected metaphors and unforgettable tunes. But this time the songs hang together on a thematic thread of love, lust, loss and bitterness -- the stuff of music that not only replays in your head but clings to your heart. Where his previous records were like classic short story collections, Splendid Tray is the full-length novel Anton's fans have been waiting for.« less
Produced by Anton Barbeau. "Third Eye" produced by Scott Miller. Recorded at Enharmonik, Sacramento, CA, mastered at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA. Art Direction by Steven Cardoza. Cover photo by Cynthia E. Jones. (c) and (p) 1999 Untitled Music. All rights reserved. Manufactured & distributed by frigidisk. A Splendid Tray is the fourth CD from Sacramento, CA native Anton Barbeau, and features stellar guest performances from Scott Miller of the Loud Family and Gabe Nelson of Cake. Like Waterbugs and the earlier Horse's Tongue, Splendid Tray is full of vivid, unexpected metaphors and unforgettable tunes. But this time the songs hang together on a thematic thread of love, lust, loss and bitterness -- the stuff of music that not only replays in your head but clings to your heart. Where his previous records were like classic short story collections, Splendid Tray is the full-length novel Anton's fans have been waiting for.
CD Reviews
Tray Bon
11/06/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'll confess freely to knowing absolutely nothing about Mr. Barbeau or his music before getting my hands on this latest release. Apparently it's his first in four years, and to anyone out there already acquainted with his work, it's well worth the wait. Barbeau combines witty lyrics with catchy tunes and kicking guitar riffs to create puncy, off-the-wall power pop that kept me well entertained for fifty minutes or so. His voice - Elvis Costello meets David Bowie in a sixties time warp - is pretty unique, but doesn't detract from the lyrics at all. Psychedelic Beatlesesque tunes like Dazzle Girl and Once In Royal David City are balanced out by the slightly heavier sound of the Banana Song and Creepy Tray. A definite highlight is Black and White Elvis, opening a solid album which never goes off the boil. Some of the tracks are growers though, ask me again in a week and my favourite song will almost certainly be different. Well worth a listen though - put it on and play it loud!"
Barbeau's "Tray" well worth the wait
Cynthia Jones | Sacramento, California | 05/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was excited to discover that Anton was finally signed with a label, Frigidisk. After years of toiling in Sacramento out of the back of his van, now Anton can ask someone else to toil out of the back of their van for him, and deservedly so.
This album's strengths lie in his astonishing ability to play hook-driven, upbeat pop with cryptic and surreal lyrics. It plays like an aural puzzle...with each successive listen, revealing the meaning underneath. From the upbeat pop of "Black and White Elvis" (which held the number one spot in, of all places, Croatia) to the haunting "Dazzle Girl" (Your money/I'm sorry/My Brother/He Says "Hi"), Anton's lyrics plague me for days at a time. What do they mean? What is he saying? Give Anton a try. I think everyone should."
Splendid indeed...
Cynthia Jones | 11/23/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd heard a lot of good - nay, great - things about Mr. Barbeau, but had never heard his music until I got this CD on Saturday. Amazingly, he lives up to his advance billing. He employs a diverse array of styles, but always manages to sound like himself (a rare talent that earns major points in my book). Great energy, solid musicianship, and hooks that crawl into your brain and set up housekeeping back up lyrics that are charmingly surreal on first spin, but begin to make perfect sense as you listen more closely. I'm off to try to find his other three CDs!"
Like a blood stain--can't get rid of it
Cynthia Jones | 05/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I played this thing once about two years ago, and now I can't get it out of my CD player. Barbeau's creepy, splendid tray carries all the pop you need. But caution: The hooks here are barbed."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1