Search - Black 47 :: Bittersweet Sixteen

"Drop all your troubles by the riverside..." -Blood Sweat an

Laura Vona | Boston, MA | 03/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Time passing has a way of creeping up behind your turned back and slapping you right in the face when you least expect it.

I don't think of myself at 16 years of age when I reflect on the title "Bittersweet Sixteen",

(the less I reflect on years spent in near worship of Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue the better...)

I think of where time has brought me in the past sixteen years.

That is, from 1990 to here and now.

Very pleased to have Black47's music amongst my personal soundtrack for those years,

Bittersweet Sixteen could have easily been writen off as an appriciated but none the less, cop-out greatest hits compilation,

(a road many great bands before them have gone down in effort to get one last bang out of a wanning career)

Much like Black47 however the album refuses to be pigeon-holed so easily into a rock and roll stereotype.

It's good.

Really good.

The first track, Home of the Brave having not appeared on the Black47 album that bears that name,was a surprise to me however, I do like a show that begins with a punch and that track ceratinly is a sucker punch if I ever felt one.

From there the disk eases the listener into the more familiar opening cry of "Bridie!",

off to twists and turns of a most delightful nature,

(John Denver and the Muppets team are the only other people to ever take Stephen Stills' "For what it's worth" for all it's worth...)

and round back again to the completely unfamiliar drop off at the end of Joe Hill.

No matter if your river be the Hudson, the Charles or points beyond, it's best to keep it flowing.

I guess the greatest compliment I can give this disk is that it's a nice one to have along for the ride.

Highly recommended.











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