Search - Bodeans :: Resolution

A Long Overdue and Welcome Release

J. Chasin | NYC, NY | 09/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a BoDeans fan since their first album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, in 1986. In 1989 I finally saw them live, at NYC's Ritz ballroom. Having seen the Stones a week prior, I came away thinking, the Stones claim to be the world's greatest rock'n'roll band-- but maybe I'd give them number two. That's how great the BoDeans were live, and I haven't missed them since if I could possibly catch a show.



For me, 1996's Blend was something of a disappointment, and while opinions will vary on that score, I thought it was their weakest (although still pretty darn good.) That it took 8 years to see a follow-up-- despite Kurt and Sammy each releasing solo albums in the interim-- was a crying shame.



From the first strains of Kurt's "If It Makes You," it is clear that this is an unabashed return to form. Then Sammy's fine "Marianne" follows, and you are in BoDeans heaven. The production may be a bit too slick and modern-- frankly I'm in the camp that says T-Bone Burnett should produce every one of their albums (he did the first and Go Slow Down)-- but as on Black and White, which initially suffered from jarring production that got in the way of the songs, eventually after enough listens the songs shone through and the production faded into the background. The BoDeans are a band best served when the producer stays out of the way.



The best part of any BoDeans album is where the primary songwriter is joined by the other. The quintessential example is on Home's "You Don't Get Much," when Sammy wraps his voice around Kurt's for the line "In this old town (Sammy joins now) the wind starts blowin'." In an odd way the BoDeans are like the Indigo Girls, where two songwriters compose seperately, but make each other's songs better than the sum of its parts by blending their interpretive talents.



If you are a BoDeans fan of any level of intensity, I think you want this album. If you are new to the group, though, it probably isn't the place to start; I'd start with L&H&S&D and/or Go Slow Down. And my personal favorite is their second, Outside Looking In. And too, I gave this 5 stars, but my real rating would be 4.5. Stand-out tracks for me are "If It Makes You," "Marianne," "(We Can) Live," "Wild World," (the first 4),"Crazy," and "617." At least those are the ones I put on my iPod."

A Welcome Return

Sigmund | 09/28/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of the BoDeans since their first album and I remember upon my first listen of 'Black And White' I paused and repeated the 7th track, "Naked", about 30 times before proceeding to the next song. I just sat there for a couple hours listening to that one song over and over. The BoDeans have always had that affect on me. Sammy's vocals are mesmerizing and evoke emotion that almost no other artist can.



So naturally I've been looking forward to this new release. It begins with its' best track, "If It Makes You", a straight forward love song featuring Kurt's vocals and brilliant guitar playing. It also features that wonderful BoDeans production of layered guitar in the mode of the great Phil Spector. "If It Makes You" falls well short of the BoDeans best but it is a terrific song.



The other two high points are "Sleep" and "Nobody Loves Me" which both feature Kurt's screaming guitar over an otherwise typical Sammy accoustic ballad. These songs and a few others on the album offer quite a departure from the usual BoDeans sound. I also like "Slipping Into You", "Once In A While", "617" and "Crazy".



Unfortunately that is about all there is to like on 'Resolution'. The songwriting is pretty weak and Sammy's vocals have lost the power and passion they had on earlier records. This continues the trend that hurt the quality on their two mid 90s albums. All seven of the BoDeans studio albums are worth owning and each one includes at least two great songs but, like I suspect most their fans feel, their first three albums are the way to go for new listeners."

Solid Album

Guy T. Parola | Jacksonville, Florida United States | 09/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a solid album; actually, in all fairness it probably deserves a better compliment, but after their hiatus I would have expected more. It might just be me, but there's something missing that I cannot quite put my finger on. I don't regret the purchase and it's still better than anything you'll hear on commercial radio."