Before this album, Canadian singer/songwriter Fred Eaglesmith had been something of a folkie, but on Lipstick, Lies & Gasoline, he rocks out, making most cuts as much about rhythm as anything else. The opening "Seven S... more »hells" is almost all rhythm--slow, insistent and creepingly malevolent. Whether singing about relationships that either fade away (the pathetic "Drinking Too Much") or explode into violence, Eaglesmith's typically dark themes are well suited by these new arrangements, so even when his character studies are too broad to be revealing ("Time To Get A Gun"), or when his insights are banal ("Alcohol and Pills"), their pulsing musical settings still compel. --David Cantwell« less
Before this album, Canadian singer/songwriter Fred Eaglesmith had been something of a folkie, but on Lipstick, Lies & Gasoline, he rocks out, making most cuts as much about rhythm as anything else. The opening "Seven Shells" is almost all rhythm--slow, insistent and creepingly malevolent. Whether singing about relationships that either fade away (the pathetic "Drinking Too Much") or explode into violence, Eaglesmith's typically dark themes are well suited by these new arrangements, so even when his character studies are too broad to be revealing ("Time To Get A Gun"), or when his insights are banal ("Alcohol and Pills"), their pulsing musical settings still compel. --David Cantwell
"Fred's previous releases like "Drive-In Movie(his best),"Things is Changin" and "Paradise Motel",to name a few, are considered classics by more than a few people. This disc is no different.A perfect mix of roots-rock,country and country/folk; the thing that distinguishes Fred from the other top-level artist is that this guy's songwriting is a step above most of 'em. What you get here is music that is not only timeless, but it hits you square between the eyes with their brutal honesty and heartbreaking melodies. He also cracks you up with his twisted sense of humor and he certainly has a way with words. This guy's in my top 3 in terms of favourite artists. A real maverick."
Great stories from a great storyteller
BigAl | Idaho | 09/27/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like a great story a great song communicates something about it's subject that strikes a chord in the reader or listener. The best songwriters are also great storytellers. In "Lipstick, Lies, and Gasoline" Fred Eaglesmith tells some great stories.Fred's songs range in style from country to rock, with some folk thrown into the mix. "Drinking too Much" is a duet with Lynn Miles in the tradition of George Jones and Tammy Wynette while in "Thinking" Eaglesmith sounds like J.J. Cale."Alcohol & Pills" is a song about famous singers of the past (Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, Gram Parsons). "But fame doesn't take away the pain/it just pays the bills/and you wind up on alcohol and pills".In "105", his ode to the thrill of speed Fred sings "I like to drive at a hundred and five/It's just how fast I gotta go/ I got the gears and I got the motor/ Ain't no reason to go slow"Get this CD for some great songs, and some great stories."
You Must Hear This CD
Dan Wasson | Detroit, MI USA | 10/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you have any interest at all in Folk, Country, or Rock music you need to hear this CD. Imagine Springsteen channelling Hank Williams. Fred Eaglesmith is the best thing that has happened to music in a couple years. Listen to the CD and then see him live. It will change your life."
105 is the speed this artist hits with the music on this CD.
Dan Wasson | 11/21/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The music on this CD gets under your skin and crawls all up and down your nerve endings. The more I listen the more I love it. This is coming from a non-country music lover too. On first listening, I found there were songs that had *too much* twang. Now, I couldn't imagine them sounding any other way. All the way from, my personal favorite, 105 to Water in the Fuel you are moved along at a break neck speed that makes your brain swirl and your body move. Just be ready with the toothpick for the bugs in your teeth."
What is it About These Canadians?
Michael D Hansen | Melbourne, Australia | 04/28/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Fred Eaglesmith, the Cowboy Junkies, the Band.Just what is it about Canada that drives this edgy, melancholy music? This is the first time I have heard any of Eaglesmith's work, but after only a few hearings I am convinced that he has inherited the spirit of those other Canadian greats, the late and very much missed Richard Manuel and his Band colleague Rick Danko. His voice and his stinging band echo some of the Band's finest moments. Compare Fred's Spookin'the Horses with Danko's wonderful It Makes No Difference, and the desperation of Seven Shells recalls Manuel's passion on King Harvest. This is a compelling CD, ranging from the drivin' 105, the bittersweet traveller in Water In The Fuel, and the groove of Pontiac. South Ontario has produced a worthy sucessor to the Band in Fred Eaglesmith."