Glen Phillips - Abulum (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

A Pop Treat from Toad's Former Front Man

JD Cetola | Omaha, NE USA | 04/10/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Glen Phillips, former vocalist/songwriter from the terrific Toad the Wet Sprocket, has finally released a solo album (the first full album of material from him since Toad's 1997 overlooked masterpiece "Coil"). Musically, this album is more in line with the earlier Toad output ("Pale", "Bread & Circus"). Some of the edge from the band's later output is missing. Nevertheless, this is an album of great pop songs with the typical lyrics you would expect from Phillips (some quirky songs--see 'Drive By' and the single 'Fred Meyers', some moving songs--'Darkest Hour', and the standard depressing fare--see most of the other songs). Overall, this is a solid album from start to finish and well worth obtaining for any fan of Toad the Wet Sprocket."

The Folky Side Of Toad

Dr. Anti-Pop | Lexington, Ky United States | 04/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Glen Phillips, the lyrical mastermind behind Toad the Wet Sprocket, has finally released his long-awaited solo disc, strangely titled "Abulum." Radio fans of his former band might be in for a surprise; gone are the polished sounds created by pop-rock producer Gavin MacKillop, leaving us with a more stripped-down presentation of Glen's lyrics. The songs have a certain wit about them, something that was missing from his earlier work, though I honestly didn't notice until now. However, don't let these patches of deadpan humor fool you. "Darkest Hour" is probably one of the most depressing songs I've heard in quite some time. With the death of his father looming over the production, Glen lets us into his inner-most thoughts in a much more natural fashion than expressed on most Toad albums, allowing long-time fans to experience something we've been wanting to do for a long time.To get inside the head of Glen Phillips.Mission accomplished."

Getting To Know Glen As A Solo Artist

Alicia | Michigan, USA | 10/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The lyrics in Abulum are not a far cry from his work with Toad...expressive, deep thinking, and beautifully delivered. Each song is musically exclusive to Glen's creativity...I felt like the lyrics and music tie more closely in this album than ever before in Toad.
Abulum is the opportunity to get to know Glen as a solo artist. Those who listen expecting to hear another Toad album will be disappointed because this is just Glen Phillips' creative work. Those fans of Toad that were so extremely disappointed by Abulum obviously set themselves up for it. Glen put the magic in Toad...take a listen and really let it flow through you and you'll see that, too."

One of my favorite discs of the year!

titoofadam | columbus, oh | 10/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this cd explores the depths and heights of humanity. the depths contain a tragic beauty, the heights are indescribable. this cd is not, however, for some toad fans. it has a very elvis costello meets elliot smith meets toad feel with some old johnny cash and willie nelson thrown into the mix. if you are able to glimpse the hidden beauty of sorrow or elation, this cd is not for you.each song has its own distinct presence, yet as a whole the record feels amazingly cohesive. personaly, my favorites are "darkest hour", which glen wrote about his father's passing. although i was disappointed that the album version is different from the first version i heard online earlier this year.
after listening to "train wreck"(amazing imagery) i'm convinced it was written about a girl i know. every time i hear it i think of her.i can understand why some toad fans don't like this disc, it seems to have been written during a darker emotional period in glen's life than most toad fans are used to, but it also contains the same poetic beauty, with lyrics like "tear me open, sanctify me/find the beauty thats dying inside of me"-(maya); i could go on and on, but i would end up writing the entire liner notes, and we don't have enough space..."

Incredible solo debut

Joe Campbell | Elmhurst, IL United States | 09/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An album with no filler material (ie, an incredible album from start to finish) is quite a rare find indeed. I can think of a few off the top of my head: Radiohead's "OK Computer", Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea", Guster's "Lost & Gone Forever" and Glen Phillips' "Abulum". I preordered the CD when it was first available on Glen's site, waited, waited, finally recieved the cd, and was completely blown away. Though I had already heard most, if not all, of the songs through various live recordings and such, the full band versions on the cd are so well done, so incredibly textured. Some of them bear little resemblence to the original solo versions. As fans of Toad know, Glen has an incredible talent for songcraft. Throw that in with Ethan John's talent for production, orchestration, and guitar playing, you have abulum. It's hard not to gush about something so beautiful when most of the music put out these days is absolute drivel. The 11 songs alone, remixed in 6 channel surround, would warrant purchase of this dvd, but with the interviews and 16 or so live solo tunes, including Toad favorites Something's Always Wrong, Crowing, and Dam Would Break and unreleased tunes such as Easier and Sake of the World. At under 20 bucks, it's a freakin' bargain."

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	Glen Phillips Abulum Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Rock Track Listings (11) - Disc #1 Careless Men Just Leave Back on My Feet - Glen Phillips, Northey, Craig Fred Meyers My Own Town It Takes Time Drive By Darkest Hour Professional Victim Train Wreck Maya
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