Search - Joshua Kadison :: Vanishing America

REALLY WORTH TEN STARS!

Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 01/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Joshua when he released his well-received "Painted Desert Serenade," which was an excellent debut. When "Delilah Blue" was release as its follow-up, I was so excited about it; boy, was I disappointed. "Delilah" pales in comparison and it seems like Kadison was focusing his lyrics on transvestites and people of the night. Little depth or emotion in that release.
Fortunately, "Vanishing America" returns Joshua to the territory he captured so well in "Painted". This is an awesome collection; there isn't one misfire on the entire CD. Kadison's lyrics are his best yet and convey a tremendous sense of compassion, understanding, and bittersweet eloquence. Opening with the simple, yet plaintive, "Carolina Eyes," the CD moves on with amazing emotional impact. "Desert Flower" focuses on a single mother in New Mexico, and Joshua's attraction to her. His desire to "turn himself into rain" is a beautiful analogy of how he feels about this woman. "Dragonfly Wings" is a beautiful narrative reflecting on mental illness and the hopes and despairs that accompany it. "I wanna be blues, greens, wanna be flyin on dragonfly wings" is gorgeous imagery. In "Cherry Bowl Drive In," the razing of an old drive-in movie theatre evokes the pain of Kadison's misfired relationship and the two children he left behind. Extremely touching. A tempo change occurs with "El Diablo Amor," a haunting essay on the devil, love. "I Believe in You" may surpass "Beautiful in My Eyes" as Joshua's best romantic ballad. The poetry and musicality of this song are simply brilliant. "Shine" reflects Kadison's love for his younger brother, Sebastian, and offers him (and us) the chance to look into ourselves and see how we shine. "Greyhound Bound for Anywhere" would fit any country play list, even though we know it never will. This is another heartbreaker with the searing question, "Tell me, is he good to you?" Growing old and the unfulfillment of lost dreams is beautifully expressed in "Molly in the Mirror." Joshua's obvious maturing is evidenced in the uplifting tribute to his dad, "My Father's Son." The CD closes with the simply beautiful "Song for a Grounded Angel." Fly on, indeed.
This is truly a wonderful effort by Joshua Kadison. His ability to tell stories without forced rhyme is amazing. His musical simplicity only adds to the quick attraction to these songs.
An outstanding CD, one of the best of 2001! Get it. You won't be sorry."

"I wanna be blues, I wanna be greens.

drea | Las Vegas, NV USA | 08/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wanna be flying on dragonfly wings."I've been a fan of Joshua Kadison since his first release, "Painted Desert Serenade". I've been fortunate enough to have found his independent releases ("Saturday Night in Storyville" and "Troubador in a Timequake") as well as his wonderful book "Seventeen Ways to Eat a Mango". I've bought several copies of his first cd and his book for friends - I simply cannot praise the talent of Joshua Kadison enough! I was so thrilled to find that he had a new release with "Vanishing America" and, with many thanks to a wonderful friend in Germany, I acquired this cd a few weeks ago. It hasn't left my cd player since it arrived! Joshua has retained his standards for wonderful story songs with this cd. I immediately fell in love with "Carolina's Eyes" and was thrilled to hear songs from his independent cd's included ("My Father's Son", "I Believe In You", and "Cherry Bowl Drive-in") with new musical arrangements. This cd will not let you down. And if you don't find magic in "Begging For Grace" or "Shine" then maybe you'll find it in "Molly In the Mirror", "Desert Flower" or "Song For a Grounded Angel". Every song has a wonderful story and message. We'll probably never hear Joshua on mainstream radio again, as we did on "Painted Desert Serenade" but as long as he continues to release his wonderful cd's I'll continue to buy them over and over!Fly On!"

It shines like gold!

James A Jackson | Torrance, CA United States | 11/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An excellent follow-up to "Painted Desert Serenade", this album was well worth the wait. The songs are similar in sound, just different chords, lyrics and stories. The songs are very well-arranged and Kadison wrote them himself. The album is very enjoyable from track 1 to 11. No fillers on this album! Kadison is such an underrated talent, and it's a crying shame this album has not been released in the U.S. yet. If you love good soft rock music, you must get this album!"