Search - Peter Himmelman :: Imperfect World

Peter, the performer

Evren Karpak | Chicago, IL United States | 04/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It strikes me as somewhat pointless to review a CD as a layman when we all can listen to snippets of any track from this very page. Even if the snippets do not do justice. I guess one can write about how the pieces develop and end (she leaves him on track 5) but otherwise I couldn't begin to write convoluted sentences reviewing music.



However, I would like to recommend very highly seeing Himmelman perform in person. He is a one man argument for live performances. He was in Chicago to promote this CD just the other day. I showed up because I know a "groupie" and the name had somehow stuck. May this be my way of paying it forward!



He chatted with the audience for 20 minutes before playing. It becomes almost immediately apparent that he has that certain something that captivates people of all ages. He chatted up a 12 year old kid about skateboards vs. monster trucks (trucks are more fun), what percent of guitar playing is just the sheer coolness of it (%50, they agreed), improvised a song about what word inappropriately rhymes with the name of a cute two year old running around up front without actually mentioning it ("Lessie, she is so...") and ranted about performers who don't like photography at their events ("You DID get up on stage... Why?")



Some time into his performance I looked around at the faces in the audience and you could just see they were enthralled. He was the master storyteller and we were all kids. I think the last time I felt such a rush from sharing a performance was at a screening of Winged Migration. Anyway, my friend needed to be somewhere but one look at him and we decided to skip lunch so we could stay the entire time.



On an aside, I noticed he was wearing a prayer shawl under his shirt which made sense after reading up about his story but was in such contrast to what one expects from the very cool, very mellow persona on stage. I guess he carries it well. Anyway, I patted myself on the back for noticing (not Jewish here).



Look, you are thinking about buying the CD. Nothing a stranger says here will convince you to haul your tuchus (pat-pat) to a live performance. But if you get the CD and enjoy it, keep an eye out for the man himself. If he is performing within driving distance -- go. And take a friend who hasn't even heard the name. You will be thanked heartily afterwards."

"Imperfect" is Simply Perfect

Shawn M. Fink | Cleveland, Ohio | 03/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the excruciatingly long 5 year wait between Peter Himmelman's last two studio efforts (1999's "Love Thinketh No Evil" and 2004's "Unstoppable Forces"), fans might have been expecting another drought while Himmelman concentrated on his emmy-nominated scoring of the CBS prime-time drama "Judging Amy". Instead, fans should be overjoyed with the sudden release of "Imperfect World" just 11 months after the last studio CD. While a little short in length (10 tracks / 39:04 total running time), this album is no rush-job or hasty release. This is an album which shows the full scope of Himmelman's musical abilities and talent, featuring a variety of musical genres each executed flawlessly.



From the opening licks of leadoff track, "Loaves of Bread", Himmelman signals a return to the electric guitar stylings that have been more or less absent since 1994's "Skin". Himmelman proudly notes that he played every note and chord of electric guitar on the album, which features a decided blues feel on many of the tracks, particularly "This Afternoon in the Rain" whose riffs recall B.B. King, and are perfectly accented by the stellar work of Jeff Young (Jackson Browne, Sting, Donald Fagan) on Hammond B-3.



The album also offers traces of Country in "Kneel Down"- which may contain the album's best lyric ("we don't run in the house of G-d, we only crawl")- and "Wet Matches". "Take it Easy on Me" has a definite ska-feel to it, as if to remind us that Himmelman began his career as a member of Minnesotan reggae band, Shangoya.



The album is not devoid of all out rockers either, as "Black Rolled into Black" and "One Minute Longer" prove that Himmelman's electric guitar work is as impressive as his acoustic (if not more so). Quiter moments appear in "What's Your Name" and "Another Day", among the albums more spiritual numbers.



All in all, this is a welcome return to form for Himmelman after a disappointing outing on last year's "Unstoppable Forces". While "Unstoppable" had appealing performances and the trademark Himmelman lyrical touches, it never quite caught my ear the way his previous albums all had, "Imperfect World", on the other hand, is filled with catchy hooks, singable melodies and fantastic musical and lyrical twists that will delight both fans and newcomers alike.



Shawn Fink

Producer

Shalom America"

A Great Guitar Album - Maybe His Best Ever

Eric R. Last | San Bruno, CA United States | 09/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. Much as I love the music of Peter Himmelman, I have also at times felt a bit exasperated by some albums that have been weighted towards his acoustic troubadour persona, which I find less compelling than Himmelman the rocker. Himmelman has long had a musical split personality, with his Jackson Browne side competing for album minutes with his Tom Petty side. It seems that usually the Jackson Browne side comes out ahead, and although I love Jackson Browne, to me Himmelman doesn't do that style as well as some others do. But Himmelman the rocker is another story, and when he decides to go in that direction I almost always find the results to be delightful. Of course there is some of each style on every Himmelman album, but "Imperfect World" is strongly tilted towards the more uptempo tunes, and what a strong batch of tunes they are! Standouts include the slide guitar workout "Consumed", the hard rockin' "Black Rolled Into Black", the tasty reggae "Take It Easy On Me', and the bluesy "This Afternoon In The Rain". For the first time, Himmelman plays all the guitars himself, and based on the results I hope he never employs a different guitarist again. The only previous Himmelman album that stands up to this one is "Gematria" from about 18 years ago. This is a most welcome return to form."