Search - Various Artists :: Vigil

Great Tribute Album!

05/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I worked in the World Trade Center until September 11, so this CD has a special meaning for me. As a fan of the NYC folk music scene since the 1960's, I was aware of Jack Hardy and the Greenwich Village Songwriter's Exchange long before the attacks killed his brother Jeff and brought about this CD. I've listened with pleasure to many of the products of the Exchange, as well as later work by the group's alumni(ae).Since many of the tracks on the album were recorded in home studios rather than in professional recording studios, the audio quality of the tracks vary somewhat. However, the songs are of uniformly high quality, and the performances are all heartfelt and very fine, exhibiting the range of emotions that many of us experienced since September in ways that we found hard to express.This CD is what the contemporary folk scene, at its very best, is all about."

Vigil

suzanne | Rumson, NJ United States | 05/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the ongoing conversation about 9/11, a friend mentioned this album. Some of the proceeds go to help families who lost someone. Since I hadn't found a favorite driving CD for some time, and it was a good cause, I picked this one up. The variety of styles by the artists listed made me wonder what was ahead. I didn't want to hear slick, I didn't want to hear 'it's all about me' ego. I scanned the first, the middle and the last tracks and every tune was distinct in style, all good, no slick, no ego. Then I played it all the way through. There is a song for each mood that comes from living through a nightmare day. Very thoughtful, consistent quality of lyric. The female vocalists are soothing but frank. The first track,"Firehouse," quietly jerks us out of the present and breaks our hearts all over again. It goes on from there. The CD in its entirety is soft music, not angry. It is sincere with clever verse and some melody, but get ready for tears the first time through. There is nothing maudlin about the music; it just speaks from the heart. "It Hit Home" is the everyman experience of loss of a neighbor and the tune sticks in the head all day. "Never Forget" makes you want to call a friend just to talk about life. The guy tunes are strong and concise about how we deal with reality in an aftermath of a day from hell. "A Well Dressed Man" and "On a Clear Day", "Communists" and Spoonfed," to pick a few, are all different, not as sympathetic as they are objective on how we get through grieving as a people. And there are more. Can't pick any favorites, they're all good. "When Mohammed came to the mountain" is the perfect end, verse, leaving the listener with dry eyes, sitting in silence, praying. The material on this CD is exactly what goes through our heads when we try to be "normal" again after an horrific loss. Now, each time I listen, and its easy to listen, I feel an incremental move toward closure on a day I will never forget. If you are looking for a sign of good in the human heart, this is it. I'm going to make this gift material for those who cry spontaneously when they pass memorial sites or read the news."

Music like it used to be before commercialization.

W. Andrews | Greater Los Angeles | 05/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine going over to a friend's house and they say, "Hey, I got this song about what happened on 9/11". Would you say, "No, I don't want to hear it", because it wasn't a fully 'produced' song? No, you would, of course, listen to it. Now imagine that your friend is a famous singer-songwriter, what power that would have in the simplicity.These songs, many recorded in a simple voice-guitar pairing, are powerful and moving. This is especially true when you realize that they all knew somebody that died (Jeff Hardy, in particular). When Jack Hardy sings and you understand that it is -his- brother that he is refering to, it makes it real. When Suzanne Vega sings and you know that she planned to visit -her- brother at the WTC that day, it sends shivers down your spine.These artist follow the great tradition of remembering major events in song, something that we shameful have moved away from. A.P. Carter and the Rye Cove cyclone is a prime example. Songs about the Galvaston Hurricane, battle songs, the list goes on. We have left this tradition. This group of 'folk' (the word means people) singers, have steered us back to songs that touch the heart and remember real history. None of the sticky sweet 'oops I did it again' pop that is like soda pop (empty calories). These songs are 'meat and potatoes' songs, they have real value and will 'stick to your ribs'."