Search - Vic Chesnutt :: The Salesman and Bernadette

Southern Gothic

Bryan | Colorado | 10/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Athens, GA is one of those southern artsy/fartsy cities that is a creative well of talent. It has that art house aura that draws attention from, but still protects against, the guardians of morals that inhabit the bible belt that runs through the south and the midwest. Vic Chestnut might have ended up as a wheelchair bound, bible thumper spouting hellfire and brimstone, but instead we get a man who can play a convincing role as a contemplative drunk that can pen a damn good song.The Salesman and Bernadette is Vic Chestnut's sixth album. Lambchop is the backing band on this album. The collaboration is similar to the one Chestnut did on the album Nine High a Pallet, which involved Chestnut and members of the bands Widespread Panic and Cracker. Lambchop is an indie band out of Nashville that plays everything from country to the avant-garde.If you are familiar with Vic Chestnut's other work then I can say this is one of his more upbeat albums. If you're not familiar with Chestnut's work let me just say it is a somber album with upbeat moments. Think Faulkner... Tennessee Williams... Lush greenery thriving in humidity under weeping willows. Think of plantations past their prime and southern cities grappling with their heritage and changing times. Think bourbon and the occasional Valium."

Who is this guy?

Bt | Parts unknown | 11/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I First Heard This Disc About 6 Months Ago, I Just Had Read About Vic, Never Heard Him, But This Guy Opened A Whole New World Of Music For Me,His World. Sure I'm A Tom Waite Fan, But Mostly I'm A Folk,Country,Rock Fan And I've Never Heard Anything Quite Like This. Totally Original Style. Since Then I've Bought All His Music,Twice, Just In Case I Break One Or They Go Out Of Print."

You Can Hear Vic Chesnutt's Soul at Work...

Darl West | New York | 08/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered this cd at my local library 3 years ago. I remember it stood out on the shelves with its title that reminded me of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and its interesting cover art. I thought it was worth a shot but didn't believe it would prove to be any good because I had never heard of Vic Chesnutt before, plus as you probably already know, there's tons of crap in the music section of public libraries all across the country. Well, I was wrong about this cd. "The Salesman and Bernadette" is a gem, truly a rare find. Let's see if I can explain the sound: It's kind of folk, early blues (like Bessie Smith early), a bit Mazzy Star-ish in mood; for the most part (though there are other musical accompaniments), it's the sound of one man and his guitar on a cold night with a bottle of booze on the table nearby drowning his sorrows in song and solitude, slurring the words every now and then with the guitar chords running into each other -though there are often moments when the sound is so clear that I swear you can hear into Vic Chesnutt's soul and the stars too. This is a very personal-sounding album, like any of Elliott Smith's, and with the vocal expressivity of early blues records but with a very contemporary sound: a good analogy would be, Vic Chesnutt is to Blues as Amy Winehouse is to jazz: Definitely unique. You won't find another artist like Vic Chesnutt and if you've never heard of him before (and you like Mazzy Star, Elliott Smith, old blues records and you're tired of hearing all that crap that comes out of the radio, then I suggest you start with this album. This is my favorite from Vic Chesnutt and I love every song, especially "Square Room," "Maiden" and "Bernadette and Her Crowd." This is the kind of album that you listen to when you're by yourself at home, writing, drawing or painting or just sitting back and sorting through the turmoil of your own life. This is not car music."