Smog — Supper (March 18, 2003)
★Ξ★ V průběhu své kariéry se Callahanovi podařilo nosit mnoho estetických masek, zatímco stále přichází s něčím jedinečným a zajímavým. Bylo by však příliš laciné říci, že zde se prostě skrývá za machinací poslušnou verzí country–folku a stabilního riff–rocku, aby zákeřně sdělil svojí výrazně dark musical sensitivitu. Ale mám dojem, že všechny Callahanovy karty jsou na stole zde.
★Ξ★ With their sparse instrumentation and revealing lyrics, Bill Callahan and co. were pioneers for both lo–fi acts and indie singer/songwriters.
★Ξ★ Slipping and gliding, your hero has returned. (SMOG) is back in the building. With him is his newest record. But he's not going to sing it for you, no. Instead, he's going to play it for you. And so, with a press of a button–the new (SMOG) album, Supper.
Formed: 1966 in Silver Spring, MD
Location: USA
Album release: March 18, 2003
Recorded: August–September 2002
Record Label: Drag City
Duration: 43:35
Tracks:
• All songs written by Bill Callahan.
01 "Feather by Feather" 5:36
02 "Butterflies Drowned in Wine" 4:38
03 "Morality" 2:47
04 "Ambition" 4:28
05 "Vessel in Vain" 4:20
06 "Truth Serum" 7:29
07 "Our Anniversary" 6:17
08 "Driving" 4:10
09 "A Guiding Light" 3:50
Personnel:
★ Bill Callahan — vocals, guitar, hammond, piano
★ Ken Champion — pedal steel, piano
★ Ryan Hembrey — bass, cello
★ Andy Hopkins — guitar
★ Sarabeth Tucek — vocals
★ Jim White — drums
★ Nate Lepine — wind controller
★ Bill Lowman — guitar, banjo (track 8)
★ Rian Murphy — drums (track 3)
Credits:
★ Nick Webb Mastering
★ Michael Colligan Visual Effects Designer
★ Jeremy Lemos Engineer
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares; Score: ***½
Ξ At this point, it might be all too predictable to say that Bill Callahan sounds more natural and at ease with each (Smog) album he releases, but it nevertheless holds true for Supper, his 11th full–length (and his second with the Smog name protected by parentheses). Where Dongs of Sevotion and Rain on Lens switched between intimacy and distance like a game of cat–and–mouse, on this album Callahan is strikingly direct from the beginning, generating an emotional and musical heat that hasn't been heard in his music since Knock Knock. Supper begins with "Feather by Feather," which recounts a tale of moving on from a wild past with typically clever lyrics ("When they make the movie of your life/They're going to have to ask you to do your own stunts") and a gorgeous arrangement featuring steel guitars and Sarabeth Tucek's honeyed backing vocals. The song reflects the unabashedly pretty, vulnerable tone that marks most of the album's best moments, such as the philosophical, countrified "Vessel in Vain," on which Callahan notes, “my ideals have got me on the run”; "Truth Serum," a wryly romantic duet with Tucek; and the outstanding "Our Anniversary," which celebrates staying close to someone instead of running away from them. Supper also has its fair share of tough, strutting rockers, both for better (the witty, sexy "Morality") and for worse (the dour "Ambition"). While Callahan's glimpses into the darker side of human nature have traditionally been among his finer moments, on this album they sound tired, even if they serve as a counterpoint to the rest of Supper's gentle, easy grace. But even within the album's warm, natural feel, Callahan offers a few unique twists and turns, such as the impressionistic "Driving," which with its hushed vocals, syncopated drums and banjos, and fireworks (!), conjures the feeling of sitting in a car during a rainstorm. Musically speaking, Supper's most exciting track is "Butterflies Drowned in Wine," which moves from a menacing, bluesy opening to Velvets–inspired rock to a bittersweet, pedal steel–driven chorus. It teeters on the edge of chaos, but that just infuses the song with more drama and proves that Callahan still has the ability to surprise. His last two albums also reflected his ongoing growth as an artist, but Supper's settled but intriguing warmth is an even bigger step forward. Ξ http://www.allmusic.com/
© 3/20/11 — Musician Bill Callahan at his home in Austin, Texas Sunday March 20, 2011. Freelance by Erich Schlegel NYT CREDIT: Erich Schlegel for The New York Times
Also:
By Matt LeMay; March 25, 2003; Score: 7
Ξ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7278-supper/
Label: http://www.dragcity.com/ // Also: http://www.lemauvaiscoton.fr/musique/bill-callahan-circuit-des-yeux-concert-lyon-feyzin-epicerie-moderne/
A GUIDING LIGHT Lyrics:
The sun peaked at noon
I watched it hoping it would rise
Just a little higher
And give me a guiding light
A guiding light
I must admit I felt some relief
When the sun began to sink
I mean who really wants to see
Things in blinding white
Blinding white
It grows dark
I feel my way home
Sleep
Sleep if you can sleep
Me I'll be staying up
Long into the night
Trying to prove wrong
All the statements I made
All the statements I just made
A guiding light
You were born in the middle of the night
What better time for a guiding light
MORALITY Lyrics:
I could kiss you
The sunlight coming through your blouse
Words wont tell me what your bodys all about
I could take you
You could take me
With hands and hair and eyes and bones and
knees
But hey
What would my wife say
What would my wife say
If I was married
I could keep you
With money every month
Some city apartment where I
Where you will stay
But hey
What would my wife say
What would my wife say
If I was married
_____________________________________________________________
★Ξ★ With their sparse instrumentation and revealing lyrics, Bill Callahan and co. were pioneers for both lo–fi acts and indie singer/songwriters.
★Ξ★ Slipping and gliding, your hero has returned. (SMOG) is back in the building. With him is his newest record. But he's not going to sing it for you, no. Instead, he's going to play it for you. And so, with a press of a button–the new (SMOG) album, Supper.
Location: USA
Album release: March 18, 2003
Recorded: August–September 2002
Record Label: Drag City
Duration: 43:35
Tracks:
• All songs written by Bill Callahan.
01 "Feather by Feather" 5:36
02 "Butterflies Drowned in Wine" 4:38
03 "Morality" 2:47
04 "Ambition" 4:28
05 "Vessel in Vain" 4:20
06 "Truth Serum" 7:29
07 "Our Anniversary" 6:17
08 "Driving" 4:10
09 "A Guiding Light" 3:50
Personnel:
★ Bill Callahan — vocals, guitar, hammond, piano
★ Ken Champion — pedal steel, piano
★ Ryan Hembrey — bass, cello
★ Andy Hopkins — guitar
★ Sarabeth Tucek — vocals
★ Jim White — drums
★ Nate Lepine — wind controller
★ Bill Lowman — guitar, banjo (track 8)
★ Rian Murphy — drums (track 3)
Credits:
★ Nick Webb Mastering
★ Michael Colligan Visual Effects Designer
★ Jeremy Lemos Engineer
Ξ At this point, it might be all too predictable to say that Bill Callahan sounds more natural and at ease with each (Smog) album he releases, but it nevertheless holds true for Supper, his 11th full–length (and his second with the Smog name protected by parentheses). Where Dongs of Sevotion and Rain on Lens switched between intimacy and distance like a game of cat–and–mouse, on this album Callahan is strikingly direct from the beginning, generating an emotional and musical heat that hasn't been heard in his music since Knock Knock. Supper begins with "Feather by Feather," which recounts a tale of moving on from a wild past with typically clever lyrics ("When they make the movie of your life/They're going to have to ask you to do your own stunts") and a gorgeous arrangement featuring steel guitars and Sarabeth Tucek's honeyed backing vocals. The song reflects the unabashedly pretty, vulnerable tone that marks most of the album's best moments, such as the philosophical, countrified "Vessel in Vain," on which Callahan notes, “my ideals have got me on the run”; "Truth Serum," a wryly romantic duet with Tucek; and the outstanding "Our Anniversary," which celebrates staying close to someone instead of running away from them. Supper also has its fair share of tough, strutting rockers, both for better (the witty, sexy "Morality") and for worse (the dour "Ambition"). While Callahan's glimpses into the darker side of human nature have traditionally been among his finer moments, on this album they sound tired, even if they serve as a counterpoint to the rest of Supper's gentle, easy grace. But even within the album's warm, natural feel, Callahan offers a few unique twists and turns, such as the impressionistic "Driving," which with its hushed vocals, syncopated drums and banjos, and fireworks (!), conjures the feeling of sitting in a car during a rainstorm. Musically speaking, Supper's most exciting track is "Butterflies Drowned in Wine," which moves from a menacing, bluesy opening to Velvets–inspired rock to a bittersweet, pedal steel–driven chorus. It teeters on the edge of chaos, but that just infuses the song with more drama and proves that Callahan still has the ability to surprise. His last two albums also reflected his ongoing growth as an artist, but Supper's settled but intriguing warmth is an even bigger step forward. Ξ http://www.allmusic.com/
Also:
By Matt LeMay; March 25, 2003; Score: 7
Ξ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7278-supper/
Label: http://www.dragcity.com/ // Also: http://www.lemauvaiscoton.fr/musique/bill-callahan-circuit-des-yeux-concert-lyon-feyzin-epicerie-moderne/
A GUIDING LIGHT Lyrics:
The sun peaked at noon
I watched it hoping it would rise
Just a little higher
And give me a guiding light
A guiding light
I must admit I felt some relief
When the sun began to sink
I mean who really wants to see
Things in blinding white
Blinding white
It grows dark
I feel my way home
Sleep
Sleep if you can sleep
Me I'll be staying up
Long into the night
Trying to prove wrong
All the statements I made
All the statements I just made
A guiding light
You were born in the middle of the night
What better time for a guiding light
I could kiss you
The sunlight coming through your blouse
Words wont tell me what your bodys all about
I could take you
You could take me
With hands and hair and eyes and bones and
knees
But hey
What would my wife say
What would my wife say
If I was married
I could keep you
With money every month
Some city apartment where I
Where you will stay
But hey
What would my wife say
What would my wife say
If I was married