| Product: |
Lost Songs 1995-1998 - David Gray |
| Date: |
09/11/02 (217 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Beautiful acoustic collection, Lyrically brilliant
Disadvantages: one instrumental track which ruins the mood for a moment
I am a David Gray convert. My wife is a huge fan, and I was forced to listen to his album 'White Ladder' so much that I was in danger of becoming more of a fan than her, which is why I bought this CD, which is one of his earlier releases. It is a collection of 11 songs written and recorded in the three year period 1995-1998, which was the time that he was signed to a record company, and giving the backing to record and promote 'White Ladder', and it was off the back of that success that EastWest record label decided to cash in and release this album in 2001.
"Flame Turns Blue' whets our appetites for what is to follow. The folk style is still very evident, and it is here where Gray's voice comes into it's own, and knocks you over with it's brilliance, as there is no hidden secret formula to these songs. They are brilliant music taken back to basics, without the electronic influence that is so evident nowadays. This CD just has a totally fresh feel to it. 'Twilight' is mesmorising, the temp never changes, but it is a song which gets to you, and you feel awash with relaxation when it ends, and you are in no danger of being roused with 'Hold On'. This is not a criticism though, as this song is better than the last. David Gray is at his best when it is just him and his guitar. He shines in this forum.
The mood continues with 'As I'm Leaving', and this is a contender for the best track on the album. I always close my eyes when I listen to this song so I can take it all in without any distractions. 'If Your Love Is Real' is a true love lost song, and if I had one criticism of this album it would be that the lyrics are this are so powerful, but David does not sing them with the emotion that they deserve, but then maybe that is me just looking for something negative to tell you all about. 'Tidal Wave' is a love song, David Gray style. The lyrics here are supreme, and they conv
ey how he feels about the special person in his life.
My personal favourite track is 'Falling Down The Mountainside'. It is a song that would never do well commercially, but as an acoustic track goes, you will have to look hard to find one better than this, and at this point I start to run out of words to describe the tracks, which is apt as 'January Rain' is an instrumental. It is a beautiful track, but I am not sure how well it fits here, and I am afraid that this one rarely gets listened to in full by me, but 'Red Moon' brings me back to where I was, with another classic David Gray plus guitar track.
The end of the album is signalled by 'Wurlitzer' and preceeded by 'A Clean Pair Of Eyes'. They are both very similar songs, and have a bit of an edge compared to the other 9 tracks.
At just over 35 minutes long, the album is hardly mammoth, but the songs that that are on there are, and they are certainly not a collection of B sides used to fill an album, any of them could have been a single release without doubt. This album will make you want to listen to David Gray again and again as the passion he feels for his art is sure to affect you as it did me.
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