Guided Tour Of Chicago, A - Lawrence Arms (The)

Advantages: Really Raspy Energetic Sound
Disadvantages: None

.... --------------------------------------- With a name that sounds more akin to your favourite local, Chicago's best punk rock export, the Lawrence Arms, return with an intelligent and moving album that glows eternal. 'The Greatest Story Ever Told', their fourth album, is a bold statement of intellectuality and cadence ; its power surges accompany a warming, gently tugging at your fingers before ripping right into your insides. Formed at the very end of the last century, 1999 to be exact, the Lawrence Arms, which consists of Brendan Kelly (bass/vocals), Neil Hennessy (drums) and Chris(guitar/vocals) have continued to use a dual vocalled approach,allowing the gruff but decisive voices to layer themselves over the guitars in perfect harmony, Making the most of comedic lyrics, the Lawrence Arms balance their art and literary entrys, lending a part of the album to every and any personality... Read review

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Advantages: Soaring, beautiful folk-rock
Disadvantages: slightly biased toward new material

...The songs of folk-rock powerhouse Jeff Tweedy have never sounded so raw, intimate and ultimately rewarding as they do on this brilliant live LP. It's a thrilling journey on which to be taken, and one which never lacks humour, sadness, hope, vulnerability, bravery....the moods which are created by this album are seemingly endless. Older favourites such as Misundersood, Shot In The Arm and the apt Via Chicago are all given a new lease of life played live. Newer tracks lose their production shortcomings and are played with more passion than ever before. Even two tracks from the Mermaid Avenue albums (made with Billy Bragg and using lyrics by Woody Guthrie) make it into the setlists. The album is topped off by a heartwrenching track simply named Comment - music by Wilco wriiten for words by Charles Wright and Yusef Rahman. It's a sombre... Read review

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Advantages: An excellent piece of very original music
Disadvantages: Some parts let the work down a little

...The first I heard of Jenkins was a good few years back following the release of his enormously successful album: 'Adiemus'. He's also written the very popular piece for strings called Palladio (made famous by the Diamond ads). One of his more recent offerings (although not that recent!) is the collection of choral works entitled 'The Armed Man: A Mass For Piece". Any Classic FM listener will be well aware of some of these pieces (notably the Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Benedictus) because they are *always* being played. However, I was curious to see what else the CD had to offer, and so when I received a ten quid Smiths gift voucher I decided to go for it. The CD comes in a stylish looking black case with a bright white bird, wings spread wide across the cover, superimposed above a decidedly sinister looking, dark seafront. And that image... Read review

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