Welsh singer-songwriter. WARNING! WARNING! 'songcraft,' and 'musicianship,' not my favourite words in the musical lexicon, but let's not judge quite yet.
Unless you've been living on Mars this summer, you will have heard 'Babylon.' Insinuating itself into the public psyche almost by accident, it still sounds nice on a sunny day. However, it's by some distance the best track on the album.
The main problem with 'White Ladder' is, it's far too NICE. ...
radarmaker 30.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Sail Away is passable Disadvantages: The rest - pass
My partner very rarely buys complete turkeys (OK she's stuck with me) but this has got to be one. If you are a fan of inoffensive male vocalists in the Phil Collins/Chris Rea mould (and I use the word advidely) then you'll get off on this. The tracks are all competently produced and Sail Away grows on you (but then so does gangrene) but overall the effect is soporific, music to get stuck in a lift to. there is no passion, individuality or even purpose ... ...of this aural torture then it really grates by about the third listening.
Its not the worst album ever made but it does contain a truly grim cover of Soft Cell's 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye'. Owners of the 12" original of this classic should not listen to this in the presence of sharpened cutlery - it really is that bad. If I had no need of my reproductive organs I'd find the receipt and change the CD for something more bearable - as it is am developing ...
oedipus 17.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Fantastic feel good songs Disadvantages: For every song there's a tacky pop album
...early tomorrow as well. Add White Ladder into the situation and the whole thing seems quite instantly less challenging. Each tune is a fine piece of musical literature, no flaws, beautiful meaningful lyrics, relaxing music. Uplifting does not define this. Babylon and We're Not Right being two of the best songs on this album which could pull anyone out of a miserable rut. David Gray has been discovered, and yet again another great British artis emerges ...
smokin_66 10.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Chill-out music, very easy to listen to. Disadvantages: Easily ignored (if used as background music)
This has surely got to be the album of the year !
David Gray has a melancholic, soothing style of chill-out music. It is a refreshing change from the trance and dance 'music' that is clogging up the charts so far this millennium. It makes an excellent sunday morning album, relaxing and slightly reminiscent of Bob Dylan. Anybody that likes Babylon will ADORE this album. Also possibly appealing to fans of Travis, Embrace, Moby etc..
Buy it now, you ...
sweetheart 30.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: calming yet invigerating Disadvantages: you'll want to buy the other 3 albums after listening to this one!!!
I heard about this young chap about 6 years ago when his first album 'a century ends' came out, i fell in love with his strange but lovely voice, went to see him perform in the local record shop when there were about 15 of us there! - the next album 'Flesh' was equal to the first, very soulful and the words actually mean something! Sell, Sell, Sell was his 3rd album, and more of the good stuff on this one too!
However, when i heard him on Virgin ... ...thought that this poor welsh chap was never going to be discovered properly and his music heard to the mases, but i found out something quite scary...... He's toured with.......Robbie Williams! Not that i have anything against Robbie, in fact i have both his albums! but come on David, don't sell out mate! Please just give this guy a try, it may take about 2 listens to get into it, but believe me, this is what you want to listen to on a sunday evening ...
loulou6 09.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: great singer songwriter Disadvantages: wobbley head
David Gray sounds a bit like a cross between Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. His sound is very much a sort of acoustic pop rock folky thing without the protest stuff of Dylan. He has seemingly come from nowhere to be shifting millions of units of which is his debut album, at least his break through album, as he has suddenly appeared from nowhere I dont know if its his first or not, it don't really matter. The singles off it are brilliant, the first one ...
zef 20.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Great Sound, easy to listen to Disadvantages: It is too short!
By far his best album to date and the one that has received the most commercial success, this is an album for everyone's collection. It is a superb blend of uplifting, soulful tracks which are ideal for relaxing to. His unique vocal sound lends itself well to the melancholic lyrics. The album features the popular tracks 'Babylon' and 'Please Forgive Me', as well as his most recent single 'This Year's Love'. The other seven, less well known, tracks ...
s.garland 24.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: A beautiful and easy to listen to classic. Disadvantages: That it's not longer!
I first heard Babylon on Jo Whiley and fell in love with the beautiful melody and absorbing lyrics. Father's day was just round the corner so I bought the album for my dad. It does not dissappoint, every song lives up to the single. "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" is stunning, but then so is all the album. Gray is the new Van Morrisson. Hopefully his festival performances and Radio One airplay will make him the star he deserves to be.
I recommend this ...
Zoe 04.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: To mant to mention Disadvantages: TOO SHORT
David Gray - White Ladder has to be the best album I have heard, and that is saying something as in my opinion R.E.M. - "Automatic for the People" was the best ablum but know come close behind in second.
Never heard of David Gray before "Babylon" I decided to have a look and boy am I glad I did. The songs on the rest of the album are the same and even better then Babylon. Track number 9 "Sail Away" is by far the best on the album. If you have not ...
StuartAdamson 07.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: mellow album with good selection of songs Disadvantages: none
I hadn't heard of David Gray until i heard the song Babylon, then i watched the film This years love and heard him on this and decided to buy the album. A very good album, very mellow in places and great to relax to. Containing 10 tracks including the hit Babylon, the title song from the film This years love, sail away and an interesting version of the old Soft Cell number Say hello and wave goodbye.
If you enjoyed the song Babylon, then you shouldn't ...
lisa27 10.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Babylon & Say Hello... Disadvantages: Almost None
...UK market. Then he released White Ladder. Off the back of the majestic single "Babylon" - one of the best things I've heard in months - came this exquisite collection of 10 songs, which has already sold more copies in the UK than his previous three recordings. The album itself gets off to a cracking start with the plaintive "Please Forgive Me", followed by the aforementioned "Babylon" and the quality continues throughout, until the final track, an ... ...himself is an accomplished songwriter with a considerable skill, not least in his Dylan-esque singing voice which captivates the listener - he will go far. White Ladder is a rare treat - an album so good that you don't want it to end. So you play it again straight afterwards. ...
Mephistopheles 22.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Excellent album - a modern classic Disadvantages: Too short
...produced a brilliant album in White Ladder. Comparisons with the great Van the Man have been drawn but I would like to think of David Gray as Manchester's answer to James Taylor. His lyrics are excellent, music is fantastic and the cover version of Marc Almonds classic is great. He has just released another album - but I have not yet got it. If it is as half as good as Ladder then it will do.
I advise anyone looking for good music to relax to after ...
liammartin 20.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
This album combines the raw sound of travis with the musical depth of Richard Ashcroft and results in a fantastic sound, unique to David Gray. Songs such as babylon and please forgive me are syptamatic of the mans pure musical ability. His remix of please forgive me has taken mtv by storm, and so it should. His querky videos may suggest unprofessionalism to some, but I would have none of that. The accusation that all his songs sound the same is another ... ...balance in this album between upbeat songs and songs that make you want to cry. If this is the standard that he is going to produce in his next album, then I would make it my business to sign him up if I was a record company. This fresh appealing album is a complet bargain at 12.99 and I would recommend anyone to buy it, as I believe his work will satisfy many musical tastes.Pure genius!
ghostwriter. ...
ghostwriter 15.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: every single song Disadvantages: a different version of babylon
...but I couldn't resist buying white ladder after hearing babylon!
I must admit not all the tracks are quite as good as babylon but they rate much higher than some records in todays charts.
Im one of those people that get hooked on a song and have it on endless repeat, and this album has two of them what are the chances of that happening. MY OH MY and SAIL AWAY are deffinite releases unless they lose their mind. David Grey really shows of his musical ...
rachelingo 09.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
Advantages: Easy to chillout to Disadvantages: Needs to be more tracks :)
David Gray - White Ladder
Let me first say....THIS IS A FANTASTIC ALBUM!
I first came across David Gray on the Jool's Holland show, where i first heard him do Babylon live. What a great performer and what a song writer. David has a great sense of rhythm, and seems to know what we like in music.
David Gray's folk guitar influence is heard on songs like "Babylon" and "Night blindness", Davis then decides to throw in rock components, in comes bass, ... ...All in all a fantastic CD...to be honest the best of david
Track Listings
1. Please forgive me
2. Babylon
3. My oh my
4. We're not right
5. Nightblindness
6. Silver lining
7. White ladder
8. This years love
9. Sail away
10. Say hello wave goodbye ...
the_enlightened_one 31.05.2006 (03.12.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of White Ladder - David Gray
A major artist in Ireland, David Gray has a loyal but somewhat smaller following ... more
throughout the rest of the world. Since his 1994 debut albumA Century Ends, he has consistently produced quality, folk-tinged songs that showcase his one major talent--a r...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A major artist in his native Ireland, David Gray has a loyal but somewhat smaller ... more
following throughout the rest of the world. Since his 1994 debut albumA Century Ends, he has consistently produced quality, folk-tinged songs which showcase his one major...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A major artist in Ireland, David Gray has a loyal but somewhat smaller following ... more
throughout the rest of the world. Since his 1994 debut album A Century Ends, he has consistently produced quality, folk-tinged songs that showcase his one major talent--a ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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