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Tarfumes.com - Punch
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List Price: $18.98
Our Price: $14.99
Your Save: $ 3.99 ( 21% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0075597998283
Label: Nonesuch
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Nonesuch
Release Date: 2008-02-26
Studio: Nonesuch
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Editorial Reviews:
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The Punch Brothers are nothing less than a youthful band comprising the most prodigious and sought-after musicians from the cutting edge of bluegrass and folk music. The quintet was brought together by former Nickel Creek star Chris Thile, who, the critic Geoffrey Himes of Washington Post declared, "may well be the most virtuosic American ever to play the mandolin "- adding, not insignificantly, that "he has the flirtatious charisma of a major pop star." Joining him are Chris Eldridge, who Acoustic Guitar has called "the most-talked-about guitarist in the bluegrass world," a member of The Infamous Stringdusters and occasional guest star with dad Ben's legendary combo, The Seldom Scene; bassist Greg Garrison, who has recorded with John Scofield and Vasser Clements, among many others, and regularly sits in with Leftover Salmon; banjo player Noam Pikelny, an alumnus of Leftover Salmon and the John Cowan Band who also appears on label-mate K.D. Lang's new disc, Watershed; and fiddle player Gabe Witcher, "a first-call studio player with a big sound and immaculate intonation," according to String magazine, who has been featured, on the Oscar-winning soundtracks of Babel and Brokeback Mountain, among countless other films.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: About time for a longer work from a mature composer.
Comment: If you'd like to hear what happens when a (primarily) progressive folk composer, a man used to shooting off five-to-ten minute pieces, tries his hand at a mature work of 40 minutes, give this album a listen.
I've seen the tour supporting the show and I love the album. It's interesting to see how a multi-movement work will translate into a tradition full of short, repetitive tunes, but I really admire the guts here. He really achieves a mood here, and if you're really floundering for something to latch onto, try to focus on how he moves from section to section within the piece.
I'm sorry not everyone here enjoyed it, though I've learned not to waste my breath when it comes to defending music of the avant-garde persuasion. ("Trying too hard to be different"? Whatever that means. They made an experimental album, end of story.) Not that Chris has ever exactly courted the traditional bluegrass community--I mean, let's be realistic here.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thile is in his own world
Comment: Chris Thile is absolutely a prodigy turned polished, advanced musician.
Trouble is that he gets too far out there in his own complex, chromatic musical world that he loses many of us. The expression to describe the music on this album is "Irritatingly aphonic" IMHO. I keep waiting thru the aphonic stuff for the big payoff...and it just doesnt happen.
Too Bad.
On this one, he lost me...as he has, to a lesser degree, on many of his solo albums. But one thing you have to admit, he can damn sure play that mandolin. Just stick with "How to Grow a Woman..." (superb) and wait for their next album. Keep them headed in the right direction and do not buy this album.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This album sux
Comment: I'm sorry. I usually don't like to be negative...but this album is the worst I've listened to in a long time. It is disjointed and jumbled and never really got me into any kind of a groove with the music or lyrics. Very disappointing. Maybe it would be of interest to someone who likes music on an intellectual level but I like music that grabs me and pulls me in and this didn't.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous
Comment: I think the best word to describe this album is beautiful. No, it is not traditional bluegrass. There is bluegrass on this album, but there is also pop, blues, classical... I think Thile shows an incredible talent for composition on this album. This is not background music. This is music that you put on in the dark and just listen to. Soak yourself in it like a warm bath. It's going to take more than one listen to get into this album, but I maintain that it will be worth it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Over my head
Comment: I'll admit it, I'm the first to consider myself somewhat of a music snob. I appreciate music with substance. My favorite albums are the ones that I didn't like the first time around, but grew on me as I appreciated the subtleties and nuances that tied them together.
I didn't like this album on first listen. It's certainly filled with enough subtlety and nuance, but after a few spins, it's not growing on me. I've listened to enough Nickel Creek and Thile's solo albums to appreciate Thile's skill at venturing out to the fringes of popular music generes, and bringing back with him interesting and surprising takes on music, but I think he may have ventured too far for most on this one.
The problem lies in his reliance on atonal music. It's very abstract-- it lacks context and is seemingly aimless wandering up and down the fretboard; the instruments all seem to be playing different songs. A great example of this is the first two minutes or so of Blind Leaving the Blind Movement 2. The album has some great melodic moments mixed in with the atonal. I particularly like the comparatively simple "Nothing, Then".
I don't doubt that this album is genius, I don't doubt that those more musically inspired than myself can truly appreciate this album. But as for me, it's over my head.
Update:
After several more listens, I have to admit it has grown on me somewhat, I do enjoy Movement 1, Movements 3 and 4 have their moments, but the album is indisputably melancholy, and is simply not the pleasure to listen to that Thile's albums have been.
Also, it's interesting to note that none of the negative reviews have been voted "helpful" (at least not to the extent of the favorable ones) perhaps some prejudiced voting by some overzealous Thile fans?
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