|
|
 |
 |
 |
Gettysburg: Reflections on an American Life
Five Stars (*****) "Intelligent CD by an Intelligent Artist," January 9, 2001: You know, I've often wondered why some music goes unheard. Is it purely marketing? Because surely is there is a great body of work out there that should be heard but isn't for whatever reason. Well, Rex Fowler's Gettysburg is one of them. A strong overall effort with a gem called Elizabeth Park. This song, by anyones standards, should/could become a hit (whatever that is)if it gets heard. As the subject line says, an intelligent CD by an intelligent Artist.
Rex Fowler
Long-time followers of Rex Fowler's work with acoustic ensemble, Aztec Two-Step, will not be surprised by the beauty and depth of Rex's first solo album label release, entitled Gettysburg: Reflections on an American Life. But even the most ardent fans are likely to be astonished by the extraordinary power and emotional resonance of this remarkable new album.
The aura of civil strife implicit in the place name, Gettysburg, is the thematic foundation for the title song's exploration of the wrenching effects of personal discord, as a boy travels by bus to visit separated parents. Thus the tone is set for a narrative song cycle which is both epic and intimate.
Gettysburg is a concept album in the best sense of that phrase, forming a cohesive collage of varied life experiences reflecting joy, tragedy, humor, lust, anger, sadness and triumph. The wistful charm of Girl from New York City is in stark contrast to the bitter message of Just Another Nothing With A Name. The sense of erotic excitement and danger of Elizabeth Park is strikingly counter-balanced by the melancholy mood of Too Much Blue and I Could Write a Book ('Bout Rain).
The album's centerpiece song, Live and Let Live, is a vocal tour de force, displaying and dramatically resolving moving strains of mature passion in the context of an adult relationship. Throughout the production, the sounds of rainfall, bus wheels, thunder, and even gun-shots, pull the disparate subjects and melodies into a tightly-woven tapestry reflecting the personal vision of a unique and important American artist. For those who care about music, for those who care about poetry, for those who care about songs, Gettysburg: Reflections on an American Life is an album not to be missed.
|
| |
|