- Audio CD (4 Sep 2000)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: City Slang
- ASIN: B00004XN2K
- Other Editions: Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 49,168 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
You'll hear the precedent for The Kingsbury Manx in the dustiest corners of Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends, in the tender devotionals of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and on the sun-baked gospel-soul of Lambchop's Nixon. Idle comparisons maybe, but it's true that The Kingsbury Manx talk louder through their music--and in particular, such heavenly reference points--than through any carefully contrived image or soundbite. Best kept secrets of Chapel Hill, North Carolina--so much so that when they emerged with this debut album, local commentators refused to believe that it was their work--The Kingsbury Manx are four shy, retiring college graduates writing songs that invigorate the rock form in a way unseen since Built To Spill's Perfect From Now On. This is an album of exquisite moments--check the spine-tingling slide-guitar whirl of "Blue Eurasians", the gorgeous acapella glide of "Hawaii In Ten Seconds", and frontman Kenneth Stephenson's emotive choral pleas on "Piss Factory". While it's true that The Kingsbury Manx is no stone cold classic, this is merely the springtime of their existence. A glorious future beckons. --Louis Pattison
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you can imagine a blend of Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, some of Beta Band's
folkiest stuff, and add a drop of a more laid back version of Pavement, you should
be pretty close to the sound and the flavor of The Kingsbury Manx!
(That's a description based on their three best albums; this one, "Let You Down"
and "Aztec Discipline".For me, their latest album, "Ascenseur Ouvert!", goes a bit
in the wrong direction. By now means a bad album, but it still feels less engaging
and a bit too calculated.)
Influences are often cited as Byrds, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and early Pink
Floyd. Usually that would get me running for cover(fast enough to put my shoes on
fire!), as I'm not one for too much harmonizing, but this I can definitely handle.
Regular Hands, Piss Diary, Cross Your Eyes and New Old Friend Blues are all great
songs, with sparse and truly beautiful arrangements.
I remember reading about this album ten years ago, when it made the best albums of
the year list in NME, but I couldn't get hold of it then. After listening to it
a lot over the past six months, it's easy to understand why it was so well received.
The first half of the album is fantastic, but with the exception of New Old Friend
Blues, the rest of it doesn't quite reach the standard of the first four tracks.
Some albums just get overlooked and more or less lost, critically acclaimed and all,
but still makes no significant impact. This is one of those.
"Let You Down" and "Aztec Discipline" is almost as good, and contains some great
songs: Baby, you're a dead man, Pelz Komet, Hunting Trips and Dinner Bell.)
folkiest stuff, and add a drop of a more laid back version of Pavement, you should
be pretty close to the sound and the flavor of The Kingsbury Manx!
(That's a description based on their three best albums; this one, "Let You Down"
and "Aztec Discipline".For me, their latest album, "Ascenseur Ouvert!", goes a bit
in the wrong direction. By now means a bad album, but it still feels less engaging
and a bit too calculated.)
Influences are often cited as Byrds, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and early Pink
Floyd. Usually that would get me running for cover(fast enough to put my shoes on
fire!), as I'm not one for too much harmonizing, but this I can definitely handle.
Regular Hands, Piss Diary, Cross Your Eyes and New Old Friend Blues are all great
songs, with sparse and truly beautiful arrangements.
I remember reading about this album ten years ago, when it made the best albums of
the year list in NME, but I couldn't get hold of it then. After listening to it
a lot over the past six months, it's easy to understand why it was so well received.
The first half of the album is fantastic, but with the exception of New Old Friend
Blues, the rest of it doesn't quite reach the standard of the first four tracks.
Some albums just get overlooked and more or less lost, critically acclaimed and all,
but still makes no significant impact. This is one of those.
"Let You Down" and "Aztec Discipline" is almost as good, and contains some great
songs: Baby, you're a dead man, Pelz Komet, Hunting Trips and Dinner Bell.)
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"Perfect and glistening... nobody's listening... oooh oohh oooohh".
A great album of moods and atmospheric/folky digressions with a paradoxically polished and beautiful sound. Great production.
A great album of moods and atmospheric/folky digressions with a paradoxically polished and beautiful sound. Great production.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a beautiful album, so simple but so effective. Some say boring and bland but the simplicity just adds to the amazingness of it. IT it certainly an album deserving of listening, not partying. Vocal harmonies are beautiful, and very uplifting in a simplistic, "world is beautiful way". Wondrous sounds make it the highlight of last year. Read a review in UNCUT, bought it and Piss Diary is the best track for me. Celestial.
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