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It's a Wonderful Life
 
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It's a Wonderful Life

~ Sparklehorse (Artist)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Price: £6.08 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
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Frequently Bought Together

It's a Wonderful Life + Good Morning Spider + Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Price For All Three: £22.84

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Product details

  • Audio CD (11 Jun 2001)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: EMI
  • ASIN: B00005IA02
  • Other Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6,958 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Extraits
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. It's A Wonderful Life 2:59£0.69
Listen  2. Gold Day 4:14£0.69
Listen  3. Piano Fire 2:43£0.69
Listen  4. Sea Of Teeth 4:29£0.69
Listen  5. Apple Bed 4:54£0.69
Listen  6. King Of Nails 4:18£0.69
Listen  7. Eyepennies 5:27£0.69
Listen  8. Dog Door 2:47£0.69
Listen  9. More Yellow Birds 4:53£0.69
Listen10. Little Fat Baby 3:40£0.69
Listen11. Comfort Me 5:01£0.69
Listen12. Babies On The Sun (Contains Hidden Track "Morning Hollow")15:02£0.69

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Over the course of three gloriously dream-dazzled albums, of which the irony-free titled It's A Wonderful Life is the quietest, sleekest and--despite a relative lack of pop hooks--probably Sparklehorse's best. Mark Linkous, the boy with a toy box full of ramshackle instruments, has sweetly, solemnly staked his affinity to the entire living universe. Bees, trees, birds, frogs, rabbits, ghosts, roosters, monkeys, babies, snakes, apples, ponies, dogs, the lot; wrapped in blissful, non-species-ist wonder that would do a Buddhist proud. The added extra here--besides a steel-drenched "Comfort Me", the old-time wheeze of "Babies on the Sun", Tom Waits' gleeful fee-fi-fo-fum through "Dog Door" and PJ Harvey's metallic whip of a voice electrifying "Piano Fire" and "Eyepennies"--is the realisation why it's been so long since you heard songs of such innocence and experience. And it hits you somewhere around the line "A child who spoke in tongues and smelled like the sun": William Blake is alive and well and making music in West Virginia. --Jennifer Nine

CD Description
Third full-length album from Mark Linkous, featuring more of his trademark bittersweet alt-country rock. The album includes guest appearances by Tom Waits, the Cardigans' Nina Persson, and PJ Harvey. It was produced by Harvey's long-time collaborator John Parish and Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev producer Dave Fridmann.

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a wonderful album!, 14 Jun 2001
By A Customer
Forget about the hype surrounding the new releases from Radiohead and REM (impressive as they are): the summer's must have album comes from a little known band by the name of Sparklehorse.

Sparklehorse are not really a band as such. They are, essentially, singer/songwriter Mark Linkous & Friends making music that by turns feels drowsy and intensely awake. Sadly, they have always been overlooked.

Until now that is. Cue a little help on album number three from Linkous' friends - Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Nina Persson, Dave Fridmann - and Sparklehorse may yet be rescued from obscurity.

This album is a curious blend of country and rock. The trademark growl of Waits on the thumpy Dog Door, and Harvey's static-electric vocals on the radio-friendly Piano Fire, are obvious highlights.

Polly Harvey shows again on Eyepennies - a gorgeous piano melody. The blaring King of Nails is in contrast to its predecessor, Apple Bed, in which Linkous sings sadistically like a man possessed.

Linkous' dark, poetic lyrics and unmistakable sound have earned Sparklehorse lots of friends in the music industry. It can only be a matter of time before the record-buying public click on.

If any band deserves attention, it's Sparklehorse. A fragile genius, mainman Linkous has created an album like no other this year. On those grounds alone you should add it to your collection.

Gary Flockhart, Scotland Online

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars He's electric!, 11 Jun 2001
By edhancox@lineone.net (Shropshire, UK) - See all my reviews
In 1996 Mark Linkous (the man behind Sparklhorse) caused serious injury to himself by way of electrocution, although this didn't prevent him from appearing at that years Reading festival in a wheel chair, or producing on of the most innovative albums of that year. This album continues where Vivadixie..., Good Morning Spider, and Distorted Ghost Ep left off, and does not disappoint.

Initially Sparklehorse were championed by REM frontman Michael Stipe, but have sinced been joined by a futher number of celebrity bandwagon-jumpers. Heard here are PJ Harvey, Tom Waits and Nina Persson (Cardigans) and John Parish. Its A Wonderful Life sounds fantastic, Marks voice is perhaps more distinct, and you get swept along in a torent of crazy lyrics ("Circus People with hairy little hands!"), lush string arrangements, Lo-Fi style techniques, and a sense of melancholy.

If you like Eels, Grandaddy, and the like, this is definately worth investigating...

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars More heartbreakingly beautiful broadcasts from Linkous & Co, 12 Jun 2001
By A Customer
Sparklehorse return after a long hiatus following 1998's classic 'Good Morning Spider', an album which forever cemented their reputation as the frazzled kings of Alt Country and assured their place in the hearts of the lo-fi nation. While this new joint ain't really that much of a departure from the previous two records, the mood is certainly more relaxed and optimistic - avoiding the intense, almost opressive aura of before. This probably has a lot to do with Linkous being clean for the recording, the opening and closing lullabies of 'Its a Wonderful Life' and 'Babies on the Sun' recall the parallel approach of 'vivadixie...', capturing the melancholy sensibility and pathos of before but with more pronounced hope. Elsewhere on the album Linkous introduces a host of collaborators into the fray with the likes of Nina Perrson (Cardigans), PJ Harvey, and Tom Waits contributing vocals and in Waits case (on the neurotic, beck-like 'Dog Door') co-writing credits. If you are expecting a change of musical direction from Linkous on this record, you will be disappointed, however if you are still spellbound by the lush melancholy, fractured melody, and the vuneranable, heartbreaking, yet inevitably joyful tracts of Linkous' lyrical spells, or if you are curious and willing to sample something a bit leftfield of the established indie/alternative axis, then lap it up and feel the pain (birds).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparkleawesome
Oddly enough, on a wet, dreary day wandering around Swansea University campus, Sparklehorse's third album (and personal favourite) seems optimistic, even happy. Read more
Published on 12 Jul 2007 by I. Lehnert

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most beautiful albums of all time
Its relatively quiet release and lack of acclaim in the alternative press have always saddened me as this warm and compelling album is truely unique. Read more
Published on 4 April 2006 by C.M. Holmes Storey

5.0 out of 5 stars Undiscovered gem
This is a fantastic album. It has an amazing other-worldly feel to it. Can't believe how little press it got at the time it was released.
Published on 21 Jan 2006 by benh76

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a wonderful "Life"
How does one follow up a modern indie classic, such as Sparklehorse's "Good Morning Spider"? In the case of "It's a Wonderful Life," they just keep on going. Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2006 by E. A Solinas

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, original, one of my favourite albums of all time
Sparklehorse is a musician that doesn’t receive the credits it deserves. Even in the alternative mainstream there is too little attention for his work in my opinion. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2005 by hendrik-jan

5.0 out of 5 stars No Words Will do This Album Justice...
This is the best album i have ever heard. The lyrics are deep and meaningful, the music beautiful and the album as a whole is spine chillingly effective. Read more
Published on 25 May 2005

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
I went out on a limb and bought this based on great reviews and mentions of Mercury Rev (Dave Fridmann production) influences. Read more
Published on 10 April 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, affecting and original.
What to say about this album? Firstly, Mark Linkous is a brilliant songwriter. The aching melancholic majesty of the songs is on a different level to anything else that has been... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2001 by Mr. N. A. Styles

5.0 out of 5 stars Originality in rock at last - the price? Your happiness
Mark Linkous has been acclaimed as one of the most innovative writers in rock at the moment, and, on the evidence of this lp, not without some merit. Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2001 by coffpot@aol.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Another incredible album!
This ranges less than past Sparklehorse, but that just makes the stunning success of this record all the sweeter. Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2001 by Richard W. Siegler

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