Search - 16 Horsepower :: Olden

Amazing, as usual

Moses Alexander | Alabama, USA | 07/31/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A peculiar release for a band with only four full length albums, one E.P. and a live album. "Olden" marks the 10th anniversary of the band's first recording sessions.12 tracks recorded over a two year period, 6 live tracks and two interview snippets. Despite being a hodgepodge assembly, "Olden" is remarkably coherent. 16 of the tracks made it to later albums and only two songs "Train Serenade" and "Slow Guilt Trot" make their debut here.While many would consider this an unnecessary, redundant release, it is actually superior in many ways to the major label versions that would appear later. These versions are much more gritty, earthy and unpolished, a sound that suits 16HP creaky bandoneon, jangly guitars, plunking banjo and haunting vocals quite well.Standout tracks include the apocalyptic "Coal Black Horses", the hypnotic "My Narrow Mind" and the driving "Slow Guilt Trot.""

The title is apt

firewalkwithme00 | Seattle | 07/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a collection of live material from three seperate dates in 1993 and 94. It showcases everything I love about old sixteen horsepower. They have changed a lot in the last ten years and are even better now but this old stuff is amazing. Sixteen Horsepower are an amazing band because they play a type of music unlike any other band. Rooted in old time roots music and church music, they have a sound that is timeless. Their music is beautiful, creepy, exciting, and perfect. I love it. The only thing I don't like about this album is the brief snippits of interviews that are used to break up the recordings. They are too short to provide any insight at all. If they didn't want to put any meaningful discussion on the cd, they shouldn't have bothered at all. Otherwise, I recommend this CD wholeheartedly."

Dance With The Snakes Unbeliever!

Jack Knife | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 03/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album can be downright terrifying. Some of the music sends chills up my spine. I describe the first song as thus: A hillbilly funeral shambles down the main street of a one horse town in Appalachia carrying a pine coffin and playing a squeezebox, while an old blues man picks away on a porch on the side. It points to the dark heart of old time Southern religion and mountain culture and to the feuds and moonshine that went along with it. I once watched a documentary on the rural Holy Ghost church where people dance around with venemous snakes with the belief that if they have not sinned then the snakes will not harm them. This is the soundtrack to that dance."