Damn! This is good.. a strange delight -a Future Collector'
alexander l | massachusetts | 10/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ok, I didn't expect this CD to be this good. I admit I bought this CD out of curiosity because of the comparison with Jim Morrison in a review I read - (I confess to being an occasionally rabid fan of Jim Morrison and/or The Doors, and wonder why no one has ever done anything to my knowledge even remotely similar - obvious answer: because, to quote Jim, "there will never be another one, like you").
However, the first track on the disc sounds so much like Jim Morrison and The Doors, vocally, musically, lyrically, it gave me pause. The lyrics have that kind of terseness and intensity and darkness and brightness simultaneously. "The fever's in my head, the fever's in my soul".
I wound up finding similarities on the rest of this CD to Radiohead, Coldplay, U2, Sigur Ros, Jeff Buckley... I'm a big fan especially of Sigur Ros and Jeff Buckley.
But my favorite track on this is definitely "Morphine Drip"... it's got a watery, otherworldy vibe and is one of the most intense songs I've ever heard, and the backstory on that song is tragic and spooky.
Since buying the disc I've found out quite a bit about this band. Anyone who knows anything about the band surely has heard/read the rumor or backstory to the recording session; that the CD was made during the week that the father of one of the band members died and the aunt of another band member was dying, and that at the end of a long day, just before leaving, all band members exhausted from a long day of recording, a scrap version of "Morphine Drip" was recorded going into midnight with candles in the studio; and that one of the band members then went home only to find a message on his voicemail that his father had just passed away at midnight while they had been recording that song; and that the band had wanted to retake the song until they heard that this happened, that the guy had died while they were recording that song...and they just left it as is, scrap take... warts and all. Whether fact or myth, the incredible mood captured in that song sure sounds genuine, like it reaches deep into darkness and deep into light; sounds very incredibly real. I have to say when the chorus kicks in to "Morphine Drip" it's positvely gut wrenching, it brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. The singing reminds me of Jimmy Gnecco and another great band called "Ours".
"Pieces" is a gem on this album, it's a moody U2-ish, Church-ish (think "Under the Milky Way") tune that I can't stop playing.
This CD has a certain raw intensity to it like the first CD's of many great bands, The Doors first CD being one example of that. In a way this music doesn't sound like any band I've heard, in spite of having many influences that are almost overt. It's a strange delight. If you want to hear something different, something that might blow your mind then this is a good cd to buy. I came to amazon to see if they carry an earlier CD of theirs I heard about."
Common Thrill Rocks My Socks!
John T. Dello Iacono | Malden Mass | 03/27/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"U2 dubbed "The World's Greatest Rock Band" Common Thrill dubbed "The Only Band Better Than U2!" Honestly buy it you won't be dissapointed, and I work with Neil (drummer) and he's the man so buy his CD!"
Get this CD. Common Thrill is the Real Rockin' Deal! Gimmee
Polly | Evergreen, CO | 12/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I own this Common Thrill CD, and I thought like a lot of groups out there, the magic of the studio probably made `em sound better on it than they would at a live performance. I really like the music though, so when my friend told me they were playing when I visited Boston, we put down the cover for their show at the Paradise. But word was out that the singer had laryngitis and was having a hard time talking. I didn't want to forfeit the cash and drag my friend out just cuz someone was down on their luck. Then, I looked on the stage, and saw a big jar of honey by the singer's microphone. Uh oh. So no one had any big expectations when he got up to sing, but he sure did. And the guitars!! Really grrrrrreat. People at the next table stopped blabbing. Others were sticking their heads in from the street and the hallway leading to the other club. (Well, that's probably cuz the guy is not hard to look at either.) There's a lot of comparison between him and Bono and Morrison. Easy to understand why Amazon put Common Thrill with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. And as a matter of fact, after one song where he was screaming away, (I got goose bumps!) I actually heard a guy at the back tell a woman, "He is really good. I can hear him channeling Morrison." That guy was the lead singer for the other group! What can I say? Common Thrill is the real rockin' deal! They were worth more than the price of admission; sounded just as good as they do on this CD which is damn good. All I can say is: You better get this CD and if Common Thrill reads this: Gimmee more. Ya made my trip to Boston."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1