Search - Neal Casal :: Leaving Traces: Songs 1994-2004

Neal Casal
Leaving Traces: Songs 1994-2004
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock

Track Listings (18) - Disc #1
1. Free to Go
2. Maybe California
3. Real Country Dark
4. St Cloud
5. Fremont Row
6. Eddy & Diamonds
7. Too Much to Ask
8. Ocean View
9. Just Getting By
10. All the Luck in the World
11. Reason
12. Today I'm Gonna Bleed
13. Free Light of Day
14. Me and Queen Sylvia
15. Lucky Stars
16. Fierce Little Bird
17. It's Not Enough
18. Delaware Station
Track Listings (14) - Disc #2
1. Anytime Tomorrow, The Documentary [DVD]
2. Fade Away Diamond Time Sessions [DVD]
3. Feel No Pain [Demo 1992][*]
4. Leaving Traces [Demo 1994][*]
5. Willow Jane [Demo 1996][*]
6. I Keep Thinking [Demo 1996][*]
7. Midway [Demo 1996][*]
8. Running Wild [Demo 1997][*]
9. Last of My Connections [Demo 1997][*]
10. Halfway Through Town [Demo 1997][*]
11. In My Mind [Electric Demo 1999][*]
12. Fell on Hard Times [Solo Acoustic Live, 2003]
13. To Look for You [Solo Acoustic Live, 2003]
14. Apologies to Townes [Demo 2003][*]

CD Details

All Artists: Neal Casal
Title: Leaving Traces: Songs 1994-2004
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Singer-Songwriters, Folk Rock, Country Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 3448969257726, 634457160422

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Perhaps a more suitable title for this comprehensive retrospective by New Jersey-bred, California native Neal Casal is What Has Taken Everybody So Long to Hear This Artist? It's been 10 years since Casal's exceptional debut Fade Away Diamond Time, yet it and his six other full-length albums have gone virtually unheard, at least on this side of the Atlantic. Our second chance comes in this 18-song, two-disc showcase (including a bonus DVD documentary which also includes 14 audio takes of demos and solo acoustic performances). Casal's no-frills studio approach leaves his music with an air of timelessness and skillfully links to Neil Young's early seventies sessions, the Band's holed up creativity and the California soul of Gene Clark and Gram Parsons. A sought-after session man, Casal is equally nimble at harder-edged country-rockers and folk-leaning ballads, and his nightclub-scorched piano rendition of Johnny Thunders' "It's Not Enough" is a punk-rock tribute to an off-the-radar artist--paid by one in the same. -- Scott Holter

CD Reviews

Careful: contents may prove addictive

Dr. Green | Seattle | 10/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit, I wasn't familiar with Neal Casal's work before a couple months ago, when his slinky remake of "Wishing Well" (yes, the old Terence Trent D'Arby hit) got lodged in my brain. I decided I could do worse than spend a few bucks for a greatest hits collection. I generally listen to CDs on my computer while I work. So, I slipped in Leaving Traces and....nothing. For the first couple of plays, it's as if the music made no impact. I figured, well, like a lot of talented instrumentalists, Casal just has no knack for writing memorable melodies.

Then I stuck the CD into the tray again the other day, and, well, it's refused to leave. "Free to Go." "Fremont Row." "Eddie & Diamonds." How did I not hear about this guy before? It definitely took a bit of time before his work to take hold, but it was worth the wait."

Neal Casal has been Leaving Traces for years now

Kristin C. Mackay | Oregon | 03/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just finally got this cd added to my collection of Neal's albums, and it's an amazing showcase of his years of music making. If you aren't well versed in Neal's work, I suggest you start with his first solo album, "Fade Away Diamond Time"...But to get an overview of his career, please, please buy this album at your earliest convenience. It's very hard to peg Neal's music into one category, because he never seems to stay in one vein..which makes him so interesting to listen to, he can do some amazing things with his voice and his music.

I know that my life has been made better because I have had the chance to love and adore his music, I used to dance gently around the living room with my infant son when "Fadeaway" came out...so he really was very special to me. Then I found out he shares his birthday with my daughter...they were born 30 years apart. Then I finally got to meet him at some shows with his side band Hazy Malaze...I would consider him a pal. I hope that anyone reading this will take the time to check out Neal and find out what I have known for years, Neal Casal is incredible!"