Gamingforce Interactive Forums
85239 35211

Go Back   Exploding Garrmondo Weiner Interactive Swiss Army Penis > Garrmondo Entertainment > Media Centre

Notices

Welcome to the Exploding Garrmondo Weiner Interactive Swiss Army Penis.
GFF is a community of gaming and music enthusiasts. We have a team of dedicated moderators, constant member-organized activities, and plenty of custom features, including our unique journal system. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ or our GFWiki. You will have to register before you can post. Membership is completely free (and gets rid of the pesky advertisement unit underneath this message).


Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™
Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Ayos
Veritas


Member 12774

Level 31.07

Sep 2006


Old Feb 22, 2008, 02:08 PM Local time: Feb 22, 2008, 01:08 PM #1 of 201
Dave Tate - The Solitude of Here
Genre: Folk
Label: None
Year: 2006



Tracklist
01. Evensong
02. Left a Mark
03. Maria
04. The Faucon
05. Light was Low
06. Harmony
07. Rose
08. Like Water
09. In to Mercy
10. The Solitude of Here
11. Surely

The first of two albums released in quick succession by independent artist Dave Tate, it combines heartfelt lyrics with soaring harmonies, gentle acoustic guitar, and emotionally grabbing string and wind instruments used sparsely enough that they never quite lose their effect. Definitely one of my favorite folk albums.

Review
Spoiler:
Every now and again you may find that words are inadequate to describe the beauty of an album, which makes, to use a paraphrase of one of Frank Zappa's quotations, writing about music as awkward as dancing about architecture. Nevertheless I'll make an attempt to do so.

You rarely come across a CD of such exquisite quality that you are entirely enthralled by it. A CD which is always close to your sound system so you can play it daily. A CD which keeps you awake because you cant seem to get some of its passages out of your head and which, when played in company, will immediately stop all conversation and make people ask you about its artist and title. In short, a CD which will make your heart beat faster and which will dominate your musical life for a longer period of time.

The brilliant singer/songwriter who made such an album is Dave Tate. My attention was drawn to his CD, "The Solitude of Here," by a review in Haven magazine, in which he was given high praise: "He possesses the special kind of talent you only see come along once a decennium. If you're lucky." Which still seems like an understatement after you've heard the album. "The Solitude of Here" makes you feel nostalgic because it takes you back to the time of the great singer/songwriters. In some songs, such as "In to Mercy" or "Rose," Tate sounds somewhat like a young Paul Simon, while comparisons of his voice to those of David Gates and Don McLean are obvious when he smoothly glides into the higher pitches. In addition to that, "The Solitude of Here," has the introspective, intimate quality of a Nick Drake album.

All of these musicians have made important contributions to music in the past and I am much mistaken if Dave Tate's name wont be added to this list, in time. Still he is not an epigone of the examples I mentioned above. This is due to Dave's talent to revive old times without wanting to sound or sounding old fashioned. Dave Tate's themes are universal but his approach is anything but that. This can already be heard in the opening track, "Evensong." After you've just recovered from hearing Tates marvellous voice and virtuoso guitar-playing, a bassoon joins in to give the track an additional emotional overtone. You know you've come across something special from that moment on. The next track, "Left a Mark," is a breathtakingly beautiful composition which is a perfect synthesis between vocals/guitar music and chamber music. The trio of classically trained musicians, consisting of Anne Marshall (violin), Ryan Kratsch (cello) and Joe Jones (bassoon), adds depth and dynamics to several tracks through subtle contributions. The vocal climax in "Harmony," which in itself is no small feat, is intensified by superb string music by Marshall and Kratsch and in "Light was Low" the polyphonic cello and violin music pull right at your heartstrings.

But the elements which make this album into a true listening experience are Dave Tate's voice and guitar playing. This can be heard in songs such as "The Faucon" or "Rose." All songs are sung, or to put it more aptly, experienced by Tate with great intensity, which makes them get under my skin permanently. The tracks on this CD are characterised by vulnerable poignancy instead of cheap sentiment or melodrama.

Dave Tate has released this album on his own, dubbing and mastering it himself. The recordings are either unbelievably clear, or they've been made in an exceptionally good recording studio. This masterpiece is worthy of a place in the singer/songwriter Hall of Fame. I discovered that "The Solitude of Here" is not a nine days wonder when I got hold of Tate's second album "Home is in the Stars," on which he validates his exceptional talent.
-Paul van de Wiel, HOME - www.folkforum.nl

>>>DOWNLOAD<<<


Dave Tate - Home is in the Stars
Genre: Folk
Label: None
Year: 2006



Tracklist
01. Undone
02. The Beauty of You
03. Everone
04. Alchemy
05. I'm a Stone
06. Trust Your Nature
07. Heat in the Noble Soul
08. Cool Blue River
09. You Move Me
10. Rocks and Shoals
11. Forever Burn
12. Moonchild

Second release by Dave Tate that's commercially available through iTunes or CDBaby, and the stronger of the two albums in my opinion. "Undone" is still my favorite track of all time. In contrast to "The Solitude of Here," this album is purely acoustic guitar and solo vocal work by Dave, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that virtuosos are not dead and he can hold his own for twelve tracks straight.

Review
Spoiler:
This is by far the most grabbing male folk album to come through our doors in months. It's hard not to make comparisons to Paul Simon's more sensitive folk writing with a similar mix of warmth, open space, breathy vocals, innocence and a dewy, green clarity of intention. His songs have a way of stealing your breath away and removing you momentarily from the passing of time, suspending you in full-body harmonies. While he has a knack for open-hearted, reflective songs, there is the slightest echo of acoustic jam band writing, giving this album a well-balanced emotional scope. Bravo.
-CDBaby

>>>DOWNLOAD<<<

Much of his newer material, which will be released in a new album called "The Final Hour" on March 1st, is available for preview or even full-song download at his website, DaveTateMusic.com

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Last edited by Ayos; Feb 22, 2008 at 02:20 PM.
Closed Thread

Thread Tools

Exploding Garrmondo Weiner Interactive Swiss Army Penis > Garrmondo Entertainment > Media Centre > Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[Album] Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™ Discussion Mucknuggle Media Centre 776 Jul 29, 2010 10:56 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.