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Blacklisted

Neko Case - Blacklisted Audio CD

A fair review of the Neko Case "Blacklisted" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Neko Case reviews here, or go back to the Neko Case tabs.

Band: Neko Case
Title: Blacklisted
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-08-20
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Things That Scare Me 2: Deep Red Bells 3: With Bees (Outro) 4: Lady Pilot 5: Tightly 6: Look for Me (I'll Be Around) 7: Stinging Velvet 8: Pretty Girls 9: I Missed the Point 10: Blacklisted 11: I Wish I Was the Moon 12: Runnin' Out of Fools 13: Ghost Wiring

Love Neko
Big voice and excellent content! Would recomend this CD. Neko Case is one of my favorite artists.

The best folk album ever!!
I was so taken by it, that I wanted to get the album it was from. The first time I heard "Pretty Girls" was on a CMJ compilation from October 2002. Upon hearing all the songs on the album, I was compelled to write this review. For starters, Ms. Case has a unique, yet engaging voice. Her choice of topic is keen and spontaneous. Blacklisted, in particular, contains some of her most ambitious work. The opening track, "Things That Scare Me", has some alarming imagery and it doesn't take long to get through it. Her songs are very short for this day and age, but she doesn't need a whole lot of time to say what she has to say. The music is rooted in Country, but more of the Folk element is present, especially with this recording. This is true with tracks such as "Deep Red Bells" and "Stinging Velvet". "Pretty Girls" deals with the subject of exploitation of young girls, but the underlying notion is more biting than the obvious. Her sense of tradition and originality are impeccable. Who else in the folk world would dare to tackle the great Aretha Franklin classic, "Running Out of Fools" and come out equal? Not even Linda Ronstadt covered this gem!! The bluesy "Look For Me" recalls Janis Ian`s early work on Verve/Forecast. "Outro With Bees" is more complicated in nature. It reminds me of the style of writing Sandy Denny was doing on her "North Star Grassman and the Ravens" album. Her main influence, though, seems to be Richard Farina, an impossibly beautiful songwriter who left us all too soon. If his legacy was to ever be continued, Neko Case is the only songwriter to date that is worthy of the task. If this record whets your apatite, then pick up on "Fox Confessor" and "Tigers Have Spoken", just to hear her in a live setting. In fact, Case is so prolific, her input with the New Pornographers is also very essential. This is one great record, and I can't recommend it highly enough. .

A True Epic
Although Fox Confessor still stands as my favorite album of hers, Blacklisted runs a very close second, as is truly an epic album. I've noticed that most Neko Case fans seem to agree that Blacklisted is her best record. This record is much darker than Fox Confessor, as Neko manages to pull together songs that allow the album to be more country and roots of the two. The album draws from the soulfulness of Dusty Springfield, as well as the sassiness of Loretta Lynn and jazzy feel of Patsy Cline, yet Neko manages to create an album that is entirely her own. It's easy to compare her work to that of other artists, but there really is nothing else quite like this album out there. Her voice soars over such instruments as a banjo, peddlesteel guitar, tenor guitar, and even strings on occasion, bringing a unique country noir to the record. Her lyricism, though a bit cryptic, is incredibly compelling, and proves her ability to be a top-notch songwriter.

From the moment I was thrown in the appalachian sound of "Things That Scare Me", I was captivated by Ms. Case's smoky vocals and haunting lyrics. The even more stunning, "Deep Red Bells" takes the album on a different ride, as the song depicts the dark story of murderer, suddenly twisting into a quick-paced country showdownin the bridge, and then changing back to the beginning as the song concludes. From here, the album turns fierce, with songs like "Lady Pilot", "Ghost Wiring", and title track, which showcase the captivating, americana elements in Neko's artistry. She also dives into such toe-tapping numbers as "Stinging Velvet" and "I Missed The Point", bringing the country spitfire that we all know and love. "I Wish I Was The Moon", an album highlight, is a moving song that seems almost otherwordly, as Neko croons flawlessly about being "so lonely" and "so tired". The album also turns soulful with two cover songs that include Ketty Lester's, "Look For Me (I'll Be Around", and Aretha Franklin's "Runnin' Out of Fools". The two songs truly showcase the versatility of her voice, as she takes it up a notch, completely defying the original versions of the songs.

The best thing about this album is that it stands alone as a complete work of art. It is a record that must be listened to as a whole, not merely in fragments, as is has been carefully and beautifully crafted as such. Even though Neko only gives us a small taste of the gorgeous "Outro With Bees" in the very beginning of the record, she returns to it in the very end with a slightly different take. "Outro With Bees (reprise)" is a more muffled version of the song that gives it the sound of perhaps playing on a record player. It's the perfect conclusion to the album.

Neko Case has truly put out a stunning record that is unlike anything I've ever heard. She doesn't seem to care that country music may be "uncool" to most indie rockers; she simply creates what she loves, and in doing so, she delivers some of the most incredible music I've ever heard. This album can convert even the snobbiest of listeners into lovers of country/americana. I just hope all people can appreciate this album for what it is - a true epic.

Stunning
However, for Neko Case I make an exception. I'm usually pretty level-headed about artists and don't lapse into starry-eyed fandom.

This, my favourite of her albums is virtually perfect - superb songs, superb playing (Neko always seems to get together a band who sound like they've been playing together forever) and sound, unshowy arrangement and production that get the most out of the songs. A record I listen to time and time again.
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a 5 if only
i'd have given it a 5 if my favourite song, outro with bees, wasn't so darn short! WHY OH WHY???

but this cd is still terrific!.

You can see a complete list of all Neko Case discography, or go back to the Neko Case tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.