Audio CD review:
John Wesley Harding - Awake

John Wesley Harding - Awake

Band: John Wesley Harding Title: Awake Rating: Release Date: 1998-03-10 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Good Morning (I Just Woke Up) 2: Your Ghost (Don't Scare Me No More) 3: Window Seat 4: Burn 5: It's All My Fault 6: Sweat Tears Blood And Come 7: Poor Heart 8: Miss Fortune 9: Song I Wrote Myself In The Future 10: Something To Write Home About 11: You're Looking At Me - John Wesley Harding & The Gangsta Folk 12: You So&So - John Wesley Harding & The Gangsta Folk 13: I'm Staying Here (And I'm Not Buying A Gun) - John Wesley Harding & The Gangsta Folk 14: Good Bye (Late O'Clock) - John Wesley Harding & The Gangsta Folk

Wes is Back After a series of huge disappointments, Wes is back with one of the finest things to hit my CD player since. . well, "The Name Above the Title". Admittedly, the best way to see Wes is to see him live, and he's not exactly at his sardonic best, but at least he's not doing "Crystal Blue Persuasion" remakes anymore *shuddder*. Check this one out. You won't be disappointed. He's capable of much more. I know I can usually depend on him for marvelously tuneful, edgy, clever songs. I've a huge JWH fan since first seeing him in 1990 -- I own all his recordings, and his second (and so far best) album, "The Name Above The Title," is on constant rotation in my CD player. But this album is a disappointment -- tame, mannered, and overall unremarkable, with only rare flashes ("Window Seat," "Miss Fortune") of the deft melodies and dazzling wordplay of the past. Wes, this album just doesn't do you justice. The short lived Gangsta' Folk movement is fantastik Having shagged off the major label rules to produce his music his way, Wes has given forth one of my favorite albums around. Having seen Wes on Letterman and groovin ever since, I think this is (so far) one of his best efforts to date. . . . (if you don't believe me just ask MC Potato). Wes is great. In 1990 I heard Wes as a bright star on an otherwise ordinary sounding Sire Records sampler called "Just Say Da". I'm a big John Wesley Harding fan. One listen and I was off to the record store once again. Most of his studio albums have been worthy efforts; "Why We Fight" being my favorite of the lot. "It Happened One Night" is a wonderful solo acoustic CD with an enduring cafe folk sound. J. W. H. is up there with Elvis Costello in my book for turning a musical literary phrase. In "Awake" he's in good form. I can't wait for more. You can see a complete list of all John Wesley Harding discography, or go back to the John Wesley Harding tabs