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Artist: J.C. Hopkins
Label: Stick Shift Records Category: Music Average customer rating: Media: Audio CD UPC: 619593136722 EAN: 0619593136722 ASIN: B000005BXQ Release Date: 2000-12-11 |
Athens by Night
Tracks:
Album Description
<b>Coming</b> at you like an indie Pet Sounds and reminiscent of Big Star's SisterLovers, this one is JC's materpiece. A seamless patchwork of sound and theme from the title cut, Hopkins' calm demeanor defies his depth as a songwriter and arranger in the footsteps of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. <P> Acoustic guitar and haunting lap-steel open Athens By Night, moving smoothly into the intricate "Superglue" which cooly asseses a lying, obsessive love. Baroque "Diva Antipathy" is a soaring tapestry of classic and folk instrumentation. "Amsterdam," a waltz-time homage to a small-town big city, captures the intoxicating feel of those cobblestone streets. Hopkins' work with <b>Barbara Manning</b>, particularly on "Abigail" and "Can't Apologize," reveals a playfulness, and an uncommon honesty. "Emission in Blue" finds poet <b>Pete Simonelli</b> reading his gravelly ode to love over the beatnick strains of bongos and saxophones. The trumpet heard throughout the record evokes at times a lone voice and at others a Beatle-esque brassiness. Tying it all together are the velvet-crooned lyrics and natural melodies of JC Hopkins. <P> Featuring a supporting cast of San Francisco's underground finest, Athens By Night was recorded over the course of a year with <b>Greg Freeman</b> at his Lowdown Recording Studio. Barbara Manning lends a hand as co-writer of the song "Abigail," and she also plays some bass and provides ethereal vocals. Violinist <b> Carrie Bradley</b>(the Breeders, 100 Watt Smile); accordianist <b>Melanie Clarin</b>, and lap-steel guitarist <b>Corey Allen Porter</b> skillfully add to the proceedings. Also featured are the romantis strains of trumpeter <b>Danny Cao</b> and the rhythmsof drummer <b>Leor Beary</b>. Under the direction of Hopkins, these diverse contributions arrive together in one thoroughly listenable release.Customer Reviews:
Athens by night.......2004-10-31
Music Album:
Music CD
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