West

Artist: Mark Eitzel
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 093624660224
EAN: 0093624660224
ASIN: B000002NFJ

Release Date: 1997-05-06

West

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Tracks:

If You Have To Ask
Free Of Harm
Helium
Stunned & Frozen
Then It Really Happens
In Your Life
Lower Eastside Tourist
Three Inches Of Wall
Move Myself Ahead
Old Photographs
Fresh Screwdriver
Live Or Die

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Amazon.com

It could be said that music makes strange bedfellows, and REM's Peter Buck cowriting and producing a Mark Eitzel album would be a perfect example. Departing from 1996's beautifully depressing, jazz flavored <I>60 Watt Silver Lining</I>, we find Eitzel blending his tormented bourbon and sweat-drenched lyrics with Buck's shiny, happy, jangly pop. Quite surprisingly, it works. Buck's influence not only brings out a new found passion in Eitzel's vocals, but also highlights the glitter of hope in his work that has always been present, but usually overlooked. Quite frankly, Eitzel rocks out for the first time in his career and it sounds great--which is not to infer that it sounds optimistic. The album's premier love song is, after all, a little downer called "In Your Life" ("You're stuck with me / I'm hanging by / In you're life ... You threw away your life / Throw it to me"). <I>--Bill Snyder</I>

Customer Reviews:

Becker Chapter 2: Verse 5.......2005-09-17

When I saw Mark Eitzel with some friends years ago in Seattle at the Crocodile Cafe, I didn't know what I was getting into. I heard all of the music that night that was presented, drinking my beers, and I had to leave the room, because I literally "wept". Years after that concert, kicked out to the street from Linda's Tavern, Mark Eitzel was walking my way up the street. I thanked him for that concert. Now even years later I realize why I love his music so much. I can identify with it. I believe this is why many people find their own personal album to love. What a great big gay heart Mark has. Peace! Sean Becker

Way Down West.......2004-06-08

What if R.E.M. were a darker band? What if American Music Club had a more optimistic front man? What if, what if, what if...Mark Eitzel has always played with conventional sound, and it made for some incredible pop music that never became popular. (Think "Wish The World Away" from "San Francisco.") So it shouldn't be such a leap for the friendship between Peter Buck and Eitzel to yield an album like "West."

The first time I heard "West," I was in a transitional situation myself, in Austin, Texas between jobs, trying to scrape by in what was supposed to be one of the boomingest cities in the nation (at that time). That Eitzel managed to capture that sense so perfectly in a song like "If You Have to Ask" won me over immediately. Or a great opening line like "The laws of purgatory pulled you off the tracks..." from "Free of Harm." In the summer of the Macerana, it was the perfect antidote.

Peter Buck's main contribution seems to have been keeping the mood a little lighter than usual for Eitzel. There are shared elements from both of their bands -- the somewhat jazzy instrumentation from the best of AMC, the not so shiny happy undercurrent that often frequents R.E.M. at their best (most prevalent in the songs "Live or Die," "Helium" and "Fresh Screwdriver"). There was even a hit single contender in "In Your Life," which probably would have been a smash had Michael Stipe sang it.

But it is still Eitzel that carries the album. His close-down-the-bar personality still prevails on "West," and when he sings (on "Fresh Screwdriver") "I forgot there was such a thing as good people left," it cuts deep and in both directions. There aren't too many singers who can pull off that kind of depressed optimism, and Mark Eitzel does it masterfully on "West."

Definitely Not Eitzel's Best.......2002-11-17

Basically, this is Mark Eitzel's worst album. On "West", his beautiful guitar work and songcraft has been traded in for Peter Buck's (which is very hackneyed). That alone does a lot of damage to the potential in these songs. According to the liner notes, Eitzel just sings and doesn't play any instruments on this CD. That would normally be okay, but his voice is definitely not up to par with his performances on other albums, which may leave you feeling a bit disappointed.
Even though this is nowhere nearly as spectacular as any other Mark Eitzel or American Music Club CD, there are still a few great songs to be found here, including "If You Have To Ask", "Helium", and "Live or Die". If you are already an Eitzel fan, you will want to check out "West" for these songs. If you are new to Eitzel and American Music Club (his old band), I would not recommend this. Instead, check out American Music Club's "Everclear", or Mark Eitzel's "60 Watt Silver Lining" or "The Invisible Man". They are incredibly beautiful, emotional, intimate, and full of the intense melancholy and great songwriting that sadcore music and Eitzel are known for.

When South Meets WEST.......2001-11-02

At the time of its release this album received a mauling from hard-core Eitzel fans(are there any other?)which seemed largely to be based on the fact that Peter Buck's guitar playing sounded like,er,Peter Buck.That view ignores two crucial elements:firstly,the friendship and mutual respect of Buck and Eitzel;secondly,the quality of the material.
'If You Have To Ask'is a slow-burner of an introduction but then we get the opening line of the second track,"The laws of purgatory...",which had me laughing wildly the first time I heard it,just thinking 'brilliant,Mark...'.There is a wry,very dry,wit at work here which is often missed.I would even go as far as to say that the live performances often become a cross between the heartache of the songs and the greatest stand-up comedy ever...
'In Your Life' was the potential hit single but we should all know by now what happens to ideas like that involving AMC/Eitzel,no matter how many formats I buy... It almost doesn't matter,it's a great song and the lyric,"Calling names and guessing games over my bi-loving life...",should really be the only interview Eitzel needs to give on this subject.
I think we all know the stories about how quickly this was written,recorded and mixed(what was it,ten minutes or so...)and I think this has become a long review because I wanted to defend it so...
Every great album has its central moment and this is no different.'Fresh Screwdriver'.It has Eitzel crooning ," I forgot there was such a thing as good people left..." before moving on to the chorus of,"I got a fresh screwdriver right before closing time...",making it sound like a celebration,a moment of wonder.Which,let's face it,it probably is.
A good intro,if you're into REM and are curious...for the rest of us,just a reminder that there really are good people left.Enjoy...

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