As the Crow Flies

As the Crow Flies Artist: Steve VonTill
Label: Neurot Recordings
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 658457100622
EAN: 0658457100622
ASIN: B00004TDYD


Release Date: 2000-05-23

As the Crow Flies


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Tracks:

  1. Stained Glass
  2. We All Fall
  3. Remember
  4. Warning Of A Storm
  5. Twice Born
  6. Midheaven
  7. Shadows In Stone

Similar Items:

  1. If I Should Fall to the Field
  2. Spirit Bound Flesh
  3. At the Foot of the Garden
  4. Live in Lyon
  5. Given to the Rising

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars A Somewhat Awkward Step Forward.......2000-07-19

If I were to give a name to Steve Von Till has crafted here, if would be "ambient folk". Minimalistic, acoustic guitar with various electronic treatments and noises in the background. Von Till has made an original, somber and notable album.

The problem with it is that only about half of the tracks are strong(3, 5 and 7 are classics, in my estimation) while the rest just have nothing with which to distinguish themselves from each other. They simply take the doctrine of minimalism too far, repeating over and over. This is not to say that tracks like "Midheaven" and "Stained Glass" are complete throwaways; they do achieve the unique emotional territory of brooding observance that the rest of the album does, just not quite as well. Von Till's voice on As the Crow Flies does indeed sound very much like Swans' lead singer Micheal Gira, as was previously noted by another reviewer. There is a certain resemblence of this music to the proto-goth band's more acoustic moments, but Vont Till's compositions seem far more removed from reality and less angst-ridden. His lyrics are well written and effective for the music he is playing, but his vocals have a sense of awkwardness in some places, particularly "Midheaven", where the low gravelly tinch in his voice sounds anything if not forced. This is not a song-ruining element by any means, merely one of many flaws that contributes to the loss of two stars in my rating. It's stronger points border on the tear-inducing, and its weaker ones just make you want to hit the skip button halfway through. Hopefully with his next solo release(if he plans on doing one) he will have these kinks ironed out and produce something that is homogenous in its haunting, subdued emotivity.

4 out of 5 stars Steve Von Till remains in the shadows...........2000-07-10

On "As The Crow Flies", Steve Von Till gets a chance to further explore the dark, minimalist melodies that were only beginning to be hinted at on his band Neurosis' "Times of Grace" album. Steve definitely steps out of the dark shadows that Neurosis casts with their music on this CD...however, he only steps right into a darker one. This CD is at once saddening, morose, and somber. However, it is so well written, and mood altering, you can't help but be drawn in. The delayed guitar effect on track three is heartbreaking, as is most of this album. If you are a Neurosis fan, you will most definitely enjoy this. I recommend with four out of five, which is a super high rating.

4 out of 5 stars

Music Album:

  1. Melody Freaks ~ Velvet Crush
  2. Deuce ~ Beautiful Creatures
  3. Echo Park ~ Keith Barbour
  4. The Battle of Hastings ~ Caravan
  5. Secrets Within: a Compilation Retrospec ~ Ikon
  6. Morning 40 Federation ~ Morning 40 Federation
  7. No Wow ~ The Kills
  8. The Essentials ~ Foreigner
  9. Rose Kennedy
  10. Lantana/One Night the Moon ~ Paul Kelly

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Basie and Beyond ~ The Quincy Jones, Sammy Nestico Orchestra

Hawaiian Swing ~ Big Kahuna & Copa Cat Pack

Plays and Sings the Standards ~ Louis Prima

Nebuchadnezzar ~ Alec & John Dankworth Generation Big Band

Sambahia ~ Hendrik Meurkens

Tibetan Prayer ~ Buddhist Nuns At Chuchikjall Tibetan Pujas

Best of V.1 ~ Kora & Maanam

Watari Tetsuya Best V.10 ~ Tetsuya Watari

Constellation ~ Aya Kamiki

Car Song of the Years ~ Tamio Okuda