Welcome, Guest

Staff Picks

See All

Silver Jews

Tanglewood Numbers

Email This

Review

Rated

by Wampus on 11/16/2005

After a near-fatal OD on Xanax and crack recounted in a Fader article (excessive unreliability of rock journalism and the previous ambiguity of David Berman’s self-presentation puts this in a gray area, however), Silver Jews’ Tanglewood Numbers is presented as a more complete, more heartfelt album. And suspicious cynicism aside, there is a fuller warmth in songs “I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You” and “Animal Shapes” (“God must be carving the clouds into animal shapes”). The presence of old friends, labelmates and the twangy backup vocals of Berman’s wife Cassie contributes a sense of recovery and triumph to the album. What was initially a manifestation of Mr. Berman’s practical desire for a larger audience than a poet’s has changed to a wry sequel of a Behind The Music never made. This is the first Silver Jews album that doesn’t open with Mr. Berman immediately singing a verse. He actually waits a full twenty seconds into “Punks In The Beerlight” before he croons, “where’s the paper bag that holds the liquor?” and his voice is EQ’d with the guitars-- a change noticed when the previous four albums all have the same sound as the original closet mix of the self-titled The Velvet Underground. It’s a statement for sure, albeit one superfluous for a moonlighting poet who has coined the most quotable turns of phrases, all expertly irreducible in describing pomo intracoastal America. The intricacies and size of the instrumentation, especially on “The Farmer’s Hotel,” justify the mix. This isn’t simplified Pavement accompaniment; this is a great effort of an assemblage in deference to the unique vision and ear of Mr. Berman. Check out the barrelhouse piano playing off the guitar/bass riff in “Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed, ” the CVBesque instrumental break in “K-Hole” and the timeless folk violin in “The Poor, The Fair and The Good” Silver Jews has grown from a vehicle for presenting Mr. Berman’s insightful, hilarious lyrics to a fuller vision where the music along with poetry is a healer. Gram Parsons described his goal as Cosmic American Music and that’s where you can file this album.

Add Comment

Comments

Album Details

Year: 2005
Label: Drag City
Producer: David Berman
Musicians:

Lists

Lists with songs from Tanglewood Numbers

bands starting with s - dingis

Collective

Members Who Like Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers

casper

Wampus

Review This Album

Rate it:

Avg. Rating:

5 RATINGS

Add to Heavy Rotation

Tracklist

1	Punks In The Beer Light
2	Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed
3	K-Hole
4	Animal Shapes
5	Im Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You
6	How Can I love You If You Won't Lie Down
7	The Poor, theFair and the Good
8	Sleeping Is The Only Love
9	The Farmer's Hotel
10	There Is a Place

Buy It

Silver Jews Tanglewood Numbers New from: $10.69 Used from: $9.50

Buy from Amazon.com