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Transfiguration of Vincent

 
Album Review: Transfiguration of Vincent

  • Artist: M. Ward
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: March 18, 2003
  • Genre: Rock

Review

M. Ward's Transfiguration of Vincent is nothing less than spectacular. From the buoyant, late-Beatlesque "Vincent O'Brien" to the dank, shuffling, south of the border groove on "Sad, Sad Song," the troubadour manages to capture a timeless folkiness and match it with a surreal and sparkling sense of nostalgia that clearly echoes Tom Waits. Recorded with the Old Joe Clarks as the backup band, Transfiguration is rooted firmly in old-time Americana, yet M. Ward's take on country and particularly his vocals somehow fit perfectly with Giant Sand, Sparklehorse, and California's surreal, pastoral psych-pop outfit Grandaddy (whose Jason Lytle contributed some field recordings). Just check M. Ward's stunning transformation of Bowie's "Let's Dance," which proves there's some deeply buried pop beneath these honest folk tunes. Transfiguration is a quiet record and might lose some listeners in it's sleepy summer melancholy, but M. Ward is the real deal -- and he's surely worthy of heaps of attention and acclaim. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Transfiguration, No. 1 M. Ward M. Ward (2:41)
Vincent O'Brien M. Ward M. Ward (2:38)
Sad, Sad Song M. Ward M. Ward (3:10)
Undertaker M. Ward M. Ward (3:33)
Duet for Guitars, No. 3 M. Ward M. Ward (1:52)
Outta My Head M. Ward M. Ward (2:52)
Involuntary M. Ward M. Ward (4:03)
Helicopter M. Ward M. Ward (3:51)
Poor Boy, Minor Key M. Ward M. Ward (3:28)
Fool Says M. Ward M. Ward (1:49)
Get to the Table on Time M. Ward M. Ward (1:30)
A Voice at the End of the Line M. Ward M. Ward (2:14)
Dead Man M. Ward M. Ward (3:23)
Let's Dance (Lyrics) David Bowie M. Ward (5:00)
Transfiguration, No. 2 M. Ward M. Ward (2:05)

Credits

H. Brooks (?), Tony Moreno (Assistant), Mike C (Field Recording), M. Ward (Guitar), M. Ward (Piano), M. Ward (Engineer), M. Ward (Liner Notes), Adam (Drums), Adam (Engineer), Esperanza Spalding (Bass), Adam Selzer (Mandolin)
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Wikipedia: Transfiguration of Vincent
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Transfiguration of Vincent
Studio album by M. Ward
Released March 18, 2003
Genre Folk
Length 44:09
Label Merge Records (US)
Matador Records (Europe)
Professional reviews
M. Ward chronology
Live Music & The Voice of Strangers
(2001)
Transfiguration of Vincent
(2003)
Transistor Radio
(2005)

Transfiguration of Vincent, released in 2003, is the third studio album by singer-songwriter M. Ward. The title alludes to the 1965 album The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death by John Fahey, and refers to the life and death of Vincent O'Brien, a close friend to Ward. [1]

Track listing

  1. "Transfiguration #1" – 2:41
  2. "Vincent O'Brien" – 2:38
  3. "Sad, Sad Song" – 3:10
  4. "Undertaker" – 3:33
  5. "Duet for Guitars #3" – 1:52
  6. "Outta My Head" – 2:52
  7. "Involuntary" – 4:03
  8. "Helicopter" – 3:51
  9. "Poor Boy, Minor Key" – 3:28
  10. "Fool Says" – 1:49
  11. "Get to the Table on Time" – 1:30
  12. "Voice at the End of the Line" – 2:14
  13. "Dead Man" – 3:23
  14. "Let's Dance" (David Bowie) – 5:00
  15. "Transfiguration #2" – 2:05

References

  1. ^ "Then there's the subject matter: Death, specifically the passing of one Vincent O'Brien, a close friend to Ward. Heartsick or humorous, but never hokey, Ward's songs transform plain grief into a celebration of the essentially absurd, precarious nature of life."
    Smith-Lindall, Anders (2003-07-16). "You Die and Then You Dance: M. Ward's Strange Transfiguration". http://citypages.com/databank/24/1180/article11392.asp. Retrieved on 2006-08-11. 

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Transfiguration of Vincent" Read more