Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs

Editorial Reviews
Rythm and News
"...A literate and trend defying singer-songwriter at play in the Leonard Cohen playground...."

Middletown Record
"This album by Richard McGraw is as grand,rich and beguiling as its title..."

Album Description
“Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs” is a detailed portrait of mans struggle with love and loss. Outside of this sphere is a simple and catchy critique of the modern christian; the self idealized to cult status and brought back to its teenage tendencies and the pervert recieves much needed sympathy

The album begins and ends with variations of lust. It is given to you in full honesty. There are no pop aspirations, no VH1 in mind. There is no major label pushing the artist to finish a mediocre CD. It restores our faith that there are artists still concerned with making good records. It is following the path laid out by such greats as Eliott Smith. Building on the lyrical foundations of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. And vocals somewhere in between Cat Stevens and Michel Penn.

Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs

Average customer rating:

This album deserves more attention!!!
a fine night for torture
Your Sacred Needs for good music
atomic duster review
"Her Sacred Status My Militant Needs"

Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs
Richard McGraw
Manufacturer: Non-Utopian
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005MOM3
Release Date: 2001-07-17

Tracks:

Judas Disguise
Leaving You Forever
Plans to escape my programmed heart
Sidetracked
A poem/confession
The currency of Labor and Demand
These Wholes In My Body On South Street
Newburgh
Following love
Her Sacred Status...
The Golden Crucifix vs. The Weight Complexity
In My Heart
The wealth of my position
No More
Prophet Song
Sympathy for the Pervert

Album Description

“Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs” is a detailed portrait of mans struggle with love and loss. Outside of this sphere is a simple and catchy critique of the modern christian; the self idealized to cult status and brought back to its teenage tendencies and the pervert recieves much needed sympathy

Customer Reviews:

This album deserves more attention!!!.......2004-01-08

by chance, i got hold of this album. I knew nothing about it, but when i heard it i instantly fell in love with it. the lyrics, the melodies, and his voice... all in all a really great album which deserves a lot more attention! I can hardly wait for the next album!!! and a big cheer for those who, like Rich has done with this album, doesnt take the easy way, when it comes to making music. this is the real thing, not just a machine and a pretty face! thank you Rich, and keep up the good work!!!

a fine night for torture.......2003-01-02

Richard McGraw certainly has high ambitions. Besides being ordained and the proud owner of a gun and philosophy degree, his bio promises the, "lyrical foundation of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen." Truthfully, the words and music come more from the Elliott Smith school of songwriting.

McGraw's music is too polished to be compared to Dylan. There's nary a false note or scratched voice on the entire record, aside from the overall mix that sounds just rough enough to come from old vinyl. But this is not meant to downplay McGraw's earnest performances. Rather, he runs through self doubt, romantic confusion, and religious complexities with a quivering self assurance rarely found since the Counting Crows debuted brilliantly back in 1993. "I think they're here to torture me tonight, McGraw sings, "and it's a fine night for torture."

There isn't a lot of musical ground covered here. The usual pianos, accordions and sparse drums back up McGraw's model folk songwriting. And the world "pain" is used about a half a dozen times too many. But the overall product is still a solid one. "There are parts of you he'd love to take to his grave," he sings on "A Poem/Confession." "Her Sacred Status" comes off the same way. It's not quite a masterpiece as a whole, but there are a few things here worthwhile enough for frequent visits to the stereo.

Your Sacred Needs for good music.......2002-12-28

If you've heard Richard McGraw in a downtown folkbar, it's not just because he's a growing cult favorite on the New York singer/songwriter scene. You heard him because the audience listened. They actually went to hear the lyrics! His guitar, spare and clean and forceful, and his singing, ardent about sex and graced with loopy logic about love, will make you want to buy this CD and enjoy it over and over again. I did.

atomic duster review.......2002-12-17

Nick James: Do we see any of Richard's former experience herein? Well in the opening number, the lyric "Still waiting for renewal in the world, hoping that you'd return as these Christian girls burn, and they burn, and they burn..." I can certainly vouch that a Catholic education has borne the bitterness and experience of a scholar of these words.

Tone E: Sounding rather like cult late sixties show tunes, I would be surprised if Richard hasn't spent a fair while seducing his ears with the sounds of Jose Feliciano or Love's classic "Forever Changes" album. The nation's airwaves are sadly deficient of this kind of music nowadays and I for one am ready to welcome it back.

Nick James: Having already vouched for Richard's songwriting credentials in the depth of feeling of what is presented here, we would have to continue and comment on his musical arrangement. His use on the whole of the acoustic guitar with which to give foundation to his lyrics, but at the same time accordion, violin and viola add to the subtlety of which we speak. Perhaps Jeff Buckley may have been a mentor - one of many I'm sure.

"Her Sacred Status My Militant Needs".......2002-12-14