A Man Under the Influence

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Ripe with the enigmas of loss, love, and connections across great distances, Alejandro Escovedo's sixth solo album realizes the promise of his remarkable gifts as singer, songwriter, and arranger. On spiraling tiers of pedal steel, cellos, violins, and electric and acoustic guitars, his chamber-rock vision comes to full fruition. He's never made freer garage pop than "Castanets," never stirred a more sweeping lyricism than in "Don't Need You," and never laid bare more soul than in the heartbreaking "Follow You Down" (a ballad Escovedo often dedicates to Townes Van Zandt). Even more amazing are the pairing of "Wave" and "Rosalie," subtle dramas of the Mexican-American passage through separation and faith, and the swirling, aching "About This Love," which concludes "It's all about the way/We break, to love again." Escovedo has always sought a poetic fusing of sound and image; with A Man Under the Influence, that search is complete. --Roy Kasten

Product Description
Produced by Chris Stamey (former dB's) and performed by many of Alejandro's band of usual suspects, it also features the contributions of Eric Heywood (Richard Buckner, Freakwater),Mitch Easter, members of Superchunk, Ryan Adams, Chip Robinson (The Backsliders), Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) and more. The album's first two tracks inspired Alejandro to write the play 'By The Hand Of The Father', which has already premiered in L.A. and was be performed at SXSW 2001. 11 tracks. 2001 release.

A Man Under the Influence,Alejandro Escovedo,Bloodshot Records,Alternative Country-Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Roots Rock,Singer/Songwriter

A Man Under the Influence

Average customer rating:

songs to play over and over and over
Alejandro has ME under the influence!
Unique and Wonderful
Estas canciones son para ti...
Fantastic CD

A Man Under the Influence
Alejandro Escovedo
Manufacturer: Bloodshot Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Boxing Mirror
Gravity (Bonus CD)
Thirteen Years (Bonus CD)
With These Hands
Bourbonitis Blues

ASIN: B00005AVO8
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

Wave
Rosalie
Rhapsody
Across the River
Castanets
Don't Need You
Follow You Down
Wedding Day
Velvet Guitar
As I Fall
About This Love

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Ripe with the enigmas of loss, love, and connections across great distances, Alejandro Escovedo's sixth solo album realizes the promise of his remarkable gifts as singer, songwriter, and arranger. On spiraling tiers of pedal steel, cellos, violins, and electric and acoustic guitars, his chamber-rock vision comes to full fruition. He's never made freer garage pop than "Castanets," never stirred a more sweeping lyricism than in "Don't Need You," and never laid bare more soul than in the heartbreaking "Follow You Down" (a ballad Escovedo often dedicates to Townes Van Zandt). Even more amazing are the pairing of "Wave" and "Rosalie," subtle dramas of the Mexican-American passage through separation and faith, and the swirling, aching "About This Love," which concludes "It's all about the way/We break, to love again." Escovedo has always sought a poetic fusing of sound and image; with A Man Under the Influence, that search is complete. --Roy Kasten

Album Description

Produced by Chris Stamey (former dB's) and performed by many of Alejandro's band of usual suspects, it also features the contributions of Eric Heywood (Richard Buckner, Freakwater),Mitch Easter, members of Superchunk, Ryan Adams, Chip Robinson (The Backsliders), Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) and more. The album's first two tracks inspired Alejandro to write the play 'By The Hand Of The Father', which has already premiered in L.A. and was be performed at SXSW 2001. 11 tracks. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

songs to play over and over and over.......2007-04-25

I adore this album, and especially can't stop playing "Rosalie", "Don't Need You", "Across the River", and "Wedding Day." Highly recommended.

Alejandro has ME under the influence!.......2005-10-23

One of the finest song writers going on anywhere. He writes from his heart about personal things that we can all relate to. I love this guy. I have for years. Since Rank and File on down the line. His songs breaks and mends hearts. Alejandro, i will quit my day job and be your roadie!

Unique and Wonderful.......2005-09-27

Alejandro Escovedo is a Mexican-American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter and his music is incredibly difficult to categorize. At times he ranges across country and rock landscapes performing ballads, love songs, haunting melodic studies, and scorching rock and roll. There are moments when his songs are reminiscent of the Eagles in the way they are arranged and in the lyrical structures, yet his is a solo voice that is compelling without the support of harmony. I bought the CD on the strength of songs like "Velvet Guitar" and "Castanets" which were getting a lot of radio airplay in Austin. Over time, I have come to love the rest of this album even more than those two tracks. Alejandro is a fine singer and a very good guitarist, but the strength of this album is his songwriting and arranging. This is one of those recordings that true music fans will appreciate more after a dozen or so playings than they do at first. The music is complex and multi-layered, despite the simplicity of the single voice and guitar that are featured on most tracks.

Estas canciones son para ti..........2004-03-17

"These songs are for you..." Alejandro Escovedo closes out his dedication to his sister Alice, in 'A Man Under the Influence', and truth be told, these songs feel as if they are written for and sung to each and everyone of us individually.

Alejandro Escovedo is one songwriter and musician that I was fortunate to run into not too long ago, one who magically manages to seamlessly blend influences from folk, rock & roll, punk, country and texmex music. After learning about him, this album, with all its "dia de los muertos" motif instantly captured my attention: gladly I later found out most of his fans consider it to be his best production to date. To me the 11-song was like a book consisting of two intertwined chapters, somewhat (and two very solid chapters, for the matter). From the opening chord of "Wave", into the contagious "Rosalie", the first chapter is mostly straight-up rock 'n roll with songs that equally borrow from The Beatles in their early years or Los Lobos, while still retaining a uniqueness that makes them refreshing, making you want to listen to them over and over again.

The other chapter of the album shows a far more personal side of Escovedo, with "Across The River", "Velvet Guitar" (a very Tom Petty-like tune), the intimate "Don't Need You" and the closing "About This Love" making you wonder: what on earth are we listening to these days, when a guy like Alejandro Escovedo is far from being well known? (to the point on depending on his friend's and fan's help to get back on his feet after collapsing in April 2003 -you can also help him by going to http://www.alejandrofund.com/)

Fantastic CD.......2003-08-14

This CD was a CD of the month at my local Public Radio station (KUNI), and Alejandro was featured on "The World Cafe". Because I had heard a few of the songs on the CD...I was both reluctant and hopeful when I bought the CD. I should not have been reluctant. The CD was enough for me to travel to Minneapolis to see Alejandro in concert. A Man Under the Influence is both masterful and approachable. Masterful enough for my father to enjoy it and approachable enough that my stepson requested that I burn Castanets onto a CD for him.