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Along with the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse crafts strangely beautiful -- and beautifully strange -- music inspired by down-to-earth sounds as well as spacey experimentalism. But where the Lips are lovably loopy and Mercury Rev is arty and wry, Sparklehorse wraps deep-seated, often uncomfortable emotions in layers of metaphors and static. However, the group's third album, It's a Wonderful Life, is its most open and direct work yet. Whether this has anything to do with the fact that this is reportedly singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' first substance-free work is arguable, but regardless, it's a noticeably more focused effort. Though it lacks Good Morning Spider's sprawling brilliance, it's possibly Linkous' most effective, and affecting, collection of songs. It's also his most collaborative album, with co-producer and Mercury Rev alum David Fridmann adding just the right amount of warmth and weirdness and the Cardigans' Nina Persson and PJ Harvey contributing backing vocals that rival their work on Gran Turismo and Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. Persson's sweetly empathetic voice shines on "Gold Day" and "Little Fat Baby," while Harvey's passionate style fits "Piano Fire" and the brooding ballad "Eyepennies" perfectly. Driven by burbling keyboards, drum machines, acoustic guitar, and piano, and populated with spooky, homespun images of babies, teeth, nails, and horses, most of the album consists of gently unsettling ballads like the title track and "Apple Bed." Edgier, poppier songs like "King of Nails" and "Comfort Me" don't sound out of place, but the stomping, clunky, Tom Waits-lite of "Dog Door," which actually features Waits on lead vocals, is a distraction. The album's sweet, yet too strange to be conventionally uplifting songs like "More Yellow Birds" and "Babies on the Sun" convey It's a Wonderful Life's message best: Even at its weirdest, just being alive is pretty wonderful. Needless to say, so is the album.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, Musician, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Nina Persson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Utley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Fridmann, Producer, Piano, Recording Engineer, Mellotron, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Scott Minor, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - John Parish, Producer
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Dave Fridmann, Producer, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Scott Minor, Drums, Programming, AssociatedPerformer - John Parish, Producer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - PJ Harvey, Electric Guitar, Piano, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ferran Conangla, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Dave Fridmann, Producer, Mixer, Piano, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Mellotron, Samples, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Scott Minor, Drums, Programming, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Nina Persson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jane Scarpantoni, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Fridmann, Mixer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Vocals, Recording Engineer, Drum Programming, Mix Engineer, Sampler, Samples, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Bob Rupe, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Scott Minor, Drums, Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Joel Hamilton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joan Wasser, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Strauss, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Dave Fridmann, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Guitar, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Sofie Michalitsianos, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Scott Minor, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Adrian Utley, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Dave Fridmann, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Scott Minor, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - John Parish, Producer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - PJ Harvey, Guitar, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ferran Conangla, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Adrian Utley, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Tom Waits, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, Voices, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Kathleen Brennan, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Organ, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Alan Weatherhead, Mixer, Keyboards, Recording Engineer, Mellotron, Steel Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Miguel Rodriguez, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Margaret White, Violin, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Jane Scarpantoni, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Fridmann, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Vic Chesnutt, ComposerLyricist - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Bob Rupe, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Sofie Michalitsianos, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Minor, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Joel Hamilton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joan Wasser, Piano, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Strauss, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Composer, Producer, Piano, Recorder, Vocals, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Sparklehorse, MainArtist
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Dave Fridmann, Producer, Mixer, Piano, Recorder, Recording Engineer, Synthesizer, Mellotron, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Synthesizer, Drum Programming, Moog Bass, Voice, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Sofie Michalitsianos, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Minor, Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Sophie Michelitsianos, Voice, AssociatedPerformer - Rex L White, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
Dave Fridmann, Producer, Glockenspiel, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Producer, Vocals, Mellotron, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Sofie Michalitsianos, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Minor, Programming, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Capitol Records Inc.
Jane Scarpantoni, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Fridmann, Mixer, Organ, Vibraphone, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Tom Waits, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Calbi, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Linkous, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Vocals, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Sparklehorse, MainArtist - Sofie Michalitsianos, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Minor, Drums, Harmonium, AssociatedPerformer - Joel Hamilton, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joan Wasser, Violin, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2006 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
Along with the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse crafts strangely beautiful -- and beautifully strange -- music inspired by down-to-earth sounds as well as spacey experimentalism. But where the Lips are lovably loopy and Mercury Rev is arty and wry, Sparklehorse wraps deep-seated, often uncomfortable emotions in layers of metaphors and static. However, the group's third album, It's a Wonderful Life, is its most open and direct work yet. Whether this has anything to do with the fact that this is reportedly singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' first substance-free work is arguable, but regardless, it's a noticeably more focused effort. Though it lacks Good Morning Spider's sprawling brilliance, it's possibly Linkous' most effective, and affecting, collection of songs. It's also his most collaborative album, with co-producer and Mercury Rev alum David Fridmann adding just the right amount of warmth and weirdness and the Cardigans' Nina Persson and PJ Harvey contributing backing vocals that rival their work on Gran Turismo and Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. Persson's sweetly empathetic voice shines on "Gold Day" and "Little Fat Baby," while Harvey's passionate style fits "Piano Fire" and the brooding ballad "Eyepennies" perfectly. Driven by burbling keyboards, drum machines, acoustic guitar, and piano, and populated with spooky, homespun images of babies, teeth, nails, and horses, most of the album consists of gently unsettling ballads like the title track and "Apple Bed." Edgier, poppier songs like "King of Nails" and "Comfort Me" don't sound out of place, but the stomping, clunky, Tom Waits-lite of "Dog Door," which actually features Waits on lead vocals, is a distraction. The album's sweet, yet too strange to be conventionally uplifting songs like "More Yellow Birds" and "Babies on the Sun" convey It's a Wonderful Life's message best: Even at its weirdest, just being alive is pretty wonderful. Needless to say, so is the album.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:00:54
- Main artists: Sparklehorse
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Capitol Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2001 Capitol Records, LLC ℗ 2001 Capitol Records, LLC
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