Josh Ritter

irishturkey

Hey, maybe I'm worse to be surprised but does it ever confuse people as to how or why some music does or doesn't get more airplay? Yes, I understand the playlists that commercial stations have to go through but it still grates on me that incredibly talented artists don't get more recognition.

This all came to mind for me when I got the new Josh Ritter album. He's an artist who's spent years building a following around the country and his shows are constantly packed out. But still he's nearly anonymous to a lot of people.

On another note, anyone else heard the album? Any opinions? Personally, I don't think its as good as The Animal Years or Historical Conquests but its still a really good album.

fillmore jive

He's an absolute genius.

lordgoat

Yawn yawn yawn yawn. Zero progression in any album and that new song of his is so predicatable and boring. I find there's no depth to any of his recent music and his older stuff sounds stale to me. The phrase stuck in a rut is stitched to his collar.

irishturkey

lordgoat wrote: »

Yawn yawn yawn yawn. Zero progression in any album and that new song of his is so predicatable and boring. I find there's no depth to any of his recent music and his older stuff sounds stale to me. The phrase stuck in a rut is stitched to his collar.

fair enough, each to their own but no progression from his first album to where he is now? did you push the play button on any of them? the first two albums may be similar but the animal years was a total change of direction as was conquests. maybe the new one isnt a major step in any new direction but he's been on the go pretty constantly in recent times so i reckon he should be cut some slack.

HBK

lordgoat wrote: »

Yawn yawn yawn yawn. Zero progression in any album and that new song of his is so predicatable and boring. I find there's no depth to any of his recent music and his older stuff sounds stale to me. The phrase stuck in a rut is stitched to his collar.

Sounds to me you may have listened to one album, and no more.

Ritter has to be one of the best acts I've seen LIVE. Each tour he does differes from the last, besides his big smiley head. Youc an tell he just LOVES what he does.
Seen him recently in the Pavilion in Cork, in support of the latest album. And although not my fav album(purely as I find it a bit slow) you got to give it to him, one heck of a show.

But the tour a few years back, where he recorded the LIVE DVD in Vicar St, definately was the best time Ive seen him play.

Melion

Seen him live in Dolans a few years ago, dont think ive ever seen such a boring show.

marwelie

I'm a huge fan and if there was any justice in the world he would be selling out multiple shows at the O2 by now. Of course he was given a huge help by Hansard and the Whelans Mafia but you have to take advantage of your good luck and he certainly has done so.

This album is his best to date. Love his live shows, have been going to see him for at least 6-7 years, first time was in Whelans, and I'd kill to see him play anywhere that small again in Ireland.

I've met him a couple of times and you just can't help liking him. He is like an excited puppy every time he gets on stage in Ireland. I saw him recently in the Grand Canal Theatre when he played his entire new album. Under normal circumstances you could be forgiven for twiddling your thumbs bored out of your mind if you didnt know the album (and I had only heard it for the first time the night before) but it was fantastic. If you like Bruce, Leonard Cohen or Dylan, Josh is the man for you.

And as for his lyrics, don't get me started, I could go on about them for hours!

Thundercats Ho

"All the other girls here are stars - you are the northern lights" is a pretty amazing lyric.

lordgoat

HBK wrote: »

Sounds to me you may have listened to one album, and no more.

Ritter has to be one of the best acts I've seen LIVE. Each tour he does differes from the last, besides his big smiley head. Youc an tell he just LOVES what he does.
Seen him recently in the Pavilion in Cork, in support of the latest album. And although not my fav album(purely as I find it a bit slow) you got to give it to him, one heck of a show.

But the tour a few years back, where he recorded the LIVE DVD in Vicar St, definately was the best time Ive seen him play.

Sounds to me you should listen to more albums.

and i've seen him LIVE enough times to know that you get bored of him after a few years. Regardless of how good he is LIVE, the discussion was more about his STUDIO output. Which is generic and repetitic to my ears.

Also shocked that anyone would put him in the same league as Cohen and Dylan lyrically, sure he can write some sappy sweet romantic lyrics but these two are the masters with careers spanning decades covering a multitude of topics where as ritter has a few albums.

keane2097

lordgoat wrote: »

Also shocked that anyone would put him in the same league as Cohen and Dylan lyrically, sure he can write some sappy sweet romantic lyrics but these two are the masters with careers spanning decades covering a multitude of topics where as ritter has a few albums.

I definitely think you're telling porkies with how familiar you claim to be with Josh Ritter's music if this is your comment about his lyrics.

Songs like The Curse and Another New World from his current album or To The Dogs or Whoever, Temptation of Adam etc from the previous ones are absolutely marvellous lyrically.

Amazotheamazing

lordgoat wrote: »

Yawn yawn yawn yawn. Zero progression in any album and that new song of his is so predicatable and boring. I find there's no depth to any of his recent music and his older stuff sounds stale to me. The phrase stuck in a rut is stitched to his collar.

What do you mean by progression?


While I think his newer stuff is weaker by far than anything up to and including Hello Starling, musically his song writing has changed with every album. you couldn't compare the Animals Years and say it's musically the same as the Golden Age of Radio, it isn't. I dislike flinging musicians or albums into genres but Ritter has moved across several.

Lyrically, his earlier albums were exceptional, really think he started to over-reach on the Animal Years by going for larger themes and he's still off on the wrong path imo.

mewso

Josh isn't bad. He is very good live. I have seen him a couple of times and I'm convinced he should bottle whatever he has and sell it to men. The ladies seem to absolutely gush over the lad.

mr_november

Never seen him LIVE as most others here seem to have but i've just reall gotten into more of his music recently. His Live album from Vicar Street is absolutley unreal!! Thin Blue Flame and Wings are simply amazing:rolleyes::rolleyes:

:cool::cool:

pauliewallie

I was only familiar with his first couple of albums and went along to Grand Canal Theatre recently. His live show blew me away, I thought his energy and band were great. I went out after and bought his latest album, So Runs the World Away, as it had been the fulcrum of the live show but I gotta say the studio album did not live up to expectations after seeing him live IMO. Some interesting song ideas and lyrically it is quite strong in places but I found myself getting bored after 3/4 listens.
I would agree he has a bit of Bruce/Cohen/Dylan/Young influenced vibes going on throughout his songwriting but I would never put him in the same league. Mind you there are not many getting promoted to that league

For the Neil Young song-alike check out 'See how man was made' from the latest album.
Its basically 'A Man needs a Maid' .. still its a lovely song.