2012-06-25
A lot has changed in 10 years. Aaron Freeman, aka Gene Ween of Ween fame, has grown older but the tongue-in-cheek outlook is still beating strong. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back to the 70s with Freeman’s solo effort Marvelous Clouds, which is the poetry of Rod McKuen. Freeman has found himself gravitating towards soft rock these days and though this album on the surface may be viewed as sappy (which he loves), it is presented for your interpretation, and in Freeman’s own words, marvels at how “intimate, creepy and beautiful” Rod McKuen’s poetry is. “Jean” – you may recognize this song made famous by Oliver from 1969. “Pushing the Clouds Away” is the track Freeman especially relates to—the “Help me. Please.” He employs sounds of trains, singing birds, water lapping against the shore, and traffic while reciting, not singing the lines. If you love the straightforward poetry of Rod McKuen and sugary sounds of yesteryear, give Marvelous Clouds a spin, but perhaps not while operating heavy machinery. – Pam VandeKerkhoffPETER WOLF
MIDNIGHT SOUVENIRS
JACKIE GREENE
Giving Up the Ghost
NEIL DIAMOND
The Bang Years 1966-1968
Illum Sphere
Ghosts of Then and Now
CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD
Phosphorescent Harvest
Yoko Ono
Yes, I'm A Witch
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