Giant Sand | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Giant Sand was the primary outlet for the stylistic curveballs and sun-damaged songcraft of Howe Gelb, a Pennsylvania-born singer/guitarist who found his muse in Tucson, Arizona in the 80s. Beginning as a scrappy rock band with a psychedelic bent, Gelb and his rotating band of collaborators matured into a group that combined hard rock guitars and lonesome country twang with a dry, dusty sound that was an ideal match for Gelbs playful lyrical eccentricities. Giant Sands trademark sound fell into place with 1988s The Love Songs, while 1995s Glum and 2002s Chore of Enchantment captured Gelb and company at the peak of their abilities. While Gelb retired Giant Sand in 2016, he brought the concept back in the summer of 2018 with the album Returns to the Valley of Rain. The Giant Sand story began when Howe Gelb formed the four-piece Giant Sandworms after relocating to Tucson, Arizona in the mid-70s. After releasing the EP Will Wallow and Roam After the Ruin in 1980, Gelb fired everyone but bassist Scott Gerber (although founding guitarist Rainer Ptacek returned to the fold many times) and started over as simply Giant Sand, essentially a one-man band backed by a revolving cast of players. The first Giant Sand LP, 1985s Valley of Rain, earned Gelb comparisons to Neil Young for his reedy vocals and country-flavored, grungy guitar aesthetic; like Young, Gelb also proved to be a restless creative spirit, a notice served by 1986s Ballad of a Thin Line Man, an acoustic effort that featured the harmony vocals of ex-Go-Go (and Gelbs then-girlfriend) Paula Jean Brown. In 1988, Giant Sand issued a pair of new LPs, the equally diffuse Storm and The Love Songs. By 1989s raw, improvisational Long Stem Rant, the group consisted only of Gelb and drummer John Convertino, while 1990s Swerve featured guests like Juliana Hatfield and Poi Dog Pondering. Ramp (1991) and Center of the Universe (1992) returned to the ragged desert rock of their earliest material, but with 1994s Glum (the bands first and only effort for major-label Imago), Giant Sands music turned unexpectedly moody and restrained. Backyard Barbecue Broadcast, released in 1995, culled material from a pair of live radio sets. In addition to Giant Sand, Gelb occasionally recorded under the guise of the Band of Blacky Ranchette, an outlet for his country leanings; in 1991, he also issued a solo album, Dreaded Brown Recluse. In addition, longtime drummer Convertino moonlighted in the lounge revival group Friends of Dean Martinez, and frequent collaborator Ptacek often performed as a solo artist prior to his cancer-related death on November 12, 1997. Chore of Enchantment, the first Giant Sand release on noted indie Thrill Jockey, followed in early 2000. That was followed by the all-covers Cover Magazine in 2002 and a new studio album called All Over the Map in 2004. They made the switch to Yep Roc for 2008s Provisions, and marked their 25th anniversary two years later with the album Blurry Blue Mountain. Gelb expanded his vision of the band and paid tribute to his adopted home with Tucson, a self-described country-rock opera under the moniker Giant Giant Sand, which arrived in July 2012. As Fire Records began an extensive reissue campaign of Giant Sands back catalog and Gelb released a pair of solo efforts (2013s The Coincidentalist and 2014s Radian Verses Howe Gelb), Giant Sand returned in 2015 with Heartbreak Pass, which included guest appearances by Grant-Lee Phillips, Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, and Ilse DeLange of the Common Linnets. In February 2016, Howe Gelb issued a press release in which he announced the upcoming release of a new album from the group, The Sun Sets, and a tour of Europe, as well as the surprising news that Giant Sand was breaking up. "30 years seems an adequate number to aptly utter I kinda quit," Gelb said in his statement. "There’s plenty enough here, more than imaginable." The release did suggest that Gelb would continue to make music as a solo artist, stating, "Piano for now. Songs forever." As it happened, Gelb eventually decided that there was room for more Giant Sand after all; he assembled a new edition of the band in 2018, recording the album Returns to Valley of Rain. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 35 Title: Valley of Rain Released: 1985 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Down on Town (Loves No Answer) (04:34) 2 Black Venetian Blind (03:25) 3 Curse of a Thousand Flames (04:09) 4 Artists (04:43) 5 Man of Want (05:00) 6 Valley of Rain (04:14) 7 Tumble and Tear (03:18) 8 October Anywhere (05:00) 9 Barrio (04:44) 10 Death, Dying and Channel 5 (04:16) 11 Torture of Love (03:42) |
| Valley of Rain : Allmusic album Review : The dry, dusty, and rambling sound that became Howe Gelbs trademark isnt much in evidence on Giant Sands debut album, 1985s Valley of Rain. Instead, this early edition of the band recalls the distaff branch of the Paisley Underground scene that was still a big part of the Los Angeles scene when Gelb arrived there from Tuscon, as if Giant Sand were the oddball high desert cousins of Green on Red. Valley of Rain is tougher and scrappier than much of what Giant Sand would release later on, and it rocks noticeably harder, though Gelbs sense of lyrical wanderlust is very much evident here, and even when the guitars wind up and the drums crack, the melodies drift on and off path with an expressive glee. The bands slightly warped country influences are all but invisible here (perhaps because Gelb and his pals were cutting a Blacky Ranchette album around the same time), and Valley of Rain sounds more sharply focused than the typical Giant Sand album. Gelb and his partners -- bassist Scott Garber and drummers Tom Larkins and Winston A. Watson, Jr. -- sound admirably tight and together, considering this lineup fell together at the last minute before these sessions began, and the album was recorded on the fly for a mere four hundred bucks. Valley of Rain isnt classic Giant Sand, but its a strong and confident starting point and it has weathered the test of time rather well: "Tumble and Tear," "Down on Town," and "Death, Dying and Channel 5" are forceful and idiosyncratic rockers, while "Artists" and "October, Anywhere" give a clue to where Giant Sand would go in the future. In a long journey full of fascinating detours along the way, Giant Sands first album was a rocking pit stop thats lively, smart, and full of nerve. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 35 Title: Ballad of a Thin Line Man Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Thin Line Man (07:34) 2 All Along the Watchtower (04:22) 3 Graveyard (02:08) 4 Body of Water (03:32) 5 Last Legs (03:41) 6 You Cant Put Your Arms Around a Memory (03:15) 7 A Hard Man to Get to Know (06:08) 8 Who Am I? (02:00) 9 The Chill Outside (03:53) 10 Desperate Man (05:24) |
| Ballad of a Thin Line Man : Allmusic album Review : Howe Gelb was still sorting out what he was doing with Giant Sand when the band recorded its second album, 1986s Ballad of a Thin Line Man, but while its still rooted in the same sort of rough-and-tumble neo-paisley underground rock as the groups debut, Valley of Rain (released earlier the same year), it sounds a bit more like what Giant Sand would become than its predecessor. The opening cuts ("Thin Line Man" and a hot-wired cover of Bob Dylans "All Along the Watchtower") set the mood with their frantic guitar bashing, their dramatic dynamics ("Thin Line Man" features a dramatic dubwise passage at the midpoint and "Watchtower" opens with a little more than a minute of fiddle scrapings and guitar atmospherics), and Gelbs tough but quizzical songwriting and vocals. But the ambling acoustic tone of "Graveyard" and "Who Am I?," the loopy piano plunking on "Last Legs," and the folk-rock undercurrents of "The Chill Outside" offer clues that Gelb had musical ambitions that flowed in several different directions at once. The addition of Paul Jean Brown gave Giant Sand a two-guitar lineup on these sessions (though Rainer Ptacek, Gelbs finest guitar foil, had yet to go into the studio with the band), and the raucous tone of Gelb and Browns guitar duels makes the bands rock gestures significantly more exciting. And bassist Scott Garber and drummer Tom Larkins are a more solid and muscular rhythm section their second time out, even if these sessions still sound a touch chaotic. And while two high-profile covers are featured here -- "All Along the Watchtower" and Johnny Thunders "You Cant Put Your Arms Around a Memory" -- this album is still a very clear reflection of Gelbs musical mind and personality, and he fills both songs with his own spirit. Ballad of a Thin Line Man documents a band that hadnt yet reached greatness, but was well on its way to something special. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 35 Title: The Love Songs Released: 1988 Tracks: 15 Duration: 57:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wearing the Robes of Bible Black (04:57) 2 One Man’s Women / No Man’s Land (06:34) 3 Mad Dog a Man (04:08) 4 Fingernail Moon, Barracuda and Me (04:04) 5 Mountain of Love (04:02) 6 Almost the Politician’s Wife (03:57) 7 The Doors (02:22) 8 Love Like a Train (04:08) 9 Is That All There Is? (04:44) 10 Clump (01:05) 11 Get Ready (03:44) 12 Murky Red Dew (03:00) 13 Major Glorious Ending Theme (00:48) 14 Hammer Toe (05:52) 15 Almost the Politician’s Wife (outtake) (04:10) |
| The Love Songs : Allmusic album Review : On 1988s The Love Songs, Howe Gelb and his ever evolving Giant Sand had all but perfected his trademark brand of exciting, unpredictable, shambolic, fractured roots rock. The band was comprised of Gelb on guitars, piano, organ, and vocals; then-wife Paula Jean Brown on bass; Chris Cacavas (fresh out of Green on Red) on organ, piano, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals; and John Convertino on drums. The strident rigidity of Valley of Rain and the uneven if compelling and ambitious qualities of subsequent albums Ballad of a Thin Line Man and Ramp were fully realized here. "Wearing the Robes of Bible Black" extrapolates on the earlier country-rock GS sound, but is more skeletal and apocalyptic; its hyperkinetic and zig-zags through its careening, off-rail honky tonk/rockabilly rhythm thats underscored by Gelbs spitting vocal. "One Mans Woman/No Mans Land" is the first time Gelb completely indulged his love of Northern soul on record -- albeit in a rock & roll context. The bassline is straight out of "Heatwave"; the backing vocals in the verses are pure Motown as well. Convertinos drums double time and Cacavas organ colors the backdrop. Its in Gelbs shaky voice and his screaming guitar playing that he lets his freak flag fly, before bringing it all down to testify in spoken word gospel fashion. "Mountain of Love" marries Elmore James infamous slide blues riff to country boogie and staccato rock pyrotechnics before a lilting country melody is introduced. The skittering garage band approach to Bob Dylans mid-60s recordings and 70s funk are wed jaggedly but but inextricably together on "Love Like a Train." The cover of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stollers "Is That All There Is?" is an even more jaded-sounding take on Brechtian cabaret than Peggy Lees version (though admittedly nowhere near as well sung). The jittery improv jazz interlude on accordion, organ, and snare adds a surreal touch. The fuzz-drenched reverb on the cover of "Get Ready" turns the songs intentional camp factor into a nasty-ass rock & roll performance. Cut for cut, The Love Songs is among the most consistent and best recordings in GS formidable catalog. Its relatively stripped-down sound allows for the quirky gift in Gelbs songwriting to shine through the primordial rock & roll instinct in the music. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 35 Title: Storm Released: 1988 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Uneven Light of Day (04:45) 2 Town Where No Town Belongs (03:00) 3 Back to Black and Grey (02:41) 4 Bigger Than That (03:38) 5 Right Makes Right (05:14) 6 Three6ixes (04:18) 7 Big Rock (03:02) 8 The Replacement (05:01) 9 Storm (03:20) 10 Was Is a Big Word (03:53) 11 Town With Little or No Pity (03:20) 12 The Weight (04:40) |
| Storm : Allmusic album Review : With Storm, the Giant Sand story begins to get interesting. The bands third album features a marked leap forward in production and sound detailing from their first two records. Neil Harrys pedal steel gels wonderfully with the work of Paula Jean Brown (aka Mrs. Howe Gelb), who takes over bass duties and adds immeasurably to the tone colors of the compositions with her singing, and drummer Tom Larkins -- though he would depart following the recording, and had become reasonably comfortable with the shifting tempos of main-man Gelbs composing. For his part, it is here that Gelb finally starts to widen his songwriting, beginning the rambling, ambling lyrical spew and loose-but-still-moving-together chord sequences that make Giant Sand a band that is loved so intensely by its devotees. Though the contribution of producer/engineer Eric Westfall -- who had worked on all of the bands records up to this point -- shouldnt be underestimated, it is Gelbs leaps as a composer that make the disc come alive. The opening "Uneven Light of Day," the title cut, the honky-tonk raver "Three 6ixes," "Town With Little or No Pity," and "Was Is a Big Word" are all first-class. Even the cover of the Bands "The Weight" is effective, demonstrating Howes unflinching eye in the face of the classics and sung with interpretive passion, especially when compared with the desultory cover versions on the preceding Ballad of a Thin Line Man. Storm is the first step in a quickly ascending tier of masterful Giant Sand releases. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 35 Title: Long Stem Rant Released: 1989 Tracks: 20 Duration: 53:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unfinished Love (01:34) 2 Sandman (03:26) 3 Bloodstone (01:59) 4 Searchlight (03:41) 5 Smash Jazz (01:21) 6 Sucker in a Cage (05:12) 7 Patsy Does Dylan (00:13) 8 Its Long bout Now (01:17) 9 Lag Craw (00:26) 10 Loving Cup (02:11) 11 Paved Road to Berlin (07:56) 12 Anthem (02:09) 13 Picture Shows (03:19) 14 Drum & Guitar (02:17) 15 Get to Leave (04:01) 16 Searchlight Cha Cha (00:27) 17 Return of the Big Red Guitar (04:56) 18 Stuck Dog (01:14) 19 Real Gone Blue Guitar (03:40) 20 The Jig Zup (02:24) |
| Long Stem Rant : Allmusic album Review : Long Stem Rant marks the beginning of the second phase of Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand. Gelb and his drummer John Convertino had toured the U.S. and Europe as Giant Sand in early 1989, and the pair headed to a friends barn in Rimrock, AZ, with producer/engineer Eric Westfall to set down new tracks. The result, Long Stem Rant, sounded only marginally like its predecessors. Many tracks ("Smash Jazz," "Unfinished Love," "Bloodstone," and "Patsy Does Dylan," a recording of Gelbs daughter) were sketches fleshed out later with vocals, but the complete songs Gelb brought were as good as anything he had ever written: "Paved Road to Berlin" is a Euro-tour faith saga with memorable couplets ("talk about walls/they got one down China way/last the Grateful Dead almost appeared there/this year the dead they lie where they lay"), "Loving Cup" is classic campfire love song, "Sucker in a Cage" and "Searchlight" are the kind of starry-eyed desert folk-rock Howe has made his trademark. Though the short spurts of song on the record detracts from its momentum in a way that keeps Long Stem Rant from being on par with The Love Songs, its not far behind, and despite the fact that it set the tone for Gelb to include at least rambling, improvised bits on subsequent albums (not all of which had the great songs to offset them), this record is certainly among Giant Sands best. As with The Love Songs, Homesteads CD issue adds several inconsequential tracks to the end of the album proper. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 35 Title: Giant Songs: The Best of Giant Sand Released: 1989 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:16:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Down on Town / Loves No Answer (04:35) 2 Curse of a Thousand Flames (04:10) 3 Valley of Rain (04:15) 4 Barrio (04:45) 5 Thin Line-man (07:34) 6 Graveyard (02:08) 7 Body of Water (03:34) 8 Heartland (04:12) 9 Moon Over Memphis (05:24) 10 Underground Train (04:48) 11 Uneven Light of Day (04:45) 12 Bigger Than That (03:38) 13 Big Rock (03:04) 14 Wearing the Robes of Bible Black (04:58) 15 One Mans Woman / No Mans Land (06:37) 16 Fingernail Moon, Barracuda and Me (04:07) 17 Mountain of Love (04:10) |
| Giant Songs: The Best of Giant Sand : Allmusic album Review : Originally released in 1989, GIANT SONGS: BEST OF GIANT SAND is an essential overview of the first half-decade of Giant Sand releases. Howe Gelb and company were wildly productive in their first five years of existence, and this 17-track anthology neatly summarizes their first four albums, through 1988s THE LOVE SONGS. As an added bonus, three songs from the second album by Gelbs country side project, The Band of Blacky Ranchette, are included; they are all but indistinguishable from the later songs here, presaging the alt-country direction Giant Sand would take in the 1990s. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 35 Title: Swerve Released: 1990 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Trickle Down System (05:13) 2 Dream Stay (05:02) 3 Former Version of Ourselves (04:45) 4 Angels at Night (06:11) 5 Cant Find Love (04:33) 6 Swerver (02:10) 7 Sisters and Brothers (03:59) 8 Swerving (00:28) 9 Every Grain of Sand (07:47) 10 Some Kind Of (04:49) 11 Swervette (00:54) 12 Final Swerve (02:22) |
| Swerve : Allmusic album Review : Featuring a variety of guest performers throughout, including Green on Reds Chris Cacavas, Juliana Hatfield, Steve Wynn, and a fair hunk of Poi Dog Pondering, Swerve features the then duo of Gelb and Convertino on a fine slew of songs. Recorded at a number of different locations, from Boston to Los Angeles, Swerve found Gelb reaching the ten-year point with his band in fantastic style. Starting with the brilliant stop-start electric guitar intro on "Cant Find Love" -- dont listen carefully and it sounds like the CD players on the blink -- Gelb and Convertino and company hit the ground running. Gelbs fractured vision of roots music meets modern times sounded distinct and enjoyable enough at the time of Swerves release, and still holds up excellently in later years. His ear for aggressively weird soloing in particular is just great (check "Dream Stay" for one of his best Neil Young nods yet), while his straight playing remains quite accomplished. Gelbs friendly twang, once again, is a treat, able to convey emotion and humor in the same sly turn of phrase. Quieter songs are no less off-kilter, with Convertinos ear for odd percussion playing and time signatures turning, for instance, the lounge jazz (years before the revival) mania of "Swerver" into something the likes of the Cherry Poppin Daddies couldnt dream of. The swerve theme carries through a number of brief tracks throughout the album, all entertaining little jams that keep things agreeably light. Total standouts include the wry countrynswing of "Some Kind Of," "Trickle Down System," as good an anthemic Band tribute as any, and a version of "Every Grain of Sand" thats simply inspiring, one of the best Bob Dylan covers recorded. Then theres the perfectly screwy "Former Version of Ourselves," which veers from everything from solo synth moodiness to finger-poppin Vegas to more familiar Giant Sand fusions and back again, and makes it all work to boot. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 35 Title: Giant Sandwich Released: 1991 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:10:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wishing Well (04:05) 2 Tumble n Tear (03:20) 3 Reptilian (03:29) 4 Hard Man to Get to Know (06:20) 5 Black Venetian Blind (Book II) (04:04) 6 Thin Line Man (07:33) 7 Artists (04:44) 8 What You Hate (03:29) 9 October Anywhere (05:05) 10 Black Venetian Blind (Page I) (01:11) 11 Code of the Road (05:17) 12 Undderground Train (04:48) 13 Spinning Room Waltz (03:30) 14 Accordian to Howe (01:08) 15 Bad Lands (04:05) 16 Up on the Hill (03:39) 17 Heartland (04:10) |
| Giant Sandwich : Allmusic album Review : In his liner notes, frontman Howe Gelb describes the songs that make up Giant Sandwich as "shy;" they come from obscure sources like the bands first two tough-to-find albums as well as flexi-discs and Howes side project the Band of Blacky Ranchette. Most intriguing, however, is the otherwise unreleased material, like the early "Artists" and a dramtically different and stark rendition of "Black Venetian Blind." A record for more than just the faithful. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 35 Title: Ramp Released: 1991 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Warm Storm (04:57) 2 Romance of Falling (04:43) 3 Wonder (05:37) 4 Welcome to My World (02:16) 5 Anti-Shadow (04:28) 6 Jazzer Snipe (01:17) 7 Z. Z. Quicker Foot (05:52) 8 Neon Filler (04:02) 9 Seldom Matters (05:08) 10 Resolver (02:03) 11 Nowhere (03:20) 12 Always Horses Coming (05:06) 13 Patsys Blues (02:37) |
| Ramp : Allmusic album Review : RAMP was the second of three stellar albums released by Giant Sand at the beginning of the 90s. It was preceded by SWERVE and followed by CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. Excellent material and sympathetic, energetic playing unify the trio. Leader Howe Gelbs songs can be anthemic ("Romance of Falling"), or can quietly celebrate small and delicate moments ("Wonder"). Guest Victoria Williams harmony vocals on the former make for a bracing mix. Band friend Pappy Allen sings "Welcome to My World," giving an impassioned commitment to every phrase that is mirrored in the bands supple support. Surprises are to be found within almost every song, as well as in the construction of the album as a whole, which follows its own sort of hallucinogenic logic. This album and its two bookends make perfect starting points. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 35 Title: Center of the Universe Released: 1992 Tracks: 16 Duration: 50:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Seeded (’Tween Bone and Bark) (04:27) 2 Pathfinder (04:19) 3 Center of the Universe (03:25) 4 Off Ramp Man (03:22) 5 Year of the Dog (02:43) 6 Live to Tell (03:42) 7 Thrust (00:35) 8 Loretta and the Insect World (03:12) 9 Sonic Drive In (01:42) 10 Milkshake Girl (02:47) 11 Stuck (05:40) 12 Thing Like That (03:26) 13 Return to Fodder (01:00) 14 Unwed and Well Sped (02:07) 15 Solomon’s Ride (04:09) 16 [untitled] (03:22) |
| Center of the Universe : Allmusic album Review : The whole thing kicks off with one of Giant Sands heaviest tunes ever -- "Seeded (Twixt Bone and Bark)," a massive head-nodder of a metal psych track, with some of Gelbs best soloing work leading the way. With that as one promising beginning, the band, now more or less officially Gelb, Convertino, and bassist Joe Burns, assays another fascinating set of desert-fried rock & roll, serving up one winner after another on this excellent album. Gelbs knack for roping in talented guests again pays off -- Victoria Williams takes a bow, while Chris Cacavas on keyboards (kudos for his work on "Off Ramp Man") and the Psycho Sisters (of all people, Susan Cowsill and ex-Bangles member Vicki Peterson) crop up throughout. As before, though, its the core groups show, and they once again do the business. Gelbs singing and performing style remains relatively unchanged, but the focus of the songs generally is on a more specifically rock style, though certainly tinged by the country focus hes always had, most obviously on "Unwed and Well Sped." Still, its not the twang and jangle on "Pathfinder" or "Live to Tell" which takes center stage, its the sprawling, howling feedback, again shaped by Gelb into just the way he wants it: warm rather than overpowering and suddenly stopping and starting when the need calls for it. Convertino and Burns, now two albums along into their own partnership that would eventually lead to Calexico, make for a great performing unit, able to serve up both straight-up rhythms and weird and wiggy bits in equal aplomb. More heavy-duty zoneouts crop up thanks to the title track (with a hilarious introduction from Williams), the aggressive blast of "Sonic Drive In" (complete with goony high vocals), and the jaunty-but-loud joy "Thing Like That." Meanwhile, odd little fun can be had with the piano-only snippet "Thurst," the sweetly strange "Milkshake Girl," and the unlisted bonus track "Goin Down to Mexico." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 35 Title: Purge & Slouch Released: 1993 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:17:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Slander (01:14) 2 Bender (04:44) 3 Swamp Thing (05:02) 4 Santana, Castanada & You (05:06) 5 Blue Lit Rope (06:06) 6 Overture, Part I (03:15) 7 Rice Road Rumba (00:35) 8 Slice & Dice Blues (01:52) 9 High Lonesome Curl (03:28) 10 New Carjack City Blues (01:28) 11 Owed Ode (02:51) 12 Overture, Part II (00:50) 13 Here on the Planet (01:55) 14 Elevator Music (07:19) 15 Song for the Accountants (03:55) 16 Dock of the Bay (01:24) 17 Tripping Moon (04:41) 18 Dance of the Cicadas (02:10) 19 Disclaimer (00:46) 20 Smokey Joes Deep Blue Pancakes (12:39) 21 Thin Lizzy Tribute/Personality Flaws/Last Word Johnny (06:25) |
| Purge & Slouch : Allmusic album Review : In comparison to the previous few Giant Sand records, Purge and Slouch was an exercise in recording almost for the heck of it, with a loose lineup of eight other performers, with Rainer Ptacek again back in the fold for a bit, assisting the Gelb/Convertino/Burns trio. The liner notes explain the casual nature of the whole thing, which was in fact recorded in the living room, guest bedroom, and porch of one Harvey Moltz, who helped record it all. Gelb himself sounded bemused at the end results, but, taking it as it is, Purge and Slouch is a fun treat; a lengthy release (nearly a full CDs worth) with an agreeably relaxed vibe. Any guesses that the home-based recording and seemingly informal atmosphere would result in nothing but acoustic hoedowns are abolished with the opening drum slam and feedback screech of "Slander." With that as a wake-up call, things generally take a calmer turn for the remainder of the album, touching on both unplugged shuffles and subtly electrified approaches, including some intriguingly nervous, edgy efforts like the amusingly titled "Santana, Castaneda and You." Unsurprisingly, theres also a fair amount of sheer weirdness, like the very odd tape collage "Overture (Part 1)," and sharp, wry humor, like the barbed lament on cultural cooptation "Elevator Music," one of the few times where everybody fully rocks out for a bit. Theres one cover on the album -- a brief, murky take on Otis Reddings "Dock of the Bay" thats one of the more unusual such remakes around -- while another strong point is the lengthy, haunting "Corridor," with backing vocals from previous Giant Sand guests Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson. Combine that with a variety of fragments and a generally loose atmosphere, and, while Purge and Slouch wont be the album to immediately convince a Giant Sand newcomer, fans will find it an engaging listen. Best song title of the bunch -- "Song of the Accountants." | ||
 | Album: 12 of 35 Title: Stromausfall Released: 1994 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 October Anywhere (05:03) 2 The Y Stop Jumble (05:12) 3 Steadfast (05:04) 4 ... Ropes of Bible Black (04:53) 5 Mt. of Love (03:56) 6 The Replacement (02:55) 7 Severely Altered on the Hill (04:12) 8 Dreamville New Mexico (04:09) 9 Seldom Matters (05:45) |
 | Album: 13 of 35 Title: Glum Released: 1994-08-30 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Glum (05:01) 2 Yer Ropes (05:06) 3 Happenstance (05:07) 4 Frontage Road (04:35) 5 1 Helvakowboy Song (03:02) 6 Painted Bird (04:37) 7 Spun (03:43) 8 Left (04:59) 9 Faithful (06:09) 10 Bird Song (03:19) 11 Im So Lonesome I Could Cry (03:18) 12 Bodys a Boat (04:43) 13 Remain Distorted (04:58) 14 Water Fuels the Fire (05:02) 15 Occupy (04:57) 16 Between the Time It Takes (03:02) 17 The Professor (01:28) |
| Glum : Allmusic album Review : Glum, the 10th record by Arizona-based Giant Sand, was released in 1994. Main man Howie Gelb and his revolving cast of backing musicians were produced by Daniel Lanois protégée Malcolm Burn for this effort. Gelbs vocals have a nasally, offhand quality that is similar to those of Flaming Lips Wayne Coyne. The music is a blend of rock, folk, and country with some high-octane, gloriously dissonant twists. The title track is a fine example as the simple acoustic-based melody gives way to bursts of mangled guitar. "Yer Ropes" is a chaotic swirl of noise with organ by Burn and slide guitar courtesy of Peter Holsapple. Theres also several lovely slower tracks like the piano ballad "Spun," to which Victoria Williams adds vocals, and "Left," which has a wistful country feel. Glum is the sound of the Southwestern desert committed to disc and a rollicking album. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 35 Title: Goods and Services Released: 1995 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:08:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Back to the Black and Grey (06:00) 2 Opus - Solomons Ride - Opus (10:42) 3 Good and Gone (05:27) 4 Bender (04:53) 5 Occupied (04:24) 6 Warm Storm (10:10) 7 Youre So Vain (03:15) 8 Welcome to My World (02:36) 9 Surfin Lean (04:11) 10 Trickle Down System (08:06) 11 Faithful (09:11) |
 | Album: 15 of 35 Title: Giant Songs, Volume 2: The Best of Giant Sand Released: 1995-08-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:06:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cant Find Love (04:34) 2 Get to Leave (03:57) 3 Town With Little or No Pity (03:20) 4 Dreamville New Mexico (03:50) 5 October Anywhere (05:00) 6 Almost the Politicians Wife (03:58) 7 Badlands (04:04) 8 Trickle Down System (05:12) 9 Love Like a Train (04:09) 10 Sage Advice (06:02) 11 Sisters and Brothers (03:56) 12 Sandman (03:27) 13 Death, Dying and Channel 5 (04:17) 14 Who Am I (01:59) 15 Sucker in a Cage (05:15) 16 Christmas Everyday (Maybe Itll Help) (03:48) |
 | Album: 16 of 35 Title: Official Bootleg Series, Volume 1 Released: 1996 Tracks: 13 Duration: 57:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 No Name Guitars (06:43) 2 Sled (03:37) 3 Elevator Music (07:26) 4 Spit (03:42) 5 Corridor of Love (07:35) 6 Mason Card (04:06) 7 Hanks Rap City (02:07) 8 Less the Lie (01:53) 9 Scorcher (02:57) 10 Bed of Nails (02:51) 11 Crumb (01:03) 12 T. W. s Forgotten Chorus (00:42) 13 Smokey Joes Deep Blue Pancakes (12:35) |
 | Album: 17 of 35 Title: Backyard Barbecue Broadcast Released: 1996-04-02 Tracks: 7 Duration: 55:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 BBQ Suite (22:40) 2 Mope-A-Long (06:02) 3 Lean (07:18) 4 Get to Leave (07:07) 5 Lester Lampshade (02:21) 6 Blue Waltz (reprise) (01:15) 7 Untitled (Last 3-4 Minutes of 8 Minute Track) (08:50) |
| Backyard Barbecue Broadcast : Allmusic album Review : Having hooked up with Imago for Glum, and then just as quickly leaving the major label world -- it didnt help any that Imago itself went bust a little while later -- Giant Sand kept things simple for its follow-up release. Taking its name from the fact that, indeed, part of it was recorded at a benefit show for New Jerseys WFMU held in a backyard with a barbecue, Backyard Barbecue Broadcast also contains numbers from another session done at the station the following year. With the trio accompanied by extra guitarists at each session (Bill Elm and, on the latter session only, Mike Semple), Giant Sand makes its way through a series of interesting cuts, most of which hadnt been formally released by the band (and still havent, for that matter). Notably, two songs crop up here which Bill Elm, John Convertino, and Joey Burns later redid with Howe Gelbs help under their Friends of Dean Martinez guise. Both are covers -- Charles Trenets classic boulevardier song "I Wish You Love" and Santo & Johnnys "Seashells." Otherwise, its Gelb compositions featured, with the songs performed at the actual BBQ itself mastered on the CD as one overall track. Whether intentionally or not, the brief bits between the songs are filled in with lower-fidelity bits from the band -- odd, but it doesnt really distract. Gelbs vocals sound more than a little thrashed on the BBQ cuts, but he still keeps things going pretty well, while the band performances themselves call to mind the Purge and Slouch sessions, though with a little more overall focus. The songs from the other session make for good listening as well, the piano-led "Lean" in particular being a winner, balancing off a slow pace with looming feedback twang that bursts forth fully every so often. A semi-unlisted track from a 1993 New York station broadcast, "Rolling Stones I Am...," ends the disc with a bit of straight blues-rock and another singer, one Ms. Hot Dog. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 35 Title: Valley of Rain / Ballad of a Thin Line Man Released: 1997-06-24 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:16:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Down on Town (Loves No Answer) (04:34) 2 Black Venetian Blinds (03:26) 3 Curse of a Thousand Flames (04:09) 4 Artists (04:43) 5 Man of Want (05:00) 6 Valley of Rain (04:14) 7 Tumble and Tear (03:18) 8 October Anywhere (05:00) 9 Death, Dying and Channel 5 (04:15) 10 Torture of Love (03:46) 11 Thin Line Man (07:33) 12 All Along the Watchtower (04:22) 13 Graveyard (02:08) 14 Body of Water (03:33) 15 You Cant Put Your Arms Around a Memory (03:15) 16 A Hard Man to Get to Know (06:08) 17 Who Am I (02:00) 18 Desperate Man (05:24) |
| Valley of Rain / Ballad of a Thin Line Man : Allmusic album Review : Giant Sands first two albums, Valley of Rain and Ballad of a Thin Line, were reissued on a single compact disc from Diablo. Even at the beginning of their career, Giant Sand had a distinctive take on dusty country-rock in the vein of Neil Young, and while both records have some clunkers, Howe Gelbs songwriting is often quite impressive. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 35 Title: Official Bootleg Series, Volume 2: The Rock Opera Years Released: 2000 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Rock Opera (03:22) 2 Dusted (In Tucson) (03:22) 3 Astonished (In Tucson) (04:24) 4 Hard On Things (03:58) 5 Francoise (02:08) 6 Punishing Sun (In Tucson) (04:46) 7 Chore Of Enchantment (04:14) 8 Seldom Matters Again (04:21) 9 Music Arcade (06:46) 10 Shiver (In Tucson) (03:51) 11 Catapult (05:31) 12 Dilemma (02:43) 13 Not Good (03:57) |
 | Album: 20 of 35 Title: Chore of Enchantment Released: 2000-03-27 Tracks: 16 Duration: 59:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Overture (00:48) 2 (Well) Dusted (For the Millenium) (03:47) 3 Punishing Sun (03:13) 4 X-Tra Wide (03:27) 5 1972 (01:03) 6 Temptation of Egg (03:41) 7 Raw (03:29) 8 Wolfy (04:25) 9 Shiver (04:00) 10 Dirty From the Rain (03:34) 11 Astonished (In Memphis) (05:32) 12 No Reply (04:34) 13 Satellite (06:48) 14 Bottom Line Man (04:41) 15 Way to End the Day (04:47) 16 Shrine (02:04) |
| Chore of Enchantment : Allmusic album Review : Moving to the renowned Chicago indie label Thrill Jockey didnt bring a tremendous change to Giant Sands sound on their album, Chore of Enchantment. Aside from a couple of punkier numbers with thumping drum loops and noisy guitars, the music is mostly restrained and rootsy, its elegiac quality perfectly suited to the records emotional backdrop -- the cancer-related death of guitarist Rainer Ptacek, who does appear here with a touching slide-guitar instrumental that closes the record. However, the often rudimentary melodies outlined by Gelbs dry vocals dont help make Chore of Enchantment an incredibly accessible record to those outside the groups cult. Many of the songs tend to drift by without grabbing hold, more about atmosphere and Gelbs poetry than anything else. Some cuts underscore Gelbs haunted, lonely desert hallucinations with organ and Mellotron, to a nicely otherworldly effect; the full, fleshed-out sound on these tracks provides the most satisfying listening here. Fans will be glad to have Giant Sand carrying on after Ptaceks tragic departure. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 35 Title: Unsungglum (Official Bootleg) Released: 2001 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:10:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Glum (05:00) 2 Yer Ropes (05:06) 3 Happenstance (05:07) 4 Frontage Road (04:35) 5 Helvakowboysong (03:02) 6 Im So Lonesome I Could Cry (03:14) 7 Bodys a Boat (04:43) 8 Remain Distorted (04:58) 9 Water Fuels the Fire (05:02) 10 Occupy (04:57) 11 Painted Bird (04:37) 12 Spun (03:43) 13 Left (05:01) 14 Faithful (06:08) 15 Bird Song (03:38) 16 Profess Or (01:28) |
 | Album: 22 of 35 Title: Selections Circa 1990-2000 Released: 2001-03-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:02:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shiver (04:00) 2 Temptation of Egg (feat. Julianna Hatfield) (03:35) 3 The Inner Flame (05:48) 4 Sand (04:20) 5 Music Arcade (06:47) 6 Remain Distorted (03:44) 7 Yer Ropes (05:14) 8 Corridor (07:16) 9 Stuck (05:53) 10 Center of the Universe (03:25) 11 Nowhere (03:19) 12 Wonder (03:35) 13 Burning Desire (01:19) 14 Change Is Now (04:13) |
 | Album: 23 of 35 Title: Official Bootleg Series, Volume 5: Too Many Spare Parts in the Yard Too Close at Hand Released: 2002 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Calexico Audition and Failing It (03:00) 2 The Very Last Blue Marble Girl (05:44) 3 Goldfrapp Tribute (05:35) 4 Available Space (05:32) 5 House of the Punishing Sun (05:12) 6 Hatch (04:37) 7 Tom Waits Tribute (04:39) 8 The Feel of Original Leather (03:33) 9 Colder Than Cool Enough (02:55) 10 The Very First Blue Marble Girl (04:08) 11 Rain Mixed With Parade (04:38) 12 Loopy (00:30) |
 | Album: 24 of 35 Title: Cover Magazine Released: 2002-03-19 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:10:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 El Paso / Out On The Weekend (06:49) 2 Johnny Hit And Run Pauline (03:07) 3 Iron Man (04:33) 4 Human / Lovely Head (05:07) 5 The Beat Goes On (06:06) 6 Plants And Rags (03:05) 7 Wayfaring Stranger / Fly Me To The Moon (04:48) 8 Red Right Hand (04:40) 9 King Of The Road (02:55) 10 Im Leaving Now (02:06) 11 Blue Marble Girl (09:27) 12 The Inner Flame (06:37) 13 The Beat Goes On (Alternative) (03:16) 14 Summertime (Bonus) (02:59) 15 The Pilgrim (Chapter 33) (Bonus) (04:33) |
| Cover Magazine : Allmusic album Review : Cover Magazine is like a primer on long-running Arizona institution Giant Sand: a mix of highbrow and lowbrow influences rendered with exquisite musicianship, all saturated by the hushed, plainspoken vocals of Howe Gelb. Over the years, this revolving cast of characters has been compared to everyone from Bob Dylan to Neil Young (with or without Crazy Horse), but the strongest resemblance on this live outing is to the Band (Gelb even sounds a bit like Robbie Robertson) -- assuming the Band would have covered songs like "Iron Man" and "The Beat Goes On" (twice). Gelb and company arent making fun of the material, however; the Sabbath standard is performed in a jazzy manner with piano, conga drums, and mournful trumpet, and theres nothing particularly jokey about it. If anything, the unusual rendition brings out the pathos in the lyrics. Other notable covers include "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline," a duet with PJ Harvey (her own "Plants and Rags" also gets the run-through), and a blistering version of Nick Caves "Red Right Hand." Further guest appearances: Neko Case and Kelly Hogan provide backing vocals on a medley of "Wayfaring Stranger/Fly Me to the Moon" and Grandaddys Jim Fairchild helps out on Gelbs own "Blue Marble Girl." | ||
 | Album: 25 of 35 Title: Provisional Supplement Released: 2008 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ballad of the Tucson 2 (inst.) (05:31) 2 Dear Diary (01:49) 3 Saturation (05:07) 4 The New Romance of Falling (08:52) 5 Love Knows (No Borders) (04:57) 6 Dead Horse Blues (05:16) 7 Worlds End Park Bench (02:03) 8 Harping Stomp (00:57) 9 Shine on the Piano (00:44) 10 Ok (06:34) 11 Greyer on the Way (02:30) 12 Ballad of the Tucson 2 (05:07) |
 | Album: 26 of 35 Title: *proVISIONS* Released: 2008-09-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stranded Pearl (03:59) 2 Without a Word (03:39) 3 Can Do (03:08) 4 Out There (03:03) 5 The Desperate Kingdom of Love (03:26) 6 Increment of Love (03:01) 7 Spiral (04:47) 8 Pitch & Sway (05:20) 9 Muck Machine (03:16) 10 Belly Full of Fire (04:41) 11 Saturated Beyond Repair (03:31) 12 Worlds End State Park (02:55) 13 Well Enough Alone (03:08) |
| *proVISIONS* : Allmusic album Review : Every few years for more than 20 years now, Howe Gelb and company emerge from the Arizona desert (and/or Denmark) to offer up another Giant Sand album. Provisions is their 16th or so, and its more of the same desert-fried late-night country-rock poetry. Gelbs sense of wordplay and rhyming is as unique as his close-miked sprechstimme. His production eccentricities have been smoothed out a bit and the album is on the mellow side for about the first two-thirds or so. Things really kick into gear for the last part of the album when the energy picks up and the production gets a bit more elaborate, finishing the album on a high note. An oddball project, Giant Sand have kicked around from label to label for decades, but theyve always managed to do things their way. Provisions is Gelbs vision, and its been remarkably clear for a good long time now. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 35 Title: Off Ramp Released: 2009 Tracks: 16 Duration: 47:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Shadow to You (03:38) 2 Approximation of Joy (03:56) 3 Nowhere (Howe) (03:15) 4 Rampled (00:52) 5 Dead Head Instead (01:58) 6 Warm Storm Bridge (01:01) 7 Endtro (Victoria) (01:16) 8 Love (Victoria) (03:25) 9 Arizona Bridge (00:47) 10 That Vision Thing (06:13) 11 Country Fare (Victoria) (03:43) 12 Welcome to My World (instrumental) (02:15) 13 Dead Air (06:52) 14 Blur of the Sands (04:55) 15 Over and Over Nightmare (01:58) 16 Patsys Ballad (01:17) |
 | Album: 28 of 35 Title: Blurry Blue Mountain Released: 2010-10-25 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fields of Green (03:34) 2 Chunk of Coal (03:31) 3 The Last One (02:35) 4 Monks Mountain (07:35) 5 Spell Bound (02:41) 6 Ride the Rail (03:52) 7 Lucky Star Love (02:07) 8 Thin Line Man (03:31) 9 No Tellin (03:28) 10 Brand New Swamp Thing (03:39) 11 Erosion (03:12) 12 Time Flies (02:21) 13 Better Man Than Me (05:07) 14 Love a Loser (03:33) |
| Blurry Blue Mountain : Allmusic album Review : Howe Gelb has a remarkable ability to sound like a master of his craft at the same time that he resembles a backporch picker who is paying as much attention to his iced tea as his music; Gelb can seem focused and casual at once, and he shows off this talent to its best advantage of Giant Sands 2010 album Blurry Blue Mountain. Twenty-five years after releasing Giant Sands first album, Gelb doesnt pull any new tricks out of his sleeves here, but given the many stylistic detours of Giant Sands history, he can cover plenty of ground while still investigating his established sound, and Gelb and his latest band of collaborators are in truly fine fettle. Blurry Blue Mountain sounds both loose and tight; while nothing seems overworked, Gelb and his musicians (particularly Peter Dombernowsky on drums and Thoget T. Lund on bass) mesh precisely and put these songs on their feet with confidence and casual grace, from the loping seven-minute meditation of "Monks Mountain" and the late-night barroom lament of "Chunk of Coal" to the chaotic, guitar-shot rock of "Thin Line Man," the stark, late-night philosophizing of "No Tellin" and the punchy but high-strutting blues of "Brand New Swamp Thing." Blurry Blue Mountain is an album full of heart, soul, and wit, and this music confirms that no one does quite what Howe Gelb can do with such remarkably innate grace and feel; Gelbs songs find pretty remarkable things in the odd details of simple lives, and there some very real magic to be found in the elegant force of Blurry Blue Mountain. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 35 Title: Black Out Released: 2011-07-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 October Anywhere (04:05) 2 The Y Stop Jumble (00:58) 3 Steadfast (05:12) 4 Robes of Bible Black (05:04) 5 Mt. of Love (08:49) 6 The Replacement (02:55) 7 Severely Altered on the Hill (04:11) 8 Dreamville, New Mexico (04:09) 9 Seldom Matters (06:17) 10 Approximation of Joy (03:56) |
 | Album: 30 of 35 Title: is all over the map Released: 2011-11-21 Tracks: 16 Duration: 52:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Classico (02:50) 2 NYC of Time (04:07) 3 Remote (02:55) 4 Flying Around The Sun With Remarkable Speed (03:33) 5 Crackling Water (04:20) 6 Rag (01:13) 7 Muss (02:24) 8 Drab (02:22) 9 Fool (03:27) 10 Les Forcats Innocents (03:50) 11 Napoli (03:24) 12 Hood (View From A Heidelberg Hotel) (06:22) 13 A Classico Reprise (03:21) 14 Anarchistic Bolshevistic Cowboy Bundle (02:09) 15 Play (02:10) 16 A Quiet Remote (04:04) |
| is all over the map : Allmusic album Review : It was four years since the last album from Giant Sand (Cover Magazine doesnt really count), and Howe Gelb is still making albums to please himself. Which is as it should be, since no one makes records that sound quite like this: a shambolic, atmospheric mixture of hushed tones, deadly distortion, tender poetics, and rock & roll. There are some new members in the Giant Sand family, but they sound just as versatile and fit just as well as the too-busy members of Calexico, Joey Burns and John Covertino. The songs are great, featuring Gelbs often near-whispered vocals, pretty resonant piano, acoustic guitars, and some of the most crushing distortion ever recorded (which is likely to appear and disappear almost anywhere). Take the lovely "Classico," where the guitar solo is traded off between an acoustic nylon-string guitar and an electric with the amp turned up WAY past 11, or the multitude of hairy guitars in "NYC of Time" that disappear, giving way to a very nice piano segment. Gelbs voice gets the distorto treatment on "Remote," and "Drab" has some fine buzzing prepared piano. But its not all about distortion (which really comes and goes); theres an acoustic element to every track and most of these songs would work as purely acoustic pieces. "Rag" is just a piano rag with drums, and "Les Forçats Innocents" is not only sung in French, but has a tasty mandolin accompaniment. And only Howe Gelb would have the good sense to include a Sex Pistols/Waylon Jennings medley. Almost 20 years on, and Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand compatriots have made concessions to no one, and if youre a fan, thats a very good thing. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 35 Title: Backyard Barbeque Broadcast Released: 2011-12-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 57:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 BBQ Suite (World Stands Still / Good & Gone / I Wish You Love / Romance of Falling / Seashells) (22:40) 2 Mope-A-Long (06:02) 3 Lean (07:18) 4 Get to Leave (07:07) 5 Lester Lampshade (02:21) 6 Blue Waltz Reprise (01:42) 7 Yer Ropes (06:18) 8 Rolling Stones I Am (03:52) |
 | Album: 32 of 35 Title: Tucson Released: 2012-06-11 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:09:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Wind Blown Waltz (03:21) 2 Forever and a Day (06:26) 3 Detained (03:13) 4 Lost Love (03:40) 5 Plane of Existence (04:47) 6 Undiscovered Country (04:03) 7 Love Comes Over You (04:21) 8 Thing Like That (03:08) 9 The Sun Belongs to You (04:11) 10 We Dont Play Tonight (03:30) 11 Ready or Not (02:29) 12 Mostly Wrong (01:40) 13 Hard Morning in a Soft Blur (02:28) 14 Recovery Mission (05:05) 15 Slag Heap (03:57) 16 Not the End of the World (04:03) 17 Carinito (04:59) 18 Out of the Blue (03:23) 19 New River (01:09) |
 | Album: 33 of 35 Title: Return To Tucson Released: 2013-04-20 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Lost Love (John Parish + Ali Chant remix) (03:45) 2 Undiscovered Country (John Parish remix) (04:45) 3 Wind Blown Waltz (John Parish + Ali Chant alternative mix) (03:45) 4 Thing Like That (Ali Chant extended version) (05:48) 5 Carinito (Ali Chant alternative mix) (05:15) 6 Not the End of the World (Ali Chant alternative version) (04:36) 7 Hard Morning in a Soft Blur (Chris Schultz extended version) (04:44) 8 Forever & A Day (John Parish + Ali Chant alternative mix) (07:29) |
 | Album: 34 of 35 Title: Heartbreak Pass Released: 2015-05-04 Tracks: 15 Duration: 49:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Heaventually (03:27) 2 Texting Feist (04:13) 3 Hurtin Habit (03:01) 4 Transponder (03:30) 5 Song So Wrong (02:52) 6 Every Now and Then (03:21) 7 Man on a String (03:56) 8 Home Sweat Home (03:34) 9 Eye Opening (02:57) 10 Pen to Paper (02:56) 11 Bitter Suite (02:21) 12 House In Order (03:27) 13 Gypsy Candle (04:29) 14 Done (03:38) 15 Forever and Always (01:48) |
| Heartbreak Pass : Allmusic album Review : Giant Sand isnt really a band these days; instead, its a concept that has emerged from the mind of Howe Gelb, and ultimately, thats all for the best. Its hard to imagine how Gelb could get one reasonably sized set of musicians to conjure up the many moods and tonal colors of Giant Sands 2015 studio effort Heartbreak Pass, but by jumping back and forth between several states, countries, and continents, hes not only come up with an uncommonly rich and imaginative set of performances, hes made an album that scans remarkably well considering the miles he logged putting it together. One tune, "Done," was cut during sessions in Brussels, Crete, and Ottawa, while "Heaventually" features bits recorded in Italy, England, Tennessee, and Arizona. As Gelb says in the liner notes, Heartbreak Pass comprises "3 volumes of 15 songs here representing living 2 lives for 30 years. Dont do the math. It doesnt figure." And hes right, it doesnt, but if the numbers are faulty, the emotions are not, and all that globetrotting does serve a thematic purpose. One of the key recurring themes on Heartbreak Pass is the nomadic life of a musician, and how hard it is to hold on to the people you love when youre hopping on planes, battling jet lag, or simply trying to remember where you are. One of the albums most touching songs, "Home Sweet Home," deals with the nuts and bolts of a touring artists routine, and the closer is, significantly enough, a rough but sweet duet between Gelb and his teenage daughter, "Forever and Always." This being Giant Sand, Gelbs longing and weariness are filtered through his smoky, warmly downbeat vocals and an arid melodic style that fuses the C&W; melodies with enough left turns and electronic seasoning to remind us were not in Tucson anymore, at least most of the time. But Gelbs songs are always heartfelt behind his occasional eccentricities, his musicians (who include Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, former Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, Grant-Lee Phillips, and Ilse DeLange) do splendid work on Gelbs behalf, and John Parishs production smarts hold the album together gracefully. Heartbreak Pass is, like much of Howe Gelbs best work, an ambitious project that still seems emotionally intimate, and revels in a ramshackle charm that belies how strong the elements truly are -- its one mans unique vision, and if hes proud of it, well, he certainly should be. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 35 Title: Returns to Valley of Rain Released: 2018-10-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tumble & Tear (03:20) 2 Valley of Rain (03:34) 3 Curse of a Thousand Flames (04:44) 4 Death Dying and Channel 5 (04:35) 5 Barrio (04:23) 6 Down on Town (Loves No Answer) (06:17) 7 Artists (04:32) 8 Man of Want (03:35) 9 Torture of Love (03:58) 10 October Anywhere (04:46) 11 Black Venetian Blind (02:58) |