Penguin Audio: what your ears want to hear   In association with Amazon.com
 Location:  Home» Pop » Alt-Country & Americana » A Man Under the Influence  
Departments
Album Rock
Alternative
Ambient
Arena Rock
Blues
Boom Boxes
British Invasion
Car Stereo
Classical
Classic Rock
Compact Stereos
Country
Dance
Electronica
Folk
Hard Rock
Hip Hop
Home Theatre
Jazz
Latin
MP3 Players
New Age
Pop
Psychedelic Rock
R&B
Rock
Satellite Radio
Speakers
Stereo
Techno
Trance
Trip Hop
Vocalists
Other Penguins

Penguin 64

Penguin CPU

Penguin Cameras

Penguin Kitchens

Penguin Videos

Related Sites

Liberal Media News

OS X Mart

Ultra Mega Mart US

Plenty to Buy

Very Big Bookstore

Geek Book Store

Books, DVDs, and More

Cameras and Photo

Anime Canyon

Just Books for Kids

the Celiac Shop

the sensible celiac

Boolean Sales

Downloads
Apple iTunes

A Man Under the Influence

A Man Under the Influence
Artist: Alejandro Escovedo
Label: Bloodshot Records
Category: Music

List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $10.99
You Save: $0.99 (8%)



Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 25 reviews
Sales Rank: 8946

Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5

MPN: 20064
UPC: 744302006420
EAN: 0744302006420
ASIN: B00005AVO8

Release Date: April 24, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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

Similar Items:

  • The Boxing Mirror
  • Real Animal
  • Gravity (Bonus CD)
  • With These Hands
  • Bourbonitis Blues

Editorial Reviews:

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:   Read 20 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars A Man Under the Influence   August 31, 2008
J. Pardi (Pawcatuck, CT)
Great CD by Alejandro Escovedo covering the roots of rock and roll. Especially fine are the singles "rosalie" and the rocking "velvet guitar".


5 out of 5 stars this guy is great   August 5, 2007
J. spellman (free)
he and his band are worth the money at any price...i was a fan the first time i heard a song of his (5 hearts breaking) i highly recomend any recording by this man.......:)


5 out of 5 stars Alejandro has ME under the influence!   October 23, 2005
Cassi Patterson (Davis, CA)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

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!


5 out of 5 stars Unique and Wonderful   September 27, 2005
Randy Gibson
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.


5 out of 5 stars Estas canciones son para ti...   March 17, 2004
Manny Hernandez (Palo Alto, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

"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/)

Apple iTunes

Downloads
Apple iTunes