As Mr Lemons ships out across the country and fans begin to
receive their promised treasures, we here at ComeBackDownload.com
thought it would be nice to write a review from the perspective
of Toad fandom. Glen's solo music is, of course, quite different
from his work with Toad. As a result, not all Toad fans are now
Glen fans. So, the big question here is: Does Mr Lemons work for
Toad lovers? Below are point-counterpoint reviews of the new
album from two loyal Toad fans, Brian Smith and Ben Wallis. We
hope you find their insights helpful.
Brian Smith
Ladies and gents, the g-man is back; obtuse (you know
it had to be) album title aside, Glen has delivered
another quality set of songs to remind us why we’re
still tuned in – not that we really needed it at
this point, but…it’s a nice gesture!
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Ben Wallis
With Mr Lemons comes another collection of marvelous
music penned by a natural songwriter and performer.
Song-by-song, let's see what he has in store for us this
time...
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1) Everything But You
– Mr. Lemons starts off right with a simple, direct
toe-tapper. An engaging mid-tempo acoustic number, this
one would do well on any cultured radio station.
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01. Everything But You
-- This poppy little number is acoustic-based, like most
of the songs from this album, but includes some great
electric and percussion to liven it up. Glen is truly at
his finest on this one!
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2) Blindsight –
The production on this tune is so intimate and cozy, you
can visualize Glen’s Lakewood whispering into the
condenser; sweetly spiritual.
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02. Blindsight -- When
Glen experiments, amazing things happen. He should really
do more stuff like this! A departure from mainstream
rock, this number works on any number of levels.
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3) Thank You –
Like the previous song, Thank You has an obviously
spiritual lyrical element; Ben said this as well –
Jars of Clay? Anybody? Don’t miss the
edge-of-your-seat passion in the vocal
take…marvelous!
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03. Thank You -- Did
Glen suddenly turn Christian? This sounds like a Jars Of
Clay song, through and through--and he makes it work
perfectly! "Thank You," in fact, is the poster
climactic song: It begins calm, then progressively swells
to draw in the listener for an amazing musical
experience.
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4) I Still Love You
– A resurrection of a song aborted during the WPFS
sessions, this simple, slightly jazzy version of I Still
Love You was one of the less musically engaging songs on
the album for me, but I appreciated the lyrical
sentiments of romantic stability.
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04. I Still Love You --
Almost perfect. There's one steccato guitar lick that
almost ruins the track, but otherwise it's amazing!
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5) Last Sunset –
Again, the lyrics are an inspiring account of
mid-30’s life acceptance, but the music is tepid at
best; I’ve never been a huge fan of any version of
this song I’ve yet heard. (I also found the female
vocal was distracting.)
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05. Last Sunset -- This
studio version is an unusual though effective take on the
live classic. The percussion, especially, appeals quite
beautifully to the ear.
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6) New Drug – A
charming retake on Huey Lewis’ classic, this
tongue-in-cheek shuffle is an effective treatment of the
original. That being said, the song would’ve been
better served as an outtake or EP track; I would’ve
preferred valuable album space be saved for another
original, such as “Radio.”
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06. New Drug -- A
thousand times better than the original version, this
cover borrows almost nothing except for the lyrics. Even
so, I can't say it works well on Mr Lemons.
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7) Marigolds –
Those familiar with the solo electric demo of this track
won’t find much new here, with the exception of the
presence of a string section (still getting used to
that). Haunting, slightly morbid lyrics framed by a
delicate troubadour’s guitar, this one is a keeper.
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07. Marigolds -- An old
favorite, Marigolds has been re-worked Mr Lemons style,
here. It retains most of its original charm, with added
flavor.
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8) Waiting – Glen
channels some of his Mutual Admiration Society experience
on this one; this is one of the bouncier tunes
you’ll find here, and the bluegrass flavors make for
a pleasant listen.
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08. Waiting -- This is
the token country-ish track from the album, but even
anti-country folks like myself will enjoy it. The vocal
melodies are just too catchy not to sing along.
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9) Didn’t Think You Cared
– An odd pick from Glen’s backlog of semi-rare
material, this one has awkwardly phrased lyrics coupled
with bluesy acoustic guitar bends and a few strings
thrown in to boot. Nothing special here, especially for
Glen.
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09. Didn't Think You Cared
-- Slow but powerful, this song meanders through amazing
music and disjoint rhythm alike. While it seems to work
best solo-acoustic (live), this studio version certainly
has its charms!
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10) The Next Day –
The best track on the album; this one has the engaging
feel of “Always Returning” from the WPFS
sessions; nice key change in the chorus, strong lyrics
– it’s all there.
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10. The Next Day -- The
next-to-last track on a CD is a strange place to find its
best song. With a pulsing rhythm and acoustic drone the
music pounds on from beginning to end without slacking.
The bass guitar, a piano, and the occasional bell provide
ambient decor, while an electric guitar powers its
interlude and climax. It's the perfect chord progression
and catchy melody, however, which make this song the
masterpiece it is. How wonderful!
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11) A Joyful Noise
– The least interesting track on the album, bar
none. Downbeat without being terribly melodic (even in a
minor mode), I found this one being frequently subjected
to the track-seek button.
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11. A Joyful Noise --
This is the down-turn song, slow and honestly somewhat
monotonous. It is pleasant, however, and makes for a
decent closing to a generally upbeat CD.
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Closing thoughts:
Mr. Lemons is a much more intimate record than Winter
Pays For Summer – if you appreciate Glen’s solo
acoustic format, you’ll find this to be a somewhat
fleshed-out capture of that type of presentation; the
production is warm and friendly, and there are a few
standouts (Everything But You and The Next Day) to make
up for the dull spots (Last Sunset, A Joyful Noise). All
in all, Mr. Lemons is a balanced record that will appeal
to current fans, and may even win over a few greenhorns. |
Closing thoughts:
This album has its slow points, I admit. Some of the
songs are outdone by previous renditions, namely
"Marigolds" and "I Still Love You."
Even so, Mr Lemons is a wonderful collection of
brilliance! From "Everything But You" to
"Next Day," this album truly captures the Glen
experience. |
