"Everything Falls Apart" for Dog's Eye View
Written: Mar 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Stuart's voice.
Cons: Everything else.
The Bottom Line: Like crap music from the mid-1990's? Dog's Eye View might just be for you.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Happy Nowhere by Dog's Eye View |
In retrospect, the mid-1990's music scene was pretty lackluster. It was grunge backlash with bands looking to sound as light and fluffy as humanly possible rather than wallowing in their own self pity.
The 1994 formation of Dog's Eye View didn't mark any major movement in music. Their sound led by guitarist and vocalist Peter Stuart was happy and upbeat and blissfully ignorant of personal and political trouble. The band's 1995 debut, Happy Nowhere, featured the talents of producer Jimbo Barton, drummer Neil Buckhola, and bassist Mike Visceglia along with violinist Regina Ballantese.
This debut album really wasn't anything special in 1995. It's even less relevant and less interesting today. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the band is kind of like a shadow of Counting Crows. It's not that Stuart is any less talented, it's just that the world of music has been there and done that.
I only specifically recall two of these songs ever being played on radio or MTV. Everything Falls Apart is a sticky-sweet blend of pop and rock music. There's nothing particularly inspired about the musical elements of the track, but there's also nothing particularly repulsive. Stuart's voice is rather soothing and rather smooth, and manages to stand out among the scads of sound-alike wanna be rock stars in 1995.
The Prince's Favorite Son is the only other song I heard beyond the constraints of this CD. This track has more soul and more emotion than the last track I mentioned. I'm reminded a bit of Blues Traveler here, but find myself yearning for those John Popper harmonica lines and his wavering voice. Stuart once again shines with his lovely voice, but none of the other musical or lyrical aspects are at all indicative of decent songwriting.
Besides those two tracks, I'm not impressed. Waterline is low and completely unexcited. Even Stuart's voice pretty much sucks. Would You Be Willing also suffers from the same illnesses. If Stuart could put together the various elements from his voice to his guitar and his songwriting this music could be decent. This, instead, is crap. Utter crap.
It's completely unnecessary to go through each of these thirteen tracks. None of them is particularly offensive, just totally uninspired. I'm mildly entertained by Everything Falls Apart, but aside from that song the other twelve lack any motivation or musical signature. For these reasons, I have to give this album 2/5 stars. I don't recommend it to anybody. Even fans of this pseudo-genre.
Track Listing:
1.I Wish I Was Here
2.Everything Falls Apart
3.Small Wonders
4.The Prince's Favorite Son
5.Cottonmouth
6.Haywire
7.Would You Be Willing
8.Speed of Silence
9.Waterline
10.What I Know Now
11.Subject To Change
12.Bulletproof and Bleeding
13.Shine
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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 in Music |
 - Top 50 |
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Member: Shelly T.
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
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