Search - Bill Morrissey :: Standing Eight

Standing Eight is a Knockout!

03/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first Bill Morrisey CD I ever heard and all I had to do was hear it once and I was hooked. In fact, after discovering this artist I quickly ordered several of his other CDs. However, this one is far away my favorite. That's because Standing Eight is Morrisey's most consistent in its quality and diversity of song writing. His others have some highlights but overall can not compare.Anyone new to Bill Morrisey will first be captivated by his gravel-like voice which after getting used to becomes surprisingly familiar and soothing. Just listen to "Handsome Molly" or " Girls of Sante Fe" to see what I mean. Next you'll be mesmerized by his well-crafted songs which always seem quite personal. Good examples of these are "Last Day of the Last Furlough" and "She's That Kind of Mystery". Finally, you'll get a kick out of his witty sense of humor, which he always seems to feature on at least a couple of songs. On this CD he has written some classics like "Car and Driver" and my personal favorite "She's Your Baby Now", which is a real driving song that exemplifies what people mean when they say, "what goes around comes around". If you are looking for something special and unusual and appreciate a real master songwriter performer when you find one, you can't go wrong with Standing Eight."

My favorite song

Patrick McKim | San Luis Obispo, CA United States | 01/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a record I've owned since it first came out-- I'm a long-time, big-time Bill Morrissey fan. I just read the other reviews for this disc and was surprised that only one reviewer even mentioned the best song: "Cold Fingers."Please don't stop reading when I tell you this is a song about a guy shooting his dog. I know that sounds ugly, but in fact this song is just incredibly beautiful. The real theme of "Cold Fingers" is loss. The chorus goes "Everything slips through these cold fingers. Like trying to hold water, trying to hold sand. Close your eyes and make a wish and listen to the singer. One more round, bartender, pour a double if you can."On those nights when I've had more Jameson's than is good for me, this is almost always the last song I play before I crash. Sometimes I play it two or three times. It's been a habit of mine for about 15 years now.If you've ever lost anything, anything of real value to you, this song will hit you right between the eyes."

Heartbreaking short stories from a very funny guy

Patrick McKim | 01/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was stunned how warm and hilarious Bill Morrissey was when I saw him in concert. His songs are so heartwrenching and haunting, I expected a shy, bruised romantic to take the stage. This album is packed with such moving songs. Like the best short stories, he creates three-dimensional characters, marries them to lovely acoustic melodies, and lets you fill in some of the gaps. I find this whole record stunning but I'm particularly blown away by "Last Day of the Last Furlough" and "Handsome Molly". I guess Bill proves--as Richard Thompson, Paul Westerberg, Freedy Johnston and others do--that the funniest guys write the best sad songs."