Search - Holly Vincent & Johnette Napolitano :: Vowel Movement

Raw and self-indulgent

R. Josef | New Haven, CT United States | 06/22/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"After the failure of her second band, Pretty & Twisted, Concrete Blonde singer/bassist/songwriter and her pal Holly Vincent (of the Italians) evidently decided to go into a recording studio just to see what would happen. Unfortunately, not much did. The music is far from the well-produced rock of CB. Instrumentals ("Frank"),song fragments ("OhohOh", the title track, "Jesus"), not much in terms of fully realized songwriting. It's a bit surprising that she convinced any record company, even a small label, to release this -- it sounds like a session of demos. The most annoying aspect of the album, though,is the crude recording quality -- a very basic, raw sound, with grinding guitars and minimal overdubs. Most of the vocals aren't recorded well at all, sounding distant and echoey most of the time. That's frustrating for those of us who enjoy Johnette's full-bodied, powerful voice. The best track is the concluding version of "Jackie, Baby" (the first being only a fragmentary first verse), a fun singalong that most closely resembles her earlier work.The looseness of the album is sort of fun, and you can get into it after a while if you're a fan of low-fi indie rock, or a hard core Johnette fan. However, Johnette later admitted it was little more than a throwaway. A better suggestion is to hunt up Concrete Blonde's albums and find this only if you're totally smitten with their music."

Avoid this disaster!!!!

Keith A. Sarson | Falls Church, VA United States | 03/21/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have every Concrete Blonde and Johnette Napolitano CD, but this one is the worst of the lot. The only song I really like is Las Vegas...and it is no must have. IF you have the rest of the Concrete Blonde stuff and are looking for something different, get the Pretty and Twisted CD. It is a ton better than this one, or try to find Sketchbook by Johnette Napolitano.Keith S. :{)>"

Super cool...

swim fan | baltimore,maryland | 09/22/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Holly Beth Vincent and Johnette Napolitano together in a studio,winging it. Very creative,rocking,and smart. The women did all,played all on this so I hear and it's an awsome accomplishment for something done on the fly. Worth the ride!! Lotsa fun. "Las Vegas" rools. "Jackie Baby" is an adrenaline high. Otherwise moody and seductive,it has a little of everything."