Search - Pete Nelson :: Days Like Horses

A modern Poet's tale of love lost or.....

Patrice Webb | Georgetown, California USA | 12/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The story of a man lost then redeemed....In what is perhaps one of the most unusual CD releases of the year, Peter Nelson sings a tale of a modern love lost. In what he calls a novel in 15 songs, Nelson's musical story is told against the backdrop of an urban skyline and tells a tale of what happens when love is lost and of the "getting to the point" where you can finally accept that it is gone and live to celebrate its remembrance.Using touches of Reggae, Jazz, Balladry, and whimsical Folk, Nelson tells a tale of denial, anger, obsession, negotiation, forgiveness, and ultimately acceptance, by allowing the listener to step in to the songs as if this musical play belongs to the listener and is the listener's story alone.What has emerged with this eclectic collection of songs, is one of the better surprises of the year and if at first the seemingly loopy idea of writing a novel in 15 songs seems strange, the fact that all 15 songs stand up on their own (many sounding like old standards)comes as a better surprise still.I don't know if this is Peter Nelson's own tale of love lost, but for anyone who has ever been in love, lost at love, then spent several months obsessing over it, finally finding redemption at the other side, this CD will make you smile (and cry) and remember.For those of you in the midst of this story this musical tale is a reminder that it does get better so...buy a bottle of expensive wine, turn down the lights, turn on the CD player and remember...it does get better."

Days Like Horses, Nights Like Broadway

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 05/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I read the professional reviewer who slammed this album as not being unified and having a lot of wasted potential. I suppose one can always debate whether the glass is half full or half empty, but with no expectations other than Patrice Webb's excellent review, I found this sheer delight. The horses on the cover would lead one to believe that this is western/country music, but this disc is far from Ian Tyson territory.



Pete Nelson's "novel" in 15 chapters is filled with jazz-flavored folk tunes that hint at Broadway. The most unusual track is "The Ballad of Eddie Gay" about a cross-dressing man in his 70s that no one could quite understand. "I Love You So [What]" is a beatnik throwback to the 50s with bass & fingersnaps punctuating this catchy lighthearted tune. "It Still Makes Me Smile" is a tear-in-your-beer lounge tune that begs for the stage. Ben Demerath whose "Jack of Fools" CD and the song "Wings On Your Shoulders" is so good joins Pete for the bluesy "House of Cards" with Tom McClung's crying piano & Dan Klimoski's sobbing sax. Peter Mulvey joins Pete on the toe tapper "I Drove By Your House," "I can drive away memories. I can drive away fast. But no matter where I go, I can't escape from my past." "Good Sushi On Jupiter" is a humorous tune where our hero contemplates the afterlife where people of different faiths are sent to different planets after they die, "Buddha with your shiny head keep smiling on me 'cause I know when I'm dead, that's where I want to be. Not with those Muslims on Venus or the Jews on Mars." Susan Werner joins Pete on "You Should Fall In Love," a upbeat slow piano torch song. "After the Party's Over" concludes this set as an epilogue, a slow Crosby crooner. "Days Like Horses" is a breakup album with the songs unified by this end-of-romance theme. Pete Nelson's written some great songs and has an expressive high-pitched voice that makes this a set I keep coming back to again & again. Enjoy!"