A beautiful masterpiece...
moonfilm | Red Bank, NJ USA | 02/18/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Without a doubt, Quad Cities is my favorite album of 2000. If you love Gram Parsons, like I love Gram Parsons, you'll love this album. Virgil Shaw's beautifully simple twangy vocals and his delicately sparse arrangements meld together to form a warm magnificent heartfelt debut solo album. A San Francisco native and Dieselhed member, Shaw is accompanied by SF locals: Danny Heifetz (Dieselhed, Mr. Bungle), Palmer (Mommyheads), Freeman (Pell Mell) and Matt Hall. The album was produced by renowned local producers Jeff Palmer and Greg Freeman. Shaw employs an array of ecclectic instruments, including a Chinese trumpet, a vibraphone and a saw that aid in setting apart an otherwise classically arranged country-western-folk album. Fabulous honest lyrics to boot. No pretension here, just tried and true personally felt and expressed music. Full of substance, not contrived. A must for any "No Depression", "Cosmic American" music fan. Tracks 6 & 7 - "Eureka" and "Volvo" are unbelievable. Please spread the word of this wonderfully talented performer."