Search - Ian Moore :: & All Colors

A Long Wait

Jeff Dudas | Seattle, WA USA | 03/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has taken a full 5 years for this album to appear, but it is well worth the wait. On his Modernday Folklore album (Capricorn, 1995), Ian Moore made significant musical strides away from the predominantly blues-rock feel of his debut (the self-titled release from 1993) and towards an original synthesis of pop, rock, jazz, soul, and (of course) blues. The best songs on that album ("Today", "Daggers", and "Morning Song") suggested a more ethereal, if still grounded, sound that showcased Moore's songwriting and vocal talents as much as his exemplary guitar playing. Following his release from Capricorn, Moore relased Ian Moore's Got the Green Grass (1997) - an album that continued to explore those non-guitar centric aspects of his work. With Green Grass under his belt, Moore's live shows in anticipation of And All the Colors (punctuated by a series of riveting solo acoustic performances) revealed the degree to which Moore had become one of the most underappreciated lyricists and vocalists of his era - possesing an extraordinary vocal range and control that at once referenced Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Buckley. It is against this backdrop that And All the Colors appears. Easily Moore's strongest work to date, one can only hope that this album reaches the widest possible audience. "Float Away", "Johnny Cash and his Electric Bible", and "Leary's Gate" are charecterized by barely controlled electonic hysteronics from which beautifully crafted melodies somehow still emerge. "Magdelena", "Closer", "Angelyne", and "Oceansize" indulge Moore's fascination with borders (geographic and otherwise) that at once seperate and unite people. Along these lines, "Retablo" is as good a song about metaphysical emptiness as any written this decade. Finally, "Time of Dying", which builds to an irresistible bagpipe crescendo (trust that it works), couples with Steve Earle's "Ellis Unit #9" to explore the usually neglected side of legally sanctioned death - from the viewpoint of the executioner rather than the victim. In all, the 13 songs that make up And All the Colors offer to the listener things that are rare in these days of corporately manufactured pop bubblegum - integrity, vision, and challenge."

Why isn't he a star?

Keith | Connecticut | 06/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ian Moore has come a long way since his self titled debut on Capricorn records. Being from Austin and playing a strat immediately gave him the tag as the next Stevie Ray, a tag that was not justified. First, there will never be another SRV and secondly, Ian has so much more to offer than strictly blues rock. "And all the Colors" is a showcase of amazing musical talent. The cd can take on a million different trips. His guitar playing, always brilliant, is still there, but clearly not the showcase. His songwriting and lyrics are suberb. I highly recommend this album, it has come out at a time when music needs a shot in the arm. One day the masses will finally catch on and he will be a superstar!"

Ian Moore finding his range

Hugh S Richardson | Bozeman, MT United States | 08/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somehow, Ian Moore's early public music efforts were Texas country-blues, and he is only now really finding his own voice. I've listened to this a lot for the last year, and it just gets better and better. Thats pretty much my standard for really good music. Its a little hard to label stylistically, since he draws from a wide variety of music, but I'd say he fills the space between Los Lobos and Jeff Buckley. More rock-art than Los Lobos, less fragile than Jeff Buckley. And he's got just a fantastic sense of rock dynamics, like Led Zep or Straitjacket Fits. There are pop songs presented with a murky buzz, like Float Away and Rollercoaster, beautiful ethereal songs - Magdelena and Coming Around, and a rock epic with an Eastern vibe in Leary's Gate. I see some similarities to U2, the Edge-like guitar-scapes, although Ian's are much denser, and check the backing vocals on Magdelena, Love! I am also reminded of Ben Harper on occassion, that South West vibe in amongst the blues rock. Another thing I like about this is that its emotionally evocative without being angst-ridden. So you can enjoy it even if you are in a good mood! Its alternative rock with a bunch of new flavors, and really great song writing, musicianship, and vocals. Spare no effort to see him live, I stumbled across him in Bozeman, and saw him in Seattle, and I feel privileged to have seen shows that great in small bar venues. Catch it before he's filling stadiums! Anyway, if you're getting bored with the standard FM radio fare, and want something a bit more rewarding, then give this a try. The only problem is it'll make most of your CD collection obsolete!"