Search - Joan of Arc :: Live in Chicago 1999

Absolutely beautiful

jeannine | little room | 08/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"live in chicago is, contrary to what many would think by looking at the title, NOT a live album at all. it is, however, some of joan of arc and tim kinsella's finest work. the lyrics are beautiful, stunning, and amazing, exactly what those who are familiar with cap'n jazz and earlier JOA would expect from tim kinsella. these are songs that haunt you, not permitting escape from being constantly in your head all day, yet they are welcomed, as they are just amazing. this is a cd that i listen to over and over, many times in the same day, captured and entranced by the sheer brilliance of each song. if you are a fan of cap'n jazz, expect similarly talented lyrics, but more mellow songs. if you are familiar with JOA's other material, be prepared for music that has grown and matured, serving its listeners what is, in a word, beautiful. and if tim kinsella continues to fail to disappoint his fans, we can only dream of how amazing the gap will be when it is released!"

The definitive Joan Of Arc album?

Edward H. Milligan | New York City | 05/16/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Live In Chicago, 1999, actually recorded in the studio, is at varying times beautiful and bewildering. It starts off with the odd "it's easier to drink on an empty stomach than eat on a broken heart" which never seems to materalize. But "who's afraid of elizabeth taylor?" is completely breathtaking. As usual with Joan of Arc, this record is often very difficult to listen to, especially on the abrasive title track. However, the album blends together well the oblique acoustic arrangements that dominated A Portable Model Of and the electronic leanings of How Memory Works. The absurd packaging and titles ("(in fact i'm) pioneering new emotions) are so artsy, I have to believe that Tim is making fun of his infamy as a pretentious art whore. I'll never understand what compels someone to write music like he does, but whatever his method, it always ends up sounding like fractured beauty. caP'n Jazz was a brilliant band, and even though I don't like Joan Of Arc as much, both bands manage to strike a chord in me. This is a fascinating album, and I can assure you that Tim Kinsella is one of the most intriguing characters in music today. I would recommend this to fans of Gastr Del Sol and other experimental music, but also to fans of Palace and the "post-rock" movement (Tortoise and the like.)"

Tim Kinsella is a genius.

Edward H. Milligan | 06/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's really nothing more to say other than what's in the bold print. Aside from placating their philosophy as a band vicariously through the works of Jean-Luc Goddard, the band manages to write some of the most intricate and challenging song's i have ever heard. In the end it makes me feel weird as a musician, and a poet as well."