West Of Rome

This was my first venture into Vic's musical world and it fit perfectly into mine. As a msuical lover of singer/songwriters I'm not sure how I missed it. But I am so glad I found it. (Thanks Charlie!) What a powerful recording. Not for the faint at heart. There is little lightness here, his music his an acquired taste for sure, but for me all gripping and demanding. I remain in awe, and yet same time so saddened by his early passing.

God rest his soul, this is a glorious collection of songs from a brilliant man. Heart wrenching and beautiful at every turn. One of my favorite albums of all times, and I listen to just about everything.

"When the bug hits, that's the time to scratch it"...That's the opening sentiment of this record. In terms of WEST OF ROME, that's good advice. Vic Chesnutt's world is one where front porches are "filled with greasy, greasy grannies". Where Florida is "The Redneck Riviera". Not to mention the perfect place to "retire from life".3 songs in, he's singing about the world being a spronge. & Chesnutt pretty much writes like one. Soaking up all the eccentricities of the world around him & then wringing out every last drop for your entertainment. Without a doubt, he is one of the most original & compelling songwriters to come out of the 90's Indy revolution. The same era that spawned the likes of Will Oldham & Elliott Smith.If "Bruce" sings for the working man & Tom Waits is the poet laureate of the gutter, well then, I'll go far as to say Chesnutt's the small Southern town equivalent. Fans of REM, who miss the quirky Southern charms of their early work, can find more than a few fables of the Reconstruction here. One listen & you'll not be surprised to hear Mr. Stipe produced this gem.WEST OF ROME is without a doubt, considered a heavy contender among Chestnutt admirers. And the bonus tracks alone are going to be enough to rope them in again. Especially "Flying", "Dying Young" & "Shipping Out". For those just getting their feet wet, this is probably THE best place to start. The perfect introduction.

This is my very first Vic Chesnutt album so I am not going to compare it to any of his others - I can't even compare it to any other album that I own (and I own many). Why? Well, Vic is a very unique singer/songwriter. The closest comparison I can make is to Bob Dylan mixed with REM (which makes sense when you consider Michael Stipe produced this album). Two musicians I love, but would not necessarily put together in my CD player. Somehow though, it works (and works well).Standout tracks include...#1 Bug - the song makes me laugh and the chorus gets stuck in my head, but in a good way.#6 Florida - such a pretty sounding song that says some not so nice things...I swear Michael Stipe sings a bit on this one too, but no credit is given to him for vocals.#7 Stupid Preoccupations - a catchy self-deprecating song.#10 Steve Willoughby - again with the self-deprecating, but this one pokes funs at others too.#13 Soggy Tongues - I absolutely love the music, the words are a pleasant bonus.#15 Nathan - haunting...I feel like you could make a movie based on this song. Bonus Track#16 Where's the Clock - My favorite song on the album. Poetic and lyrical. Bonus Track#18 Flying - Not much music, it's more of a sing-talk thing. Very melancholy. Bonus Track#21 Confusion - There is a beautiful symmetry to this song with the lyrics and the instrumental. Bonus Track#22 Shipping Out - Vic's voice isn't what you would call pretty, but it sounds very sweet on this one. A great album ender. Bonus Track (can you tell I liked the bonus tracks?)In general the 22 songs on West of Rome are witty and melancholy. I am hopelessly and completely addicted and have filled my wish list with the rest of Vic?s recordings. Highly recommended album.

This is the early raw Chestnutt, when accompaniment was minimal, predominantly acoustic and when he was desperate to wrestle every lyrical jewel into every little space. The title reference to the great American writer John Fante, is a key to this, Chestnutt's `second squirt`, his `sophomore slough`, his `Ask The Dust`, his masterpiece. Like prime Fante, this free-wheels with fevered flights of imagery, suffused with playful and surreal comedy and `stupid preoccupations` with waylaid terms (`puny ingratiations`, `croaker sacks`, `tectonic panache`...) that Vic stretches, rolls and spits with unmistakable relish (`pee-yew-nee in-gray-shee-aa-shuns`), but is ultimately steeped in tragedy (`Florida` concerns the suicide of a friend). These are broad comparisons, Chestnutt, straddling the high-wires of lazy `alt country` classifications, is a unique, unrivalled figure in modern American music, as typified by champions as diverse as Mary Margeret O'Hara, R.E.M. (Stipe produced this record and offers some funked-up clavinet), Garbage and even Madonna. Like Fante Chesnutt is undervalued, and demands your immediate attention, and this is the record to begin the crusade.

I heard Vic Chesnutt's "About to Choke" at a listening station in Tower when it was released, and thought, "okay, here's one guy I don't need to bother with." Years later I found this album, "West of Rome" in a used bin, and thought "What the heck?" I am glad I did. This album became a real turning point in my listening, along with the Magnetic Fields' "69 Love Songs." Absolutely of the highest quality and more moving than one would imagine a rock album could be. If you like your music to go deep and be a really sad and really funny, this might do the trick for you. I listened to this album nonstop for weeks when I bought it, and learned later on how rare it was. That's what I call a lucky break for me. Worth hunting out, this one.

Its a real shame that there are not more reviews on vic chesnutts releases here on amazon i first got into vic after hearing the excellent tribute cd SWEET RELIEF 2 which contains covers of his songs by many great artists such as REM/SPARKLEHORSE/SMASHING PUMPKINS/KRISTIN HERSH ETC. highly recommended !! actually sweet relief also got mre into Sparklehorse and Kristin Hersh in a big way also. I went on to get his 'classic' albums west of rome, drunk and is the actor happy, which are all superb, as is Ghetto Bellsi have since bought all of vics albums including the rather hard to obtain german film soundtrack. Of his other albums I think North Star is one of his most polished and enjoyable albums

As described and good service.

I just read Stanley Beaker's review and thought I'd add a more sober note - in case his enthusiasm scared people off. On a first listen English listeners will probably find Vic Chesnutt raw, a little underwhelming and something of a redneck. Give it a few more tries and you'll reverse all of those opinions. He's a song writer of scathing wit and integrity, and a musician who's always glad to gain by other's advice - too much so, perhaps, in some of his later albums; which is why many fans rate the more sparce, acoustic line up that you'll find in 'West of Rome'. The 'Alt Country' tag is understandable (heck, one of these songs is actually called 'Lucinda Williams') but he's more of a trailer trash Randy Newman. Hard to categorise, hard-edged and hard - damned hard - to put down.

Da macht man nichts verkehrt