Anders Parker - 14th & Division Review
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This live recording of Anders Parker on Bladen County Records makes no qualms about its quality; on the cover its lo-fi bootleg quality is clearly stated. For this reason, I'm not going to extensively discuss the recording quality; it is very much along the lines of J. Mascis' Martin & Me, which is plenty good enough. You hear some keys, glasses and voices throughout, but the audience seems quaint and attentive, so the other noises do not become distracting. My only complaint, quality wise, is the vocals seem to become less prominent as the night wears on, which is likely the reason my interest in the bootleg wanes Into the Sun after that very track (#7).
The greatest advantage to having an album like 14th & Division is Anders Parker, like many great solo acts, is constantly changing the sound and approach to each song. Whereas, watching him live a few months ago, I witnessed a soulful, acoustic version of "Song", two years ago, when this was recorded, it was electric and driving, which was more like the original album version. Parker follows that with "Gulf of Mexico", featuring four minutes of digital guitar feedback, which somehow, in its electricity, seems as natural as our protected wetlands. This is the magic of Anders Parker; he seems so in tune with music in its purest form. The feedback is followed by electric piano, which was a pleasant surprise considering Parker so seldom includes this in his sound. "Gulf of Mexico" is nine minutes of wonder.
It's doubtful that fans of Anders Parker will ever get a greatest hits album, considering he occupies a niche few of us are fortunate to recognize, so 14th & Division is much more valuable than a bootleg of a more well-known act. These are moments that can cherished, plus evidence that music can be about loving someone and having a recording device, and not about fabricating sounds and fashion to fit a focus group.
Tracks added to iPod: Tell It To The Dust, So It Goes, Blackbird Fields, Song, Gulf of Mexico, Into the Sun, Doornail
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Anders Parker - 14th & Division
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