Login for FavoritesTom Morello: The Nightwatchmen - The Fabled City
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Album Details
- Artist: Tom Morello: The Nightwatchmen
- Album: The Fabled City
- Label: Red / Epic
- Year of Release: 2008
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: dscanland on 2008-10-16
RecommendNow color me surprised. I admit that I had no idea what to expect from Tom Morello's Nightwatchmen project, none at all. I hadn't read a single review or heard anything on radio or on the internet. So you can imagine my jaw dropping as the opening title track, "The Fabled City", swirled around my ears and Tom's unsuspecting baritone voice caught me off guard. Obviously hugely influenced by Bruce Springsteen, Tom takes the folk stance quite seriously. Unfortunately I'm not sure if this is where guitar genius such as Morello should be.
I found Morello's voice to sound a lot like Eric Buchanan of Crooked Fingers. Listen to the compelling "Night Falls" and I think you'll agree. Another interesting track is "Lazarus On Down" which has Tom being backed up by Serj Tankian, providing a very spooky background. I really enjoyed the celtic feel of "The Iron Wheel" and "The Lights are on in Spidertown". You can hear Tom's activism throughout the album. This helps to drive the impact of the album. "Rise To Power" is has the biggest impact out of all the songs with just Tom and a guitar. You aren't distracted by anything else going on.
After a few listens I started to see the light. The Nightwatchmen is a project that won't appeal to all but if you do like the folkier side of music like Bruce Springsteen or even Tom Waits for that matter then you might find a gem here. If you are walking in looking for Rage Against The Machine or Audioslave, think again. The Nightwatchmen is a much more personal affair. This is Tom. He is removed from arenas and is heading for the coffee shops in the Fabled City.
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on 2009-01-29 SolitaryMan Said:
I'm glad I never forgot to check this one out; extremely impacting for me personally, The Fabled City shows me Morello in a light I could never see him in under the RATM monicker. De La Rocha distracted too much from his innovative playing for my liking. But what really makes this album memorable isn't his guitarwork (which is mostly elegant and fitting without being too flashy or over-the-top), but his singer/songwriter chops, something I'd never have imagined about the man. Every song stands out for me, the one in particular that I keep going back to is "Lazarus On Down" as Serj Tankian's participation adds a level of emotive impact the other songs can't match up to. All in all, I can say after only two listens that if I had heard this earlier (last year), it would have made my top 10. No doubt.
Rating: 9/10
on 2008-10-19 SolitaryMan Said:
Gotta get this one. Oh, sorry, I know it's tedious but I believe it's "Nightwatchman", not "Nightwatchmen". :p
Rating: 9/10
