Films for Radio Over the Rhine

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CD

  • Release Date: 03/13/2001
  • Sales Rank: 65,190
  • Label: NARADA
  • UPC: 724385066320

Listener Rating: (4 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Tracks
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Customer Reviews
  • Details & Credits
Track List
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Films for Radio

1LISTENThe World Can Wait 5:46
2LISTENIf Nothing Else 4:53
3LISTENGive Me Strength 4:13
4LISTENFairpoint Diary 4:35
5LISTENI Radio Heaven 4:44
6LISTENLittle Blue River/In the Garden 8:14
7LISTENGoodbye (This Is Not Goodbye) 5:27
8LISTENWhatever You Say 3:43
9LISTENThe Body Is a Stairway of Skin 4:19
10LISTENMoth 4:37
11LISTENWhen I Go 6:25

About this Artist

Editorial Reviews

When Over the Rhine released their sparsely produced, largely acoustic independent effort Good Dog Bad Dog in 1996, they had not yet given up on their plans to record a more elaborate version of the album. In the end, the group decided that the "home recordings" approach was appropriate for that collection of songs, but when they finally issued a major label follow-up five years later, it was almost as if they were making up for lost time. The appropriately titled Films for Radio has a broad, cinematic scope that makes it the band's most ambitious and lavishly produced record to date. Fans who were introduced to the band through Good Dog may have expected Films to be an intimate arthouse drama, but it proves instead to be something of a slick and unusually intelligent summer blockbuster. The album contains Over the Rhine's first experiments with synthesizers and drum loops, melding edgy special effects into a distinctive art pop brew that continues to be cemented by artfully elliptical lyrics and some of the most engaging melodies in adult alternative music. The synth pop opener "The World Can Wait," for example, sounds like a theme song for a James Bond movie. "The Body Is a Stairway of Skin" is something like Bjork-influenced trip-hop. There is even an energetic Duran Duran-like cover of a Dido tune ("Give Me Strength"). All of that style sometimes overwhelms the substance of the group's unusually substantive songwriting. And perhaps because the album consists of a jumble of material written over a five-year respite from recording, Films for Radio lacks the cohesiveness of its predecessor. Some songs, like the rootsy "Little Blue River" and the Beatles-esque "Goodbye," are a little out of place in the glossy surroundings. Others, like the radio-friendly "Moth," have been dressed in high-tech arrangements that seem a bit strained when compared to earlier, more relaxed performances. The album may be less satisfying for diehard fans than for newcomers who are just discovering the band's exquisitely crafted lit pop sound. Evan Cater, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Films for Radioby Anonymous

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April 02, 2001: Over the Rhine never ceases to amaze me. In 'Films for Radio', they've produced another album that is absolutely full of great songs. Have you ever bought an album because you liked one song, and the rest you just felt were pretty much throw-away tracks? OTR has never made such an album, and 'Films for Radio' is certainly no exception. It's very different than their last release, Good Dog Bad Dog, but on the other hand, Good Dog Bad Dog was a lot different than the release before that, Eve (and, incidentally, they produced three independent compilations in between there that were also great). They continue to explore new genres, new styles, and new sounds. And they never fail to amaze the listener.

Films for Radioby Anonymous

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March 28, 2001: When so much of modern music is mere drivel, Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, the husband and wife team that lead OtR, produce music that is nothing short of brilliant. Thought provoking lyrics, excellent musicianship, heartfelt vocals--these are hallmarks of what OtR fans have come to expect, and ''Films for Radio'' does not disappoint. It takes a different direction from the excellent ''Good Dog Bad Dog,'' but musicians need to continually challenge themselves, as OtR does here. ''The World Can Wait,'' the opening track, sets the CD's theme and is a powerful song with terrific lyrics. The group chose the Dido cover ''Give Me Strength'' as the first single and it is easy to understand why. Karin's vocals are heartfelt and the tune is catchy. For those who like a little bit of drum loop and sampling, ''The Body is a Stairway of Skin'' is easily satisfiable. ''Little Blue River'' and the closing track ''When I Go'' (whcich features an excellent guitar solo by Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins) are, in my book, the CD''s two strongest tracks. The first defines all the strengths of OtR: catchy vocals, great keyboards, strong lyrics. The latter is a tour de force for Karin's exquisite vocals and excellent playing on acoustic guitar. She sings this one from the depths of her soul. Over the Rhine, in a perfect and just world, would sell millions of CDs with each release. But for those who have discovered this amazingly talented group, this CD allows them to take another step in their musical journey. And I, for one, am more than thrilled to accompany them on that journey.


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