MP Gallery "B"

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	Gallery B
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Thanks for all of your comments and for your support!

The most recent entries are posted at the top.

Name: Jennifer Kathryn
Date & Time: Wed Jun 25 19:48:12 EDT 1997
From: Mt. Carmel PA
Favorite songs from March ---Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun, Invisible,
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Bunker Hill, Coal
Favorite song from Resigned ---Small Black Box, All That That Implies, Like Egypt Was
Favorite lines (from "Long Way Down" and "Small Black Box"): "If I wear apathy's crown, don't call me highness, it's a long way down" "All you want's another toy, we all need something to destroy"
Comments: I'm a youngin' so I don't much remember when "March" was out, and now it's come to my attention that it's very hard to find! (I prevailed in my search, nontheless!)
But way back in 1992, a good friend of mine who had an "alternative" radio show turned me on to this insightful, and wonderfully thought provoking artist I'm from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania, and everytime I hear the song "Coal" I think to myself "Did this guy spend a week in Mt.Carmel or something?"
Anyway, the new album is GREAT, in fact, I bought two copies, a CD for my home, Also for the CD-ROM extra. and a cassette for my car!
Name: Frank "Kiki" (KeeKee) Farmer
Date & Time: Wed Jun 25 03:07:15 EDT 1997
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Favorite songs from March ---Innocent One, Invisible, Half Harvest
Favorite songs from Resigned ---Out of My Hands, Small Black Box
Favorite line (from "Invisible"): What ever happened to common courtesy, now one in a million seems one more than me.
Comments: Basically Penn has had a huge impact on my singing and writing style. I started playing the same type of set-up (vocally driven music accompanied primarily by an acoustic) as Penn right when March came out. His music pushed me to evolve as a singer that could lead his music as well as keep a listener's attention through fairly simple songs. His simplicity (not in anyway to sound arrogant) showed me the depth and beauty that could come from truly sincere lyrics. I am also incredibly jealous of his access to string instruments. That is very much a goal of mine to obtain. Thanks for the soap box.
Name: Brandy
Date & Time: Fri Jun 20 15:39:29 EDT 1997
From: Minneapolis
Favorite songs from March ---Innocent One, Battleroom
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Slipping My Mind, Now We're Even
Favorite line (from "Slipping My Mind"): now copper and nickel are heads in my hand, I bet you my sparest change that this time tomorrow I'll be miles away.
Comments: I love the way Michael plays with words. It is delightfully amazing. His new record is great also. I cannot stop listening to it! "All that that Implies" is wonderful. The man is a poet.
Name: Sean
Date & Time: Mon Jun 16 22:25:50 EDT 1997
From: Atlanta
Favorite songs from March ---Innocent One, Bedlam Boys, Invisible, Evenfall, Likes ALL of March, too
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Bunker Hill, Slipping My Mind, Drained, Coal
Favorite line: Watch me in the corner, with a pair... Under certain pressure, Ace, a Diamond -Coal
Comments: The above lyrics from 'Coal' give me chills every time I hear them. The juxtaposed images of a poker hand (a pair, an Ace, diamonds)and a lump of coal becoming a diamond(under certain pressure, a diamond)are so beautifully, subtly interwoven they make me cry. To me, the image meansthat the speaker is a normal, average human being most of the time, but sometimes... under certain pressure... he is something more. (A diamond, or a winning hand). The man is a poet first, rock star second or third. T.S.Elliot, call your agent- someone is daring to disturb the universe and eating a peach. Check out the lyrics on "All That That Implies"- it maybe the kindest cut/ Word comes in edgewise". God! How does he do it? I'm also fairly sure that MP and I dated the same womanin college, if Bedlam Boys, Evenfall, and Seen the Doctor are any indication.
Name: Andy Aguialr
Date & Time: Fri Jun 13 17:08:41 EDT 1997
From: San Antonio, Texas
Favorite songs from March ---No Myth, Battleroom, Bedlam Boys
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Bunker Hill, Now We're Even, Strange Season, Coal
Favorite line: i'm supposed to choose just one? come on
Comments: I bought my first Beatle allbum in 1964; loved music ever since (yeah, i've been around). Must have 3,000 albums and now of course hundreds of CDs. Anyway, the Beatle standard is a hard one to match, but in my mind, the aforementioned M. Penn tunes are just as good as any Beatle song ever done. Loved his stuff since i saw "No Myth" on MTV way back when. The guy's voice is so incredibly fine! Hearing him sing "windows, cover the windows don't you know the neighbors talk" is truly sublime. Voices like his and J. Lennon's and Neil Finn's (of Crowded House) are simply rare. Of course, his music is excellent and he obviously has the gift of melody.
I just bought "Resigned" and of course, it's great. I was pleasantly surprised when i saw that it was produced by Brendon O'Brien. (i really like Mathew Sweet too). I can't say i like it as much as "Free for All" yet but i've only listened to it a few times. I remember when "Free" came out, i initially thought "March" was better, but i changed my opinion very quickly.
My taste in music has never been affected by the number of albums (they'll always be albums to me) an artist sells. For the life of me, i can't understand why someone like Michael Penn whose music is so much better than 90% of the schlock that's out there doesn't get more airplay. In fact, i have never heard him played on any radio station in San Antonio. Can you believe that?
Well, i've said my piece. It's good to know that there are others out there who truly appreciate his talents. Thanks, for your page. It's really cool. I know it takes a lot of time to do this.
Name: [none given]
Date & Time: Tue Jun 10 18:04:12 EDT 1997
From: California
Favorite songs from March ---Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun, No Myth, Invisible
Favorite line (from "Invisible"): ...now one in a milliion seems like one more than me.
Comments: Unusual melodies that follow me around for hours afterwards. Lyrics that seem like they were writtine just for me (although it seems that many of us feel that way) First heard of Michael Penn thanks to FreshAire on NPR and have been hooked ever since. Have listened to Resigned over and over and over and over....... Location: California
Name: Michael Pelusi
Date & Time: Mon Jun 9 15:33:56 EDT 1997
From: Hatboro, PA
Favorite songs from March ---Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun, No Myth
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Drained, Coal
Favorite lines: "oh, don't look in those eyes. Bluer than blue, her rules on the rise and if I wear apathy' crown don't call me highness, it's a long way down." [--"Long Way Down"] "So, run your fingers down my back, you'd make such a cool distraction." [--"Coal"]
Comments: Confession: when I was in 6th grade when "No Myth" came out, I loved the song but didn't buy the album. I didn't not truly understand Penn's genius until I saw the Long Way Down" video. Apart from the amazing Bros. Quay visuals, the song was what really caught me. The narrator's sense of loss is compounded by his own paranoia and selfishness. A song as dark and true and complex as life itself. Shortly after, I bought "Free for All." Last year i finally found a cassette of March for 3 bucks at Bradlees. I love Penn's gorgeous folk-pop melodies, and complex, compelling lyrics, and his scratchy, soulful voice. There is a real sting to his music. Penn, to me, is the slightly bitter, slightly romantic guy trying to put his finger on why life is so unsatisfying at times. It is that need that puts the fire in his music. When he sings that high note at the beginning of No Myth ("Sooo...") it is both an embittered cry and a plea for clarity in a frustrating situation. Quite simply, he's one of the best songwriters of our time.
Name: Brad Rhine
Date & Time: Sun Jun 8 22:06:48 EDT 1997
From: Mountville, PA
Favorite songs from March ---Brave New World, Bedlam Boys
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Slipping My Mind, Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in)
Favorite line (from "Slipping My Mind"): Now copper and nickel are heads in my hand; I'll bet you your sparest change
Comments: I bought RESIGNED yesterday. Another fantastic album. A few songs are really Beatle-esque (sorry if that bothers anyone, it's just my take on things). I saw the video for "No Myth"in 10th grade and thought I should buy the album. I forgot. Then, my sophomore year in college, I saw the video for "Long Way Down." I rushed out and bought MARCH and FREE-FOR-ALL together. All three albums are always within reach of my desk, just in case I need a Michael Penn fix.
PS: Check out my band at www.mindspring.com/~bradrhine/joe.html
Name: May
Date & Time: Thu Jun 5 16:37:12 EDT 1997
From: Midwest originally - Bay Area now.
Favorite songs from March ---No Myth, Evenfall, Invisible, Bedlam Boys, Innocent One
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Bunker Hill, Free Time, Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Strange Season, Coal
Favorite lines: "So I just whispered to her under breath, 'This love has suffered such a quiet death.'"---Bedlam Boys "Bells clang, I guess it's a holiday. Did that rhyme? Shit! I'm a poet now."---Free Time
Comments: I first heard Michael Penn's music on college radio, then after I saw his "No Myth" video and realized that he looked just like my next-door-neighbor (who I had a crush on), I was hooked. ;-)
I love the way that his songs can draw you in and play with your emotions all within a 3-5 minute time span. The intimacy and honesty of his lyrics is what really gets to me. Mixed with his voice and the music, it's the perfect combination.
In "Free Time", I love the guitar riff after he sings:
"Burning these = a bad example
finding Out = a Roman candle"
<burmp burmp, da da (la la, la la)>
<burmp burmp, da da (la la, la la)>
That guitar riff just rocks! (Sorry for my bad transcription of it.. It's the best I could do.) I've never had the opportunity to see him perform live.. but I hope to change that when he tours for this new album. I've got to hear this guitar riff played live!
Name: Mark Bittmann
Date & Time: Wed Jun 4 02:07:30 EDT 1997
From: California
Favorite song from March ---Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun
Favorite song from Free For All ---Bunker Hill
Favorite lines: Try, but you can't hide. Impossible. You're lit from the inside. And all I've got to do is keep my eyes above the ground to see you move around. -Bunker Hill -and- Well it's history my baby, like ruins in textbooks, that's making you stare with come-hither type looks. And that's why your touch seems so baited with all those old hooks. -Bedlam Boys (from memory)
Comments: Insightful, observant, poetic lyrics. Killer imagery. The first time I heard Bunker Hill I (selfishly, naively, romantically) thought it was written only because someday I would hear it and connect with it on a personal level. Apparently I am not alone.
Michael Penn -one talented guy from an apparently very talented family. A few years ago his brother Sean pronounced Jewel "the next Bob Dylan". He should have looked closer to home.
Name: Chris Howden
Date & Time: Mon Jun 2 03:29:29 EDT 1997
From: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Favorite song from March ---Half Harvest
Favorite song from Free For All ---Slipping My Mind
Favorite line (from "Slipping My Mind"): Should I remind you that this is the end of Camels and masking tape, and this demonstration of tripping with grace, and if I need you I'm intentionally wasting your time...
Comments: Just about the most articulate, weirdly insightful lyricist I'm aware of. I don't know if I got the above line right, but it just came right out of my head. I can't fully describe how much I'm looking forward to "Resigned". A brilliant artist in a world where the word "brilliant" is phenomenally overused.
Name: Amanda Schell
Date & Time: Sun Jun 1 01:33:10 EDT 1997
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Favorite songs from March ---No Myth, Half Harvest, Innocent One, Invisible, Battleroom, and the rest of March, too
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Coal, Bunker Hill
Favorite lines: I'd much rather feel the heat of August than be sheltered and numb (Half Harvest); I think - yeah, I guess we can say I (No Myth); now one in a million seems one more than me (Invisible)
Comments: There is something hypnotic about Michael Penn. You can put his albums on, sit in an empty room staring at the wall and feel like someone is there with you. I started listening to him in Junior high when "No Myth" cme out. It remains my favorite album of all time. Lyrically, the man has no equal. I still wonder how he is able to say something so perfectly without sounding trite. Why he is not more recognized i do not know or understand. I cannot wait to hear more.
Name: Rob Mayberry
Date & Time: Mon May 26 14:19:35 EDT 1997
From: Georgia Tech
Favorite songs from March ---Brave New World, Bedlam Boys, Invisible, Evenfall, No Myth
Favorite songs from Free For All ---Bunker Hill, Slipping My Mind, Long Way Down (Look what the cat drug in), Seen the Doctor, Strange Season, Coal
Favorite line (from "Bunker Hill"): Try, but you can't hide. Impossible. You're lit from the inside.
Comments: "Strange Season" is probably his best song, though "Seen the Doctor" is is what got me into him in the first place. His slower songs don't appeal to me as much as songs like the above and "Evenfall", but his albums are uniformly excellent.
Stop with the Beatles comparisons! Michael Penn's lyrical skills are not matched by anyone I have heard. And his music at least strikes me more complex and interesting than the Fab Four.

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