- About to Choke
Infobox Album |
Name = About to Choke
Type = studio
Artist =Vic Chesnutt
Released =November 12 ,1996
Genre =Folk-rock
Length = 45:24
Label = Capitol
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3y67mpnf9f5o link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.5/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16145-about-to-choke link]
*"Rolling Stone " Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/vicchesnutt/albums/album/210217/review/5945846/about_to_choke link]Last album = "
Is the Actor Happy "
(1995)
This album = "About to Choke"
(1996)
Next album = "The Salesman and Bernadette "
(1998)
|"About to Choke" is a
1996 album byVic Chesnutt . "About to Choke" is distinguished from Chesnutt's previous albums by being very diverse in musical styles on individual tracks.ongs
The album starts with an introspective slow song called "Myrtle". It's notable that while most of the other songs on this album are fictional stories of other people and places, "Myrtle" is very much about the singer's own experience. The second song, "New Town", is a pastoral look at a slice of life of the various inhabitants of a growing small town. The third song is a swaggering grooving rocker called "Ladle" in which the singer warns an ex-lover that he is keeping an eye on her. "Tarragon" looks at having a crush on a stranger. "Swelters" is a rhyming song describing various aspects of the technical side of recording music. These tracks are followed by a minute-long experimental piece entitled "(It's No Secret) Satisfaction". The only words, repeated over and over, are "Trapped in a plane in the mouth of a tunnel", while the music is a mix of a drumbeat, synthesizer and vocal noise by Chesnutt. This song runs straight into "Little Vacation", which has walking bass line under a lyric pleading to a lover that the singer wants to have a talk about their relationship—comparing the discussion to a formal council meeting.
The second half of the album starts with "Degenerate", which has evocative, complex lyrics. "Hot Seat" is about trying to overcome addiction. "Giant Sands", like "Degenerate", is more evocative than descriptive. The penultimate song, "Threads", matches mystical lyrics and mystical musical style. The final song, "See You Around", offers a long musical good-bye letter to an apparently ex-friend. As the album closes, a brief reprise of "Myrtle" drifts in and out.
Track listing
All songs written by
Vic Chesnutt
#"Myrtle" – 3:09
#"New Town" – 4:09
#"Ladle" – 4:06
#"Tarragon" – 2:00
#"Swelters" – 3:51
#"(It's No Secret) Satisfaction" – 1:02
#"Little Vacation" – 3:43
#"Degenerate" – 4:23
#"Hot Seat" – 3:39
#"Giant Sands" – 3:40
#"Threads" – 4:23
#"See You Around" – 7:19
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.