Track listing
- 1 Wedding Song 3:18
- feat. Justin Vernon
- 2 Epic (Part One) 2:22
- feat. Justin Vernon
- 3 Way Down Hadestown 3:33
- feat. Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco, Ben Knox Miller
- 4 Songbird (Intro) 0:24
- 5 Hey, Little Songbird 3:09
- feat. Greg Brown
- 6 Gone, I'm Gone 1:09
- feat. The Haden Triplets
- 7 When the Chips Are Down 2:14
- feat. The Haden Triplets
- 8 Wait for Me 3:06
- feat. Ben Knox Miller
- 9 Why We Build the Wall 4:18
- 10 Our Lady of the Underground 4:40
- feat. Ani DiFranco
- 11 Flowers (Eurydice's Song) 3:33
- 12 Nothing Changes 0:52
- feat. The Haden Triplets
- 13 If It's True 3:03
- feat. Justin Vernon
- 14 Papers (Hades Finds Out) 1:24
- feat. Michael Chorney
- 15 How Long? 3:35
- feat. Ani DiFranco & Greg Brown
- 16 Epic (Part Two) 2:55
- feat. Justin Vernon
- 17 Lover's Desire 2:05
- feat. Michael Chorney
- 18 His Kiss, the Riot 4:03
- feat. Greg Brown
- 19 Doubt Comes In 5:32
- feat. Justin Vernon
- 20 I Raise My Cup to Him 2:10
- feat. Ani DiFranco
- Total length: 57:25
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22 Reviews
Your first thought upon seeing a tracklisting that features seven different guests, putting in a total of twenty-two appearances between them, should be one of disappointment and fear. It's incredibly rare that an album with so many different voices, and so many different sources of creative input, comes off as more than the sum of its parts. That all just serves to make the seriously impressive Hadestown all that much more special.
Rather than a measure to garner attention and sales, the number of guests here is a fundamental part of the entire project. Starting life as an opera performed in a folk idiom, Hadestown has made it onto record basically intact, which each of the seven guests joining Mitchell in playing eight seperate dramatic roles. The story is a re-telling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and his journey into Hades; a story already converted into an opera by a legion of composers, including Jacques Offenbach, Pierre Schaeffer, Joseph Haydn, and Christopher Gluck - indeed, the earliest surviving opera, by Jacopo Peri, is also a telling of this story, as is the first truly canonical opera by Claudio Monteverdi. Aside from the downbeat, earthy folk music Mitchell uses, the unique selling point is that the story is transported away from its heroic origins into the heartland of America during the economic collapse of the 1930s.
The castlist is stunning. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver plays Orpheus, Anais Mitchell plays Euridyce (the woman he must save from the underworld), and the overseers of hell, Persephone and Hades, are played by Ani Difranco and Greg Brown respectively. The voices play well against each other; few who fell in love with For Emma, Forever Ago could argue with Vernon's casting as a man who writes songs so beautiful he thaws the heart of the devil himself, and Brown's gravelly, astonishingly weighty voice is perfect for Hades.
There's little denying that you'll need to have a certain tolerance and patience to really appreciate this album, with tracks like "Our Lady of the Underground" sounding undeniably cheesy and heavy-handed when taken out of the context of the album. Picking highlights from the album is a pretty fruitless task, perhaps moreso than with any traditional opera, which is perhaps surprising given the style of music on show here. There's no fault, though - it's robustly written and fully fleshed out, making comparisons with other folk albums difficult (I wanted to draw parellels with Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell's albums, but this is much more single-minded and isn't as stark). If you're happy to listen to a story being told in a fairly unambiguous way, though, you're probably going to love this - high on concept it might be, but it knows exactly what it wants to do and absolutely nails it.
Rather than a measure to garner attention and sales, the number of guests here is a fundamental part of the entire project. Starting life as an opera performed in a folk idiom, Hadestown has made it onto record basically intact, which each of the seven guests joining Mitchell in playing eight seperate dramatic roles. The story is a re-telling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and his journey into Hades; a story already converted into an opera by a legion of composers, including Jacques Offenbach, Pierre Schaeffer, Joseph Haydn, and Christopher Gluck - indeed, the earliest surviving opera, by Jacopo Peri, is also a telling of this story, as is the first truly canonical opera by Claudio Monteverdi. Aside from the downbeat, earthy folk music Mitchell uses, the unique selling point is that the story is transported away from its heroic origins into the heartland of America during the economic collapse of the 1930s.
The castlist is stunning. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver plays Orpheus, Anais Mitchell plays Euridyce (the woman he must save from the underworld), and the overseers of hell, Persephone and Hades, are played by Ani Difranco and Greg Brown respectively. The voices play well against each other; few who fell in love with For Emma, Forever Ago could argue with Vernon's casting as a man who writes songs so beautiful he thaws the heart of the devil himself, and Brown's gravelly, astonishingly weighty voice is perfect for Hades.
There's little denying that you'll need to have a certain tolerance and patience to really appreciate this album, with tracks like "Our Lady of the Underground" sounding undeniably cheesy and heavy-handed when taken out of the context of the album. Picking highlights from the album is a pretty fruitless task, perhaps moreso than with any traditional opera, which is perhaps surprising given the style of music on show here. There's no fault, though - it's robustly written and fully fleshed out, making comparisons with other folk albums difficult (I wanted to draw parellels with Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell's albums, but this is much more single-minded and isn't as stark). If you're happy to listen to a story being told in a fairly unambiguous way, though, you're probably going to love this - high on concept it might be, but it knows exactly what it wants to do and absolutely nails it.
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Folk-opera albums like this often fail to get recognized in the single-serving age of iTunes, as it requires the listener to take all tracks together in chronological order. The story is a variation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but successfully serves as a commentary on today’s social and political American climate. Guest appearances from Ani Difranco as Persephone and Greg Brown in a powerful portrayal of Hades are just two highlights in this aching beauty of 21st century Americana.
Published
Doll's houses, tumbleweed, sepia photos, whitewashed gables, greedy bankers foaming at the mouth, juxtapose with Anaïs Mitchell's lengthy sequined re-imagining of a traditional Greek fable which stamps its place among 2010's most ingenious intuitive opuses. Anaïs Mitchell knows what she's risking here; sensibly charting her course though an ensemble that sees Justin Vernon, Greg Brown, and Ani DiFranco contribute alternative voices to what would certainly have become an ego-trip too far otherwise. DiFranco will have to repay Mitchell handsomely, as it's the latter who revels Mae West style in 'Our Lady of the Underground', a song that will make avid devotees of 'The Hills' turn their lives around and face towards Orpheus’s Underworld begging for more. Every juxtaposition makes perfect sense in today's calamitous environment, every dichotomy justifies itself with ease, the frequent polemic between Vernon's doubt, DiFranco's sassy wit and Brown's devious seer of plenty, a sign of Mitchell's theatrical and literary eloquence soaring as high as her sobering musical score.
Published
Ambitious, yet accessible; coherent, yet varied; insightful, yet fun. A great concept album. Surely one of the best releases of the year so far - why has this not garnered more attention?
Highlights: "Wedding Song", "Why We Build The Wall", "Epic (Part II)"
Highlights: "Wedding Song", "Why We Build The Wall", "Epic (Part II)"
Published
The 250 Best Albums Of The Decade #93
Hadestown is one of the most solid and true concept albums ever made. It’s a sultry folk opera which revolves around a poverty-stricken hell-like town told with an Americana folky flavour connected with an expressive dialogue between many reoccurring characters, perhaps the most notable of which being played by Justin Vernon from Bon Iver himself. It’s an ambitious and very original (borderline Biblical!) tale as you find yourself immersed by love and loss and all of the components which make a narrative great, uncovering deeper treasures per every listen. Do yourself a favour and go read the entry on Wikipedia, it’s not just some throwaway plot whatsoever.Click the attribution link to download your free ebook!
Attribution: http://www.jaredwoodssaved..._JaredWoods.pdf
Published
There are a couple of good songs mixed in here, but the story as a whole kind of losses me. Justin Vernon is pretty much wasted here, which is also a shame. I also found that a lot of the instrumental tracks (like "Papers") were among the best here. There are some solid vocal tracks as well though: "Why We Build the Wall" and "Way Down Hadestown" are both awesome.
Favorite tracks: Way Down Hadestown, When the Chips Are Down, Why We Build the Wall, Papers (Hades Finds Out), Lover's Desire
Favorite tracks: Way Down Hadestown, When the Chips Are Down, Why We Build the Wall, Papers (Hades Finds Out), Lover's Desire
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Hadestown is a sort of fusion between folk, old timey jazz, and show tunes. As a fan of all of these to a certain extent, this was a pretty enjoyable time for me. A lot of the male vocal parts sound like they could have been done better by Tom Waits, but the whole musical thing requires the characters to be played by different people, I suppose. Overall an enjoyable retelling of the fable of Orpheus, if a bit unmemorable at points, something to be expected of a narrative album usually.
Published
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1
Wedding Song
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2
Epic (Part One)
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3
Way Down Hadestown
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4 Songbird (Intro)
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5
Hey, Little Songbird
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6
Gone, I'm Gone
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7
When the Chips Are Down
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8
Wait for Me
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9
Why We Build the Wall
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10
Our Lady of the Underground
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11
Flowers (Eurydice's Song)
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12 Nothing Changes
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13
If It's True
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14
Papers (Hades Finds Out)
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15
How Long?
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16
Epic (Part Two)
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17
Lover's Desire
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18
His Kiss, the Riot
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19
Doubt Comes In
-
20
I Raise My Cup to Him
RETELLING A GREEK TRAGEDY WITH AMERICAN FOLKLORE
Like most who've seen Hadestown on Broadway, I'm coming into Anaïs Mitchell's original LP through a biased lens of extravagant theater. It helped, or hurt, that Hadestown was the first ever play I've seen, Broadway or otherwise. Truthfully the effect is mute, as alteration to the soundtrack are minimal and the stories concept remain forever integrated into the lyrics. Hadestown is a concept album through and through, almost to a fault. It's clear Mitchell's creation here was destined for the stage, seeing as to how embellished the track-by-track unraveling is. There's virtually no thematic concept here (apart from 'Why We Build The Wall') as all the burden falls on the narrative. Which is solid mind you, but far better executed when attached to visuals.Long story short, it's tough for me to appreciate Hadestown on the merits by which it stands. One, because I saw the play first. Two, Mitchell's grand intent seems obvious. Despite clearly being a passion project, you can't help but get the feeling Mitchell doesn't want to be here; in LP form. Nonetheless, the vocalists that join her - most notably Justin Vernon on the verge of stardom (Kanye West's My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy would come out seven months later) - do an excellent job emphasizes their respective roles. For one, Vernon far eclipses Reeve Carney's role of Orpheus, while Greg Brown sounds nearly identical to Patrick Page as Hades. Really, only Amber Gray (who plays Persephone in the Broadway version) surpasses the respective role here, played by Ani DiFranco.
Song-wise, seldom is there a standout. 'Way Down Hadestown' is the first go-getter, with its New Orleans-inspired romp. But the nuance of Folk is lost there, reignited thankfully by 'Flowers (Eurydice's Song)' and 'If It's True,' two lovely little beauts of Contemporary Folk. Unfortunately, the greatest travesty of all is the omission of 'Road To Hell,' and primarily 'Road To Hell (Reprise),' which was easily my favorite song off the Broadway soundtrack. Seriously, just tack that onto this version of Hadestown before 'I Raise My Cup To Him,' you won't regret it.
BY THE NUMBERS
Track Ratings
1. Wedding Song - 5
2. Epic, Pt. 1 - 4
3. Way Down Hadestown - 7
4. Songbird Intro - N/A
5. Hey, Little Songbird - 4
6. Gone, I'm Gone - 6
7. When The Chips Are Down - 5
8. Wait For Me - 4.5
9. Why We Build The Wall - 4
10. Our Lady Of The Underground - 5
11. Flowers (Eurydice's Song) - 7
12. Nothing Changes - N/A
13. If It's True - 6.5
14. Papers (Hades Finds Out) - 3.5
15. How Long? - 2
16. Epic, Pt. 2 - 2.5
17. Lover's Desire - 5
18. His Kiss, The Riot - 3
19. Doubt Comes In - 6
20. I Raise My Cup To Him - 4
|| Track Breakdown ||
Necessity: 14/20
Structuring / Pacing: 15/20
Coherency: 8/10
Length Adjustment: +1
Breakdown
Story / Concept: 30/40
Ideas / Content: 28/40
Vocals / Flow: 17/30
Production / Beats: 14/30
Lyrics / Wordplay: 9/20
Execution: 10/20
Atmosphere / Emotion: 6/10
Arrangements / Compositions: 3/10
Comparisons
Compared To Related Genre Works: 15/30
Compared To Music At The Time: 10/20
My Personal Rating: 24/50
Averages
Track Average: 61 / 100
Breakdown Average: 117 / 200
Compared Average: 49 / 100
FINAL SCORE: 56
If you have questions about this you can check out my By The Numbers Catalog.
Track Ratings
1. Wedding Song - 5
2. Epic, Pt. 1 - 4
3. Way Down Hadestown - 7
4. Songbird Intro - N/A
5. Hey, Little Songbird - 4
6. Gone, I'm Gone - 6
7. When The Chips Are Down - 5
8. Wait For Me - 4.5
9. Why We Build The Wall - 4
10. Our Lady Of The Underground - 5
11. Flowers (Eurydice's Song) - 7
12. Nothing Changes - N/A
13. If It's True - 6.5
14. Papers (Hades Finds Out) - 3.5
15. How Long? - 2
16. Epic, Pt. 2 - 2.5
17. Lover's Desire - 5
18. His Kiss, The Riot - 3
19. Doubt Comes In - 6
20. I Raise My Cup To Him - 4
|| Track Breakdown ||
Necessity: 14/20
Structuring / Pacing: 15/20
Coherency: 8/10
Length Adjustment: +1
Breakdown
Story / Concept: 30/40
Ideas / Content: 28/40
Vocals / Flow: 17/30
Production / Beats: 14/30
Lyrics / Wordplay: 9/20
Execution: 10/20
Atmosphere / Emotion: 6/10
Arrangements / Compositions: 3/10
Comparisons
Compared To Related Genre Works: 15/30
Compared To Music At The Time: 10/20
My Personal Rating: 24/50
Averages
Track Average: 61 / 100
Breakdown Average: 117 / 200
Compared Average: 49 / 100
FINAL SCORE: 56
If you have questions about this you can check out my By The Numbers Catalog.
Attribution: https://dozensofdonuts.blogspot.com/p/home.html
Published
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Catalog
19 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021
12 Jun 2021
11 Jun 2021
10 Jun 2021
10 Jun 2021
10 Jun 2021
28 May 2021
27 May 2021
27 May 2021
24 May 2021
24 May 2021
21 May 2021
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1
Wedding Song
-
2
Epic (Part One)
-
3
Way Down Hadestown
-
4 Songbird (Intro)
-
5
Hey, Little Songbird
-
6 Gone, I'm Gone
-
7
When the Chips Are Down
-
8
Wait for Me
-
9
Why We Build the Wall
-
10
Our Lady of the Underground
-
11
Flowers (Eurydice's Song)
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12 Nothing Changes
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13
If It's True
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14 Papers (Hades Finds Out)
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15
How Long?
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16
Epic (Part Two)
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17 Lover's Desire
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18
His Kiss, the Riot
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19
Doubt Comes In
-
20
I Raise My Cup to Him
14 May 2021
11 May 2021
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