A must have...
author: Chris from New Jersey
Especially for fans of Craig Carnelia. I found this album to have the same wonderful melancholy quality that Carnelia has. Glad I found it.
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Please sir, can I have some more stars?
author: em_press
What an breathtaking cd. Brilliant, witty lyrics (how many artists can incorporate references to E.M. Forster novels and Gertrude Stein?); rich, affecting melodies; and truly incredible piano playing. I don't think I've ever been so impressed by a cd on first listen. I'm so glad to have come across Chuck Coleman's music; he may not be well known now, but if there's any justice in the musical world, he'll be huge before long. I'll be buying a few more copies of this to pass on to friends, without a doubt. It's INCREDIBLE -- I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
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New Artist To Me, but Fantastic CD!
author: Kyle from British Columbia
I had never heard of Chuck until I decided to order his CD after hearing the song samples from this site. He does a fine job and deserves to be recommended to everyone.
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Music and Literature Mix at Last (Review Excerpt)
author: Jonathan Sanders (Ball State Daily News)
The title truly is apt for an album that is a series of character sketches, imaginations of what might have been, even conversations with great literary figures, ranging widely from Gertrude Stein and Townsend Harris to E.M. Forster. What Coleman shows us is that he has the lyrical qualities that made Ben Folds a successful solo artist, and the piano technique to rival Rufus Wainwright.
The theme of isolation comes up repeatedly on the album, that and not conforming to societal demands. But there's a sadder isolation that comes earlier on the album, as Coleman writes about his own homosexuality, and the inner conflict he has to deal with because of it. On "March in Milan", his turmoil really got to me. "I know the church is gonna hate me, which just makes me want to cry," he sings, debating having a one night stand. "I don't want to spend my whole life writing songs about 'almost flings', but I chickened out and left for home at dawn."
The rest of this album has that same effect on me. I listen to it not as individual songs but more as a whole story. "People, Places and Flings" is quite a literary effort when you get down to the bare bones of things. If you have any interest in intelligent alternative pop music, with songs steeped in strong character development, you're going to love "People, Places and Flings".
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