Circa 2000, the album notes were:
"Jim Knable is a blue light of creative energy, flickering like a moth trapped in a dirty white lampshade-- but there's an ever-widening hole in that lampshade...
His hunger for love, life and entertainment drove him to record the songs on this CD.
Jim and his guitar Loraine have been playing around New York City for a couple years, other cities before that. As in his live concerts, some songs on the CD feature just Jim and Loraine, others incorporate his Soul Kebab of friends and fellow musicians. Stylistically the songs range from sweet-pain guitar ballads to rock and roll lust fests to Pseudo-Symbolic Americanical Love Liturgy."
After recording this album, Jim went on to form The Randy Bandits (www.randybandits.com), a now legendary cult band in New York City. In 2006, they released REDBEARD (all but one song written by Jim Knable). They recently released 2nd album GOLDEN ARROW (all songs written by Jim Knable) in 2009 to critical raves. In between a lo-fi concert album LIVE AT OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD snuck out.
Back in 2000, MILES received the following reviews:
"A playwright by training, Knable has grown more serious about song writing and performance in recent years. I've never seen one of his plays, but judging from his debut CD, he's got a valid option if the theatre does not smile upon him. For the most part accompanied only by his beloved acoustic guitar (in the tradition of B.B. King, he's named it "Loraine" and opens the record with a tender ode to the instrument), Jim projects a friendly, slightly off-kilter persona that's immediately appealing. Drawing on blues and folk music for inspiration, and delivering his lyrics with playful abandon, Knable evokes a young Bob Dylan (in spirit if not in substance). The unadorned production of Miles establishes a intimacy that Jim uses to his advantage. Keep an eye out for the guy - I will!"
-Jim Santos
Demo Universe
"Jim Knable is a weird, but very talented guy. His avant garde singer-songwriting style covers everything from an ode to his guitar ("Loraine") to a ditty about an overzealous civil servant ("Sexual Postman"). Knable's witty and wacky sense of humor and performance sense make these songs memorable as well as thoroughly enjoyable ("Young In America", "I'm Not Charles Bukowski"). In spirit, Knable seems to be the perfect male companion act to Phoebe from FRIENDS and her acoustic coffeehouse warbling, only Knable's guitar playing is decisively stellar. Intelligent and unique, Jim Knable's MILES is bound to earn some miles in your CD player if you're on the hunt for some David Byrne-esque left of center singer-songwriter fare.
-Mike SOS
3:16 Productions
"This is a little Masterpiece!! He has a very
special and remarkable voice, strong lyrics, a wonderful rootsy sound, where I can hear diverse musical styles like delta-blues, folk, even Bob Dylan. It all sounds so natural, as if he is already doing it for 20 years!"
-Ray en Elly
DJ at Belgium Radio
"Most outstanding, entertaining.......& well.... just plain interesting... Speaking of [Jim's] Miles, it's really cool how he gets such depth & story line mileage out of such short songs. Bravo."
- Eddie Russell
DJ, Columbus, TX
"A very colourful mix of melodies, which are refreshing and without any boringness. Great voice and played very virtuoso indeed."
-Andrea Stolle
Old Stringhouse Music
Herford, Germany
"A very personal 'n original release .. that's *my
sound* !!"
- Lord Litter
Trash Tone Studios, Berlin
Songs from MILES can still be heard on establishment and anti-establishment radio in the U.S., England, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Australia, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Several songs (Loraine, Sexual Postman, Ain't Got Nobody) have worked their ways into The Randy Bandits' repertoire in new arrangements.
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