[.ca] March

What a cheap way out!:
As most of the reviews will tell you, this is almost a "two-fer" but not quite. "March" is presented in all of it's original glory. For some reason RCA decided to slap most of it's follow-up "Free-For-All" onto the CD with it. Two tracks were left off because of time restrictions. "March" has been out of print for some time, as has "Free-For-All." Just having either on CD is a treat, but this is a real cheat. Way to screw it up, guys. The music is good, but it's not all there. I'd have bought both if offered the chance. Now I won't buy "Free-For-All" if it comes out. None of this, of course is Michael Penn's fault, so I'll happily buy anything new he puts out...

Unique, well crafted, and thoroughly enjoyable:
The original "March" was one of my favorite records. This CD contains all of the music on that release, plus several selections from the follow-up, which I hadn't heard before this. As the liner notes say, Michael Penn found his own sound. He uses a lot of acoustic guitar, and all the guitar work (electric too) has a strong rhythmic intensity. (For a good example, click on the clip of "This and That".) Harmonically, there's no new ground here, but the rock-standard chord progressions take on a new life with Penn's craftsmanship, and the earnestness you hear especially in Penn's voice. The real interest in this album lies in the extremely cryptic lyrics and irresistable, angular melodies. Lyrically, you know Penn is saying ~something~, and you have the feeling it's profound, but when the melody sucks you in and you start singing along, you find yourself saying, "What am I saying?". A great example from "Half Harvest": "So move out of your bed of roses now; I'm putting in a bed of nails; 'cause missiles, guns and rubber hoses can land me in jail". It sounds so cool on the CD, but what the heck does it mean? That's part of the beauty; YOU figure it out. Summary: even if you never listen beyond the end of "Brave New World" (which you should, because "Bedlam Boys" is a great track), you'll get your money's worth out of this one.

Maybe we should call it "March-for-All...":
Cramming his first two albums into a single-disc set hardly does a service to Michael Penn or his fans, but the superb quality of Penn's songwriting and rich, distinctive voice more than make up for the less-than-ideal circumstances. "No Myth" (otherwise known as the "Romeo in black jeans" song) is still a brilliant tune, but "March" is filled with a number of other gems; "Brave New World," "This & That" and "Big House" are a few standouts. The remastering gives the songs a warmer texture and brings out some of the nuances that make Penn's live performances so great. On this reissue, RCA takes the title "Free-for-All" literally, pillaging almost all of Penn's even better second album for "bonus tracks." (That the main track omitted from this collection was the last one on the album suggests that the folks putting this together didn't even bother to give the thing a listen.) It's still great, but it doesn't do either album justice. Buy this if you need a quick intro to Penn or need to replace a well-worn copy of "March," but do yourself a favor and make sure to check out some of his other work, particularly his third album "Resigned" or his scores for "Boogie Nights" and "The Anniversary Party."

Five stars for "March," three for the package.:
If you haven't heard it, "March" is very possibly one of the best American pop records ever made. I have listened to it at least once a week since it came out twelve years ago. It's catchy as hell, smart without being fey, and the production and arrangements are really unique. So what happened? It was released at the wrong time. In 1989, popular music was an unsightly mess. When "Free for All" came out in 1992, it was too little too late. Grunge had arrived, and nobody wanted to hear literate and pensive songwriter. Still, "March" was on the charts for a time, mostly on the heels of a great video for "No Myth" (a song Paul McCartney would kill to write, I'm sure) and through word-of-mouth. There's not a bad song in the bunch. "No Myth" is upbeat and catchy and somehow larger than life, yet it's got a sarcastic streak a mile wide. Ballads like "Invisible" and "Battle Room" go beyond sad into tragic, and "Evenfall" closes out the album with real style. This was one of the great records of the '90's. On the strength of "March" alone, you should own this, especially since it and "Free for All," the follow-up have both been out of print forever. "Free for All" isn't quite the album that "March" was, but it's still quite good. The only real dud is "By the Book," and although nothing on here is quite as instantly memorable as the first record, it's quite good. Whereas "March" plumbed some pretty unpleasant depths with a brave and deceptively happy face, "Free for All" just stays down there. It's dark, and at times morbid and depressing, but it's so well done that it never gets boring. My only gripe is with the packaging. For space considerations, "Now We're Even" (the closing track from Free for All) has been axed. Both albums should have been reissued separately at midprice with their original cover art instead of this. The remaster is okay if barely noticable, but in spots the sound is a little claustrophobic. Still, both records are classics, and it's nice to see them back in print.

• No Myth
• Half Harvest
• This and That
• Brave New World
• Innocent One
• Disney's a Snow Cone/Bedlam Boys
• Invisible
• Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun
• Big House
• Battle Room
• Evenfall
• Long Way Down (Look What The Cat Drug In)
• Free Time
• Coal
• Seen The Doctor
• By The Book
• Drained
• Slipping My Mind
• Strange Season
• Bunker Hill