MiNsTeR HiLL
MiNsTeR HiLL
© 1999 SomeWhere But Hear (659057031026)
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An explosion of outstanding pop rock music influenced by Jellyfish, Beatles, XTC and Pink Floyd that is already being called a classic.
tracks
- 1 I've Been In A World
- 2 We All Just Need Time
- 3 Someone To Be You
- 4 That's Fine to Me
- 5 Silence Begets Song
- 6 Let's All Sing Our Song
- 7 Everyday Long
- 8 A Place Called Freedom
- 9 Ripe
- 10 Unconscious Kitchen
- 11 My Dear
- 12 Never Mind
- 13 Limelight Vivian
- 14 Monumental Escape
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MiNsTeR HiLL
Formed from the ashes of the much lauded pop-rock band tHE mEsOmEoNeS, MiNsTeR HiLL has gained much critical praise from its contributions on the Tribute CD's to the Left Banke (Shadows Breaking Over Our Heads) and Klaatu (Around the World in 80 Minutes). With the release of their debut cd, MiNsTeR HiLL, formed in 1998, by Howard Herrick, the band's lyrical and music writer, plans an all-out assault on the pop-rock scene. Exquisitly produced by the sensational Christian Cassan, MiNsTeR HiLL has never conformed with a true and tested sound but has used it's own unique and original concepts to form a sound all their own. Taking elements of the Beatles, XTC, Floyd, Beach Boys, YES, Move, CSN&Y, Radiohead and other highly adventurous and melodic sounds, MiNsTeR HiLL will provide the listener with many fine musical moments.
"This is an album that is as enchanting as anything else you'll hear this year...fabulous." - Stephen SPAZ Schnee, All-Music Guide
"Truly original....Groundbreaking!" - Jeremy Morris, Jam Records
"Intricately arranged, enigmatically composed progressive pop, like Brian Wilson producing Genesis." Michael Toland, Pop Culture Press.
. Don't miss one of the best Pop/Rock albums of the year!"- MuzikMan
Get to know Minster Hill - you'll be all the richer for it. An exceptional piece of work." Claudio Sossi , Shake It Up
"Anyone who so effectively combines the eminent qualities of XTC, Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, Guided by Voices, Yes and CSNY is okay in my book! More than merely okay..a first-rate aural experience." Kevin Matthews, Power of Pop
reviews
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seek this one out
author: Michael Toland“ ..a dense, intricate work….with rocking tracks like “Never Mind”, “I’ve Been In A World Today” and “Someone To Be You” alternate with dreamier, hazier pieces like “A Place Called Freedom”, “Unconscious Kitchen” and “Limelight Vivian”. If you dig ambitious, everything-including-the-kitchen-sink psych-popsters like Olivia Tremor Control, you should seek this one out”.
- author: Greger Rönnqvist
“The melodies are very strong and they are mixing both acoustic and electric instruments in a delightful way... Their music is a blend of influences such as 10CC, Beach Boys, The Beatles, Jellyfish, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Yes. This debut album contains almost perfect pop … Recommended!”Greger Rönnqvist- Through Different Eyes, Midwestern Skies, Sonitus, Zeitgeist, Stormbringer & Prog-Net Magazines
Well done, indeed.
author: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah“This is a well-paced album ; 14 songs that don’t repeat themselves while changing in texture and sound. The difference between this band and countless US acts trying to be too clever for their own good, lies in the application. They know how to use a studio, which, in most cases, is the Achilles heal of all well made pop records. Fans of Martin Newell and Cleaners From Venus should apply. It avoids sounding like an XTC rip-off while remaining deeply entrenched in the same tradition. Well done, indeed.”
a first-rate aural experience
author: Kevin Matthews“Anyone who so effectively combines the eminent qualities of XTC, Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, Guided by Voices, Yes and CSNY is okay in my book! More than merely okay, I should say, when one considers that the man in question – Howard Herrick – is basically responsible for directing and orchestrating almost every single sound heard. The pastoral and tranquil atmosphere of “We All Need the Time”, “Everyday Long” and “Someone To Be You”; the neo-prog inflections of “That’s Fine To Me”, “Ripe” and “Silence Begets Song”; the jaunty sing-a-long attraction of “Let’s All Sing Our Song” all contribute to a first-rate aural experience.
This is the kind of stuff that leaves me battered by superlatives
author: GajoobHoward Herrick is a new artist for us at GAJOOB and very quickly a big favorite. Complex song structures and instrumentation, melodies intertwining around songs that involve you from the outset. Minster Hill instantly brings bands like XTC, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Beatles, et al, and Herrick is every bit the equal while standing out among the new POP brigade of artists following their lead. This is the kind of stuff that leaves me battered by superlatives and if you're looking for something fresh I'd say you found it.
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
"After a couple of stellar compilation contributions, the one-man-band Minster Hill unleashes their (uh, his) full-length debut. Exceeding this reviewer's expectations (which were pretty high, really), I find this CD to be nothing but entertaining, heart-warming, evocative, and one of the finest of it's kind this year. What "kind" is that? Minster Hill favours full and lush arrangements, often venturing into the exotic - the most apparent cross-reference here would be the likes of XTC (with a little bit of Jellyfish thrown in). Songs like the beautifully paced opener I've Been In A World Today (This Time), the Celtic-tinged Unconscious Kitchen, and the ultra-smooth Limelight Vivian paint vivid portraits indeed. Minster Hill clearly is not interested in playing by any rules. Anything goes - and it all works wonderfully. The Eastern feel of That's Fine By Me makes for a lovely and exotic number while the disjointed rhythm on the chorus of My Dear makes the ballad all the more interesting and enjoyable. These tasteful touches abound on Minster Hill - again, all to great effect. Minster Hill lets the songs and arrangements do the bulk of the talking and lets them take on a life of their own - rather than turn this into a "look what I can do" exercise. Get to know Minster Hill - you'll be all the richer for it. An exceptional piece of work." (**** out of 5) , Claudio Sossi , Shake It Up September 1999
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
" very interesting collection of songs which have all the earmarks of classics, each & every track. The odd man out in this company is the very cool closer "Monumental Escape", which takes the band away from the slightly quirky & eccentric numbers to deliver a more traditional rock sound, complete with the excellent production that fits out the rest of the album. For the aforementioned comparisons with the famed XTC, the outstanding track is "Let's Sing Our Song", which has a brilliantly offbeat melody propelled along by a great vocal performance, as my other favorite tracks "Unconscious Kitchen", "Someone To Be You" & the opening track "I've Been In A World". There's definitely been a lacking in bands willing to put good songwriting & performance ahead of being popular, but perhaps Minster Hill has taken that to heart, working on the assumption that good music will win out in the end - it has here. Terry Allen, hEARd Magazine
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
-"Truly original....Groundbreaking!" Jeremy Morris, Jam Records
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
-"standing out from all other bands...like a cool of Brit Pop a la Move 1968 and US 70s Power Pop but done in 90s fashion. Has anyone coined the term Psychedelic Pop yet? Just Bleeding wonderful. ..takes 2nd half of the 60s Popske by the ring it's got through its pink-purple-and-green nose and leads it round the arena with everybody from the Beatles to Tinkerbell's Fairy Dust lifting their hats and bowing". a UK Magazine
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
"Pink Floyd on their way to Barclay James Harvest with a popsense"-Par Winberg, Midwestern Skies (www.angelfire.com/ms/MidwesternSkies/)
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
Hard to pin down, hard to ignore, hard to not praise...CD's like this don't arrive on the shores of Colorado too often...pastoral, sleepy pop that vamps spirits of mid/late 70's AOR giants like Supertramp, Yes touring with XTC as an opening band. Fine blending of quirky, swervy melodies and solid balance of acoustic and electric guitars. Soft pop fans of June & Exit Wounds, Jiffipop/Cloud Eleven and Cherry Twister should find this lovely confection of lilting vocal layering and easy-to-digest(re: not distracting) quirk their cup of tea. Progressive pure soft pop for now people. Very Highly Recommended!!-Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Recording Company (www.notlame.com)review and catalog entry
- author: MiNsTeR HiLL
"If you were left cold by XTC's latest, then this is probably what you were expecting! Great songs, quirky changes and a fine blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation. Man, if Colin Moulding released a solo album today (produced by Andy Partridge) then this is exactly what it would sound like. Although I don't think it would touch the majesty that this album possesses. Don't let the XTC comparison get in the way, though. They don't SOUND like them. They just have the same quirky musicial stylings. Songwriter Howard Herrick has created a near-perfect album filled with everything that us pop fans want, need, desire and love. This is an album that is as enchanting as anything else you'll hear this yearfabulous". Stephen SPAZ Schnee, All-Music Guide