PARADISE HOTEL

I first saw Eliza Gilkyson at a SXSW showcase in Austin in the late 90s. She blew me away then -- it was right before "Hard Times in Babyon" came out -- and every CD she's released since then has exceeded the one before. "Paradise Hotel" continues her winning streak, and works on so many levels: highly listenable right away and very satisfying on a melodic/groove level, but the song lyrics yield deeper riches every time I tune in and pay closer attention. Searching for words to describe how much I love this CD, I googled for reviews and found this one from the Austin Chronicle. I couldn't agree more...."Neither life nor love has spared Eliza Gilkyson its sharp edges, even if the muses have blessed her bountifully. She bore her wounds with style and grace on 2000's Hard Times in Babylon...and the acclaimed Lost and Found (2002). Last year's Grammy-nominated Land of Milk and Honey was filled with blood tears for losses redeemed and the dead remembered. It's with great relief and comfort, then, to hear Paradise Hotel and feel the new, soft skin as old scars heal. This new offering in her contemporarily flawless oeuvre is tender and cathartic to the point of jubilation, brimming with radio-polished tunes ("Is It Like Today," "Bellarosa") and exquisite traditional folk ("Jedidiah 1777"). Paradise Hotel is rife with nuances that distinguish its author's pen; on "Borderline," she hums "Whiter Shade of Pale" to her own melody. Gilkyson hasn't backed down from her hard-line political stance either. The album's showstopper is the third track, "Man of God," booming with authority and righteous rejection of the party line. With longtime producer/compadre Mark Hallman providing his intuitive and expert touch, the question then is not which of her albums is the best; it's how do you choose between silk and velvet?" 08/12/2005, Austin Chronicle, Margaret Moser

Track 7: "It is Like Today" would not play the sample nor would it download. I called Amazon and they gave me a credit and said their tech people would correct the problem in a few days. By the next morning it was working so I purchased track 7 again and am I ever glad I did... it could easily be the best track on this album. I sure hope Amazon never loses their customer centric point of view.So what of the album review? This is another great Eliza album. I simply love the sound of her voice and the arrangements she puts together with the able musicians that back her up. This is pretty much a subjective point of view but how can anyone do better? I know I will be listening to this album many times in the future and that my assessment of which tracks are best will change. Requiem is one of her best songs ever. It also appears on her excellent live collection "Your Town Tonight". In that cut she plays guitar. I like both versions equally well.

After a bit of a dip with her last CD ("Land of milk and honey") in terms of accessibility and range of songs covered, this CD sees Eliza definitely back at the top of her game. The music is more fuller and varied than prior CDs (witness the opening "Borderline" which almost comes on as AM in tone and the Hispanic flavoured and Spanish sung "Bellarosa"). On political themes, she finally nails the Bush/Iraq issue (a matter she has long been vocal on) in spot on fashion with "Man of God" capturing the neo-con and christianity themes beautifully, and this contrasts with the subsequent "Jedidiah 1777" drawn from contemporary diaries of a US citizen soldier fighting in the War of Indepednece.However as always Eliza really hits her stride with her well observed songs on love and life, my personal favourites "Think about You" and "Calm before the storm" matching anything on my prior favourite CD "Hard times in Babylon".I cannot wait to see her on this form during the forthcoming UK tour later this month (May 2006).

"Paradise Hotel" is a good disc. Mark Hallman, who has produced some excellent music such as  One Thing Right  by Matt the Electrician, guides this project. My favorites come about two-thirds through the set. "Is It Like Today" has a haunting melody and lyric with Rich Brotherton's mandolin providing instrumental depth, "He says how could it come to this; I'm really worried about my creation." Eliza's "Think About You" has Mark on harmony vocals with a wistful soft melody, "I'm a sucker for the fountain of youth til I bang my head on a mountain of truth." The set concludes with a strong track, "When You Walk On," a positive embrace of the ups & downs of life, "You may grasp at the illusion, the confusion of your mind, but soon you will remember to surrender one more time." Other tracks like the political "Man of God," "Jedidiah 1777" and the Spanish track "Bellarosa" are all beautiful. This is a strong disc. Enjoy!

This was a little surprise gift for my wife, and she really likes it.

Bought 5 of her albums recently, after seeing her live (with Jim Henry and Tracy Grammer) at a local venue. Good stuff.

I bought this for the Requiem song that was written for tsunami victims and became an anthem for Katrina victims the next year. My choir sang it and we almost couldn't get through it. I was so happy to find such a variety of music here, and recommend it.

One of my favorite of her albums, the tracks flow naturally one into another without being repetitive or boring.

I only found out about this superb singer/songwriter whilst looking for Mary Gauthier albums, and it was suggested this may also appeal, well it certainly does shes terrific. The musicians complement her perfectly and although this album dates back to 2005 her present renderings are just as beautiful and well written and clever so I will buy more!!

Lovely cd.

this is my favorite eliza album requiem must go down in songwriting history it is a must buy cd