Track Listing

1. It's A Wonderful Life
2. Gold Day
3. Piano Fire
4. Sea Of Teeth
5. Apple Bed
6. King Of Snails
7. Eyepennies
8. Dog Door
9. More Yellow Birds
10. Little Fat Baby
11. Comfort Me
12. Babies On The Sun

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27521 in Music
• Released on: 2001-08-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Like Neil Young on the finer moments of Tonight's the Night, Sparklehorse leader Mark Linkous nails the lonesome-man dirge to the wall on this third long-player. Along with his kindred contemporaries (and guest musicians) Mercury Rev and Grandaddy, Linkous makes little secret of his worship for the Neil Young vibe, and he takes it in a direction that Young has never fully realized. It's a Wonderful Life's sweet melodies sound as if they were recorded on corroded tape, with fragility inherent both lyrically and musically; yet this is the least psychotic, and most cohesive Sparklehorse album to date. Linkous and his mates also benefit from appearances by Tom Waits, Cardigans crooner Nina Persson, and the most effectively used guest of all, PJ Harvey, who bites hard on one of the CD's few static rockers, "Piano Fire." Other highlights include the almost-fit-for-radio "King of Nails," the piano ballad "Sea of Teeth," and the hidden bonus track (eight minutes into track 13), "Morning Hollow." Linkous moans on the title track, "I'm a bog of poison frogs / It's a wonderful life / It's a wonderful life." Get the feeling that this might not be for everybody? Thank God for that. --Chris Paul Carter

Customer Reviews

Genius
This is a review for any of his records. He is one of best songwriters I have heard in the last two decades. Very underrated. Beautiful songs, amazing melodies and I dunno worrds fail me in describing how amazing and beautiful his albums are. He is the male equivalent to someone like Pj Harvey in regards to the sincerity and conviction in their music and even as people. I hope people catch on someday on this genius.

One of my top ten favorite albums
I first got into Sparklehorse with "Good Morning Spider" and the song "Sunshine". I love that album but, after many albums, it still has some real sucky songs; ie. "Cruel Sun".

I loved IAWL from the first time I listened to it, I think it's their masterpiece. Almost every song on the album is very good in it's simplicity and musical warmth. One reviewer said that it is a good fall album... I couldn't agree more. Musical tones are supposed to have a certain color resemblance and this album has all the emotions and tones a good fall day.

I don't like to over anaylize music but I will say that my favorites on this album are: Title track, Gold Day, Sea of Teeth, Apple Bed, Eye Pennies, Little fat Baby. My favorite song is the hidden song at 7:20 secs... check it out!!!

My one grip on the album is that it isn't something that can really be listened to all the way through with a good flow. Albums like Radiohead's "Kid A" have mellow songs and upbeat songs but they did a really good job with blending them together. On this album, when it switchs from a soft song to a real heavy hitter it feels very disjointed and I usually end up skipping it because it breaks the mood.

Other then that this is a great album... one of the best!

Nice sounds but...
Pleasant, but not all that original. The influences motivating this music are too easily discernable. The result is formulaic - albeit a much more complex formula than the vast majority of the drivel that passes for music.