Dan Bern
Dan Bern

  • Breathe
    Breathe
    In the closing track, Dan Bern sings of standing in "Another Man's Clothes." In the opening "Trudy," it sounds as if those clothes are any of Bob Dylan's that Bern can salvage. With its reedy vocals, wheezy harmonica, and midtempo melody evoking the "My Back Pages"/"Chimes of Freedom" era, that cut sounds more like Dylan than any of the generations of "new Dylans" who have preceded Bern.
    Available at: Amazon
  • New American Language
    New American Language
    "If you judge me tonight, judge me by the songs I write," Dan Bern sings in "Black Tornado," thus serving notice that he's sick of the comparisons to various iconic songsters. Bern has never suffered from a lack of ambition, tackling pop culture and personal foibles alike with fervor and an utter disregard for taboo. Bern takes on similar subjects here, but backed by a five-piece folk-rock combo and warmly produced by Chuck Plotkin (the Dylan and Springsteen vet who presided over Bern's 1993 debut), he strips away the sophomoric gags and cloying cleverness that have plagued his past. Only the title track falls for the easy, ironic cop-out (key lyric: "OK, I guess, whatever"). Cuts like "Turning Over" ("I can't find me one new leaf worth turning over") and "Albuquerque Lullaby" ("Don't let your heart get broken by this world") come off heartfelt and unforced. And while much of New American Language finds Bern mellowing into a newfound maturity, he's still happy to poke holes in hype and hypocrisy. "Toledo" offers wry tribute to "The Church of the Holy McDonald's," while the freewheeling "Alaska Highway" sucker-punches everyone from Eminem to God. --Anders Smith Lindall
    Available at: Amazon
  • Dan Bern
    Dan Bern
    Dan Bern's obsession with Bob Dylan (and, to an extent, Elvis Costello) is easy to stomach because he takes himself so humorously. "If you must put me in a box, make sure it's a big box, with lots of windows," he sings, before declaring himself the Messiah, on the talking-blues opener "Jerusalem." He also wonders what would have happened if Marilyn Monroe had married Henry Miller, not Arthur Miller, on the catchy "Marilyn Monroe." The singer/songwriter's debut occasionally drags, especially on long songs like "Wasteland" and "Rome," but this disc hints at a career worth following. --Steve Knopper
    Track Listing: 1. Jerusalem 2. Go To Sleep 3. Wasteland 4. Marilyn 5. King Of The World 6. Too Late To Die Young 7. Rome 8. I'm Not The Guy 9. Never Fall In Love 10. Estelle 11. Queen
    Available at: Amazon
  • Smartie Mine
    Smartie Mine
    Dan Bern's double-CD indie foray into clearing out his songwriting drawer yields a number of gems. His inimitable knack for critiquing (not to say rudely peering at) 20th-century antiheroism makes for some of Smartie Mine's most memorable moments, as well as one true masterstroke: "Krautmeyer," which finishes off the Charles Manson ("shitty album") hipster myth in bitterly hilarious fashion. Other, more sober highlights include "Airplane Blues," a long subterranean meditation on Lightnin' Hopkins, celebrity, and one fan's relationship with art; "Little Russian Girl," on an encounter with a sad coffee-shop clerk; and a flurry of noise called "Two-Month Affair." More than just a holding action, Smartie Mine makes a fine excuse for itself. --Rickey Wright
    Available at: Amazon
  • Dog Boy Van
    Dog Boy Van
    Its the quality, not the quanity that counts!, October 14, 1999 Reviewer: orendis from the same state as Dan A single CD can only contain so much greatness, thats why only six tracks. "oklahoma" and "live another day" are effectively poingnant. "Kurt" is mortality satire. "Jeruselm" wanders in and out of a love song. "Talkin,Alien abduction blues" is sci-fi satire. "Hannibal" Im still working on this one, but I suppose its about narrow minded biggots. I always play the whole CD, and sometimes once isnt enough. what can I say, Dan's the Man
    Available at: Amazon
  • Fifty Eggs
    Fifty Eggs
    At this point in his career, Dan Bern has the "New Dylan" tag stuck like glue--especially because the acoustic guitar-slinger keeps recording songs like "Oh Sister," even if it's not the Dylan song of the same name. Of course, he's also hanging out with producer/pal Ani DiFranco, and he'll probably be dubbed the "New Ani" as well, and Bern, with his reedy voice, edgy wordplay, and fierce-yet-flip attitude really does sound like the bastard child of both. Pop culture references fall like rain from Bern's lips, as do PC clichés and righteous props (especially in the high-praising "Chick Singer") but all that clutter works well in his verbose, intriguing stuff. Check out "Cure for AIDS" and "Tiger Woods." --Michael Ruby
    Available at: Amazon
  • Welcome to High Sierra
    Welcome to High Sierra
    It's not possible to capture the magic that happens in this intimate, picturesque setting on a CD, but we've tried to give you at least a taste of some of the music you might find at High Sierra...and for those of you who've been with us before, we trust that you'll return again and again and hope that this CD helps rekindle your sweetest memories of High Sierra.
    Available at: Homegrown
    •