As Smart As We Are, by One Ring Zero

As Smart As We Are

by One Ring Zero

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The original version, published by Soft Skull Press in 2004. A book/cd combo.

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Full Digital Discography

8

releases

Get all 8 Michael Hearst releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Say Hello To The Party, Songs For Ice Cream Trucks, Songs For Unconventional Vehicles, Songs For Extraordinary People, Songs For Fearful Flyers, Songs For Unusual Creatures, As Smart As We Are, and Tranz Party. , and , .

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1.	Introduction 00:17		buy track
2.	Natty Man Blues 03:00	info	buy track
3.	Radio 02:38	info	buy track
4.	We Both Have A Feeling That You Still Want Me 03:13	info	buy track
5.	Kiss Me, You Brat 02:48	info	buy track
6.	Deposition Disposition 01:31	info	buy track
7.	Half And Half 03:07	info	buy track
8.	The Ghost Of Rita Gonzolo 04:11	info	buy track
9.	Frankenstein Monster Song 03:24	info	buy track
10.	Honku 00:27	info	buy track
11.	Blessing 02:55	info	buy track
12.	On The Wall 02:47	info	buy track
13.	All About House Plants 01:48	info	buy track
14.	Golem 03:15	info	buy track
15.	Snow 01:54	info	buy track
16.	Nothing Else Is Happening 02:58	info	buy track
17.	The Story Of The Hairy Call 01:58	info	buy track
18.	Water 04:22	info	buy track

about

"A beautiful shebang of literary and aural mischief." -- Village Voice

"A well-orchestrated booby-trap for music lovers everywhere." -- Viggo Mortenson

Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp, a pair of musicians with a penchant for eccentric music and truly eclectic instrumentation, are the driving force behind this album, featuring lyrics by 17 established writers, including Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster and Neil Gaiman. Infused with theremin loops and klezmer tonalities, the music sounds like it's being cranked out of a hurdy-gurdy by a carnival freak. Or perhaps like a cross between They Might Be Giants and the Squirrel Nut Zippers at their most difficult. In short, it's not for everyone. But there are times, as in Auster's "Natty Man Blues," when the approach comes together without being overbearing. Denis Johnson's Southern-fried "Blessings" features pointedly ironic lyrics like, "Bless now/ The cancer of the bone, the last light making/ Beautiful the poisons in the sky." Myla Goldberg has a bit more fun, with Syd Straw crooning lines like, "When you're made of clay/ Just avoid the rainy days." As Fiona Maazel, who writes excellent, jaunty commentaries for each song, muses about Jonathan Lethem's "Water": "As smart as we are, we have no idea what this song is about." Listeners will find that thought a familiar refrain. - Publishers Weekly

credits

released January 1, 2004

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about

Michael Hearst New York, New York

Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer. His most recent project is a 4-part book/album series: Unusual Creatures, Extraordinary People, Curious Constructions, and Unconventional Vehicles. Unusual Creatures was also made into a PBS series, hosted by Hearst.
Hearst has also composed soundtracks for the movies To Be Takei, Magic Camp, and Chicken People, among others. ... more

michaelhearst.com

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