Grant Lee Buffalo
Copperopolis

THE REVIEW

Driven by the great love I have always had for this band, which began in 1994, I decided to do justice to one of the most beautiful and unique albums of the '90s, as well as one of the least listened to... Yes, because "Copperopolis" was talked about little and poorly.

The problem with this great album is precisely the songs, more complex compared to their previous repertoire, which to the listener's ear can't be immediate and only become lovable after several listens.

“Having developed an obsession with The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds around this time, the piano was beginning to play a role in much of my writing”, reveals singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips on the official site of the Grant Lee Buffalo. In fact, the influence of Brian Wilson and company's masterpiece is substantial, especially in the arrangements.

In "Copperopolis", Grant-Lee Phillips reaches the peak of his writing. The lyrics are beautiful, shifting from socio-political issues to intense sentimental and intimate themes, up to the apocalyptic visions of “Hyperion & Sunset”, which recall (albeit in a more somber tone) gems like “Mockingbirds”.

The album begins in an astounding way: the energy of “Homespun”, the moving piano of “The Bridge” ("You and me have our own bridge to cross / weather worn and sea tossed / let’s not make any excuses"), the enveloping mist in the magnificent “Arousing Thunder” and the intense folk of the touching “Even The Oxen” ("Love is the one weapon that hasn't been brandished yet in this song / strikes fear in the pockets of bankers and generals").

Paul Kimble's touch (both as a musician and a producer) is everywhere, and some arrangement ideas can also be found in "Crawl", the only work of his Pistol Star.

Midway, the album goes through a transitional phase with folk tracks (“Crackdown”), others with a pop flavor (“Bethlehem Steel”, whose live versions were outstanding) and others with particular arrangements (“Armchair”).

From “All That I Have” onwards, except for the overwhelming rock of “Two & Two”, Copperopolis gains more personality and delves into new territories and atmospheres, including the electric “Comes To Blows” (here again looms the specter of Brian Wilson).

According to Phillips, the songs that most characterize "Copperopolis" are indeed those less immediate ones: “Hyperion and Sunset”, “All That I Have” and “The Only Way Down”. And it's precisely with this last, moving song that closes a nostalgic and intense work, completely against the trend for those years (it seems that Grant Lee Buffalo deliberately decided to stay away from the spotlight).

Paul Kimble was forced to leave the band in 1997 after various misunderstandings with Grant-Lee Phillips, and what followed was a dignified swan song and so much, so much bitterness for the loss of one of the greatest bands to have touched this earth... Am I exaggerating? Michael Stipe used to greet them at concerts as the greatest band in the west.