IRON & WINE – Studio Works Collection 2002-2011 [9 CD]

Posted By : Designol | Date : 16 Jan 2012 09:27:53 | Comments : 4 |

“

A collection of 10 CD by American singer-songwriter Samuel Beam, better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine. Collection includes 4 studio albums, 1 compilation, 3 EP and 1 single.

”

“

Singer/songwriter Samuel Beam, who rose to prominence with a blend of whispered vocals and softly homespun indie folk, chose the moniker Iron & Wine after coming across a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron & Wine" while working on a film. Raised in South Carolina, Beam received his bachelor's degree in art from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and later his Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University Film School. Although Beam would later expand his sound to include electric instruments and rich, lush textures, he was firmly exploring the former style when several of his lo-fi recordings caught the ear of Jonathan Poneman, co-owner of Sub Pop Records. The songs had been recorded in Beam's bedroom without the aid of studio flourishes, but Poneman nevertheless requested that additional material be sent to the label for submission, and Beam responded by sending two CDs in the mail -- both of them full-length albums. Poneman considered releasing them both, but instead slimmed down the set to 12 songs and released it in September 2002 as The Creek Drank the Cradle.

The similarly themed The Sea & the Rhythm EP followed in 2003, but it was 2004's full-length, Our Endless Numbered Days, that signaled his arrival on the indie pop scene. Recorded in Chicago with producer Brian Deck, Our Endless Numbered Days was resolutely hi-fi, but the addition of a full band only illuminated Beam's deft lyricism and intimate vocal delivery, resulting in one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. Late 2004 found the newly marketable Iron & Wine popping up on television commercials and movie soundtracks (In Good Company, Garden State), culminating in a busy 2005 that saw Beam release two EPs, the lush Woman King and In the Reins, a collaboration with Arizona spaghetti Western aficionados Calexico. The politically charged Shepherd's Dog, Beam and company's most diverse -- and most listenable -- record to date, was released in 2007. A two-disc collection of B-sides, rarities, soundtrack inclusions, and discarded tracks from the Iron & Wine archives called Around the Well arrived in early 2009. Kiss Each Other Clean, Iron & Wine's first collection of new music in nearly three years and one that found Beam further expanding the group's sound, was released in January 2011 by their new label, Warner Bros.

Biography by James Christopher Monger, Allmusic.com

”

Official Website
Wiki

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Iron and Wine's debut record, The Creek Drank the Cradle, is written, produced, and performed by Sam Beam and features only Beam's voice, a gently strummed acoustic guitar, some slide guitar, and the occasional banjo. Iron and Wine creates intimate and emotional songs, recorded bedroom-style but never letting the lo-fi get in the way of the tune. The obvious comparison has to be Lou Barlow/Sebadoh/Sentridoh, as they share the same breathy voice, melancholy outlook on life, and devotion to Nick Drake. The difference is that there are no traces of punk rock or noise for the sake of noise in Iron and Wine's music. Beam isn't interested in rocking out or obscuring the beauty that bursts from within his simple songs; he embraces it and lets his sadness twist in the wind for all to see. Besides, his vocal harmonies are more soft rock than punk rock. "Lion's Mane" opens the record and immediately takes your breath away as Beam's voice is so beautiful and his hooks are razor sharp. Every song that follows is just as memorable, Beam sounding positively angelic as he harmonizes with himself. "The Rooster Moans" is a chilling side trip into Appalachian folk; "Southern Anthem" a falsetto-led indie-gospel track with an absolutely soaring chorus. The simple musical backing never gets boring either, as there are musical hooks to match the vocal hooks -- the banjo in "Lion's Mane," the double-tracked repeating slide at the end of "Faded from the Winter," the gently chugging rhythm of "Upward Over the Mountain." As soon as the almost jaunty, Neil Young-esque album closer, "Muddy Hymnal," ends, you'll want to hit repeat and start again. The Creek Drank the Cradle is a stunning debut and one of the best records of 2002.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. Lion's Mane - 2:50
02. Bird Stealing Bread - 4:21
03. Faded from the Winter - 3:18
04. Promising Light - 2:49
05. The Rooster Moans - 3:25
06. Upward Over the Mountain - 5:56
07. Southern Anthem - 3:54
08. An Angry Blade - 3:48
09. Weary Memory - 4:01
10. Promise What You Will - 2:24
11. Muddy Hymnal - 2:44

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Iron & Wine was one of the surprises of 2002. The Creek Drank the Cradle was a lo-fi melancholic gem of a record that drew apt comparisons to classic bedroom pop artists like Lou Barlow and Sebadoh, the Mountain Goats, and Nick Drake. Sam Beam, the man behind Iron & Wine, possesses a honey-soft voice that caresses his literate lyrics so very gently and a dense guitar style that fills up space without ever playing a wrong note. So often voice-and-guitar records can begin to sound monotonous, and Iron & Wine never even approaches that shortcoming. The Sea & the Rhythm is a five-track EP made up of songs recorded at the same time as Creek. Low-key, melancholy, and unfailingly beautiful, all the songs are good enough to have been on the album. "Beneath the Balcony" and "Jesus the Mexican Boy" have the crispest melodies; "Someday the Waves" is the song that will stick with you the longest. It sounds like a lost Crosby, Stills & Nash track, only without hippie-ish lyrics and with only one guy creating the towering vocal harmonies. The Sea & the Rhythm is a lovely stopgap to help ease the painful wait for the next Iron & Wine album -- 21 minutes of sweet, quiet pain.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. Beneath the Balcony - 3:30
02. The Sea and the Rhythm - 5:24
03. The Night Descending - 3:14
04. Jesus the Mexican Boy - 4:57
05. Someday the Waves - 4:14

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

On Our Endless Numbered Days, the follow-up to 2002's stunningly good Creek Drank the Cradle, the sound of Iron & Wine has changed but the song remains the same. No longer does Sam Beam record his intimate songs in the intimate surroundings of his home. Instead he has made the jump to the recording studio. As a result the record is much cleaner, less cocoon-like, certainly more the product of someone who has become a professional musician and not someone who just records for fun on a four-track. However, all Beam has sacrificed is sound quality. The sound of the record is still very intimate and simple, with very subtle arrangements that leave his voice and lyrics as the focal point. Luckily all the technology in the world can't affect Beam's voice, which still sounds like it comes right from his lips into your ear as if he were an angel perched on your shoulder. His songs are still as strong and memorable as they were on Creek, no drop off whatsoever in quality. "Naked as We Came" with sparkling melody lovely background harmonies by his sister Sarah; the aching folk ballad "Radio War," which wouldn't sound out of place on Prairie Home Companion, only it would be the best thing you ever heard there; the sad and sweet "Each Coming Night"; the crystalline acoustic guitar ballad "Fever Dream," which has the kind of vocal harmony between Beam and his sister that seems to be the exclusive domain of siblings; and the soft rock CSNY "Sodom, South Georgia" are the equal of anything on Iron & Wine's debut and match up well with anything Palace, Smog, or their ilk have done lately. A definite plus to recording in a studio and enlisting the help of outside musicians is that there is much more variety to the album and there are lots of small production touches that liven things up like the Native American chants at the close of "Cinder and Smoke," the pedal steel guitar on "Sunset Soon Forgotten," and the drums and tambourine on the bluesy "Free Until They Cut Me Down." Our Endless Numbered Days is very subdued, thoughtful, melodic, and downright beautiful album and the new sound is more of a progression than a sudden shift in values, production or otherwise. Anyone who found the first album to be wonderful will no doubt feel the same about this one. Heck, you might even like it more.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. On Your Wings -3:53
02. Naked as We Came - 2:33
03. Cinder and Smoke - 5:44
04. Sunset Soon Forgotten - 3:20
05. Teeth in the Grass - 2:22
06. Love and Some Verses - 3:40
07. Radio War - 1:56
08. Each Coming Night - 3:28
09. Free Until They Cut Me Down - 4:35
10. Fever Dream - 4:16
11. Sodom, South Georgia - 4:59
12. Passing Afternoon - 4:01

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Musical collaborations can be a dicey proposition. The blending of two styles and sounds can lead to the cancellation of the aspects of each that make them interesting and unique in the first place, which in turn leads to an inferior record. Iron & Wine and Calexico decided to tempt fate and hook up in 2004 and In the Reins is the result. The record manages to blend the best aspects of the two groups and comes off a winner in all respects. You get Iron & Wine's melodicism, emotional depth, and literary grace backed by Calexico's desert-bleached C&W orchestral splendor. The record is probably pitched more in the I&W camp as Iron & Wine's Sam Beam wrote all the songs and sings his moody miniature portraits of desperation in a breathy, shivers-down-your-spine croon. Calexico color in his compositions with pedal steels, vibraphone, and meandering trumpets, and lead them out of the insular Florida swamp and into the wide-screen West. None of Beam's songs feel like between-album throwaways and in fact a few rate among his best (the aching and staggeringly beautiful "Dead Man's Will," "He Lays in the Reins."). They almost all sound wonderful; the wider range of musical colors opens up his songs and brings in some moods and sounds you might not expect on an Iron & Wine record. Case in point is "A History of Lovers," which comes equipped with a boogie beat, a glittering Vegas horn section, and actually rocks out very convincingly. Calexico really pulls a rabbit out of the hat there as Beam is about the last person in the music biz you would expect to rock out convincingly. The only place where the pairing falters is on the slick and facile "Red Dust," which starts off as an intimate blues ballad with just Beam and guitars, then shifts to a barroom bluesy stomp featuring some very clichéd harp soloing. Luckily, it is a brief misstep that doesn't wreck an otherwise excellent record. Fans of both bands will want to get In the Reins because it rates favorably with their best work and on a couple of songs ("A History of Lovers," "Dead Man's Will") the sum of their collaboration creates music greater than their parts. A rare and wonderful occurrence that; don't let it slip past you.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. He Lays in the Reins - 3:44
02. Prison on Route 41 - 4:11
03. A History of Lovers - 3:10
04. Red Dust - 3:31
05. Sixteen, Maybe Less - 4:49
06. Burn That Broken Bed - 5:06
07. Dead Man's Will - 3:13

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Anyone still hoping that Sam Beam and Iron & Wine will ever go back to the lo-fi sound of their first album might as well give up on that pipe dream. On the 2005 EP Woman King, Iron & Wine's sound is more produced and varied than ever. The record's arrangements are overflowing with a wealth of percussion, vocal harmonies, banjos, violins, and pianos. Beam's vocals, while always a thing of beauty, sound more assured and powerful than ever. Iron & Wine sound like a real band here; if you heard them in a big-budget Hollywood film, you wouldn't even flinch. The widening and smoothing of the band's approach does Beam's songs great favors, too. While his songwriting is as emotionally direct and haunting as ever (no amount of studio sheen could change that), this EP never feels insular, as his previous albums sometimes did. It sounds widescreen and universal. Woman King is too short to be considered the high point of Iron & Wine's career -- it certainly points in that direction, though.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. Woman King - 4:21
02. Jezebel - 5:07
03. Gray Stables - 3:55
04. Freedom Hangs Like Heaven - 4:01
05. My Lady's House - 3:33
06. Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song) - 3:04

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracklist:

01. Carried Home - 5:28
02. Boy with a Coin - 3:49
03. Kingdom of the Animals - 5:07

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Iron & Wine have shown an impressive work ethic since the release of The Creek Drank the Cradle in 2002. A flood of singles, EPs, and albums, each with high levels of quality, have made Iron & Wine and Sam Beam stars in the indie rock world. Introspective, leaning toward morose, and heavily bearded stars, but glittering just the same. 2007's The Shepherd's Dog goes a long way toward validating all the attention I&W have been getting; it's their best, most diverse, and most listenable record yet, as Beam and co. take another leap away from the lo-fi, one-dude-in-a-bedroom beginnings of the group. Here Beam surrounds himself with a large cast of musicians, and they blanket the songs with a wide array of instrumentation, everything from accordions to Hammond organ, piano to backward guitars, vibraphone to bass harmonica. Nothing too strange in the everything-goes world of indie rock circa 2007, but for Iron & Wine, it's a widescreen revelation. Perhaps working with Calexico on 2005's In the Reins inspired Beam to use all the colors in the paint box. Maybe it's a natural progression. Either way it leads to an inspiringly lush album, full of imaginative and rich arrangements. Not to say Beam has cast aside the vital elements that made the band so interesting to begin with; his whispered vocals still conjure shadowy mystery, the songs are still melancholy as hell at their core, and as always there's a lingering sense of Southern gothic foreboding shrouding the proceedings. The increased production values take these elements and goose them. The recognizably I&W songs like the dark and creepy "Peace Beneath the City" or the gloomy country ballad "Resurrection Fern" sound bigger and have a different kind of impact. Take "Boy with a Coin," which in the past would have been spare, spooky, and a bit insular, but now is huge and spooky thanks to the propulsive handclaps and atmospheric backward guitars that would make Daniel Lanois jealous. Along with these pumped-up variations on the band's classic sound, there are songs you'd never imagine hearing on an Iron & Wine album. The danceable (!) "House by the Sea" has jumpy Afro-pop underpinnings and a bit of wild abandon in Beam's more passionate-than-usual vocals; "Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)" is a funky mix of David Essex's "Rock On," a backwoods-sounding Meters, and of all things, dub reggae; and most shockingly, "The Devil Never Sleeps" actually rocks with a rollicking barroom piano, a loping tempo, bongos, and lyrics about nothing on the radio, leading to a sound that's ironically perfect for the radio. By the end of the record, you may feel a few pangs for the discarded, sparse sound of early Iron & Wine, but the beauty and majesty of The Shepherd's Dog will pave right over them, and you should be able to enjoy the masterful songcraft, inspired performance, and note-perfect production with no guilt and a fair bit of awe.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car - 4:33
02. White Tooth Man - 3:57
03. Lovesong of the Buzzard - 4:26
04. Carousel - 4:02
05. House by the Sea - 4:22
06. Innocent Bones - 3:43
07. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog) - 4:57
08. Resurrection Fern - 4:50
09. Boy with a Coin - 4:06
10. The Devil Never Sleeps - 2:07
11. Peace Beneath the City - 4:45
12. Flightless Bird, American Mouth - 4:03

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

Named after a lyric from "The Trapeze Swinger," Around the Well collects two discs' worth of B-sides, rarities, and discarded tracks from the Iron & Wine catalog. These kinds of compilations can be tricky to assemble, but Around the Well is both comprehensive and conveniently presented, with each disc representing the two amorphous halves of Iron & Wine's career. Disc one is limited to the group's early days, meaning it's filled with soft bedroom whispers, homespun acoustics, and the lo-fi production that fueled Sam Beam's home recording sessions. Material from those same sessions would later form the track list of The Creek Drank the Cradle, but Around the Well pays attention to the songs that were cut from the album, offering several genuine gems amidst a constant stream of pleasant, stay-in-bed songcraft. Meanwhile, the second disc highlights Iron & Wine's shift from intimate solo project to collaborative indie folk band, beginning with the Our Endless Numbered Days sessions and culminating in the pastoral psychedelia of The Shepherd's Dog. Some of these selections are already familiar to Iron & Wine's biggest fans, including Beam's cover of "Such Great Heights" (heard on the Garden State soundtrack, as well as an oddly trippy M&Ms commercial) and the gorgeous concert staple "The Trapeze Swinger." Even so, few fans outside of Beam's social circle have heard standout tunes like "Kingdom of the Animals" and the vaguely Middle Eastern-sounding "Arms of a Thief," and Around the Well serves as a helpful reminder that a discarded Iron & Wine song is still better than most fine-tuned cuts from other bands.

Review by Andrew Leahey, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

CD1:
01. Dearest Forsaken - 3:50
02. Morning - 2:42
03. Loud as Hope - 2:57
04. Peng! 33 - 3:28
05. Sacred Vision - 3:20
06. Friends They Are Jewels - 4:14
07. Hickory - 4:35
08. Waitin' for a Superman - 4:34
09. Swans and the Swimming - 3:25
10. Call Your Boys - 3:47
11. Such Great Heights - 4:11

CD2:
01. Communion Cups & Someone's Coat - 2:03
02. Belated Promise Ring - 3:46
03. God Made the Automobile - 3:55
04. Homeward, These Shoes - 1:35
05. Love Vigilantes - 3:27
06. Sinning Hands - 5:31
07. No Moon - 4:16
08. Serpent Charmer - 2:40
09. Carried Home - 6:32
10. Kingdom of the Animals - 5:06
11. Arms of a Thief - 3:42
12. The Trapeze Swinger - 9:31

EAC log CD1

EAC log CD2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“

The ongoing journey of Sam Beam from bedroom mystic to ringleader of a slick stadium indie rock band is completed on 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean. While the previous Iron & Wine album, The Shepherd's Dog, was also very produced and pro-sounding, this album is huge. Beam, a cast of many, and producer Brian Deck have embellished the songs with a ton of studio tricks, a wide variety of instruments from flute to squelchy old synths, and a tightly arranged, loosely flowing feel that anyone who was initially enraptured by Beam’s early recordings might be hard-pressed to recognize. (Though Beam’s voice is still as haunting and intimate as ever for the most part. As is his beard.) Once you accept that I&W are now as established as a “real” band on par with Wilco or the Flaming Lips, some questions arise. Are they still any good? Can Beam still capture a heart with a tender melody and an aching vocal despite all the tricks and sax solos? Does the musicianship on display overpower the songs? Will Beam survive in the big leagues? Most of these questions were answered in the affirmative on the last album; they are reaffirmed here. Beam still writes and sings in a voice that could penetrate even the most syrupy backing -- nothing will likely ever change that. His lyrics have the same broken and bruised poetry they’ve always had, only now they are surrounded by haunting and inventive arrangements that are even more intricate and interesting than on The Shepherd's Dog. This time, Beam and company bring in soft rock smoothness, dub reggae textures, and instruments that haven’t really been featured on previous records. The vintage synths in particular deserve mention; whether they are bubbling like mad on “Monkeys Uptown” or getting Stevie Wonder-funky on “Big Burned Hand,” they give the otherwise very organic-sounding arrangements a welcome cheesy kick. Other aspects that deserve praise are Sarah Simpson’s sweetly sung backing vocals and Deck’s production. He layers instruments and mixes sound like he’s baking a giant cake, giving the songs depth and a widescreen scope in the process. Beam couldn’t have picked a better person for the job of blowing his music up to the large-scale work of beauty it has become. If you’ve been on board since the beginning, you have to marvel at the perfectly timed and logical way the music has progressed. No one could ever accuse Beam of selling out his art, only growing up and building it up. Kiss Each Other Clean is the result of years of growth and change, and though that sounds incredibly boring, it’s also a record full of roiling emotion, tender wit, and deeply felt melodic beauty. In other words, a standard issue Iron & Wine record.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

”

Tracklist:

01. Walking Far from Home - 4:46
02. Me and Lazarus - 3:03
03. Tree by the River - 3:56
04. Monkeys Uptown - 3:48
05. Half Moon - 3:16
06. Rabbit Will Run - 5:32
07. Brother in Love - 3:50
08. Big Burned Hand - 4:14
09. Glad Man Singing - 4:40
10. Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me - 7:01

EAC log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All thanks to original releaser – Знак Качества

->> Welcome to Designol Blog <<-

Download from Filesonic folder

Download from FileJungle folder

Download from Uploadstation folder

ADVERTISING »

High Speed Download

« ADVERTISING

Posted By: Trondhb Date: 16 Jan 2012 20:41:55

Excellent music. Thanks!

Posted By: Street Spirit Date: 17 Jan 2012 12:51:12

Thank you so much for this!

Posted By: Apodimi Date: 18 Jan 2012 10:53:27

Excellent!! Superb!!! Magnificent collection!!!! A million thanks my friend for this wonderful collection of a lovely musician....really appreciated....cheers.

Posted By: SunRa01 Date: 19 Jan 2012 15:49:27

Thanks for the great share!
By the way, Audiochecker v2.0 claims that 'The Creek Drank The Cradle' is MPEG 95%,
but I've yet to find a version of this to be a real CD rip...
Considering the lo-fi of the songs though, the problem might be in the original recording...
PS: The same goes for 'Sea & The Rhythm' (100% MPEG) and for many songs from the first disc of 'Around The Well'

Recent searches: