Lion

I really enjoyed this album as a fan of Stephen Lynch. Many fans of his earlier works might find the musical pacing a bit slow. Musically this CD is superior to his previous work and still funny, but occasionally takes longer to get there. Stephen is joined on most songs by Courtney Jaye, who has a lovely voice and provides a nice counterpoint to him. Contrary to my usual musical opinion I actually prefer the live songs over the studio portion. My suggestion would be to listen to the live stuff first. The live music allows you to get additional dialog, as well as to get the reactions of the crowd. Either way it will be enjoyable however. For myself some of the stand-outs are 'No meat' which is Stephen's take on the vegan lifestyle. 'Tattoo', in which Stephen provides an insightful commentary on the current cultural infatuation with ink. And 'The Night I Laid You Down' in which he and Courtney describe a the memory of a hypothetical first sexual encounter.

Stephen Lynch has been more blatant about his humor in his songs but this album is structured a little differently. The music is great. The vocals are wonderful. It's all very enjoyable. This then is followed by lyrics that will offend and make you laugh. He is great at taking ordinary experiences and poking fun at them in song. The songs themselves are very listenable folky/country type songs and you tend to forget there's humor in the lyrics since the vocals and music are so nice. I'm glad the live versions are also included to help remind you that his songs are funny and not just played/sung well.I would say it's something to play for friends and family on a car trip. They won't have anywhere to go and be forced to laugh at some offensive but hilarious songs.

This is a really great concept album. I don't know if "matured" is really a word you can ever use with Stephen, but this is as close as it gets. Everything on here is smooth and pretty. Well orchestrated, well engineered, still funny as hell. I'm very pleased his return to the studio is a crafted effort and he didn't just show up to bang out some more of the same for a quick buck. This clearly has a lot of thought in it, and there are some really sweet sounds. (Mock Tennesse all you want, Mr. Lynch. You had to come to Nashville to get that girl and that studio.)I'm sorry to all the people who don't appreciate the musical approach he took, but it's a concept album, guys. Take it for what it is, or go put Craig Machine on a loop if you want to listen to him do the same thing over and over forever.

She: No, it wasn't.Me: I'm pretty sure it was. It was that guy that made the joke about the best friend and how he loved him and if he were gay he would be the one, but he's not, so 'get your hand out of my pants'She: That's Stephen Lynch! Who the hell mixes up Stephen Wright with Stephen Lynch?!?Me: I guess I'm no expert.She: No, You're not.Anyway, it doesn't matter. This is a masterful work of art. Seriously. And if you're easily offended, piss off. I mean, no offense, it's just that you won't like this album.

Stephen Lynch is one of my favorite comedians. His lyrics push the boundaries with really good melodies and instrumentals. This CD is very different from Lynch's previous works. Lion is a bit more folk-esque sounding with not nearly as dirty or racy lyrics as his previously released "3 Balloons". Lion is great in that it comes in both live and studio recordings. The live version features little pieces of dialogue between Lynch, the audience, and his fellow friends on stage.Lynch went from acoustic in hold older CDs "Superhero" to dirty and raunchy in "3 Balloons" to more country and melody driven in this new "Lion". There aren't nearly as many memorable tracks in "Lion" as in its predecessors. None the less, it's still a good addition to your music library if you are a fan of Lynch or comedy in general. Gets a chuckle out of me.

5 star content - but 1 star for quality control of the MP3'sStephen Lynch has taken his songwriting up a few notches. Every song on Lion could easily have different lyrics and fit into any mainstream genre it's aimed it. It's one of those funny things, if you didnt know English - you'd assume these were just some pretty nice songs. The lyrics are rich and playful, naughty and edgy, just what you've come to expect by now from Mr Lynch. Being able to hear each song as either a studio or live performance is another clever move!I do have to point out that the MP3 from Amazon for the last song on the album (Lion Live) has a bunch of skips on it. Even when played through Amazon Cloud.

This 2 album release (Live and Studio versions of the same playlist) is certainly a different sound than any other lynch album. But I have to say, I still like it. It's slower, more ballads, beautiful, easy to fall asleep while simply enjoying, yet still as suprising as any Lynch album. From tattoo to Tennessee and too Jeasusy to ICP (the Gathering), this CD is a must have for any Lynch fan. If you didn't like Stephen lynch before, I don't think this album is going to make you like him any better... he's still guarenteed to offend :)

It's not as Folk-song oriented as some of his previous work, it's definitely more subtle with the jokes than in "Superhero" or "A little bit special". The songs are more catchy though, much like the direction "3 balloons" started to go in with more emphasis on the music. I prefer the live to studio versions, but you get both so you can pick on your own. I don't think it was the intention was for "Lion" to be an upbeat song, but I can't help but get in a good mood listening to it. Love the CD.