Fuse

I feel conflicted giving this album a 4-star review, because Joe Henry’s weakest albums are still light years better than most of the music that people buy and listen to. But if you’re reading this, I’m sure you know that. Nevertheless, this is not JH’s best, but then again, the 90s seem to have been his decade for trying different things out as an artist, playing dress up a bit to find his own thing. Is he just another singer-songwriter dude? Is his music alternative? Rock? Alt-country? Doesn’t matter, I guess - he found his voice and his sound on the next album, “Scar” (2001). There must have been something about that collaboration with Ornette Coleman on “Scar” that rewired JH’s DNA and gave him superpowers, like the spider that bit Peter Parker, because everything he’s done since then as an artist or producing other artists’ albums, has been brilliant (cf. Solomon Burke’s “Don’t Give Up On Me,” Over The Rhine’s “Meet Me at the Edge of the World”).Anyway, “Fuse” has its flaws, but if you appreciate JH’s art, it’s a worthwhile listen. The funky, experimental stuff makes for a fun trip. It might be seen as a stepping stone, a transitional album, from Joe the 90’s rocker to the Joe we’ve known since, making the music he was put on this planet to create. Nevertheless, hats off to Joe, a true American treasure.

I enjoyed the music.

I saw Joe Henry in a small club in Pontiac Mi.about 16 years ago. At the time he was promoting this CD, Falling in love with the CD " Trampoline " I had to see him live. The live show was amazing and afterwards I purchased FUSE. I have bought it 3 other times because when I lend it out I never seem to get it returned to me. I would recommend it to anyone who has an open enough mind to comprehend genius!

If you don't know Joe, Fuse is a great introduction. The album flows like one continuous piece, so don't buy songs, spring for the whole. The songs are well written (as always, with him), intelligent, and jazzy yet melodic. It's simply one of the best albums any artist ever created. period.

simply his best!!! really rocks. i know his more recent work is more evolved and personal, but to me this period, along with scar and trampoline define an era.

Joe Henry never disappoints. He has a unique lyrical viewpoint, coupled with musical excellence. This is what I look for in music - art.

The Mark Isham-like horn furlings on "I Want Too Much" are the perfect accompaniment for a tale of obsessive desire. It harkens back to 1960's Donovan's later use of jazz horns in his infamous folk songs. "Curt Flood" reels you with it's insistent beat and some of the more esoteric and bizarre imagery of the album. Henry has been never about quotitidian niggles of upset. He is purposely grandiose, even obtuse at times, as he reaches for ever more strange and stirring visuals to spell out the conclusions he has drawn about life. Other times he completely misses the mark, as in Fuse's "Angels," which tries WAY too hard to be avante garde in his signature "I'm so much smarter than you" snark and "my melancholy is more magnificent than yours" humiliation. I mean, it was his choice to marry into Madonna's family, if you know what I mean. When slaggy madge covered Henry's "Stop" as "Don't Tell Me," the perfect fusion of pretentions masquerading as art was created. He survived that song artistically only because of the middle-eastern tinged arrangement. She did not.Henry does better when he keeps it simple, much like Donovan. They both work against reigning in their affectations (as do we all), but when they falter, the songs soar in their abilty to reach a huge audience with with their poignancy, as in "Beautiful Hat." Even Henry seems to know that stunted pretensions are a good thing in this song. He writes, "I"ve never let anything be as simple as that," when letting go of a life-long love, but it also serves as message on the medium. Unlike most highly complex artists, he is wildly prolific, and as such, has surpassed his antecedents, Leonard Cohen & Bob Dylan. Yeah, I said it. Fuse turns out to be his best cohesive conceit album. His (arguably) best single cuts are Scar, Progress of Love and Time Is A Lion from 2008's Scar, 2009's Blood From Stars and 2012's Civilians, respectively.

I walked into a Ben & Jerry's one night and heard the pounding guitar of 'Monkey' busting out of speakers in the ceiling. I immediately demanded to know who was singing. After making a killer milkshake for me, the guy behind the counter brought out the CD case, smiling like a little kid who was delighted that someone else wanted to play. I wrote the album name down and bought it within a matter of minutes.A new language is needed to describe the ethereal soundscape of this album. While "Monkey" is likely to immediately impress the most stubborn listener, the rest of the album will slowly sink into your mood; and then it will sink YOU.Heavenly songs like "Skin And teeth," "Want Too Much" (produced by the brilliant Daniel Lanois) or "Fat" sound as if Joe Henry stuffed the night sky into a silk bag, moon and all, and ran off into the studio with it. Fuse is the result.The lonely trumpets, thumping bass and funky, echoing guitar licks sound like they were played by musicians who just happened to pass by Henry as he was singing in a dark alley at night. There is desperate solitude pervading every layer of this album, right to its core.I haven't a clue as to why brilliant tracks like 'Monkey' or 'Like She Was A Hammer," containing the most brilliant lyrics put to tape since Pink Floyd's last album with Roger Waters, didn't assault the charts. Though I doubt that is of serious concern for Henry. I hope to God that it stays that way. Henry is a private treasure for anyone who buys this album, or 1996's "Trampoline," which is equally as indescribable. So, to hell with the critics who see only black and white, successor failure. Maybe this album should have been released 20 years from now, when the world might be ready for it.

Beautiful music form an interesting composer and producer.