Track Listing

1. Look Into The Light
2. This House
3. In The Morning
4. If' You Want Me
5. Perfect Love
6. Brave The Storm
7. Dead Bees
8. Sorrow's Army
9. Caspian Sea
10. Home
11. Humble Man
12. Feel Alright
13. Far From Everything
14. Tripping Over
15. November

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1402 in Music
• Released on: 2009-05-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

CD Description
Graham Coxon's seventh solo outing is his first since rejoining old band-mates Blur, and was produced by Stephen Street, who also produced Peter Doherty's solo debut, on which Coxon played on almost every track. 'The Spinning Top' is a concept album which follows one man from birth to death. Although primarily an elegantly played acoustic folk record, you'll also find some of the British guitarists best electric work to date. Featuring guests such as Robyn Hitchcock and the single 'Sorrow's Army'.

Customer Reviews

A sublime acoustic masterpiece
A beautiful, folky, (gently psychedelic at times)
album of astounding virtuosity.
Man, the guy can play!
A sublime acoustic masterpiece,
And the sound of summer nights to come.
Ahh, bring 'em on!
Purchase & enjoy. :)

Better & Better
Mr Coxon continues to impress with what is, guitar wise, his strongest album to date. Other reviews have mentioned a late sunny evening setting as being an appropriate mood for listening and I would have to agree. There are many stand out moments but as with Spiritualised's Ladies and Gentleman and the Jarvis Cocker Record, the effects are best felt when swallowed whole. Strangely for any album these days it gets stronger as it goes on, Look Into the Light is a great opener but from the middle on it simply steps up to a new found quality. Dead Bees is as strong a song in effect as any solo album of the Blur family have managed but Feel Alright (nodding to Battery In Your Leg though distinctly happier)is a tour de force. Sorrows Army as a choice of single makes sense, a strong song and a northern soul second half makes it as interesting as it is accessbile.

In all another great top notch addition to the Graham Coxon catalogue which is at least the equal if not exceeds his previous creative high of the Kiss of Morning.

An Angel's Wings in Cool Night Air...
I have to admit to being surprised to discover that this release will be Coxon's seventh solo album. He's clearly been beavering away at a productive rate of knots since parting with Blur. Some of his past albums have been scratchy, lo-fi assortments, all of which have nevertheless each contained some gems that shine as brightly as any from his time with Blur - tracks such as Flights to the Sea, and Bittersweet Bundle of Misery.

It's ironic however, given his welcoming back into the Blur fold for a full Summer band reunion, that he may have now released what could be his most commercially successful solo album yet.

The press release from Coxon quotes him as wanting to find a new way of using acoustic instruments, without them being soppy or nice. He has clearly gone back to English greats such as John Martyn and Nick Drake to find influence for the production in these songs - neat and elegant finger picking, flourishes of piano, and an undercurrent of double bass featuring in many tracks. Of course, we're also never too far from Syd Barrett with Caspian Sea and Far from Everything.

However, this is not pastiche - Coxon is a very mature songwriter, and he manages to sustain a very powerful atmosphere of wistfulness, hope, fragility, pensiveness, sometimes melancholia, but always great warmth and humanity throughout this album, which demands to be heard in its completeness, from start to finish. It's one of those albums that will sound great late on a Summer's night - Look into the Light captures the joyous spirit of Nick Drake as well as anyone I have heard attempt this. In the Morning really is a beautiful modern take of a joyous early John Martyn song like Over the Hill, with the refrain 'An angel's wings in cool night air', which is what this whole album sounds like to my ears.

I feel a little ashamed that I didn't fully credit Graham Coxon as a national English musical treasure before. Better late than never!