Track Listing

1. Beware Your Only Friend
2. You Can't Hurt Me Now
3. My Life's Work
4. Death Final
5. Heart's Arms
6. You Don't Love Me
7. You Are Lost
8. I Won't Ask Again
9. I Don't Belong to Anyone
10. There Is Something I Have To Say
11. I Am Goodbye
12. Without Work, You Have Nothing
13. Afraid Ain't Me

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3324 in Music
• Released on: 2009-03-16
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, here continues to carve his niche in the world of indie-Americana with 'Beware', his seventh under his current alias. Where his preceding album, 2008's 'Lie Down In The Light', was a reasonably cheerful and buoyant affair, one look at the song titles alone for this release indicate that Oldham is considerably less bright here. Titles such as 'Beware Your Only Friend', 'Death Final' and 'I Don't Belong To Anyone' seem to suggest that the mood is significantly more sombre for this outing. The constants with Oldham, though, are his sparse arrangements and world-weary howling delivery, and 'Beware' sees him continueto be a much-admired songwriter.

Customer Reviews

Beware The Greatness, kneel before the Bonnie Prince


We should thank Will Oldham for leaving no reasons, just a series of trails: Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Palace Songs. And I think there was once a Palace Brothers.
As Bonnie Prince Billy he has made some incredible records that, if he wanted to, would make him a Neil Young or Dylan for our times: Ease Down The Road, I See A Darkness and The Letting Go. But there's always a sideshow of one offs and off the cuff records too: Superwolf, Lay Down In The light etc. I can't work out exactly why - I think it's something to do with him not wanting to play the game but all credit to him for keeping us on our toes. Whatever, the most important news is Beware, whatever game he's playing, is probably his greatest work to date. The sound throughout is intimate, confident and clear. Pedal steel and what sounds like a small gospel choir accompany Oldham's startling singing

The fact three songs have You in the title and three more start with I, and three again have Me tells you more than my attempts at understanding the lyrics. The point is this is a personal, beautiful almost hallowed, mysterious record.

Live in these songs and let them seep through you into as teh days get longer

Beware!
Bonnie Beware

I heard a version of this on a friend's promotional CD. Despite it having continual dropouts and a 'comedian' talking nearly all the way through it wasn't (that) hard to tell
that this is another Bonnie Prince Billy meisterwerk.

If you're a fan (and who isn't?) you'll know that when i say this is as good as if not greater than I See A Darkness and The Letting Go with shades of the more country end of Palace you'll
know that's as good as it gets.

Oldham's singing seems to grow more confident and playful with every release. The self-assured way in which he can sing about death, loneliness and not being in love and make you feel like you've revealed a universal truth
is remarkable So much music that takes it's cue from folk or country seems at best worthy, at worst pastiche. Despite his beard this is something you can never accuse Will Oldham of.

Famously camera and interview shy he knows that being a JD Salinger figure is limiting so he'll turn up in a low budget think piece of a movie instead, and act very convincingly.
This set of ever lengthening contradictions adds to the mystery and, if you're not
sacrificing yourself on the culture of self-gratification all around us, a sense of incredible musical adventure.

I can't really go into more depth as the promo CD was full of wretched gaps and larks but on a first 'listen' this sounded incredible and an amazing addition to a world class discography

I wish I had known about this guy long ago.............
After seeing him play on the Culture Show on TV, this is the first Bonnie Prince Billy album that I have bought.
I cannot believe that I have not discovered him sooner.
This album is full of excellent, emotional songs that appear to be genuinely from the soul.
I would most definitely recommend this album to anyone.
Also, I will definitely be increasing my Bonnie Prince Billy cd collection very soon.