Track Listing

1. Shine
2. A Century Ends
3. Debauchery
4. Let The Truth Sting
5. Gathering Dust
6. Wisdom
7. Lead Me Upstairs
8. Living Room
9. Birds Without Wings
10. It's All Over

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25735 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hardly anybody--with the notable exception of Irish songstress Mary Black, who subsequently turned out a rather splendid cover version of "Shine" some years later--bought A Century Ends, David Gray's debut album. Emerging in 1993, at a time when an uncharacteristically contented British public was bending its knees and twanging its braces along to the larksome antics of Britpop, there was little space on the living-room shelf for the torturous boudoir ponderings of a young-but-gnarly Dylan soundalike. There are pretty moments, but this is a record where angst and lust reign supreme--"Debauchery" is a salty tale of having it away on a rug with an alcoholically-lubricated lady ferry boat operative (sung in a voice pitched somewhere between the Waterboy's Mike Scott and celebrated naval fish-finger salesperson Captain Birdseye) while "Lead Me Upstairs" is a courtship tale which dispenses with first-date niceties. Britain later changed its mind about David Gray--after all, more people in the UK own his 1998 album White Ladder than own a ladder--but A Century Ends is a surprising rediscovery, a record begging further investigation for anybody whose idea of a good night in involves the solitary rolling of Rizlas along to Astral Weeks or Blood on the Tracks. --Kevin Maidment

CD Description
David Gray's '93 debut marked him as a unique and importantvoice in folk-rock. His emphatic acoustic guitar strum and his Van Morrison-via-Steve Forbert vocal burr are the sonic focus here, but it's Gray's passionate, poetic songs that really take centre stage. Imagine the protagonist of Joyce's PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN picking up guitar and pen, and you'll be on the right track.
Gray's emotive delivery and heartfelt lyricism are full of youthful angst and passion. On "Birds Without Wings" and "Gathering Dust" he recognises the faults of the world around him as well as his personal failings, but on the transcendent, definitive "Shine", he expresses an unquenchable desire to rise above petty cares and find spiritual contentment. It's the battle for thatcontentment that's so expressively documented on A CENTURY ENDS.

Customer Reviews

Genius
David Gray's debut album, A Century Ends, is a true modern classic. With its mixture of acoustic-based protest songs, driving folk-rockers and heartbreaking tales of love, it is clear where Gray's influences lie: Bob Dylan, Van Morrisson and Nick Drake. This, simply, is an incredible collection of raw, emotion soaked songs which tug at the heart strings and refuse to let go. Standout songs are 'Shine' - a magnificent, soaring anthem - 'Debauchery' - a beautiful, desperate plea for love - 'Gathering Dust' - one of the most heartbreaking songs ever and 'Birds Without Wings' - a defiant statement to a callous, uncaring world. These reflective songs are interspersed with louder, more rockier songs such as 'A Century Ends', 'Wisdom' and 'It's All Over' all of which are incredibly powerful. One song - 'Let The Truth Sting' highlights Gray's true lyrical genius, as he hits the listener with image upon beautiful image. This man deserves to be compared with Bob Dylan and the other great solo artists of the past, he is a genius: pure and simple. These songs are life affirming, which is exactly why I urge you to buy this album. You'll thank me afterwards.

Debut masterpiece
This album was David's first and in most fan's opinion his best. Powerful poetic lyrics make this album mysterious in the fact that David Gray took another 10 years to break through. It was in fact "Shine" the first song on this album that Irish DJ Donal Dineen played on No Disco to start the cult following Gray developed in Ireland. Other tracks of note include "Debauchery" and the title track "A Century Ends". If you own "White Ladder" you simply have to buy this album to see where Gray started and to hear him at his best.

David Gray at his ultimate best
This is an album which defines the word album. From the first chord in shine, to the dae out on it's all over, you realise you have been in a place were very few albums take you. This album will hit you emotionally, those been shine, lead me upstairs but also you have the happier one's like wisdom and a century ends. this album will make you apprciate music at its finest, and also it should give you respect for a man who deserves so much more. There is not one song on this album which is terrible, and every song is fantastic. if you have not heard this album then you need this, its almost like medication. a century ends is an album quite frankly of the century