Glenn Jones :: The Giant Who Ate Himself

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Glenn Jones continues his unbroken winning streak of sublime solo guitar LPs with his latest effort for Thrill Jockey. Jones’ intricate playing has perhaps never sounded better, recorded by Laura Baird with a richness that makes the listener feel as though he or she is getting a private performance from the guitarist. And the compositions on The Giant Who Ate Himself are gorgeous, as per usual, with Jones mining a deep vein of fingerpicked gold. The songs seem to be elegies for a disappearing America, whether it’s the title track’s thorny meditation on John Fahey, or the darkly mournful currents of “The Last Passenger Pigeon.” There’s a sadness present in every note, but never without a touch of wonder. Dig the LP’s closing track, “The Sunken Amusement Park,” which coasts along with equal parts melancholy and joy, ripples on a pond extending ever outward. “Everything Ends” is another song title on this wonderful album — but maybe, just maybe, Jones’ music suggests, everything also begins again. words / t wilcox

Glenn Jones :: The Sunken Amusement Park

3 thoughts on “Glenn Jones :: The Giant Who Ate Himself

  1. Thanks for this! Sounds great, just ordered the vinyl. This is how my dad taught me to play the guitar, helped me learn the notes in a chord. Or course reminds me a bit of James Blackshaw and Leo Kottke. Thanks for sharing.

  2. I’ve just received this and I’m looking forward to listening to this later today. His relatively recent work has been sublime.

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