Michael Penn

MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident
$11.98
A big fan of his first album, I was a little disappointed with his next two releases. Yes, they had a handful of awesome songs but I found them really incosistent. However, Michael Penn finds consistency again with MP4 - so much so that I rank this album as more impressive than his debut.

Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947
$7.99
I am completely entranced by the new direction in which Michael is moving. If you liked mp4, you might be surprised at the differences. I think that he is an artist who knows what sound he wants to achieve, and keeps working his way toward perfecting it. I would recommend this to any lover of great songcraft (and I want to marry Aimee [sorry Michael]).

Palms & Runes, Tarot & Tea: A Michael Penn Collection
$7.99
While it's hard to criticize this CD when Michael himself selected the tracks, I think the song selection missed the mark. Whether it's considered a greatest hits collection or a showcase for rare/alternate songs, there are absences I consider glaring. On the greatest hits side "Seen a Doctor", Free for All's first single, should definitely be on here. I'd argue that "Like Egypt Was" and "High Time" belong, as well as a Patrick Warren instrumental from one of the albums. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to see "Don't Let Me Go" included.

On the rare/alternate track side, none of the entries really impress. The new versions aren't terribly different. The non-album tracks aren't very interesting except for "Macy Day Parade", which I've been listening to for years from the Godzilla Soundtrack. And how could Michael leave off "Rising Steam" from the list of unreleased tracks? Surely there's a studio version somewhere. And live material would have been nice, too.

I give it three stars for the quality of the songs, but as a compilation it's hardly essential.

Resigned
$11.98
Michael Penn delivers again. I can't get enough of his and Aimee's music. A true match made in Heaven