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Vienna Teng — Augustine
Album: Inland Territory
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1125









Released: 2009
Length: 3:03
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Oh my god
What have I done
Chasing some mirage in my Mojave sun
Don't say every chance is lost,
Please don't say anything at all

In sand and thorns
I'm walking forth
Bare and blinking as the day that I was born
Bells in spires of China white
Ring for an Augustine tonight

Oh now, I'm breaking down
Oh let me be
Let me be your Augustine

Lead me now
I understand
Faith is both the prison and the open hand
Bells on low on high
Will you ring for Augustine tonight

Oh now I'm breaking down,
Every illusion in between
All the lies that I have seen
Oh let me be your Augustine
Comments (193)add comment
 Enness wrote:

I'm trying to figure out what puts me off Vienna Teng slightly, and the only thing I can come up with is that her music is over-produced and overly polished. Not the worst sin, but I think there's too much external gloss there to feel the authentic artist coming through. Am I alone in this? 



Yes, you are alone in this. She's wonderful both on record and live.
 timothy_john wrote:

"I thought any woman singing and playing a piano was ripping off Kate Bush” hmm try saying that to Nina Simone …last seen with her Tesco bag @ Ronnie Scotts 
:D


I was referring only to the rather voluminous comments here at RP.
I'm trying to figure out what puts me off Vienna Teng slightly, and the only thing I can come up with is that her music is over-produced and overly polished. Not the worst sin, but I think there's too much external gloss there to feel the authentic artist coming through. Am I alone in this? 
 meatmike wrote:

Bill,
I wonder if these artists know you're continuing to introduce folks to their music years after they've released it.
I hope you know you're doing this for us.
Thank you for Vienna Teng.



Yeah, I came to Vienna Teng via RP, too. She's a terrific car sing-along recording artist. 
 dwhayslett wrote:

Wait, I thought any woman singing and playing a piano was ripping off Kate Bush.
 

But only Vienna Teng has also worked with massive databases.
"I thought any woman singing and playing a piano was ripping off Kate Bush” hmm try saying that to Nina Simone …last seen with her Tesco bag @ Ronnie Scotts 
:D
Saw a great show with Vienna Teng and Alex Wong. Much better than the Tori Amos show, hands down. I find them quite different.
Bill,
I wonder if these artists know you're continuing to introduce folks to their music years after they've released it.
I hope you know you're doing this for us.
Thank you for Vienna Teng.
 dwhayslett wrote:

Wait, I thought any woman singing and playing a piano was ripping off Kate Bush.
 

It does sound quite a lot like a Tori song.
 Tsunamie333 wrote:
New Tori Amos ???
 
Wait, I thought any woman singing and playing a piano was ripping off Kate Bush.
New Tori Amos ???
She's great. This song is stunning. Which I think is 8.5? Thanks RP! Merry Xmas Everyone. Happy Holidays and 2019!
PLEASE SIR
MAY
I
HAVE
ANOTHER
{#Bananajam}
This reminded me that today -- the first Sunday in May -- is the Water Hill Music Festival in Ann Arbor. Water Hill is a neighborhood north-northwest of downtown Ann Arbor that is home to lots of musicians. On the first Sunday of May every year, the musicians put on porch concerts and people can just wander from house to house to listen to music. For free!

What does this have to do with Vienna Tang? She either still lives or once lived in the area and has been known to perform in the festival. 
 aspicer wrote:
This is SUCH a Tori influenced song - I can never hear this and not think it's Tori Amos....be nice to see her be more subtle in reflecting an obvious influence....

 
{#Yes}
 LizK wrote:
Creative segue from the Beatles {#Drummer} to Victoria -  Starring the drums, then the voice.    

 
Agreed.  it takes a special song to follow Abbey Road and Bill nailed it.  Again. 
This is SUCH a Tori influenced song - I can never hear this and not think it's Tori Amos....be nice to see her be more subtle in reflecting an obvious influence....
Creative segue from the Beatles {#Drummer} to Victoria -  Starring the drums, then the voice.    
Not to distract from the endless debate about John Galt and the meaning of his universe...I'm continually amazed by the power range of Teng's voice—everything from a primal shout to a closet whisper. She's the real deal.
 Lazarus wrote:

"we"?  Do you speak for all poachers?  Are you schizophrenic?  Are you just a thug?

As Cynaera said to the poacher—

Um, kiss my ass, Poacher.... RP sucks because of people like you.

 


  

Of all the things in the world that suck, RP is NOT one of them. 
such a beautiful song with lovely piano voice and drums ....really love it what can i say.....keep on rocking girl Vienna{#Clap}{#Heartkiss}
 Lazarus wrote:

This really is a great song...  love it...

Chris Kluwe: Here’s what’s wrong with Ayn Rand, libertarians

So I forced myself to read “Atlas Shrugged.” Apparently I harbor masochistic tendencies; it was a long, hard slog, and by the end I felt as if Ayn Rand had violently beaten me about the head and shoulders with words. I feel I would be doing all of you a disservice (especially those who think Rand is really super-duper awesome) if I didn’t share some thoughts on this weighty tome.

Who is John Galt?

John Galt (as written in said novel) is a deeply flawed, sociopathic ideal of the perfect human. John Galt does not recognize the societal structure surrounding him that allows him to exist. John Galt, to be frank, is a turd...

 
Great. So not only do we have to put up with your endless repeat posts in a Narcissistic dribble of green. . . we now get the kind of shite links that got you thrown off the main forum boards. For the love of everything decent - please stop. 
Love her voice. Clear and lovely and delightful. 

soooo beautiful, profound, and emotive...  love this marvelous song...
 
It is a nice song - I keep trying to hear it for who she is and all I can hear is Tori Amos (but without the great piano and orchestration).... I will not perseverate on this - just my final peace.  ;-)

love this song...

LORENZO:
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze
By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet
Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods;
Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage,
But music for the time doth change his nature.
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

—William Shakespeare
Merchant of Venice
Act 5, Scene 1

 
Great song.  Few songs i would recommend just on lyrics...this is one...great poetry
The 3.5 year old gives this an eight.  I think that's a bit overrated, but there's no arguing with this kid, so 8 it is.
SWEET. A perfect voice. Mysterious, thoughtful music. 

Everybody in my church loves this song...

 aspicer wrote:
She has MUCH to thank Tori for.....too bad she did come up with this sound before her - it might then be more worthy of respect.  Still a pleasant tune however.  But I'll take Tori over this any day - much more talented and soulful.

 
 
Tori 1980 onwards, Vienna 2000s, but Kate 1970's. 
Vienna, I love this song so much...I'll post twice.
Song of the new century?  {#Notworthy}
 Hannio wrote:


If only.  Kate Bush made and continues to make interesting music.  Vienna sings nicely and her piano playing is good, but her music is in the end pretty forgettable.
 
Have to say I agree with Hannio, Proclivities, and Ziggytrix.  Enjoy listening to Vienna Teng and own a few of her albums.  However, it is ultimately pretty forgettable for me (except for "Passage", find myself singing that to myself from time to time, hmm).

Also, I'm not familiar with Augustine, but I was expecting to hear Tori {#Shhh}

-logic (who is fully aware that his work is derivative of Hannio, Proclivities, and ziggytrix)
 Proclivities wrote:

Ground that Kate Bush trod upon over thirty years ago?
 

If only.  Kate Bush made and continues to make interesting music.  Vienna sings nicely and her piano playing is good, but her music is in the end pretty forgettable.
 ziggytrix wrote:


Really?  I find this song very derivative of Amos' work.  Teng pulls it off, and puts her own touch on it.  But they're both treading familiar ground, IMO.

 
Ground that Kate Bush trod upon over thirty years ago?
Love the lovely. She has a sweet, sensuous, crystalline voice and great arrangements. 
I love Vienna Teng so much, but it's songs like this that I wish she could just belt it all out.
 fredriley wrote:
This song might be related to Augustine of Hippo, a Christian saint who famously declared, in his youth, "Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.", on account of his wrestling with the 'sin' of lust. Which goes to show that even saints can be horndogs :)

 
Some people want lust, but incontinence?
She has MUCH to thank Tori for.....too bad she did come up with this sound before her - it might then be more worthy of respect.  Still a pleasant tune however.  But I'll take Tori over this any day - much more talented and soulful.

 
 ziggytrix wrote:


Really?  I find this song very derivative of Amos' work.  Teng pulls it off, and puts her own touch on it.  But they're both treading familiar ground, IMO.

 
Derivative because she's a woman that plays piano? I see very little similarity between the whacko Amos and the delight of Teng...but, yeah, go on and feel that woman and piano thing makes sense...what do I care.
Well it is not horrible, what a pleasant surprise.
Love this lady.  Thanks, Bill!
Just slipped back home from her show at Freight and Salvage in Berkley. Oh the lovelynessess of Vienna.
Methinks thou dost speak in code, brother.
Party on!

 
romeotuma wrote:


Only 18 to 24 are here right now...  we be very careful with our fires...  hope you are having a lovely Sunday...  love this song...

 

 


This song might be related to Augustine of Hippo, a Christian saint who famously declared, in his youth, "Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.", on account of his wrestling with the 'sin' of lust. Which goes to show that even saints can be horndogs :)

 romeotuma wrote:


Right this minute, 42 people...
 
 
I've been told that the fire marshalls in Vegas are pretty lenient about the codes, but unless your room is the size of a convention center, you'd probably better shoo a few of those people out. {#Roflol}
 romeotuma wrote:


Right this minute, 42 people...
 
 
yikes!

 romeotuma wrote:

Everybody in my hotel room loves this song...
 
 
how menny iz dat?

 rabaak wrote:
I enjoy almost all of her songs that I hear on RP.   Another artist that I never knew about before I started to listen to RP.
 
Put me in that column too. {#Yes}
 aspicer wrote:
Nice......AND....it would be great if it had ANY originality.  Maybe she should JUST do Tori Amos covers? Then at least she would be authentic about the music she is playing?!
 
must be relying on the aberrant name. (WTF is a vienna teng, anyway?)


Nice......AND....it would be great if it had ANY originality.  Maybe she should JUST do Tori Amos covers? Then at least she would be authentic about the music she is playing?!
Thank you for playing something other than Blue Caravan.......
 kingart wrote:
Music like great cheesecake: SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET and LUSCIOUS. 
 

Not sure that is a compliment.{#Naughty}
Music like great cheesecake: SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET and LUSCIOUS. 
 coccyx wrote:

lu-hu
sser-her

 
This is Vienna Teng, not Beth Orton.

I love this woman's music, her writing, her voice: 10.
I've bumped this up to 9.  It's really growing on me! {#Music}
 romeotuma wrote:


excellent...

 
 
As usual romeo, I agree totally with your taste in music.  Excellent indeed. {#Yes}

{#Hearteyes}
 rabaak wrote:
I enjoy almost all of her songs that I hear on RP.   Another artist that I never knew about before I started to listen to RP.
 
exactly! I remember, when I heard first time another song of her - "Drought", right here on RP.
I enjoy almost all of her songs that I hear on RP.   Another artist that I never knew about before I started to listen to RP.
Funny...before I got to the comments about volume....I TURNED it WAYUPPP!!!!

I really like Vienna Teng - quirky, driven, and a little bit off the grid. (I'm noticing a lot of really offensive comments lately - who ARE you people, and what are you doing in Paradise, apart from making it a little less fun?)
I have not been so inspired by a song since Enya's Book of Days.  This song just really makes me feel really really good.  A masterpiece. Yes, it truly is good for the ears.
I think romeotuma likes this song...

Vienna Teng makes some great music, but I find it a bit of a downer if I listen to too much in a row :)  I have to kind of agree with the Tori Amos comment below on this song, I thought "Tori Amos" when I heard the first few bars.  I haven't gotten that vibe from any of Vienna Teng's other work (I'm not a big anti-derivative-bigot though).
 romeotuma wrote:


We just turned the volume wayyyy up...  this song rocks...  love it...

 
 
Beware - it's not good for the ears to have the volume too high!!

 ckcotton wrote:
still not good

 
Fixed.

 George_Tirebiter wrote:
stunning......{#Music}
 
It sure is! {#Bananapiano}
still not good

 ziggytrix wrote:


Really?  I find this song very derivative of Amos' work.  Teng pulls it off, and puts her own touch on it.  But they're both treading familiar ground, IMO.

 
Must be why I don't care for it

Goodness.... sooo uninteresting
stunning......{#Music}
4 {#Arrowl} 6
Loving this time and time again... just makes me shiver with its strength
 Jazbo wrote:
7-8
 
me too
 usernameshateme wrote:
For about 2 seconds I thought it was Tori Amos, but it is DEF not her. Vienna Teng is more original of course.{#Biggrin}
 

Really?  I find this song very derivative of Amos' work.  Teng pulls it off, and puts her own touch on it.  But they're both treading familiar ground, IMO.

So elevating...!
 Stingray wrote:
Bill and the soft girls...!
Sometimes for me too - certainly not this one!
NOOO (convincing) MELODY!

PS
Read the other critics! They leave me stunned!
Such music moves nothing - nothing at all in me!
I want think about girls, when hearing music...
hearing her reminds me to my Granny instead!
 
Don't like your Granny?
7-8
 lmic wrote:
oh and by the way, she has a Computer Science degree from Stanford.
 

Let's see.  Musically talented.  High academic achiever.  Asian.  Another stereotype reinforced.
New Vienna. Kick Arse!
this gets stuck in my head for days and I walk around the house, the kitchen, the street singing "OH..NOW....breaking down!!!!"
And yet again, Bill throws another artist at me that I know nothing about, but sends me scurrying to emusic to learn more.  Thanks!
 Stingray wrote:
Bill and the soft girls...!
 
she has quite a strength for being a "soft girl", stingray

Mmmmmm orange tang...
Bill and the soft girls...!
Sometimes for me too - certainly not this one!
NOOO (convincing) MELODY!

PS
Read the other critics! They leave me stunned!
Such music moves nothing - nothing at all in me!
I want think about girls, when hearing music...
hearing her reminds me to my Granny instead!


For about 2 seconds I thought it was Tori Amos, but it is DEF not her. Vienna Teng is more original of course.{#Biggrin}
I'm seeing Vienna and Alex in a very nice local venue on Friday! Yay!!
 romeotuma wrote:


This song just gets better and better every time I hear it...
 
I'll go with that!
she wont
I like what I hear. How is the rest of this album?
romeotuma wrote:


This song just gets better and better every time I hear it...

I can do naught but concur...


Lots to enjoy here.......PJB, yo' the man!
oh and by the way, she has a Computer Science degree from Stanford.
 Mandible wrote:
Dude, RP plays this song and it gets stuck in my head for days. I'll just start singing it out of nowhere and I don't even know half the lyrics.
 

haha i love my mandible!

 Wizzuvv_oz wrote:
quite a good song, I agree.  I was also wondering about the Augustine reference.
?
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine

Love her whole style, the banging piano, the beautiful voice, the crescendos, the oblique lyrics.....awesome
Sorry, seems a bit derivative to me...too much "A channelling B" for me
The piano is reminiscent of Keane
 whtahtefcuk wrote:
Over played and Lame
 
Sort of like your juvenile handle{#Rolleyes}
I'm liking this more and more... just upped it from an 8 to a 9...
 Mandible wrote:
Pretty, but what does it mean? Why does she want to be "your augustine"? What's the Augustine reference?
  quite a good song, I agree.  I was also wondering about the Augustine reference.
?


Dude, RP plays this song and it gets stuck in my head for days. I'll just start singing it out of nowhere and I don't even know half the lyrics.
 whtahtefcuk wrote:
Over played and Lame
 
GAWD! If you are going to criticize a song could you at least be a little creative, or is that beyond your limited intellect. I suspect that is the case because anyone who thinks this song is lame must be lacking in grey matter.

Very sweet
Over played and Lame
Love this song, but there's a small background production effect in the first part that sounds like a cellphone going off.  Thought it was mine at first.  
 t00lur wrote:
not so good to be overplayed 
 
Not overplayed at all.  What's the problem? 
 romeotuma wrote:


We always turn the volume up when this song plays...  one day this song will be a classic...
 
Well said.

not so good to be overplayed 
Great song! My only complaint is that it's not 8 minutes long.
cool cover cool chick! Excuse me I gotta listen!
makes me tear up. Does anyone else have that kind of kind heart or good heart or love!?

thanks.

Oh Yeah: Please do not forget : SMILE to your Heart! 
What a lovely little tune!  Nice!
I found out the other day that Vienna Teng is touring with Over the Rhine this fall.
 peter_james_bond wrote:

{#Rolleyes} Oh brother. Lad, when you were a youngster did a piano fall on your head? When you call this beautiful song 'crap', not only do you throw your credibility out the window from the 18th floor, you also; drown it in acid, hack, slash and stab it with a razor sharp sword, burn it with napalm, toss it under a train, and feed the remains to a pack of hungry hyenas.
 

A little harsh?  Well, I agree with you and Romeotuma's 20 posts that this is a surefire 10.

I think she gets better with each effort.


 Mandible wrote:
Pretty, but what does it mean? Why does she want to be "your augustine"? What's the Augustine reference?
 
Possibly it could be an obscure reference to having faith in something, as opposed to concrete proof...that's my guess.

See the age-old philospophical debate here: https://www.essortment.com/all/argumentsexist_rzgh.htm.

 whtahtefcuk wrote:
Better then Tori Amos... but still this is crap.
 
{#Rolleyes} Oh brother. Lad, when you were a youngster did a piano fall on your head? When you call this beautiful song 'crap', not only do you throw your credibility out the window from the 18th floor, you also; drown it in acid, hack, slash and stab it with a razor sharp sword, burn it with napalm, toss it under a train, and feed the remains to a pack of hungry hyenas.
Better then Tori Amos... but still this is crap.