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USE THIS BLOG TO POST: Music Reviews |
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ARTIST: Dusty Springfield SONG/ALBUM: Dusty In Memphis GENRE: Pop RATING: 9
It was Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun who had the idea. After hearing Dusty Springfield’s soulful take on the Goffin & King tune “Some Of Your Lovin’,” he thought, “Why not send Dusty down south to record with Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd?” It had worked like a charm for another of Ertegun’s divas, Aretha Franklin.
Springfield arrived at American Studios in Memphis with a bag of what she later called “left field” material. Aside from a few gritty R & B songs, such as “Son Of A Preacher Man” and “Breakfast In Bed,” she brought a Randy Newman ballad (“Just One Smile”), a Bacharach & David sophisticated number (“In the Land of Make Believe”) and an arty Michel Legrand theme (“The Windmills of Your Mind”).
The sessions didn’t go smoothly. Dusty felt intimidated by the setting, and her shy and painstaking way of working - one line at a time - was at odds with Wexler and Dowd’s more natural methods. Tempers flared. Ashtrays flew. At the end, Dusty was convinced that she’d delivered a disastrous recording. She refused to listen to the album.
And initially, the critics agreed. But time and distance has revealed this to be a masterpiece. An unlikely meeting of slinky Memphis funk, classically-influenced string arrangments and sophisticated material, all fused together by Springfield’s supremely soulful voice.
Re-released by Rhino in 1992 with a heaping plate of extras and lost recordings, this is an essential building block for any record collection. Posted December 5, 2006 8:43 AM | | |
ARTIST: Amos Lee SONG/ALBUM: Supply and Demand GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Smart, old-school soul music is making a comeback on the pop charts thanks to the rise of artists such as John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Van Hunt. Philadelphia native Amos Lee is certainly part of this latest neo-soul wave, but he comes at things from a different angle, creating music that is also deeply rooted in the folk and singer-songwriter movements of the 1970s. He’s certainly got a bit of Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers in him, but he also draws inspiration from the likes of James Taylor, John Prine and Neil Young.
Lee’s latest album, Supply and Demand, marries these influences with a seemless, easygoing panache. You can hear the soul in Lee’s rootsy falsetto and in the blues-and-gospel guitar and piano lines that propel most of the music. But the songs also ring with catchy pop hooks and the sort of smart, down-to-earth, obversational songwriting that marks the best modern folk.
The opening track, "Shout Out Loud," is the highlight – a wry, hummable tune, whose very catchiness belies its ironic, alone-in-a-crowded world lyrical message. There is topical folk, too, particularly with the song, "Freedom," with it’s deceptively simple, yet powerfully relevant message about the dangers of forcing one’s view of "independence" on another.
And, of course, there are love songs. But as you might expect, Lee approaches these from fresh angles. "Careless," for example, seems at first like a standard poem of betrayal. But Lee puts a spin on the tale, writing the song from the perspective of a man who throws away his relationship with his brother over the love of a woman. Posted December 1, 2006 3:50 PM | | |
ARTIST: Tony Bennett SONG/ALBUM: Duets - An American Classic GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
At 80, Tony Bennett remains a picture of youth and vigor, a timeless classic of an American singer with an indefatigable capacity to turn the perfect phrase and swing. His latest project is an across-the-generations duets album that teams him with some of the top names in contemporary pop music, singing selections from the Great American Songbook. Bennett, of course, is intimately familiar with this material. Tunes such as “Lullabye of Broadway,” “Smile,” “Put on a Happy Face,” “The Good Life” and “The Best is Yet To Come” have been a part of his repertoire for more than 50 years. But are his younger partners on Duets – An American Classic up to the task?
Happily, most of them are. Bennett and Paul McCartney put a sly, romantic spin on the Ray Noble ballad “The Very Thought of You.” Elton John adds a Rat Pack-like flair to “Rags to Riches,” which Bennett took to No. 1 solo way back in 1953. Piano man Billy Joel shows off his own flair for sophisticated phrasing, dueting with Bennett on “The Good Life,” while Bono adds a boozy charm to “I Wanna Be Around.”
Other highlights include a swingin’ take on “Lullabye of Broadway,” with the Dixie Chicks adding their own harmonious kick. Pure jazz fans will dig the smooth, finger-snapping sophistication of the Bennett/Michael Buble rendition of “Just in Time,” and the swinging sass of the Bennett/Diana Krall take on “The Best is Yet to Come.” Posted November 12, 2006 1:25 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Linda Ronstadt SONG/ALBUM: We Ran GENRE: Pop RATING: 6
The world of pop music is a very different place than it was back when Linda Ronstadt made her debut with the Stone Poneys. And Ronstadt, to be sure, is a very different artist, having moved from country, rock and R&B to big band, Broadway, Mexican, children’s recordings and back again in the ensuing decades. In the beginning, Ronstadt joined Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Laura Nyro, Grace Slick and a small but hardly silent cadre of female artists in reshaping the sounds of pop and rock in the ‘60s and ‘70s and, by example, paving the way for the Lilith Fairs of the future. Ronstadt brings her career full circle on We Ran. What is surprising here, though, is her choice of a producer: Glyn Johns, best known for his work with The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Clash. Where in the past Ronstadt was apt to tend even to the smallest detail, on these sessions she surrendered almost total control to Johns. The decision meant that Ronstadt could focus more on what she does best -- namely, demonstrate a vocal power and range that remains well beyond the reach of most of her peers and disciples.
The list of songwriters who contributed material to the album is indicative of Ronstadt’s search for songs that wouldn’t sound silly coming from a woman whose rock ‘n’ roll days are behind her. Among the standout tunes are John Hiatt’s restless rumination "When We Ran" and intriguing companion pieces by Bruce Springsteen ("If I Should Fall Behind") and Bob Dylan ("Tom Thumb’s Blues"). It’s also hard to find fault with the musicians who accompany Ronstadt. The cast features several old friends, including the Eagles’ Bernie Leadon and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, who, with Johns’ assistance, prevent We Ran from sounding like something it could easily have become, a purely sentimental journey. Posted November 9, 2006 4:20 PM | | |
ARTIST: Dana Cooper SONG/ALBUM: Miracle Mile GENRE: Pop RATING: 6
When veteran singer-songwriter Dana Cooper performs "In My Living Room" on Miracle Mile, and thus whimsically evokes the early and innocent days of rock’s British invasion, anyone who witnessed the pop phenomenon first-hand probably won’t be much concerned with separating fact from fiction. Somehow, everything about Cooper’s remembrance of pop’s past rings true—everything, right down to the trademark palette of orchestral colors used by the Beatles’ legendary producer and arranger, George Martin. While nothing else on Miracle Mile is as instantly nostalgic as "In My Living Room," evidence of Cooper’s craft is evident. He writes from a variety of perspectives, alternating soul-searching soliloquies, such as "Standing In My Own Way," with vividly drawn narratives and vignettes, such as "Sleep Of The Innocent" and "Out Of My Misery." The latter lyric has a twist that a honky tonk George Jones could sink his teeth into — “I’m putting you out of my misery,” warns Cooper.
But if a lifetime of songwriting has taught him anything, it’s to be mindful of the danger of being too clever for your own good. As a result, Cooper has developed a highly personal tone as a writer, expressing himself with refreshing candor and resorting to neither cheap jokes or glib sentimentality to connect with his growing audience. The fact that he’s blessed with a voice that tunefully complements his sharp folk and pop instincts is the listener’s good fortune, as is the crisp production given this album by Nashville producer Josh Leo. It’s worth noting that Lyle Lovett, the author of so many similarly well-crafted songs, and Irish vocalist Maura O’Connell, a tireless performer of first-rate material, also lend their considerable talents here.
Posted November 9, 2006 4:01 PM | | |
ARTIST: Lisa McCormick SONG/ALBUM: Right Now GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
For Lisa McCormick, many years of hard work paid off out of the blue when ‘70s folk-rock legend Jonathan Edwards stepped into a tiny club where she was playing and happened to catch her show. Two weeks later, he called to offer her a contract with his label, Rising Records. And McCormick’s sometimes rocky path to success suddenly got a bit smoother. With Right Now, this New England-based singer/songwriter drew rave reviews. Produced by Edwards, Right Now gets much of its smooth, polished sound from a top-notch cast of back-up players, including guitarist Duke Levine from Mary Chapin Carpenter’s band. Edwards also pitches in on lead guitar, percussion, harmonica, mandolin and backing vocals. But overall, it’s McCormick’s powerful voice and disarmingly honest lyrics that command the listener's attention.
By her song titles alone -- "Sex and Consequences," "Gotta Go," "Bored," "Cars, Cars, Cars, Relationships" -- it’s clear McCormick is adept at tackling both the big issues and minor set-backs of everyday life with equal doses of humor and grace. Says the artist: “Honesty, inquisitiveness and a sense of humor are primary tools in my work as a performer.” McCormick proves that successfully on this impressive collection. Posted November 9, 2006 2:41 PM | | |
ARTIST: Johnny Mathis SONG/ALBUM: Merry Christmas GENRE: Pop RATING: 8
Posed in front of a painted winter backdrop and decked out like a skier, Johnny Mathis looked like a fresh-faced kid when his first holiday album cover was photographed. In fact, Mathis was only 23-years-old when he recorded Merry Christmas with the Percy Faith Orchestra in 1958, one year after he'd become the biggest selling pop vocalist in the U.S. Listening to this record, it's easy to understand his phenomenal success. His trademark sound -- soaring range, amazing breath control, a violin-like tone, and clipped, perfect enunciation -- makes his voice the ideal instrument for these holiday standards. And his choice of material is impeccable. "The Christmas Song" may be most closely identified with Nat King Cole, but Mathis' version could hardly be more lovely. When his breathy, hushed vocals glide up and down the melody without a hint of effort, the effect is soothing and sublime. On "I'll Be Home For Christmas," his voice floats over a gauzy string section and imparts a dreamy sense of longing to the lyrics. And on "O Holy Night," as the music builds into a glorious crescendo, Mathis delivers the concluding lines with as much power, control and passion as opera's greatest tenors. Posted November 9, 2006 2:32 PM | | |
ARTIST: Guy Lombardo SONG/ALBUM: Enjoy Yourself: The Hits of Guy Lombardo GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Where will you be this New Year's Eve -- out battling the millennium throngs, or at home, safely barricaded behind closed doors? Should you choose the latter, why not spend time with Mr. New Year's Eve himself, Guy Lombardo, whose performances of "Auld Lange Syne" were themselves a classic tradition for more than half a century? On Enjoy Yourself: The Hits Of Guy Lombardo, the band leader and His Royal Canadians play their signature song with all the panache you'd expect them to have after fifty years of practice. But one tune alone isn't enough to justify an entire album.
While, the other 15 songs may not be as well known to today's listeners, they were some of the most popular recordings of their time. "Red Sails In The Sunset," "Seems Like Old Times," "Harbor Lights" and other tracks evoke a much more innocent age, when couples took to the dance floor without hint of the turmoil that lay ahead. Sure, this album sounds dated. Sometimes, though, that's comforting. Guy Lombardo's style is nothing like the pop music of today. It's quaint, it's hopelessly square, and it's totally devoid of trendiness. But that's what makes it so special. This record sounds as if it's being played on an old Victrola in your grandparents' living room. Posted November 9, 2006 2:12 PM | | |
ARTIST: Valerie Ghent SONG/ALBUM: Unstoppable GENRE: Pop RATING: 5
As soon as you hear her music, you'll know Valerie Ghent is a product of her environment. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, Ghent's thoroughly downtown sensibility colors every track of Unstoppable, the debut release from this keyboard virtuoso and studio wizard who's worked with some of the biggest names in the business, from R&B legends Ashford & Simpson, to avant-garde composer Laurie Anderson. For her first solo project, Ghent decided to take complete control of the reins, founding her own record label and assembling much of the album in her home studio. She also wrote, arranged, performed and recorded these 11 songs with longtime friend, Jimmy Biondolillo, co-producing. "We didn't really have the finances to record basic tracks in a 'real' studio," she says. "So Jimmy pushed me to record as much as possible right here, where there was no pressure. Later on, I traded many hours of engineering time to gain access to outside studios, where I could record my vocals and add the guitar, bass and drum overdubs."
Those touches, plus the evocative accompaniment of a Russian accordionist on one track, are proof that Ghent has learned an important musical truism: that technology is most effective when it's paired with skilled performers and genuine human emotion. "Jimmy encouraged me to do much of this album myself and, most importantly, to have fun doing it," she says. And that's what ultimately comes through -- a spirit of self-reliance and exuberant creative freedom. After years as a sought-after behind-the-scenes player, Ghent finally stepped forward here to showcase her own considereable talent as a solo artist.
Posted November 9, 2006 1:51 PM | | |
ARTIST: Natalie Cole SONG/ALBUM: Stardust GENRE: Pop RATING: 8
Sure, there are great songs being written today. But when composers like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Hoagy Carmichael were at their peak, the music they created seemed spun from an ethereal gauze -- a luminous combination of elegant lyrics and unforgettable melodies that held fast against trends and time. Natalie Cole knows the appeal of those classic songs firsthand. The daughter of jazz great Nat King Cole, she grew up in a household filled with music, where legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Belafonte were frequent guests. Cole pays tribute here to that golden age of songwriting on Stardust, a 19-song collection of impeccable standards. It’s a chance she’s long savored, and an opportunity to wrap her voice around some of the best songs ever written. “All of these songs have a wonderful ambiance to them,” she says. “They kind of give you that warm feeling of someone putting their arms around you.”
In 1991, her critically acclaimed tribute to her father, Unforgettable, With Love, easily topped all of her previous successes. Her gorgeous time-travel duet with her father on the title track propelled the album’s sales over the 9 million mark and netted seven Grammy awards. Here, she’s recreated that stunning cross-generational effect with a second father-daughter collaboration on the lovely ballad, "When I Fall In Love." Whether crooning a half forgotten gem that she’s rescued from near-obscurity ("Where I Go Without You"), or bringing new life to a familiar chestnut ("Let’s Face The Music And Dance"), Cole is never overshadowed by the innate beauty of these tunes. Posted November 9, 2006 1:22 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Ella Fitzgerald SONG/ALBUM: A Swinging Christmas GENRE: Pop RATING: 8
Maybe you've never pondered which holiday records you'd want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island. But if pressed to respond to such a far-fetched assignment, Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swinging Christmas would have to be high on your list. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Fitzgerald -- arguably the greatest female jazz vocalist ever -- would have recorded what many consider to be the greatest Christmas album ever. But it's still a complete delight to hear her sailing through this well-rounded collection of seasonal classics. Recorded in a three-day span with backup by the Frank DeVol Orchestra, this 1960 performance captures the singer in her prime. On "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," she's loose and limber, with impeccable timing that's right on the mark. On "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," she sounds coy and innocent, and yet brings a grown-up subtext to the lyrics. And on "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," her virtuosity is flat-out amazing. Near the end of the tune, with the band cranking at full force, she unleashes an octave-leaping bluesy vocal riff that could knock Santa Claus right out of his sleigh.
Posted November 8, 2006 4:15 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: Todd Rundgren SONG/ALBUM: The Very Best of Todd Rundgren GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Years before Todd Rundgren fell in love with his computer and became a full-fledged techno-geek, he was busy supplying '70s pop radio with some of its most buoyant hits. Like so many commercially successful artists, most notably Joni Mitchell, Rundgren would eventually move on to more sophisticated styles, and in the process dismiss his earlier work as "simplistic fare." Decades later, maybe it really does feel that way to him. But for fans of unabashed pop, Rundgren need not apologize. As a solo artist, and with his band Utopia, he lit up the '70s with hit after tuneful hit, starting with the impossibly catchy and often misunderstood "We Gotta Get You A Woman" (Rundgren swears the line, "They may be stupid but they sure are fun" does not refer to women, as most people think it does). A multi-instrumental genius, Rundgren proceeded to write and perform nearly all of the tracks on a succession of irresistible singles, including "Be Nice To Me," "I Saw The Light," and perhaps his most enduring pop single, "Hello It's Me." In the subsequent era of sampling, tape loops and often tuneless hip hop, Todd Rundgren's uncanny gift for melody has come dangerously close to becoming a lost art. Posted October 28, 2006 2:12 PM | | |
ARTIST: Ron Sexsmith SONG/ALBUM: Other Songs GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
On Other Songs, Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith’s impeccable sense of melody makes it impossible to stop humming these tunes, despite their unassuming presentation. But this collection, a follow-up to his equally impressive debut, also confirms his standing as an insightful lyricist who, like the best painters, can depict emotionally complicated scenarios with a few simple brush strokes. An unabashed fan of '60s and '70s radio, his knack for buoyant pop can be heard on "Nothing Good" and other upbeat tracks. But much of the album is rendered in a subdued palette of muted horns and mournful steel guitar, a contrast that makes the optimistic tone of songs such as "Thinly Veiled Disguise" and "It Never Fails" even more affecting. And on his most delicate tunes, such as "April After All," a hushed lullaby, or "Pretty Little Cemetery," a meditation on life’s transience, Sexsmith’s winsome, vulnerable vocals challenge us to lean in and listen closely to observations that quietly unfold like an epiphany. Also recommended: Nick Drake - Way To Blue: An Introduction To Nick Drake; Chet Baker - The Best Of Chet Baker; Elvis Costello - The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions.
Posted October 28, 2006 2:04 PM | | |
USER: jules USER TYPE: Reviewer ARTIST: David Gray SONG/ALBUM: White Ladder GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Welsh singer/songwriter David Gray had been dazzling critics for years with his lush songs of introspective longing and his gentle, melancholy vocals. But he'd never had the kind of breakthrough recognition that would have made him a household name. All that changed with White Ladder, Gray's fourth album. The album spent six weeks in the #1 slot on the Irish Top 30 charts, and was certified platinum six times over. The British music press also raved, comparing Gray to Van Morrison, and calling the release a "hymn to wonderment." So when Dave Matthews was ready to launch his own record label, he turned to Gray as the first artist he wanted to sign, having been a fan since stumbling across Gray's first recording, A Century Ends, in 1993.
Listen closely and you'll hear what attracted Matthews. From his epic, emotional cover of Soft Cell's "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," to his own "Babylon II," which closes out this gorgeous collection of songs, Gray envelops his acoustic-based music with electronic beats, gauzy strings and melodic guitar playing. And throughout White Ladders, Gray sings his passionate, personal tunes in what Billboard described as "one of the most hypnotic and underrated voices in music today."
Posted October 28, 2006 1:34 PM | | |
ARTIST: Marlene Dietrich SONG/ALBUM: The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich GENRE: Pop RATING: 6
Ernest Hemingway probably never set out to write a record review, but he inadvertently penned the perfect sound bite to describe Marlene Dietrich. "She also has that beautiful body and the timeless loveliness of her face," he wrote of the German femme fatale. "But if she had nothing but her voice, she could still break your heart with it." And break our hearts, she does, on The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich, part of Columbia / Legacy's fascinating Art Deco CD series. Immortalized in such screen classics as The Blue Angel, Dietrich was a thinking person's sex symbol whose husky Teutonic tones were thick with innuendo. In his insightful liner notes, writer Will Friedwald describes the screen legend as "perhaps the first performance artist," and then concedes that "psychology and seduction are far more important tools to her than the ability to hit notes." It's true: she's not a musical virtuoso. But her imperfections merely add shading to her complex character. One minute, she sounds like an exhausted but still defiant Berlin cabaret singer on "Lili Marlene." Then, on "Falling In Love Again," she appears adrift on a sea of her own emotions, too weak to stem her heart's tide. Redolent of cigarette smoke and dark German beer, this CD evokes the heady thrill of sexual tension, the gloom of existential angst, and the unbearable pain of unrequited love.
Posted October 28, 2006 1:16 PM | | |
ARTIST: Lorenza Ponce SONG/ALBUM: Imago GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
There's a whole world in the songs of Lorenza Ponce or, more accurately, in their arrangements. A veteran of Japanese new age star Kitaro's traveling band, Ponce (pronounced "ponce-say'') is a classically trained violinist. Her debut album, Imago, features both her playing and singing. Only four of the 11 tracks are instrumentals. Ponce's melodies are rooted in folk music, while her arrangements enlist electric guitar and programmed keyboards. They also use both Western and Eastern instruments to evoke -- subtly, yet pungently -- a universe beyond the violinist's classical background. Ponce's lyrics (co-written with her sister Rachel, Giovanni Fusco and others) visit such far-flung sites as Japan ("The Road to Hasadera") and Scotland ("Isle of Arran"). But her music doesn't conjure those places too literally.
The Celtic, Asian, and Middle Eastern elements in this singer/songwriter's music are blended imaginatively, creating something fresh and unexpected. "The Road to Hasadera" is characteristic of Ponce's approach. This song was inspired by Ponce's visit to a Japanese temple, but its opening vocal drone elicits India, while its distinctive percussion and sinuous violin counterpoint suggest the Middle East. The song captures Ponce's vivid memory of the rows of brightly colored statues that she witnessed at the temple. "I asked one of the resident monks what they were," she recalls, "and he told me this was the temple of unborn children, each statue represented a child. I was stunned. It was such a beautiful remembrance." Such exotic locations are summoned by the Golden Palominos' Nicky Skopelitis, who plays oud, baglama and electric sitar. But these foreign timbres are only a small part of the lush sound devised by Ponce and producer Mike Pela, perhaps best known for his work with Sade. For all its worldliness, Imago has a richly melodic style that's entirely Western. The multi-layered vocals of "This Town" as well as the title track are anything but austere.
Posted October 27, 2006 2:59 PM | | |
ARTIST: Dar Williams SONG/ALBUM: End Of The Summer GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Dar Williams' End Of The Summer was the start of something big for the then thirty-year-old singer-songwriter from New York. Big, vibrant and colorful, the album leaves a lasting impression. Having first made a name for herself in folk music circles as a performer with a flair for writing intimate, witty, provocative songs, Williams has managed to negotiate the transition from coffee houses to concert stages without compromising her craft or losing her core following. End Of The Summer affirmed her artistic growth, and her growing commercial appeal, with an expansive, band-driven sound that seemed to orchestrate her passion, poetry and even playfulness while marking a clear departure from her early days, when she made her strongest statements in sparse settings, using little more than her warm and supple voice to get her message across.
But then, Williams has always viewed the "folksinger" label, which has often been applied to her music, as a complement, not a constraint -- not unlike, for example, Bob Dylan or Shawn Colvin, a couple of other "folkies" who successfully made the transition from folk to pop. Besides, as Williams' cover of the Kinks’ "‘Better Things" attests, she's no stranger to rock, with its insinuating history and hunger for instant gratification. Perhaps this is why Williams sounds so comfortable in this new setting, collaborating with such luminaries as guitarist Bill Dillon (best known for his work with Peter Gabriel), multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (whose credits include work with Dylan and k.d. lang) and several other musicians who helped create a series of richly textured, sometimes rhythmically propulsive, arrangements. Still, Williams never loses sight of the fact that she is, first and foremost, a storyteller. Also recommended: Dar Williams - Out There Live, The Beauty of the Rain, My Better Self. Posted October 26, 2006 3:00 PM | | |
ARTIST: Natalie Merchant SONG/ALBUM: Live In Concert GENRE: Pop RATING: 8
Sometimes success isn't all it's cracked up to be. Not even the kind of multiple platinum success that Natalie Merchant enjoyed as a solo artist following her split with 10,000 Maniacs in 1992. Being in a band, she once famously observed, "was like having five husbands." As Merchant's popularity grew, she was thrust into performance settings that occasionally compromised her music and blunted her personality. She may look like she's perfectly comfortable performing in rock arenas, twirling on stage as if buffeted by abruptly shifting sonic winds; but in truth, her insinuating alto deserves to be heard in much smaller venues that flatter the human voice.
All of this no doubt had something to do with why Merchant chose to record her first live solo album, Live In Concert, at the Neil Simon Theater on Broadway. It doesn't hurt, of course, that the songs Merchant chose to perform here reflect both her sense of balance and adventure. Certainly her reputation as one of the great pop eccentrics won't be diminished by her choice of cover tunes, a deliberately odd assortment of familiar and obscure ballads that includes David Bowie's "Space Oddity," Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush," and Katell Keineg's "The Gulf of Araby." And just as surely, many fans looking to hear Merchant reprise some of her solo hits in a looser, more spontaneous fashion won't be disappointed by her performances of "Wonder" and "Carnival." Rounding out the collection is a somewhat Maniacal rendering of "Dust Bowl." Appearing with a six-piece band and guest vocalist Susan McKeown, Merchant keeps things simple and soulful, a sharp departure from her previous studio album, the high concept Ophelia. This time around the change of pace and venue allow Merchant to be herself in a way that clearly would have been impossible in a studio or a large amphitheater. Small wonder she sounds as though she's enjoying herself in these performances almost as much as the audience. Also recommended: 10,000 Maniacs, Unplugged; Natalie Merchant, Tiger Lily; Natalie Merchant, Ophelia. Posted October 26, 2006 2:40 PM | | |
ARTIST: The Jayhawks SONG/ALBUM: Smile GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
Lets face it. The very notion of the Jayhawks, those seasoned and justly acclaimed roots rockers, collaborating with producer Bob Ezrin, best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd and Lou Reed, is a bit hard to contemplate. What good could possibly come from such an unlikely alliance? The answer, in a word, is Smile, the Jayhawks’ sixth and most ambitious, accessible and revealing release. This is country rock writ large, brimming with lush harmonies, lustrous guitar lines and enough melodic hooks to keep you humming long after you've heard it. Longtime fans don’t have to look hard for familiar pleasures, whether enjoying the still firmly-rooted arrangements, or the smart, often evocative lyrics. But Smile has such a broad stylistic scope, it’s probably far more likely to appeal to a wider audience than anything the band released previously.
As it happens, the Ezrin connection isn’t all that odd when you consider that the Jayhawks front man, singer-songwriter Gary Louris, recalls Alice Cooper’s Killer as a core holding in his early record collection, or that the Jayhawks were ready for a change of pace after the low-key Sound Of Lies in 1997. “We tried to make this more of a rhythmic record,” says Mark Perlman, bassist and cofounder of the quintet. “We found a kindred spirit in Bob. We wanted people to lock into each song a little more subconsciously and immediately. We wanted to be more direct.” True to form, Ezrin seems to have offered plenty of advice. After the band sent him a tape of fifty songs, he apparently responded with a three-page letter outlining what needed to be done for the band to make the most of its material. According to Louris: "He forced me to do the nuts-and-bolts, hand-wringing, pacing-the-floor work to get every line to mean something.” Posted October 26, 2006 2:15 PM | | |
ARTIST: Shawn Colvin SONG/ALBUM: Whole New You GENRE: Pop RATING: 7
It would have been hard enough for Shawn Colvin to record a worthy successor to her 1996 Grammy-winner A Few Small Repairs if she had spent the intervening years exclusively focused on her singing and songwriting. But concentrating on music wasn’t a luxury she could afford, not after marriage and motherhood came to dominate her life. These life-altering changes had a profound effect on Colvin when she and producer/co-writer John Leventhal re-teamed to record Whole New You. Suddenly, Colvin discovered that nearly everything that came together so naturally during the sessions for A Few Small Repairs was now a source of frustration. The lyrics weren’t flowing, the vocals didn’t sound right, and both she and Leventhal (himself a new father at the time) soon found themselves suffering from sleep deprivation. In time, the frustration gave way to inspiration, and Whole New You, though not a sharp departure from its predecessor, began to acquire a shape and personality of its own.
Listeners who are fond of the folk-pop intimacy Colvin and Leventhal have become known for will be quite happy with this collaboration. The arrangements, centering on acoustic and electric guitars, are lean yet textured; and several introspective and dreamy ballads are nicely framed by buoyant pop ("Whole New You") and rock ("Bound To You"). Not surprisingly, some of the most interesting lyrics concern shifts in lifestyle and perspective. "A Matter of Minutes" underscores the anxieties that arise from sudden life changes and new responsibilities, while "One Small Year" examines the passage of time, and how it can play unnerving tricks on us. Some of the same themes are addressed on "Another Plane Went Down," albeit in a more startling fashion. A prime example of how Colvin and Leventhal complement one another in the studio is "Bonefields," which weds surreal lyrics about isolation and despair with an engagingly bright, colorful arrangement. A pair of memorable fictional characters --"Roger Wilco" and "Mr. Levon" -- help round out the CD and further attest to the power of Colvin’s undiminished imagination. Posted October 26, 2006 2:03 PM | | |
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