5 comments about Only Everything.

1. I'm almost impossible to please, and this girl has put out what has to be one of the best records of the last 15 years. Punch this one up and hit "checkout" right now!



2. Juliana Hatfield's last album for a major record label, "Only Everything" (there was one more planned, the legendary "God's Foot", but Atlantic refused to release it) is a bit of a mixed bag. Released 18 months after the brilliant "Become What You Are", the album finds Hatfield pushing in a number of different directions, some successful, some otherwise. The results are never bad per se (well, for the most part), but quite a bit of it is not particularly inspired.
   
   Mind you, the album starts off pretty well-- the first three songs are among the best on the record, from the immediacy of "What a Life", an upbeat, driven piece with a nice stream-of-consciouness lyric and a wall of guitars, the odd "Fleur de Lys" with its groove bass line and layers of thrashy guitars over which Hatfield sings in French, and the album's moderately successful single, "Universal Heart-beat". Opening up with a bizarre distorted guitar and frantic guitar intro, it moves into a Wurlitzer piano line nimbly performed by Hatfield for the verses with a downright pounding chorus and is one of the more unique songs in her catalog. Its odd keys sound however guaranteed it'd never be more than a moderate hit.
   
   But after that, the album rarely rises above mediocrity-- be it weak songwriting ("Dumb Fun", with admittedly stellar guitar playing), poor conception ("OK OK"), or just somewhat lifelessness ("Simplicity is Beautiful"). Again, none of it is particularly bad, but not much of it is particularly good. And while at least one piece is unnervingly brilliant and inspired ("My Darling"), the batting average is a lot lower than it was on "Become What You Are".
   
   Hatfield's career would take a dramatic turn after this-- she got into a well publicized arguement wiht her label over the followup to this ("God's Foot") which led to her breaking from major labels and (probably not coincidentally) an improvement in the quality of her music. This is a decent record, but she'd done a lot better.



3. This might be the best album I won. I bought it on a whim and have been blown away by it repeatedly. the songa have a great overdriven sound, lots of distortion but incredible tone at the same time. The song



4. I've loved Juliana since I was a kid. I remember the day my brother sent me a Juliana T-Shirt and this CD in the mail from Boston. I loved it then, and I love it now. Since then I've amassed quite a collection of her new and older work, and I still feel that this album is by far the best



5. "Only Everything" might possibly be the best, and most well-rounded "Juliana Hatfield" album. Overall it's very solid, and has a good mix of rockers and softies. The hit here was "Universal Heartbeat", and along with the surrounding tracks starts the album off with a bang. "Fleur De Lys" is at least partially sung in french, and has a good grungy feel to it. Other sweet songs are "Dying Proof", "Bottles And Flowers", and "Simplicity Is Beautiful", though I really like them all. I'd call this a must for fans, and a great starting place for newcomers. Her 1992-2002 collection is excellent as well.

5 comments about Prom.

1. As much as I love the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray's solo albums have blown me away. This is another amazing effort by her. Not as raw as her first ("Stag"), but still wonderful. It sort of takes you back to high school and she speaks so well to everything you hated about it!! Awesome.



2. Amy Ray is great as part of the Indigo Girls and but is equally great as a solo act. This is a fantastic CD. I didn't expect to like it as much as I like the Indigo's music, but I did. If you are a long time Indigo's fan, it is a little weird at first. It seems like something is missing (Emily), but then as it gets more familiar you realize she's fantastic solo. A little edgier, a little more hard rock. I bought this CD along with the new release from the Indigo's, Despite our Differences, and they've gotten equal airplay. Amy definitely knows how to rock solo or as a duo, you will not be disappointed with this one.



3. I love this cd so much! The lyrics hit right in the gut and the songs are set to beats that really reel you in. Put it out for good, cover for me and let it ring are my favorites but there's not a weak song on this album period. I love the stripped down sound, the high school choruses, everything. Amy, you're great!



4. amy ray is such a talented artist and i love all her music. i litsen to this cd all the time it never gets old to me...thats how great it is. i loved all her work with the indigo girls but shes good as a solo artist as well. all the songs are great from start to finish. so if you want to support some real music...then pick this cd. you wont be disappointed trust me.



5. Game on, this is good stuff! To be honest, I wanted to like Ray's first solo Stag a lot more than I did, which is why I walked, not ran to Prom, But then that was before I caught the Indigo Girls last summer, where Ray and her mandolin wowed the crowd with the anthem Let It Ring. It was the first time I'd heard it and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
   
   The theme throughout is pretty obvious, it's called Prom, after all. But it's also pretty obvious that you didn't have to grow up queer in small town rural America to feel like a freak. The sentiments of adolescent angst and isolation are universal, after all. But beyond waxing poetic about adolescence, there are some great cuts offering stories of love's trainwrecks and dissatisfaction with the music industry, as well.
   
   This album is less gritty than Stag and the sound is a lot more refreshing and graceful than you might expect. This outing is to Ray as All That We Let In is to Indigo Girls.
   
   The album showcases the elements we've come to expect from Ray and the Indigo Girls: unflinchingly honest lyrics coupled with uncompromising musicianship. Those are rare commodities in today's music industry. Unleash your inner awkward teenage/freak/geek self and enjoy the Prom.

5 comments about Picture Perfect Morning.

1. I bought this album in early 1993 and yet it wasn't until 1996 when I "discovered" it's wonderfulness.
   
   I bought it simply because it was Edie Brickell. I played it long enough to scan (not play) most of the songs on the album and then put it among my many other cds and forgot about it.
   
   Years later I pulled out the disc and played it. I was thoroughly amazed!!! Only two of the songs are striking in their introductions... which makes them deceptively lush and beautiful. The songs are true compositions which require the listener to pay attention from beginning to end to appreciate the incredible tones, instrumentation and lyrics of each song. Particularly the second half of the album, which can almost bring tears to my eyes if I allow myself to fall deep enough into the music.
   
   "And when the plane flew through the rain, it shook the wings and people screamed. But I was so sure that I'ld see you again, I was not afraid of anything." - This lyric in and of itself is deceptively wonderful as only when taken with the hauntingly serene accordian (and other instruments) does the vibrance and brilliance shine through.
   
   Rarely can such a frighteningly realistic song as "Lost In The Moment" convey such warmth and loveliness, in spite of the starkness of the story. And yet such contradictory loveliness shines throughout the album.
   
   Unquestionably it can never be mistaken as an equal to "SHOOTING RUBBERBANDS..." or "GHOST OF A DOG." Never as lighthearted and simple as they and never as dismissable. This album is never a collection of songs and should never be evaluated as such. This album (though not a concept album) is a woven fabric of musical highs and lows, ebbs and flows that sneaks up on the listener with a tidal wave of musical brilliance that crests with a whitecapped rush. Edie Brickell created a truly "Picture Perfect" album... morning, evening or otherwise.



2. Another wonderful offering from Edie Brickell. If you're a fan, you'll want to enjoy it often. She never fails to please. And it's always a pleasure to have the bonus of Paul Simon along for a part of the ride.



3. If you've ever heard a song by Edie Brickell then you know how comforting her voice is. This is one of HER best CDs. My favorite song is "Green" - each song has a story to tell and will make you smile. It's a great cd to listen to as you relax or even lay on the beach. Make sure to add this cd to your collection!



4. I have listened to the song "Good Times" a million times, and I can't stop thinking it's Smokey Robinson. Listen to the long "goodbye" as she sings "I don't wanna say goodbye", and the way she sings the word "little" in "I want a little more".
   
   But, as I say, I have listened to it a million times. The whole album is good, but this one song is worth the price of entry.



5. Edie Brickell has a voice that is hard to describe. It can be cutting an edgy at times, but here on this record its soothing and seems to gel perfectly with the music in each of the songs. While this alblum may lack a # 1 smash single, it is a very likeable record with nearly all of the songs being quite easy to listen to. Starting with the jump start of "Tommorrow Comes" and ending with the playful "Lost in the Moment" this record continues to showcase Brickell as a steady force in women's pop rock. Hard Times, Green, and When the Lights Go Down are just a few of the fine tracks here. A record you can enjoy listening to multiple times with ease..without having to constantly press skip on your disc changer!

5 comments about The Alternative to Love.

1. Brendan Benson's "Alternative to Love" can simply be summed up as brilliant. I am, admittedly, fairly new to Benson's work, but had a surprisingly lovely introduction to it the first time that I listened to The Raconteur's "Consolers of the Lonely." As a recently converted member of the International Church for the Reverence of the White Stripes, but nevertheless, hopelessly devoted to the great Jack White, I had bought COL looking to satisfy my ever-growing thirst for more White material. However, I emerged from the experience more intrigued by the other leading man, Benson, than solidified in my love for Jack White. Benson's music has been called "power pop" and has most often been compared to that of the Beatles. The mood of Benson's music is most certainly Beatlesesque, however his melodies soar higher and what they lack in a certain tonal edge that the Beatles' music encompassed, they make up for in biting lyrical wit. That is not to say that Bensons' music is not catchy; it certainly is, but it also has a wistfulness to it. For it is not simply Benson's infectious melodies that make his music pleasing and lasting, but more so, it is his ability to deliver a stinging punch of a wide number of multifarious emotions while maintaining a fairly mellow musical facade that makes it so uniquely powerful, and even haunting. A brilliant bard whose voice seems to have been stifled by bigger names in the industry that have reached their ascension more quickly (and perhaps more cheaply) Benson truly is an unsung hero (no pun intended). The certain sense of longing that is intertwined in the threads of his melodies make the songs in which they are found bittersweet in nature, yet that much more heartbreakingly passionate, and (for that matter) that much more endearing. Bravo, Mr. Benson.



2. This disc came up in the best of 2006. Certainly it is in my top five. Always wanted to have a listen but had no access to the net. This album features a smooth, seamless and loveable singer songwriter in the peak of his talents. it really is a four and a half star CD and will be worn paper thin before too long!



3. This CD is one of the few that my husband and I both love. Highly recommended!



4. This stuff isn't that good. There are a couple Cars-eque rockers that are cool but other than that I don't see what the big fuss is about? At the end of the day Benson's work is all mediocre. This is another case of "famous friends" association and hype. Save your money and pick up some classic power pop.



5. Oh, how I love Brendan Benson. His album Lapalco will always be my favorite, but this is probably his best. He has taken his obsession with 60's pop, a John Lennon complex, and a corky voice, and created a sound that the phrase "powerpop" doesn't even begin to describe. The vocals on this album match Pet Sounds (...almost)! I want to isolate tracks, but it's almost impossible. Everything is OBNOXIOUSLY catchy and makes me want to sit down and write a great pop song.

5 comments about The Very Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

1. Costello has had a long and distinguished career as a singer/songwriter. In fact, he is such a good lyricist that like Bob Dylan, his talent sometimes is overlooked. I believe this CD gives a good survey of his early to middle work. One of my favorites here is 'Good Year For the Roses.'



2. "Elvis Costello" was a name I always heard, but I never really made a point to listen to his music. Then I got this disc, and now I often make the point. These 22 songs are incredible, and I wish I gave them a chance sooner. I was also suprised by how many songs I knew, even if not by title. This includes his hits "Alison", "Watching The Detectives", "Pump It Up", and "Everyday I Write The Book". But what's really great, is that most of the other tracks are better. "Oliver's Army", "Man Out Of Time", "New Amsterdam", and "Brilliant Mistake" are amazing. It's hard to believe this is out of print. I guess people will have to get the 2-disc "Very Best Of Elvis Costello" instead, which I assume may be twice as good.



3. "The Very Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions" contains some infuriating omissions--I particularly miss "No Action" and "The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes," not to mention "Almost Blue"--but this is probably as complete as a one-disc collection of Costello's best can be. Costello has written some of the best tunes of anyone in the entire rock era, and as a lyricist puts the lie to the considered opinions of Alan Jay Lerner, Sammy Cahn, etc., who insisted that all rock songwriters were illiterates. Songs such as "I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea," "Oliver's Army," "Radio Radio," "High Fidelity," "Alison" and "Every Day I Write the Book" are a treasure trove of incisive wit, cynicism and tenderness. Meanwhile, I understand there's also a two-volume "Very Best" that is probably the better buy, but this will more than do if your funds and time are limited.



4. I hate greatest hits collections. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate them. The idea that an artists entire career should be compressed down to 15 or so pop singles disgusts me. However, as this is the only Elvis Costello album i own to date (but not for long), I have to review this one. Before listenin to this i was fairly familiar with Elvis Costello, through radio, the internet and what have you, and had always told myself that i would buy one of his cds when i came across one [inexpensive] enough. After receiving this as a gift recently, ive decided not to wait that long, and have changed "when i find a cheap album" to "as soon as i have any money at all, regardless of what bills i have to pay at the time." His work is really that good.. its a pefect blend of punk, pop, and soul, without trying too hard to be either one. The songs are very catchy, and the set is very complete;it really is the kind of artist anyone could enjoy, regardless of taste. I recommend that you get one of Elvis Costello's other cds for yourself, (seeing as you've made the effort to look him up already), and buy this for a friend who maybe isnt as musically open as you are. They'll thank you. You know its good, and so do I. ;)



5. So I'm listening to the radio station at work, and "Watching the Detectives" comes on. Now, Elvis Costello had never made a big impression on me -- he was always off in the periphery of my attention, being smarmy and intellectual and lightweight (perceptions I've since abandoned). At the end of the second verse I hear the lines "I don't know how much more of this I can take/She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake". And the hair stands up on the back of my neck. And I get a chill down my spine. And then at the end of the song, when he sings "Even if it took a miracle to get you to stay/It only took my little finger to blow you away", I jumped out of my chair and did cartwheels down the hall (okay, not really... but I felt like it). And I thought to myself "This is what good pop-songwriting is supposed to be: catchy, upbeat melodies that, upon closer inspection, hide ridiculously morbid but lucid imagery". Reminds me a lot of the Police's best singles ("Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne", "I Can't Stand Losing You"). Mania hidden behind faux-reggae rhythms.

   So I get the album for that one song, only to discover that it holds several more nuggets, some of which I am semi-familiar with but never paid close attention to. "Allison" literally hurts to listen to, it's so close to the bone. In the vocals to "I Don't Want to go to Chelsea" you can hear Elvis' snarled lip and clenched teeth. "Radio Radio" has great energy (and is fun to bang out on a guitar). "What's So Funny...?" brushes off the idea that a pop-song needs to rhyme, and is so good you think Elvis actually wrote it himself (kudos to Nick Lowe, who is the most recent addition to my list of favourite pop-bass players). "Everyday I Write the Book" gets caught up in crappy '80's-style production, but manages to be beautiful nonetheless.

   So it's apparent that I'm an Elvis-newbie, and have spent much of my time with this album listening to only the popular singles. I admit it. And why not? They're all great songs. That's what a greatest hits album is for: a quick introduction to an artist's work, which should eventually lead to an immersion in their whole catalogue. Anyway, what I've found so far is pretty damn good. And I should mention that the Attractions were a great band, off of which thousands of derivatives were spawned in the eighties.

5 comments about Nine Objects of Desire.

1. This is one of the most wonderful CD's I own. I have two more of her CD's on the way, just waiting for delivery.



2. This is one of those incredibly under-appreciated albums that shows that true art and poetry are still being created. Suzanne proves that love songs can be incredibly mysterious with the use of strange settings and metaphors. "Honeymoon Suite" has a haunting tone, which is so rare in more recent pop music. "World Before Columbus" is my personal favorite (and one of my all-time favorite songs). With wonderful metaphors, it deals with everything from world history and greed to love and a desire to live and feel more deeply.
   
   Other passages delve into fears, darkness, and issues of mortality (e.g. "Birthday," "Headshots," and "Tombstone"). "Thin Man," I discovered, refers to the skeletal "figure of death" (i.e. the Grim Reaper) mentioned in the liner notes. The song is remarkably similar in imagery to Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." These themes are balanced, though, by periodically upbeat and jazzy songs, some with racy overtones (e.g. "Caramel" and "Stockings.") As always, Mike Visceglia's base-playing and the other instrumentation are as good as it gets. It is difficult to imagine a more beautifully written and arranged single-disc album.



3. After 99.9F, which I consider her greatest CD, I wondered how Suzanne could pull off another spectacular record. She did it with this one. It's reminiscent of 99.9F, but not as industrial sounding. The rhythms here are a little more interesting and FINALLY we hear songs that are obviously about her own perspective (e.g., Birthday, Honeymoon Suite, World Before Columbus). Her lyrics on this one are no longer mysterious and open to multiple interpretations. There are a few missteps, however, and this album has the distinction of containing the only Suzanne Vega song I hate: Lolita. What was she thinking? Also, Casual Match has a decent verse, but the chorus is completely unaffecting. Otherwise, this is one great CD.



4. I love this CD! It's great when your relaxing at home with a cup of coffee. I'm only nineteen and I don't usually listen to this type of music. It's very easy listening. Caramel is my favorite and probably the only one I've really listened too, but I can let the CD just play while I'm at home and every song is nice.



5. This was Suzanne Vega's second album produced by Mitchell Froom. There is a great variation in moods and styles and Froom obviously has a great skill of giving Vega's songs inventive arrangements without ruining them with over-production.
   
   This album is a natural follow-up the very experimental album "99.9 F" which had a lot of odd sounds and rhythms. You find quite a lot of the same things here, but the overall impression is that of a softer and more refined album.
   
   What make Suzanne Vega's albums so good is the songs and her soft voice; what makes her albums great is the perfectionism in which the songs are arranged and produced. Both elements are present on this album, which may very well turn out to be her most satisfying and enduring.
   
   A handful of these songs would have fitted nicely into "99.9 F"; "Birthday", "Stockings", "Casual Match", "No Cheap Thrill" and "Lolita" . Among them my favourites are "Stockings", with great sensual lyrics, "No Cheap Thrill" and the almost heavy "Birthday".
   
   On other tracks a more refined touch is apparent. "Caramel" is a latin-inspired great tune with a tasteful hornarrangement. "My favourite Plum" is another memorable song with a beautiful string arrangement. "World Before Columbus" are "Honeymoon Suite" two acoustic songs with Vega playing the guitar. I particularly like the thought-provoking lyrics of "Honeymoon Suite".
   
   "Headshots" is another favourite.
   
   Least appealing are the jazzy track "Tombstone" and the riff-based "Casual Match" and "Lolita"

5 comments about Hey Babe.

1. For many, the best album Juliana Hatfield ever did, I've always found "Hey Babe" to be thoroughly lacking, particularly in comparison to later work. After several years with indie pop outfit the Blake Babies, Hatfield's first album finds her largely without a voice unique from her former band. The music found on this album is a similar jangly pop, with some more alternative leanings pointing towards the future. But the album lacks two things that are so essential to all of her future albums-- her brilliant guitar playing is virtually absent on this album (Hatfield played bass in the Blake Babies and the Lemonheads) and her vocals totally lack confidence.
   
   It's little wonder then that one of my favorite pieces on the album features Mike Watt on bass and Hatfield on guitar, "Get Off Your Knees". But while the execution is great, the piece itself is marred by weak songwriting. In fact, this is another problem throughout the album-- the pieces on here are largely weak compared to her later material ("The Lights", "Forever Baby") and in many cases are so forgettable that when I'm not playing the record, I can barely recall them ("Lost and Saved", "No Answer").
   
   Of course, it's not all bad-- Hatfield is far too good of a songwriter for that-- "Everybody Loves Me But You" is largely the pinnacle of her jangly pop, and there's a superb bass sound on it (although the vocal would be a lot better if it had any confidence behind it). "Nirvana" and "Ugly" point the way to the future-- the former with its compulsive alternative guitar crunch and glittering chorus, the latter as the first pretty ballad without that jangly sound by Hatfield-- a vehicle she'd return to over and over again throughout her career.
   
   Juliana Hatfield would do much better work in the future, this album is clearly a bridge between the Blake Babies and her solo career. Interested parties should start with the record's followup, "Become What You Are", one of her best and most accessible albums. This is more a curiosity piece than anything else.



2. Can anybody write songs like Juliana? her tunes are the best out there. On her first solo disc she has come a long way from the Blake Babys days, the songs are harder and better than the Blake Babys tunes. The sweet vocals are great, she's dropped the little girl sound from the Blakes and sounds much better now. While not quite the masterpiece that Only Everything is, it's not very far off. The bass and guitars are excellent, the vulnerable and personal lyrics are good too, with solid producing throught the entire disc. Every song on the disc is good with a wide variety of tunes that don't all sound alike like alot of discs do. This can be played over and over and is still just as good each time it's played, The Lights is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. A must have disc, they don't get any better than this.



3. I've owned this album for a long time, and it still remains one of my favorite. From the catchy first track 'everybody loves me but you', this album draws you in. Some of my fave tracks are i see you, no outlet, forever baby, and one of the greatest songs to wallow in your self pity to... ugly. The song nirvana is an ode to everyone's favorite grunge band, and pretty much sums up my ideal girlfriend. If you are sick of the same old poppy girl rock, and can think for yourself, pick this up NOW!



4. this is a cool cd, and "the lights" is the best song, it always puts me in a good mood...



5. It was easy post-blake babies to assume a pop-happy LP from Juliana --- but less so to believe that such an item would withstand repeated listenings. Hey Babe does all that and more.

   With the BB reforming in 2000, things have indeed circled - JH has the new double plus CD, John P Strohm is doing so well solo and Freda seems happy with Lola, one may think 'why trouble'? Answer: just great music.

   With HB, JH really spoke with her own pure voice. Everything in this recording is personal if not perfect - this is the most real, depthful, JH album - even if others seem more so.

   I guess she's like an angel, to some people...

   ... but that's going to change, soon.

5 comments about Revelling/Reckoning.

1. This is an amazing album. The new songs are exciting. The typically grinding style of the old and new Ani songs are beyond expectations.



2. i love this album. at first, it sounded quite a bit like elevator music. it takes a few extra listens, i think, to really unfold it. but once you do, it's a feast for the ears and soul.



3. I enjoyed Ani's sound before Revelling/Reckoning was released, but I was not a serious fan. After several albums, her folky sound was starting to bore me... even the live releases were becoming mundane. After several jam sessions, spoken word rants, and live guitar strum tantrums, I started to wonder, "Is this the only thing that such an innovative musician is willing to experiment with? When is Ani going to put a spin on her sound?"
   
   Then I heard Revelling/Reckoning, and got what I wanted with songs like "O.K." and "Heartbreak Even." The horns and flute create a fabulous blend with Ani's style of guitar playing. I was pleasantly surprised with the sophistication of the music. It sounded like a sweet fusion of jazz and folk, not an experiment gone wrong.
   
   I find it appalling that so many Ani fans have looked down upon this album with contempt. It is fresh, funky, and still full of the things that Ani fans love about her...
   
   Fierce Flawless brings you back to the "righteous babe" feeling that Ani's music tends to induce. Marrow is there for those of us who appreciate Ani's ability to twist and mold the English language like play-dough.
   
   Obviously, Revelling is my favorite CD out of the pair, but both pieces of the album compliment each other. Ani DiFranco is a very talented musician. Revelling/Reckoning was a bold step away from her "norm", but it was a step in the right direction.



4. what is it with these people reviewing ani's albums and bitching about ani's left-wing politics and how that makes the albums go from great to just good?!?!
   
   other than her great song-writing ability and ultra-personal lyrics that strike a chord with listeners, what makes ani ani is her unapologetic criticisms of mainstream and conservative politics...... i dont think she'd appreciate knowing that some of her "fans" are apparently politically apathetic and complacent.... It's one thing if you don't agree with her politics, but the impression i get from these reviewers is that they'd rather live in a self-imposed bubble where they can view life through rose-colored glasses. if you want that go listen to avril lavigne or someone equally as vapid.
   
   other than that though i am one of those people that prefers her earlier stuff. I dont think she pulls of this jazz/fusion direction she's taking, there aren't hooks to the songs and her lyrics just don't carry the same punch that they used to.



5. This album contains everything that I love about Ani diFranco. And everything that infuriates me about her.

   Let's start with the bad news: the unadulteralted rinky-dink left-wing whining is in full force here. "Your Next Bold Move" is SO full of potential, but it alternates thoughtful writing with drivel about the plague of Reagan and Bush or the left wing being broken or... god, I don't know, just a lot of political ranting that diFranco doesn't even try to dress up as art. And much later comes "Subdivision," which starts out "White people are so afraid of Black people that..." Gee, thanks. Tell me something I don't know...

   But then -- bam! Interspersed with this self-indulgent political nonsense are some of the greatest lyrics my ears have ever had the pleasure of hearing. "Garden of Simple" and "School Night" just blow me away; she must have sold her soul to come up with those metaphors. The "back" button on my car's CD player is now worn out because I repeat these two songs so frequently. And then there are so many other great images scattered throughout the rest of the album ("her Picasso face twisted..." is a favorite).

   Ani, how could you sing a line like "you are a party and I am a school night," such a sweet, simple and PERFECT metaphor, and then give me drivel like white people are so cared of black people that white people have to live in subdivisions? AAARGH.

   But still: you have to respect this woman. If I had nuts, I'd give my left one to be half the writer she is.

   SO: GET THIS CD. Then master your own version, and treasure it forever. The really good stuff here should fit easily on one CD. And, oh, that one CD should have "School Night" and "Garden of Simple" twice each.

5 comments about Stop All The World Now.

1. I got this for a gift for my friend. She likes it so I'm happy.



2. This was a present for my mother in law,came on time and looked new.



3. Think for a minute about all your favorite songs and albums. Now think of how few you own about which you can say you really like every single song. How rare is it for you to put in a store-bought CD and not have any desire at all to skip a single track? This album is one of those really special experiences for me. Oddly enough, it didn't start out that way. I didn't love every song the first time I heard it - some of them took a while to worm their way into my heart. But now this is one of the few albums where that I listen to without ever going anywhere near the Skip feature! It goes into the ranks of Sarah McLachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy", Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or "Momentary Lapse of Reason" and Nina Gordan's "Tonight and the Rest of My Life". I highly recommend you give this album a try.



4. Howie Day is one of the most underrated singers out there! This album is amazing! My favorite is the one that is played everywhere and most often: Collide. It's beautiful and to me, it never gets old (which is rare!!)
   
   Highly recommended!



5. There are not many cd's that I can listen to over and over again, loving ALL of the songs equally, but Stop All The World Now is defenately one of them. Howie Day's music and vocals are just the right blend of familiar and nostalgic, yet captivating and thought-provoking. You can be in almost any mood while listening, making this the perfect cd for many occasions. I highly reccommend you give this brilliant rising artist a chance; he will be around for a long time to come.

5 comments about Gold Stars 1992-2002.

1. An odd compilation obstinately listed as a best of Juliana Hatfield but decidingly avoiding her early material, "Gold Stars" is nonetheless a good introduction to Hatfield's music and essential for fans due to the presence of seven unreleased tracks and one rarity.
   
   From her early records (all tragically out of print courtesy of Atlantic Records), there's one track from her debut, "Hey Babe" (standout "Everybody Loves Me But You"), a pair each from "Become What You Are" (singles "My Sister" and "Spin the Bottle") and "Only Everything" (single "Universal Heart-Beat" and "Fleur de Lys"). These are fairly representative of the albums and should provide a good introduction to her early material for anyone not familiar with it, and while I could complain readily about the track selection, it is what it is.
   
   The album also includes two tracks from her rejected album, "God's Foot". Atlantic refused to release the album, Hatfield tried desparately to reclaim it and failed, this is the first legitimate release of any of it. If these songs are evidenced, the album was filled with detailed arrangements and phenomenal songwriting. Hatfield felt it was her best work, and its failure led to her moving to independent labels.
   
   From her time on the indie labels comes one from the EP "Please Do Not Disturb" (the superb, powerful "Sellout") and two each from "Bed" ("Live It Up" and "Sneaking Around"), "Beautiful Creature" ("Somebody is Waiting For Me" and "Cry in the Dark") and "Total System Failure" ("Houseboy" and "My Protegee"). This is where I really feel quite contentious by the material selected-- a best of without the breathtaking ballads "Trying Not To Think About It" (from "Please Do Not Disturb") and "Close Your Eyes" (from "Beautiful Creature") seems a bit artificial, and certainly "Bed" outtake "Anemia" (released on the extremely rare Japanese release of that record) is among her best in my assessment, but this is all opinion, and these are decent tracks reasonably representative of the albums.
   
   The remainder of the recording is two covers-- The Police's "Every Breath You Take" as a churning alt-rock guitar-driven piece and a relatively straight cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"-- and four unreleased tracks from 2001 recording sessions. Remarkably, I didn't find any of these four to be particularly intriguing, although "Your Eyes" is probably my favorite of them.
   
   All in all, a reasonable introduction to Hatfield, though I'd dive straight into "Become What You Are" or "Beautiful Creature" (if you're a bit weird) rather than getting this.



2. She is rebel, she is intellectuall , she is romantic, she is ingenue, she is ironic, , every song is composed of these elements and its difficult to find a composer like her because the rest of the "woman who rock" just have one or two of the elements i mention but not juliana, she have it all you want to rock? Juliana gives you rock, you feel romantic? Juliana can sing about it, for every state of mind in this album you gonna find in Juliana your soulmate.
   HM



3. I know a lot of people have criticized Gold Stars because it's not the compilation of hits they expected. Indeed, Juliana put some new music on this cd and some songs that might not be considered "greatest hits," but I think the cd nicely captures her array of sounds. It's a great cd, even if it's not truly what one might expect. A lot of fans want to hear Juliana's old stuff and others want to hear her new stuff, and as the saying goes, "You can't please all the people..." She tries to please both sides, and give some new music to boot.

   The sound of this cd varies so much, it's really a pleasure to listen to, as it takes the listener on a ride first chronologically through Juliana's career, then melodically through her different styles. For anyone who is a Juliana fan or those just listening to her for the first time, Gold Stars is a great choice.




4. Upon first glance at the tracklist I realized I knew nothing after track 5. But curious about her later work I bought it and am very happy I did. I found all her songs up through the 2 covers to be just what I hoped for. It all starts out very "chick rocky" then starts to mellow as things play on. Good cover choices. New songs are not as good as the rest, but good. Of the songs I didn't know, I really like "Live it up" and "Houseboy". Both good JH rockers. So sure, it may be missing a few songs like all "hits" collections are, but whats here is 20 tracks that sound as good as she looks.



5. Considering how many wonderful songs Juliana Hatfield has in her catalogue that hardly anyone has ever listened to, this bizarre little collection makes no sense to me. Is it a singles collection? Then where is "What A Life"? Is it a "Best of"? Then where's "Don't Rush Me", "Addicted", "Might Be In Love", "I Got No Idols", "Choose Drugs", "Little Pieces", "Cool Rock Boy", "President Garfield", "Daniel", "Feelin' Massachusetts", and pretty much the entirety of "Bed"? Is it a bumper for the tiny "Please Do Not Disturb" release? Then where's "Get Off", "Trying Not To Think About It", "As If Your Life Depended On It", "Give Me Some Of That", and "Edge Of Nowhere"? Is it a proper release of "God's Foot"? Obviously not, nor is it a later day work compelation (where's Juliana's Pony?).So what do we have? Some singles, some B-sides, some bonus tracks, some covers, and a teeny bit of new material. Well look, if you're a casual Hatfield follower who missed these tracks on albums, I'd have to recommend it. You get all of the major radio hits, some lesser known gems, and a decent sampling of a great performer who's gone mighty underappreciated for a lot of years. Beyond that, I imagine all the hardcore fans have this stuff already, in one form or another. I do have to say though, that an affordable two-disc assemblage (think Rhino's "The Very Best of Elvis Costello") would have solved a lot of this release's problems.