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 Spooked.

1. I was a little lukewarm when I first heard this, thinking it atmospheric and pleasant but a little bland compared to his more rock-oriented albums. But over the course of a year, I find myself putting it on all the time, and I only like it better each time. The arrangements are both spare and warm -- everything feels well-considered and pointed. And though it is a funny album (as all of Robyn's albums are) he finds ways of making the silliness mean something. (Consider the last verse of "Demons and Fiends", and how it changes a bunch of odd-ball non-sequiturs into a wistful remembrance.)
   Full of loveliness. A great album.



2. If you have a penchant for moody, mysterious songs, ethereal vocals, and ringing acoustic timbres, you'll flip over this Robyn Hitchcock album. Backed by the brilliant duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (the latter also produced Spooked), Hitchcock spins an unpredictable web of psychedelic, bohemian, and folky sounds. Layers of understated guitar, Dobro, Wurlitzer, and percussion draw you in, while allowing Hitchcock's expressive voice and edgy lyrics to dominate the mix. Rawlings has a knack for crafting unusual guitar parts -- sometimes his 6-string drones like a dulcimer, sometimes it shimmers like a miniature piano. Though quiet, this album is intense, and snippets of odd sounds dart here and there adding an eerie vibe to the essentially acoustic tracks. Hitchcock's comic impersonation of an interplanetary tour guide keeps this dazzling work from getting too dark.



3. I was surprised at how warm this CD was after the rather detached coolness of LUXOR. Everything here is open, relaxed and comfortable. "Flanagan's Song", "Sometimes a Blonde" and "We're Gonna Live in the Trees" are classics. I'm not terribly impressed with "English Girl", but everything else more than makes up for one comparatively weak song. A must-have for fans of The Man, and for those who enjoy the alt-bluegrass sound.



4. Mature release from this longtime UK kook. Finally gets it right with one delicious hook after another. Perfect pop in the grown-up realm of Eno/Cale's Wrong Way Up and Leonard Cohen's Ten New Songs. A delight from start to finish.



5. "So haggard, and I don't mean Merle, I wilted before the English Girl." Absolutely classic.

5 comments about Stag.

1. being one of the biggest amy ray fans in the world, i am surprised to see that i had yet to review this one.

   stag is proof that amy ray can hold her own ground both as a musician and a businesswoman. not only did she write and perform all of the songs on the album, but she was the producer and is the CEO of the album's label (daemon). she did all of the mixing and mastering herself. and on tour to promote the album, she did her own driving, teching, and settling. amy is quite multitalented.

   the cd itself is out of this world. since its release date in march of 2001, i have managed to wear out six copies of this album. it is that good. her songs are very politically based and have many gender/sexual identity themes. from "laramie," an angry tribute to the town where matthew shepard was murdered to "lazyboy," which very well could have been an indigo girls song, there is not one cut on this cd that is lacking or subpar.

   with backing of some friends (but no, not emily saliers) including the butchies, 1945 (a daemon band), rock*a*teens (another daemon band), and joan jett, ray has prooven that she has what it takes to be an indigo girl and to do her own thing stag.




2. Amy Ray's "Stag" is an excellent set, diverse in its reach. The opener "Johnny Rotten" has Amy on mandolin in a sad tale of a brother gone wrong. "Laramie" explodes in an angry wash of electric guitar commenting on the crucifixion of a gay man on a fence post, "We hit snow on the road to Laramie, we all heard about that mess, but that town ain't no different than the rest." "Lucystoners" is a great rocker unleashing anger & energy, "Testing 1-2-3 in the marketplace, but it's a demographic base disgrace." "Late Bloom" is a thundering midtempo rocker with a passionate vocal and exceptional melody, "All that time that you were walking the line, well I don't mind, now I know." "MTNS of Glory" rocks vengefully, "Gonna miss being the boy, gonna miss being the man." The CD closes on high note with "On Your Honor," "Put away your hate." Amy Ray is letting loose on this solo set and produces some incredibly emotional, moving rock & roll. This is essential listening for any open-minded rocker. Enjoy!



3. This cd rocks! I picked this album up at an IG concert thinking of cool songs like "Shame On You" and "Romeo and Juliet". What I got was even better. More edgeier beats, more in-your-face lyrics, same emotion driven voice. I can see alot of group anthems coming from this project. My only complaint is the song "Lazyboy". Am I the only person who thinks the whistling is annoying? Yes, the instruments are a tad bit too loud, but to say you can catch a few words is an exaggeration. I understand her just fine. Music fans won't be dissapointed.



4. If you're an Indigo Girl fan, you've come to recognize the Amy/Emily differences: Emily seems to be the softer touch, a bit more humorous, while Amy has the rough edge and seems to go flat-out non-stop. Those expectations play out on "Stag", and they do so without disappointment. Hold on through the weak point of the album, (disappointing because Joan Jett contributed but the tune isn't one of the better ones), and you'll be impressed by the end.

   Criticisms are similar to others here: Too short - yep, when the music's this good, you simply want more. The mix hides the vocals - partially true, but that might be due to the harder distorted-guitar sound than the engineer, either way the songs are still great. I'm just hoping this won't be the beginning of the breakup of the Indigo Girls... if I was Emily, I'd accuse Amy of holding out some of the good stuff from their collaborative recording efforts!




5. I've been a fan of Amy Ray and the Indigo Girls since the begining. It caught me by suprise when Amy sucessfully branched out. From the minute I heard the first Hoot n' Hollerin' strains of "Johnny Rottentail" to the pounding ballad "On your Honor", I was hooked. Yes it did seem weird without Emily, but at the same it was captivting to hear Amy's talent showcased in this low-budget, fine, fine LP.

5 comments about Holiday Songs and Lullabies.

1. I had never heard of Shawn Colvin, but I like Christmas music, so I picked this up.
   
   Weak, thin, shaky voice with limited range. Commonplace arrangements.
   
   Feh. I have close to 100 Christmas albums of all kinds, and this is the second worst of them.



2. Almost 10 years after its initial release, Shawn Colvin's "Holiday Songs & Lullabies" wears well. "Chirstmas Time Is Here" goes down like a fine wine before the fireplace, "Snowflakes in the air, Carols everywhere, Olden times & ancient rhymes of love & dreams to share, Sleigh bells in the air, beauty everywhere." Colvin's delivery is timeless and wistful. She sings "All Through the Night," one of my favorite songs that is not often considered a Christmas song, but my family has often played it at holiday time, "Sleep my love & peace attend thee all through the night, guardian angels God will send thee." It's such a gentle lullaby with Colvin's tender reading. "Love Came Down at Christmas" is another sweet track, "Love be yours & love be mine, love to God and all of us." This quiet CD is soothing and gentle, a perfect disc to play while watching the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree. Enjoy!



3. OK, before any of you Shawn Colvin fans out there slam me, I want to tell you that I too am a huge Shawn Colvin fan, and I eagerly awaited this CD's release. I am also a huge Christmas CD collector.
   
   So I was very disappointed when I listened to this CD for the first time, and pretty much every time since. Shawn was 8 months pregnant with her daughter Caledonia (the Latin name for Scotland) when she sang these tunes, and it really shows. Her voice is normally high-pitched and delicate, but on these tunes it was downright weak and often atonal. Her rendition of In The Bleak Midwinter is particularly grating, as she shuffles through it like she's about to fall asleep. This is most unfortunate in the initial track on the CD, as it ruins the effect of the rest of the CD. Her tone is cheerier but out of breath and staccato in Christmas Time Is Here, and sounds syrupy. To me it is a sacrilegious cover of Vince Guaraldi's masterpiece. Maybe she's trying to sound hushed and gentle, but it's annoying. Many of the songs are sweet but forgettable, and the first two tracks ruin the entire disc for me.



4. Soft, beautiful songs sung by the great Shawn Colvin. Listening to these songs gives you a very cozy feeling. "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" is a classic.



5. I am a HUGE Shawn Colvin fan, so when this album came out, I ran out and bought it, as I do for every new album Shawn Colvin records. I also love Christmas, so I was doubly happy. Somehow, though, this CD never got much play. I like the songs - I think Shawn Colvin's renditions of old and new classics are beautiful - but it's so mellow, and I always preferred to pop in more upbeat holiday tunes.
   
   Flash forward to 2005, when I had my first baby. My baby was born on September 29, so just around the time when I wanted to get her used to sleeping through the night, the holidays were approaching. I didn't have any baby lullaby CD's, but I remembered this CD being titled "Holiday Songs and LULLABIES"! So I put it on, and to my amazement, it worked like a charm. This CD is now part of our bedtime routine every night. Usually, my baby closes her eyes by the middle of "Christmastime is Here", and then I let the CD finish so that it can help her fall asleep if she happens to wake up soon after being put down.
   
   I know most people reading these reviews are looking for recommendations in terms of Shawn Colvin's artistry. I do love the songs on their own - and would rate the CD 5 stars just for that - but I love them even more because of how they help my baby. If you stumbled upon this CD while searching for "lullabies" for your baby, this really is a find. Christmastime or not, this CD will be lulling my baby to sleep year-round!

5 comments about Evolve.

1. this is probably the first album i've picked up since ' little plastic castle ' even on little pastic castle, ani was changing: she had gone from being just a folkie with a guitar, to princess ani the ska queen.....her band also grew....you knew ani had arrived when prince played on one of her albums....
   
   
   ani's still folk, but her sound has evolved; it's more polished and sophisticated. i love the way she uses brass and wind instruments, especially on " oh, my, my, my;" " serpentine," is a semi spoken word song, which ani as usual, goes on one of her patened rants...." icarus," i also loved alot....as well as the title track and " second intermission." ani's always been a cool poet and her singing never fails to mesmerize, but i agree with some of the reviewers that she has become more about anger than agenda...she can be very dogmatic at times....and when i listen to music, i don't wanna be proselytized.... like most artists, she names the diesease, but doesn't come up with the cure....



2. I've had this album for several weeks, and I'm still not sure of my stance on it. I've listened to it about eight times, and I really think I don't like it. I want to like it, but I just feel that it's not the best than ani can produce. I know she has better. I think this album might be the product of so many releases... (26 albums and 3 EPs in 16 years? Ani, you might be overworking yourself. But then again, I know nothing) Anyway. I love it, because it's part of my never-ending ani difranco collection, but like I said, just not to ani's caliber.



3. I started listening to Ani in 1996. I immediately loved her music. The first song I heard was "Gratitude" followed by "Untouchable Face". I own all of her albums, excluding the spoken word ones, "Knuckle Down", and "Educated Guess". Ani was my very favorite musician from 1996 to 2003. I saw her in concert numerous times. She is an exceptional lyricist, and though some find her music to be harsh and her voice unappealing, I love her singing and instrumentals also. I loved every album that she released up to this one, including "Reveling/Reckoning," which some of her older fans didn't like.
   
   I hate this album. I find it horribly disappointing. Even if it weren't Ani it would be disappointing, but the fact that it is makes me dislike it all the more. It's depressing and boring. The lyrics are not up to her usual standards, or even the standards of a lesser artist. The sound is dull and unpleasant. She should have taken a long vacation rather than record this album. Her heart is so obviously not in it. It's forced and often incoherent. It's like she had nothing to say, but she tried to say something anyway. It's self indulgent and somewhat pathetic sounding, like she's complaining in a half assed way about something she isn't even clear on. I also think the instrumental aspect is overdone.
   
   After listen to this album a few times I found that not only did I never want to hear it again, but that I couldn't even listen to Ani's older albums for quite some time. That's how disgusted I was. That was my honest reaction. I just felt so ripped off and disillusioned. I know that some people like this album, and that is almost inconceivable to me, especially considering the quality of Ani's earlier work. I did not buy another Ani album again. I did listen to some tracks off of "Knuckle Down" and "Educated Guess" online, and I didn't like them either. I have only recently started listening to her pre-evolution works again.
   
   I would not recommend this album to anyone, Ani fan or not. It's just awful. Buy something released before 2003.



4. As is the case with most Ani albums in my opinion she's got a couple jems on there and that's about it. This album didn't even have many gems the one song that stood out (And really held it's ground.) Was the song Evolve itself. That tunes was almost worth the $18, and there are a couple other tunes that aren't bad but then the rest of it as is the case with all of her other albums is kinda bland.



5. I'm not going to compare this album with her brilliant previous efforts like "Dialate" and "Living in Clip"; it's quite obvious that Difranco is reinventing her sound (again), heading off in new directions and veering away from the 'grrrrrrraaaaarggh' sound that encapsulated her early work. It's also quite frustrating because it's desperately trying not to sound like' Reveling and Reckoning', but the effect is the same: an incredible blend of texures and complex metaphors ,all mixed and honed for maximum precision until it resembles a lyrical Concorde ready to rip through the clouds. Sadly however, this plane dosen't have any gas to speak of. There's no energy, no forward momentum, nothing to pull this thing along and keep the the album's EEG active. I'm not saying she needs a throbbing precussion or rythym section, but there's so much going on here, and so little moving it, that the listening experience is quite like running in place. Her live performances aside, Difranco has produced far lesser material than this, and excuted better, which come off sounding better than 'Evolve'.

5 comments about So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter.

1. is the funk. Ani 70's. Doin it with Horns. Talkin to the audience in a way that would enrAgE some. Dig important right on crusAder songs lliKe "Letter tO a John" aNd the first song..



2. I bought dialte and really liked it. I took a chance and bought this.
   Wow! I normally listen metal and rock. This has become one of my favorite albums of all time. I read some of these reviews and saying stuff like sloppy recording and other negative comments. Give me a break it's pure
   artistry. Ani un edited. The lady has an opinion and has something to say.
   The lyrics are great the musicianship of her and her band are as good as any. Every time I listen to it I hear something new. I'm guy and am touched to near tears on several songs and am not afraid to admit it. Gratatute and welcome to in perticular.
   This girl can get an emotion accross in a song like few can. So many styles combined. I needed some thing differnet and was bored with the same 50 classic rock songs and stations playing the same 20 new songs for 4 months. Just what I needed. Refreshing.



3. You MUST be a fan to enjoy this. One of the worst guitar sounds I've ever heard in a professional recording. I knew Ani was a love her/hate her performer, but a couple of her full acoustic songs I had heard weren't too bad. I got this record from Swaprocks.com (thankfully I didn't pay for it). Very disappointing. The songwriting is quirky, and the lyrics intricate, but didn't work for me. If you're sure you like her music you may have a better chance at finding this release enjoyable.



4. This album is amazing! I am a huge Ani fan and this double disc is one of my favorite Ani releases. It is a collection of a lot of her great songs[32 Flavors, Dilate, and my favorite, Jukebox] but with a funky spin. Every note is harder and has more emotion then the versions you will find on her CDs. She performs with her 6 piece band which is made up of some horns, keyboards, and a booming bass. A lot of the songs sound completely new because of the passion in the performance. It also has 3 previously unreleased songs on it. I strongly recomend this CD to anyone, from obsessive fans to first timers!



5. This album will do much to increase the "Ani is the female Dylan" hype. Like his Bobness, Ani often tries to reinvent herself, tours relentlessly, inspires loyal dedication in her fans and now (as this release proves) can't choose a good live set of tracks to save herself.
   
   I loved Ani's last live release (Living in Clip) which I picked up before I had the chance to see her live. I gave LIC four stars but then I had no point of comparison. When this release was announced I was looking forward to hearing some of the inspired versions of great songs that I had seen at live shows. Sadly the songs here do nothing to inspire the way "Clip" did and leave me fondly remembering concert highlights that for some reason were overlooked in favour of the dud tracks presented here. This is definitely Ani's version of "Dylan and the Dead" and is best overlooked in favour of the far superior concert releases avaliable on her official site.

5 comments about I Do Perceive.

1. Great listen. All of the music is very slow and easy. There are few tracks but all tracks are pretty long. A great CD to chill out with. If you like good music, and who doesn't? and you're not too high-strung, give it a try.



2. It's rare that I write reviews for a Cd, but listening to this album was like wow! I felt compelled to write something. First of all, i'm of a fan of American Football. I wish they had continued on as a band. Owen (Kinelsalla, however his name is spelled) is an awesome artist. This CD is one of the best purchase i made this year. This has a great guitar melody, amazing drums, and his voice is just purely innocent and sweet. Get this album if you like mellow-relaxing music.



3. 3 1/2 stars
   
   
   Progressively mellow songwriting elevates the usually emo-like lyrics as indie superstar Mike Kinsella's continual refinement of sounds continues. Fans of Deathcab owe themselves a look into this band's work, which offers a more complex version of that type of sound, guided through with controlled acoustic excellence.



4. I first heard owen a few years back and am yet to hear anyone who can even come close to his musical talent and ability to write the most beautiful songs.'accidentally' was the first song i heard and upon hearing it i froze. it was honestly that beautiful and emotional i was entranced. ever since then i have listened to owen constantly. mike kinsella (owen) has consistantly recorded masterpiece after master piece and all his albums are worthy of a purchase. i have influenced so many friends with owen and not matter what their taste, they have fallen for owen. i cannot stress enough how much you need this album and his others in your life. Mike Kinsella has set the bar at an unbelievable high standard and i cant see anyone writing better music than him.
   
   take my advice-buy this and his other 3 albums.



5. As you will notice, I did not give this cd a prestigious 5 stars. Do not let that detract you from buying it. Mike Kinsella displays, once again, that an artist can maintain a consistant style without becoming redundant. This is a great follow up to his previous ep. Yes, the songs are sad and miserable, however, that is the signficance of his artistry - the tales of betrayal and self transgressions are packaged beautifully in songs that woo the senses and show incredible mastery and skill over the instruments. The production on the album seems to be the only flaw. It is by no means bad, it's just different than previous recordings - not enough to hold me back from enjoying it. This is 4 stars SOLID and another delightful treat for the ears of Owen fans.

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 Live from New Jersey.

1. Words cannot describe....if you love Mr. Yorn the way I do, you will love this recording. There is some great dialouge along with amazing renditions of all your and my favorite songs.
   Pete...looking for a really good woman? Look no further.
   I'm such a rebel...I kill myself.
   That's sarcasm for the confused among you who might actually read this pathetic review. What am I doing writing reviews? A....Get a life Girl! Do guys actually say stuff like, "I want to run thru Moorland Fields with you"? Dude, I got my Nikes on...



2. I had never listened to Pete Yorn until this past Spring when a neighbor of mine played it at a get together. This is an outstanding live performance by any measure. A must-have for any audiophile, which I guess I consider myself to be. I purchased "Music for the Morning After" after I listened to this CD and, in my opinion, Pete Yorn is much, much better live. Similar to The Grateful Dead in that respect. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.



3. Anybody out there roll their eyes when you hear a music fan say a musical performer is better live than on CD? I did and still do when I hear people say that, as very few artists are truly that good in concert in my experience, then I heard Pete Yorn's Live In New Jersey; and my eyes stopped rolling.
   
   Coming on the heals of Yorn's forgettable second record Day I Forgot, Live In New Jersey is an entertaining showcase of this singer-songwriters folk rock appeal. The first highlight of the album, Pass Me By from Day I Forgot, indicates the level of live performer Yorn is as instead of starting out with songs from his more lauded debut effort Musicforthemorningafter, Pass Me By is unleashed into a dazzling rollicking rocker that Yorn didn't quite get right in his original studio recording of the song. Hearing Pass Me By immediately throws the rest of the concert up in the air as all of a sudden a previous PY dud seems to have a few shots of sparkle thrown into it.
   
   From that unexpected starting point, the set on Live In New Jersey reveals an awareness by Yorn of what songs truly excite his audience. Come Back Home, the first single off Day I Forgot, seems to have been in fact forgotten by Yorn, as it's not on Live In New Jersey (It was also not played at the two Pete Yorn concerts I have since attended) showing an artist comfortable enough to listen to his audience. Meanwhile the set-list makes room for album cuts such as Long Way Down, Closet and All At Once with more songs coming from Yorn's first record. Also a few spirited covers are added to keep the proceedings moving.
   
   A reason for the CD's quality comes in Yorn's introduction to the previously unreleased Bandstand In The Sky, a song written in response to the passing of Jeff Buckley. Instead of being a downer, a good time version of the song is rolled out that Yorn refreshingly acknowledges to his audience is slightly changed so to be better live. Such audience awareness differentiates Yorn as instead of being an overly serious singer-songwriter, his embrace of being a live performer lifts his live experience into that rare meeting of great craft with great showmanship.
   
   Even the slower song June has an audience clap along heard revealing Yorn to be continually committed to engaging the crowd. This showmanship turns Live In New Jersey into perhaps Pete Yorn's best current CD showcasing a consistent set-list from an emerging talent with songs that often do sound better live than their original studio versions. Excuse me while I stop my eyes from rolling, it's a knee-jerk reaction.



4. This is an incredibly solid live album. All of the songs sound amazing with Pete & co. playing them live, but some of them sound even better than the album versions. Highlights include Burrito, Bandstand in the Sky, Suspicious Minds, June, Crystal Village and Lose You.
   
   The two disc, 20 track live set from Pete's home state is incredibly amazing. It packs so many great songs, and it's incredibly cheap. A great introduction to an amazing singer songwriter, or an awesome addition to a fan's collection.



5. It's a live album, no big suprises here. However, this is a very good live album. They kept Pete Yorn's pre/post song dialog which makes for some interesting stories or backgrounds of the songs. Sound quality is good. Definitely recommend.

5 comments about Crucify.

1. I was in high school in 1992 when this was released. Having insomnia, I was up late on a Friday night, flipping channels when I came across this stunning redhead at a piano. If I'm not mistaken, the show was ABC's In Concert. I'll be darned if I remember which song she was playing, but I do remember she also did "Me and a Gun", which was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. The true story of her rape at the hands of a fan, its effect was immediate and gut wrenching. The next day, I went in search of the album at the music store. Alas, they were sold out of Little Earthquakes, but they did have this EP in stock. I was disappointed, but I looked at the track listing, shocked to see "Angie", a Rolling Stones cover. At the time, the Stones were my favorite band, so I needed no further prodding to purchase Crucify. Her version of "Angie" proved to be amazing, as were her covers of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" and Nirvana's "Smell Like Teen Spirit". "Crucify" turned out to be an excellent song about guilt and the search for salvation. But the song that blew my mind and made me an instant devotee of this songstress was the absolutely magical "Winter". To this day, "Winter" remains one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard and is still my all time favorite Tori song. It's about growing older, about losing some things, about falling behind, about the loss of innocence and probably a million things I'll never quite understand. Needless to say I was hooked and haunted the record store until they replenished their supply of Little Earthquakes. This EP keeps a special place in my collection, simply because it was my first exposure to Tori.



2. Cucify by Tori Amos is a great cd single. This cd also contains three covers: The Rolling Stones beautiful ballad Angie. Led Zepplin's Thank You, and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. Tori successfully makes each song her own, this woman is amazingly talented. She plays the piano like no one else and the way she sings these covers gives you chills. Gorgeous and haunting ballads, this is one EP you won't regret getting. Buy it today!



3. We knew she could bare us emotionally with her own compositions, then she manages to unleash that same power revisiting covers. It was foreshadowing.



4. The Crucify EP, more than a single and less than an album, was my first taste of the way Tori worked back then. She was probably the most prominent and consistent EP-artist in the '90s, as nearly every single she put out was released in this format, with at least two, and usually three or four, extra, non-LP songs on it. If you were a completist, as I was (and still am), this made collecting Tori both frustrating and quite rewarding. To wit: while you would always get a profound feeling of accomplishment from finding some, say, UK release of 'Silent All These Years' in the import section of the local Sam Goody or Hastings, there was always, in those final years before the internet and sevices like this, at least one that you just couldn't get no matter how hard you tried. The Crucify EP was never one of these; ever since its release, it has always been right up front with the LPs, where you can always find it.
   Of course now, in the days post-ebay, post-amazon, finding all of Tori's myriad EPs is easy; all it takes is money and an internet hookup (and the nerves and patience to dig through ebay and wait out any number of auction opponents). Still, in spite of the fact that you don't even have to go to that much trouble to find Crucify, and in spite of the fact that it will never cost you fifty or seventy-five dollars, it stands up with the best of those rarer, more costly EPs. The single mix of the title track that begins the record is excellent, the kind of track that reminds one that the 'remix' isn't always a waste of studio time, and that it can sometimes add another dimension to a song, or bring out an element of it that isn't emphasised in the album mix. This is followed by the album version of 'Winter,' which would wind up with an EP of its own; while there's no particular reason for it to be here, it fits the context and is just a damn good song anyway. But the reason to buy this record, for most of us, is the three tracks that follow: the covers. These are stark, simple recordings, just Tori and the piano, and they are perfect in their simplicity. Her version of the Rolling Stones' 'Angie' is breathtaking; a slow-burning, passionate rendition that exceeds the original in emotional quality and brings out the melodic potential of the song that the Stones neglect; pardon the cliche, but she truly makes it her own. Ballads simply are not their specialty; they are (one of) Tori's, so she had little trouble taking a seemingly tepid ballad by a non-ballad-oriented act and making it a thing of great passion and beauty. Next up, she did something that really took nerve: she took the ultimate rock anthem of the age, and, with no more than her voice and 88 keys,without changing a word, converted it into damn near a new song. Supposedly, Kurt Cobain liked Tori's 'Teen Spirit,' which is nothing like his original, but for lyrics (you can understand them in this version, by the way). I've always believed that there's no point in covering a song if you don't have something new to contribute to it, some variation upon the standard interpretation. Note-for-note remakes are for bar-bands, 'tribute bands' and the like; when a genuine artist covers a song, he or she should be able to present it to you in a new way, from a perspective other than that of its originator. Tori's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' haunting yet comprehensible, does this beautifully.
   Which brings us to the end: 'Thank You,' by Led Zepplin. The Zep had a more profound influence upon the young Myra Ellen Amos than any other musical force, perhaps; it certainly shows in her vocal style, and her tendency toward mystical epics on record. Either way, her version is etherial, evoking mental pictures of sunrise beaches and highland mists as well as any Zep original. When I saw her live, at the Backyard in my home town of Austin, Texas days after Hurricane Katrina, she did Zep's 'When the Levee Breaks' in tribute to the people of the gulf coast; it was one of the highlights of the evening. Tori probably does Robert Plant better than anyone these days, quite possibly including the man himself.
   In conclusion, even though there's no difficulty in finding it, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, the Crucify EP is a wonderful piece of work, entirely worth the trouble you don't have to go through to find it.



5. Tori and piano provide a short, yet sweet 5 song collection.
   
   The CD begins with two original tracks and then serves up three powerful covers, the first of which is a cover of the Rolling Stones classic "Angie". Amos then goes on to cover Kurt Cobain's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". This acoustic version is haunting yet beautiful. The final track on the CD covers Led Zeppelin's ballad, "Thank You". Yet again Amos provides a worthy redition of a past song.
   
   Overall very well done. Not intended to lift your spirits, but rather a reflective, mood setting work.