5 comments about When We Were Small.

1. Is it art? Or is it art school?



2. I came across this artist and this album when I was searching through the musical selections of other Amazon buyers who had purchased some of my other favorites. I'm so glad I did. This album is just hypnotic. I think it would appeal to diverse tastes ranging from fans of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan to Alison Krauss, Chantal Kreviazuk and Jewel. Rosie has a pure and beautiful voice that can both uplift you and break your heart. My favorite song on this album is "Farewell", perhaps because I just went through a breakup and the simplicity of the song and emotion-laden lyrics take your breath away. My other favorite is "Bicycle Tricycle", a song that appeals to every woman who sometimes aches for the simpler times of childhood, particularly when you've just been hurt. The way that Rosie interjects faint recordings of childhood dialog into her music only add to the beauty of her songs. I would highly recommend this album to anyone looking for a serene escape that will make you smile and, yes, cry...but that's not always a bad thing.



3. First CD that's brought tears to my eyes in quite some time. Simply raw with emotion, this is a beautiful album.



4. I bought this album immediately after seeing Rosie in concert. She was the support act for Jewel, and I was just blown away when I heard her voice. This album does not fail to disappoint - Rosie has an amazing voice. The album has an acoustic feel to it - it's simplicity is part of the reason it is so good. Her lyrics are soulful and melodious - ranging from the upbeat "Two dollar shoes", to the beautifully sung "October". I just love this album - I'm sure you will too!



5. Rosie Thomas has exceptional talent for creating beautiful lyrics and melodies. She has a rare gift and her songs have universal appeal. Some of the pieces on this CD surely will become "Classics" covered by other performers, "Have You Seen My Love" for example. Rosie's own vocal interpretations are unique and lend so much enjoyable emotion to her songs. She slides beautifully in and out of falsetto on individual syllables of a single word in a way that is thrilling to hear, and her own instrumental accompaniments lend such depth of feeling. Listen for her unusual phrasing where she breaks a line of lyrics on an unexpected word as in "Farewell" where she sings "Farewell so long and..." . This adds interest and texture, and makes the song more a dialogue coming straight from her heart. "When We Were Small" has the thread of a story through it like the soundtrack from a appealing and long-running Broadway musical that leaves people singing the songs to themselves and feeling better about everything. Maybe that is where young Rosie's exceptional talent will take her. I love this recording, so what ever she does, let's hear more.

5 comments about Never Home.

1. Freedy Johnston fills Never Home, his follow-up to the flawless This Perfect World, with a host of intelligent, detailed stories about memorable characters.
   
   Johnston kicks off the album with "On The Way Out," a driving slice of rock. The song tells the story of a shoplifter whose cleverness appears to be wasted on a store clerk who couldn't care less. A version of this song appeared the year before on the soundtrack to the movie Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead. I liked the rougher production of the earlier version, but the version on Never Home features stronger drumming.
   
   Johnston's gift is painting pictures with his lyrics, and he doesn't disappoint on this album. "Western Sky" is a beautiful, rather offbeat tale of a man petrified of flying after his father died in a plane crash; you can not only feel his pain, but chuckle at the thought of how his fear might make a family trip to Disneyland an enormous hassle. "Gone To See The Fire" is told from the point of view of a girl who is starting to make some disturbing discoveries about her boyfriend. Sure, she's horrified, but she's also just plain irritated about being lied to. "If It's True" movingly examines a young man wrestling with the notion of becoming a father: "If I won't believe my own advice / I could never fool a child / And they don't forgive you once they see you've tried." And "Seventies Girl" deals with how the ghosts of the past aren't so easily dismissed.
   
   I wouldn't mind if the album rocked a little more. "On The Way Out" really whets my appetite for some big, loud guitars, but Johnston only cuts loose one more time for the rest of the album, on "One More Thing To Break." This is a very minor complaint, though. It's still a wonderful collection of songs.



2. I discovered Freedy through "This Perfect World" which I bought after hearing "Bad Reputation" (still as good a single as pop-chart radio has played in the last ten years). That album was a revelation - tuneful, literate lyrics, songs that engaged you and made you think, and melodies that stuck in your head for weeks. "Never Home" doesn't reach that level, but if you like Freedy (and not everyone does, I realize) you won't be disappointed in this effort. Freedy's gift for catchy melodies is in full evidence here, but, for me, the joy is in listening to the stories these songs are telling. Like a book of Raymond Carver short stories, his cast of quirky characters includes shoplifters, arsonists, aging hippies, UFO abductees and kids having an unwanted baby. You don't catch all this stuff right away, but, like a good book, the stories unfold the more you get into it. At the same time, there are a couple of achingly beautiful love songs in "Western Skies" and "You Get Me Lost". If you're unfamiliar with Freedy, I recommend "This Perfect World" as the first one to buy. However, if you have, and like, that great album, this is a very satisfying follow up that won't disappoint.



3. Long Time Freedy fan here, This Perfect World was a masterpiece but DON'T make the mistake of comparing this album to it. A truely great album like that requires 3 things. Talent, Skill, (one is mostly born-with and the other can to a large extent be learned), and INSPIRATION. Even "the greats" need that spark, that external "catalyst" that set's a great work in motion. This one to me sounds like a very talented very skilled songwriter, (with the exception of 5 out of 11), kinda running on autopilot. The GOOD news is, he's so talented and SKILLED he can pull off a pretty damn listenable effort on almost craft alone.
   It kicks off with bang! "On The Way Out" ROCKS, Great song, but immediately falters, searching for.... direction... inspiration... track 2 and 3 almost get off the ground but for me, didn't hold up to repeated listenings. Track 4, filler. Track 5, on "He Wasn't Murdered" he finally breaks out another big gun. I disagree with at least one other reviewer who complained that the rockers on this album paled in comparision with the mellower tracks. Granted there's a lot fewer OF THEM, but these two tracks, (1 and 5) are the rockers and absolutely among this album's highlights. The other stand out tracks for me were,
   6. You Get Me Lost
   7. Hotel Seventeen and
   10. If It's True
   I took a LONG time to "digest" this album and those were the ones that ended up still shining and the end of the road.
   A lot of people seemd to like 70's Girl, and Western Sky, which I found, very plesent ear-candy for sure, (great lyrics) but over repeated listenings for me became "sing-song-ey" fluff. I need to be engaged by the lyrics and the music both. 1 out of 2 ain't enough. They had no "hook" or the hook they had didn't "hook" ME... Basically what you've got here is one half a great album. If I'd been his producer/label I'd have told him to come back when he had at least 3 more songs as good as, as INSPIRED AS, the ones mentioned above. If you're a Freedy fan already you won't be sorry you added this to your collection. If not, this might not be the best place to start.



4. To me, this CD is another one of his mellow works. I have listened to it dozens of times. Of all of Freedy's work, this one took the longest to grow on me. Perfect World blew me away immediately like no other CD, comparing it to that I give it 4 enthusiastic stars. It is more on the lines of Blue Days , slow and hipnotic. It does have a couple of rockers that pale to the slower tunes that I favor. A must have for any Johnston fan.



5. Johnston simply oozes talent and Never Home is a bid to break into the mainstream. It's a little formulaic but still works the magic of simple stories set to uplifting music...more upbeat than This Perfect World and Rainy Days, Black Nights, but it's the ballad Western Sky that is the standout - rich, evocative, tragic - like country music without the annoying twang. Like Ron Sexsmith, Wilco, Tracy Chapman, Matthew Sweet, Natalie Merchant et al? Get into Freedy NOW!

5 comments about My Aim Is True (With Bonus Disc).

1. The debut album of my so nerdy he's cool man. Not surprisingly, this is the place to start with when going back to the early genius that was Mr. Costello. "Allison", "Watching The Detectives", "Red Shoes", "Welcome To The Work Week" - all the cool tunes are here in their two minute punky new wave glory. Plus it's the remastered version complete with a ton of liner notes and a whole separate disc of rarities. Now if they would only stop re-issuing it every two years I'd be happy.



2. Costello made a classic debut with "My Aim Is True", and I didn't expect much improvement with this reissue. But the bonus disc is fabulous, with alternatives takes on 'No Action' and live takes of Bacharach's 'I just don't know what to do with myself' and Costello's own 'less than zero.' Then you get 'Imagination', 'Radio Sweetheart', 'Poison Moon' and original demos for many of the songs that have become classics - 'Blaim it on Cain, 'Mystery Dance'... I could keep going. Just buy it. This is a classic.



3. If Elvis Costello's debut doesn't live up to the standards of some of his later works, that probably has more to do with the ridiculously high quality of albums like This Year's Model and Armed Forces than any weaknesses on this record's part. To put it simply, My Aim Is True is one of the greatest albums of the 70s, a collection of impeccably written songs performed with an impressive amount of vitriol and bite. Almost everything that made Costello's early works such a treat is right here: Costello's compositions are tight, aggressive, and paranoid, with bitingly cynical lyrics and deliciously broken poetry unfolding over music that combines punk's raw aggression with the relentless swing of 50s rock `n' roll and the smug attitude of early new wave. Costello performs these songs with the confidence and grace of a seasoned pro, with his smug, literate sneer firmly in place.
   
   Admittedly, there are still a few pieces of the Costello puzzle missing. For one thing, the album's less-than-astronomical recording budget makes for somewhat muddled sound quality. Now, I don't normally complain about that sort of thing, but I just can't keep quiet about it here. When I listen to Elvis Costello, I want to hear every venom-filled nuance of his performance, dammit! My Aim Is True's tinny, trebly sound isn't intolerable, but it pales in comparison to the sharp-as-razors clarity of future records. There's also the issue of Costello's backing band. Now, don't get me wrong: I think that Clover (who play behind Elvis on this album) are an excellent group. They execute the songs with precision and finesse, lending a definitely rockin' atmosphere to the proceedings. It's just that the Attractions (the band that Costello would form shortly before recording his next album) were such an ideal band for Elvis' music. Clover simply couldn't match their successors' breathless urgency and razor-sharp snarl.
   
   All of which is to say that the record isn't quite as good as it could have been. If anything, that's more of a comment on this album's potential than an actual criticism. As is, it sounds absolutely fantastic. "Less Than Zero" and "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" are sarcastic, pissed-off classics, full of cutting lyrics and infectious melodies. (The latter opens with the brilliant declaration "Oh, I used to be disgusted/ And now I try to be amused," deftly summing Elvis' wonderfully twisted worldview). "Alison" is a ballad that's as tender as it is bemused, and "Miracle Man" is a rollicking document of a crumbling relationship. "Welcome To The Working Week" kicks off the album with a clutch of 50s harmonies, overdriven power chord rock `n' roll, and lyrical references to masturbation (well, what do you think "Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired" means?) and unapologetic sloth, while "Mystery Dance" is a tale of sexual frustration set to wigged-out rockabilly. "Sneaky Feelings" is a relentlessly catchy barrage of great lines, and "No Dancing" is twisted, postmodern doo-wop. "Blame It On Cain" is an endearingly dissatisfied rocker, and "I'm Not Angry" is just plain furious.
   
   So, it isn't quite what Elvis would achieve on later efforts, but its still a superb debut. Enjoy!



4. Not a weak link in the chain. Every song is great. Call it pop, call it punk, call it new wave - call it what you will, but this is one great album.



5. I was lucky enough to have been there to witness the arrival of one of rocks' greatest artists.To fully understand the impact EC had you would have had to be.Still grieving the loss of The Beatles I thought that nothing was ever coming to jump start music again.My Aim Is True was the best thing to come along in a very long time.The melodies and lyrics set him apart from the rest.No one hit wonder here.Elvis stayed on fire from start and there seems to be no finish. I hope there never is.

5 comments about Drive.

1. Bic Runga is a smart.intelligent writer with a voice like Viagra.I love this Cd so I will be getting her other releases.It's mood music for the romantic.



2. I bought this album back in '98 or '99 based on the strength of the song "Sway" alone, which I had heard on the radio and instantly fell in love with (I loved it so much that I called up the radio station to ask the name of the artist immediately after the song ended and I NEVER call radio stations!). The album overall does not disappoint either. While I think the melodies and lyrics are very good on the album, it is Bic Runga's voice that is amazing to me and leaves the lasting impression; her voice is beautiful, crystal clear, feminine, powerful and haunting. Her singing voice is truly memorable and one of my favorite female voices. I am surprised this album was not a bigger hit as it is worthy of more praise and popularity.



3. I first heard Bic Runga in the first American Pie, believe it or not. (How I'd missed her before then, I'll never know.) After the movie, I had to find out who she was and how I could get more of her. Her voice is incredible. Her clarity is like nothing I've ever heard before, and to top that off, she is a talented writer as well. Her melodies are unique, I can't every get them out of my head. Her lyrics are honest and clever. I'd recommend this album to anyone.



4. I didn't appreciate this album to the extent that I should've when it first came out. The one track that stood out most for me was "Sway". To this day, that is one song that still occasionally plays in my head. Melancholy, heartfelt and shameless to the caliber you'd expect from iconic acoustic predecessors like Tori Amos, or neighbouring Australian band George.
   I was too young and stupid to give this album the recognition and credit it deserved. I lost it for a number of years and then found it again earlier this year and was curious enough to give it another whirl. Now, I am absolutely stoked at what a brilliant debut album this is. Bic Runga has kept a low-profile in Australia since she first came out (I don't know about New Zealand). I don't think her music has been commercially embraced but I believe her style is best suited to quiet nights indoors or long drives as it has a smooth slow-rock feel. It's sorrowful and beautifully written. She writes very much like a poet and has an incredible voice. This album is definitely a remarkable stand-alone debut that deserves a chance.



5. It was an average CD. I would only recommend it to serious Bic Runga fans.

5 comments about Fellow Workers.

1. I love this CD. I share it with budding young revolutionaries to spark interest in the history of the workers movements. If you dig 'The Internationale' I recomend this purchase!



2. This review was originally written as a commentary on Utah Phillip's Songbook- Starlight on the Trial issued in 2005. Looking it over I believe that the comments can be applied to this CD as well, obviously noting the differences in format. Utah has been consistent throughout his career in both the kind of songs he writes and sings about. He has also maintained his same basic political philosophy so my comments about our political differences also apply. Nevertheless, treasure any CD of his you can get your hands on.
   
   The political consciousness developed in my youth coincided with an expansion of my musical tastes under the influence of the great blues and folk revivals of the 1960's. Unfortunately my exposure to the blues greats was mainly on records as many of them had been forgotten, retired or were dead. Not so with the folk revival this was created mainly by those who were close contemporaries. Alas, they too are now mainly forgotten, retired or dead. It therefore is with special pleasure that I review Utah Phillips Songbook while he is very much alive.
   
   Many of the folksingers of the 1960 have attempted to use their music to become troubadours for social change. The most famous example, the early Bob Dylan, can be fairly described as the voice of his generation at that time. However, he fairly quickly moved on to other concepts of himself and his music. Bob Dylan's work became more informed by the influences of Rimbaud and Verlaine and the French Symbolists of the late 1800's and thus moved away to a more urban, sophisticated vision. From the start and consistently throughout his long career Utah has acted as a medium giving voice to the troubles of ordinary people and the simpler ethos of a more rural, Western-oriented gone by day in the American experience. He evokes in song the spirit of the people Walt Whitman paid homage to in poetic form and John Dos Passos and John Steinbeck gave in prose. He sits conformably in that very fast company. Utah Phillips can justly claim the title of a people's troubadour.
   
   A word about politics. Generally, one rates music without reference to politics. However, Utah has introduced the political element by the way he structured the Songbook. Each song is introduced by him as to its significance heavily weighted to his political experiences, observations and vision. Thus, political comment is fairly in play here. Utah is a long time anarchist and unrepentant supporter of the Wobblies (International Workers of the World, hereafter IWW). Every militant cherishes the memory of the class battles led by the IWW like the famous Lawrence strike of 1912 and honors the heroes of those battles like Big Bill Haywood and Vincent St. John and the militants they recruited to the cause of the working class in the first part of the 20th century. They paved the way for the later successful organization drives of the 1930's.
   
   Nevertheless, while Utah and I would both most definitely agree that some old-fashioned class struggle by working people in today's one-sided class war would be a very good thing we as definitely differ on the way to insure a permanent victory for working people in order to create a decent society. In short, Utah's prescriptions of good moral character, increased self-knowledge and the creation of small intentional communities are not enough. Under modern conditions it is necessary to take and safeguard political power against those who would quite consciously deny that victory. History has been cruel in some of the bitter lessons working people have had to endure for not dealing with the question of taking state power to protect their interests. But, enough said. I am more than willing to forgive the old curmudgeon his anarchist sins if he'll sing `I Remember Loving You' the next time he tours the Boston area.



3. I come to you not as a member of Ani's Army, but as an appreciative listener to Utah Phillips for maybe fifteen years. It was for that reason that I bought this CD--at a Utah show--and it is on that basis that I review it. For anyone who has seen Utah live ("and it comes to us highly recommended"), most of the usual cast of Labor characters can be found here: Stupid, Herb Edwards, Mother Jones, and of course Joe Hill. Indeed what is mostly captured on Fellow Workers is classic, colorful Wobbly Utah. On that basis alone, this CD is worth the time; collected here are many of the tales and simple songs that make up his off-kilter Union repertoire. THAT is what makes it a good listen, perhaps even a necessary listen, as Utah regales us with the stories of "those extraordinary lives that can never be lived again."

   So what does Ani DiFranco bring? Aurally speaking, a band and production chops. Wisely she keeps that as a backdrop to Utah's words. Except for a few instrumental pieces, the band simply gives Utah a sort of funky, acoustic groove to rap over. This is the capturing of a live show (in New Orleans), and Ani has mostly downplayed studio trickery to keep the intimate, living room feel of the concert. But, of course, what Ani really brings is her Army. And the real purpose is to introduce Ani's followers to a man who is now an elder statesman of Direct Action. I already knew about Utah, and I already knew how to sing "Pie in the Sky." For me, and for fans of Utah, this album works because Utah is up front and in good form; it's an "Essential Recording" for Utah, if not necessarily Ani. For the Army...welcome to the history we were never taught. Take a seat and pay attention.




4. I'm a big fan of Utah Philips, and a fan of Ani DiFranco, and I love their initial collaboration "The Past Didn't go Anywhere", but this CD sucks. Utah sounds tired, and the joke aren't funny, the music is weak, and Ani is just a back up singer.



5. i just got through reading all of these reviews on this album and i must say we have a lot of whining here, a waste of money,too much talking, not enough ani, blah blah blah. first of all, it is a 13 dollar c.d. get over it. go sell it to a music store that buys c.d's. i am sure they would give you at least 4-5 bucks for it, so your only out like 8 or 9 dollars. i am sure you have spent more at mcdonalds. or on a pair of nikes. now what i percieve this collaboration to be is ed-u-cation-al. do u know what that is? this c.d. is a well established musician helping another well established musician get a point across. realize the importance of labor unions and pay homage to the past labor heroes who gave us what we have now, labor laws, if it weren't for them we would be working as soon as we could walk. quit worrying about how many times you heard ani and concentrate on what the artists are trying to teach you. in order to understand you must first examine, so try to examine these two brilliant musicians so you may better understand them and their messages.

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 Hey Jupiter EP.

1. Hey Jupiter EP is a great and haunting collection live songs. First of all, the cd single, Hey Jupiter is re-recorded in the studio and has more of an edge to it, I love this remix version, Tori's voice sounds like an angel at the end of the track. There 4 live songs including Sugar, Honey, Professional Widow, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. This is a great find and I am glad I bought it many years ago. This is a keeper!



2. This was one of the first produced live bits of Tori's music. Her B sides are always great and this is one to keep.



3. Probably for Tori-fans only, but this single contains some amazing live performances of some of Tori's lesser-known songs as well as a whole new take on "Professional Widow" that will knock your socks off!



4. Tori's single from 'Boys For Pele' is simply and utterly beautiful. This CD single contains 2 of the tracks from BFP in a little different style. 'Sugar' is a beautiful song while 'Honey' is a harsh song about a failing relationship. The last track, the cover of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' is stunning. A must for ANY Tori fan, you will not regret it.



5. The first time I heard the album version of "Hey Jupiter" on 1996's BOYS FOR PELE, I thought it was the most beautiful song singer-songwriter Tori Amos had created. When I learned of a remix of the song, I was rather weary, since the LP version seemed so flawless; but upon listening to the "Dakota Version" included in this EP, I was blown away by Amos's ability to take a perfect song and make it perfect in a completely new light, in an alternate universe, if you will. The added strings and bass in the remix take away the quiet stillness of the original version, while maintaining some sort of softness and darkness, and utter desperation. More often than not, when I want to hear this song, it's the remix that I tend to listen to as it entails much more complex emotions.

   The rest of the tracks included in the EP are live renditions of "Sugar" (a b-side from 1992's LITTLE EARTHQUAKES), "Honey" (a b-side from 1994's UNDER THE PINK), "Professional Widow" (an album track from BOYS FOR PELE), and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (a cover of Judy Garland's classic tune from the film THE WIZARD OF OZ). The live tracks are great in and of themselves, but we're also treated to Amos's humorous and insightful anecdotes between songs, which is one of the best parts of her live shows. Her fragile, stunning rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" displays Amos's amazing talent as a musician.

   If you are looking to add some EP's and CD singles to your Tori collection, be sure to add this one. In fact, you may want to start with this one to give you a taste of what you're in for. Dim the lights, open your mind, and take it all in...

5 comments about To the Teeth.

1. "To The Teeth" is another brilliant Ani album. "I Know This Bar" has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever! The album has a pretty dark and dreary tone to it for the most part, which works really well with some of the subject matters. There are also some heavier jazz influences that were hinted on "Up Up Up Up Up Up". The lyrics are top quality as usual. Amazing back up band! Amazing Woman!



2. A very eclectic mix of folk, funk and progressive. Much of it is very stripped down and most of the vocals are strangely mixed below both the acoustic or electric guitar. Maceo Parker is on half the album and Prince does vocals on one song. I found it a pretty mixed bag.



3. This is an awesome cd with some experimental tracks and some classic Ani. However, if you've never listened to Ani before and you aren't too into nontraditional music you should start with Not a Pretty Girl, Living in Clip, or Like I Said. Little Plastic Castles is fairly accessible too. If you already know you like Ani, you should definitely have this cd. It's one of her strongest studio albums and it's very well rounded. Buy it.



4. Ani DiFranco showcases her anger through her album 'To the Teeth". She expresses her democratic pride and her deep, personal anger through every track. Her style offers the one-on-one closeness to her audience. Every lyric is fearless. This is only one of her qualities that deserves tremendous respect as an artist and as a person. "To the Teeth", the track and "Hello Burmingham" express her anger toward the world and certain political values the heaviest.

   She offers a wide musical variety. She combines rock, folk, pop, and funk. Her use of woodwind and brass instruments give a new, pleasing, and evolving touch to her tracks. Her guitar efforts more than accents her musical style, she also expresses her feelings through it. Few other guitarists have mastered this difficult task. She also plays the bass, the drums, and the keyboards on many tracks brilliantly. Despite such expressed anger, her voice remains beautiful, never losing its soul for a second. Such showcased talent proves that she is one of the best musicians of today.

   Sadly, she's also one of the most underrated musicians in music history. "To the Teeth" proves that she continues to evolve as an artist through every album release. This is one of her most personal albums to date. All Ani DiFranco and soft rock fans will enjoy this album. Those that like her introduced woodwind and brass instrument sound will also enjoy her newest album "Evolve". That is the next step from such style...wonderful as always.




5. We have been a Ani aficionado since her first self-produced CD was released too many
   years go. On this, her 13th CD, she tries. She really tries. But Ani's stab at protest songs --- spurred by the Columbine tragedy --- are too preachy. And lacking her usual poetry, or at least the poetic justice needed to make songs of injustice ring true. We're also starting
   to real annoyed with her little-girl voice, whispered to the kind of folksy strumming found in coffeehouses . We're getting old and need her to speak --- make that SING --- up.
   Sorry, but we cannot sink our teeth into this one. One nibble was enough.

5 comments about The Other Side of Daybreak.

1. Don't let Orton's heart-wrenching cover of Ooh Child fool you into thinking this is little more then a glorified b-sides/remix disc exploiting her small fan base, and reminding all others of her trite songwriting abilities. She needs to stick to the minimalist acoustic thing, because when she even ventures into electronic-ville, her songs are devoid of life.



2. From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...if this was Beth's attempt to improve on her less than stellar release "Daybreaker" she failed miserably and should have left it alone.



3. Anyone who pans this album is daft. This is vintage Beth, and that means it is pure unmitigated pleasure. True, it is a remix album. But this is Beth we're talking about here: her songs can be cut a dozen different ways like precious stones, and always reveal new complex subtleties and pure folky pop goodness. This album has everything you would expect from her: tripped out electronic vibes overlaid with lush orchestral & idiosyncratic acoustic instrumentation, all nicely jibing with Beth's quirky honest lyrics.
   
   There are several great little songs remixed here: Carmella (trk 6) is one of her best, in my book. It opens with a catchy hook, and when the usual sensual bass riff kicks Beth has me spooging yet again. Bobby Gentry is great, too. It has a relentless bass line and Beth's vocal is ferocious.
   
   Other highlights: an exquisite live version of Concrete Sky. That 70's soul song "Ooh Child Things are Going to Get Easier" is superbly covered. Then- speaking of spooge- there is a video of Concrete Sky included. Beth not only rocks, she is an utter minx. Great music - some of the very best - and Beth making love to the camera in short shorts. What's not to love?



4. F*cking great album! She's so natural and beautiful and so at home with all the coolest beats around her provided by Four Tet, Roots Manuva and Two Lone Swordsmen... Extreme feel-good album which goes nice with a latest from Nitin Sawhney "Philtre", also an amazing piece of modern conscious kickass street credited singer-songwriter stuff like this one! Thanx for the great artist Four Tet for leading me to her, because I got interested of this mostly after I saw he's remixed two tracks here.



5. It's been both on The Dvision & The District! And it is so inspiring that you'll smile for an entire day! I literally did today...

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.