1 comments about The Forgotten Arm.

1. Aimee Mann seems to be one of those artists whose work unfortunately gets lost in the mainstream shuffle (not that that's necessarily what she was going for anyway). Still, this album, The Forgotten Arm, shows that the former `Til Tuesday frontwoman still has what it takes to make good music.
   
   In case you don't know yet, this is a concept album that channels through a couple's somewhat troubled relationship. I didn't realize that at first, but it really doesn't matter because I can still pick out standouts like "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart", "Dear John", and one of my favorites, "Going Through the Motions".
   
   "I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas" is also pretty good, although I really don't think you should use the "F" word in a Christmas song. My only other concern is that "I Can't Get My Head Around It" made me say just that. Looking past all that, though, it's obvious that The Forgotten Arm is another entry for Aimee's list of great albums.
   
   Anthony Rupert

No comments about One Cool Remove.

1 comments about God [IMPORT].

1. I picked up this single at a used bookstore and kept my mouth shut while paying $3.95 for it. Since I had never seen this single anywhere, I figured $3.95 was probably pretty cheap for something that seemed to be quite rare. I've checked around on Ebay to see if anyone else was selling this one (just to get a feel for how many copies are out there), and I have yet to find it there. Finally, I decided to check the Tori back catalogue on Amazon and here it is! Now I know that it is an import single, though I sorta figured that's what it was anyway.
   
   This single features the original version of "God" plus three remixes. The remixes are of higher quality than some of the later remixes that came out (how many remixes of Jackie's Strength do we need?). They almost give a feeling of early Delerium work.
   
   If you don't know Tori's work, I wouldn't start with this, but for you Toriphiles out there, this is a great single to have in your collection.

No comments about When I Was Cruel.

5 comments about WHAT WOULD THE COMMUNITY THINK.

1. 2 1/2
   
   Although her debut was a tad more earnestly raw then subsequent releases, the banality of her writing and playing always bored me out of my mind. Even more mysterious is why I invested in her as an artist, constantly wanting to believe critics..Was her one brilliant song, where she managed to combine simplistic, minimalist habits into something sublime, in V for Vendetta? Marshall was always unnecessarily hoisted to the top ranks of indie rock, and was in no small part because she was female and rocking out with a degree of vulnerability that appealed to various demographics, but perhaps the actual songwriting was not as objectively looked at as should be. I'm a fan of minimalist balladry as much as anyone else, but doing that genre justice requires a degree of finesse and subtle flux that Cat Power's clunky sound has never had. It just goes to show how some true charisma can make even the most mediocre of songwriters ascend to levels of greatness-both critically and commercially.



2. I bought this cd haphazardly at Kim's Underground in NYC about 12 years ago at the recommendation of one of the employees, and it has been one of my all-time faves ever since. Chan's voice may not be the most attractive, but it and her music convey an unconventionally sad and beautiful melodic portrait with raw intensity in this melancholic, and oftentimes emotionally fueled album. My favorite tracks? Well, "Bathysphere" is an angrily obvious ode to adolescent angst and delivers with satisfying intensity; "King Rides By" is one of the most gorgeously humble and tragic love songs ever produced. I highly recommend this album if you dig that sort of thing.



3. I came back to this album after a long hiatus. It is wonderful and should be bought by anyone with an interest in alternative music. "Nude as the News" which is one of her all time greats is here, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Listen to track 7 -- so simple and beautiful it makes me shiver and want to cry...."oh come and peep through a hole in the wall just to watch his heart undressing..."



4. The best recommendation for any album is that you buy more albums from that artist. You should buy this album, looking for the right price. Your friends will think better of your music collection when they hear this.
   
   The album moves along at pace. The voice is great. All tracks were good. Nothing from left field leaving you wondering why. You may possibly want a little more variety.
   
   The last track "The Coat Is Always On" left me wanting to listen to the album again, possibly with headphones to hear the background.
   
   There are twelve tracks, good album legnth making it value for your dollar. The only downside was there was no booklet.



5. Not a huge fan of cat power but a huge fan of this album. I feel like Cat power has raw moments in this album that are divine to herself. I love her cover of Smog's bathyspere. well said by whoever on allmusic.com "and Smog's "Bathysphere" show off Marshall's ability to make any song a Cat Power song." If you listen to Smog's bathysphere it is almost completely different. have to be in the right mood to listen to this. can be boring if not feeling like her. but can be intense if going through her music. Nude as the news is an amazing amazing song. and Steve Shelley's part in the last song reminds me of Sonic Youth and reminds me of his importance and uniqueness often not appreciated that he often doesn't recieve. I am dissapointed at Chan's new stuff and wish the rest of her stuff went here. not for me, like her new stuff is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the corners cut off, but that is just me. Listen to this. I feel like she knew herself better here, even though she didn't seemingly have it all together....but i am not here to talk about that. converse me.

5 comments about Jackie's Strength.

1. I like Tori remixed - remixes are meant to be enjoyed in clubs, and when your feeling the need to dance or feel good , image a world with no remixes - doubt half of us would know who Tori Amos is and im sure we wouldnt be dancing to tori in clubs. I myself discovered her by hearing a remix, which led me to find out more and come to love her many albums.
   
   But these "wedding cake" mixes of jackies strength are not the best. Was an acapella even used to remix this? Or was the beats just layered over the original?? It seems to me like the latter. In parts towards the end you can hardly hear tori for the beats are too loud. These could of had real potential if mixed correctly by some big name remixes at the time. The slyscreen mix of father lucifer is awesome. Can not find a fault. I actually prefer it to the original.



2. "Jackie's Strength," a beautiful track off Amos's fourth solo album "from the choirgirl hotel," saw two commercial single releases. This is the second release that consists of remixes only. All four remixes of the title track would fit quite nicely onto any dance floor. However, the mixes of "Father Lucifer," from Amos's third solo album "Boys for Pele," are a different story. They are quite unique and very effective mixes that you can't always dance to. The instrumental version just might take your breath away.



3. Don't get the idea that I'm one of those people who hates all Tori remixes. I'm not. I actually enjoy quite a few of them, but most of these are absolutely horrible. The "Wedding Cake Edit" is pretty good and "Father Lucifer:Sylkscreen Remix" is quite enjoyable. The Wedding Cake Club Mix" is not very enjoyable and no matter how hard I try I can't get into "One Rascal Dub #1 .The "Father Lucifer" instrumental things sounds like a hip hop remix and well, I suppose it isn't horrible in comparison, but really now people, hip hop? The next is an appropriately titled "Meltdown Mix" because it sounds like one. It is very repetitive which wouldn't be as annoying if it wasn't so blasted lengthy(8:22) which I would be perfectly able to handle if it wasn't such utter dren. Again we visit "Rascal Dub" mixes with number two of the set. It sounds exactly like the preceding track unfortunately, repertitive and labourious. ANd what can say about the "Bonus Beats" besides BLAH!
   Buy it if you are a Tori fan, if not pass it up.



4. Tori Amos is one of those few artists that still puts out a lot of singles to please collectors and long time fans. But by far and large she is a full-length album/CD artists and you really need to buy those to get an appreciation of her unique style.

   That being said, I think "Jackie's Strength" is one of her best single releases. The song is one of Tori's most beautiful -> a breathtaking and thoughtful ballad. Her fans have many different views on the song's meaning: my feeling is that she wrote it about Jackie Kennedy.

   Unlike most of Tori's releases, "Jackie's Strength" was remixed and promoted to dance clubs, and reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Chart in the spring of 1999. The Wedding Cake Club Mix is the definitive mix here and made this into kind of a dance floor smash. The mix gives "Jackie" an unmistakable groove but maintains its beauty and its serious and contemplative tone.

   Most of Tori's biggest fans and purists are against having her songs remixed. But I think we can make an exception here. Only a tiny handful of Tori tracks have been remixed for dance clubs, namely "Professional Widow", "In The Springtime Of His Voodoo", and "Don't Make Me Come To Vegas. Over all these tracks "Jackie's Strength" stands out as the Tori's best dance floor adaptation to date.




5. The ONLY decent track on this CD is Father Lucifer Sylkscreen Remix. It is by far the best Tori remix I've ever heard (next to Lipgloss Raspberry Swirl). All the other mixes on this CD are cliched mid 90s-style club mixes which make you cringe. They sound outdated flat and almost as dull and camp as the Springtime Of His Voodoo mixes. Jackie's Strength is NOT the sort of track which should be mixed into a club/dance type thing at all.
   I ended up burning the Father Lucifer remix on a home-made Tori compilation CD and throwing out the Jackie's Strength remix single.

3 comments about Reason for Living, Pt. 1.

1. Brilliant single and worth it for Winter Haven High alone. Don't know how that got left off the CD.



2. The two new, mellow tracks on this disc are right at home with my North Star favorites "Hymn to Grace" and "Autumn Flower".

   "Rainy Greys and Blues" wraps Roddy's amazing lyrics around a beautifully simple core of bass, piano, and cymbal. If you like pieces like "Song for a Friend" or "Mattress of Wire", you need this single more than you need oxygen.

   "Winter Haven High" has a bit more vocal intensity and complex instrumentation. Once again, anyone else would sound like they were just showing off their poetic prowess with lyrics like these. Combined with Roddy's moving performance, though, they only help make a song in which you notice something new each time you hear it.




3. This single only adds fuel to the fiery hollering of "Where's a B-sides collection, Roddy?" As with most of Aztec Camera's singles output, the flipsides are more interesting and emotional than the A-side. Winter Haven High is a touching, yearning ballad of unity and strength. Rainy Greys and Blues is a low-keyed song of devotion, quite possibly one of Roddy's best set of lyrics since the first album. At the chorus he sings, "I wish I could be you/and you could walk a while in my shoes/the love you've given me would free you/and wash away those rainy greys and blues."

   Just two beautiful songs that any Aztec Camera/Roddy Frame fan won't want to miss.

1 comments about Thanasphere.

1. Herman Jolly. What a great name for a singer/songwriter pop-folk revolutionist. Thanaspere, what a great name for a disaterous disappointment.
   Everything about this album is lame. The cover art sucks, the liner notes tell us nothing, the hype is even blisteringly dull. Why even rate it with one star you ask? "Windless" is the single best song to come out of the indie folk scene since Bright Eyes first burst from his Nebraska roots or Joseph Arthur's undaunting Big City Secrets. Even the more mainstream David Gray and John Mayer can't quite grasp the honest brilliance of Jolly's flirtatious single.
   If you can find a version of "Windless" in mp3, I can't reccomend it higher. (Pitchfork used to have a link) His minimalist ballad seems to be just wrought with the kind of angst and torturous songwriting that a seasoned poet couldn't even create. At the same time, however, there's an energy and optimism that could only compare to the college student playing his own material at an open mic for the first time. Wonderful song that you can't help turn the volume up to.
   Now the album. Aweful. Jolly ditches his infectious song writing and funky hand-clapping grad school wonderment for drudging sorrows and drugged-up clunkers. The rest of the songs rely too heavily on Jolly's less-than par vocals to save their melodies. He isn't playing to his strengths. Let the songs sing themselves. The stories within would carry tune. He forgets this on every track surrounding "windless."
   I've not experience Mad Cowboy Disease, but I don't know how it could be as disappointing as this one.

5 comments about Quick Look.

1. Pina's 'Quick Look' is one of the most outstanding debut CDs I've ever heard. I must admit that I am a fan of Peter Gabriel's Real World Records anyway, but this CD just blew me away. I've had it for a few days, and I think I've listened to it over a dozen times already. Not since I discovered Ani DiFranco have I been so excited about an artist (incidentally, she has opened for Ani before).
   
   Her voice is folk-sy, vibrant, haunting - it's hard to put into words. I could see how some people might not like it, but for me, it's infectious. I can't get it out of my head. The music backing her is also very strong - creative, playful, unique...
   
   Pina has yet to catch on here in the States, so you'll probably be able to pick up this CD for next to nothing. I picked up a perfect used copy for 99 cents, and I see there are quite a number of Amazon vendors with copies for reasonable prices.
   
   So c'mon, give Pina a try!



2. Listening to BBC's "The World" on public radio a few weeks ago, I heard a short feature story on Pina and a bit of the first cut from the cd which was riveting enough to send me to Amazon.com for its purchase. Ms. Kollars knows how to set the musical hook, she's obviously worked at her craft and knows how to create pop songs that are engaging. But there's much more than that here, including lyrics that display a talent for writing that is sensitive, intelligent, and touching. I know that she came from Austria but her adopted home has cast a certain Celtic spell on this music--there's a lot of Irish soul here. Her ability to create rich textured layers of sound is truly remarkable, an uncanny ability to combine various instruments and voices into something delightful and fitting for each song's mood.

   That being said, it is too bad that samples from the cd are not available here... I've noticed that some people, like my wife, don't care for Pina's voice which was described to me as a cross between Melanie and Buffy Ste. Marie. For her, that wasn't good, but I think that this album is a rare gem--different strokes and all that. As for complaints about the short run time, I would say that considering all that is put into each song, this disc is very full indeed.




3. Pina has a very unique voice, and a very unique sound to her debut CD. Vocally, i'd say the closest sound would be Kristen Hersh circa Hips & Makers or Strange Angels, but Pina manages to sound more worldworn and yet more melodic somehow. As for the musical tracks, theyre sometimes folky("The Flight" "Debt Song"), sometimes rocky ("I Loved The Way", "Cold Storm"), sometimes southern-gothicy ("Josephine", "The Lady"), but the album maintains a consistent thematic feel by sharing similar insturmentation (guitars, cellos, piano, soft drums), but varying the volume and intensity. And when Pina's background shouts and wails cut through, they sound almost primal in places.

   The length of the album is a double-edged sword. One one hand, it's pretty short, and leaves you wanting more. But, at the same time, there's no padding. No filler. I'm notorious for instnatly skipping tracks that don't strike my fancy, but I *always* listen to this album all the way through. And in a few short days "I Loved The Way" has become one of my favorite songs this year.




4. Pina's smoky, wise-beyond-her-years voice was first heard in duet with Iarla O'Lionaird on the Afro Celt Sound System's FURTHER IN TIME album. QUICK LOOK strikes off in a very different direction from the Afro Celt's brand of global fusion, instead combining elements of rock, country, and folk into a tight collection of concise story-songs. The recording has a gritty, "low-tech" feel... while some tracks feature a full band with guitar, bass and drums, others find Pina's voice accompanied only by a cello or piano. Aside from some subtle rhythm programs, the only other sign of studio tinkering is the multi-tracked backing vocals performed by Pina herself. These are delivered with great earnest, producing an almost-dissonant but ultimately beautiful sound. Standouts include "Josephine," in which the aforementioned backing vocals build into a striking, banshee-wail like chorus, "Bring Me a Biscuit," a sparse, touching account of the birth of Pina's daughter, and "The Tower," which layers guitars, mellotron strings, and intense vocals on top of a great groove. QUICK LOOK is an edgy folk rock record that explores personal joys and sorrows without descending into the narcissistic and melodramatic depths of some other artists in the genre.



5. Real World Records continues to surprise. Peter Gabriel's pet project to bring world music to the masses has spawned the Grammy nominated Afro Celt Sound System, the Grammy award winning album by long-time gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama, the dark sonic melange of Joseph Arthur, and now, Pina. While Pina came to Peter Gabriel's attention on Afro Celt Sound System's Volume 3 release (singing "Go On Through"), this album proves that she can more than stand on her own.

   When I first heard this album, I asked my friend how she would describe it. She responded with "Female Rock Folk." I guess that works. "Quick Look" (which clocks in at a quick 37 minutes) is filled with incredible guitar and vocal performances. From the first track to the last, the album astounds. The opening track "I Loved the Way," features a romping syncopation in the lyrics, along with a sonic mess of a chorus that quickly becomes addictive. Her voice has bit of bite -- a lack of smoothness that provides something easy to grab onto. And she uses to great effect, moving from one mood to the other. On the meditative, "Josephine," her voice launches into the heavens on the chorus, rising into a defiant cry that is positively spine-chilling.

   This is an album to buy if you like female vocalists with some bite, wit, and a future in music.

4 comments about North.

1. This beautiful CD seems so slow at first that I was almost ready to eject it half-way through the first song. But the once Angry Young Man has grown into a weary middle aged man. As if to slow down the entire process of aging and ask the question "When Did I Stop Dreaming?" A beautiful song looking back on a life where love always managed to slip through his fingers. And yet through the deeply touching sadness--expressed through a voice which is on the verge of shattering and arrangements so simply complex; EC reminds us of love and beauty found in "Still". No longer angry& bitter this Elvis is not near ready to give up.He concludes with cautious optimism-"I dont know what's come over me....but, "I'm in the Mood Again." Beautiful and Poignant!



2. This album seems to be a sort of historical record of the breakup of Costello's marriage to Cate O'Riordan and his subsequent meeting and becoming engaged to Diana Krall.
   My personal favorite is "STILL". It is a lovely ballad that is heartwarming and makes you feel what is in his heart.

   If you liked his recording with the Brodsky Quartet, you will thoroughly enjoy this as well.




3. Sometimes complexity can be disguised as simplicity. Sometimes the quietest moments can speak the loudest. While perhaps not to everyone's's taste, Elvis Costello's North is certainly an inspiring example of less being indeed much more. In this case, more heart, more soul, more passion.
   
   Having said that, those who do not respond favorably to this addition to the Costello canon can certainly be forgiven. I would describe it as anti-easy listening, as it requires a great deal of attentive involvement from the listener in order to reap its many and deceptively varied rewards.
   
   When a man's musical output is as ambitious and as far-ranging as Elvis Costello's, it should be taken as a given that not all of his work will be embraced by the same audience all the time. People who dig the rave-up assault of "Pump It Up" may or may not enjoy the country twang of "A Good Year For The Roses." People who love the urbane song structures of "Painted From Memory" may or may not appreciate wilder sonic experiments like "Hurry Down Doomsday." And that's OK.

   But for the adventurous, sophisticated listener, North is a hugely gratifying piece of work by the continuingly amazing Mr. Costello. A heartfelt paean to love lost and love found, it slowly and delicately reveals its complicated emotions in unexpected and genuinely moving ways.

   As a songwriter, vocalist and entertainer, few artists can match the sustained brilliance and unparalleled musical integrity of Elvis Costello.His aim has always been true - but now it's true North.




4. Suddenly he's Tony Bennett, all croon and swoon. No razor cutting lines or overtly clever-clever punning to be found on "North," only a man baring his soul. In his most style-departing record since "The Juliet Letters," Elvis Costello tries to re-invent himself for an album of cabaret love songs. Of course, there are those of us who would rush out and buy an Elvis CD if there were rumors of him singing polka. (That includes me.) But from the moment he strings begin to swell and the non-ironic pain filled lyric of "You Left Me In The Dark" unfolds, it's hard not to be taken aback at the way he lays his emotions bare. This is the grown-up Elvis, challenging himself to deal with maturity without punching it in the kisser.

   The results are mixed. By concentrating almost entirely on ballads and torch songs, Elvis finds himself with too many samey arrangements. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable, and they are all sumptuously played. Also of note is the piano of longtime associate Steve Nieve. He's been a secret weapon ever since the days of the Attractions and here his playing is brilliant.

   When the songs do connect on their emotional level ("Fallen," "Still," "I'm In The Mood Again" and "You Left Me In The Dark"), the songs rate with Elvis' best and are reminiscent of his collaborations with Burt Bacharach. He keeps the lyrics here to an admirably restrained plain spokeness, giving them the stark, film soundtrack quality the arrangements cushion. Of note as well are the vocals, which he keeps in a low and comfortable range. (Unlike "The Juliet Letters," where his singing often got unbearably screechy.) The songs here are also in an obvious sequence. The first five are about loss and heartache, then, from "When It Sings" on, "North" begins to take on a much happier tone. I'm glad he's in love again, frankly. He seems in fine sprits by the closing number. "North" is not a masterpiece, but it still shows Elvis to be a vibrant musical force almost 30 years since he stunned everyone with his debut. It also makes me hope that he gets back to picking up guitars again soon.

   A quick note about the DVD bonus cuts. There are 3 songs here. The left of the CD title track is interesting in that it really is kind of out of sorts with the rest of the album's lyrical state. Of the three, only "Fallen" is a completed production and it's lovely. Elvis does a nice job of introducing the songs and his thoughts on the album. It's brief but worth having.