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Earle rushed The Revolution Starts ... Now to stores ahead of the 2004 presidential election, and given that timing and the songwriter's righteous lefty stance, the disc's topical content should surprise exactly no one. Even still, it's light on invective, allowing Earle's deftly drawn characters to make his points for him. Plainspoken people swept up by larger events, they include the truck-driving protagonist of rig-rocker "Home to Houston," who dodges rockets while running supplies in Iraq, the disaffected vet in "The Gringo's Tale," and the American soldiers and Palestinian boys whose lives run parallel in "Rich Man's War." At times, Earle is less artful, and the going gets patchy: the title cut is a guitars-blazing call to arms, but "Warrior" (a ponderous spoken-word piece that apes Shakespeare), "F the CC" (a ragged denunciation of culture cops), and "Condi, Condi" (a faux-reggae mash note to Condoleezza Rice) don't hold up as well. Interestingly, the less-pointed material finds the cantankerous crusader at his best, as on the aching Emmylou Harris duet "Comin' Around," a late-night barroom blues called "I Thought You Should Know," and the hopeful closer "The Seeker." There, Earle slips in one last, subtle message: "There's a new day tomorrow and maybe I'll hold, something brighter than gold to a seeker." --Anders Smith Lindall ... Read more

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Mary Chapin Carpenter's first album of new material in three years has been hailed as a fine example of pop music for adults. This is both true and misleading. In changing producers (from John Jennings to celebrated piano man Matt Rollings), the literate singer-songwriter has slightly broadened her sophisticated Americana sound, and although it's less rhythmic as a whole, her acoustic-folkie approach remains at the core of her classic style. And while "Between Here and Gone"--which addresses the theme of travel and transition, the fragility of life, and the ephemeral nature of happiness--might be said to concern itself with grown-up issues, most of Carpenter's writing has always done just that. Yet this stunning album, informed both by her 2002 marriage ("Elysium," "River") and by the events of 9/11, is more introspective than much of her early work. The alto-voiced singer is compelling throughout, but never so much as on "My Heaven," inspired by Alice Sebold's novel, The Lovely Bones, or on "Grand Central Station," in which a New York City ironworker, standing on the bucket brigade at Ground Zero, hears the voices of the dead, desperate to find their way home. In moments such as these, Carpenter reestablishes herself not only as a world-class poet, but as an artist of the first order. --Alanna Nash ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Poetry set to music
What better way to describe a Mary Chapin Carpenter song than as poetry set to music? "Between Here and Gone" is full of songs that are so beautifully and meticulously written the lyric booklet could be published alone and taught in college poetry classes. In a stellar collection full of knockouts, "Grand Central Station," "My Heaven," and "Goodnight America" are obvious standouts and among the best-written songs of the past few years. And if country radio can get past its obsession with "Nash Vegas" style drivel and broaden its horizons a little, "Beautiful Racket" and "What Would You Say to Me" would make welcome additions to the airwaves.

In a lot of ways, Carpenter is the Stanley Kubrick of modern music: a meticulous artist (and maverick) who isn't afraid to take years to craft albums that strive to be masterful works of art. Like Kubrick, she sometimes misses, but when she's on, she's the best songwriter there is. And she spurns commercialism in search of greater truth and vision in her work, which obviously sets her apart from her contemporary country artists. "Between Here and Gone" may not top the charts commercially, but like most of Kubrick's best films, it's destined to rank high on the year-end "best of" lists.

"Between Here and Gone" is a collection to savor long after today's shallow superhits have been forgotten.

Buying Tips
Don't buy this album if you think Shania Twain is a musical genius. Don't buy this album if you don't like to read or hear, (rather than just listen to) lyrics. Don't buy this album if you think music has to be uplifting, (Jeez-Louise!) to be worthwhile.

Now, if you can get by all those things, there's a lot of brilliance here. While Chapin's lyrics have always been consistently great, the songs here are particularly poetic. My Heaven, Goodnight America...WOW! Grand Central Station is an absolute masterpiece. No, there's not a "Down At The Twist And Shout" in the collection, and while I love that song and the vast majority of this artist's prior work; I'm not in the same place I was back then and it's fairly obvious the artist isn't either. Like Emmylou Harris, Springsteen, and only a handful of other artists, Mary Chapin Carpenter's music has evolved with less and less regard for commercial success. Does anybody remember integrity?

And Yet More Georgous
It is important to remember the purpose of am Mary Chapin Carpenter album. This is not back ground music, this is music to focus on and think about. As good as they were in their time, Stones in the Road and Come On Come On were recorded at a time when there was still potential for Carpenter to be played on mainstream radio. Room for intelligent and grown up voices doesn't exist anymore, and so, like many others Carpenter seems to have stopped caring. And, like so many others she has found her true voice in that vauge collection of music that has become known as Americana. These songs pull you in and let you think about life, love, loss and self--all the things that mainstream outlets seem to want give us easy answers. Carpenter doesn't profer the answers, in fact, she almost never seems to know them. However, unlike the mainstream, she seems to have figured out the questions.

Superb - Heart & Soul, Subtlety & Brass
There's a problem facing any musician who's been in the business as long as MCC - what comes next? Do you stick to what's worked in the past, or do you change as time changes you? Admirably, she's chosen to change. Though some have certainly damned her for it, that was inevitable anyway.

There is no equivalent of "Shut Up And Kiss Me" or "I Feel Lucky" to grab both your earlobes and jerk you into 3.75 minutes of perky pop hook heaven. As fierce and fine as such songs are, it's just as well. BHAG is indeed slower and more sparse than earlier work, but it also spares us the spectacle of a talented singer and writer in her mid-40s trying to recapture who she was nearly 15 years ago.

Instead, there's the charm of "Luna's Gone", the twangy bounce of "What Would You Say To Me" and "Beautiful Racket", a clanging, shimmering mid-tempo number. "Girls Like Me" is the quietest song here, but absolutely piercing, walking the right side of the line between sentimentality and clarity (I saw her perform it live last week and it was riveting - you literally could have heard a pin drop during the number). Finally, there's "Elysium", as lovely, insightful and hopeful a love song as she's ever written.

This disc may not be quite the Mary Chapin Carpenter you expected, but I'd encourage you to jump in. The road may wind a bit, but the ride is smooth and the views are magnificent.

Count me among the disappointed
To say that MCC diversified her sound on this album must mean that adding a violinist to songs that do not depart from her previous slow and slower recipe counts as a major step forward. I don't want to have to write this because I love most of her previous work, but c'mon. I don't understand the blind loyalty and glowing reviews posted here. It makes me wonder if I got the wrong copy of this album and am hearing something different. To be fair MCC is always a first-rate lyricist, but she really needs to work at coming up with more interesting and diverse music instead of repeating her less inspired performances. "Stones in the Road" came close to suffering this same fate, but at least that album had "Why Walk When You Can Fly" and "Shut Up & Kiss Me" to break the monotony. This release is a chore to sit through in its entirety. Go for "State of the Heart", "C'mon C'mon", "Small Town Girl" or even "Time*Sex*Love" before this one. Even great artists miss the mark sometimes. ... Read more

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As much as any record, CSN's 1969 debut ushered in the early '70s singer-songwriter boom. Yes, this was a group, but it was one made up of three coequal composer/vocalists, each with a heady resume--Crosby an ex- Byrd, Stills in Buffalo Springfield, and Nash a former member of the Hollies. Each supplied distinctive material and contributed to CSN's trademark harmonies. The addition of Neil Young made the supergroup an edgier outfit. There's a purity to the original trio recording, however, that would never be recaptured. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Awesome debut
Crosby, Stills, & Nash's debut was a fantastic album and arguably their best. Simply put this is a classic album with excellent songs, beautfiul harmonies and stellar musicianship. Several tracks from this album are still standards on album-oriented radio. All three members are in top form here. Leading the way is their most popular and memorable track, Stephen Stills's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", a beautiful song which has not aged one day since its original release. He also contributes the classic acoustic tracks "Helplessly Hoping" and "You Don't Have To Cry", which are two of the band's best examples of their soaring harmonies. David Crosby's "Guinnevere" and "Long Time Gone" are classic rock standards and are two of the best tracks in his long and illustrious career. Graham Nash also wrote some of his best pop songs here with "Marrakesh Express", "Pre-Road Downs" and "Lady of the Island". But the strongest track would have to be "Wooden Ships", written by Crosby, Stills, and Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane. This is a powerful track with excellent lyrics and an awesome performance by the band. While CSN would release a few other strong albums after this, such as the excellent Deja Vu album, this is the band at their best. Highly recommended.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS...EVER!!!
When Crosby Stills and Nash blasted onto the rock scene in 1969 they were immidiately hailed as a super group and for good reason. David Crosby had already been known as one of the founding members of the Byrds. Stephen Stills had been the leader of Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash had been in the Hollies. So when their debut was released on May 29 1969 it became an instant chart success.

Unlike some supergroups Crosby Stills & Nash had great chemistry from the day they were formed. They harmonized wonderfully together and wrote some excellent songs throughout their career.

Each member contributed some awesome material to this album. In my opinion there is not a single weak song on this record. Yes some songs surpass others but there is absolutely no filler on this album.

Stephen Stills has always been my favourite member of this supergroup. His SUITE:JUDY BLUE EYES is one of my faves and it features some great harmonization. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CRY has some great acoustic guitar playing by him and HELPLESSLY HOPING is a nice love ballad. He also wrote 49 BYE-BYES the powerful album closer. However his most powerful track here has to be WOODEN SHIPS which he co-wrote with Crosby.

David Crosby's compositions are very good also. GUINNEVERE has been considered a throw away to some but if you listen carefully you realize the awesome uses of an acoustic guitar and harmonizing voices. LONG TIME GONE is a bit of a hippy anthem but I love the singing voice he uses on that song it is so unique and powerful and the chorus is gold.

Graham Nash proves he can work with the best of them as his MARRAKESH EXPRESS (a song obviously tied in with hash) is a very fun song. He also composes the hearty rocking PRE-ROAD DOWNS and performed the prettiest love ballad on the album with LADY OF THE ISLAND another one of his own compositions.

The success of Crosby Stills & Nash's debut led to them winning best new artist of that year at the grammy awards
some of their songs were also featured on the Woodstock movie. Neil Young would later join the group in 1970.

In conclusion "Crosby Stills & Nash" should be in everybodys cd collection. Whether you are a young music fan or an older fan, you'll love this. Heck I'm only fifteen and it is one of my top 10 favourite albums that I have every heard! Yes folks it is that good! So if you want wonderful harmony, excellent guitar playing and great songs and just overall good music then may I suggest you do yourself a favour and get this cd! You will not be disappointed my mom showed me her old LP of it and I immidiately fell in love with it. So I got the cd and have not stopped listening since the day I got it. Highly recommended!

you can start a music collection right here
'Crosby, Stills and Nash' is a classic case of the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. When this album was released in May of 1969, all of the main players had achieved a degree of notoriety. What they brought to this project was a talent matured and seasoned by Stephen Stills in 'Buffalo Springfield', David Crosby in 'The Byrds', and Graham Nash in 'The Hollies'. While it may be tempting (and presumptuous)to contend that what CS&N wrought was something completely different, never before had such a mix of divergent styles blended together so effortlessly, and with such a distinctive and savory result. Couple this with the great cultural significance of the album, and the sheer quality of the compositions and performances, and you have one of the epic albums in rock history.

'Crosby, Stills and Nash' defined a generation. More than any other single work, this album defined the ethos of the Baby Boomers, The New Left, the counter-culture. While their 1970 release 'Deja vu' played on the 'hippie mystique', 'Crosby, Stills and Nash' elucidated it. No longer tied to established values, this generation would live to emulate lyrics such as "Don't let the past remind us of what we are not now", "Listen not to what's been said to you", "Seagulls circle endlessly, I sing in silent harmony, we shall be free", "You are living a reality I left years ago, it quite nearly killed me. In the long run it will make you cry, make you crazy and old before your time", "and then I will lend you my will and your days will be filled with love", and "Speak out, you got to speak out against the madness". To what degree were these artists mirroring society as opposed to creating a mindset? Certainly a bit of both.

'Crosby, Stills and Nash' offered an eclectic mix of sounds. While the performances in this debut album are certainly categorized in the folk or soft-rock category, subsequent interpretations of numbers such as 'Wooden Ships', 'Pre-Road Downs', and 'Long Time Gone' divulged their heavy-rock potential (check out Stills' version of 'Wooden Ships' on his 1974 'Live' album). Virtually every song is a conservatory of vocal harmonies. While Dallas Taylor (seen peering out the window on the album cover) contributes percussion and David Crosby rhythm guitar, the lion's share of the instrumental work is single-handedly Stephen Stills'. Stills' lead guitar solo's, both electric and acoustic, are imaginative, inspired, and at times, such as on 'Pre-Road Downs', rabidly innovative and unparalleled.

'Crosby, Stills and Nash' harbors a wealth of creative genius, from the bold alliterations of 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' ("Lacy lilting lady, losing love lamenting") and 'Helplessly Hoping' ("Wordlessly watching he waits by the window and worries'), to the dynamic,desperate exchange between warring soldiers introducing 'Wooden Ships' ("If you smile at me I will understand, because that is something everyone does in the same language"), so pertinent to the Vietnam era. Stills offers five compositions, including a co-credit with Crosby on 'Wooden Ships', and there isn't a loser in the bunch, though '49 Bye-Byes' gets a save from Crosby and Nash's steep and ascendant harmonies. Crosby is in his prime, cataloging the beautiful 'Guinnevere' and the ominous 'Long Time Gone', this album's complement to 'Deja vu's 'Almost Cut My Hair'. 'Lady of the Island' is Nash's 'Guinnevere', and 'Pre-Road Downs' and 'Marrakesh Express' give the body of work a much-needed buoyant lilt.

'Crosby, Stills and Nash' is a close to perfect as the men, the times, and their resources could impart. It is nothing if not an essential componant of any comprehensive modern music collection.

Doesn't get better than this
I hear everybody say that, "CSN's debut album is nothing compared to Deja Vu" That is complete and total bulls**t. This album, along with The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper, and Dylans Highway 61, is the pure definition of 60's culture. The polotics, the music, the harmonies, its all amazing. Some of the most incredible lyrics I've heard on any album, and i've heard most of Dylan, and Youngs stuff. Stand out tracks here are defeitly Suite:Judy Blue Eyes, Marrakesh Express, Guinnevere(or however you spell it) Pre Road Downs, Wooden Ships, Helplessly Hoping, and Long Time gone. Much like Deja VU, there are about 2 songs the album could do without like lady of the island, and 49 bye byes. And I really don't like You DOn't have to cry at all to tell you the truth. BUt get this album, you won't be let down.

Not a perfect debut - but still excellent
1969 was a great year for rock and roll. Why, you ask? The number of reasons is virtually impossible to count. But, there's one MAJOR reason it was a great year for the genre - a classic rock "supergroup" was formed. David Crosby of the Byrds, Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash of the Hollies united - and the supergroup Crosby Stills and Nash was formed (sometimes called CSN for short.) This year, the band released its self-titled debut album. Read on for my review of it.

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - The most popular song to emerge from this album, and unquestionably one of the group's finest. It's a little overrated - but still one of the band's masterpieces.

Marrakesh Express - This one was never a big hit, but it's not exactly a forgotten masterpiece either - it falls somewhere in the middle. It seems a little silly in comparison to the other songs on the album, but it's actually an excellent piece of pop music. The guitar is VERY nice here.

Guinnevere - Many fans of CSN will tell you this song is a masterpiece. Why, you ask? BECAUSE IT IS! The band really slows things down here, but the quality certainly doesn't diminish. This song is solid proof that these guys could do softer stuff as well as any other kind of song.

You Don't Have to Cry - Another slower track, but not quite as slow as Guinnevere, and a little more upbeat. This isn't exactly a stand-out track - but it's still good. Don't skip it!

Pre-Road Downs - Here the band gives us a southern/country rocker, which is one of the finest songs the trio (later a quartet) would ever shell out. If I had to name any one song on this album its "underrated masterpiece", this would be that song!

Wooden Ships - Another ultra-slow and melodic venture. Here's another song that has become a fan favorite over the years. If you want to know why so many fans love it, listen to it!

Lady of the Island - Though the vocals in this slower track are undeniably CSN vocals, the general way the track is set up is strikingly similar to that of many Simon and Garfunkel tracks. Compare this to, say, I Am A Rock, and you'll see what I mean. Good song.

Helplessly Hoping - This isn't a bad track by any means, but it never really stood out for me. Though the album doesn't have a single weak track in my opinion, this is probably the closest thing on here to one. But it isn't bad!

Long Time Gone - MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM. This is another rocker, albeit a little slower than Pre-Road Downs. The vocals here are top notch, and the instrument usage is also excellent. To not like this song is the ultimate sin!

Forty-Nine Bye-Byes - The band closes with a track that is the happy medium between a rocker and a ballad. The last song on an album should always be a memorable one - and this one certainly is!

Crosby Stills and Nash's self-titled debut album is one of 1969's many rock and roll masterpieces. Later in the year, Stephen Stills' Buffalo Springfield bandmate Neil Young would join the band, and they would change their name to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (CSNY for short). That new incarnation of the band would release later in the year what would go onto be their masterpiece - the Deja Vu album. When you compare this album to Deja Vu, Deja Vu is the stronger album - but not by much.

Overall, this album is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to any fan of good classic southern rock. The follow-up, Deja Vu, is also recommended. Don't pass this supergroup by, or you'll live to regret it! ... Read more

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With her song selection, stately piano accompaniment, and even the soft-focus cover photo, Judy Collins channels the spirit of her 1960s artistry on her first studio album in eight years. Over the decades, her alto vocals have neither lost any of their warmth nor gained much in the way of expressive range. Much of what results is predictably pretty, as Collins's reading of Joni Mitchell's "That Song About the Midway" could pass as a follow-up to her signature rendition of "Both Sides Now," while her revival of "Sally Go 'Round the Roses" evokes similar feelings of folk-era nostalgia. On her own "Singing Lessons" and the a cappella "Wedding Song (Song for Louis)," she delves into New Age spirituality ("I thanked the gods and goddesses for bringing you to me," she sings on the latter) before building to the seven-minute, orchestrated, spoken-word recitation of Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait." For those who loved Collins's albums at her popular peak, this release represents a return to form. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (12)

VOICE PURER THAN EVER
Being a french fan since 1964 I am bewildered by this extraordinary voice. Unbelievable ! How can Judy surprise me after all these years ?
"Singing Lessons" and "Wedding songs" were already in her book "Singing Lessons". The other songs are all perfect.
Judy reaches first class quality with generally the minimum accompanyment.
"That song about the midway" is a good reminiscence of the beginnings of her friend Joni Mitchell.
"Sally go round the roses" goes far beyond the first version.
"I can't cry hard enough", "Liberté" (thank you for the french word) and "How can I keep for singing" are real masterpieces.
All the other songs are great and versatile.
Any frenchman with a good ear to whom we present Judy (not enough known in France) thinks she is a wonderful singer. A rare singer who knows how to sing well.

Please put the front picture with Judy with open eyes instead of the back picture. Judy with her so beautiful eyes deserves it !

Thank youso much, dear Judy.

A new classic album from Judy Collins
It has been several years since Judy Collins has produced an original album, but Portrait of An American Girl is worth the wait.It is a hauntingly beautiful album that is contemporary in its content and classically Judy Collins in sound and feel.That Song About the Midway, I Can't Cry Hard Enough, and Pacing the Cage are standout tracks in their own right, but following her son's suicide, Singing Lessons, Voyager, and Checkmate are personal introspections that let us into Judy's thoughts and help the listener reflect on his own.Lincoln Portrait is a beautiful recitation based on Lincoln's words, and it is a powerful statement about the state of our world today.

Although every singer's voice changes over time, Judy's voice sounds as clear and radiant as ever.I don't know of any other singer who has been producing music for as long as Judy and whose voice has remained so pure.Some production tricks give us Judy harmonizing with herself and the sounds of an orchestra or single instruments that aren't really there at times, but these effects complement the arrangements rather than detract from them, and I'm glad these choices were made to make the most of these songs and Judy's voice using today's technology.Throughout the album, her own piano playing accompanies most tracks beautifully.

Any Judy Collins fan should listen to this cd, and anyone who wants a comforting and empowering album should give it a try.Judy has a remarkable way of turning her difficulties and sorrow into hope and inspiration and sharing it with her listeners.That is what she has done again with Portrait of An American Girl.

A Disappointed, Yet Hopeful Fan
I have been in love with Judy Collins for over 30 years, so when I saw this new CD of her own material, I was excited.However, as much as I tried to like all her songs, they were uneven and somewhat repetitious.Her voice, that sweet, unerring, pure soprano is still remarkably the same as it was years ago (contrast her voice with Joni Mitchell's that has dropped an octave or more), but on certain songs, her pitch seems off and her phrasing is not self-assured.My favorite song on the album is the a cappella "Wedding Song" but even that song becomes tedious after awhile.Judy Collins invented and perfected the "art song," a classically arranged popular song with complex poetic lyrics.The album "Wildflowers" is an extraordinary example of this genre.Judy Collins is brave soul, a trouper, who continues to grace our lives with her talent.Unfortunately, it is because she was so good that this album suffers by comparison.

a little different
I admit I haven't been listening to Judy much in recent years. My tastes changed & the compilations seemed to signal the end of her recording career, though she still performs constantly. This is a pleasant surprise and a delight for the most part.

Standouts are That Song About The Midway and I Can't Cry Hard Enough. Those and Pacing The Cage are pure classics. Judy is better using her chest voice and the mix on these songs with her head voice is perfect.

I was afraid of Sally Go 'Round The Roses but what a great vocal arrangement!! Is this an old folk song or a 50's oldie? Can't Buy Love is an overdone theme. She might have saved it with a full band though.

I wish she had followed Lincoln Portrait with her rendition of America The Beautiful. (At least the synthesized orchestra here is well done) There is some puzzlement from other reviewers about the Lincoln Portrait. Listen to Abraham Lincoln's words...they are a totally current message about the state of our country, war, and a message for our current government. I think Judy is making a great statement with it!

Beginning the album with Singing Lessons and ending it with How Can I Keep From Singing is another statement. Judy is humble but not about to stop--a testament to a very long career that is not over.

Not the Judy of old
As a die-hard Judy Collins fan for 30 years or more, I must say that I am disappointed in this eagerly-awaited album of new material.It's very uneven and I wish Judy could capture her sound from the 60's and 70's.Then her voice sounded more sincere and it had real depth to it.Her song choices were impeccable, unlike today's.One thing that really annoys me about this new compilation is the use of an electric piano or synthesizer on many cuts.It makes what could be marvelous songs sound like they belong in a wedding band or something...very cheesy, in my opinion. I don't know why she uses this "instrument" so much -- is it her own choice or that of her musical director?Whatever the case, I think it's ill-advised.I also think "The Lincoln Portrait" is totally out of place and sounds forced.I don't think Judy's own compositions hold up that well, either -- too many sound the same and I prefer the songs written by others.I do, however, disagree with the person who disliked "Drops of Jupiter."I think that was a surprising and great song choice for Judy, and I think she does wonderfully on it.I also disagree that her voice sounds weak on this c.d.I think her voice sounds better than ever, unlike the shrillness on previous efforts, and I'd be hardpressed to tell whether her singing on this c.d. was recent or from 30 years ago.That's pretty amazing in a singer.On the whole, I'm not very impressed with this c.d.I yearn for the Judy of earlier times -- her more recent efforts just don't have the same resonance or emotional impact. ... Read more

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Kicking off A&M's ambitious Cat Stevens reissue program is this 20-song introduction. The set surveys all of Stevens's stages, from the orchestrated late-1960s sides through his early-'70s peak to his more eclectic late-1970s experiments. Following the progression makes for an interesting endeavor as Stevens learns to harness his ambitious ideas with arrangements that don't obscure his rhapsodic messages. Few artists of his generation were more gifted when it came to plucking timeless melodies out of thin air, and his sumptuous voice was always able to movingly convey his bittersweet lyrics. As a career overview (including one previously unreleased cut) this set achieves its goal, hitting all of the chart successes along the way and basically defining his role as a sensitive '70s singer-songwriter, but some fans may opt for the classic early-'70s studio records, which find Stevens at his most consistently touching. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (78)

A Great Collection!
Cat Stevens came out of the U.K. in the early 70's with the very rare talent of writing great and meaningful lyrics with beautiful music. This collection starts off with some of his early work that earned him fans in Britain and includes "The First Cut is the Deepest" an eventual smash hit bt Rod Stewart. It's interesting to follow the evolution of his art as he gains international star status. His U.S. debut album, Tea for the Tillerman, begins to show his ability to put his heart into his lyrics. Songs such as "Where do the Children Play" (questioning what price we pay for progress) and Father and Son (a song about the different paths fathers and sons travel) demonstrate a deep passion for life. As his music progresses through his other albums he continues to explore the world and relationships while searching for his own path. "Morning has Broken" is a hymm he found in a religous section of a bookstore that he arrainged and recorded. Moonshadow is nice and catchy, if not a little morbid. Also his last album really demostrates his final conversion and the sense of awareness and acceptance he found within. If you only buy 1 Cat Stevens CD, this is it!

The 5th Time's The Charm
It is impossible to compile a single-disc greatest-hits compilation for Cat Stevens that will come close to satisfying all of his admirers. The Very Best of Cat Stevens is the fifth major attempt to do so and, like its predecessors, it is challenged by its subject's success.

Stevens was practically a permanent resident of the British and American pop charts from his debut as a teen star in 1966 until the late '70s when his conversion to Islam prompted him to abandon his music career. Add to the hit singles the many enormously popular album tracks and it becomes extremely difficult to identify the "very best" 20 songs.

The first Greatest Hits was released in 1975, too early to include material from the last three albums. It also ignored the early pop albums, excluding catchy hits like "Matthew & Son" and "Lady D'Arbanville." The second volume was dominated by weaker album tracks from the late albums. The Stevens edition of the A&M Classics series suffered from some peculiar song choices ("New York Times"?) and it, too, ignored the early albums. Remember Cat Stevens - The Ultimate Collection is the longest of the five (24 tracks) and may be the most comprehensive.

But The Very Best of Cat Stevens, released just a year later, has several advantages that make it more appealing. To begin with, it is the only compilation to sequence chronologically songs from every one of Stevens' albums, including the experimental Foreigner. It also contains the delightful folk creed "The Wind," which was a glaring omission from the so-called Ultimate Collection.

Most significantly, it contains the previously unreleased "I've Got a Thing About Seeing My Grandson Grow Old." Stevens recorded a demo of the song during the Mona Bone Jakon sessions in 1970, but it never saw the light of day until it was remixed for this collection.

Perhaps this was because it was considered too eccentric for public consumption, straddling the line between the hook-rich pop of Stevens' '60s records and the groundbreaking folk-rock of his '70s efforts. If so, the public was vastly underestimated. The song is a buried treasure that fits in perfectly in the company of Stevens' best work.

This is the one your collection needs.
I consider this the most dope collection of Cat Stevens (in a single CD form). It has the most prolific of his songs from "The First Cut is the Deepest" and "Another Saturday Night". But it also has the most Treasured Cat Stevens song ever (by my opinion). If you Don't have "Morning has Broken" do yourself a favor even if you have to bust out an illegal download. This song actually started out as a church hymn, but stands alone as no other song does. Powerful and emotional, you can almost feel the lyrics hit you. Buy this CD.

The Best Cat Stevens Collection...
There are other "best of Cat Stevens" collections out there, but this is the one to buy. It is the only one that I know of which features The First Cut is the Deepest (my primary reason for buying it). It is a fairly comprehensive overview of his career from earliest onwards. All of his "greatest hits" really are included.

A New Fan
I wasn't very familiar with the work of Cat Stevens when I purchased this album. The extent of my exposure to his music was "Wild World" and "Father and Son". Well, since I bought this CD last year, I have become hooked. I have this playing in the background on a regular basis these days. Every song on here is a quality piece of work and the meaning behind the lyrics is more meanful than most of what you hear on the radio today. His voice just makes the songs perfect and they aren't the same if he's not singing them. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Riot on an Empty Street
Okay, let us get real people, the only similiarities between Simon and Garfunkle and the Kings of Convenience are that they both use acoustic guitars and sing in triads. Honestly, that's about it. Moving on to the album...it's good, quite good in fact. That's all I have to say, and it should be enough considering the fact that this comment came from me, a rather fickle pickle.

Music for a lazy afternoon
It must be tough to follow up a success such as "Quiet is the New Loud", and many people feared that Kings of Convenience would be a one-off as the band members each got stuck into other projects - Erlend Øye went solo with an ambient project, and Eirik Glambæk Bøe concentrated on his studies (in psychology, I think). But here it is: The long awaited follow up. And it's a very pleasant listen.

This sort of subtle, acoustic music never really goes out of style. You could just as easily give this album to your mother or even grandmother and they'd probably enjoy it just as much as you do (yikes!). That doesn't much sound like a good recommendation for a pop record ... but it is. The crisp clean production and first-rate musicianship makes this a treat to listen to, even though the harmonies are the oldest in the book, but also probably the most immediately pleasing for exactly that reason. This time the duo invite a French female guest writer and vocalist Feist for some variation - which works really well.

Take Simon and Garfunkel - add a bit of jazzy stuff here and there and a bit more melancholy in some places, and you have a pretty good general idea of what this record has to offer. I don't understand, though, why some reviewers find this only mopey - but then again I am familiar with Erlend and Eiriks home town where the weather is always rainy. We do nothing but stare out of rainsplashed windows all year (well, almost). And I know that this is when you want something as soothing as this on your stereo: While you make a cup of hot tea and read the paper, or invite some close friends around for a quiet, home-cooked meal. But it's equally good to rest your sleepy head to on a sunny, lazy summer afternoon: "Gold in the air of summer", indeed.

I'm also already waiting in anticipation for the Röyksopp dance remix of "I'd rather dance" - probably the catchiest uptempo tune on this record. (Röyksopp, can you hear me??)

soulful, sensitive, Scandinavian
The Kings Of Convenience: soulful, sensitive, Scandinavian (tick all that apply).

Norwegian duo Erlend Øye (the earnest, bespectacled one) and Eirik Glambek Bøe (the enigmatic, hunky one) channel Simon and Garfunkel in Riot On An Empty Street, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut Quiet Is The New Loud.

In fact, Homesick and Gold In The Air Of Summer capture the melodic spirit of the folk duo so uncannily and so beautifully, that for a moment I thought I was listening to the wrong CD. Either that, or to a Simon and Garfunkel covers band.

The gentle strumming of the acoustic, nylon and steel string guitars set the offbeat, folksy mood as the duo sing together, one 'high voice', the other 'low voice', of the usual melancholy and suffering for love and art, with cut-out-and-stick-on-your-fridge axioms like "a song for someone who needs somewhere to long for" (Homesick), "love is no big truth, driven by our genes, we are selfish human beings" (Love Is No Big Truth), and the "summer child that sits by the water, weaving sunlight threads in his hands" (Live Long).

Interspersed between the occasionally austere folk songs are fleet-footed melodies and whimsical words, but the messages remain consistent: gentle advice ("A friend is not a means you utilize to get somewhere", Misread) and sepia-tinted, idealised memories ("These canals, it seems, they all go in circles, places look the same, and we're the only difference", Cayman Islands). A guest appearance by the current-toast-of-Paris/Jane Birkin-look-a-like Feist on Know-How only cements the album's chic-ness.

The Kings Of Convenience have an undeniable appeal to those who adore fruit-infused tea, minimalist furniture and staring out through blurred windowpanes on dreary rainy days. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Six years in the making, Car Wheels somehow lives up to its lofty expectations because of Williams's direct songwriting and her wonderfully unaffected vocals. With assistance from cohorts such as Steve Earle, Williams uses the acoustic accents of Dobros, mandolins, slide guitars, and accordions to add color to her grooves, whispers, and rumbles. Her lyrics are undisguised as she presents to us the travelogue of her memory. We can't wait for 2004! --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (247)

Two great songs, lots of lousy filler
This album contains perhaps the broadest range in music in recent memory, ranging from fantastic to unbearable slop. "Can't let go" and "Joy" are excellent songs and since this is not a one-hit wonder cd, you probably won't go too wrong buying it just for those two songs, which are great hard driving blues songs with nifty slide guitar work. However, the bulk of the rest of the album is incomprehensibly boring, slow, dreary country pop. This album is a prime example of why so many women musicians fail to live up to their real potential: instead of devoting a whole album to her strengths - as a blues guitarist and singer with the ability to really belt some tunes - Lucinda Williams spends most of the album playing silly folk-country-pop like dozens of other currently trendy female artists, essentially sounding like a Jewel single played at 33 rpm instead of 45. If Williams had the guts to try to rock, instead of settling for pop mediocrity, she would be one of the best acts around.

Superb--soulful with an understanding of human frailities.
This is truly a very good CD by a great artist. Her voice and her music are both unique, but with roots in well recognized folk, rock and blues genres. She sings a Louiana version of folk and blues with a voice that sometimes has to stretch and strain. Her music doesn't fit easliy into predescribed categories. Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes its loud. Sometimes its blusy and sometimes it's just plain "folk". Usually its a blend. If you want sharp crisp Madison Avenue packaged lyrics that fit perfectly into tight little melodies, this is NOT your CD. Her music and lyrics are often rough around the edges. But if you've ever left or lost a lover, ever felt "lost" or even "found", and like --or hate-- the emotions those memories recall, or if you have a soul that understands the human journey through life, you'll like this CD. For example, the lyrics in "Lake Charles" don't rhyme, don't alwys fit exacly into the music, and are sung by Lucinda in a voice that sounds like Janis Joplin in a quiet mood. But this haunting and tender song about a dead lover/friend also invokes the feeling that the singer has come to grips with the loss as well, and teaches more about remembering your loss and letting it go than any other song I've ever heard. The chorus of "Did an angel whisper in your ear? Hold you close, and take away your fear, in that long last moment?"still affects me, in a way I don't understand, whenever I hear it. Maybe it reminds me that someday I'll face a "long, last moment", too. This is the first Lucinda Williams CD I've listened to. I gave the CD 4 stars simply because the CD tells me that this is an artist capable of even greater heights. If you want to know my tastes in music, they're probably not much help. I was raised on rock n' roll with an emphasis on the Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen--but I always had a collection of quieter folk music lying around, too --Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Bob Dylan. Springsteen's quieter releases--"The Ballad of Tom Joad" and "Nebraska" remain my 2 favorites of his CD's. Today I listen to just about anything--Frank Sinatra, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen being my mainstays. These singers and their music have very little in common--except that each can evoke some facet of the human condition and put it into words and music. Lucina Williams is the same.

Lucinda's Got It All
Trying to find the words to praise this album is difficult. It is without a doubt one of my top 5 albums. Her lyrics show her soul and sometimes my own. One has to wonder about the life she's lead when one listens to her music. Much pain and much happiness! Contradiction...I think if you had to describe her music...that would be the word. She is bar none one of the greatest songwriters of our time...and her concerts are not to be missed!

Lucinda Wms
Awsome Vocals Catchy Tunes The Female Bob Dylan In A
Singer/Songwriter Kinda Way She Jams

One of the best albums ever
I had a few Lucinda Williams albums, including "World Without Tears", before I finally bought "Car Wheels".

I was totally unprepared for the perfection of this work.

If these lyrics don't move you, if the music doesn't get your foot tapping, then you must be dead. I guarantee that three listens to this collection and you'll have at least one of the songs stuck looping in your head, but it is impossible to say which song, because all are nearly perfect. And the title track may just be as close to a perfect transference of a feeling from a song that I've ever experienced. This isn't country, folk, rock or blues, this is m-u-s-i-c at its finest.

The listener and critical reviews for "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", here or on any other site or forum, show this to be perhaps the most consistently well-loved album in history. To the few who gave it two or three stars, I'll communicate with you at your level: Duh. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Enya's 1988 recording Watermark achieved landmark success with her groundbreaking use of multi-tracking technology to fuse new age and Celtic themes and instrumentation. The meticulous production defines her sound and achieves continuity even while weaving together tender ballads, piano pieces, massively layered vocal harmonies, and symphonic synthesizer movements. Although Enya's pristine voice isn't especially strong, her lead vocals possess a vulnerability that reflects the lyrics' sense of personal searching. From the ubiquitous, frothy single "Orinoco Flow" (which was used to hawk Crystal Light on TV) to the hard, bold edge of "Cursum Perficio," Enya's style remains fresh and engaging today.--Richard Price ... Read more

Reviews (153)

I Was Torn Between 4 And 5 Stars!
Although this album of hers was produced in '88, I'd only (shamefully) purchased it a few weeks ago. It's frankly an excellent album, as always, but I got the awkward feeling that Enya had started out..."stiff". The fact that this was only her second new-age album - after an unsuccessful first from '83 to '84 - was accepted willingly by me on why all the tracks on this CD seemed to carry similar atmosphere - almost same tunes and similar rhythm. Honestly, because of this, I wanted to give her 5 stars, but considering the standards she's met up to today, I'd say this is mere second-hand work on her part (hence, a 4-star rating)! Nonetheless, it's definitely a new-age compilation worth listening to, for it's very clear why Enya shot to fame producing this CD! There're of course the three tracks which shortly made her the unprecedented superior diva in the era of new-age music, "Orinoco Flow", "Storms in Africa" and the title track, which is a beautiful piano recital, "Watermark". But not all the other songs and musical pieces are disappointing fillers (nah! You wouldn't expect that from her, would you?); other masterpieces include "The Longships (EXCELLENT instrumentation and voice budding)", "Miss Clare Remembers (a recital as wonderful as the title track)", "Exile (if you liked "Paint the Sky with Stars")", "River (a marvellous instrumental adaptation of "Orinoco Flow")" and "Evening Falls (a mystical lullaby)". This album would reassuringly still give new fans a good impression of this musical queen; as for those who have been avid all this while, you simply CANNOT miss this out in your collection!

The volume? Well, turn it up, turn it up...
Watermark is a unique album, totally fantastic! It's incredible how a person - just 27 years old at that time - was able to create an album like this. I like the whole album, but I have two favourite tracks; the first is one of Enya's greatest hits... yes, of course it's the spectacular Orinoco Flow! The second is Storms In Africa which was a hit too, though a much smaller one. Other songs which I prefer are Cursum Perficio, River and The Long Ships but, as a mentioned before, the whole album is great. The music is from 1988 but that's impossible to hear, it could well have been the music of today.

Here comes a short description of the tracks on Watermark:

1. Watermark - Instrumental; very relaxing
2. Cursum Perficio - Latin; pretty powerfull, special*
3. On Your Shore - English; beautiful, relaxing
4. Storms In Africa - Gaelic; great, wonderful, special*
5. Exile - English; beautiful, pretty calm
6. Miss Clare Remembers - Instrumental; relaxing
7. Orinoco Flow - English; great, powerful, wonderful, special*
8. Evening Falls - English; beautiful, pretty calm
9. River - Instrumental; nice, beautiful
10. The Long Ships - Gaelic; pretty powerful, special*
11. Na Laetha Geal M'óige - Gaelic; calm and relaxing

* Hard to say why these songs are special, but perhaps because they don't sound like any other musical stuff. There's only one person that's able to create songs like these and her name is - Enya. You must hear them, but don't forget to try her remaining albums such as Shepherd Moons and The Memory Of Trees.

A New-Age Dynasty has Begun
Enya, one one the most talented musician I've ever heard, truly gives it all in this single CD. It wasn't new; I've heard songs by Enya in the past but I have never listened to all of them. In Watermark, one of her oldest albums, gently and beautifully expresses the contents of her heart. Her music has become a real inspiration to others and myself. When I first listened to Watermark, the first track, I realized that this is pure gold in music form. Anyone who wishes to explore some of the earliest and beautiful works by Enya must have Watermark. As the Editorial Review states, her first debut of this cd made a huge imapact on its' listeners. This cd personally impacted my outlook on New-Age music. It made me realize that new things can be found in old work. The effect on its' listeners is very calming. The instrumental music in addition with Enya's voice induces relaxation and will alleviate stress. Her heavenly voice, at a gentle pitch, helps sooth and put a smile on ones' face. This is a truly inspirational work by whom I consider the "Diva of New-Age" and listening to her wonderful achievments will have the same effect as it did for me.

WATERMARK: 5 STARS, 4 STARS FOR ENYA
I enjoyed the cd but Enya has previously made much better cds. watermark is an amazing cd and i highly recommend it if it is your first enya cd but if youve heard enya many times, i would move on to so,thing morelike, Best of Enya.

One of my top 5 CDs of all time
I was a DJ in high school when I happened upon a used cassette of Watermark. I remember picking it up and thinking "oh, this is that singer who has that strange song Orinoco Flow out on the radio." I had only heard Orinoco Flow a few times, but it was getting tons of airplay. I decided to pick it up (even though my tastes in music were totally inapposite to Enya's style). I took the tape home--and I swear--I had to sit down because I was so overwhelmed by what I was hearing. I recall thinking "this is the single most beautiful voice I've ever heard in my life." From that point on, my taste in music changed dramatically. Funny that it all started with ENYA. I played the album for my parents and my siblings and they were equally stunned by its beauty.

Watermark's production is immaculate and showcases Enya at her best (although I like everything she's done). I am amused by the bone-head comments made by Enya-haters who say "this music is sooo boring," or "it is so pretentious." It's like hearing a deaf mute gripe that Mozart's Requiem is dull or self-important. SHUT UP, BE SILENT, and take your tone-deaf selves to the local ska shop! Enya's music is only dull to individuals who have tin ears or are so musically disinclined that the don't know a whole note from a hole in their heads.

I also strongly disagree with people who say that Enya's voice is "weak." She sings in a very traditional style (the style is called sean-nos and is exemplified by aspirated/breathy singing). You'll hear no fake SOUL DIVA sliding (a la Mariah Carey or Crustina Aguilera). That's because the Irish have a traditional singing style that is not influenced by the western classical tradition (or any pseudo-gospel/soul style). Enya's range and almost vibrato-less singing is really incredible. I don't think there are many others who can match her purity of tone (maybe Lisa Gerrard who is almost superhuman).

Anyway, this music changed my entire musical perspective and still moves me to this day. It will always be the most important musical revelation in my life.
If you don't own it, you need to go drop the $2.99 and pick it up :-) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gillian Welch has captured the ethos of mountain music in a way that few lowlanders have managed, and that's just a little disconcerting. Outsiders aren't supposed to be able to infiltrate tight-knit clans. Producer T-Bone Burnett creates intimacy by recording Welch live with a small cast of supporting players, including Welch's partner, David Rawlings. While many of the songs are built around duo acoustic guitars and two-part harmonies, Burnett spices up a few of them up with some neat tricks, mixing an upright bass above the vocals on "Pass You By" and getting a fat, dirty sound out of three instruments. Welch's vocals, meanwhile, are stoical and matter-of-fact as her songs, which are infused with a repressed dread and contrition that's utterly convincing. White gospel tunes like "Orphan Girl" and "By the Mark" feel as if they were culled from hymnals, yet they were written when Clinton, not Coolidge, was president. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Gillian Welch; powerful artist
Thanks to Amazon, I found Gillian Welch via their "customers also bought" information bar while purchasing an Emmylou Harris recording. Ms Welch posesses a sincere and refreshing approach to "country" music. Her soul searching lyrics are brought together with her haunting voice as a Hermann Hesse novel. They both express the human life experience. Ms Welch's diversity is far reaching with "Paper Wings" (Billy Holliday would love this song) to "Acony Bell" (a sweet and precious song). I used to write and play similiar songs to my daughter Amber Faith. If you desire an experience with soul searching music, purchase this recording.

One I can't live without...
I walked into a record store one day and heard the first few songs off of Revival over the store speakers and they stopped me in my tracks. I immediately bought it (and I'm not the impulsive type) and my husband and I played it just about every morning for the first month we owned it. Gillian and David have somehow managed to channel the ghosts of Appalachian oldtimers through their souls and onto this disc. This music is as real and haunting as it gets. I can't say enough about it, it just gets under your skin and stays there. If you ever get a chance to see them live, you'll understand how incredibly gifted they are. If you like alt country or twangy folk, this is a must have!

Essential Gillian Welch
Forget the hype of 'O Brother Where Art Thou'. Forget about "alt-country". Forget about "mountain music". This is the debut album from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. And its an experience.

How can you NOT mention Rawlings every time you talk about Welch? It is only together, that they've created some of the most beautiful, haunting, melancholic songs I have ever heard. I've been fortunate enough to see them play on two occasions, they're also outstanding live musicians and they had the audience spellbound for the entire length of the concert. This is the perfect record to start your GW/DR collection with...

Beautiful alt-country debut album.
It's hard to believe this is Welch's first album: the songwriting is unbelievably solid, and the music is hauntingly reminiscent of early bluegrass and country music. She came from a musical family (her parents scored the music for "The Carol Burnett Show"), and she attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where she met her musical partner David Rawlings.

Welch's and Rawlings's voice and instrumentations blend beautifully, and one of the standout songs on the album is "By The Mark", where you can hear Rawlings clearly echoing and harmonizing with Welch's voice. Other songs worth mentioning are the mournful "Annabelle" and "Tear My Stillhouse Down".

It should be noted also that Emmylou Harris was so impressed with Welch and with this album that she later covered "Orphan Girl".

Disappointing
If this is her best (as indicated by many others here), I'm incredibly disappointed. I bought this CD because I heard one song (from "Soul Journey") that I liked on the radio. After reading the reviews, I chose this CD because it was the most raved about.

Three of the songs on this CD sound just like her tune on "Oh Brother..." The rest of the CD is, well... mediocre. There's absolutely nothing original or touching here. I don't care about Gillian's background, I just want to listen to great music. This is not great music. She sounds like any other mediocre country-folk artist.

... ... Read more

Amazon.com Music Reviews

Blessed with the voice of a wispy angel, Elliott Smith creates sad little pop songs, which, like the work of Nick Drake (to whom he's been compared) threaten to disappear into the night air. Several of the tracks here were featured in Gus Van Zant's movie Good Will Hunting, and they're among the album's best (though "Miss Misery," nominated for an Academy Award is only available on the soundtrack album). "Angeles" and "Say Yes" are bittersweet laments that feature Smith's idiosyncratic guitar picking, which is well served by the album's decidedly low-fi production. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Where Have I Been?
I have to thank Spin magazine for my purchase of Elliot Smith's Either/Or. I saw the album located as one of the best albums of the 90s and decided to go purchase the album. SPIN WAS COMPLETELY WRONG. This album should have been way farther up than the rating it got. Where have I been? How come I had never heard of Elliot Smith before this? I love every song on this album. Beautiful melodies and flowing intelligent lyrics - Either/Or is one of the most haunting and elegant albums I have ever heard. Speed Trials is glorious and so is Alameda. Ballad of Big Nothing is without a doubt the highlight of the album. Between the Bars, Pictures of Me, No Name No.5, Rose Parade, Punch and Judy, Cupid's Trick, 2:45 AM - all GREAT songs. Say Yes and Angeles are other highlights. Elliot Smith has a ethereal voice and combined with his guitar- creates an experience that can only be heard. I haven't heard XO or his self-titled. But from some people I've talked to - they say XO or the self-titled is better. How can you top this? I can't wait to find out.

elliott smith's best album!
i didn't know a whole lot of background information about elliott smith when i first heard his music, and i still haven't seen good will hunting, but after a friend introduced me to his incredible music he has become my favorite musician! his voice is just plain beautiful! i can't describe it any other way.

either/or was the first cd i heard by elliott smith, and is probably my favorite out of all the elliott smith albums. every song is pretty emotional and full of feeling. the tone is really mellow, and not abrasive like most of the music of today. i personally love "depressing" emotional music, and it makes me feel good. either/or is perfectly blended between sad and beautiful music. this is one of the few albums that i can listen to the whole cd straight through. my personal favorite tracks are: "between the bars", "angeles", "2:45", "speed trials", no name no. 5", etc. i love every track!

this is somewhat sad music, but it doesn't really make you sad. i am really amazed that this truly gifted artist exists! really, this is beautiful music that everyone can appreciate!!!

Hauntingly Beautiful
Elliott Smith's music is so sincere and brutally honest that just him and his acoustic beat all those mainstream fishooks out there today. The acoustic fingerstyle does conjure up the ghost of Nick Drake. The album has great dual layered vocals on songs like Angeles and Between the Bars which are reminiscent of the best harmonies from Simon and Garfunkel. This truely is the work of a fine musician and will make a nice addition to your collection.

love, love, love this record.
i highly recommend this album if you like the honesty and passion of artists like john lennon, kurt cobain, or leonard cohen. you know what i'm talking about. elliot smith is one of the few that can touch me on such a deep level. this record has a sound of its own and it's truly haunting - even more so now that elliot is gone.

Own this now
I love this cd and have listened to it at least once every day since I bought it. One of those great albums you never forget. Everyone needs to own a copy of this. I dont think I oculd find one person who can honestly say they dont like it (people that do are just lying). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bruce Springsteen followed his muse on this haunting 1995 release. Perhaps that's why it barely made a dent in the marketplace, even while it thrilled the faithful who were willing to take another dark, Nebraska-like journey with him. It's abundantly clear that Springsteen had been soaking himself in the work of John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie during the writing of The Ghost of Tom Joad, but their combined influence is found on more than just the title track. It's all over these windblown songs (including the haunting "Dry Lightning" and "the seminal "Youngstown") and their hard-scrabble protagonists. Not the Boss's biggest record, but certainly one of his best. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (83)

A Stunning American Classic
Don't get me wrong, I am primarily a maniacal fan of Bruce's rock 'n' roll masterpieces and his stupendous live shows, but his acoustic work shows equally important facets of his genius as a songwriter/musician/poet. These "Tom Joad" recordings have the haunting quality of Appalachian folk songs with the lyric depth of the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca or Dylan Thomas. I honestly can't think of another musical artist that has captured the heartbreak, complexity and hope of the American experience in the way that Springsteen has. "Galveston Bay" talks with quiet irony of way in which our nation of immigrants tends tragically to discriminate against each latest wave newcomers. And yet, by the end of the song, the antagonists finally relent and allow new blood to reinvigorate and replenish the American dream. "Across the Border" captures the mix of hope and illusion that draws so many to "El Norte." "Youngstown" speaks achingly of the betrayal of the American working man and woman. "Dry Lightening" paints a word picture of the itchy, discomforting freedom promised by true love and the unending horizons of western plains. I could go on and on. I never tire of this album. It still has the ability to change my life just a tiny bit for the better each time I hear it. If you don't love "Tom Joad" on first bounce, play it again and let its power seep into your soul. You'll never be sorry.

There won't ever be another CD like this
When 'The Rising' came out I went back and bought all of Springsteen's past collection. I came across 'The Ghost Of Tom Joad' and sat down to listen to it, not really knowing what is was about. It really blew me away, and for the first time I actually felt like I was pulled in to the album, thanks to Bruce's brilliant song writing. You listen to an album like this, which is so beautifully crafted, and then listen to basically any song from pop bands, you will be put into a new light. This is how music is suposed to sound, intimate, fun, and emotional. I can honestly say, if you buy this record you won't be sorry.

Out on a limb? It's artistic genius!
Bruce Springsteen's a reliable rocker. His lyrics aren't always the best, and his voice could use a little touchup, but people love him anyway. Why? He sings about the common man. And he's talented as hell.

On "The Ghost of Tom Joad," Springsteen finds himself at his peak--even if he had to leave the rock arena to do it. Sure, his electric guitar-fueled rockers are superb (find one rocker who's had a more lasting impression on various generations, past and present, than the Boss; and if you say McCartney, I'm gonna hit you). However, these gentle (mostly) acoustic numbers are sublime--graceful folk/country songs that sound the bells for the downtrodden (and Springsteen's multi-instrumental talent).

"Straight Time," for example, deals with a former criminal who can't seem to live a decent life; "Highway 29", about a fateful Bonnie and Clyde couple; "Youngstown," about a factory worker who needs a reprieve; "The Line," about a border guard who falls in love with a refugee; "My Best Was Never Good Enough," a darkly humorous tune about a man who just can't win, no matter what advice he's been given; and several other songs, most about immigrants and their troubles.

Yeah, it's a little opressing at first. Springsteen can be that way, when he's writing from his soul. And the album never really picks up, tempo-wise. It's not something you're gonna party to; but if you want good quality music, that'll make you think about yourself and the world, and shine a better light on your relations with others, then "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is your album.

A Masterpiece
As far as I am concerned, this is the best album Bruce has ever made. As I own practically every album he has released, I am speaking with some knowledge.

An amazing sequel to Nebraska
The Ghost of Tom Joad is one of the most haunting albums I have ever listened to. It was in fact listening to this album that I noticed the tremendous influence he has had on so many of our great singer/songwriters. The music on Ghost is tremendously affecting. It is Springsteen without his pop-enthusiasm. The songs are bare, and his tremendous talents as a songwriter really stand out for all to see. Ghost is a great album that showcases the considerable talents of one of our great songwriters. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Everything about this CD, from its eye-popping cool packaging to its beautiful booklet, is wonderful, perhaps peerless. It's a study that spans 16 countries, catching paeans to childhood sleep from varied traditions. The set traverses the Cape Breton Gaelic tradition with the Rankin Family, Haiti with pop stars Boukman Eksperyans, and the African continent with music from Tonga, Algeria, and Cameroon. Despite their distances from each other, at times the songs sound quite alike. Voices might begin alone but then gather into choral size, with a reliance on wordless passages to emphasize the flow of time as sleep encroaches. In execution, the surprises are many. Algerian Houria Aïchi sounds East Indian; the Traditional Japanese Music Ensemble of New York sounds poised somewhere between a stately concert of historical court music and a touching homage to childhood; and German singer Michelle sounds pop-music ready even as she toes the line on singing a sleep-triggering song. Beyond being a great collection of international music, this is probably the most interesting mix available of cultural voices approaching the issue of children sleeping. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Uniquely enchanting, lullingly blissful--a worldly baby gift
Initially, I ordered The Planet Sleeps to add to the multicultural music collection at my daughter's elementary school library; the CD arrived last night, and I became so taken with it that I already plan to order several more as new baby gifts as well as one for my own children. The hauntingly beautiful "Chi Mi Na Morbheanna" (which I listened to nearly 20 times in the first 24 hours) is worth the entire purchase price, but the other songs are marvelous too, and those that don't have immediate appeal will most likely grow on you. I was holding my toddler son in my arms while listening to the CD, and he fell asleep during the sitar lullaby from India. For those of us trying to raise our children with a familiarity and appreciation of other world cultures, this lullaby collection is truly invaluable.

The extensive liner notes (36 pp.) are often quite moving, offering details about each artist, country, song, and recording experience as well as a song translation. The back of the case says "music meant to bring bliss into a frantic world." This collection certainly achieves its goal--and it's not just for bedtime by any means.

The most beautiful CD ever to grace my home.
This CD is exactly what I have been looking for. I play it softly as background music while playing with my 2 year old and 6 month old. "Ana Latu" is one of our favorites. I also feel that the write-up on "Oj Talasi" alone is worth buying the album. David Field journals his work at compiling these lullabies, adding to the feeling of connectedness that imbues from this collection. I was especially glad (and surprised) to find a lullaby from my own distant heritage, "Yahnaway Hay Yowna". This disc makes a wonderful baby shower or blessingway gift for expectant parents. The "jewel" case is all-natural, too, better for our Mother Earth!

Perfect for Calming
I started listening to this CD when I was 7 months pregnant to help myself go to sleep. Since my daughter was born 5 months ago, we put it on whenever she has trouble calming down to go to sleep. As soon as the music starts she begins to relax and takes her nap. We all love hearing the beautiful lullabies play throughout the house.

A relaxingly adventurous album!!!!
I can't understand most of the songs (I think there's only one in English, if that), but the music speaks a lot just as the words do, so it's good. Each song is enchanting and engrossing, you get lost in the melodies. They are all smooth and calm, peaceful. I suggest this album to anyone who just wants to unwind and let loose all the stress of the day!

Dream Time
I have been listening to this album for the past seven years and never grown tired of it. I bought it to play for the children I taught, but I have come to love it myself. It is the sure cure for nighttime tension, and beautiful to listen to at any time.

The material is interesting and eclectic, but above all, lovely. ... Read more

Amazon.com

She's only had four bona fide Top-40 American hits, and one was a Miles of Aisles live version of "Big Yellow Taxi" that's not included here. But after almost 30 years, she's finally delivered a 15-song compilation of her signature songs that will be a CD point-of-departure for casual fans and newcomers well into the new millennium. The companion Misses volume is an intriguing curio that might rather more generously have been marketed as a bonus disc. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Great compilation CD
I was not a Joni Mitchell fan when I bought this CD. I heard "Circle Game" in of all places, the grocery store, and asked my friend who sang it. I have always like folk-type music and I loved the lyrics of Circle Game. So, I decided to get "Hits" and check out the other songs. Her voice is beautiful, esp. on "The River" (which is probably my favorite song on the album). I loved singing her songs to my son when he was a baby...there is something so earthy and soothing about them. Very poignant. I like this CD a lot.

An Well Chosen Anthology
As single discs Best Of albums go, Joni Mitchell's "Hits" is very well done, collecting 15 of the best and most well known songs of Mitchell's long career. Mitchell is primarily known as a folk singer, but she's always had a rock and roll heart as she shows most particularly on "Big Yellow Taxi" (recently remade to excellent effect by The Counting Crows), the tropical paradise evoking "Carey" and the sweet love song "Help Me" that was one of her biggest hits.

On the folkier side of things, there is the standard "Both Sides Now," which for my money is more tuneful and superior to Judy Collins's hit version of the song. "Woodstock" is a postcard from another era, while the childhood memory-evoking "The Circle Game" is as poigniant as it is sweet. The collection gets a bonus star for including Mitchell's 1991 "comeback" tune "Come in from the Cold," which evokes the strain of being a flower child at heart growing up in the McCarthy-ite 1950s. The CD booklet is also excellent, containing a full lyrics sheet.

Overall, an outstanding single disc anthology album from an important American popular music artist.

The Blonde In The Bleachers
joni is the blonde in the bleachers to graham nash..that interesting circle of talented artists that hung around laurel canyon....sharing and inspiring the great american music that followed the Byrds breakthrough...joni was one of the matriarchs, along with cass elliot, of that important movement...its repeated, crosby stills and nash sang their first official harmonies together at joni's house...and joni could easily hang with the boys...she could write and chord with the best of them...buy this "Hits" album to sample joni, understanding you omit so much when you deny yourself the opportunity to play her stand alone albums and grow your mitchell ear organically...joni said recently "once people awaited me like the rain,now the janitors of shadowland flick their brooms at me",...quite a journey,no,yes...?? however,to "get joni" you really ought to go back to the beginning and play the olde stuff....follow the incredible anthology of this chain smoking,smart,hip,golden girl...though joni wrote woodstock,her agent denied her the opportunity to actually be there because of time constraints of a concert committment that weekend...all in all "Hits" is just a shortcut to meaningful understanding of joni and her music...better than nothing....but you owe yourself the experience of getting back to the roots of this artists prolific body of work...buy this cd first if you must, and then graduate to Clouds,Blue,For the Roses,Court and Spark...like Hemingway,you cant appreciate The Old Man And The Sea...without first reading A Farewell To Arms...this cd though,is just a swatch of joni's body of work.. better perhaps than no beginning at all...listen to joni's rendition of chinese cafe/unchained melody,an old righteous brothers hit at your earlist convenience..."the blonde in the bleachers,she flips her hair for you...she tapes her regrets to the microphone stand..she says you cant hold the hand of a rock and roll man,very long"...i submit youll hold the hand of this rock and roll lady for a very long time...without regrets...

hippie flowerchild Joni Mitchell's Hits