Arista

Laws Of Illusion

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

July 22, 1997 in Mansfield, Massachusetts (at what was then known as Great Woods), I had the pleasure of seeing an amazing group of women perform. Over the whir of blenders and drenched in Frappuccino, I got to hear bits and pieces of the likes of Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, and Sarah McLachlan. But, of course, I was already a fan. I was lucky enough to have been at that first Lilith Fair tour and now, thirteen years later, I hope to be going again. Only this time I won't be wearing a green Starbucks apron.

It's been a while since Sarah McLachlan has released an album and Laws Of Illusion is worth the seven-year wait. Even Mr. Z (who makes fun of me for listening to what he deems "women's music") is a fan and we've been arguing about who gets to take the CD in the car to listen to. This is one of those albums that never makes you hit the "Skip" button on your CD player. Each and every track is wonderful. However, I particularly love "Loving You Is Easy," and can see that it's destined to be one of those classic Sarah McLachlan tunes that will stand the test of time.

If you're a longtime Sarah McLachlan fan, you probably ran out already and bought Laws Of Illusion. If you're new to her hauntingly beautiful voice, what are you waiting for?

Cross-posted at The Review Broads

Written by: Zippy, July 3rd 2010

Eve

admin — Sun, 31 May 2009 09:21:00 +0000

By The Alan Parsons Project

Arista

After the release of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson put together the Alan Parsons Project, a British progressive rock group that put out several albums that could be considered “concept” albums—not too unlike what the Mars Volta does now.

1979 was the original release year for the album Eve and the concept for this album is the tale of a woman and how she affects men. Sort of an interesting take when you consider Jane Fonda’s Barbarella was released in 1968 and showcased her talents and affect on men. I doubt Eve was totally inspired by Jane Fonda, but you get the general idea. Fighting against the infusion of new wave British pop and punk rock, the Alan Parsons’ Project remastered edition of Eve comes out to a completely new musical landscape. However, the album is inconsistent and uneven, and fans of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon might find this particular album difficult to grab onto.

The opening track “Lucifer” opens with an instrumental, then starts strong with the following songs “You Lay Down with the Dogs” and “I’d Rather be a Man,” whose lyrics might be too strong for some: “Well I’d rather be a man than play my role like you do/ I’d rather be a man than sin my soul like you do/ I’d rather be a man than slave the way you do/ I’d rather be a man cause a man don’t crawl like you do.”

After that, the entire album falls flat and tapers off. I kept finding myself shuffling to the next song, hoping to find some magic in the music. The remastered edition doesn’t offer as much as other versions, and doesn’t sound any better than the original, which is somewhat surprising, as Parsons worked as an engineer on The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Dark Side Of The Moon. But Eve doesn’t capture quite the same distinct feel for my pop loving ears. Perhaps I’ve got a grudge against art house rock. But in all honesty, Eve is definitely not art house rock and definitely not the album to check out if you want to listen to the Alan Parsons’ Project.

Written by: Mónica Teresa Ortiz, May 31st 2009

The Annie Lennox Collection

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:27:00 +0000

By Annie Lennox

Arista

There are some striking facts that become evident when listening to this collection of the former Eurythmics frontwoman: first, how similar her music sounds to her work with Dave Stewart— lots of thick, fat synthesizers and glassy dance beats. Second, Lennox is an artist that personifies contradictions: she’s a white woman from Scotland with a soulful wail that would rival any gospel shouter; her songs are full of melancholy and longing, yet the production is often pristine and classy to the point of antiseptic. Also noticeable is just how consistent her sound is—her solo work has changed little during her considerable career—a testament to her ability to maintain a level of quality in her music (this record sounds like a full studio LP, as opposed to a collection).

The record starts off with a bang, with three of her best solo records from her strongest solo album, her debut Diva: the funky “Little Bird,” the paranoid “Walking on Broken Glass” and the gorgeous weeping ballad, “Why,” which is Lennox’s sole solo classic. The songs are Lennox at her best. “Little Bird” and “Walking on Broken Glass” are both great dance numbers and, despite the peppy arrangements, Lennox still sings lyrics of lost love.

“No More 'I Love You’s'” was the best single from her sophomore release, Medusa. A collection of covers and remakes, the album wasn’t terribly well-received, although this song won her a Grammy and was a hit on MTV. It’s a pretty obscure 1980s synthpop tune that Lennox has resuscitated. The chorus is very catchy and Lennox is, of course, wonderful, soulful and predictably heartbreaking.

“Precious” breaks up the excellence of the album, with clunky, dated R&B production (the mile-wide bass slaps are ridiculous). Lennox sounds as if she was convinced of the mediocrity of the song and phones in a decent, if unremarkable performance very unlike her usual professionalism.

Aside from “No More 'I Love You’s',” Medusa gave Lennox another gem with a lovely cover of “Whiter Shade of Pale.” The cool production, with its pulsing beat (it sounds like a heartbeat), and creamy, blanket-like orchestration and tinkling harpsichord matches the committed and brilliant performance by the singer.

“A Thousand Beautiful Things” was an excellent cut from her comeback record Bare. It’s classic Annie Lennox—by the song’s release in the mid 2000s, Lennox had defined a sound for herself— namely, stately, polished pop/R&B with wall-to-wall synthesizers and thumping drum machines, eccentric backup vocals and usually a melisma-filled bridge. “A Thousand Beautiful Things” satisfied all these qualities well.

On “Sing,” Lennox addresses politics—specifically feminism, with a chorus of fellow female superstars including Madonna, Gladys Knight, Dido, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Anastasia, among others. The single from her underrated 2008 Songs of Mass Destruction is an excellent female anthem. It takes a cue from USA for Africa’s “We Are the World” with an all-star cast; though, interestingly, it’s only Lennox and Madonna that are distinguished on the track. Wisely choosing to write a driving up-tempo number, Lennox crafts a thoughtful song that is at once intelligent and fun to listen to.

By the next song’s opening strains, listeners are lead to believe that they’re in store for another trademark Lennox ballad. Instead, after the plaintive opening of “Pavement Cracks,” (another choice track from Bare) a chugging bass enters with a clanging guitar, turning the yearning ballad into a sprightly dance cut. “Love Song for a Vampire,” Lennox’s theme to Bram Stroker’s Dracula, is another minor entry in the singer’s resume. A decent, if unspectacular song, with some interesting sounds and a typically good performance by Lennox. “Cold,” a word often used to describe Annie Lennox is another wonderful ballad, in a similar vein to “Why.” There are some great, backup vocals that allow for Lennox’s inner gospel diva to be released as she spars with her background singers. “Dark Road,” the initial single from Songs is also a pretty ballad, although it’s a bit redundant of her other slower works, and doesn’t live up to the standards of “Why” or “Cold,” but does boast a moving string section.

The record closes with two new songs: “Pattern of My Life” and “Shining Light”—neither are particularly memorable, but they aren’t complete time-wasters either; they just pale in comparison to the classics.

__The Annie Lennox Collection_ is a good overview of Lennox’s career; there are some omissions, such as her duets with Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Sting; it would also have been nice to have some more obscure material like “Mama,” an esoteric entry for a charity record, or “Step by Step,” a dance-pop single she wrote for Whitney Houston. Still, it’s a good buy for first-timers; those interested in getting to know Lennox better would be better served buying her classic debut record.

Written by: Peter Piatkowski, May 5th 2009