Another great female artist!
UncleRave8
Only a few non-Sarah albums per year inspire me so much that I have to write
about them... but I've discovered a hidden treasure to gush about... the music
of Manhattan singer/songwriter Ruth Gerson, and in particular, her new album,
"Wake to Echo". The first thing that grabbed my attention was her soaring
vocals. Ruth packs a powerful punch while maintaining a high level of
Sarah-like intelligent emotion all throughout the album. Her piercing,
penetrating voice is full of shimmering bluesy soul. And she burns... with
passion! She breaks down conventional songwriting and eats it for breakfast.
From her infectious radio-friendly "You Called it Right" to the heartfelt
tender anthem "I'm Sorry", she weaves an inner landscape that is triumphant,
layered with meaning, and, dare I say, Sarah-rific! If you want to discover
this hidden treasure, check out her website at www.ruthgerson.com
Love,
Uncle Rave
Adam F
of thing while sarah's been away!
Adam F
"UncleRave8" <uncle...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031106203519...@mb-m26.aol.com...
FunkyM
> Thanks - I think a lot of us have spent a lot of time looking for this sort
> of thing while sarah's been away!
Yeah and with Afterglow out now it could be a while until we get another
album from Sarah, so can anybody recommend any good groups/artists to
try out in the meantime? FunkyM will go first!
Renaissance/Annie Haslam - Probably a tie with Sarah for FunkyM's fav
female singer. Much more classical sounding music, with extended passages
but definately worth checking out! The Renaissance albums Turn Of The Card,
Ashes Are Burning, and Scheherazade And Other Stories are good places to
start!
Rick and Sue Deschene
> "Adam F" <asfletc...@uts.edu.au> wrote in message news:<3faf1bd6$0$1747$5a62...@freenews.iinet.net.au>...
> > Thanks - I think a lot of us have spent a lot of time looking for this sort
> > of thing while sarah's been away!
>
> Yeah and with Afterglow out now it could be a while until we get another
> album from Sarah, so can anybody recommend any good groups/artists to
> try out in the meantime? FunkyM will go first!
>
> Renaissance/Annie Haslam - Probably a tie with Sarah for FunkyM's fav
> female singer. Much more classical sounding music, with extended passages
> but definately worth checking out! The Renaissance albums Turn Of The Card,
> Ashes Are Burning, and Scheherazade And Other Stories are good places to
> start!
>
new, since it was released in 2002, but we're really enjoying it:
Sue
Rick and Sue Deschene
recommendation, this one's by a female artist) is "Life for Rent" by
Dido. Great album!
Sue
Dan Pon
>
> Yeah and with Afterglow out now it could be a while until we get another
> album from Sarah, so can anybody recommend any good groups/artists to
> try out in the meantime? FunkyM will go first!
>
> Renaissance/Annie Haslam - Probably a tie with Sarah for FunkyM's fav
> female singer. Much more classical sounding music, with extended passages
> but definately worth checking out! The Renaissance albums Turn Of The Card,
> Ashes Are Burning, and Scheherazade And Other Stories are good places to
> start!
>
>
I'll second that recommendation. I've been following Renaissance since
1975. They do have a couple of greatest hits packages for those who
want all their best in one quick shot. Some of my personal favorite
songs are Carpet of the Sun, Northern Lights, Ashes are Burning,
Running Hard, Midas Man, Can You Understand, and Ocean Gypsy.
As long as we're looking at old bands, how about October Project from
the mid-90s? (They opened for Sarah on one tour) They have some very
melodic, romantic tunes delivered with emotional punch by lead singer
Mary Fahl. They only put out 2 albums, a self-titled one and Falling
Farther In, both very good, with the former probably the better one
IMHO. I can listen to that one start to finish easily, not a bad song
in the bunch. Mary Fahl also put out a solo album this year, a great
voice to listen to. The majority of the remaining members of the band
have regrouped and put out an EP this year and are working on another
album, but I don't know if they'll ever be quite as good without Mary.
Particle Man
>
> Another CD I'm really into at the moment (and, unlike my previous
> recommendation, this one's by a female artist) is "Life for Rent" by
> Dido. Great album!
>
> Sue
Think so? Not too many of the songs stood out to me. I like the first
one a LOT better. Then again, the first one didn't stand out to me
either for a long time. My favorite song on the first is probably
'Slide' - got it in my head one day out of nowhere, listened to it and
realized its greatness. How about you?
Anyway, any of you Sarah fans out there looking for something else, I at
least hope you've checked out the following:
Tori Amos
Bjork
Belly
Throwing Muses
I'll leave it there for now. :)
Rick and Sue Deschene
> Rick and Sue Deschene wrote:
> >
> > Another CD I'm really into at the moment (and, unlike my previous
> > recommendation, this one's by a female artist) is "Life for Rent" by
> > Dido. Great album!
> >
> > Sue
>
> Think so? Not too many of the songs stood out to me. I like the first
> one a LOT better. Then again, the first one didn't stand out to me
> either for a long time. My favorite song on the first is probably
> 'Slide' - got it in my head one day out of nowhere, listened to it and
> realized its greatness. How about you?
>
See, I feel just the opposite. There are only three songs that stand
out to me on "No Angel" (including the hit, "Thank You"). The rest
strike me as being more or less average, and not really outstanding.
Don't get me wrong, I think "No Angel" is a good album. But I just
think "Life for Rent" is a lot better. I can't hear a bad, or even
average, song in the bunch. Different strokes for different folks, and
all that. :-)
Sue
David Dalton
Irish Christmas song: Hunting the Wren
Irish landlady song: Hunting the Rent
Canadian Tire song: Hunting the Wrench
George Street song: Hunting the Wench
DD
Particle Man
>>Think so? Not too many of the songs stood out to me. I like the first
>>one a LOT better. Then again, the first one didn't stand out to me
>>either for a long time. My favorite song on the first is probably
>>'Slide' - got it in my head one day out of nowhere, listened to it and
>>realized its greatness. How about you?
>>
>
> out to me on "No Angel" (including the hit, "Thank You"). The rest
> strike me as being more or less average, and not really outstanding.
> Don't get me wrong, I think "No Angel" is a good album. But I just
> think "Life for Rent" is a lot better. I can't hear a bad, or even
> average, song in the bunch. Different strokes for different folks, and
> all that. :-)
>
> Sue
Er, let me guess: 'Here With Me', 'Hunter', and 'Thank You'? (The radio
hits...) I felt the same way at first. Those are really good songs and
the most accessible. The rest I thought "man, this is REALLY boring."
I think it just takes time to get into it. How many times have you
listened to the full album? As for the OTHER tracks (given that anyone
should love tracks 1, 2 and 6)...
03 Don't Think of Me
At first I usually just skipped over this one (and the next 2 also...)
just to get to 'Thank You'. The opening lyrics seemed stupid, and
honestly the lyrics ARE kind of amateurish (then again the same could be
said of some of Sarah's new songs, sadly...) However, I really like the
music and it's certainly not a 'skipper' for me now.
* 04 My Lover's Gone
This one is strikingly beautiful. Lyrically certainly better than the
last track, maybe not genius but still... If not for the electronica
beats, almost sounds like something off of Solace.
05 All You Want
A lot of her songs start off slow (and maybe continue slow), and this is
no exception. It throws you until you know the song. I like the hook,
it's probably on par with track 3.
07 Honestly OK
Another slow starter. Not even a lyric till over 1 minute in. Now THIS
is one I'd say "doesn't stand out." However, it does keep in line with
the mood of the album. Which leads us to...
* 08 Slide
Gorgeous. Brilliant. Dido at her best. I like it at least as much as
any of the radio tracks now. If you don't 'notice' any of the other
tracks on the album, at least notice this one...
09 Isobel
(Is this a standard spelling of this name, or was she trying to make
people think she was doing a Bjork cover? Or just coincidence? Hmm...)
Anyway, hard to judge fairly after the last track, but I'd put this
one with tracks 3 and 5. Good, grows on you.
10 I'm No Angel
(Wait... she rhymed 'night' with 'night'?? Never noticed that
before...) The second track that I can't speak too highly of. The
chorus is pretty good. The lyrics really aren't.
11 My Life
Not a whole lot here. It's ok though. Almost just a lead in for...
* 12 Take My Hand
(This is a BONUS track??) Wonderful. Quite a powerful ending to a
mostly laid-back album; uplifting after a cascade of melancholy. A good
choice for last track though, the infectious chorus will stick in your
head for a while.
So in conclusion, it is my belief that after more listens, instead of 9
tracks that don't stand out to you, there will be 3. :) I really love
half the album, and half of the rest I think is pretty good. It really
depends on whether you are in the mood for Dido, at least at first. She
has a pretty laid-back sound. But then so does Sarah a good bit of the
time. Later I may give a rundown on 'Life For Rent' (if anyone even
cares or read this far... :)
Particle Man
> Rick and Sue Deschene wrote:
>
>>> Think so? Not too many of the songs stood out to me. I like the
>>> first one a LOT better. Then again, the first one didn't stand out
>>> to me either for a long time. My favorite song on the first is
>>> probably 'Slide' - got it in my head one day out of nowhere, listened
>>> to it and realized its greatness. How about you?
>>>
>>
>> See, I feel just the opposite. There are only three songs that stand
>> out to me on "No Angel" (including the hit, "Thank You"). The rest
>> strike me as being more or less average, and not really outstanding.
>> Don't get me wrong, I think "No Angel" is a good album. But I just
>> think "Life for Rent" is a lot better. I can't hear a bad, or even
>> average, song in the bunch. Different strokes for different folks, and
>> all that. :-)
>>
>> Sue
Listened to "Life For Rent" again. You "can't hear a bad or average
song in the bunch"?? (sound of me fainting in disbelief). That's much
of what I hear here, with some exceptions: 'White Flag', 'Don't Leave
Home', 'This Land Is Mine' and 'See The Sun' are all really good. 'Sand
In My Shoes' & 'Do You Have a Little Time' are above average. The other
half of the album is about average, with the exception of 'Mary's in
India' & 'See You When You're 40' which are practically abysmal. Well,
whatever.
Rick and Sue Deschene
> Rick and Sue Deschene wrote:
> >>Think so? Not too many of the songs stood out to me. I like the first
> >>one a LOT better. Then again, the first one didn't stand out to me
> >>either for a long time. My favorite song on the first is probably
> >>'Slide' - got it in my head one day out of nowhere, listened to it and
> >>realized its greatness. How about you?
> >>
> >
> > See, I feel just the opposite. There are only three songs that stand
> > out to me on "No Angel" (including the hit, "Thank You"). The rest
> > strike me as being more or less average, and not really outstanding.
> > Don't get me wrong, I think "No Angel" is a good album. But I just
> > think "Life for Rent" is a lot better. I can't hear a bad, or even
> > average, song in the bunch. Different strokes for different folks, and
> > all that. :-)
> >
> > Sue
>
> Er, let me guess: 'Here With Me', 'Hunter', and 'Thank You'? (The radio
> hits...)
<snip>
Well, two outta three ain't bad! :-)
Actually, my three favorites are "Here With Me," "My Lover's Gone" and
"Thank You."
As I said before, I don't consider "No Angel" to be a bad album. But
the songs on "Life for Rent" instantly engaged me in a way that "No
Angel" did not. Then again, perhaps I should point out that I heard
"Life for Rent" first. Often, timing plays a part in what I like, and
why. Hearing "No Angel" *after* "Life for Rent" meant that I made
comparisons, and to my ears "No Angel" pales by comparison. Just my
opinion, of course. I'm a sucker for a good pop song, and the hooks on
"Life for Rent" keep pulling me in.
Sue
Rick and Sue Deschene
We'll agree to disagree, OK? I love every song on the album (with
"White Flag" and "Sand in My Shoes" being my favorites). Obviously,
you don't. Not a big deal, just a reflection of different tastes in
music. Ask someone else their opinion, and it would probably differ
from both yours and mine. Which is a good thing, really. Because it
means there's a great, big audience out there for all kinds of music.
Sue
FunkyM
> fun...@my-deja.com (FunkyM) wrote in message news:<64b9ac.031110...@posting.google.com>...
>
> >
> > Yeah and with Afterglow out now it could be a while until we get another
> > album from Sarah, so can anybody recommend any good groups/artists to
> > try out in the meantime? FunkyM will go first!
> >
> > Renaissance/Annie Haslam - Probably a tie with Sarah for FunkyM's fav
> > female singer. Much more classical sounding music, with extended passages
> > but definately worth checking out! The Renaissance albums Turn Of The Card,
> > Ashes Are Burning, and Scheherazade And Other Stories are good places to
> > start!
> >
> >
> I'll second that recommendation. I've been following Renaissance since
> 1975. They do have a couple of greatest hits packages for those who
> want all their best in one quick shot. Some of my personal favorite
> songs are Carpet of the Sun, Northern Lights, Ashes are Burning,
> Running Hard, Midas Man, Can You Understand, and Ocean Gypsy.
The Black Flame and Mother Russia are pretty cool as well! :)
> As long as we're looking at old bands, how about October Project from
> the mid-90s? (They opened for Sarah on one tour) They have some very
> melodic, romantic tunes delivered with emotional punch by lead singer
> Mary Fahl. They only put out 2 albums, a self-titled one and Falling
> Farther In, both very good, with the former probably the better one
> IMHO. I can listen to that one start to finish easily, not a bad song
> in the bunch. Mary Fahl also put out a solo album this year, a great
> voice to listen to. The majority of the remaining members of the band
> have regrouped and put out an EP this year and are working on another
> album, but I don't know if they'll ever be quite as good without Mary.
Haven't heard them yet, will have to check them out! :)
C'MON, BABY!!
dee_p...@spdc.ti.com
> C'MON, BABY!!
I thought the following were some of the more interesting
releases of the past couple of years:
Concrete Love - Julia Fordham (Brilliant CD!)
Charm School - Bishop Allen (Quirky and cuddly)
Fever - Kylie Minogue (If you care for disco, car-driving music at all)
Spend the Night - The Donnas (If you care for pop-punk, car-driving music at all)
Tom Lehrer Box Set - (Gotten brand new at a used cd store. Satire at it's best.)
Used Hawaiian 78's gotten off ebay - 40+ year-old records played on a 1970's-era
school player sound other-worldly. So does cowboy-western yodeling.