LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Musical Interludes |
by Jeffrey L. Newman |
Meghan Cary - New Shoes (AngelBear) Its refreshing when a singer/songwriter comes along whois truly talented and remarkable. Such is the case with Meghan Cary, whose magnificent six-song debut recording is a sweet summer surprise. Lushly produced, "New Shoes" is an intimate and tuneful piece of work, showcasing the singers vocal and stylistic muscles on a diverse array of poetry-imbued songs. A cross between the Indigo Girls and Shaun Colvin, Cary blends together pop, folk, bluegrass and rock, to create a melodic collection of coffeehouse confections. Her thought-provoking life stories are packed with a sense of honesty and real vulnerability. On the title cut, Cary sings a bittersweet tale of finding her lovers new pair of shoes in the middle of the room after his unexpected death. She gets down to her rock roots on the charged "Need To Be Satisfied," and tenderly looks to the future with optimistic hope on the gentle "Fly And Be Free." Most moving is "Going Home," a tale of endings and new beginnings and the angel that takes us there. She sang this song at the 1997 Boston to New York AIDS Ride, and brought the crowd to its feet. Cary is one of the brightest new faces on the music scene today. To order, call (212) 740-8989, or e-mail megcary@aol.com. Stevie Nicks - Enchanted (Atlantic) Former Fleetwood Mac gal Stevie Nicks is more than enchanting on this three-CD boxed set retrospective of her rollercoaster career. From her days as Buckingham and Nicks to her two decade on-again/off-again association with Mac to her solo albums, "Enchanted" contains the good and bad and delivers a sharp-edged collection that shows why the 50-year old singer has remained an icon for so long. This engaging set includes eight previously unreleased tracks and more than a dozen tunes that have never been on a Nicks release. Among the tracks are B-sides, live recordings and soundtrack cuts. One standout is "Violet and Blue," a mesmerizing 80s ditty that can only be described as classic Nicks. Also noteworthy is "Reconsider Me," a Warren Zevon love song recorded in 1987 with Don Henley singing back up. There are also several previously unreleased demos, including "Twisted (featuring Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms on guitar) and a clever Dorsey Burnettes 1959 rockabilly tune, "Its Late." The box set also includes 12 of her top 40 hits. Of the other tracks, "Rose Garden is an interesting inclusion, as the singer wrote it when she was 17. It was only the second song that she ever wrote. And "Garbo," on disc one, is a beautifully produced lush track. Its decadent Nicks, but you cant help but be captivated as she chimes, "in this camp full of strangers, in this town full of fools..." "Enchanted" is a divine collection and brilliantly showcases Nicks talent. From her drug days to her torrid and often destructive love affairs, the box relives her passionate and turbulent timesand paints a musical portrait and vivid landscape of a career that has beaten the odds and continues to thrive and survive. Clearly, Nicks has matured over the years, and this set only proves why shell continue to remain a legend. Code Red - Scarlet (Universal) The newest boy band import from the U.K. washes ashore this month in the form of this adorable and sexy quad. Following in the footsteps of Take That and Boyzone, this group of barely twentysomethings serves up a likable set of R&B laced pop confections. While not originalinviting comparisons to groups like Boyz II Men and Color Me BaddCode Red delivers the goods, with smooth, harmonizing vocals, wrapped in delicious pop melodies. With its sugary sweet lyrics, the groups debut is tailor made for top-40. The first single, "This Is Our Song," is a soulful, funky tune reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys. It has already sold more than 500,000 copies overseas alone. Clearly these boys have room to growwhich could be fun to watchbut with time, they will likely invade the charts in the U.S. Various - The Burt Bacharach Album:Broadway Sings the Best of Bacharach (Varese Sarabande) Legendary Grammy and Academy Award winning songwriter Bacharach is finding out what friends are for with this fun, wondrous tribute that captures the magic of his classic tunes. While there have been other compilations by contemporary pop artists, this unique collection turns to the stars of the Great White Way for inspiration. Many of the Bacharach classics are here, including "Whats New Pussycat," "Ill Never Fall In Love Again," "Alfie" and "The Look of Love," the latter sung by the fabulous Jane Krakowski of TVs Ally McBeal. A surprise turn here is the extremely missed and underrated Helen Reddy ("I Am Woman"), who starred in Blood Brothers. The diva kicks in her vocal prowess for the AIDS anthem, "Thats What Friends Are For." Some gems never lose their oomph. These are some of them. Jeffrey L. Newman, a regular contributor to LETTERS, is a New York-based writer. He can be reached through CAMP Rehoboth or via e-mail at editorjeff@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 5, May 22, 1998. |