Allison Moorer - Mockingbird
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Free Music Notes for Mockingbird
Free Music Review: Mockingbird - an impressive effort that can't be neatly slotted by genre
Hit: 5 Stars
Never having heard of Allison Moorer prior to "Mockingbird" I was surprised to learn that she is considered a "country" musician. This CD certainly doesn't fall into exclusively into that genre. The overall effect here is more of a folk/rock/country singer/songwriter. The CD is an impressive demonstration of Moorer's range. She has a strong, melodic voice and she uses it here to cover songs from artists as diverse as Ma Rainey, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Jessi Colter, and David Rawlings, among others.
That Moorer is willing to tackle a Ma Rainey blues ballad, "Daddy Goodbye Blues," is impressive. However, it was a mistake to imitate the original Rainey version down to the sound of the 1920's recording techniques. Part of the joy of a cover is not only hearing a fresh take on an old favorite, but getting to hear the song "cleaned up" with state of the art sound.
Moorer puts her own spin on June Carter's "Ring of Fire." She has both slowed it down and prettied it up. It makes a nice alternative to the Johnny Cash version.
Her hauntingly beautiful version of "Go Leave" may inspire some to look for more of Kate McGarrigle's work.
Back to the blues, Moorer is fearless taking on "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl." Nina Simone's classic has been covered by Billie Holiday to Ingrid Lucia. Moorer offers up a respectable version, closer to Simone than anyone else.
"Both Sides Now" could have been left on the editing room floor. It's not that Moorer doesn't do a good job with the song, it's just that it has been covered by so many and has been played to death over the past 30 years. I could go another 30 years without hearing this particular song again and never miss it.
Altogether, Allison Moorer has done an outstanding job on "Mockingbird." Recommended!
Free Music Review: Allison Moorer Should Stick To Her Original Material
Hit: 3 Stars
I found this CD disappointing. Allison Moorer is a better musician than this offering would suggest. Most of the songs are pleasant but average while there are a few clunkers. All but the title track are cover songs. I found her rendition of Ring of Fire to be rather uninspired. While on numbers such as Dancing Barefoot and Orphan Train, Moorer delivers some emotion and dynamics over the course of the tunes. Ring of Fire is just flat. She takes it at a slow tempo and never really reaches a fevered pitch at any point to bring the song to a climax. Johnny and June deserve better. The other song that is truly bad is Daddy, Goodbye Blues. This song is very repetitive and it sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can. While this is an attempt to sound like the original by Ma Rainey, it was a poor choice to ignore the improvements in recording techniques that have taken place in the last three quarters of a century. None of the other tracks on the CD sound like this, and it just winds up sticking out. The best song of all of them is Mockingbird. This is the one song where there is no baggage of previous recordings, and Moorer only has to worry about being herself. Other tracks worth a listen include the sultry I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl and a very true to the original rendition of Gillian Welch's Revelator. If this were Moorer's first CD, I would probably rate it a little higher because the music is not bad as a whole other than Ring of Fire and Daddy, Goodbye Blues. However, her past offerings show that she is capable of much more. Check out her 2004 CD The Duel for a richer musical experience.Free Music Review: A disappointing mix of blues and country
Hit: 2 Stars
Allison Moorer's CD "Mockingbird" features covers of songs originally made famous by better known (and, usually, just plain better) artists, like Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell. Some of the songs (like the title track) make for pleasant enough listening, but the album as a whole fails to sparkle. Moorer has a good voice, and she's covering a handful of good songs (along with some not-so-good ones), but the combination of the two just doesn't work. It would appear that Moorer's voice, and her musical inclinations, might better be suited to a genre other than country. As a result, the project as a whole is disappointing.Free Music Review: Good singer, good songs, somewhat eclectic collection
Hit: 4 Stars
I've never heard of Allison Moorer before receiving this CD via the Amazon Vine program, so I had no expectations aside from a few clips that I was able to hear of her music.
She has a very good voice, and she is able to convey the different musical styles present on this album well.
It's those different musical styles that are present on a single album that present a problem. As individual songs, they are fine, but they are too different to create a cohesive collection that fits into the traditional album format.
That said, I look forward to another release that picks one of the styles and goes with it.
Free Music Review: A Fine Collection
Hit: 4 Stars
After detouring through the Valley of the Go-Gos on her last album, Allison returns to the spacious, rootsy sound of Miss Fortune and The Duel with this collection. Far from being a mere covers album, this is a song cycle that is cohesive in theme and sound. She does well by the legendary authors represented here but she makes the songs completely her own. It's a great collection and, perhaps not coincidentally, a fine companion to her sister's Dusty Springfield album.