Kirsty Maccoll - From Croydon to Cuba: An Anthology
|
List Price: Our Price: $22.31 You Save: $44.68 (67%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for From Croydon to Cuba: An Anthology
Free Music Review: Miss her...
Hit: 5 Stars
Great talent...then and now. Never understood why "He's on the Beach" wasn't a smash hit...one of my alltime favorites...perhaps just ahead of her time. This compilation will satisfy anyone who enjoys fresh music, as it is pretty certain you haven't heard most of this on the radio (if you have, please let me know where you live)...Buy it and enjoy.Free Music Review: Original & Fun
Hit: 5 Stars
The music is fun and original. Definitely recommend. Fresh, funny, moving and a Latin beat to boot.Free Music Review: A Bit Inconsistent, But Highlights Are Worth Investment
Hit: 4 Stars
Pop Kulcher Review: It's generally not a great idea to buy an overpriced box set for one song, but there are a handful of songs over the years that are pretty damn hard to put a price tag on... and one of them is most definitely Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know," a slice of perfect pre-New Wave pop from 1979 that holds up today as one of the catchiest songs ever. Though probably better known through the Tracey Ullman cover (and it's been covered a million times since), Kirsty's original remains definitive; you can hate yourself all you want for liking such a simple Motown-ish rip-off, and damn if the chorus isn't inane as all get-out ("But they don't know about us, and they've never heard of love"), but anyone who doesn't hit the replay button and sing along every time this comes on is clinically dead.
Alas, in her tragically brief life (cut short by a fatal speedboat accident in 2000), Kirsty never again wrote a song quite so perfect, but she did leave behind a sufficiently intriguing body of work to make her 2005 posthumous anthology, From Croydon To Cuba, a worthwhile investment. Stylistically, MacColl was all over the map. Her early work, which I prefer, was a mix between retro Motown/50s stylings and faux country (best exemplified by the mock honky tonk of "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis," her second best song and one of my favorite country songs ever). Unfortunately, she then delved into a more mainstream-ish new wave sound, plagued by annoying 80s production and intrusive synth beats, though even there her full-bodied vocal stylings kept things somewhat on track. She followed this up with assorted forays into pop and country, what might dismissively be considered adult contemporary, vocal jazz, and Latin music. A few standout tracks aside, her best work may have been her fine way with a cover, from a fantastic take on Billy Bragg's "A New England" to the Kinks' oft-covered "Days"; also noteworthy are her stellar duets, including "Fairytale of New York" (with the Pogues) and a cover of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" (with Evan Dando of the Lemonheads).
The Croydon box may be a bit too much of an investment just to check Kirsty out; unfortunately, the more concise Galore single-cd compilation is out-of-print.
Free Music Review: Stunning Voice, Great Compilation
Hit: 4 Stars
I first heard Kirsty Maccoll in 1985 singing The Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and was mesmerised by her magnificent voice. Unfortunately, her passing came way to soon but at least we have this boxset to document Ms. Maccoll's talents as a singer and songwriter.
This is quite an eclectic retrospective but almost every song is a gem. One wonders what she would have continued to pursue after Tropical Brainstorm and the last 2 songs on disc three (Manhattan Moon & Sun On The Water- Head is not on this set) give an inkling of what would have been down the road.
I haven't stopped listening to this set since I came back from London weeks ago. It's worth the purchase for the long-time fan as well as those who have yet to hear of her. Trust me, you'll fall in love.
Free Music Review: Half Perfection, Half Bubblegum
Hit: 3 Stars
Because I love Tropical Brainstorm so much, I wanted more of Kirsty MacColl's music. Don't bother with this 2-disk album. Half of this album is most of Tropical Brainstorm, but not all of it. The other half is Kirsty's earliest music, which is bubblegum pop. Very disappointing. I would give the Tropical Brainstorm portion of this album 5 stars, and I would give the other stuff 1 star. That's how I came up with my overall 3-Star rating. But buy Tropical Brainstorm instead. And if you have and love Tropical Brainstorm and want more of Kirsty's flawless, sultry voice, buy something other than this Anthology.
More Free Music Notes:
1 2
1 2