Lucy Kaplansky - The Red Thread

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Free Music Notes for The Red Thread

Free Music Review: a love song to the world
Hit: 5 Stars

Lucy recently adopted a Chinese orphan. She explains in the liner notes that the title "The Red Thread" comes from an ancient Chinese belief that when a child is born, invisible red threads reach out from its spirit to all the important people who will be part of its life. This album is about the threads that bind her to others, and all of us to each other.

The first song, "I Had Something," and "This Is Home" are most directly about the adoption of her daughter. "Line in the Sand" discusses the Palestinan-Israeli conflict without taking sides and could be about any number of troubled places in the world. Some of the other songs reflect on September 11, at least I interpret them that way. And it makes sense. That event, looming so large on the national and world consciousness, caused so many of us to think about our relationships, personal and otherwise. I don't know if Lucy is still in New York, but I know she started her singing career there. In some ways, the album seems like a love song to the city with new songs like "Brooklyn Train" and covers like "Love Song/New York."

The song most directly about 9/11 is "Land of the Living." When I first read the lyrics, I thought to myself, yes, that is what it was like. She captures the chaos, the sadness, and even the racism, that existed in NYC after 9/11 with details like the flowers at the fire stations and the posters asking for information on missing persons. It's a deeply affecting song.

And a deeply affecting album. And not heavy. There are fun songs, covers like "Off and Running" and "Cowboy Singer." There is the obligatory honky-tonk song (there always seems to be at least one on her albums, and I have yet to like any of them), but despite that, it's beautiful through and through.

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"The Red Thread" contains some of the most beautiful and powerful tracks this remarkable artist has ever released. From the rootsy simplicity/minimalism of "Cowboy Singer" and :Brooklyn Train," to the sonic complexity of pop-rockers "Love Song New York" and "Line in the Sand," critics agree that "The Red Thread"is her most compelling and appealing album to date.

Produced by BEN WITTMAN (Laurie Anderson, The Story, Don Byron, Rosanne Cash), who also served as drummer, the world class musicians include singers JOHN GORKA, JONATHA BROOKE, RICHARD SHINDELL and ELIZA GILKYSON, guitarists DUKE LEVINE (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Peter Wolf) and JON HERRINGTON (Steely Dan, Bette Midler), bass player ZEV KATZ (Roxy Music, Rosanne Cash, Bette Midler) and others. The result is a riveting blend of rock, folk, country and pop that perfectly compliments Kaplansky?s gorgeous, evocative vocals.

Talent and hard work continue to pay off for Lucy - "The Red Thread"is a stunning achievement!

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