Mary Black - Shine
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Free Music Notes for Shine
Free Music Review: mary rocks
Hit: 5 Stars
i first heard these songs while having lunch at an irish pub in boston - i was so impressed i asked the waitress who the singer was, and ran to my record store to buy the cd as soon as i returned home. my initial enthusiasm for this cd has not changed, the songs still sound great. i have come to realize that these soft rock songs are a little different from the folk songs that mary black is famous for, but that's ok, she has a powerful voice and the songs are good. everyone seems to love "I Misunderstood" , and i would also recommend " I Will Be There"Free Music Review: Pop/Rock with Unusually Good Vocals
Hit: 5 Stars
Mary Black has a wonderful voice for pop/rock music. Her ballads and traditional folk may be more famous, and you wouldn't want to be a Mary Black fan without owning the sorts of titles for which she's more famous (BY THE TIME IT GETS DARK, for example) .... but SHINE shows that she's every bit as talented at pop/rock as she is at Irish ballad.What people love about this singer is that she has some real volume to her voice, but at the same time, she manages to have the expressiveness normally associated with softer voices. You can feel every line she sings despite the impressive "umph".
I love the song MISUNDERSTOOD. I love it because even though it's a pop number - which means you can easily sing along, and believe me, it's catchy enough that you'll be tempted - she never sings a line as though she can't hear the words. Do you know what I'm talking about? Some singers hit the notes beautifully, but you feel like they could be saying ANYTHING because their voices focus on the melodies, not the words. Mary Black never seems to do that. She's singing a pop song, which means she can't linger too long on any one note, she has to keep moving to keep the catchy melody going. But every line comes out with awareness of the lyrics. This song is great. The line "I thought he was saying 'good luck', but he was saying 'goodbye'." would be boring in a lot of people's throats. But with her direct expressiveness, you can feel the hurt of his rejection. And what a catchy beat!
I also like the fact that isntrumentation on this album NEVER overpowers her lyrics and song. That's a trend that bothers me in pop music. I hate it when I can't hear the lyrics because the singer's too caught up in showing off the voice or when I can't hear the lyrics because they've been synethisized and distorted to death or the electronic instrumentation drowns them out. None of that happens here. Coming from a folk tradition, Black probably appreciates the importance of words to a song. Nothing overpowers or dries out her clear vocals.
Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention: I can't remember the title, but the song on this album that sings, "She don't like the late night radio" is one of my favorite pop songs. Again - between the beat and her clean, rocking delivery, it's just a great song.
Mary Black fans should be warned that she's trying something different here from usual. But I can't see objecting to it when she does it this well! I love this album.
Free Music Review: A big disappointment
Hit: 2 Stars
I am an avid Mary Black fan, but I have to say that this one was a big disappointment. Not only is Declan Sinnott conspicuous by his abscence, but the percussion here is way too overbearing. It doesn't fit with the subtlety and beauty of Mary's lilting voice, no matter what kind of song she is delivering. Apparently producer Larry Klein isn't aware of that. Definitely not up to par with her other work.Free Music Review: Mary is great, and everyone evolves.
Hit: 4 Stars
After reading the whining reviews here that lament Mary not putting out the same album year after year, I have to say they couldn't be more wrong about the quality of the music and the voice. On 'Shine' MB updates the music to bring it into the 90's, but retains all of her vocal quality and ability to emote and make us care about what she's got to say. A standout is her performance on Richard Thompson's 'I misunderstood' which she does far better than the writer himself. RT makes it sound like a practical joke. MB makes us remember when *we* thought someone was wishing us good luck, and was really saying good bye. Everyone evolves, including Mary Black. So put away the prejudices against up-to-date music and give an open listen. You won't be sorry.Free Music Review: Listen a few times ...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have to admit: when I bought this CD first, I didn't much care for it; I knew Mary Black as a Celtic artist, not one who strayed closer to what seemed pop and, at times, country -- which was what this album seemed to do. After listening to it a few times, however, the music really grew on me: it's distinctive Mary Black vocal style and equally distinctive interpretation, beautiful and surprisingly well-sung. Try "One and Only" for a more upbeat angle, and "Nobody Lives Without Love" for a softer song that's equally beautiful. Though some might find this a "sell-out" or less good than some of her other albums, I personally think all the songs on this album live up to the title and really do shine.