Natalie Merchant - Ophelia
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.58 You Save: $6.40 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.14 (click here) 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 Ophelia
Free Music Review: A Classic Album That Will Be Loved Even Decades From Now...
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is hauntingly beautiful, with honest and universal lyrics and along with Natalie Merchant's strong and commanding voice makes this album a classic. While the albums hitting the high selling marks right now in the Mtv world are being claimed as unforgettable- they will be forgotten the very next year as they always are for most of the albums are nothing but mindless fluff that commands no serious attentin whatsoever, and that is what makes people forget. But albums such as Ophelia will always be remembered because of how captivating and powerful the songs are and especially, again, the lyrics on the songs are.
It may take a few listens to fully get into the album, as it took me, but believe me, it gets under your skin and it sticks eventually if you give it a chance.
This album is a classic in my book, with a deep, gorgeous sound to it that drew me to it at the first time I heard it. Matter of fact, Kind and Generous was the first song I recgonized by Natalie, so I knew eventually I had to get the rest of album as well. All the songs are memorable, as is Natalie Merchant, who I have grown to really enjoy listening to.
Ophelia- A- I love the way this song sounds, and the lyrics are ones you do not hear everyday. I like the pictures Natalie has in the album, which obviously relate to the song. I love the picture on the back the best...it's just cool to me, and she looks very lovely in the cover.
Life Is Sweet- B+- This song took awhile for me to get into, but the lyrics give it an extra boost to be a great song, for the lyrcis mean a lot. And the song got under my skin eventually.
Kind And Generous- A- I still love this song a whole lot, it is a great single and I enjoy hearing it.
Frozen Charlotte- A- One of my favorite on here as well. This song is so beautiful I just cannot get over the lovely vocals on this song and the lyrics as well.
My Skin- A- Another gorgeous song I love by Natalie, that does well perfectly after Frozen Charlotte.
Break Your Heart- A- This is another song that I can so relate to. I like the way she makes the song play as well, it fits well with her lyrics.
King of May- A- Lovely song, and her voice is just great in the song. It has to grow on you but when it does you'll just fall in love.
Thick As Thieves- A- Most will not truly appreciate this song till they hear the lyrics close enough. I love what Natalie is saying in this song- a true classic and played well.
Effigy- B+ - This song means a lot to me as well, and even though not much happens in this song (it's pretty short) the lyrics and the lovely vocals at the end of this song saves it.
The Living- A - Natalie's lyrics just continue to mean a whole lot to me, making this album the classic it is. I love the words to this song, and Natalie makes it lovely, as always.
When They Ring the Golden Bells- C+- Hmm this is the only song I do not understand. The lyrics are nice but the whole sound of this song is kind of out of place with the album to me. It takes the deep, shadowed beauty out of the whole album, so I usually skip this song. It's not a bad song, but just out of place to me sound- wise and just not a song that sounds that good altogether.
The Ophelia Reprise at the end though is very beautiful I like to fast forward to that, for that makes a great end to the album.
Overall, regardless of the last song Golden Bells, I find this a five- star album not just beause of the gorgeous, deep sound of this album, the lyrics will touch you and make the album even better. It is truly a classic that will outlive all the c.d.s I have to be tortured with daily on the radio. I know that since I'm a teen most assume everyone my age loves the radio fluff but I do not- and there are a lot more teens out there I'm sure who want more music like Ophelia and I hope there will be more like Ophelia and always will be.
PS- I also recommend her album Motherland. It is a little more lighter than Ophelia, but just as great.
Free Music Review: Emotional music that is not for everyone
Hit: 5 Stars
I had never obtained anything by Natalie Merchant before purchasing a secondhand copy of Ophelia at a local used CD store. I was simply blown out of the water by her beautiful lyrics and incredible voice. Since this CD, I have also listened to Tigerlily and Motherland, the latter of which showed a deeper and more mature voice. Both CDs showed incredible talent (in my humble opinion), Motherland especially.
I have to say though that Ophelia has moved me beyond compare. Ms. Merchant's voice, the enunciation of each syllable to its completion, the sense that she might be smiling during a certain word as it is being sung, singing the lyrics with such emotion from soaring and commanding to nearly a whisper---it's hard to describe, but just her vocal skills alone completely overwhelmed me, as if I were in a small room sitting next to her. Like other people who have reviewed this, I seem to gravitate toward certain songs such as "Life is Sweet," but more to my liking: "Ophelia," "Thick as Thieves," "My Skin," "The Living," among others, all of which I could expound on the implied messages (as I interpret them). "When They Ring the Golden Bells" was also beautifully executed, brings a tear to my eye, as the message is so sweet and utterly hopeful, no matter that the words were written so long ago. The final portion of the CD, instrumental, reprises the first selection (Ophelia). Beautiful. Gorgeous.
I could not recommend another CD more highly. Yes, some of the lyrics might sound depressing, but who on this earth hasn't ever struggled with difficult issues in their life and hoped for comfort or understanding? This CD gives both and more. Buy it and play it on a quiet night, when you can listen to it in its entirety with no interruptions. Depending who you are or what you like, you may keep listening to it many more times to come. I would give it 10 stars if I could and nominate it for Natalie Merchant's best offering so far.
Free Music Review: Amazing!
Hit: 5 Stars
This music takes the listener to magical places. Each song realizes an almost seemingly private moment that Natalie wants to share. I have listened to this album dozens of times and it never gets old. If you like like light Jazz, quiet vocals, great studio musicians, and a relaxing journey...I would recommend Ophelia.Free Music Review: So Beautiful!
Hit: 5 Stars
Sumptuous melodies abound, while Natalie's angelic voice and understated piano give this an almost unbearable poignancy. And, despite what critics say, there are certainly variety and texture to these songs. There is no false pathos whatsoever. Still, the tenor of Ophelia is one of undeniable sadness.
From the hopeful "Kind and Generous", to the emotionally harrowing "My Skin", these songs crystallize the melancholy of the human condition. Accordingly, Ophelia is truly beautiful.
Free Music Review: A Beautiful, Beautiful Album
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this album back when it was first released, and I still listen to it quite frequently. It represents the full maturity of Natalie Merchant as a songwriter -- someone unashamed to address even the most weighty of topics, and to combine haunting lyrics with enchanting melodies to produce amazingly beautiful music. I've listened to "Life is Sweet" maybe 1,000 times, and it never gets old. Those who say Ms. Merchant should lighten up, or do more songs like "Ring their Golden Bells" (which was possibly the only superficial song in the album), are not appreciating the depth of Natalie Merchant's poetry put to music. This is not the pathetic, generic pop music that allows Britney Spears and In Sync to get a few minutes in the spotlight before the next short-lived sensation hits the airwaves. This is a true work of art.