Patty Griffin - Flaming Red
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Free Music Notes for Flaming Red
Free Music Review: Flaming Best
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the CD that made me a Patty Griffin fan. None of her other releases have surpassed this album, and I wish she would make another one like it. Not that her other records are bad (I love them all); it's just that what she has done after FLAMING RED is in the more ordinary realm of singer/songwriter, folkie stuff, and as much as I'm into that fairly broad category, I wish other artists would take a cue from this production: it's okay to experiment, and ROCK some, guys -- you won't necessarily lose your folk credentials (unless you rock badly).
There is not one dud on this set, but there are some standouts: "Tony" is a heartbreaking account of a suicide that will get under your skin if you've ever been picked on at school for being a sissy, and the blistering instrumental arrangement mirrors Griffin's verbal outrage. "Carry Me" has an infectious groove, and even the ballads have a pulse that can turn a downer into an upper. "Go Now" and "Goodbye" are simply gorgeous. Throughout, Patty's expressive voice, by turns breathy and soft or piercing and loud, is perfectly controlled and always on pitch. This is not a performer who thinks it is necessary to decorate every note and bend every phrase in order to convince us that she can sing. We get that, and she respects our intelligence. Thoughtful lyrics, simple melodies, electrifying arrangements, and glorious vocals make this, from start to finish, a deeply satisfying album.
Free Music Review: Boiling Over With Perfection!
Hit: 5 Stars
Flaming Red is a classic! It's very rare when you find a record that becomes the sole permanent resident in your CD player. Flaming Red is my player's favorite tenant! Griffin has captured the acoustic emotions that enveloped her debut Living With Ghosts, and put them to a big-budget studio recording. Now she can play ball with Sheryl Crow and Alanis all she wants. While Ghosts can be considered her "roots" album, Flaming Red is her big showcase. Griffin injects us with "Blue Sky," "Christina," and "One Big Love," which are Top40 tunes that are actually good for a change. Other songs contribute to a mix of great songwriting and flawless production. "Wiggley Fingers" writhers about with playful rock'n'roll, while the country-tinged "Goodbye" really made me long for the return of my best friend. Griffin has done good! Forget the critics that say she's left her acoustic-folk roots with this studio masterpiece. Artists will never grow if they on't evolve with songwriting, as well as musically. Flaming Red easily beats out anything Crow, Merchant or Alanis have done the last few years. I know that's saying a lo, but this album is really that good. Buy it, and then pass the word around. Patty Griffin has arrived!Free Music Review: Better than "Living With Ghosts"
Hit: 5 Stars
For all the reviewers who wrote that they loved "Ghosts" and hated "Flaming Red" did not give it a chance. I absolutely fell in love with "Ghosts" after hearing "Every Little Bit" on the radio. That disc has a raw beauty that probably will never be reproduced.When I first put "Red" into my CD player the first 2 songs through me for a loop. Very different with the band. If I wrote a review of that album at that time, I probably would have vented like the others and said that she sold out and what a shame, blah, blah.
After a few listens, however, I found the hidden gems. The power of "Tony", the strength of her voice in "Change", the lyrics of "Mary" and "Christina". At this point (after about 1000 listens), I love every song from the power-pop "One Big Love" to the ache of "Peter Pan".
People said the "production" of this album hid Patty's voice, but I disagree. "Flaming Red" showcases it and I absolutely love every note. Please buy this disc and discover the wonder, beauty, magic, power, fun and uniqueness of Patty Griffin and "Flaming Red"
Free Music Review: Different and Daring
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, anyone who loved Patty Griffin's first album (Living With Ghosts) will be surprised by her second effort - the two are very different. While Living With Ghosts was a quietly spare and intimate recording, Flaming Red comes out fighting with a band behind Patty's feisty vocals. Despite their differences, however, they both have the special feel of a live performance - a difficult thing to capture in a studio recording. Each song on the album is unique. The second track, "One Big Love," is a catchy anthem, while the third song, "Tony," carries a powerful message about the effects of intolerance on children. "Change" creates the picture of an angry, abused woman, while "Goodbye" is a powerful lament for a friend who has passed away. The two best songs on the album, "Christina," and "Mary" (which features background vocals by Emmylou Harris) combine beautiful melodies and lyrics. Ultimately, this is an album with very strong and empowering feminine overtones. I hope Patty Griffin keeps on making more powerful and heart-rending songs.Free Music Review: A Rare and Splendid Artist
Hit: 5 Stars
Flaming Red is as diverse and experimental an album as you find from upstart folk-pop-rock artists. This is doubly true considering that Griffin's first album, "Living with Ghosts," is just Patty and her guitar, a heavenly folk album with enough emotion for a career.The second album, therefore, is true courage. Deserting much of her fan base who only crave acoustic guitar and voice, Griffin came out with a tightly-produced, heavily layered second album. She came out to ROCK this time around, and the surprise is that she does it EXCELLENTLY.
Few if any artists can manage to put out a nearly flawless acoustic album one minute and then an equally beautiful rock album the next. Griffin, her voice, her emotion and her talent are quite simply the best thing I've found in music.
I know fans give out 5 stars like they're going out of style, but this is the only 5 stars I have given (or probably will give). She is truly worth the highest grade and the highest praise, and if you have a chance to see her in concert, go. It's not a pricey ticket, and you'll go home the better for it.