Tracy Chapman - Where You Live
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Free Music Notes for Where You Live
Free Music Review: Song And Insistency For The Ages
Hit: 5 Stars
There has always been an insistency to the song and poetry
of Tracy Chapman. WHERE YOU LIVE intensifies that insistency
to a fine simmer, brewing a necessary art full of compassion,
wisdom, and conviction for a society sorely in need of all
the above. With a voice borne from Truth-callers such as
Odetta, a lyrical snap and pertinence worthy of Huddie
Ledbetter, and a persistence to bring it together in her
own clarion style, anyone doubting Ms. Chapman's worth
-either as an African American artist or as a troubadour
of the world- is clearly uninformed.
With a sound which is at once bare-boned and richly toned,
WHERE YOU LIVE hits the listener with the intimacy and
immediacy of an after-hours gathering in a small café.
All the more precious, then, that the enormity of Chapman's
music shoots straighter, strikes truer, and walks taller
than ever before.
For a profile in sobering courage, listen to "Change", a
relentless anthem which cuts to the chase; pondering at
the extremes we as people put ourselves through, before
recognizing basic truths which will not be denied. Try
listening to "3000 Miles", a missive of urban blight and
societal insanity, and not be moved. Learn from "America".
Its wry pronouncements more than an indictment of the
current wave of McCarthyist paranoia, "America" draws
the line on a nation's historical roots in opportunistic
jingoism, vested intolerance, and best intentions -too
often- paving the worst pathways amidst frustrated
dreams deserving better.
As powerful a town crier as Chapman is, her songs on
relationships are as compelling, offering further insight
into why her artistry is honest and pervasive. Anyone
who's dealt with self-absorbed types smitten with their
own charm will love the humble sass of "Never Yours".
The aching need of communication testifies with a
lilting sway and soulful tip in "Talk To You", while
"Going Back" struts a slow, deadly stroll coping with
both nostalgia, and a need to surmount all illusions.
"Don't Dwell" is a heart-breakingly pure croon for Love
amidst the changes of mood and season, while "Before
Easter" is a jolting portrait of a lost soul seemingly
without shame... but not without a torturous sense of
responsibility.
There's so much to recommend about all 11 songs which
comprise WHERE YOU LIVE, from the cry of Want igniting
"Love's Proof' to the challenge of braving heartache
lighting the candle of "Taken". Certainly, the resilience
of the human spirit, acknowledging flaw and circumstance
in an ongoing reach for something finer, serenades us
with a moonlit urgency in the album's epic climax "Be
And Be Not Afraid".
Tracy Chapman. Song and insistency for the Ages.
Surmounting convention, rejecting despair, she brings
home an integrity and joy which is precious. In setting
her own path, she continuously delivers the best within
us all.
Cherish this where you go.
Nurture this where you live.
Free Music Review: Coulda Been A Contender
Hit: 2 Stars
Tracy Chapman continues to write some of the most heart wrenching songs ever. She's got it down pat, let there be no doubt about it. But you know what? On her other releases there were always one or two numbers that were slightly downtrodden but uptempo that caught your ear and made you want to listen again. There is nothing here that will compel you to listen more than once. Well, maybe twice, just to verify what you thought about it the first time. And she certainly will not win over any new Chapman fans with this cd. Even in this era of the less bombastic (Mraz, Gavin, H.Day, et.al) rock anthems, this music is just a little too lo-fi. I bought this one and I'll probably buy the next one in hopes that she will return to earlier form.Free Music Review: Great Follow Up
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD is a great follow up to Let it Rain. The tracks are classic Tracy, but have a darker edge, where as Let it Rain were more somber. This CD actually reminds me of Telling Stories because of the guitar arrangements.
Stand out tracks:
Change-great track and a good choice for the first single.
Going Back- very melodic tone.
Never Yours- I think, is the best track on the album. I love the lyrics and her voice sounds great!
America- the catchiest track on the disc, also has some meaningful lyrics
Taken- great chorus
I highly recommend this CD to any Tracy Chapman fan, but also to anyone who just likes great music.
Free Music Review: What we need from Tracy
Hit: 5 Stars
Where you live is simple in its musical execution and, as always, brilliant in its lyrical depth. Tracy is as vital a song writer as America has.
The musical framework is a textured, understated mix of blues and folk and, after so many years of quality music, her voice shines through every song as strongly as it ever has.
The album seems to start off rather slowly (after the obligatory mid-tempo rocker, Change, to open with) then seems to pick up steam and settles into some of the most beautiful music Tracy has ever done. America, Love's Proof, and Before Easter are brilliant in my mind. There are no weak cuts, however.
A new Tracy Chapman album is a cause for celebration.
Free Music Review: Strongest Work Since Her Debut
Hit: 5 Stars
The headline itself sounds almost unfair. Woe to the artist whose first album is so good, that she spends the rest of her career trying to live up to it. However, Tracy Chapman never tried to equal or give us another "debut album." She rather continued making the music that mattered to her the most, with subject matters ranging from relationships, poverty, violence, and the environment to name a few. With the musical directions she took, it seemed as though she was determined not to be another pop artist.
This album was written under the reigns of the Bush administration. An administration which Tracy has been a rather outspoken opponent of. Perhaps this brought out a stronger poetic component to her lyrics on her latest album. Unlike the poetry of Alicia Keys; each song on the "Where You Live" album is pure poetry at best. We haven't seen Tracy write this descriptive and touching since her "New Beginning" album.
Musically, this album is quite different than her previous "Let It Rain" album. The tempo goes up a couple of notches. The vocal arrangement has more range and color. For example in the song "I'm Yours" from the "Let it Rain" album she sings restrained and afraid to fully committ to the lover. But of the current album, in the song called "Talk to You" she is more than ready to give herself to somebody. "3,000 Miles" is a startling track because the contrast between the content on how Tracy sings. Tracy sort of sweetly sings through the song, almost making you forget she is talking about abused, abducted women in poor communities. "Never Yours" is a song that shows that she is no fool when it comes to love.
"America" is a song mainly directed toward the Bush administration. Her most fierce political song to date. With lyrics like "spoke of peace, but raged a war... you're still conquering America." "Don't Dwell" is a song destined to considered a classic. Despite of the remarkable arrangement, it consists of few instruments, mainly two electric guitars. Only thing I can tell you is to listen to it. Nobody can "howl at the moon" like Tracy. ("Howl at the moon" is a lyric from her song Matters of the Heart from the album by the same name)
Standout songs are "Talk to You", "Change", "Don't Dwell", and "America." The rest of the songs are amazing to listen to as well. The combo of strong poetic lyrics, and perfect production her Tracy's musicianmanship and voice make "Where You Live" easily one of the strongest albums of the year. It is a stellar achievement in Tracy's career. Hopefully she will get more attention here in the states, because Elektra seems to focus most of the promotion for Tracy overseas.