Pros: Blues, Jazz and Rock all in one song and album! Beautiful!
Cons: Definitely didn't save the best for last. Last 2 songs, suck.
The Bottom Line: This CD will make you look at life and see it all for what it really is. Sheryl Crow bring a diverse mixture of music together for one brilliant sound.
BlonbabyDawn's Full Review: Sheryl Crow by Sheryl Crow
This CD is one of my favorites and has been for many years now. Released in 1996, this album was a quick hit with many people. Those of us who were lucky enough to buy it still enjoy it to this day, as it quickly becomes a favorite and very addicting. The lyrics to almost every song are profound and pensive, and will make your outlook on life change. And if you already agree with Sheryl in her insightful look at life, then more power to you, because then you will enjoy this album all that much more.
The breakdown of songs on this brilliant album are below...each song will make you think about your outlook on life, as well as think and remember those around us. The mixture of jazz, blues and rock throughout this album is outstanding.
[1] Sheryl Crow starts us out with Maybe Angels. Through this song we hear her search for something, though we’re not quite sure what....Maybe Angels? This bluesy rock song has a slow but upbeat tempo that keeps you moving. It has a way of making me sing along (even though I can’t sing). Maybe Angles gives us all a sense of wonderment as Sheryl takes us on a journey searching for “them”. Heck, you even end up in Roswell in this song to see what the government is denying. Besides, Sheryl “swears their out there and I agree. I hope we find them soon.
[2] Next we are jamming to an upbeat song with a great rhythm. This one certainly will keep your body moving and even want to clap your hands to the beat. A Change is track number 2 on this amazing CD. This song seems like this to me: Sheryl takes us through the life of a young woman who starts out as Daddy’s little girl, lives a supermodel life, and finally ends up in the gutters. A Change would do her good. “Hello it’s me, I’m not at home, if you’d like to reach me, leave me alone“.
[3] Home makes us reevaluate our lives in a deep way. With a slow rhythm that seems to be very relaxing, we hear lyrics that tell us otherwise. Sheryl tells us in first person of a woman who has become sad with her Home. She now knows what it’s like to love only one man. She fell in love at 17 with this wonderful man. Now she is 32, reading romance novels, dreaming of yesterday and wishing to see the sun rise is someone else‘s home. Waking up with the sound of breaking hearts, this woman is realizing that she is questioning her love for her “only love”. She tells us of dreams she has such as watching the sun come up and dancing under the moon. She wishes to watch the sun come up in a stranger’s arms. Everything she wanted in the past is just driving her way in the present.....a confused woman who got what she wanted, and now she doesn’t want it anymore. “This is Home“.
[4] The sounds of the guitar in Sweet Rosalyn are that of a folk/rock song that gives us another upbeat tempo to dance to. The lyrics are about a young woman Rosalyn, who lives a rather wild life and not caring about the responsibilities around her. Rosalyn, looking for a good time calls a number she found on a bathroom wall and ends up calling a priest who tells her, her goals in life are wearing a little thin. Responsibilities is the main focus of this song I believe. Sheryl makes us reevaluate OUR lives by telling us that sometimes “ya gotta give in, sometimes ya gotta be loved”.
[5] If it Makes You Happy comes next with another song more on the blues side but still having the rock tempo. Sheryl tells us not to be so down on ourselves all the time. If It Makes You Happy, then why the hell are you so sad? The chorus is more upbeat than the rest of the lyrics, giving more emphasis on those words, as most songs. But this one gives more of a meaning, more like get off your butt and do something about your life if you are so depressed at it. Do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what the others think.
[6] The tempo that starts you out in Redemption Day is slow, yet still has a beat that you can move to. Sheryl tells us of the many different disasters in today’s world. She says that it’s in a soul to feel bad about these things, “but weak to watch without speaking. The lyrics tell of the men of great, not doing enough to help others, while there are many men, women and children waiting for freedom and help, while suffering everyday. The words are deep with profound meaning, and will make you sit back and reevaluate the way you look on life.
[7] With the sounds of the guitar starting out Hard to Make a Stand, this song is almost acoustic in the beginning. Sheryl tells us how hard it is in today’s world to make a difference with all of the corruptness around us. A miscreation of sorts is today’s world. This song is upbeat and another song that will keep you dancing.
[8] This is one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s one that was overplayed on the radio, but still makes me think about life, as do all of Sheryl Crow’s songs. Everyday Is A Winding Road. The lyrics tell us how hard life is, and all the twists and turns we go. And even though there are hard times, there are also good times. Telling us “Everyday is a winding road, I get a little bit closer, everyday is a faded sign, I get a little bit closer, I get a little bit closer to feelin’ fine“.
[9] Love is a Good Thing is a song that has a jazzy/bluesy feel to it. The lyrics are sort of confusing, but I get a message out of it. Like many of Sheryl’s other songs, the message here tells us that despite all of the hate and madness in the world, we always have Love. You will be singing along to this song, and it quickly becomes a favorite, couldn’t possibly go heard without that being done. Don’t forget to Love. There are many deep messages in this song to listen for. Make sure you do that.
[10] Oh Marie tells us of a girl who seems to have some mental problems although she is very popular with the guys and her friends. She’s never alone, except for in her own mind. She’s got it all...money, guys and cars, yet she’s still out there and is being taken advantage of. In the lyrics Sheryl seems to be singing to Marie telling her, “Oh, Marie, I sure hope you’re happy. She needs to start thinking of pleasing herself instead of everyone else. The tempo is slightly upbeat, but very mellow.
[11] The next track on this CD is Superstar. With the beat attached to this song, it seems out of place for this album and doesn’t fit at all. Although it’s not a bad song, it’s my least favorite with a less profound meaning than the rest. Telling of a superstar and the fame that “he” seems to think he has, although he’s not much better than the rest of us. Their “superstardom” doesn’t last, and that’s what this particular superstar needs to focus on instead of always living as if they were the best thing to walk this green earth.
[12] The Book tells of a girl who was let down by her lover. The book signifying something that most of us have all read...betrayal. Oh three days in a row, and I stand alone, I’ll always remember, three days in a row. Should she get revenge? A book is then written by the let down lover. The story is very theatrical and told well by Sheryl through the lyrics. A very low key song, and another that I usually skip over.
[13] As this jazzy sound comes back to us through Sheryl’s voice and the background music, we hear of an Ordinary Morning through her eyes. It seems as if she is trying to find out the true meaning of her existence here. its just an ordinary morning, its just an ordinary day, and i’m just an ordinary woman. Does life seem to be getting to monotonous for her? Seems this way through this long-drawn-out song that seems to repeat Ordinary Morning over and over. Another one of my least favorites. I guess saving the best for last didn’t mean anything for this album.
Final Thoughts on Sheryl Crow
With the mixture of many different music types, Sheryl Crow can capture a large audience. The songs are all diverse in sound and meaning, even though they focus on everyday life, in all it’s glory...and not so glorious times. She brings it all out and gives us something think about in every song. Nothing is hidden here and absolutely not for the faint of heart.
Recommend to those of you into an easy listening rock album, that you can kick back and sing along to, and even get up and dance to if you feel so inclined. I like to listen to this CD when I'm cleaning, the funky rhythm's keep me moving, as well as when I'm driving. It keeps me awake and focused.
Sheryl mentions angels and God a lot throughout this album as well, bringing religion into real life; definitely something to ponder upon.
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