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Rating: There are excellent reasons why this album might be disliked and why its listening might be discouraged; let me attempt to list a couple: first of all, it's an album of "memorable" songs, often suitable for female voices in consecration that, well supported by their record company, throw the CD to the public that when you enter the shop and have to buy a gift, in the end, there are 15 tracks, and you buy it.
Secondly, she is an American singer who positions herself exactly in that space between Blues and Soul, which instinctively makes us think of yet another imitation of Janis Joplin and nothing more.
Furthermore, the album was released posthumously, by making a collage of various tapes, so it certainly won’t be perfect.
And then, consider that the album is advertised, more or less across all sources, in these terms: "the highly anticipated new release of the great Eva Cassidy is finally available! A few years after the premature disappearance of the now legendary and incredible voice, a series of never-before-released tracks are now available, which immediately jumped to the top of the UK charts during the first week of release!" (sigh!)
Now, I ask you, wouldn’t you feel terrified even just by handling the CD that so swiftly LEAPT to the top of the chart where the Spice Girls have long comfortably resided?
Fortunately, I happened to listen to this album ignoring all that... and I managed to fully appreciate it.
The main characteristic that sets this apart from other albums of the genre is how Eva Cassidy's voice is, besides beautiful, also modulated, composed, never overexposed; the lyrics are clear, almost sharp (she is still an American) but - those who follow her work know well - this makes the difference between the great singer and the regular one.
So the voice "speaks" to us, telling us the lyrics, but also it "sings" and "plays" for us, finding the perfect harmony with the instruments (not at the level, unfortunately) and the melodies of the songs interpreted. And mind you that when I write "perfect", I do not exaggerate: for track 1, one might think that in the end, the piece lends itself to her characteristics; for track 2, more bluesy, which at times seems to hold back to not have to scream; for track 3 something else again and so on.
But by paying attention (and this CD has the ability to captivate, whatever one is thinking or doing), one can see how this voice is luminous, intense, a great instrument.
Eva Cassidy does not imitate Janis Joplin, whom she almost reaches in intensity, but she stands alongside her in regularity and mastery, positioning herself a notch above for the ability she had to make her voice "sound".
You may not like the genre (which is also quite varied), but this album deserves to be listened to. 4 stars because it is imperfect, but terribly close to 5.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 It Doesn't Matter Anymore (03:13)
There you go and baby, here am I.
Well, you left me here so I could sit and cry.
GOLLY gee, what have you done to me?
BUT I guess it doesn't matter any more
Do you remember baby, last September
How you held me tight, each and every night
Oh baby, how you drove me crazy
WELL I guess it doesn't matter any more
There AIN'T no use in me a-cryin'.
'CAUSE I've done everything and I'm sick of tryin'.
I've thrown away my nights,
Wasted all my days over you
Now you go your way, BABY, and I'll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
AND I'll find somebody new and baby, we'll say we're through
And you won't matter anymore
There AIN'T no use in me a-cryin'.
'CAUSE I've done everything and now I'm sick of tryin'.
I've thrown away my nights,
Wasted all my days over you
Now you go your way, BABY, and I'll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
AND I'll find somebody new and baby, we'll say we're through
YOU WON'T MATTER ANYMORE
YOU WON'T MATTER ANYMORE
YOU WON'T MATTER ANYMORE.
And you won't matter anymore
02 Fever (03:56)
Never know how much I love you, you never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me, I get a feeling that I just can't bear
You give me fever, when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.
Bless my soul I love you, take this heart away
Take these arms I never use them
And just believe what my lips have to say
You give me fever, when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night
Listen to me baby, hear every word I say
No one can love you the way I do
Because they don't know how to love you my way
You give me fever, when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night
The sun lights up the daytime, the moon lights up at night
My eyes light up when you call my name,
Because I know you're gonna treat me right
You give me fever, when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.
You give me fever, you give me fever, oh yeah,
Fever all through the night
04 You've Changed (04:48)
You've changed
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
It's all over now
You've changed
You've changed
Your kiss is now are so blase
You're bored with me in every way
You're breaking my heart
You've changed
You've forgotten the words
I love you
Each memory that we've shared
You ignore every star above you
I can't realise that you ever cared
You've changed
You're not the angel I once knew
No need to tell me that we're through
It's all over now
You've changed
You've forgotten the words
I love you
Each memory that we've shared
You ignore every star above you
I can't realise that you ever cared
You've changed
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
It's all over now
You've changed
Yeas It's over now
You've changed
05 Imagine (04:36)
Imagine there's no heaven.
It's easy if you try.
No hell below us,
Above us only sky.
Imagine all the people,
Living for today.
Imagine there's no countries.
It isn't hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for,
And no religion too.
Imagine all the people,
Living life in peace. yu-huh.
You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.
Imagine no possessions.
I wonder if you can.
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people,
Sharing all the world. yu-huh.
You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope some day,
You'll join us,
And the world will live as one.
You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope some day,
You'll join us,
And the world will live as one.
07 Early Morning Rain (04:05)
Chorus:
In the early morning rain with a dollar in my hand
And an aching in my heart
And my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home
And I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain
With no place to go
Out on runway number 9
Big 77 set to go
But I'm stuck here on the ground
Where the cold winds blow
Your can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train
So I best be on my way in the early morning rain
Hear her mighty engines roar
See the silver bird on high
She's away and westward bound far above my home she'll fly
Where the morning rain don't fall
And the sun always shines
She'll be flying past my home
In about 3 hours time
Chorus
08 Tennessee Waltz (02:32)
I was dancing with my darling
To the Tennessee waltz
When an old friend I happened to meet
I introduced her to my darling
And while they were dancing
My friend stole my sweetheart from me
I remember the night
And the Tennessee waltz
I know now just what I have lost
Yes I lost my little darling
The night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee waltz
I remember the night
And the Tennessee waltz
I know now just what I have lost
Yes I lost my little darling
The night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee waltz
Oh the beautiful Tennessee waltz
10 Danny Boy (03:41)
Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.
From Glenn to Glenn and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying.
'Tis you, 'tis you must go, and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow.
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow.
'Tis I'll be there in Sunshine or in Shadow
Oh Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so.
But if you come, when all the roses are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be.
Go out and find the place where I am lying.
And kneel and say an "Ave" for me.
And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be.
Then you shall bend and tell me that you love me
I'll will sleep in peace until you come to me.
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