Sheryl Crow
 

Who's getting it tomorrow?

I am...

Ordinarily I would be, but I've heard it, and I have to say, it kinda sucked. I was pretty disappointed. I don't like this new trite, AC Sheryl. I miss the great blend of cynical social commentary and achingly beautiful lyricism that pervaded her earlier albums, and her grittier, pre-C'mon C'mon style.

Preach it, my darling. It's terrible. If I get it, I get it. If not, oh well. Maybe our not buying it will send her a message that we don't like bland, boring Sheryl. Bring back the tough chick who writes biting, satirical lyrics about society. The Sheryl who could kick your ass six ways to Sunday.

I agree. I played it a couple of times overhead in the music store I work at part-time, and it was like almost embarrassing me.

In my ongoing quest to not be 100% negative, though, I will say that I thought the artwork was fantastic!

I liked C'mon C'mon pretty good. But to me her best will ALWAYS be TNMC!

I think I will buy it anyways, just because I like her and I really do like "Good is Good." I also don't mind AC music that much either! :cool:

Where can I listen to samples before buying?

I bought this a couple of days ago. I'd heard on this board it was a bit crap but I don't usually pay attention to other people's reviews but this time they were right! BLAND! I mean, if Sheryl's happy and whatever, then good on her, but there's no bite in this album. I was sitting there listening to it and all the songs sound the same. Oh well, I guess they can't all be as good as TGS.

I am listening to the cd on aol music right now and so far I like it. I dont think Sheryl has to rock to be good.

Go here to listen: http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds.adp

or http://www.aolmusic.com incase that link doesnt work.

No, she just has to write good songs. :laugh:

I dont think that the writing on the Wildflower CD is bad at all. I just finished listening to the entire thing and I love it. I think Live It Up is the best song on the entire cd along with Wildflower. There isnt one song though that I think sucks at all. I find this cd to be mostly uplifting and thoughtful.

Oy, I cringe just thinking about that album, honey. "If butterflies are free to fly"? Gag. "Letter To God" has some of the worst lyrics she's ever penned, and she seems to have infused an inordinate amount of strings to every song for...no...real...reason. She used them sparingly in the past, and to good effect; "It's Only Love" was heartbreaking and the strings on that sucker pierced right through you and exposed your beating heart. With this single album, her use of strings now seems rote. Every song sounds the same with no noticeable change in tempo; ballads so sweet that dentists across the globe will see a resurgence in business due to a remarkable number of newly developed cavities amongst their patients.

"Live It Up" isn't a totally wretched piece of flaming offal, even if it sounds like a lost song from the C'mon C'mon sessions, but the fact that you have to wade through murky waters of lifeless midtempo song after lifeless midtempo song in order to get to it is a pretty challenging feat. Once it's over, you're plunged back into the depths of midtempo mediocrity, hoping that her romance with Armstrong crashes and burns because it will mean that she might possibly show a sign of personality later on down the road. Not once are you treated to single upbeat song after "Live It Up" and the whole affair ends on the dreariest of notes with the ersatz "Where Has All the Love Gone," a song that sounds suspiciously like something Michael Jackson dreamt up as a charity single to be produced by another gay porn director.

She's giving interview after interview, saying that now that she's in her forties, it's easier to be an "artist." She must have forgotten to include any of that "art" she's currently producing in middle age because it's nowhere to be found on this record, and there certainly isn't anything to crow about on it. To think that it took three years and whirlwind romance with Armstrong to produce this thing as some sort of final denouement about her past problems with depression and love is a horrifying thought. If she wants time to reflect so that she can write decent material, maybe she should just try going on vacation like everyone else does instead of stewing in her newly found introspective bliss, and boring me to the point where I can't even find the energy to produce tears of boredom.

If this is the best she can come up with, I say she should stay at home starching Lance's briefs. Just my opinion.

:D I like it when you give just your opinion.

I guess she's going the mac-road, following some really great emo albums with that blandness .. who knows in 15 years she'll do a Say You Will, then.

Why is it embarrassing? Because it's rote by the fifth track.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that I feel absolutely nothing listening to it. Whereas I could laugh along with songs like Members Only and A Change, or I could feel the heartache in her voice and in the music on It's Only Love and Riverwide, there's nothing on this new record that gets any sort of response out of me. It's just bland, with the same theme parading throughout, but without any clear attempt to freshen each song and give each one a life of it's own. They could have left the disc untracked as one long song and I wouldn't be able to tell that they're eleven individual songs.

I heard her say that about Harvest and Tumbleweed Connection, too, and I laughed. It makes for good copy in the press releases, though.

In any case, I'm glad you enjoy it. :woohoo:

I think my problem with it is just that her vocals, combined with the lovey lyrics, make it sound cloying. Like Sheryl doing a Hallmark card. I'm with Diss on missing the spark that was all over the first three records. She was gritty, you know? And cool, and ballsy, and emotional. Ever since "Picture" and that awful cover of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" and some of the songs off C'mon C'mon, I've just been... underwhelmed. It's like Sheryl-lite.

I don't think the album is terrible- it's just not the Sheryl that I loved.

With all that said...I think it's important to also remember that, as an artist, you can't always please everyone. Perhaps the songs mean a great deal to her as an individual...it doesn't mean that they are going to be LOVED by everyone else. :shrug:

Okay I REALLY REALLY REALLY love FCISD!!!!!!!!

Well, yeah, that's kind of obvious. :shrug:

I don't think so either. Most of my favorite songs of hers are definitely not rockers: Home, Weather Channel, Redemption Day, Safe & Sound, Strong Enough, The Difficult Kind, I Shall Believe...

I also don't think she needs to write wrist-slitting poetry. This is just a weak bunch of songs, IMO. I disagree with Sharon that none of it is "commercial" -- that's exactly part of my problem with it. It's too formulaic and blah. The songs all blend into each other, for the most part. Sheryl is someone I've come to expect really solid albums from... Wildflower has a couple decent tracks and a bunch of boring filler. I just think she's one of the greats and is capable of much better. But I'm glad some people are digging it :).

thanks for posting this, I hate buying a cd and "hoping" it's something that I'll like. This is rather mellow, not sure what I think yet :shrug:

Somehow, I don't like this one as much as dis' one, though ;)

Lucinda Williams, no, I wouldn't compare this with her. Lucinda always has 'heart' in her music. It doesn't have to be rocky or violent but you can hear, um.., honesty there.
Wildflowers is ok, but it doesn't grab me. It doesn't disturb me but it's no more than background music, so far.
I've the same feeling with U2: after Pop they just lost that .. oh gvd, I can't find the english word, sorry. Spirit? Desperate need to be creative? That shows.

sorry if I'm not good with words tonight, epilepsy ****s up the concentration. At least I can tolerate music now. < end selfpity mode >

Just listened to about half of it on AOL, nothing too impressive really. I think even CMON CMON was much better....this is all just mush

Chris

I really like that album. It was raw Sheryl, very different from her heavily produced albums that followed. The songwriting is crude and primitive compared to what she wrote for her self-titled album and The Globe Sessions, her vocals are rough and honest, and the whole jam band feel that it has is quite appealing. Songs like "Can't Cry Anymore," "I Shall Believe," "We Do What We Can," "Run Baby Run," and "What I Can Do For You" are classic Sheryl Crow songs to me.

A lot of fans on the Sheryl Crow forum are not too pleased with it either. Apparently though she had been saying in interviews for months that it wouldn't be a rock album, and her next one would.

Chris

I JUST got the Ryan album, and have only listened to a few tracks, but it's phenomenal as usual. Call me an idiot, though, but I can't get over just how much ASS he looks like in his one picture in the liner notes. Seriously, there's bum chic, and there's just... bum.

I saw that, too, and especially loved this one:

"I thought most of the songs were boring, and the only one I really liked is the one I already have on an old single: Chances are.
I wholeheartedly said "no" when the woman behind the counter on the listening station asked me whether I wanted to buy it. A second later, I was a bit surprised by my instant reaction myself, but to be honest, I would have stopped the CD after the 3rd song if it hadn't been Sheryl playing.

I then realized that after 7 years, I've come full circle: I bought my first Sheryl album after trying to win but not winning tickets to her 8-persons-admitted exclusive radio concert in Munich. It was her eponymous album, and that has defined her sound for me ever since.
So it's an interesting coincidence that after not trying to win but actually winning tickets to another exclusive radio concert, I found out I didn't care enough for it anymore as to drive 500 kms, and neither did I buy her new album.

I mean, she thanked Elton John in the booklet. She thanked Elton John in the booklet. Elton John. In the booklet.

Oh boy."

:laugh:

Wildflower is exactly the type of album I hoped she'd make after C'mon C'mon. It's C'mon C'mon's polar opposite... no glitz, glam, hype, commercialism, or guest superstar on every track. It's earthy, folksy, and acoustic guitar oriented. Yes, there are no standout tracks. But I think it was meant to be an atmospheric album, and be heard as an ALBUM... not just hyperactive soundbytes for MTV. It's such a great chill album. As soon as I heard the first few tracks I knew there would be this kind of backlash from the general public, but I for one am glad Sheryl is comfortable enough with herself, and had the guts to release this kind of an album. Kudos to her for breaking her OWN mold.

I completely love Wildflowers. I have listened to it 3 times today and I love just about every song. Live It Up is my favorite and I like Chances Are because it is dark and depressing. I just love Sheryl's voice and I for one love her cover of First Cut Is the Deepest. Good stuff there.!

I've been out of the loop with regard to her press for this album, but I heard she was originally supposed to release two cds together, a la Nelly's Sweat and Suit. One (Wildflower) was supposed to be mellow, and the other was supposed to be more rock-oriented. But apparently Jimmy Iovine told her the material on Wildflower was strong enough on its own and the rock album was shelved to be released at a later date. True?

(Just curious. Incidentally, the fact that is mellow is not why I dislike it. It has more to do with the production and writing.)

Yup. That's what Iovine said in Entertainment Weekly last week. :nod: He said her "art" version was the best thing she's done. I, alas, think he shares Whitney's crack dealer.

Same here. I love her mellow stuff; Weather Channel, Riverwide, I Shall Believe, Home, Redmption Day (my favorite from her), etc., are all amonst my favorite songs that she's written. Those songs were exquisitely written an produced.

I like it. I just don't think it's Sheryl.
I agree with this all over. The Globe Sessions is my very favorite Sheryl album. Where did that Sheryl go? I think Lance stole her... :laugh:

Nope...
 

only new release we purchased was the Keith Urban "Livin' Right Now" DVD...Otherwise it will be late October/Early November before before I purchase any new releases.

I own not a single Sheryl Crow disc, And truthfully I am sure that will not ever change (I have nothing against her, Just not my type of music at all.)

I agree with you all the way! I got it today and listened to it twice, in a row...I love it! It is, what I believe, to be her best album other than the classic TNMC!

:shocked:

You seriously think it has better songs than the stuff on her eponymous album? Better than A Change, Sweet Rosalyn, If It Makes You Happy, Redemption Day, Hard To Make A Stand, Love Is A Good Thing, Everyday Is A Winding Road, Oh Marie, etc?

Well it's not so much song-by-song "greatness"...a lot of those songs you pointed out are really great songs, I suppose it is more of the overall feel of the album...very mellow...which I like!

btw...If It Makes You Happy = TERRIBLE SONG! :laugh:

:shocked:

I am officially putting you on ignore for that, pal. :laugh:

Come on...it is overplayed CRAP! Sheryl is so much better than that garbage! :laugh:

All I Wanna Do...remains my fav. by her (go ahead and laugh if you wish...it's my drinking song) and Can't Cry Anymore is a close close second!

At the beginning of the year there was a Billboard report that she was going to put out two albums one right after the other or both at the same time, can't recall exactly, but basically she said or it was stated that one album was a real departure from the norm, sort experimental, one she didn't think would do very well, and the other album was the usual fare. Something happened with the way things were supposed to unfold so the two album thing was off. But I have a feeling this is that sort of "experimental" album and the other will follow. Might explain why there really isn't a tour to back this up. Maybe after the winter the other will come out.

I think you are right. But if this is the experimental album...I LOVE IT! I'm telling you this is really becoming my favorite album from her! :nod:

Perfect Lie is simply amazing!

I love that song. It was a big departure from any of the TNMC material, and the theme of drug abuse was presented in a suitably dark manner with a wink thrown in for good measure. Kick-ass vocal, kick-ass song, and some of those lyrics are killer:

I've been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen
Well, okay I made this up
I promised you I'd never give up

You get down, real low down
You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train
Well who hasn't been there before?
I come round, around the hard way
Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mold off the bread
And serve you french toast again
Well, okay I still get stoned
I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home

I intensely dislike the new album because it has *none* of trademark witty & sly lyrics, or any lyrics that truly seemed like confessions of true heartbreak like in "Riverwide." She replaced biting humor and raw emotion with "If butterflies are free to fly..." Fug, man.

The other album has been scrapped; the one that came out is the "experimental" (ha!) album.