I'm going to do a stream of conscious review as I listen to it the first time.
1. Starshine I can't imagine a better opener. Bouncy, rocking, FUN.
2. If You Were My Love Simply gorgeous. It's long been my favorite unreleased demo, and it's been done justice. I love how reverently this one was treated. The added electric guitar in the background is spooky & lovely.
3. Mabel Normand I knew by the clip that this song was going to be the big surprise of the album. I dig the stream of conscious style of the song. There's no traditional verses, chorus, or song structure. But it's chugging & keeps your interest, and there's a great little instrumental bridge. What an interesting experiment Stevie did by recording & releasing this song. She's taken a risk & broken convention. To me it's proof she's still an artist.
4. Twisted The original will always have my heart. I didn't need another version of this song- I wish another had been recorded in it's place. I do have to say, it's nice to finally hear Stevie singing with her inside voice for the first time in 2 decades, though.
5. 24 Karat Gold Easily the best song Stevie's recorded in over a decade. Classic, classic Stevie Nicks. Sounds like it could have been plucked straight from Bella Donna or Mirage. Witchy, atmospheric, and rocking.
6. Belle Fleur Holy crap, the intro surprised the hell out of me.
I expected this song to go in a much more country/folk direction, and that intro just totally caught me off guard. It's got far more of that 70s southern California rock sound than I was expecting. I dig it!
7. All the Beautiful Worlds SO true to the original! Very, very Wild Heart. Love those prominent vocals with the girls. The chorus still sounds slow to me, though.
8. Lady Meh.
9. I Don't Care Very 70s Heart sounding. Love the intro & those softer interludes.
10. Watch Chain Wow, it's an electric guitar rock song! It's the first song that's made me grin!
I never thought this demo could be turned into a legit, finished song... but here it is.
11. Hard Advice I expected this song to be bad, and it's really not. I figured we were in for another That Made Me Stronger, and it's much better than that.
12. Carousel I have to say, I cringed when I read Stevie was covering a Vanessa Carlton song. I think Vanessa is first rate
awful. This song is really not bad, though. However, the lack of musical interludes & quick switching between verses & choruses really bugs me. Sounds rushed. I like the strings... nice touch.
13. Blue Water Ugh, this song sounds it was fished from Lady Antebellum's porta potty. This was a make or break one for me... and they definitely broke it. To me, this is the one song the really should had handled solemnly, but totally didn't. It's not bad, but it's just not good. And the demo was just magical. This is just awful.
14. Cathouse Blues So, so corny. I had to switch to the next song.
15. The Dealer Just okay. The demo never did much for me, so this newer version isn't any different.
16. She Loves Him Still I thought the original was sappy, but this is lovely. Seems very poignant for her to record it now. I think her older voice actually lends this song far more credibility. Color me surprised I like this one.
What a perfect little prayer to close the album out.
The overwhelming impression I take away from this album is: my God, the woman has her voice back!
She's rediscovered how to sing softly, with inflection, tenderness, range, and feeling. She isn't just shouting at us with a flat tone anymore!
I'll have to listen to it several more times before I can rank it compared to her other solo works. Side 4 was just awful, and really stains the whole thing for me. That being said, as a whole, this is the album many of us have been waiting for Stevie to make for decades. It's a true return to form. There's a lot of greatness here, but also contains the requisite turds every Stevie album showcases.