Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 10:36:29 +0000
From: Timothy Sulivan
Subject: Compilation poll
To: J.N.Dijkhuis@let.rug.nl
e-mail: tsullivan@worc.mass.edu
My name is Tim Sullivan and I was first introduced to Melanie around 1971
(I was 17 way back then). She got a lot of airplay back then on Top 40 AM
radio and her music seemed pleasant enough. She was scheduled to play in
Providence, RI, my home at the time. Wanting to ask a particular girl I
had recently met on a date, I needed a concert to ask her to. It could
have easily been a Three Dog Night, a Cat Stevens or a Moody Blues concert.
Melanie sounded pleasant enough and she was coming to Providence. I went
to the concert and found her fresh, unique and honest. She went on the
radio and did a three hour interview a couple of hours after the concert
ended and I was hooked. Since then I've seen her about 14 times, including
at Bethel 94, the true Woodstock revisited. Although it has been difficult
to follow her career at times, I have kept track as best as possible. Her
lyrics and her voice have continued to move me these many years.
BORN TO BE: The first thing I always notice when listening to this album
is just how young Melanie's voice sounds on this album. It is very
different from her other albums except maybe Affectionately and the two
Buddah releases after she left the label, Please Love Me and Garden in the
City. These were made up primarily of cuts that were left on the cutting
room floor in the making of her other albums for Buddah. Buddah only
released them after she left to start her own label, Neighborhood.
1. In The Hour: Her young and naive sounding voice is perfect for this song
although I find it a little too heavily orchestrated.
2. Mr. Tambourine Man: The quiet desperation in her voice makes this a
good version of the well known Dylan tune.
AFFECTIONATELY: Like Born to Be, in revisiting this album I'm struck by
just how young (and naive) her voice is. Unlike BTB, she uses less
orchestration and has better written songs.
3. I'm Back In Town: The first few times I heard it I thought this was a
very unique and honest song about someone who was very insecure. I had
never heard such an honest and heartfelt song before.
4. Tuning My Guitar: I suspect this song is more autobiographical than
perhaps any other song that she has done.
5. Any Guy: I love the use of irony in this song. Of course, it couldn't
be any guy's. She wasn't looking for that kind of fun.
6. Beautiful People: This song and Lay Down are the two songs that define
Melanie's style, message and career more than any others. While this one
seems awfully naive in the 90's, I still think it is one of Melanie's
purest. Isn't it sad that it did turn out to be so naive?
7. Johnny Boy: One of the many songs that Melanie does that showcases the
urgency in her voice. I listen to this song and feel the sense of urgency
that the protagonist is experiencing. As Bill Clinton would say, I feel
her pain.
8. Baby Guitar: One of Melanie's earliest songs with obscure meaning.
Somewhat similar to Tuning My Guitar in meaning but why the image of a baby
guitar?
9. Take Me Home: The sentiment is similar to Any Guy. Her young voice is
perfect for this song. Unlike Johnny Boy, her voice reflects a quiet
desperation.
CANDLES IN THE RAIN: Certainly one of her finest albums with the signature
song of her career on it. I never get tired of listening to this one.
10. Candles In The Rain
Lay Down (candles in the rain): Together with the preceding poem, one of
the greatest songs ever created. The aloneness of the voice in the
wilderness during the poem, the voice searing through the music, and the
genius of using a great gospel group for backup vocals all add up to a true
masterpiece. The lyrics stand as a testament to hope, to true community
and to a better world. I do, however, prefer the longer version available
on the Four Sides of Melanie and more recently A Collection. The Edwin
Hawkins Singers go on with Melanie soaring in and around their collective
voice in what I believe is a lot of improvisation.
11. Alexander Beetle: A Cute little ditty, perhaps too cute. Buddah cut
this selection out after the first copies were made. Anyone know why?
12. Ruby Tuesday: A great version of the Jagger/Richards hit. As she
sings you feel you know Ruby Tuesday, who she is and why she does what she
does.
13. What Have They Done To My Song Ma: A good song until you have seen the
TV commercial that has this tune to What Have They Done To My Oatmeal. ( I
am not making this up!) This song has never been quite the same for me
LEFTOVER WINE: The first album I listened to, still one of my favorites.
The intimacy and emotions of a Melanie concert comes through on this album,
much more so than her other live album, Live at Carnegie Hall.
14. Close To It All: This live version is much better than the studio one.
There's far too much orchestration on most of the songs on Born To Be,
including this one. Live and stripped down to a guitar and her wonderful
voice, this song is much more powerful.
15. Psychotherapy: Although a novelty song, I still enjoy the clever word
play and take off on psychoanalysis.
16. Leftover Wine: I agree with Johan. This song took awhile for me to
appreciate but it definitely grows on you. I now think it is one of her
best. A great song about loneliness.
17. Peace Will Come (according to plan): Let's hope there really is a plan
and that peace will come. What a wonderful sentiment and what a wonderful
flute.
THE GOOD BOOK: Melanie's first effort on her own record label,
Neighborhood, after leaving Buddah. While it is not up to the quality of
Leftover Wine and Candles in the Rain, it holds its own against her other
early efforts.
18. Good Book: Kind of a Candles in the Rain revisited but not quite as
successful. Lovely use of the flute.
19. Babe Rainbow: Definitely the best song on the album but like Leftover
Wine, you need to listen to it a few times for it to grow on you.
20. Nickel Song: OK song but she's done so many better songs that didn't
get the attention that this one did.
21. Chords Of Fame: Again great use of the flute, similar in theme to Babe
Rainbow. This is the only Phil Ochs song that Melanie has recorded that I
know of. Good choice. Nice overdubbing of her voice.
GATHER ME: Recorded at the peak of her fame, this should have established
her as a major star but Top 40 radio had to make a cute throwaway novelty
song the major hit. Instead of taking her seriously many saw Melanie as a
one hit wonder. The irony is that, overall, this album really is one of
her best.
22. Little Bit Of Me: Anyone who has given a lot to any project, job,
career, etc. has felt like they begin to lose themselves piece by piece.
A song that expresses that thought poetically.
23. Some Day I'll Be A Farmer: A simple but excellent song. It has a
thought shared by many.
24. Steppin': Similar to Any Guy, I love this song for the vulnerability
that Melanie reveals.
25. Brand New Key: A cute novelty record that was the beginning of the
end.
26. Ring Around The Moon: Short, beautiful love song.
27. Ring The Living Bell/Shine The Living Light: One of my favorite
Melanie songs. The chanting/chorus reminds me of Lay Down but is different
enough not to be too derivative.
28. Kansas: Not many lyrics but it sounds good.
29. What Wondrous Love: Lovely version of old hymn.
30. Baby Day: I listen to this song and am transformed to the hill at dawn
where the sun is coming up.
31. Tell Me Why: Another beautiful but short love song
GARDEN IN THE CITY: This is one of the two records Buddah put out after
she left and the unevenness of it shows. It's made up mostly of songs that
were not deemed good enough to be on any of the albums she put out while
with Buddah.
32. We Don't Know Where We're Going: From the thoroughly forgettable movie
RPM, this song certainly reflects young people in the late 60's. It is a
somewhat like The Good Book in intent.
33. Don't You Wait By The Water: Clever use of sound (echo?) makes this
stand out.
34. Stop! I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore: Also from RPM, it too reflects
the frustration of being young in the late 60's
STONEGROUND WORDS: Not one of my favorite Melanie albums, really very
little on it to distinguish it. Too much orchestration.
35. My Rainbow Race: Nice version of a great Pete Seeger song. "Don't
they know you can't kill all the unbelievers. There's no shortcut to
freedom."
36. Do You Believe: It appears to be a love song, a good one at that, but
it also works on a much deeper level.
AT CARNEGIE HALL: Not nearly as good as her other live album. It doesn't
capture the "liveness" of a Melanie concert. I find I don't tend to listen
to it much. Most of the songs on this album are available and better on
other albums.
37. Lay Your Hands Across The Six String: I have to include this song if
only for the line "I've been thinking sixty miles an hour in a thirty mile
zone." I feel that way a lot.
38. Pretty Boy Floyd: Nice rendition of a great Woody Guthrie song.
. Medley: Hearing The News
Seasons To Change
Peace Will Come: "There are people living on the dead of the land". She's
able to turn a pretty grim line like this into a song about hope. Not too
many singers can do that. The three songs belong together.
PLEASE LOVE ME: The second album that Buddah released after Melanie left
and this is weaker than the first. In fact they had to fill it by putting
two songs that were already on Garden in the City and two that were on
other albums. They were getting pretty desperate at this point.
39. God's Only Daughter: I like this one. I'm not sure why, probably
because she sound like she believes that she's God's only daughter.
MADRUGADA: Overall, one of her lesser efforts. Two of my least favorite
songs, Wild Horses and I Think it It's Going To Rain Today are on this
album. Of course neither were written by her either. I Think It's Going
To Rain just is not Melanie. I don't think she has ever done a truly
cynical song other than this one. I Am Being Guided is also a weak
effort. Outside of a couple of songs, it lacks the typical Melanie energy,
almost as if she was sleepwalking during the recording of it.
40. Love To Lose Again: A good effort, with typical energy.
41. Maybe Not For A Lifetime: Pretty good, not outstanding
42. The Actress: This is the best cut on the album. It seems very
autobiographical, I think. While the meaning is not completely clear, it,
as many of her songs, feels right.
AS I SEE IT NOW: Not an album that jumps out at you but it has some really
good songs. Has a bit of a country flavor, particularly the guitarist.
43. Yankee Man: Great Jesse Winchester song that fits Melanie's style so
well.
44. Eyes Of A Man: Almost a mystical quality to it. I love the background
vocals from Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band.
45. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright: Great Dylan song done very well here.
46. Chart Song: I think this is by far the best song on this album. It's
a heartfelt song by a mother to her daughter. This, like Eyes of Man has a
mystical quality to it.
SUNSET AND OTHER BEGINNINGS: A lot of songs written by other songwriters on
this one. Some work, some don't.
47. Perceive It: I love the chorus and the layering of Melanie's voice
towards the end of the song.
48. Loving My Children: Sounds like she is enjoying motherhood. I think
being a parent myself makes me appreciate this song more.
49. Dream Seller (meet me on the corner): I like this song a lot. Another
coulda/shoulda been a hit.
50. The Sun And The Moon: I like how this song segues into the old folkie
tune. Does anyone know where that song originates?
PHOTOGRAPH: One of her better efforts, she shows her rockier side during
many of these cuts. Many of these songs could have (should have) been hits
with better management and more support from her record company. What
would her career have been like with minimal competence from her support
people?
51. Cyclone: A great song. She shows her ability to take you inside the
song, in this case, inside the Cyclone.
52. Groundhog Day: This album came after a long layoff (I think she had
just had her first child) and this song certainly reflects the mood she
must have been feeling.
53. Photograph: There's a couple of great lines in this song. "Do you
recall the line when your heart was in it? But your reason changed your
mind. Did you love forever at the time?" They capture the emotions of a
high schooler. I know I loved forever at the time when I was in High
School. She demonstrates her ability to verbalize what you already know
and feel but have never verbalized yourself. "And wouldn't you just give it
all to never say goodbye. We once loved in forevers but we learned to say
goodbye..." The ending where she repeats goodbye several time fits so well.
54. Secret Of The Darkness (I believe): One of the reasons I have enjoyed
Melanie's music over the years is her optimism in the world and in people.
This is one of her best songs of that mode. I listen to this song and my
cynicism melts away. But what is the Secret of the Darkness??
55. Raindance: She does love songs about rain, doesn't she? A simple but
very effective song, almost a chant.
PHONOGENIC/NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE: A very different album than most
of the others. It has more songs by other artists than any other album and
it just seems very uneven. It has some good songs but some forgettable
ones too.
56. Bon Appetite: Prototypical Melanie. Similar to many of her best songs
in theme and tune.
BALLROOM STREETS: A very interesting album. It was recorded "live", in
front of an audience of 30. It has a much harder edge than most Melanie
albums but it works well. The instruments sound good, not orchestral and
they don't take away from her wonderful voice like some of her arrangements
but add and complement her voice.
57. Running After Love: It shows the rock and roll side of Melanie and is
one of those many songs that could have/should have been a hit.
Much better version than the one on Phonogenic. Holdin' Out
58. Cyclone/Candles In The Rain: Great remakes of two great songs. I
wonder why she put these together the way she did. It works well together,
I just wonder if there is a connection between the two that I am missing.
Check out the interplay between her voice and the guitar.
59. Friends And Company: I'm not quite sure what she's trying to say
during the first half of the song (she's probably not sure either) but the
song definitely takes a turn for the better during the second half.I love
the line "Oh God I need to swallow you whole again, mend the old soul
again, all I need is some inner peace". Again the intensity of her voice
during this part of the song is worth the price of admission.
It was difficult deciding which version was better, this one or the one on
Photograph but I vote for this one even though I miss the background
vocals. I like the false end although the fadeout is somewhat annoying.
The instrumentation is much stronger on this version.
ARABESQUE: Blanche Records??? Distributed by Jem? Anybody ever hear of
these companies? Seems like Melanie was trying out some different styles
on this one but wasn't quite sure which direction to go in.
60. Roadburn: Good song, actually a total remake of Between the Road
Signs, a song on Stoneground Words.
61. Standing On The Other Side (of your love)
62. When You're Dead And Gone: This has the playfulness of Melanie's best
lyrics. It's fun but it also makes its point.
63. Imaginary Heroes: Melanie did not write this song but she does a
terrific job with it. Much more powerful than "Luka", Suzanne Vega's hit
about child abuse which came out about the same time. Makes you
wonder.......
AM I REAL OR WHAT?: I've heard this album called "Melanie goes Disco" but
I think that diminishes the effort. Yes there are some disco beats but
it's more of a rock album than a disco one and a very good one at that.
It's one of her best efforts although if you perceive her as solely a
"folkie" you may have some difficulty with it
64. Every Breath Of The Way: A great song about fidelity and commitment, a
song I would expect from her. Very catchy song. Should have been a hit
(like so many others).
65. Some Body Love: One of her finest songs. She expresses her optimism
with a touch of realism at the same time.
66. Crack Seeks the Edge: I'm not sure what I like about this other than
the catchy tune. I sure don't know what she's talking about. Any ideas?
COWABONGA
One of her best later efforts. Many of the songs are the catchy pop
variety. Many also utilize a chorus that include her three children. They
really add to each of the songs that she does with them. They seem
sympatico with her.
67, What Have They Done to the Rain? She does like to sing about rain,
doesn't she? Great song but who did what to the rain? Does anyone know?
68. Show You: Another somewhat obscure song but very catchy.
69. Ruby Tuesday: If I never heard her original version, I probably would
like this a lot more. It's not bad and I like the background vocals but
the starkness of the production on the original is much more powerful. The
rawness of her voice stands out more on the original, as well it should for
this particular song.
70. To Be A Star "Are You ready for the rock an roll ending? Are you ready
for the rigamorole..." . I love that last verse. As she does in so many
songs her voice reflects the emotions she wants you to feel in the song.
In this case you can feel the urgency in her voice as you comprehend the
words.
71. Window Pain: Another catchy song with rather obscure lyrics. It's
about lost love, I know, but what does "naked and laughing on the window
pane"
72. Chosen Few: Here's a song I really like but don't know why. I don't
have a clue what the song is about but it "feels" right and sure sounds
good.
73. Lovin The Boy Next Door One of my newer favorites. It reminds me of
Melanie at a much younger, more naive age. While my assumption was that
this was written about a boy/girl relationship, I understand it was written
about a little boy who lived next door to Melanie who would come and visit.
Kinda makes the whole song different.
PRECIOUS CARGO The only song on this release not on Cowabonga is Undertow
and is nothing special.
FREEDOM KNOWS MY NAME/SILENCE IS KING: This is a very strong effort,
especially when you consider she has already released so much music. Again
you have to wonder where was the promotion for this and what would have
happened with just a little record company support and promotional efforts.
Oh well...
74. Estate Sale: This is a song I would swear Melanie wrote if I didn't
know better. It sounds like her. I love the throwaway line about the
roller skates at the end of the song. By the way, if you haven't checked
out Cheryl Wheeler, the author of the song, do so. She a fantastic
singer-songwriter.
75. In My Rock And Roll Heart: One of my favorites. I can really relate
to her growing pains as she struggles with becoming an adult, and.......it
rocks!
76. Freedom Knows My Name: Another song that should be getting air play
with a little better management and promotion. I saw her do it live at
Bethel 94 and it was great.
Purple Haze
77. Live Coal: This and the following song seem to go together. I love
the deep male voice in the chorus.
78. Life Will Not Go Away: This was definitely written by Melanie. A
simple, catchy song. "I will leave the planet quieter than it was
yesterday".
THE SEVENTH WAVE: Some great songs on this album but I've already
mentioned them on other albums.
79. Lay Down Sally: Nice cover of the song Clapton made famous.
OLD BITCH WARRIOR:
80. Beautiful People: This remake was remarkable. Who is Merideth? The
song sounds even better as a duet.
TWENTYFIFTH ANNIVERSARY UNPLUGGED
Unfortunately I am still waiting for the CD that I ordered two years ago
from Melanie's fan club. Again, with a little promotion and attention to
details, where would she be?