When Sheryl Crow debuted a little over a decade ago, she came across as a pop rock Hippie chick with a boatload of feel good songs like "All I Wanna Do" and "Everyday Is A Winding Road". Though she always wrote from a singer/songwriter perspective, Crow's music often seemed tailor made for Macy's White Flower Day sales and Wal-Mart price roll backs. Sure her music could get a little sad and depressing and some of those tunes were hits, but it was the peppy stuff that kept her afloat.
But like most modern artists holding onto an audience is a tenuous thing. Starting in the 90's, the number of one hit or one album wonders stacked up high and very few bands could muster more than one good year commercially due to shrinking attention spans and a cash in-cash out music business. Sheryl Crow has managed to hold onto her fans for a long time, but that grip is slipping.
Whether she has nothing left to lose or simply feels the need to assert herself creatively, Crow has released Detours. A new CD packed with her best songs in ages and a reteaming with original producer Bill Botrell. After years of dogfighting over music credits, Botrell and Crow have buried the hatchett and we're the better for it. Botrell instantly brings the warmth and syncopated percussion that was lacking from Crow's other work. But even without him, Crow seems more focused than ever.
Sheryl Crow ditches the rote boredom of Cmon Cmon (2002) and the experimentation of Wildflower (2005) to deliver what I consider her best album to date. Detours commits to a personal outlook, tackling politics, breast cancer, the end of her engagement to bicyclist Lance Armstrong and the adoption of her son Wyatt. Crow's politics have been in the press for over a year now between the one square of toilet paper rumor and the flare up with Karl Rove. Here she alternates her political views between hopeful (the Katrina inspired lead single "Love Is Free"), concerned ("Shine Over Babylon") and full on outrage (the Dylanesque "God Bless This Mess"). Through it all Crow manages a "voice of the people" angle that matches her personal views with the general mood of the country a la Jackson Browne (who's "Doctor My Eyes" is covered as a bonus track). The best track is "Gasoline", a sarcastic deriding of the oil industry that felt on the money as I drove up to the gas pump blaring this song.
The end of her engagement hits hard in the second half with the title song, the beautiful folk ballad "Detours" that almost ventures into Neil Young country. "Drunk with the Thought of You", "Now That You're Gone" and the particularly strong "Diamond Ring" details the crumbling relationship and guarded hurt that goes with it in heartbreaking fashion.
Crow's recent bout with breast cancer is included in "Make it Go Away (Radiation Song)" while her adopted son gets a shout out in "Lullabye for Wyatt".
Crow is tuneful and driven through the entire disc and like classic So Cal rocker Jackson Browne manages to work as both a personal portrait and a state of the union essay. Detours probably won't sell the bazillion copies that Tuesday Night Music Club did, but it will last longer in the annals of quality rock music.
But like most modern artists holding onto an audience is a tenuous thing. Starting in the 90's, the number of one hit or one album wonders stacked up high and very few bands could muster more than one good year commercially due to shrinking attention spans and a cash in-cash out music business. Sheryl Crow has managed to hold onto her fans for a long time, but that grip is slipping.
Whether she has nothing left to lose or simply feels the need to assert herself creatively, Crow has released Detours. A new CD packed with her best songs in ages and a reteaming with original producer Bill Botrell. After years of dogfighting over music credits, Botrell and Crow have buried the hatchett and we're the better for it. Botrell instantly brings the warmth and syncopated percussion that was lacking from Crow's other work. But even without him, Crow seems more focused than ever.
Sheryl Crow ditches the rote boredom of Cmon Cmon (2002) and the experimentation of Wildflower (2005) to deliver what I consider her best album to date. Detours commits to a personal outlook, tackling politics, breast cancer, the end of her engagement to bicyclist Lance Armstrong and the adoption of her son Wyatt. Crow's politics have been in the press for over a year now between the one square of toilet paper rumor and the flare up with Karl Rove. Here she alternates her political views between hopeful (the Katrina inspired lead single "Love Is Free"), concerned ("Shine Over Babylon") and full on outrage (the Dylanesque "God Bless This Mess"). Through it all Crow manages a "voice of the people" angle that matches her personal views with the general mood of the country a la Jackson Browne (who's "Doctor My Eyes" is covered as a bonus track). The best track is "Gasoline", a sarcastic deriding of the oil industry that felt on the money as I drove up to the gas pump blaring this song.
The end of her engagement hits hard in the second half with the title song, the beautiful folk ballad "Detours" that almost ventures into Neil Young country. "Drunk with the Thought of You", "Now That You're Gone" and the particularly strong "Diamond Ring" details the crumbling relationship and guarded hurt that goes with it in heartbreaking fashion.
Crow's recent bout with breast cancer is included in "Make it Go Away (Radiation Song)" while her adopted son gets a shout out in "Lullabye for Wyatt".
Crow is tuneful and driven through the entire disc and like classic So Cal rocker Jackson Browne manages to work as both a personal portrait and a state of the union essay. Detours probably won't sell the bazillion copies that Tuesday Night Music Club did, but it will last longer in the annals of quality rock music.
Sheryl Crow - "Love Is Free"
Sheryl Crow "God Bless This Mess"
4 comments:
I liked some of Sheryl Crow's stuff when it didn't involve politics. Not even before I don't agree with her since we are of opposite political slants but because it didn't interest me. I prefered her older stuff to an extent and a few songs that I'm not sure they are in albums "Safe and Sound" - song she sang after 911 Tribute on TV and "In Need" from the Hope Floats album (never saw movie just loved the song).
Her first two albums were both strong in songwriting, performance and production. After that, she was kind of hit and miss to me until now. I'm not a fan of politics in general because it involves less actual discussion than attacking and posturing (no one can agree to disagree). I tried to have a political discussion about music on this blog once and presented what I thought was a well reasoned point of view and got flamed for it. Since then, I try to keep politics off my blog. But when I review a performer or film with a political slant, I look to see how natural and thought out it is regardless of whether or not I agree with the subject matter. Crow doesn't necessarily speak for me though I have to admit I really like the "Gasoline" song on this album, I just paid $40.00 for a full tank of gas!
Oh I understand perfectly :) There are a bunch of things I disagree with people but don't flame them for it. It's a shame you had to go through that. It's your friggin' blog you should be able to post what you want :) Worse case is I don't post on it .. with more people did that if they don't agree with someone. It's like when wife posted about Buddism on her blog. I'm glad she did even though I'm not and will never be Buddist :)
I haven't heard Sheryl's album just a few songs here and there. I usually tend to like songs that don't get much airplay. I swear I prefer B side songs more than what's on mainstream radio...
There are very few artists out there with the talent to write and perform listenable protest songs and politically themed songs. She is one of those that can. Having said that, however... I have never been able to like her voice. It's a good voice. There isn't anything objectionable about it. I just don't like it. Don't know why.
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