Track listing
- 1 Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
- 2 The Good Book
- 3 Beautiful People
- 4 What Have They Done to My Song Ma
- 5 The Nickel Song
- 6 Animal Crackers
- 7 Momma Momma
- 8 Lovin' Baby Girl
- 9 Ruby Tuesday
- 10 Peace Will Come (According to Plan)
- 11 Ring the Living Bell
- 12 Some Say (I Got Devil)
- 13 Brand New Key
- 14 Together Alone
- 15 Bitter Bad
- 16 Love to Lose Again
- 17 Bobo's Party
- 18 Leftover Wine
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4 Reviews
Very good, but I miss a few fine tracks from her later albums.
Published
Melanie came and went a long time ago, others have since appropriated her name but could never usurp her status as the one-off flower child and she's not completely forgotten, her minor hits can still be heard occasionally, on the radio. She blossomed during the singer-songwriter period at the beginning of the 70's but for some reason was never taken as seriously as her contemporaries. On the face of it though, there's nothing sub-standard about her song writing and although her voice is an acquired taste, that never held Joni Mitchell back. Perhaps her songs are a little too sing-a-long, her biggest hit, Brand New Key, certainly didn't help. But there was always something endearing about Melanie's open-hearted politics, however naive, that chimed with the young generation and complemented the navel-gazing of the James Taylors, the cynicism of the Neil Youngs or the high-brow superiority of the Joni Mitchells. Listening today to modern (female) singer-songwriters, there's clearly a lot of talent around but how much have they moved on? Lay Down, The Good Book, Beautiful People, Peace Will Come, Some Say (I Got Devil) and Leftover Wine are some of the songs here that have lost none of their charm and could easily pass as contemporary in this retro climate of ours.
Unfortunately, however successful at the time, Melanie didn't have the enduring qualities that would see her Cds readily available in the shops all these decades later. Instead, we have to be content with a "best of", some of the most flimsy artists have been fortunate to have had a "Best of" released, some less deserving, they're usually aimed at the older generation for nostalgic appeal. Grab one now, they won't be around for ever!
Unfortunately, however successful at the time, Melanie didn't have the enduring qualities that would see her Cds readily available in the shops all these decades later. Instead, we have to be content with a "best of", some of the most flimsy artists have been fortunate to have had a "Best of" released, some less deserving, they're usually aimed at the older generation for nostalgic appeal. Grab one now, they won't be around for ever!
Published
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The mildly cacophonous chorus of "Brand New Key" done me grievous mental harm when it assaulted me one day, digitally and without warning, out of the middle of an otherwise innocuous greeting card. I should have probably suspected something from the glittering rollerskates on the cover. But it was at that precise moment, right in the middle of the Hallmark store, I remembered once owning a copy of Melanie's greatest hits.
I found it! And, first off, lemme put your fears to rest: "Brand New Key" doesn't sound half as jarring on record as it does on a paper-covered microchip. It's actually one of the more clever Melanie tracks, its lullaby-turned-showtune vibe allowing equal doses of childlike innocence and wink-wink, nudge-nudge to coexist within the same arrangement. Same goes for the slowly building oompa-pah of "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma?" in which wide-eyed Mel intertwines quiet confessions about selling one's hippie ideals for a big label contract with bursts of bilingual rage.
What allows Melanie to craft such distinctly weird tunes is her distinctly weird voice; an instrument equally capable of fragile, raspy drones and full-bore, dizzying flights of excess. Both extremes are exploited on "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)," which starts by complementing Mel's shy murmur with a bit of hurdy-gurdy, then watches the same voice attempt to climb some dangerously high peaks. Mel scales deftly when she has backup, as on her Woodstock anthem "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," but when she attempts her ascent alone, she takes some strange routes. You know it's coming on songs like the Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," but you don't know just how you might get through it.
I found it! And, first off, lemme put your fears to rest: "Brand New Key" doesn't sound half as jarring on record as it does on a paper-covered microchip. It's actually one of the more clever Melanie tracks, its lullaby-turned-showtune vibe allowing equal doses of childlike innocence and wink-wink, nudge-nudge to coexist within the same arrangement. Same goes for the slowly building oompa-pah of "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma?" in which wide-eyed Mel intertwines quiet confessions about selling one's hippie ideals for a big label contract with bursts of bilingual rage.
What allows Melanie to craft such distinctly weird tunes is her distinctly weird voice; an instrument equally capable of fragile, raspy drones and full-bore, dizzying flights of excess. Both extremes are exploited on "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)," which starts by complementing Mel's shy murmur with a bit of hurdy-gurdy, then watches the same voice attempt to climb some dangerously high peaks. Mel scales deftly when she has backup, as on her Woodstock anthem "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," but when she attempts her ascent alone, she takes some strange routes. You know it's coming on songs like the Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," but you don't know just how you might get through it.
Published
Melanie Safka had a voice that was uniquely her own, nice songwriting skills and, above all, charisma. She isn't here to shove political statements in your face. She's just here to play some great songs and maybe give out some positive messages along the way. And these are, without question, great songs. Hers is a warm and inviting environment; just kick off your shoes, pop this in and have a good time.
Published
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14 Feb 2020
9 Dec 2019
2 Oct 2019
14 Feb 2015
9 May 2014
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5 Feb 2012
1 Jul 2011
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