From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V16 #2189 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Friday, January 26 2018 Volume 16 : Number 2189 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- 2017 covers albums [JoAnn Whetsell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 02:51:54 +0000 From: JoAnn Whetsell Subject: 2017 covers albums There were a number of ecto-friendly covers albums released last year. Here's a wrap-up. TARA MACLEAN - ATLANTIC BLUE An album of songs by eastern Canadian artists. Originally a theater piece. The music is basically light folk-pop, but there's enough variation in mood and tempo to keep things interesting. And it's so good to hear Tara's voice again. She covers Anne Murray, Sarah McLachlan, even herself with a new version of "La Tempete". VARIOUS ARTISTS - COVER STORIES: BRANDI CARLILE CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF THE STORY Country and rock artists take on the songs from Brandi Carlile's album The Story. Several of the songs were previously released, but most are new. The artists did a good job of making the songs their own. A good companion to the original album, and also a fundraiser for War Child. PAULA COLE - BALLADS This album could easily have been called Standards. It's overall a very good collection of 20 songs on 2 discs. Paula's voice is strong, and the arrangements are unfussy. I personally like the more upbeat songs better than some of the slower ones and am very glad to be introduced to songs like "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll." JOAN OSBORNE - SONGS OF BOB DYLAN, VOL. 1 Mostly very mellow renditions. Probably won't impress Dylan fans, but a nice introduction to his work for other people. I particularly like "High Water (For Charley Patton)," probably the most energetic cut, but "Ring Them Bells" ANE BRUN - LEAVE ME BREATHLESS Ane Brun has done a number of wonderful covers over her career, but a whole album seems to be a bit too much. Theres too much of a sameness to the songs, and too much of a tinkly-winkly synthesizer sound. I find the second half of the album more interesting (perhaps because it has fewer songs Im really familiar with). How to Disappear Completely (Radiohead) is really a standout, and I also like Girl from the North Country (Bob Dylan) a lot. CARLA BRUNI - FRENCH TOUCH It's definitely got a Carla Bruni touch. Light, spare, lounge-y. Some of the arrangements are more distinctive than others ("Enjoy the Silence" for one). I'm not sure that "Highway to Hell" entirely works; I like the verses, but not so much the chorus). This is one of the better cover albums of the year. THE WAILIN' JENNYS - FIFTEEN There's so much to like on this album celebrating 15 years of the band's existence. The harmonies are impeccable, the arrangements are light and let the music breathe. The a cappella opener "The Old Churchyard" is exquisite (think of their version of "The Parting Glass"). Patty Griffin's "You Are Not Alone" and Emmylou Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham" are other standouts. The whole album (at first sounding kind of slow and same-y) gets better with each listen. JoAnn ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V16 #2189 ****************************