Mary Chapin Hits a Home Run
930600
I've loved her music for years and years.  This recording - on vinyl - is especially pleasing.  Great packaging also by the seller.  No dinged corners on the cover.  Thanks for that.
550675
I eagerly awaited the release of this CD, in fact I bought it the day it came out, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. I have all three of their CDs but "Mary Mary" is definitely the best - it shows their growth as artists. I can actually listen to this CD all the way through, which is something I can't do with most CDs - usually I only like 2 or 3 tracks. My only complaint is that the CD is short - it only has 11 tracks. Keep up the good work ladies!
1441136
hide is one of mary's first cds and although it is an ep it is one of the best.  in the early days she played quite a bit in florida and i have seen her live a half a dozen times in tampa and all you have to do is hear her play St. James Hotel under the oaks  at Skipper"s Smokehouse to know you have seen a true rocker.  you must buy this cd.
1247420
Chaliapin Bravo!, enjoyable and Invaluable recordings, of a master. A+++, recommend
3245815
I can easily understand why reviewers here bash Mary J. Blige's THE TOUR.  The sound is somewhat distorted and Mary's voice is not at its best.  What's more, she sounds a bit tipsy during certain songs, particularly "Not Gon' Cry."

Despite all of that, THE TOUR is a highly recommended CD for both major Mary fans and those interested in getting to know the Aretha Franklin of our generation.

Produced in 1998 with 23 songs she performed at various venues during her Share My World tour, this CD features some of the best tracks from her first three albums, though not all are performed in their entirety.  They include the "Real Love," "You Remind Me," "Mary Jane (All Night Long)," "My Life," "You Gotta Believe," "I Can Love You," and "Mary's Joint," to name a few favorites.

What makes this CD so highly recommended is that by offering listeners the chance to hear Blige perform these songs live and often in a medley format, THE TOUR gives music fans a way to hear some of her best songs with new ears and in the process, to discover those that may have been underappreciated on her first three studio-recorded CDs.

Plus, it also offers those new to Mary-mania the opportunity to hear the undying gratitude of her fans, who 14 years after the debut of her first album have remained passionately devoted to her music, her message and her struggle.

-- Regina McMenamin
2521276
A beautifully written memoir by a truly impressive woman.  This deserves more attention than it has received- Mary Emerick has faced down what so many of us fear,  She is to be admired for her grit and tenacity in a  career that doesn't have room for error or for flinching.  She certainly has a right to ptsd and survivor guilt but she owns her decisions.  I imagine writing this helped her move through her past and I'm looking forward to what she writes in the future.  Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.  This one is a winner.
2124485
Every single song on this CD is worth a listen to.  I just love everything Mary does.  She can do no artistic wrong and she sure did do it right with this one.

The track with Ludacris is a must listen.
2242652
At Joe's Pub in NYC last Friday night, Mary Gauthier told a largely gray head audience that she doesn't write happy songs.  I suppose that is strictly true, but, with apologies to her and her understanding of what she writes, I don't think it's enough to leave it at that.  Good things do not often happen in her songs, it is true.  But the circumstances of those bad things lead sometimes to acts of love, kindness and, most importantly, carrying on.  Her subjects are battered, but not beaten by what life deals them.  This has been a constant in her work from the beginning.  Check out, for example, the parents in Skeleton Town from her very first CD, the optimistic-despite-it-all Christmas in Paradise from Filth and Fire and the title cut from her last, Mercy Now (an even more moving acoustic, violin-accompanied version of MN closed out Friday's set).

But she has never pulled everything together as well as she does on Between Daylight and Dark.  With quiet and unadorned production from Joe Henry, Mary Gauthier has stepped out of whatever shadow Lucinda Williams was still casting over her with her own Car Wheels on a Gravel Road -- a CD stuffed with one great song after another that captures where we are as individuals in and out of love (Before You Leave, Please, and I Ain't Leaving) and as a country grapping with violence and the end of frontiers (Snakebit and Last of the Hobo Kings).

Five stars is way too few for this CD.
1049635
Bought this thinking it would just be another pin up book for my collection, but was pleasantly surprised.  The quality of the printing was excellent and the pages very high quality.  That is nothing compared to the chameleon like ability of this Model.  I have only seen one Pin Up book of just one Model be able to carry an entire book, and that was Bettie Page.  At first I thought Mala was only in half the book, but then I realized every picture is of Mala.  She transforms into every image and it is done seamlessly.  Bravo, Mala, can't wait for a sequel.
4030906
This is a very good debut CD.  Many of the songs lean toward the slower side, but she really makes an impression with the upbeat tracks as well. "Stripes", in particular really packs a punch!  Lots of songwriting talent is in this collection.  Although a unique talent, I think Brandy Clark would appeal to Mary Chapin Carpenter fans from the songwriting perspective and Gretchen Wilson fans from the standpoint of attitude and spunk!  I recommend this CD and I'm sure we'll see lots of good material from her in the future!
2152173
Sequel is the under noticed Harry Chapin album. It was released shortly before Harry's untimely death. This album features Sequel, the sequel to Taxi. And what a gem this song is. You also get two alternate versions as extras. Remember When The Music is sweet. The reprise of this at the album's end is beautiful and a fitting last Harry Chapin song. Although, I miss Harry everyday, Remember When could not have been timed better. With all due respect to Harry's marvelous life, it is his epitaph. I found every song written and performed very well. The extra out takes are pure bonus. This is a CD_ R version. But the sound quality is fantastic. A great final album. Sad that this great storyteller and humanitarian was called way to soon.
4124172
I loved the product description of Marcia Ball's signature sound as being a combination of "Texas Blues, Louisiana R&B, and Gulf Coast swamp pop."  It's all captured on this live CD, which is pure rollicking fun.  Marcia Ball doesn't have the greatest voice, but it works for her music, and she does have great chops on the piano and a very tight band.  This is really good stuff.  Highly recommended.
1073185
This latest book, Chalk Girl, was my first exposure to Detective Kathy Mallory.  Mallory is a gifted detective whose flaws make her stand out.

How to describe her? Physically, she's a stunner.  Even in New York City, she's  unforgettable with her silky blond hair, high cheekbones, bright green and almond shaped eyes, a gorgeous figure, clothes that are noticeably expensive and yet comfortable. ("silk T-shirts and custom-made blazers. Even her blue jeans were tailored, and her running shoes cost more than his car payment.") She can move quietly, quickly  and with deadly precision such that she brings to mind a large golden cat.  She's in the top 1 percentile mentally as well - her powers of observation and deduction make her one of the best detectives in NYC.  These skills are complimented by her uncanny ability to understand and use computers - her "hacking" skills scare her superiors who are careful not to ask how and where she gets her information from.  Mallory's a survivor who'd lost her family at a young age and somehow survived on the streets.  Though we don't know much about these early years, we do know that Mallory was saved when she was caught and adopted by the renowned Detective Lou Markowitz.  Markowitz brought her home to his wife Helen who saw and treated Kathy Mallory as a gift.  Helen Markowitz loved Kathy and Kathy would do anything for her new mother.  Kathy's behavior is circumscribed by what Helen would want her to do and what Helen taught her daughter to be wrong. Mallory's moral code is difficult to predict and it makes her one of the more interesting characters. As a detective, Mallory is well aware of the rules of criminal procedure and the suspect's constitutional rights.

In Chalk Girl, the young victim has the rare Williams syndrome, a rare condition characterized by elfin features and unusual gifts.  She is extraordinarily gifted in music, languages,  reading, and interpersonal skills.  She is warm, outgoing, and needs human contact.  The young girl doesn't have the usual inhibitions or defense mechanisms which makes her particularly vulnerable. "I'd like to give you a hug."  Just think about it - a gorgeous young child who engages strangers and is looking for affection - a recipe for heartache and abuse.  Somehow Coco brings out a protective side to Mallory.

But as her friends and admirers see "Mallory the Machine" as self-sufficient and unable to relate to those around her, there are scenes in Chalk Girl that are so sad and poignant that I'd have to put the book down.  It's these scenes that haunted me long after I'd put down the book.

The one thing that bothered me about Chalk Girl was the degree of violence and cruelty that Mallory and the detectives unearthed.  Chalk Girl is not a tame detective story but it's a fascinating and satisfying read.  After reading Chalk Girl months ago, I ended up hunting down and reading 10 more of Carol O'Connell's mysteries.  That's how much I enjoyed Chalk Girl and reading about Kathy Mallory.

ISBN-10: 0399157743 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Putnam Adult (January 17, 2012), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
1987302
I couldn't think of a more perfect title for Cher's newest release.  "Living Proof" says it all.  In this age where all you have been hearing about is the "teen pop scene", Cher proves that excellent music has no age limit.
"Living Proof" is an amzing disc.  It Rocks!!  Upbeat tempos, amazing music, and Cher's voice (wether high, low, or in-between) are the reasons for the success of this disc.
Different Kind of Love Song is an amazing song.  Words fail to describe how happy I get when I hear this song.
The Music's No Good Without You--another winner, although a bit heavy on the use of the vocoder (that's that machine that gives Cher's voice that extra tweak--you might remember it from her hit "Believe")
Rain, Rain brings the album down a notch, to a funky R&B sounding song that Cher perfectly nails.
When The Money's Gone  is a cute song about fame and fortune, and what will happen when all the fame and money are gone and two people are left with just each other.
These are just a few hightlights on this disc.  And I love them all.  I actually picked up two copies of this disc (one for me, and one for my mother).  She loves it too.
If a 29 year old man and his 52 year old woman agree on this, then that should tell you right there.
Cher is timeless, and I hope she keeps making more music, because she simply is a phenomenal artist.
600354
I just now came upon this CD, and it's a blast. As someone said, Mary's voice was never a trained instrument, then or now. But some singers bring something more important to their music -- sincerity and emotion. This is not some retro girl-group reprise. I hear Ronnie Spector and Chrissie Hynde here, two punk divas with attitude and their own strengths and style. And the Reigning Sound rocks.
Don't ever doubt the great Norton label, either. They uncover great artists old and new, and treat 'em right. That's why they're still around as the majors crumble.
4483095
Domestic violence is never a subject women enjoy to read about, but Chapin did an excellent job of painting an accurate picture of its ugliness and how God can heal the brokenness.  Great read!  Thank you.
190972
Often, as an avid reader, I read many autobiographies and they are usually similar - different stories yet the same format.  Some of them are hesitant to reveal too much, and others fall short of capturing the essence of what they are attempting to convey.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by Thelma Wright's story.  It drew me in from page one.  I felt the author's presence in my room - similar to her sitting on my couch telling me her story.  I felt what she felt, I looked through her eyes, I felt her pain, I felt her success, and I triumphed with her as she overcame many obstacles to carve out a place in life as her own.

Anyone who is a girlfriend, wife, mother, aunt, close confidant and friend, and business owner can relate to this story.  The author held many different hats in her lifetime and she did not try to sugarcoat her life as a fairy tale.  It was true to life and is relevant today.  We learn more about her background, her relationship woes, betrayal that she experienced from people close to her.  Without judgment the author wrote and without judgment, I continued to read. This book is a must-read!  It could easily be another Mary J. Blige song of heartfelt pain, and sheer redemption.  For example, Mary's song, "My Life" is Thelma's song.  After reading this book, I can truly see what she sees.  I wish the author much success with her writing debut and hope she will consider writing fiction, too. She has more stories inside of her to tell, and I will be the first to purchase her next book.

Reviewed by:  Sonya
Books and Beignets (BAB) Book Club
5 out of 5 Beignets (Stars)