It's Like This
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 September, 2000)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $18.98
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Editorial Review

With It's Like This, quirky post-bohemian Rickie LeeJones turns in her first release since 1997's trip-hop-influencedGhostyhead. As she did on her 1991 album of covers, Pop Pop, Jonesoffers an unusual mix of songs from all sorts of sources. When has Charlie Chaplin's"Smile" appeared on the same album as Steely Dan's "ShowBiz Kids"? Her unconventional choice of material is complemented by herequally fresh selection of musicians: Joe Jackson, Ben Folds, and Taj Mahal are allpresent, adding their styles to Jones's jazzy remakes. Rather thanmerely being a parade of talent and clever song choices, though, theresult is a lovely, unassuming, and soothing album by a singer ofdistinction. Outstanding tracks include "Smile," the Beatles' somber"For No One," and Traffic'ssubversive "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." --Heidi Sherman ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Unusual and beautiful- she rocks!
Been a long time fan of Rickie's and am always thrilled at how she interprets songs and makes them her own.She does that here, with gorgeous renditions of songs from others, and her ability to infuse quirky, unusual and creative nuances through her voice.You pretty much fall in love with her through her songs.My favorites on this are For No One, Cycles, Can't Get Started, Lazy River.... alright, they're all great!This is a treasure!

she can write, but man can she sing!
Rickie Lee Jones is without doubt a talented musicain and no other album of her's showcases her brilliant voice more than It's Like This.Rickie is a wonderufl song writer, however her greatest talents have always lied in her stunningly, haunting vocals.This is the easiest RLJ album to love, and one of the most challenging albums she's made.Each song holds its own on the album without sticking out over the others.If you love beautiful classics completely altered by an unbelievealby talented singer you'll love this album without a doubt.

Like I said, I love her own songs, but what she does for the songs of other writers is what makes this my favorite.Easily one of my top 10.

the amazing voice of Rickie Lee Jones
Everything she makes is amazing.The most imitated voice in pop music today, absolutely.so why isn't she more famous?

this is a weird mixture, as usual.alittle jazz - old fashioned, and alittle acid rock - old fashioned.done with upright bass, joe jackson and strings.she is always doing an unexpected thing.I would like to hear original songs.But this was nominated for a grammy, and they have ignored her word for a decade.Perhaps that in itself makes this record worth reviewing. ... Read more

Asin: B00004X0E8
Subjects:  1. Folk-Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Singer/Songwriter   

Beatin' the Heat
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 August, 2000)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

In his song about alien abduction, "Hell, I'd Go," Dan Hicks proclaims, "I'm travelin' light; my attitude's right." Attitude combined with swing is what has made Hicks the sui generis artist he is. Attitude and swing are in abundance on Beatin' the Heat, and both attributes are shared by special guests: Brian Setzer, Rickie Lee Jones, Bette Midler, Tom Waits, and Elvis Costello. Those seeking a working definition of cool should listen to the Hicks-Waits duet on the laid-back shuffle "I'll Tell You Why That Is." Only the essential genius of violinist Sid Page returns from the original Hot Licks, but the band's unique vocal and instrumental sound is still amply present, tastefully updated by producers Gary Hoey and Dave Kaplan--what could be more appropriate than a remake of "I Scare Myself" over a trance groove? Intentionally or not, Hicks has steered clear of the swing revival movement, opting to continue making his own brilliant brand of eclectic, jazz-inflected pop music. --Michael Ross ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Danny Boy, we're glad we know ye.
A friend of mine used to break out his Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks LPs during our partying days in the 70s & 80s...I had never heard of the group, but always enjoyed the music, the lyrics, and the fun...at least I think I did.Then I heard a review of "Beatin' The Heat" on the radio (NPR?).Whoa...gotta get it.And I've been playing it over & over ever since.Gave a copy to another friend as a Christmas gift after he took two months to return my copy when I let him borrow it.If you like good tunes, lyrics that are at times intelligent, corny, and downright funny, and some fine musicianship...don't let this one slip through your fingers...GET IT NOW!

Blow my socks off!
Plain and simple this is a wonderful, rockin' record.I haven't ran across a record like this in a long time, one that will have you dancin' in the isles and singing "I'm as mello as a cello" or "the piano has been drinking" all day long.I am on my third copy because all my friends love this record and I just can help but give it to them.Perfect record for holidays and vacations when you have groups of friends/relatives getting together.The bounce in this record transcends musical styles and tastes:my stoggie old man loves it (he likes Mel Torme & Perry Como), my cowboy friend loves it, my punk rock girlfriend can't get enough.It is just plain fun.I highly, highly recommend this record.I can almost guarantee you will love it.

Good to have Dan back
I remember hearing Dan Hicks at Winterland in the mid 70's.We were going to see the Dead or someone like that and Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks opened.It was great to watch the crowd, I was already a fan but people who had never heard him started off a little miffed by the acoustic swing sound but rapidly got sucked into his magic.

This CD has a mix of old favorites and new songs with some great popular stars.Dan Hicks and Bette Midler.Amazing.He has many textures of songs including swing, blues, rock and he ties it all together so there is continuity.

It is hard to talk about music, a critic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. It might say more to say I like jazz, new acoustic music, bluegrass and vocals like Ella Fitzgerald and I like this CD very much.I am listening to it as I write. ... Read more

Asin: B00004WJ8B
Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Singer/Songwriter   

Live at Red Rocks
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 December, 2001)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $19.98
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Editorial Review

Time was when Rickie Lee Jones and Tom Waits were fellow travelers with a shared neo-boho, singer-songwriter style, the self-conscious musical equivalent of characters from an Edward Hopper tableau. But unlike Waits, who got in touch with his inner Beefheart and embraced a more avant-garde approach, Jones has largely stayed the cocktail crooner course, refining her melodic sensibility and continuing to inject generous doses of folk, jazz, R&B, and world music influences into her itinerant hipster shtick. (Strains of reggae, zydeco, and Dixieland, along with a vocal assist from Lyle Lovett, find their way into this album's version of "Love Is Gonna Bring Us Back Alive.") Compared to Naked Songs, her 1994 plunge into the realm of the unplugged, this live outing is more representative of the full range of Jones's strengths, with gloriously polished yet vital renditions of favorites such as "Rodeo Girl," "Satellites," "Coolsville," and the obligatory "Chuck E.'s in Love." Along the way, Jones serves up memorable covers of "Gloria" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," dispenses onstage parental advice, and, inspired by exceptional vocal and instrumental arrangements throughout, generally sings up a storm. Like Joni Mitchell before her and Sophie B. Hawkins after, Jones may no longer be the commercial flavor of the month, but this live recording serves as an engaging testament to her steadfast artistry. --Bill Forman ... Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (10)

Great performance, poor recording
This must have been a great show. The band is tight. It's wonderful to hear Rickie in a live ensemble setting. Her voice is strong and lovely. This would be a favorite CD of mine if not for the quality of the recording itself.

I enjoy "raw" live recordings like those from bands like moe. But this CD could have used a scrubbing in post-production. It sounds like a bootleg. And that would be okay, too, but for the too frequent dropouts in the left or right channel (really noticeable with headphones), and the subtle but all too present hum of the amplifiers in the background.

My advice is to check out this recording for yourself before buying it. You may love it. But it left me feeling a bit annoyed and disappointed.

Amazing!
If you like the RLJ's acoustic Naked Songs, but would like to heara 'plugged' in live recording of her songs, your ship has come in! It's amazing from start to finish. This is one of the best live rocks albums I have ever heard. Enjoy!

Not like the live stuff from her Web site
If you like Rickie Lee, make sure you visit her web site where
she sells MP3 live recordings, direct to you.There you will
find the opposite of this one:quieter, looser, quirkier.The
offerings there (www.rickieleejones.com) are also often complete
shows.This one *is* as the other reviews suggest: (high-)
powered, poppy, punchy.The thing is, I don't know Rickie Lee
and neither do you (and neither do these other reviewers).So
who can comment on her wishes, and who knows but what she wants
all of these sides of her performance persona exposed.In this
performance, she took pains to put together a *very* slick band,
complete with muted trumpet ornaments, multi-part harmonies,
etc.And it rocks.And if you feel like complaining about the
slick production, save your breath and your time, go to her
website, and download the quiet sensitive stuff until your
fingers go numb. That stuff is great, too! ... Read more

Asin: B00005RIKB
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Singer/Songwriter   

The Evening of My Best Day
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 October, 2003)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Reviews (39)

A Hidden Jewel of Everlasting Streetlight and Sadness
Depth, musical dimension, eyes glistening, often wet with tears and misty demurements, poetry, cool..... and unfortunately almost totally ignored..yes blame the music biz..the vocals are kinda hidden in a sonic mesmerization/jazz like drift, where the cloaked moon is wedded to the waters on the Puget Sound and the ferry boat dreamers drink absinthe...

The song that sounds really wimpy is "Bitchnostrophy" , like an outtake from the 60"s movie, "A Man and a Woman"...However,lyrically this cd is brilliant, and quiet out there..it's arresting and politically in your face..the Patriot Act, the first election of Bush, the folly of our times...irony, pathos, there is nothing funny here... My favorites are Sailor Song and Tree on Allenford... I saw Rickie in concert a year ago when she sang most of these songs...like Dylan, when the light hit her she looked 30, the next time 95....Don't pass this one up...

keeps getting better
I love this CD more every time I listen to it. This is on par with her best work. I saw her perform in Chicago this past year. She played many of the songs from this and it was an excellent show.

Album of the Year
Rickie Lee Jones is one of the great artists of our time.Up there with Laurie Anderson and Kate Bush for sure.This is simply her best album ever, it even surpasses The Magazine which was my favorite album of hers up until its release.She's never been more melodic, more emotional, and more in tune with the infinite repeatedness, the cycle massiveness.Ugly Man references the president but its message is delivered with a sublimity that transcends the crimes committed.Second Chances chorus advances with the progressions of life which are at their best when they are known.May this album bring you peace, harmony, and understanding. ... Read more

Asin: B0000C8AU2
Sales Rank: 6230
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Jazz-Pop    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Singer/Songwriter