Customer Reviews

7 Wishes

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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Shana Morrison's voice blooms and flowers on this cd. The range, rhythm, tone, inflections, and timing of the voice are simply amazing. There are songs such as "I Spy", "God Must Love Me", and "Mother" that are upbeat and spirit-freeing and make you want to dance across the room. The version of "I Spy" is markedly improved from the one that appears on an earlier Shana cd "Caledonia". There's also a sexy sultryness in her voice on "Cherry On Top" and "Smoke In Bed". Shana has a very strong voice but it's as smooth as silk on the slower-paced love songs such as the beautiful "7 Wishes" and "Saint Christopher", and the simply perfect "Hourglass" and "Would I Call". Her voice evokes all the sadness of the song "A Song For The Broken". You can even get a taste of an eastern Oriental sound in the song "Convection" where the voice truly becomes an instrument. The surprising version of "Naked In The Jungle" is a much slower paced one than the normal version of that song which is a welcomed change. "Day After Yes" is a marvellous song that I would love to hear live in concert stretched out to 10 or 12 minutes in length. And "Sometimes We Cry" is a classic. This is a musician who clearly has a deep understanding of what music and voice is all about and more impressively she has the voice to express that understanding perfectly. A big thumbs up on this album!!

Her Dad is known as "The Voice," but now her time has come
I put Seven Wishes on my changer, and the healing has begun
From the catchy hook in "I Spy" to the sitar inflected "Connection"
There's a juicy sandwich in between on Shana's new production

Take your pick, or may I suggest some of my faves
"A Song for the Broken", surely is one - nothing but raves
Next up is "St. Christopher", Shana breaks your heart
Her voice, strong and beautiful - time and space stand apart
"Sometimes we Cry", another gem, Shana makes this song her own
The help from Dad was lovely, but her voice is now full blown

"Would I Could" and "Day after Yes" should climb the pop charts
"Cherry on Top", a naster rocker invokes pop tarts
"God Must Love Me", a testifying spiritual rocker
On this one, Shana don't need no help in finding Heaven's knocker

The whole CD smokes in bed
Our wishes - more than seven granted
With "The Voice" and amazing range

Her future is securely planted

The thing that irks is the comparison
To Alanis, Macy and Jan
When none of the above come close
to the "The Voice" of Shana Morrison.

The first time I listened to this cd, I did not like it. I found the lyrics trite and it sounded to me like Natalie Imbruglia. However, the more I listened, the more I loved it. I still think the lyrics are full of cliches, but mostly, the songs are just too infectious to make me care. My favorite song is "The Day After Yes," an excellent 'girl power' song about a one night stand. Also, "Mother" is a bit syrupy, but in the end it is a sweet tribute to a parent. Give it a few listens and I swear you won't take it out of your player!!

As Van Morrison's music continues to reflect a serious lack of focus and effort, along comes his daughter Shana Morrison to give us back that strong, R&B/Blues-y voice that her father once thrilled us with over 30 years ago.

Shana's last record, "Everybody's Angel", gave us a glimpse of an artist struggling to come to terms with the enormous legacy and gift she's been given. The songs "Joey" and "Everybody's Angel" made this listener hope that Shana would bear down and find her own powerful voice, both in singing and songwriting.

Now, with "7 Wishes", Shana shows us what she's fully capable of: strong, pop-oriented radio-friendly songs like "Smoke In Bed" ... rhythmic, guitar-based numbers like the soulful, Macy Gray-ish "I Spy"... and tender, moving ballads such as "Would I Could", a song reminiscent of the best of Sarah McLaughlin or Jann Arden.

With songs as good as these, it's hard to see why Miss Morrison would bother to include 2 of her father's songs. One would have been plenty; her cover of Van's "Sometimes We Cry" is an unqualifed success, touching and tender, without being sappy in the least.

Credit Vanguard and her producers with surrounding Shana with excellent musicians here, especially the ineffable Sonny Landreth on some of the most lovely slide-guitar work this side of Ry Cooder. But the superior musicianship is merely a frame for the picture: Shana's voice -- shimmering, soulful, playful, and sexy -- is what brings me back to "7 Wishes" over and over.

Shana Morrison's 1st major label release continues on & builds upon the path explored on her 1st 2 indies; a mixture of gorgeous sultry ballads alongside uptempo rockers, all well-crafted, well-sung & well-played.
The ballads all bear repeated listenings, particularly because Morrison & band insist on staying w/in the confines of the songs, so that a line here, a slur or background vocal there or a seemingly throwaway organ or guitar riff sneaks up on you in a way that perhaps wasn't fully apparent on 1st listening & while you might on occasion wish that Shana & band would show off their talents just a little more & up the shake-your-moneymaker ante, ultimately it's the songs that win out & to great effect, particularly on Smoke In Bed, Mother, & the sitar-augmented Connection.
But it's on the up-tempo material that Ms. Morrison separates herself from the rest of the Sensitive Girl Singers pack, displaying at times Joplin-esque power, particularly on I Spy, Day After Yes & the smouldering Cherry On Top, because make-no-mistake about it, she, like her better known Dad, has a voice that Makes Things Happen & when she winds it out, she's capable of making All Hell Break Loose...
Or...All Heaven Break Loose in the case of God Must Love Me, the album's tour-de-force, & literally worth the price of admission by itself.
If all was right w/the world this would be a car-radio summer staple, be covered by a Gospel Group lookin for a hit, make the Christian Contemporary charts & take home a Grammy, none of which will probably happen or matter but Shana & band nail it everywhichway to Sunday & if this truly inspirational song doesn't get a wider exposure, more's the pity.
God Must Love Me is a beautiful celebration of the joys of being alive, brim-filled w/verites both simple, yet profound in their very simplicity, sheer conviction w/out a trace of self-consciousness, either in her lyrics or her sugar-honey voice & the band is right there along w/her, signifying & testifying w/not a couplet ringing false.
"Candles on my birthday cake/Loving just for loving's sake" is my favorite, tho yours could be "I wish that everybody knew/If God loves me he loves you too" but take your pick cuz it's all there, a feel-good song where God is very much in His Heaven, the melody percolating along jauntily until Ms. Morrison comes outta gospel leftfield & starts Testifying & Showwwtttttin....... Halleliueh, right behind a psych-church B3, & suddenly you're right there in the Higher Choir smiling along w/her until the drummer puts an all-too-early end to the procedings w/a definitive flourish.
Hell, there ain't a lotta popsongs that have God as the subject matter & do justice to Said Subject, guess you'd have to go back to Jesus Is Just Alright tho the Byrds & Doobies never quite got their tongues out of their cheeks but here Morrison is most innocently sincere, (ok, we'll have to go back to Wordsworth for that) & she actually pulls something of this magnitude off, combining Innocent Heart w/the songcraft of a vet, not a likely combination these days, but she does it here in spades, resulting in, if not Summer Song of the Year, certainly should be, or for that matter (& I'll frow up the next time somebody sez "post 9/11") but if this isn't just what we need to hear on the airwaves post 9/11 (so sue me), then I dunno what will do it.
We should probably mention that she covers two of Morrison pere's tunes, Naked In The Jungle & Sometimes We Cry, the latter the more successful of the pair featuring a beautiful falsetto by Shana & a nice turn by Van who shows up for a cup of coffee on the final chorus, adding some spirited harmonica & swapping vocal lines w/Daughter, making you wish they had done a hair more vocalizing together, but minor carping for such a mature & enjoyable piece of work...
Anyway, forgetting the merits of this CD (& they're plentiful)--grab this thing for God Must Love Me & if you don't melt...
You're Dead, Jack.

her voice, the songs, Van's cameo, it's all there. upbeat grooving tracks to melodious, beautiful ballads (Astral!). the debut of a true artist.

Shana is the daughter of the legendary Van Morrison, and bound to make as big a name for herself in the industry as her father did. She began her music career in 1993 and has come an incredible distance in less than ten years! This woman has a powerful voice, able to be forceful and aggressive, or soft as silk - and still she has a wonderfully wide range. Compelling would be an apt one word description for Shana. She's cutting her own way in this business, and shows a great deal of promise.

This is Shana's third disc, and her debut for the Vanguard Label. It is a potent blend of heady music, and momentous lyrics that leave a lasting impression, a powerful release for a debut. Shana describes her music "country and blues oriented pop" and it is a fitting description. Folk rock and soul would have a place in that, as well, I think.

I Spy is the opening track, and reminded me immediately of Alanis Morissette. The vocal style is quite similar, and the music was also striking parallel chords within (if you'll excuse the pun). Sadly, the entire song just came across as a "take off" on an Alanis tune. This doesn't mean it is not a great song, it just had an already-been- done-feel to it in my mind. The clincher was when my other half asked me when Alanis had put out a new disc.

The title track, 7 Wishes, is a rather soft and poignant piece. It is a look at human nature, and the wishes for making a life better... the first of which is for a real friend. Shana's delivery of this piece is filled with a quiet intensity that reaches deeper than the gentleness would lead one to believe.

Day After Yes is a funky track that showcases some of Shana's versatility where her vocals are concerned. From sultry and passionate, to aggressive and controlling, she runs the gamut. I'd say Shana could give any female vocalist out there today a great run for her money, and many of those who came before - including Janis Joplin. This is a lady with style and ability in spades!

Apparently, Van Morrison wrote two of the thirteen tracks on this disc, and he joins his daughter on Sometimes We Cry. So for all you Van Morrison fans, there's a bonus. Shana should be enjoyed for her own talents though, and not for whose daughter she is.

Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com

When Shana Morrison is good, she's VERY good. On this CD, she saves the best for last. "I Spy" shows Morrison's strong alto with prominent rhythm guitar on a track in search of a melody. Vocally, she sounds a bit like Iris DeMent on the midtempo "Smoke In Bed," "Take a walk out in the dark cause love's an addiction; find a needle in the park cause love's your prescription." The title tune is a slow electric crooner, "I wish I had a guru; I wish I had a rainbow, something I could follow." The piano is beautiful on "Song for the Broken," "A broken heart is better than a broken man." "Mother" is a spirited pop tune with driving electric guitar. The midtempo "Would I Could" evaporates after listening. "Day After Yes" is a slow rocker with a little rap, swamp guitar and a repetitive organ line. On "Naked in the Jungle" the organ and electric guitar are great as the band performance shows the basic inadequacy of the material. "St. Christopher" is a midtempo track with a pretty melody. "Cherry On Top" is a nasty rocker with a funky beat. Then we get to the best 3 tracks at the end. Daddy Van gives a cameo vocal appearance as Shana sings soulfully with a burning electric guitar on "Sometimes We Cry." Strong vocals on the organ-drenched "God Must Love Me" are wonderful, "As powerful as an ocean wave, I got back everything I gave." The CD concludes with the sitar-inflected meditation "Connection." Electric guitar drones on the spiritual piece, "Help me, I'm starting to unwind." And we do, too. This is a good sophomore effort with enough sparks to show that Shana will one day start a very hot musical fire!