Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Twist In My Sobriety., March 21, 2000
Before the onslaught of young women singers in the mid-90's there was Tanita Tikaram in 1988. This beautiful debut showcases all of her strengths. Eleven tracks and each one is well done. I would say that this is probably her best cd, most consistent and cohesive. Her other five cds are all very good, but I think Ancient Heart is her best. She was 19 when she recorded this cd and it still holds up strong today. Tikaram isn't an angst singer, so her music is more mature and less preachy than say, Fiona Apple (though I like Fiona too). This is a must have for any rock collector.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ancient Heart is an album to fall in love with or to., June 25, 1998
By A Customer
Although I heard, over the space of six or so weeks when I was in high school, the song "Twist in My Sobriety" played on a local rock and roll station, it was merely included in the rotation as equality fodder, sandwiched between Melissa Etheridge and the latest sappy love song by Heart. Years have passed and I find Tanita Tikaram albums dumped in clearance bins and I wonder why.Every once in a while a musician simply happens: "Ancient Heart," Tanita Tikaram's debut Lp, on Reprise Records, redefined my expectations of popular culture. Here was a largely folk album with massive pop appeal that nobody listened to. I actually entertained myself with the notion that the music was too good for other people to get: on the internet, fans have often refused to pick a favorite album or a favorite song. Indeed, on "Ancient Heart" there is no single track which stands out as "better" than any other, though the surprise is that no song stands out as a weak link. The eleven tracks that make up this album are polished, deliberate, individual entities which complement each other in the most subtle ways. Tikaram's vague lyrics prevent the kind of sappy nostalgia that dates music: there is no "Teen Angel" or "Don't Dream It's Over" to stamp this as a Decade of Shallow release. It has been a decade since I first heard this album. (Wow!) There is not a song on it that is old or tired. There is not a track that I skip through. There is not a reason in the world to not put this album on "repeat" and play it all day. Best song? Pick one.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A stand out debut album of the 80's, March 7, 2004
" I've discovered yoga " declared Tikaram in an interview back in 1998 in her effort to explain the uplifting character of her then just-released new record " The Cappuccino Songs " . That was probably the last thing we've heard from her .
Almost ten years earlier the strikingly beautiful singer with the exotic name managed to gain everyone's attention with " Ancient Heart " , a debut full of elegant pop which , among else , included an instant classic , the haunting " Twist In My Sobriety " . That song remains until today the highlight of her career , not that the album's good moments end here . The dark " Preyed Upon " , " Valentine Song " , the jazzy " He Likes The Sun ' and especially " I Love You " ( " ... the reasons why are not to be said " ) are other great tracks for the listener to cherish . The album sold an amazing 4 million copies not because of some aggressive advertise campaign but only thanks to Tikaram's virtues as an artist . She is blessed with a deep , distinctive voice and her songwritting revealed wisdom and sensitivities beyond her years .
Despite all that though it's difficult to say whether Tikaram is as criminally underappreciated as some claim . Unlike Suzanne Vega or Tracy Chapman who also appeared during the late 80's yet continued to release compelling work after their debuts , Tanita followed her starling first album with less sharp and interesting recordings . Scared gospel efforts ( " Deliver Me " ) and moody daydreaming ( " You Make The Whole World Cry " ) suggested she hadn't deceided towards which direction she wanted to go to . Still , her fifth offering "Lovers In The City " was a killer and even on her sixth one , the uneven " Cappuccino Songs " there where moments where she offered stunning love ballads ( " Amore Si " , " Stop Listening " ) which deserved to get her to the top 5 once again . Who knows ? Maybe for her next album she has an ever bigger suprise for all of us ...
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