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Editorial Reviews
Highly anticipated 2009 album from the two time Grammy Award winning artist. Balm In Gilead features all-new material by the highly regarded cult heroine. Includes guest appearances from Alison Krauss, Ben Harper, Victoria Williams, Bill Frisell, Jon Brion and Vic Chestnutt.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Eclectic. That has GOT to be Rickie Lee Jones' middle name! Throughout her 30 year career, she has been absolutely fearless, always unafraid to try something new. Heck, in the last decade alone, she's bounced from 2000's hit and miss covers album IT'S LIKE THIS to 2003's sdgier, angrier EVENING OF MY BEST DAY, then back to 2006's brilliant (and polarizing; people seemed to either love or hate it!) concept disc, THE SERMON ON EXPOSITION BLVD.
Now she's back with BALM IN GILEAD, her most structured, straight-ahead album in years. This is the disc fans of Jones' debut album, PIRATES and THE MAGAZINE have been waiting years for. Pretty much every song has a beginning, a middle and an end, while Jones' vocals are crisper, cleaner and more focused than they've been in ages. For me, the great thing about BALM IN GILEAD is that, while it's going to make old school fans VERY happy, it's still quirky enough to keep fans of the Geffen years (and beyond) smiling.
Kicking things off is the ebullient "Wild Girl", a song Jones wrote for her daughter on the eve of her 21st birthday (However, upon hearing the lyrics "Wild girl, you must have been a terror/When you were young", you can't help but wonder if there's also a tiny bit of an autobiographical vibe at play here!). Strong vocals, a relaxed arrangement and clever lyrics ("But it wasn't very nice/Eating all that sugar and spice/What they want a girl to be") add up to an instant classic. VERY nice!
"Old Enough" is a sweet duet with Ben Harper. Punctuated by popping horns, both lead vocals weave in and out, blending in a way that is so rare in duets nowadays. There's a give and take here that is just stunning! Toss in some killer keyboard fills (both piano and organ), and you have a track that is smooth, playful, melodic and sweet. Without a doubt, Jones' best duet since "Between A Laugh & A Tear", her masterful pairing with John Mellencamp on his SCARECROW album.
Up next is the country-tinged "Remember Me." If you didn't know better, you would swear this was a decades-old Nashville standard, vs. a Rickie Lee Jones original. Bolstered by Vic Chestutt on harmony vocals and Alison Krauss' (as always) stellar violin, a cut that could have been pure camp shines bright and true.
The same can be said about the jazzy "The Moon Is Made Of Gold." Written years ago by Jones' father, this could have turned into a piece of total kitch, but it actually works. The elder Jones had a nice, simple way with a lyric, while the arrangement has a cool big band groove to it (Amazingly, the instrumentation is totally stripped down, consisting of just rhythm and lead guitars and upright bass, yet it's full-bodied and lush). A very unassuming, yet captivating, number.
Some people might have a problem with "His Jeweled Floor", but I love it. With it's layered vocals and Old World hymn-like vibe, the song fills the room with a celestial calm. Minimal, yet meaty, this is the sort of out-of-left-field track that BALM needed right about now to add a little bit of an edge (Can't have people thinking Rickie Lee was mellowing out too much now, can we?!?).
"Eucalyptus Trail" is really the only song that doesn't work for me. Plodding and lacking of any energy whatsoever, the track is unfocused and underdeveloped. Worst of all is Jones' vocal...spiritless, droning and lacking any color at all, this is the album's only real misstep, but believe me, it's a doozy!
"The Blue Ghazel" is an instrumental that probably would have worked better on SERMON..., but it's actually a nice little addition here as well. Part jazz, part rock, part sound effects, the song is the kind of understated interlude that doesn't really take things to another level, but it does allow for a nice stretch. Once again, some will love it, some will hate it. I'm in the former camp!
Things revert back to "normal" with "The Gospel Of Carlos, Norman And Smith." A killer lead vocal from Jones, minimal (yet heartfelt) instrumentation, sterling harmony vocals (courtesy of Chris Joyner) and powerful lyrics ("When hope is the color of a man/The color of love is the color that can/Stand for something") all come together perfectly. Another winner.
"Bonfires" is one of the most achingly beautiful songs that Jones has ever penned. Supported only by her own guitar playing, her plaintive vocal washes over the heart-tugging, universal (everyone's been here!) lyrics ("You hurt me bad this time/You nearly tore me from my mind/Before I knew I had been hurt/She laid her hair across your shirt"). Honest, evocative, real....things don't get much better than this!
"Bayless St." could've easily been recorded on a street corner in a small provincial French village; it has that kind of intimate, warm vibe. All guitars and mandolins and accordian-esque organ, the track is down right charming, from start to finish. Anchored by a lead vocal that is both dreamy and a tad bit girlish, you have the perfect ending to an already super strong effort.
It's going to be interesting to see where Jones goes from here. BALM IN GILEAD is a definite nod to her past, but I can't see her staying there. In fact, by looking back on this project, I'm betting we'll see a very different Rickie Lee Jones on her next release. And there's something both exciting and comforting in that knowledge. You might even say soothing...you know, as in a sort of BALM! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).
Now she's back with BALM IN GILEAD, her most structured, straight-ahead album in years. This is the disc fans of Jones' debut album, PIRATES and THE MAGAZINE have been waiting years for. Pretty much every song has a beginning, a middle and an end, while Jones' vocals are crisper, cleaner and more focused than they've been in ages. For me, the great thing about BALM IN GILEAD is that, while it's going to make old school fans VERY happy, it's still quirky enough to keep fans of the Geffen years (and beyond) smiling.
Kicking things off is the ebullient "Wild Girl", a song Jones wrote for her daughter on the eve of her 21st birthday (However, upon hearing the lyrics "Wild girl, you must have been a terror/When you were young", you can't help but wonder if there's also a tiny bit of an autobiographical vibe at play here!). Strong vocals, a relaxed arrangement and clever lyrics ("But it wasn't very nice/Eating all that sugar and spice/What they want a girl to be") add up to an instant classic. VERY nice!
"Old Enough" is a sweet duet with Ben Harper. Punctuated by popping horns, both lead vocals weave in and out, blending in a way that is so rare in duets nowadays. There's a give and take here that is just stunning! Toss in some killer keyboard fills (both piano and organ), and you have a track that is smooth, playful, melodic and sweet. Without a doubt, Jones' best duet since "Between A Laugh & A Tear", her masterful pairing with John Mellencamp on his SCARECROW album.
Up next is the country-tinged "Remember Me." If you didn't know better, you would swear this was a decades-old Nashville standard, vs. a Rickie Lee Jones original. Bolstered by Vic Chestutt on harmony vocals and Alison Krauss' (as always) stellar violin, a cut that could have been pure camp shines bright and true.
The same can be said about the jazzy "The Moon Is Made Of Gold." Written years ago by Jones' father, this could have turned into a piece of total kitch, but it actually works. The elder Jones had a nice, simple way with a lyric, while the arrangement has a cool big band groove to it (Amazingly, the instrumentation is totally stripped down, consisting of just rhythm and lead guitars and upright bass, yet it's full-bodied and lush). A very unassuming, yet captivating, number.
Some people might have a problem with "His Jeweled Floor", but I love it. With it's layered vocals and Old World hymn-like vibe, the song fills the room with a celestial calm. Minimal, yet meaty, this is the sort of out-of-left-field track that BALM needed right about now to add a little bit of an edge (Can't have people thinking Rickie Lee was mellowing out too much now, can we?!?).
"Eucalyptus Trail" is really the only song that doesn't work for me. Plodding and lacking of any energy whatsoever, the track is unfocused and underdeveloped. Worst of all is Jones' vocal...spiritless, droning and lacking any color at all, this is the album's only real misstep, but believe me, it's a doozy!
"The Blue Ghazel" is an instrumental that probably would have worked better on SERMON..., but it's actually a nice little addition here as well. Part jazz, part rock, part sound effects, the song is the kind of understated interlude that doesn't really take things to another level, but it does allow for a nice stretch. Once again, some will love it, some will hate it. I'm in the former camp!
Things revert back to "normal" with "The Gospel Of Carlos, Norman And Smith." A killer lead vocal from Jones, minimal (yet heartfelt) instrumentation, sterling harmony vocals (courtesy of Chris Joyner) and powerful lyrics ("When hope is the color of a man/The color of love is the color that can/Stand for something") all come together perfectly. Another winner.
"Bonfires" is one of the most achingly beautiful songs that Jones has ever penned. Supported only by her own guitar playing, her plaintive vocal washes over the heart-tugging, universal (everyone's been here!) lyrics ("You hurt me bad this time/You nearly tore me from my mind/Before I knew I had been hurt/She laid her hair across your shirt"). Honest, evocative, real....things don't get much better than this!
"Bayless St." could've easily been recorded on a street corner in a small provincial French village; it has that kind of intimate, warm vibe. All guitars and mandolins and accordian-esque organ, the track is down right charming, from start to finish. Anchored by a lead vocal that is both dreamy and a tad bit girlish, you have the perfect ending to an already super strong effort.
It's going to be interesting to see where Jones goes from here. BALM IN GILEAD is a definite nod to her past, but I can't see her staying there. In fact, by looking back on this project, I'm betting we'll see a very different Rickie Lee Jones on her next release. And there's something both exciting and comforting in that knowledge. You might even say soothing...you know, as in a sort of BALM! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By SJW
Format:Audio CD
Rickie Lee Jones once again serves notice as to why she deserves to be considered one of the most prolific and visionary songwriters of our time - every one of these tunes are meticulously crafted as songwriting once was and the musicianship is impeccable....Contrary to many aging songwriters who have written their best long ago, Rickie Lee Jones just keeps getting better and better - this record will be debated as perhaps being her very best ever!
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Another beautiful album from Rickie Lee Jones, as expected. She is a consummate poet and musician. Simplicity is beautiful, and she is deceptively simple, but so powerful. Some how she always manages to get my sentimental emotions stirred up, especially when she does the song her father wrote. And with "The Blue Ghazel" not only does she do it with only the music, but she had me go to the dictionary to find out what a ghazel was, and I learned something in the bargain. Of course, I'll buy anything from her because its always new, and she's been one of my favorite artists/poets for close to thirty years now. Buy this album!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Diappointing & Boring
After the pleasenat surprise from her last album, I was hoping she could continue her winning streak - but she doesn't. Read more
Published 16 days ago by MJH
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Rickie!
Amazing CD! I have loved Rickie Lee Jones since Chuck E's in Love. Her lyrics are woven with delightful tunes...She never lets me down
Published 3 months ago by Jan Watson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another beautiful album from RLJ
Like much of her work, Balm in Gilead's seeming simplicity unfolds it's subtle complexity with each listen. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Uncle Paul
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD lousy service
RLJ always great. This came in a cracked case with a deep gash cut into the side like a reject or super discount CD. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Sirius Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Balm in Gilead
After all of the years since "Chuck E's in Love" Rickie still sounds absolutely wonderful.
I truly love this album.
I truly love this album.
Published on April 15, 2010 by Dennis W. Rushton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another RLJ Standout Album
Rickie Lee Jones has such a poetic feel to her music, vocals, and lyrics. She has a definite character in her music and yet enough variety and depth to make every cut interesting... Read more
Published on January 30, 2010 by William Jorth
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent set
The albums by Rickie Lee Jones from the last decade suffer for a lack of direction, and most of all for a lack of many good songs; even her two previous albums are miles away from... Read more
Published on December 25, 2009 by Alessandro Filippini
5.0 out of 5 stars
a masterpiece
oh, well, finally we can meet again one of the greatest singer-songwriter of our time. this recording reminds me to the first one and the great Pirates. Read more
Published on November 29, 2009 by massimo pulleghini
4.0 out of 5 stars
balm in gilead
nice one . amazing voice. heard her talking on wnyc, also amazing voice when she talks, but what difference.....
Published on November 24, 2009 by Alexander Mertins
4.0 out of 5 stars
Balm in Gilead
The one thing I love about Rickie Lee Jones is her consistency for being inconsistent. For many artists, that is such a bad thing, because they can't maintain any talent. Read more
Published on November 20, 2009 by R. M. Ettinger
