Customer Reviews

Blow

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to agree with the other reviewer that Heather doesn't show her full potential on her studio albums. You can experience Heather Nova's music best with her live albums. Some of the studio instruments are replaced with instruments that give the songs a harder edge. Heather's phenomenal voice reaches to impossible heights; listen to Light Years, the tension builds up at the end of the song and then Heather screams the lungs out of her body. The live versions of Sugar on the other live albums are better. Maybe An Angel is fierce and strong. Blessed is a song that you can only hear on this album, it's acoustic with good lyrics. The next four songs; Mother Tongue, Talking To Strangers, Shaking The Doll and Frontier are all from her first release "Glow Stars". They added more rock to these versions, defenitly an good choice. The last song, Doubled Up is a very sensitive song witch you can find on the "Oyster" album. This is a very good buy, even if you have the other live albums from Heather Nova!

This amazing live album kicks off with a bang on "Light Years", one of the most dramatic tracks from Nova's Oyster album. The live arrangement of this song has always been stronger than the studio version, replacing electric guitars with cello, studio sheen with raw emotion. Heather Nova live is a riveting, intense presence, pouring her soul into her vocals, a delivery that's perfect for her unusually frank songs.

"Sugar" acquires a free-roaming form here that's a little distracting, but it's just about the only weak moment on the whole album. "Maybe an Angel" loses some of its tentativeness (again, as on Oyster) and lets loose with a breeze of sensual vocals; "Blessed" has Nova cutting into a delicious mix of deadpan lyrics and sincere singing; and the rock arrangements of "Mother Tongue" and "Shaking the Doll" add some much-needed grit to the proceedings. Many of Nova's songs have received the power-ballad arrangement over the years, so it's good to hear two of her quieter songs (from the nearly unplugged Glow Stars, which had nary a drum in sight) receive an edgy treatment by Nova and band.

Blow is a great sampling of Nova's first two albums, and makes for a good introduction to her music if you're new to the fold.

First live album of Heather Nova. Contains songs of „Glow Stars" and of „Oyster". This outrageous musician succeeds time and again in spellbinding her audience and in carrying people to other worlds. If I am asked, where the Bermudas are, I would say, it's where Heather Nova comes from. She seems to be not from this world, but she certainly is an immense gift for this world. My favorite songs are „Light Years", „Sugar", „Maybe An Angel", „Blessed" and „Doubled Up".

Heather Nova is an extraordinary musician, and while I love her studio albums, Oyster and Siren often make me think she's not showing her full potential. Well, with this live album, we finally know just how special Heather is. Light Years, a so-so song from Oyster, is fantastic here. I love the climax--when she becomes a screaming banshee at the end, I get goosebumps. Sugar, one of her best songs, is even better live. My only complaint is that it's only nine songs. But I hear she has a new live album coming soon, so I have something to look forward to.

This is a Live album and just about everything on this CD is on others , but they are refreshingly different and you may like some of these versions better. But I would recommend Live From the Milky Way as a better live album.

"Blow" treats Heather Nova's serious fans, especially those who haven't yet had the privilege of seeing her perform, to live versions of nine original songs recorded several years ago. Four of them ("Light Years," "Sugar," "Maybe an Angel," and "Doubled Up") appear on "Oyster," but the raw, slightly slower live versions showcase Heather's supreme vocal agility. She really hits and holds those high notes! And "Doubled Up" sounds even better live than on "Oyster." (It's so moving, I can't listen to it without crying, and it has me longing for a "HN Unplugged" tv special/CD/video.)

Of the five "new" songs, the smoother and softer "Blessed," "Talking to Strangers," and "Frontier," would have fit in well, both musically and thematically, on "Oyster." But the angrier, more electrified "Mother Tongue" and "Shaking the ! Doll," though passionate and powerful, were better excluded from both "Oyster" and "Siren." They nevertheless provide interesting insights into Heather's evolution.

Two bonus features: (1) There's a great picture of Heather inside the CD jacket. (2) You can really hear the cello on these cuts and hence better appreciate Heather's wisdom in having a cellist as an integral member of her band.

Heather Nova is one of the most intensely amazing "finds" that I've discovered in years. This live album is just superb and I agree with what the other reviewers here have said, in tossing so many heartfelt accolades toward this singer/songwriter!

All of her music is both impressive and incredible, but many of the cuts on this live album are exemplary of some of her very best work. "Light Years", now who would have thought that ANY singer could metaphorically use her voice to make the listener FEEL what "light years" means....

So if you think you know what musical talent is really all about, and what musical creativity is all about, think again! Because Heather is out there on the fringes where some of the finest, most beautiful music, resides....

Heather Nova is my favorite singer/songwriter. I feel like she is actually able to sing about human emotions at a truth to heart level, that helps the hopeless insensitive people get a basic understanding of what life is like for the neurotic. BTW God Bless America! ~Felicity

I have never been so touched by a song as that moment when I was lying in my bed and heather was screaming on the verge of breaking down 'maybe an angel in my ear. You should buy this record only for that song.

the best song of the album is ( and no one can denie it ) maybe an angel , the live performance of this song is absolutely amazing , it's just heavenly .Buy this record , just for that song !