Customer Reviews

From Croydon to Cuba: An Anthology

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I suppose an anthology is difficult to compile, however, it seems a no brainer that unreleased or not available on cd music should be included. There are wonderfully rare gems on this 3 cd set, but there are enough still out there to make a fourth cd, maybe more. Kirsty Maccoll was undoubtedly one of the most diverse and underappreciated artists ever. Her lyrics run the gamut from politically charged to down right silly. In between there are amazing moments of poignancy, sensitivity, deep reverence, and humilty. These works are balanced by others full of exceedingly clever, witty, sexy, tongue-in-cheek fun.

There have been artists who have reinvented themselves and/or continued to record through various periods. Some have even ventured bravely into uncharted territory by releasing albums of a style they are not typically known for. However, none have expressed the true command of music as a whole like Kirsty Maccoll. This amazing woman from a London Suburb has successfully explored American Country, '60s Pop, Folk, Irish Traditional, Rockabilly, Electronic, Middle Eastern Rhythms, MOTR Pop, Adult Contemporary, Punk, Latin Rhythms from across the Americas, Zydeco, and at the time of her death was venturing into Broadway/West End Showtunes. Not only did she create textbook examples of these styles, she more often fused them effortlessly into her own sound. Sadly she was followed by a series of circumstances that made commercial success fleeting and sporadaic. For this reason, I think it unlikely that songs not released on this anthology will ever make it to commercial release.

Kirsty fans are sometimes divided over which Kirsty they prefer; Early, experimental pop Kirsty; Middle, melancholy, thought provoking Kirsty; Later, funky, fun, back-on-top Kirsty tend to be the categories. However, all agree that her diversity is a trademark and validation of her talent. For that reason, I think it a shame that so many gems were left out of this collection when so much currently available work has been included.

Regardless of the lack of rarities, there is, without a doubt, something for everyone on this compliation. Thankfully, pieces from the shelved '80s electonic pop album "The Real MacColl" have been included. It was also a pleasure to hear a selection from the last of her recordings; the work from her showtune collaboration. The inclusion of the elusive "You Caught Me Out" brought a huge sigh of releif to many longing for more classic Kirsty. It's hard to review the songs on this album by one standard, as there is such a variety of styles and themes, other than to praise them each for expressing some facet of Kirsty's vast talents.

It is no wonder that she has worked with and inspired artists as diverse as Evan Dando and U2, or David Gray and Matchbox, or the fists-ready Pogues and the sugar-sweet Tracey Ullman. Some of these collaborations are included on this anthology as are other less commercially flashy but none-the-less brilliant works with the moving talents of Mark Nevin, Billy Bragg, Gavin Povey, and Pete Glenister.

Certainly, the variety of styles suggests that, just as there is something for everyone, there are also some songs that will initially disappoint those who are looking for their favourite Kirsty production style. However, further listening often brings appreciation to music that at first seems unpleasant. Fortunately, it doesn't take too many passes at her songs to find some element of her talent that grabs you brusquely by the shoulders and whispers in your ear, "Hey, pal, I'm glad your here, I wrote this for you. Now, check this out!"

What was not to like about Kirsty MacColl? The late British singer-songwriter -- perhaps best known Stateside as the lass who sings on the 1987 holiday classic "Fairytale of New York" by Irish rockers the Pogues -- was a fine interpreter of diverse, well-chosen cover material; and she showed impressive emotional and musical range her own clever, catchy compositions. Her sweet, pliable voice made her toughest sentiments more palatable without diminishing their power; and she often used vocal-layering techniques to create Beach Boys-like harmonies from just her own singing. In 2005, perhaps with the 5th anniversary of MacColl's untimely death (in a boating accident in December of 2000) in mind, the label EMI/Virgin paid its respects to this great, if under-appreciated, artist with the lavish 3-disc, 65-track anthology From Croydon To Cuba.

Disc #1 takes us from the retro girl-group, pub-rock, and rockabilly styles of Kirsty's early recordings (including her 1979 debut single, "They Don't Know," and such tracks as "Hard to Believe" and "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" from her 1981 debut album, Desperate Character), to her brief adoption of a more contemporary synth-pop sound (on tracks like "Berlin" and "Roman Gardens" from her shelved 1983 sophomore effort, Real), to the biting Brit-pop of her 1989 comeback album Kite. Disc #2 includes more singles and choice cuts from Kite, as well as material from her warmer and more musically diverse 1991 album, Electric Landlady; MacColl's writing matured profoundly during this time, in her meditations on relationships ("Dancing in Limbo," "We'll Never Pass This Way Again," etc.) and in her more socially-aware songs (like the punkish "Free World" and the dance-oriented "Walking Down Madison"). Disc #3 largely covers her last two studio albums, 1993's Titanic Days and 2000's Tropical Brainstorm: TD followed the breakup of Kirsty's longtime marriage to producer Steve Lillywhite, hence the dark tone of such tunes as the poignant "Tomorrow Never Comes" and the menacing "Can't Stop Killing You"; the more upbeat tunes from the Latin-flavored TB, such as the fun singles "Mambo de la Luna" and "In These Shoes?", were inspired by her sincere, growing interest in the culture and music of Cuba and Brazil.

Scattered throughout the 3 discs are plenty of rare and previously unreleased goodies. Several of MacColl's early-'80s recordings make their first appearance on CD here, such as her gorgeous Beach Boys cover "You Still Believe In Me." The 6 Kite-era B-sides -- especially "Closer to God," an attack on the religious hypocrisy of a faithless lover; the stark "Still Life," another song deftly combining political and personal matters; and the countryish "Don't Run Away From Me Now," which stresses the importance of family loyalty in times of crisis -- are as strong as the tracks that actually made it onto that gem of an album. And although Kirsty didn't release much new material during the latter half of the '90s, a few swell rarities from this period, such as a pretty cover of Randy Newman's "Sail Away," have been included. Among the half-dozen exquisite demos and outtakes here, particularly interesting are the final two -- the showtune-y "Manhattan Moon" (written by former Pogues member Philip Chevron) and the self-penned soft-rock ballad "Sun on the Water" -- which hint at new directions MacColl's music was taking at the time of her demise.

The track-by-track liner notes often mention the commercial failures and record label woes that beset Kirsty throughout her career; but on the whole, From Croydon To Cuba makes a strong argument for why she deserved so much more success than she actually got. This collection serves as a fitting tribute to the intelligent, resilient, outspoken, funny, charming, honest, kind, passionate, and utterly unique lady MacColl was, and as an extensive showcase of her talents.

P.S.: FCTC (like EMI/Virgin's expanded 2005 reissues of Kite and Electric Landlady, and ZTT's 2-disc deluxe 2005 reissue of Titanic Days) is available in North America only as an import -- which is a shame, since I think the material on these discs should be required listening for every female artist in mainstream country, rock, and pop.

It sure took long enough for it to happen, but it was worth the wait! "From Croydon to Cuba" is a excellent collection, it features all her singles, a few b-sides, her best album tracks, and a lot of previously unreleased material. Now it would be very easy to complain about whats not on here, but that's just nitpicking, besides it would be nearly impossible to put every great song she ever wrote and/or recorded into one concise package! Thankfully Kirsty and her music is finally getting the respect it deserves, with re-issues of "Kite", "Electric Landlady", and "Titanic Days"(my personel favorite), these also feature the B-sides from each era, remixes, and more unreleased material (now if they would just release "Desperate Character" and her unreleased second album "Real" in it's entirety). This anthology eclipses the others("Galore", "The One and Only") and is a must for not only Kirsty fans, but anyone who likes eclectic artists and music.

This is a fine compendium of Kirsty's varied and far-reaching albeit tragically short body of work. In chameleonlike fashion she eases from one style to the next, surrounding herself with smart studio help while always maintaining a dinstinctly British style. The only comparison I can make is Dusty Springfield, but she lacked Kirsty's way with lyrics.
Her humor, grace and lovely voice are deeply missed; the only thing I wish this package would include is the yet to be released DVD collection of Maccoll's low/budget high-ceativity videos...

I am not one who is given to hyperbole, but this is truly the best multi-disc career retrospective that I have encountered. The late, great Kirsty MacColl is truly the most underrated singer/songwriter ever. And Virgin has done right by her in a generous, comprehensive collection full of previously unheard or long out of print tracks. I am particularly pleased in the generous helping of songs from my favorite album of Kirsty's, 1989's "Kite," but each period of her well-documented career is represented well here. But in many cases the previously unreleased tracks are as good as the well-known (to her fans, anyway) tracks - what a treat to have "Still Life," "London Bridge is Falling Down," "Manhattan Moon" and the wonderful cover of Grace Jones' "Libertango (I've Seen That Face Before)". Marvelous. Buy this now and begin to be cast under the spell of Kirsty's wit, multi-layered vocals and breathtaking songcraft.

Great talent...then and now. Never understood whe "He's on the Beach" wasn't a smash hit...one of my alltime favorites...perhaps just ahead of her time. This compilation will satisfy anyone who enjoys fresh music, as it is pretty certain you haven't heard most of this on the radio (if you have, please let me know where you live)...Buy it and enjoy.

I first heard Kirsty Maccoll in 1985 singing The Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and was mesmerised by her magnificent voice. Unfortunately, her passing came way to soon but at least we have this boxset to document Ms. Maccoll's talents as a singer and songwriter.

This is quite an eclectic retrospective but almost every song is a gem. One wonders what she would have continued to pursue after Tropical Brainstorm and the last 2 songs on disc three (Manhattan Moon & Sun On The Water- Head is not on this set) give an inkling of what would have been down the road.

I haven't stopped listening to this set since I came back from London weeks ago. It's worth the purchase for the long-time fan as well as those who have yet to hear of her. Trust me, you'll fall in love.

I was very thrilled that this compilation was released, and that it had some rarities and unreleased songs. One song I really think belongs on here is the first track from Kirsty's first album, "Desperate Character," the song "Clock Goes Round." I think it was one of her first masterpieces and as far as I can tell, isn't available on any compilation CD. I think it would have made the box set perfect. Better yet, put the whole "Desperate Character" LP out on CD.

The music is fun and original. Definitely recommend. Fresh, funny, moving and a Latin beat to boot.

Pop Kulcher Review: It's generally not a great idea to buy an overpriced box set for one song, but there are a handful of songs over the years that are pretty damn hard to put a price tag on... and one of them is most definitely Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know," a slice of perfect pre-New Wave pop from 1979 that holds up today as one of the catchiest songs ever. Though probably better known through the Tracey Ullman cover (and it's been covered a million times since), Kirsty's original remains definitive; you can hate yourself all you want for liking such a simple Motown-ish rip-off, and damn if the chorus isn't inane as all get-out ("But they don't know about us, and they've never heard of love"), but anyone who doesn't hit the replay button and sing along every time this comes on is clinically dead.

Alas, in her tragically brief life (cut short by a fatal speedboat accident in 2000), Kirsty never again wrote a song quite so perfect, but she did leave behind a sufficiently intriguing body of work to make her 2005 posthumous anthology, From Croydon To Cuba, a worthwhile investment. Stylistically, MacColl was all over the map. Her early work, which I prefer, was a mix between retro Motown/50s stylings and faux country (best exemplified by the mock honky tonk of "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis," her second best song and one of my favorite country songs ever). Unfortunately, she then delved into a more mainstream-ish new wave sound, plagued by annoying 80s production and intrusive synth beats, though even there her full-bodied vocal stylings kept things somewhat on track. She followed this up with assorted forays into pop and country, what might dismissively be considered adult contemporary, vocal jazz, and Latin music. A few standout tracks aside, her best work may have been her fine way with a cover, from a fantastic take on Billy Bragg's "A New England" to the Kinks' oft-covered "Days"; also noteworthy are her stellar duets, including "Fairytale of New York" (with the Pogues) and a cover of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" (with Evan Dando of the Lemonheads).

The Croydon box may be a bit too much of an investment just to check Kirsty out; unfortunately, the more concise Galore single-cd compilation is out-of-print.