Customer Reviews

Dreamland

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Long before there was Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux stumbled off the streets of Paris into the hearts, minds, and souls of music afficianados worldwide with "Dreamland."

I owe it to a surprisingly "musically taste-inclined" office mate of mine for turning me on to Peyroux. "Walkin after Midnight," is one of the CD's few missteps. With the rest of Peyroux's boozy Billie Holliday-esque its lightness just doesn't fit. It gives you "one of these things is not like the other," moments. But the rest is simply golden.

You will find yourself doing a double take on Peyroux's album pictures since her voice is way beyond her age. It is the sound of aged hard earned wisdom and smokey resonance. Peyroux was a 22-year old when she made this album. "La Vie en Rose," is a wonderful take on Edith Piaf and all that is lacking is the scratchy sound of a needle passing over ridges of vinyl. Peyroux is infinitely listenable. Her music is of the mood sweeping timeless. You wonder if she has her own voice or if the whole act isn't a send-up of Holliday imitation, but as you explore the liner notes there are some beautiful Peyroux penned acoustic blues numbers that will turn you into a believer. Even if it does sound too much like Billie Holliday...that's not a bad thing. You will find yourself not caring and just caught up in the music.

Enjoy audiophiles.
--MMW

With the release of Madeline Peyroux's 2004 CD on Rounder, it may be time for a glance back at her first release from 1996 on Atlantic. Critically acclaimed, taking 8 years for a follow-up has allowed this disc to sink from view. The arrangements are sparse but serve to highlight Peyroux's unique voice. On "La Vie en Rosa," the lyric is sung in French, and Peyroux sounds like a yearning Edith Piaf. Born in Athens, Georgia, she spent time living in Paris and seems quite at home in this musical setting. "Always A Use" is one of her originals that shows her as an expressive vocalist, "Maybe ain't no use in singing my blues, but there's always a use in you & me." "Muddy Water" has a shuffle beat with Peyroux's lazy vocal singing about life on the delta. "Was I?" is a delightful track Kenny Wollison's lively percussion giving bounce and Peyroux's vocals lifting from there, "Was I drunk? Was he handsome? And did mama give me hell!" One of Madeleine's idols Bessie Smith penned 2 tracks that conclude the set with the teasing "Reckless Blues" that sports lively Cyrus Chestnut piano & "Lovesick Blues," "My sweetie went away, but he didn't say where, didn't say when & didn't say why." The set opens with Patsy Cline's big hit "Walkin' After Midnight" with Madeleine's loping arrangement. Peyroux's voice is often compared to Billie Holiday & nowhere can it be more easily seen that on Holiday's "(Getting Some) Fun Out of Life." "Dreamland" is an excellent set that shows great promise from this fine singer. Enjoy!

The first time I heard this chantuse was on National Public Radio singing "Some Fun Out of Life" being a true Billie Holliday aficando my first thought was they had discovered some unreleased early Holliday tracks. I was shocked to find out that it was Ms. Peyroux. I had to have that song, so thus I bought the CD. It is a love affair from start to end. Johnny Mercer once remarked that Billie Holliday was the Jazz man's singer. Ms. Peyroux is the reincarnation of Lady Day voice, much like K D Land is Patsy Cline's. Dreamland is a great CD but the one I would like to hear is Ms. Peyroux singing a tribute to Lady Day. La Vie En Rose is great listening to her guttral french adds more magic to this evergreen Piaf hit. Muddy Water makes you want to experience it, Bessie Smith's Reckless Blues is great. Was I is another Holliday like song. To those who long to hear the voice of Lady Day today Ms. Peyroux is a breath of fresh air. It is a singer's nightmare to be compared to another singer but in this case it is a wonderful gift. The early recordings of Peggy Lee (Why Don't You Do Right)are heavily influenced by Billie Holliday. I look forward to future release's by this very talented Lady.

At first listen I thought she was just ripping off Billie, but she is still very fun to listen to on this CD. Her varying styles keep it interesting. I just got back from Paris and saw Madeleine singing on the sidewalk for change! She fronts a great little 3-piece jazz band called The Lost Wandering Blues Jazz Band from New York. She is introduced by the band every few numbers as the woman who sang the Jaguar commercial, and they plug this CD, while she passes the hat. They said that she is on a new label now and working on a new CD. She sounds great and draws a big crowd of Parisiennes and tourists in front of the chapel St. Germain de Pres.

Before I purchased this album I read a review that criciticized some of the instrument choices and orchestration of some of the tunes, particularly "Walking After Midnight", but after having listened to the album for a couple of months, I've found that it has grown on me and I am partcicularly impressed by the singer's nuances in her performance. I agree that the instrumentation is unconventional almost throughout, but that's the type of creativity I've come to appreciate. I look forward to Madeleine's next album. I think this one has demonstrated a truly rare talent that will only get better with maturity. In terms of talent and musically, she reminds me of Ella Fitzgerald.

I bought this CD based solely on the recommendations and I'm so glad I did. It's eerie listening to this music -- it sounds like Billie Holiday, but modernized, somehow. Very gorgeous, lush, beautiful... I listen to the whole thing all the time and never get tired. It's great for parties, my guests always ask what CD this is. I can't wait to buy her next record.

If you like the sound of Billie Holidays, voice you will be floored by the similarity in Madeleine Peyroux. I hate to say it but her voice sounds almost identical but has more range.
The music style isn't totally that old classic jazz sound but similar; some songs seem tinted with a New Orleans sound and some a tiny bit folk-like. Over all smooth, delightful songs. Not one of them is annoying which is lucky when buying an unknown cd.

I may not be a big fan of this kind of music or of female singers in general (take note, I'm a girl myself!) but who couldn't be charmed by this young, talented lady with a tremendous voice and be mesmerized by the leisurely beautiful melodies that make me hark back to the good ol' days (though I'm in my 20's as I'm writing this)? Although many of the tracks here are covers of songs by Piaf and Holliday and such, Ms. Peyroux also shows up to be a good songwriter (but woe to the few number of those songs she's written herself) and performer in her own right as well. And the music is surprisingly good--I guess I'm starting to warm myself up to those kind of genres such as jazz, blues, and a bit of country (which are my "problem" genres for a long time) and some European influences. Choice tracks: "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter", "La Vie En Rose", and the title track. But all of the songs here are definitely worth a listen.

If you feel you're in for a nostalgia trip, feel a bit wistful and romantic, lounge around or just want to listen to a seriously good music, step into this dreamland and you will never regret it.

Unfortunately, I did it the other way around--heard her gorgeous, heartbreaking singing at a little Red Cross benefit in October 2001 and then picked up the record, which is beautiful but almost sterile by comparison. Hence the loss of a star.

I do listen to _Dreamland_ whenever MP hasn't done a local gig for a while, and it tides me over, but I try to go see her whenever I can (find gig listings at madeleinepeyroux.com). I took my parents to hear her, and my dad--a lifelong Billie Holiday fan--literally had tears rolling down his face, he was so happy. Every foot in the place was tapping. She is so much The Real Thing.

MP does keep saying that the new album's coming soon. I hope that it includes more of her own songs, as the ones I've heard are beautiful.

If I am not mistaken, I first heard Ms. Peyroux on a commercial a few years back. Immediately, I thought she was nothing more than a Billie Holiday wanna-be trying to make a living imitating a legend. She got nothing more from me but a gruff scoff and a quick click of the channel button on my television remote. About a week ago a friend of mine told me that she was playing at a club called the Blues Hideaway here in Nashville. Being intrigued and deciding to give her another chance, I went to see Ms. Peyroux. When I heard her that night, I could do nothing but sigh. How wrong I was before. Her voice brought tears to my eyes as I sat there, chin in hand, head in the clouds. I bought Ms. Peyroux's cd the next day and all I can say is, the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with this talented, humble and gracious breath of fresh air. Sure, she sounds a lot like Holiday and yes, at times you may THINK that her voice is derivative of the late, great Lady Day. But listen to this cd five, six, a dozen times, and I am sure her voice will make you sigh too. Every song is wonderful. My personal favorite is "Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter". They don't make music like this anymore and I thank Ms. Peyroux for reviving what I thought was lost forever.