Customer Reviews

Fancy Blue

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I first heard Ms. Baskette's unique voice covering Elvis Costello on a tribute CD. I picked up Fancy Blue not knowing much more about her. It is an amazing record. The songs are so intimate and moving it blew me away. Its a cliche, but it really does make you laugh and cry at the same time. Her singing is a soft whisper most of the time (which is not for everyone) but she packs a lot of emotion into every tune. Highly Recommended.

First off, "Fancy Blue" is NOT a country record. Despite Baskette's Nashville roots, and so many plopping her down onto the CW or alt-country bandwagon, this cd clearly belongs in the genre which lays claim to artists like Mirah, Julie Doiron, Joanna Newsom, and their ilk.

That said, this is a haunting record. From the first breath which begins "Happiness & Misery," Baskette takes you on a journey of personal pain and occasional whimsy so startling, that at times you don't know whether to cry or look away.

Her wounds are open, bleeding, her voice at times but a whisper, trying to explain, or apologize, or perhaps understand. Her lyrics are heartbreakingly sad, on every level. Mature but innocent, as is her voice.

I love this record. It stands as one of the three or four best from 2003, and there certainly was no song better than "Happiness & Misery." So unique is Baskette's sound and style on these 19 tracks, that I honestly don't think there's another singer/songwriter like her anywhere.

"Fancy Blue" is a must for any intelligent music collection.

Firstly, I agree with everything I see in the previous reviews, both good and bad.

From my own head comes this:

o Beautiful voice. First thought through my head was "I'm listening to Bernadette Peters trying to sing and narrate bizzare urban legends while on laughing gas and there's a band somewhere in the background that thinks it's country but really isn't..."

o Too much talking and not enough singing for my taste. In fairness there are some who love that. Have at it 'some'.

o Believe it or not I actually found a decent amount of value in the simple chord structures and melodies (though it would be nicer if she sung them rather than talked and/or talk-sung them).

o Once again - believe it or not - I also found value in the poetic sinkhole of the lyrics. That is to say, one persons sinkhole is anothers treasure. It wasn't necessarily mine, but there was a consistency to it, I'll give her that.

Put it all together and what it means to me is incredible potential. A voice like that with melodically pleasant perpensity (though not oft realized here) and willingness to put words to paper, in my head, are all the basic ingredients of musical greatness. Trouble is that 'musical greatness' is in the eye of the beholder and I'm just not seeing eye to eye with her on this album.

Nutshell version is that I'd love to hear that same voice do more singing and less talking, that music flow more, and songs that transcend the 7th grade level in lyrical depth.

I did like the dark edge - keeper.

Finally, if all else fails I think she'll have no trouble with a career on the business end of a phone sex service (hot voice).

I had some doubts about this album when I first bought it, but after listening to it a few more times I liked it much more (so I've edited my review and upgraded my rating from four stars to five). Baskette sings (and sometimes closer to speaks) with a voice and style that's sometimes reminiscent of Jill Sobule. But she has a quirky charisma and likeability that's hard to define. I think this is an album you'll either strongly love or hate, and you'll probably be playing it for your friends just to find out what they think of it.

Ty was so unique in high school and she still carries that trait. More than a singer and songwriter, she is a storyteller. I can't wait for more....Kevin Wade Norcross, GA

I could have also titled this review "I want my money back!" but that might have been less descriptive. To wit: this "music" is country (I guess) that has simplistic trite lyrics and unimaginative melodies, all "sung" in an off-key little-girl whisper. Somewhere I read a good review of this CD, but I can't imagine where, and the SOB who wrote it owes me $15. How this drek ever made it onto a CD is a testament to how fouled up the music industry is. There are *thousands* of CD's that deserve your money; please don't waste it on this.

I'm not sure what people are thinking. I am always shocked when I see people buying into like this but I always hope someday they'll see the light and no more of these cloying anoying whiney records will be brought to our attention. I was fooled into buying it because it sounded thoughtful and unique. I am selling it back because it sounds worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.

I read a review of Tywanna Jo in Esquire Magazine. Curious, I bought the record. Very different and original.

I read a review of Tywanna in Esquire Magazine. Out of curiosity I bought this CD. It is very unique. I highly recommend it!!!!!

On the unintentional comedy scale I give this four out of five. There are songs on this album that make me laugh out loud, even though I know I'm not supposed to . . . that was not the intended purpose. Since this is an album of supposed serious music I have to give it 1 star. The songs are absurd. I'm annoyed by the fact that the title of the song is in the first line of almost every song. Something about that bothers me. If someone else would write the songs for her it wouldn't be as bad because she has a unique voice. But the songwriting on this is horrible, worst songs I've ever heard in my life.