Get Away From Me

Nellie McKay | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0001AP07M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (166 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,750 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Get Away From Me by Nellie McKay

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make the mayor a giraffe, April 9, 2004

By 

lb136 "lb136" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Get Away From Me (Audio CD)

Maybe after you've played Nellie McKay's triumphant "Get Away from Me" through a couple of times you'll begin to imagine that she fell into a warp in the space/time continuum after coming out of a screening of Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" when it first played in the mid-1950s, and ended up in the urban here and now.

Influenced as much by Billie Holliday (the bluesy "Manhattan Avenue") and 1950s Doris Day lollypop ("I Wanna Get Married"), and 1950s jive ("It's a Pose") as by today's jazz and hiphop ("Sari," "Baby Watch Your Back"), she shows that at 19 she has a vision and an attitude all her own ("Change the World," "Suitcase Song," "Really") as this New York idol enters the scene with this 18-song, two CD collection (the discs are called "side 1 and side 2," as if to evoke the image of vinyl).

Words burst forth behind her sassy alto, jagged rhythms, and jazz riffs--with references to Monty Python, Dr. Phil, and New York street life. She seems amazed and alarmed at contemporary America, but it's not going to let her get her down. ("In any case there's no use in mopin" at strange elections and the death of Sen. Wellstone, she notes in "Sari.") Ms. McKay is quite an instrumentalist, too. She plays piano, organ, recorder, vibes, chimes, glockenspiel, xylophone, and synthesizer.

Notes and asides: Obviously the title is meant as a dig at Norah Jones, but surely there's room for both artists. (Wake up to Nellie, go off to dreamland with Norah.). . . The "explicit content" warning is perhaps a tad overdone, just a few four-letter words here and there-words the kids have all heard before . . . Voters who every Memorial Day cast their ballots for "Stairway to Heaven" as number 1 should, err, stay away from this one. On the other hand, those who vote "Layla" in as number 2 will probably like it.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Talent with Spunk & Unique Style! Great CD!, March 14, 2004

By 

Tim Estiloz "Film Critic" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Get Away From Me (Audio CD)

Tonight, I saw Nellie McKay perform in person... with just her on a small empty stage, her little piano keyboard... and only her voice and immense talent to lean on. She confirmed she's a singer to watch in years to come. I first caught this talented singer on David Letterman a few weeks back singing a quirky little song, "The Dog Song" that was odd, spunky and cute in a way that couldn't help but bring a smile to your face. You'll get the same feeling and more from McKay's CD. It's a ecletic mix of jazz stylings, unique attempts at hip-hop rap, and old style ballads with a quirky edge... that's different from anything else I've heard recently. She's a breath of TRUE fresh air in a music world filled with cliched pop retreads from Britney to American Idol. The positive postings on this site about McKay's CD are all TRUE and WELL DESERVED... leading me to say BUY THIS CD! But, if you get a chance to catch McKay sing in person ...like she performed tonight before an intimate showcase crowd at the Paradise Lounge in Boston, you WON'T be disappointed. We're a tough crowd to please in Boston, just ask the NY Yankees... yet, McKay easily wowed over this opinionated music crowd with her quirky, peppy tunes... and edgy stylings that I found quite unique. It's evident she's new to performing before intimate crowds... and her self-effacing style, shy sweetness, and genuine appreciation for her audience was a pleasant contrast to the edgy lyrics and attitude that her CD presents so effectively. By the end of her second song in a 10-song set from her CD... she easily won over this tough Boston University-area crowd ... with the audience - a mix of college age AND middle age folks - cheering her on, loving EVERY song... and lining up to buy her CD by the end of her showcase set. She has a nice style, a cute, winning smile... and unique singing talent and songwriting style that will only mature and grow in the future. But this Freshman effort is well worth the listening time. Hers is a CD to buy... and Nellie McKay is a talent to watch for in the years to come!

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once there was a girl named Nellie..., March 22, 2004

By 

M. Casarino (Wilmington, DE United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Get Away From Me (Audio CD)

My goodness! Now THIS is a debut CD!!

Nellie McKay's "Get Away From Me" is either the best debut CD of the year, or one of the worst. She's clearly too full of creative energy to make anything boring or run-of-the-mill, so instead she offers this - a sprawling 2-CD set that covers about 30 musical styles, with her ethereal voice and strong piano skills as the only consistent threads.

Many reviewers seem a little stunned that such a young woman could create such music. I am too, to a degree - she displays an amazing range, from the torch ballad of "Manhattan Avenue" to the BeeGees-flavored "Change the World" to the Western Swingin' "It's a Pose" to the punkish-rap of "Inner Peace." The arrangements are layered, complex, and infectious - this is one fun album to listen to. Nellie may dive into piano jazz, but she don't make background music.

Nellie's youth becomes more evident in her lyrics, which are often cute, inflammatory, and silly. Some tunes border on novelty items (and some, like "Won't U Please B Nice," cross that border), but only a few hint at the real woman inside. Nellie is a master lyricist, but it's impossible to tell when she's being sincere, and when her words are a smokescreen. My guess is that every song reflects a little piece of her soul, but it's certainly possible that this whole album is a put-on.

Still, if she's going to make music this good, she can put me on any day! "Get Away From Me" isn't for everybody - it's for those who love great music without borders, those who don't have a "favorite" genre of music but love it all, as long as the artist is fueled by creativity. Nellie McKay is clearly one of the most creative artists in recent years - here's hoping she ends up being one of the most prolific as well!