Customer Reviews

Girl of the Century [Vinyl]

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

 

 

Every once in a while an artist comes along who is totally honest, both with themselves and their fans. That honesty may cost them ~ in sales, in airplay, in support from their label ~ but it also benefits both them and their listeners. An artist who is true to him or her self is usually a happy artist, and, nine times out of ten, a happy artist is one who is turning out their best material possible.
Rosie Flores is just such an artist. Over the course of the last quarter-century plus, she's gone from a more traditional Nashville sound (too restrictive) to a wonderful hybrid of country, rockabilly and rock (She's also been adding some sly, slinky blues to the mix on her last couple of releases).
This kind of eclectic charm hasn't resulted in major sales (I doubt any of Flores' six previous albums have come close to going gold, let alone platinum) or airplay, but it sure has been fun! GIRL OF THE CENTURY, her first studio release of all new material since 2001's equally brilliant SPEED OF SOUND, just adds to the good times...in spades!
GIRL kicks off with the captivating "Chauffeur." At first this fun little ditty might seem kind of light weight, sort of a throwaway track. Well, nothing could be further from the truth...with it's sexy blues vibe, toe-tapping arrangement and killer lead vocal, this baby's the real deal, totally setting the mood for the rest of the album (To be honest, I'm kind of shocked Bonnie Raitt never recorded this gem!).
Even stronger is "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" (co-written by Bobby Darin!). A complete rockabilly rave-up, the track just puts a smile on your face...the instrumentation is crisp and clean, while Flores' lead vocal is fresh and feisty. She's having a good time here, and that totally translates through the speakers!
"Halfway Home" is one of my two favorite cuts off of GIRL..., what with it's easy-going arrangement and lilting lead vocal. From the opening lines of "Blue-eyed Dan was a shell of a man/But he was halfway home/Didn't seem to have much of a plan/But he was halfway home"), the song just draws you in (Special mention has to be made of John Rice's amazing fiddling!).
My other fave is the rollicking "I Ain't Got You." I can just picture people pogoing to this live in the '80's! Picture it...an arrangement that's equal parts surf, rockabilly and power pop, with a lead vocal that's both coy and gutsy. What's NOT to love?!? In a just world, this absolute joy would be a huge smash hit for Flores!
Things do a 180 turn with the sultry "Dark Enough At Midnight"." Both the instrumentation and lead vocal exude sexual heat to the hilt, with piano, percussion and strings all being used to the best effect possible. Toss in a lead vocal that caresses, teases and taunts, and you have one hot number!
From here we veer off into another totally different direction, with the Country Swing of "Little Bells." The fiddles and pedal steel are 100% original, while Flores' vocal soars. At a time when so much of what's coming out of Nashville these days is just watered down pop, it's interesting seeing artists such as Flores and Chris Isaak (check out a couple tracks on his excellent MR. LUCKY CD!) doing the real stuff!
And then there's "Get Rhythm." All I can say is, somewhere Johnny's smiling! Already recorded numerous times, the song's rockabilly roots have rarely been captured so well. The arrangement is spot-on, while Flores just nails her vocal. When she sings "He said 'I like it' with a big, wide grin", Flores is grinning, the listener is grinning, and, yes, Mr. Cash is grinning! Love it!
"Last Song" is the closest thing to a ballad on GOTC...and it's a beaut. Flores' vocal is both weary and hopeful, while the lyrics ("The party is over/But I wait by the door/I can't remember/What I came here for") just bleed out of the speakers. Add a delicate, atmospheric arrangement, and you have another one of the album's high points (Once again, John Rice shines, this time on mandolin).
"You're The One" is the only track that just doesn't work for me...there's something forced and uninspired about it. Yes, there's some nice guitar work here, but even Flores' vocal is missing it's usual depth and honesty. A rare misstep in the RF songbook.
"This Cat's In The Dog House" is kind of a draw; it's not a bad cut, it's just that there are so many others on the disc that are so much better. Yes, Flores delivers a spirited lead vocal and the arrangement is nice and upbeat, but there's nothing new here. On a disc that's so fresh and original, "This Cat's..." just seems to be spinning it's wheels.
Upon my first few listens, I wasn't that nuts about "Whose Gonna Take Your Garbage Out" either, but it has definitely grown on me. True, Jon Langford's co-lead vocal verges on the painful, but there's something quirky about the pairing...it's sort of the anti-George and Tammy! Not the best...but a keeper!
Things wrap up with the Stevie Nicks-esque title track. From the old world arrangement to the moon-dappled lyrics ("She dreses/Hearing the murmur of harlequins/And clowns"), this is unlike anything Flores has done in the past, which just makes it all the more special. A VERY nice way to end things.
In closing, I just can't say it enough...Rosie Flores is a true artist, one more people should be listening to, and GIRL OF THE CENTURY is a welcomed addition to an already sterling catalog (As with all my reviews, I'm docking the disc half a star for not including the lyrics. C'mon, Rosie, you know better!).

I have and love all of Rosie's stuff. I don't know why she's not a superstar, but I guess I like it better that way, so the radio stations don't wear out her music! She's amazing and extremely talented!

I saw Rosie live in Tucson last year and loved her show, her energy, her music. This album is full of great tracks! Rosie rocks it! Get it!

I love this record cuz it's fun to dance to. I'm not familiar w/ her other stuff but we bought this at a festival cuz the cover looked cool and haven't stopped playing it. What's nice is that you get the digital download with it so you can listen on your MP# player orr on a disk.

The songs have a classic feel to them with the guy or guys singing back up. Mfavorite songs are Little Bells and Who's Gonna Take the Garbage Out? but the rest is really good too.