Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

Jewel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 2, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000ESSTMO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,170 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > Alternative Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Track Listings

1. Again and Again

2. Long Slow Slide

3. Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

4. Good Day

5. Satellite

6. Only One Too

7. Words Get In the Way

8. Drive To You

9. Last Dance Rodeo

10. Fragile Heart

11. Stephenville, TX

12. Where You Are

13. 1000 Miles Away

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The word "confessional" is frequently applied to folk of all stripes, including folk-rock and folk-pop, which is where Jewel comes in. Even within the bounds of folk, however, her music is more nakedly confessional than most. (Too nakedly, some have carped.) Along with a coterie of Nashville pros, she began her latest musical journey by laying down another introspective song cycle in the vein of 1995's Pieces of You. Dissatisfied with the results, the Texas-based artist scrapped that effort and re-recorded with Rob Cavallo (Green Day). This lends her sixth album the expected rock edge, but Jewel hasn't changed her spots. If anything, she sounds more like, well, Jewel than she did on dance-oriented departure 0304. She’s still pop star ("Fragile Heart"), sensitive folkie ("Long Slow Slide"), and scrappy country gal ("Stephenville, TX"). Her Joni Mitchell-esque soprano soars as high as ever, with more of a sardonic Dylan chaser than before. What's changed is that maturity has granted Jewel, now in her early 30s, greater perspective--"Growing up is not an absence of dreaming," she states in the title track--and a sense of humor missing from her more earnest early work. On "Satellite," for instance, written when she was 18, but revamped since, she notes that "the Pope," "rock and roll," "Valium," even "Miss Cleo" can't fix her broken heart. In her statement about the album, Jewel claims that, after years of ups and downs, she's "not broken, just more myself." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Jewel is about to deliver her most personal and autobiographical record so far-Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. Not content to relegate herself to a traditional music arena, or to be typecast, Jewel has established herself as a culturally significant and relevant brand. Author, songwriter, actress, poet-there are no limits to how Jewel can and will deliver her message. The underlining truth that ties it all together is the integrity of that message.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Life is much better without all those pretty lies." Jewel returns with a winning album.., May 2, 2006

By 

A. G. Corwin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (Audio CD)

Three years after the stylistic departure of her last album 0304, Jewel returns in winning style with her 6th album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. Weaving her introspective lyrics with fresh and exciting songwriting, Jewel produces her finest album since Pieces of You. You would think that with 25 million albums sold, a successful poetry collection, roles in several major films, and a great romance with rodeo star Ty Murray, Jewel would be happily looking to the future. Instead Jewel looks to the past, opening up her life and rise to fame with a critical and exploring eye.

Long Slow Ride is a track where Jewel's positively sensual vocals clash intriguingly with the dark lyrical themes of falling downwards and loss. This darkness slides right into the outstanding acoustic title track, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. Here Jewel points directly at herself, noting that "I'm embarrassed to say, the rest is rock and roll cliche..I hit the bottom and reached the top." where "fame is filled with spoiled children." Harshly honest, she wraps her criticisms in comforting melodies and her gentle voice. Jewel faces the uncertainty of adult life on one of the best tracks, Stephenville, TX, as she sings of "trying to figure out who I am..now that the stardust has turned to sand..and the sand turned to stone...on the star making machine.", but she realizes that she's "got nothing to lose..i'm an entertainer." Jewel is learning that she only has to be herself to be appreciated and happy.

This themes reappear subtly throughout the remainder of the album. The incredibly catchy commercial pop of Again and Again, Only One Two, and Words Get In The Way reveal snippets of this lyrical theme in addition to highly addictive melodies. Jewel also takes some stylistic risks with tracks like Satellite, a slinky and funky critique of shallow California lifestyles, Good Day(Clean), which combines a fascinating spoken word vocal with a bouncy rhythm, and the gentle and calming acoustic Last Dance Rodeo. Closing tracks Where You Are and 1000 Miles Away cap off the album perfectly and bring to mind Jewel's earliest works.

Co-producer Rob Cavallo, who has produced hit albums with the Goo Goo Dolls and Green Day, ensures a cohesive sound, with the right amount of strings and electric guitar to balance the acoustic guitar that is Jewel's hallmark. The album offers some of the year's best pop-rock commercial tracks as well as intriguing and complex acoustic and folk-country songs. There is little filler on this album; almost each track could be a single. Goodbye Alice in Wonderland is an enjoyable, fun album that is a welcome return for the "modern day troubadour" that we love. Highly Recommended and on the short list for 2006's Top 5 albums.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs up, May 11, 2006

By 

platonica (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (Audio CD)

I actually got this album today and it's extraordinary. As I expected.

Jewel is fascinating. Most artists today makes one great album, and then fails with the follow-up, because it sounds too much or too little like the debut album. But not Jewel. Each of her 6 albums has its very own sound that makes Jewel interesting, but still, there's something I can't quite put my finger on, that makes the listener recognize Jewel's spirit in each song. Sometimes she also displays a very strange sense of humor that's simply irresistable.

Now for Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. I love it, each and every song. The title track is very special to me, because I can relate to the "journey" she describes. Only One Too sounds like it could have been performed by one of those rude 20th-century-girl-groups. Fragile Heart was actually one of my least favourite tracks on 0304, but this version is much better.

Basically, this album is romantic, but it definitely has up-tempo songs. I'm also amazed by her voice, or should I say voices, because she has a wide range of nuances that she uses very skillfully. She has differed between these nuances earlier, but not within songs the same way that she does in this album. Again and Again is an example in which this is more obvious.

This album is worth every cent many times over, my favourite buy this year, and possibly this century.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Turning Point in Jewel's Career, September 26, 2006

By 

Shannon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (Audio CD)

I have had a long musical relationship with Jewel. I feel like she's been a part of my life forever. That's not the reality, but it is true that she is very much responsible for getting me into music. I'm a college student now and music is a huge part of my life. Everything from the Beatles to the Clash to Tori Amos is beautiful and timeless to my ears and I will continue to nurse my addiction to CDs for the rest of my life. None of this would be true if it weren't for Jewel.

I grew up liking music pretty much the same amount that any little kid does. When I was very young, I used to love to sing along with Raffi songs (like "Baby Beluga" and "Apples and Bananas"). I have great childhood memories of riding in the car while my parents listened to the Allman Brothers Band. My first musical obsession was, rather unfortunately, the Spice Girls. My father, bless his heart, even took me to see them in concert. However, I didn't really start to love and NEED music in my life until I discovered Jewel. It wasn't "Pieces of You" that did it for me. I was way too young when it came out to be a fan. I was introduced to Jewel by listening to "Spirit." I bought it on a whim one day in Seattle and I listened to it on the car as we drove home. It was like nothing I had ever heard before.

That album-"Spirit"- pretty much got me through middle school. I have internalized it like you wouldn't believe. I know every note of that thing. I listened to it when things were going well for me and I listened to it when I was having a hard time. It was my emotional oasis. I went on to buy "Pieces of You" and realized I was very familiar with the singles off of it and didn't even know it. I bought "This Way" and "0304" the days they came out. I saw Jewel in concert in August 2002 and it was amazing. I've grown up since then. I've listened to a ton of music and Jewel is no longer my favorite artist...but she will always have her own little place in my heart. She was the first musician who meant something to me and I will continue to buy all of her albums faithfully. All right, let's talk in specifics now that I've gushed for awhile.

"Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" is Jewel's latest album. It came out in May (and, yes, I bought it the day it came out) but I'm not reviewing it until now because I wanted to get to know it really well. Now that I don't worship the ground Jewel walks on (as I did in middle school) I can listen to this album objectively. And with each listen, it just becomes even better for me. Jewel's voice is still beautiful. She has this amazing ability to be wispy and delicate one moment and to cut right to the bone with her voice the next. Her lyrics continue to be very straightforward and friendly. Jewel always just feels like a friend talking to you. And the songs...the songs are just plain beautiful.

Jewel has said that she arranged this songs in a cycle and I can really feel that whenever I listen to it, even if it is hard to put your finger on exactly what it is. This album basically tells the story of Jewel as she searched for fame and fortune and eventually realized that love is what she needs most of all. I'll just finish up by saying what I think each song represents in this cycle. Just remember that every one of them is outstanding from a melodic and emotional point of view (with my personal favorites being "Stephenville, TX," "1000 Miles Away" and the title track):

1. "Again and Again"- She is in a relationship that, though rocky, will probably survive. She is willing to fight for it.
2. "Long Slow Slide"- The first in a series of four songs about losing faith in celebrity and Hollywood. She becomes disillusioned with the world of show business and her relationship begins to crumble, leaving her feeling helpless.
3. "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland"- She comes to terms with the fact that her life in show business has turned out NOT to be the fairy tale she envisioned it to be. She knows that love, to, is not a fairy tale.
4. "Good Day"- The third in the series in which she lies awake at night trying to think of reasons why she continues to live life as a singer and why she is staying in a relationship that isn't what it used to be. She is optimistic, but fragile.
5. "Satellite"- Her final dismissal of the Hollywood life.
6. "Only One Too"- She realizes that the man she is with is the love of her life, despite any problems they may be having.
7. "Words Get In the Way"- She tries to express these feelings to her man, but it may be too late.
8. "Drive to You"- She travels a great distance to reconnect with her lover and tell him that he is the thing that is worth living for.
9. "Last Dance Rodeo"- She and her lover reconnect. This is basically the sex moment on the album.
10. "Fragile Heart"- A symbolic reworking of a song from the "0304" album. Jewel's heart is still fragile as they try to start anew in their relationship and she tries to start anew as an artist.
11. "Stephenville, TX"- Jewel's coming out song as a new kind of artist. She has been playing this song for years and it is her autobiography set to music. She looks back on where she's come from.
12. "Where You Are"- The final triumph of her love over all.
13. "1000 Miles Away"- Despite the fact that love won, she still has to travel for her career. This is about dealing with the distance and knowing that they are close emotionally.

That's what I hear when I listen, anyway. This is a beautiful, riveting album and I'm sad that it didn't perform well. Check out her appearance on "Fishbowl." She's still got it!