Heron Smiled

Annie Humphrey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 2, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 2, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Makoche Records
• ASIN: B00004SB06
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,221 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Universal medicine for the soul...., March 16, 2001

By 

Patrice Webb (Georgetown, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heron Smiled (Audio CD)

The best pop music of yesteryear had a way of moving us and making us think in ways that became integrated into our consciousness. This disk by Annie Humphrey proves that music that is alive with its own heartbeat of meaning can still be counted as a vital force in today's video driven world of fast food pop and Humphrey's simple style of emotional honesty coupled with music that is at once melodic and upbeat demonstrates how pop music does not need to be so narrowly focused in order to become a viable part of pop culture.

With its combination of ringing folk/rock guitar and violin coupled with drumming and Native American flute, Humphrey's disk is clearly geared towards the contemporary folk/rock market, however; it is the simple honest arrangement and lyrical message of Humphrey's music that ultimately sets the disk apart from much of the singer songwriter music that is being churned out these days.

Although Humphrey's music comes from a Native American perspective, her themes are universal: "See Her", a song about a single mother trying to survive, could be about the struggle of every woman who has found herself carrying this heavy burden alone. "DNA", with its lyric, "Who thought of teaching Johnny's soul the color of God's skin..." speaks to how oppressor's throughout the ages have used God to justify their means and could be a song for anyone who has ever felt the sting of religious bigotry.

Why Humphrey's music is not being played on radio stations across the Country is a mystery. Unlike most of today's bubble-headed pop queens and foul mouthed bad boys, Humphrey actually has something to say. Unfortunately it is the fact that she does have something to say that may be the very thing that is keeping her off of the airways. Sadly, in this world of slickly produced homogenized pop, there appears to be little room for lyrical thought and this disk, with its perfect example of how pop music can move and satisfy the soul is in a sense a throwback to the days when pop music still meant something.

That said, this disk should have wide appeal for those who listen to and like artists like Shawn Colvin, Ani DeFranco, or Sarah McLachlan, and if the radio friendly sound of songs like "Spirit Horses", "DNA", and "Falling Down and Falling Apart" fail to make in today's music mainstream it is only because popular culture has lost its heartbeat.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Heron Smiled" One for the Ages, June 9, 2002

By 

Terry Kelly (Palm Bay, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heron Smiled (Audio CD)

Annie Humphrey is the most important new artist of the 21st century. Her music and her message have more depth and meaning than the first three Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell albums combined.
These are not just songs. These are revelations!
The song "500 Years" is a contemporary folk masterpiece of epic proportions. In just eight minutes, this one song describes the entire history of the saddest story in America over the past "500 Years", the near extinction of Native America.
Co-written with John Trudell, Carson Gardener, and others, "The Heron Smile" is a classic album and truly, "One for the Ages"! Thank you Annie for providing us all with something we rarely hear anymore, the truth! -Peace-

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You Gotta Listen, Don't Just Hear, July 30, 2001

By 

C. Smith (Smyrna, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heron Smiled (Audio CD)

Did you ever have a fantasy about having a fantasy?

When music is really done right, it eliminates everything that is extraneous and becomes it's own reality.

The first time I heard "Spirit Horses", I was driving in Atlanta. Within 30 seconds, I had to pull off to the side of the road because I could no longer concentrate on driving. I had to absorb everything about this incredibly mesmerizing tune, and about that time, the visions took over.

I suddenly realized that I was on horseback in Southern Utah, and I was vividly reliving an experience I'd had 10 years before. It was late in the afternoon in October, and I could see the ghosts of the people who lived there for thousands of years before.

It was hard to really say where one fantasy ended and the other began.

But the point is, that Annie Humphrey's songs had that kind of a powerful, immediate effect.

Her songs are hardhitting and honest, but at the same time, they also project optimism and strength. Unlike a lot of "folkies", she doesn't whine or condemn... no excuses, but a lot of pride.

She sings about real people and real issues, and though they have a Native American perspective, her songs can describe universal emotions.