Hometown Girl

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
• ASIN: B000QJLQFS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,565 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration and hard work, March 28, 2000

By	dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hometown Girl (Audio CD)

Has it really been 13 years since Mary Chapin Carpenter first cast her magic spell on me? When I explore my music collection, most often my favorites are artists' first releases. Hometown Girl included. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. First releases are culled from years of work. Usually the artist (and the record company of course) selects his best material - the songs that worked well in school auditoriums and small venues. Second, the artist is hungry for a wider audience, but also anxious of failure. It's sink or swim. And lastly, first releases don't merit a million dollar production with 50-member coral groups and a full symphony orchestra.

Hometown Girl wins my approval for all the previous reasons. The source of `A Lot Like Me' is a partnership with other musicians paying their dues in the small venues. There's fear of failure in `Hometown Girl,' but also fear of success. And I'm sure `A Road Is Just A Road' got the two-shades-to-the-wind bar crowd up from the tables and doing to two-step. Hometown Girl features no choral arrangement or symphony orchestra, just Mary Chapin Carpenter with a small back-up band. The result of Mary Chapin Carpenter's inspiration and hard work is irresistible.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Roots of Mary-Chapin Carpenter, January 25, 2002

By	Alan Pancik (Willoughby, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hometown Girl (Audio CD)

"Hometown Girl" is an album which wasn't released by Columbia Records as much as it just escaped. Mary-Chapin was a virtual unknown outside of the Washington, D.C. beltway in 1987, and "Hometown Girl" received next to no publicity at the time of its first appearance. It remains as one of my favorite recordings by her, and "Just Because" is a simply beautiful song. The supporting musicians on this album are amazing -- especially Mark O'Connor and Tony Rice. If you enjoy the simplicity and beauty of Mary-Chapin Carpenter's music and lyrics, you will not be disappointed by this recording.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For thoughtful folk-oriented listeners, June 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hometown Girl (Audio CD)

I own a few hundred CDs and get tired of most after listening repeatedly. I've never gotten tired of this one and I've listened to it more than any other. It's more thoughtful than her other CDs, slower, and simply beautiful. In my (folk fan) view, this is her very best.