Customer Reviews

Julia Fordham

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this album and 'Porcelain' when they first came out. After that pair, things went very quiet, in the UK at least. I was staggered to see on the amazon catalogue that she has recorded no fewer five albums. She released albums in '91, '94 and '97, so a sixth is now overdue.

I know next to nothing about Julia. She gets not a single mention in any of the standard encyclopedias of popular music. But I believe she learnt her craft as a backing singer.

It wasn't clear with this debut where she was headed. Some very expensive US session musicians were hired for the NY recordings: Weather Report's Omar Hakim, King Crimson's Tony Levin, and David Bowie Band's Carlos Alomar, to name a few. Maybe the intention was to groom Julia as Britain's answer to Joni Mitchell.

Julia has an extraordinary vocal range, but her voice is at its most distinctive and sonorous on the bass notes. Joni this is not. Her voice is better trained. But somehow her melodies and lyrics never caught the wide public imagination in the same way as Joni's. Julia badly needed a big hit single -- even if it meant singing someone else's composition. She never took that route. Joni also had the advantage of being associated with the key concert festivals and protest movements at a time when music was a more central part of more people's lives.

All the tunes here are pretty, and the lyrical themes will be familiar to anyone with experience of bedsit land. The synthesizer voices and the electronic drum tones betray the period (1988). But they don't get in the way of a worthy recording, which stands up to repeated listenings.

Having got all of her later work, this one, her first, sounds a little timid and rough round the edges but other than that time has been good to it. Throughout there is a strong element of integrity and musicality sadly missing in a lot of performances by other artists. I return to this album from time to time and it is always a pleasure.

To hear just how good Julia's voice is listen to "Invisible War" a couple of times. This is a very strong track that shows Julia's confidence in her voice and how it can be laid bare for maximum effect.

If you like this one you will like the rest. My personal favorite is her 4th album, "Falling Forward", a significant leap forward in her work marking her move much more towards an American sound with input from the illustrious Larry Klein known for his work with Joni Mitchell.

In summary this is a good place to start listening to Julia.

I first heard Julia singing the song Someone to Watch Over Me on the Mr. Holland's Opus Soundtrack. her songs are thoughtful and insightful with great music and lyrics. Would def. recommend!

Every time I dig this cassette out of my personal archives I am enchanted by Julia's voice. Saw her first on Lettterman, she was great! Bought her first tape and love it every time I play it. A deep thoarty voice, great lyrics (you'll get it if you are indeed a woman of the 80's) I am inspired to buy a new CD to keep Ms. Julia in business. "I still love you!!!!"

I was absolutely thrilled to see Julia on the homepage of Amazon! She has the voice of an angel. Her music is powerful, moving, and timeless. I discovered her just recently, but quickly bought the collection! Her songs make me smile and they make me cry - she is a talented writer who expresses both love and pain beautifully. I have shared her music with my loved ones and you should do the same!

I heard her first single (off of this album) on either VH1 or MTV back in college. Her albums have that mix of "good the first time you hear it" and "I hope I grow to like this" that will keep the singles to a minimum. THIS album, although it's probably her least mature, is the most enjoyable of the three I have. Why four stars instead of five? Hate to say it, but although she's gorgeous, hard-working, and successful (?), she simply misses notes. Flat, sharp, or just plain off a whole, and it's all over every album. Jane Siberry can get away with it because it's written in, deliberately, but I think Julia just misses 'em. Don't sweat it though- my wife LOVES the fact that this pro sounds no better than she sometimes! So yes, good stuff, just irritating to you music people.

Julia Fordham is an astonishingly great singer/songwriter. Her melodies are haunting and her voice is so rich you'll need a spoon... She's simply the best.

This CD, in particular, the 'Happy Ever After' track, has been in my head since 1988. While I realize this tune was about apartheidt in South Africa, it was the haunting beauty of the tune, Julia Fordham's incredible voice, and a personal broken relationship back then that has forever seared that song into my mind. She was and is a great talent, and it's unfortunate that she never achieved the commercial success that one of her caliber so richly deserves. A highly recommend CD!

KKSF in San Francisco first played "Happy Ever After" on the radio back in 1988 and I've been hooked on this singer's voice ever since. I finally brought the CD a few years ago and I play it constantly. She has a voice that is one of a kind! Other favorites of mine are "Cocooned" and "Few Too Many". Well recommended!

The first review I ever read of this album (yes, this was back in the days of albums, 45s, and other extinct vinylsaurus species) described Julia's sound as "a south-of-the-border Sade." The sound may occasionally evoke the music of Sade, but there is no comparing the voices of Sade Adu and Julia Fordham. Sade's voice is the epitome of coolness, smoothness, and elegance. Julia Fordham's voice possesses some of these qualities, but she also adds an amazing range, with spine-tingling falsettos and rich, soul-fathoming lows. This is a completely confident and assured debut by a great singer. "Happy Ever After," the first track, combines a profound sociopolitical statement (apartheid in South Africa) with an irresistable beat and a thrilling vocal. "The Comfort of Strangers," the next song, is lively, upbeat, and completely catchy. The third and fourth tracks, "Few Too Many" and "Invisible War" respectively, slow the pace, adding a bit of sadness and the kind of world-weary wistfulness which fuels the later "Porcelain" CD. "Invisible War" is about the emotional barriers in relationships, and the piano and lyrics make it a very intimate performance. "My Lover's Keeper" begins with a dark, exotic beat, and then adds layers of electronics, brass touches, and powerful backing vocals. This piece is a good example of the sometimes-heavy Hugh Padgham production, which some people criticize a bit too strenuously. The sixth track, "Cocooned," is quiet and sad and intensely personal, and is one of the strongest tracks on the CD. Her vocals are especially amazing on this track, spanning both high and low notes gloriously and effortlessly. "Where Does the Time Go?" is next, and is more upbeat and commercial-sounding. Despite the wistful lyrics, there is enough humour and rhythm to give the piece a lot of momentum. The eight track, "Woman of the 80's," may seem a bit incongruous compared with the rest of the songs, and my deejay buddy Joe (whose opinion matters) feels the song hasn't aged well. I still like it, but I do find the production a bit intrusive and, well, just a bit 80's. "The Other Woman" is another dark, moody number, with yet another thrilling vocal performance. "Behind Closed Doors" has a very spare feel to it, and the anguish of being "the invisible woman" is documented: "In this man's world I'm always screaming to be heard." The high notes at the end are filled with trembling emotion, and the entire effect is extremely moving. The CD closes with the lively, beat-laden "Unconditional Love." The chorus is incantatory, almost like Julia and her background singers are chanting a mantra. Lest it get too preachy, too strident, there's a great, jazzy brass solo and a very energetic ending. There are only eleven tracks, and some of them are quite short (7 of them are under 4 minutes long, and 2 of these are under 3 minutes!), so it definately leaves you wanting more. Julia Fordham is one of those rare artists who needs only a few notes to establish a very special connection with her listener. From my first listening experience, I knew this relationship would last.