Lying to the Moon & Other Stories

Matraca Berg

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 10, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000JMBR
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,406 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
What do Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine," Patty Loveless's "You Can Feel Bad," and Trisha Yearwood's "XXX's and OOO's" have in common? They were all No. 1 country hits, they all had stories you could visualize and hooks you could hum, and they were all cowritten by Matraca Berg. So why isn't Berg a country star herself? Does she have a froggy voice? No way. A homely face? Hardly. Well, what is it then? It might be the hint of intelligence in her big, confident soprano, the suggestion that she knows more than she's letting on. Country radio hates that. Critics and fellow musicians, on the other hand, love it and have been huge Berg fans for years. RCA is giving the wider public a second chance with this new anthology, which includes a dozen songs found on her out-of-print solo albums. The new disc doesn't include any of the singles she's written for other artists, though a few have been album cuts for Yearwood, Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis, and Linda Ronstadt. The collection does includes several gems that would be hits in a fairer world: the eloquent Midwestern evocation of "Calico Plains," the late-night romantic desperation of "Lying to the Moon," and the lovely mountain balladry of "Appalachian Rain." Snap this one up before it, too, goes out of print. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Matraca, please!, October 18, 2001

By A Customer

I can't believe all of MBs albums are not in print! Her songwriting is exquisite, and her voice, while not that of a diva, is lovely and expressive--and so real, it grabs you in the gut. It's not really a performance; you almost feel that she's sitting next to you. In fact, my roommmate walked in to "If I Were an Angel" (from SMTSN) and immediately commented on what a beautiful voice she had. "Back When We Were Beautiful" still makes me tear up. Her lyrics are as much about what she doesn't say--she has a masterful turn of phrase, but also a sense of restraint, so that you end up always wanting more.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting Melodies and Excellent Backgrounds, April 5, 2002

By A Customer

This is a review of the original "Lying to the Moon" CD. I first discovered this CD when it came out in 1990. After listening to snippets of the first three songs and enjoying it at the record store I had to purchase it. Over time the songs just get better and better. Matraca's voice lends a particularly heart rending account to both Calico Plains and Applachian Rain along with extreme enjoyment of the other tracks. "Alice in the Looking Glass" will send chills down your back. This is one of those rare CD's where EVERY track is good. The musical backgrounds also add to the story telling of each selection. Never have I listened to an album where the music hit home from the very beginning. Every person I have turned onto this CD has fallen in love with it. I am glad to see it back in print along with the additional songs. I WILL run out and get this latest version and I suggest you do too. You will not be sorry.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best CDs of the Year !!!!, August 11, 1999

By A Customer

Matraca Berg has proven herself as a writer but has been overlooked as a performer. She is truly an undiscovered treasure. Her voice has a dynamic all its own and can breathe life into a song. She can make you laugh along with her or leave you with a lump in your throat.

While most of these cuts are remastered versions of her MUCH underappreciated debut CD with two cuts from her last CD, it is Matraca at her finest. With the sorrowful "Lying To The Moon" to the tear filled "Back When We Were Beautiful" (from the movie Hope Floats but not on the soundtrack) to the way frisky "Back In The Saddle" that proves Shania Twain comes in second to this lady in the va-va-va-voom category!

Beyond the looks, this singer/songwriter's songs put much of the music on the radio to shame. Her songwriting contemporaries are few but notewhile - Gretchen Peters, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Annie Roboff. Nobody else outside of these 4 ladies can reach out and grab you and even change you like they can.