Customer Reviews

The MCA Years: A Retrospective

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
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This well-programmed single disc anthology is a perfect choice for the unintiated to experience the music of Nancy Griffith. Griffith is a folk artist who ocassionally infuses her music with a little rock and roll energy. What sets her apart from many others of her ilk is her ability to occasionally produce a catchy hook or two. This is particularly true on "Listen to the Radio," "Outbound Plane," and "Love at the Five and Dime." These are songs that can get your feet tapping while also engaging your frontal lobes. Like most folk singers, Griffith is unafraid to tackle the tough topics, like the failure of the family farm ("Trouble in the Fields"), and the debilitating effects parental racism can have on a child ("It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go"), but she mostly manages to do so without becoming too heavy handed.

Overall, an excellent collection of songs from an underappreciated artist.

Nanci Griffith is an undiscovered country/folk gem. Her voice is as sweet as a honeydew, and she makes you think, even as she's lulling you with a silky melody. MCA Years covers a lot of ground, 18 excellent songs that span most of her career. She sings mostly of the joys and heartaches of the Texas farmland, and of loves remembered, found and lost. But there is never any bitterness, or rancor. You can almost see her half-cocked smile, even as she's making us reach for a hanky or two. "Trouble in the Fields," and "It's a hard life wherever you go" are standouts. "Late Nite Grand Hotel" is eerily familiar without feeling like a rehash, and "Just Another Morning Here" is spiced with pinches of salt and irony. This is a must have for anyone who likes their country a little different, or is a Nanci completist.

Nearly a 5 stars this one, but some tracks don`t have the real x-factor in that department. But, hey. It will give you much musical earbalsam anyway. Nancy Griffith`s voice doesn`t
have the greatest register, and sounds sometimes flat and not very interesting. But when you skip trough this CD, and stop by Track 3. I dont wanna talk about love, it realy moves you, because of it`s smoothness, and the laidback feeling it gets when you listen to it. Quiet is probably the new loud on this one.(I don`t wanna talk about love. Cuz Ive hear it before. And it talk`s too loud, as she sings in the beginning of the song). Other favourites on this rare CD (as i can see you can only buy it second hand here at Amazon) is Listen to the Radio Track 6 and The Ballad So Long Ago shines in that department too. Track 13 Late Night Grande Hotel is anyway
the best ballad on the whole CD, which makes you shiver when you listen to it. Its in there between the Eagles hit: Desperado and other ballads in that area. There are many
ballads on this CD, so if you like Nancy Griffith doing that, this one is for you. As an introduction to Nancy Griffith, this one gives you a starter for more, thats for sure.

After listening to Nanci's wonderful album "Other Voices,Other Rooms" which I reviewed on January 24,2011 ,and her book which I reviewed on January 30,2011;it was very interesting listening to this collection of her songs.While "Other Voices,Other Rooms " is almost totally Nanci and others singing songs that she did not write.As a comparison that collection shows her great versitility with other's songs and really shows what a marvelous singer she is.
This album."The MCA Years-A Retrospective" is 18 songs ,all written by Nanci,except two,"From A Distance" by Julie Gold,and "Deadwood" by Eric Taylor.
So, what you get here, is Nanci singing the songs she wrote,and what is personally important to her.This album was published in 1993 and consists of her music from 1987-1993.Since Nanci was born in 1953 ,these songs are from the period when she was between 34 and 40;in other words her earlier days.Nanci's career started in 1978 when she was 25 ,continuing with a string if songs and albums to the present.Nanci is now a mature Folk Singer at 57.
As with most Folk Singers;their music reflects the times in which they lived,and the concerns they had at the time.Things like wars,human rights such as mixed marriages,gay issues,illegal immigrants,politics,the enviroment ,etc are all concerns that are reflected in their music.
Not everyone,Folksingers,nor their fans,all agree on all issues.This is obvious in the Amazon reviews you will read here on her many albums. The good thing about Folk Music is that one can still enjoy all the music and performers;even though you might not aslways agree on all the positions and ideas.Wouldn't it be a dull world if we all agreed ?
I often wondered if Rodney King was a fan of Folk Music;somehow I doubt it;but he certainly had the spirit when he made that memorable comment;
"Can't we all, just get along."
I've never looked at the world as being Liberal or Conservative;Left or Right;that's for the politicans.What's important to the people is,what's Right and what's Wrong and what' Just and what's Unjust; and in the end what's Good and what's Bad.
That's what the these Folksingers like Nanci are trying to tell us. That's why my favorite photo of Nanci is the one where she's wearing two campain buttons;one saying "LBJ for the U.S.A." and the other saying "Nixon-Agnew".

I AM UPDATING MY ALBUMS FOR VINYL TO cd"S AND AM EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OF ALL THE cd'S PURCHASED, AND THE SHORT LENGTH OF TIME IT HAS TAKEN FOR ME TO RECEIVE EVERRY cd ORDERED THROUGH AMAZON

This Album Has The Most Of Her Great Songs. One Of My Favorites...

I bought this album because I have been a fan of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and others in that vein for years, and I've always heard them compared to Nanci Griffith. This album did not disappoint - it's folky - calming and exciting at the same time, and Nanci shows herself to be a great songwriter, musician, and also a great storyteller with introductions to songs like "Love at the Five and Dime." I'd say this is a must have!

We saw her live last year in Atlanta. This is the next best thing to a live performance. Growing up in west Texas probably wasn't all that different from growing up in northern Louisiana. "Trouble in the Fields" and " Gulf Coast Highway" are my favorite cuts.

Nanci Griffith is one of America's greatest songwriters and singers. A true national treasure. "The MCA Years -- A Retrospective" is a superb collection of some of her finest work. To complement this, I would also recommend Giffith's "Other Voices, Other Rooms."