Customer Reviews

Marie-Lynn Hammond & Vignettes

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Nobody is as unique and mystifying as Marie-Lynn Hammond. Her lyrics belong to four different personalities (funny, grievous, satirical and esoteric). Ms. Hammond has an endearing and wondrous voice and her music is enchanting. The subjects of her songs are vast and she is a cerebral lyricist. We highly recommend music fans to also purchase her dynamic Pegasus CD and her delightfully enigmatic Impromptu CD. Ms. Hammond is also a reporter and she writes plays and other literary genres. She loves cats and horses. She joins KD Lang, K-OS, Mae Moore, Reid Jamieson and Bryan Adams as being strict vegetarians who dine on meatless cuisine in Canada and wherever else they venture !

This is a repackaging of two long out of print LPs. Marie-Lynn is another one of those singers who's never achieved the commercial success (or widespread distribution) that her work deserves. Call her a folk artist for lack of a better word, but her music covers a such a wide range that it's impossible to pigeon-hole (which, sadly, probably contributes to her lack of commercial success).

Fans of this album would also enjoy her other two re-issues: "Impromptu" and "Black & White and Shades of Grey". Plus, she was a founding member and player (in the 70's & mid 80's) in the Canadian social activist / folk group Stringband - all their albums are long out of print but they just (Sept. 2002) released an anthology retrospective CD titled "Indispensible Stringband".

Amazon has never carried Marie Lynn's other CDs, but they can be obtained direct from her website, marielynnhammond.com, which also contains links to the Stringband site.

This disk is listed as "folk," and I feel that it is much more than that. Don't expect music like the 1960's group Ian and Sylvia. The music is in many ways similar, but yet conveys so much more. Marie-Lynn Hammond's voice is more beautiful and versatile than that of Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, or Sarah Brightman. It is a wonderfully expressive voice. The lyrics appeal both to the head and the heart. They include many shared experiences with which one can readily identify.

This CD is an anthology covering a range from folk, blues, country, French chanson and valse, biographical ballad, to a lot of things that are just plain fun. Well written and wonderfully delivered.

I could have seen MLH at the Vancouver World's Fair back in '86, but I had to go to the Norwegian pavillion to check out the dogsled Amundsen reached the South Pole on. Fortunately, my wife bought the Vignettes LP there, and so for 15 years I had the pleasure of some of her music. Then 15 years later I'm listening to her one day, when I decide to see if there's anything else available by her. Good decision! Long story short: Go visit MLH's website and get everything she has available, then link up from there to Bob Bossin (her old partner in Stringband) and get everything he has of his own and of Stringband. The Indispensable Stringband is the BEST CD I HAVE BOUGHT IN 10 YEARS, and their solo CDs are maybe just a half step behind. Both of these folks are great musicians and phenomenal songwriters.