Customer Reviews

Naked Songs

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

 

 

Naked Songs was my very first experience with Rickie Lee Jones, having been highly recommended by a good friend a few weeks ago. I refrained from starting with the more logical choice of her first album "Rickie Lee Jones," as I suspected that that friend might give me that CD for Christmas (I was right). As a result, it is possibly that my rating is skewed because this is my first contact with R.L.J. and therefore I am rating her against all the other music I've heard, rather than against herself. I cannot speak to the quality of "Naked Songs" in comparison to her other work, but I will say "Naked Songs" is one of the best CDs I've ever heard.

As others have noted, at first I was put off by her voice. Initially, it seemed too loud and a little annoying, but the rhythm of "Young Blood" and the lyrics and melody of "Altar Boy" caught me, and I kept listening. It took a couple of times through the CD, but I have since fallen in love with CD. The more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with other songs that I used to be tempted to skip over and am now instead tempted to put on "repeat." Without a doubt, this is a CD that bears multiple listenings and grows rather than shallows the more you hear it, in my opinion the sign of true quality in a record. Most notably, the songwriting, in terms of both lyrics and music, is incredible throughout.

Rickie Lee Jones is an artist worth looking into. I'm sorry that so few people today seem to have even heard of her. I find myself wanting to make friends sit down and check this CD out. Hopefully you will give her music a chance as well.

i thought it was funny -that the one star review, the person from Maine, who said that they thought the musicians on this record hadn't practiced. that is probably true, seeing as it's a SOLO record, and there were no other musicians!
uh?
One of the things that are valuable about this recording is that you can hear traces of roots, and that's always fun. I hear little Curtis Mayfield in Youngblood. And the solo interpretation of Flying Cowboys, which was so great with the band, is very moving here on twelve string. all the emotion in the world springing up suddenly, and then the calm, odd, amazing voice just speaks the words. an uncomprimising spirit, this really is naked songs, and not just solo recordings.

At first, her little-girl voice can be a bit off-putting--at least I used to think so. Jones herself once commented on the first time she ever heard her own recorded voice in a studio demo; "I sang 'Nights In White Satin' and when they played it back, it sounded like the young Michael Jackson singing 'Nights In White Satin'." But this live set shows that this lady has a gift for songwriting, as well as a gift for choosing offbeat but great cover material to do (such as the finale "Autumn Leaves"). On her "Pop Pop" effort, she does a killer version of the jazz classic "Dat Dere"--I suggest you look that disc up while you're on "dis here" site. But the blockbuster on this album is the gritty "Altar Boy". The one-woman/ one-guitar version of it here, sung in a hushed voice, focuses you more on the lyrics than its original on "Traffic From Paradise", where the scraping pizzicatto strings might tend to get in the way. And it's especially relevant today, given the boom in media coverage of sex abuse by clergy nowadays. So don't let first impressions of Jones fool you--this lady with the childish voice can sing and write with attitude. After all, Neil Young and Tom Waits both have technically horrible voices and look at their stuff. Listen to what she sings instead of how she sings it, and you're more than halfway there.

When I first listened to this CD I was stunned at how well Rickie Lee was able to maintain the intensity of her music, without electronics. Piano Guitar and Rickie. Whew.

Sadly the only thing missing from the songs was "Easy Money" but there are selections from most of her albums that anyone who is familiar with her will recognize and love. "NightTrain" and "Skeletons" are especially haunting and lovely. "Living it up" and "We Belong Together" are nicely arranged but are the type of songs that need that extra little push that horns give a song.

All in all, anyone who loves Rickie Lee Jones will love this CD. Anyone who doesn't know Rickie Lee Jones would be well advised to give this a try and listen to this white girl because she sings from her heart and soul

"Naked Songs" is not an automobile driving, white wine, fireplace, easy listening made for radio slick studio masterpiece. It's a raw Rickie playing more loose like you'd hear in a library,coffehouse or bedroom. I respect artists who'll take a one time risk, especially in Pop Music. It would be awfully boring if a musician played the same on every album. This is Rickie's unplugged and I found hearing these songs in an impromptu style (like Elvis in the square in 68) made for interesting listening, not to be compared to the originals. On "Naked Songs" she's real,raw, and gutsy playing her heart out. It's a Rickie Lee like I've never heard before and one of the best pieces of music she's ever put down on disc. If you like this type of music I also recommend checking out The Beach Boys "Party", Michelle Shocked "Texas Campfire Tapes", Patty Griffin and Brother Yusef.

Rickie Lee does these songs the right way. Using her voice, piano and guitar, Rickie make these songs much more personal.
I can't keep my copies of this album. Lend it out and it's gone.
If I only had one album by Rickie Lee, this would be the one.

This is a lady of considerable talent, as a unique lyricist, a musician, and fetching expressive vocalist. Ricki Lee Jones' lyrics always capture me with the puzzles she builds, casting her songs with odds and ends of the people in her life, and using slang and insider terms. The lyrics evoke thrown together parties in back street dumps, full of fun and consequences. Her voice has the cracky vulnerable sound of both seduction, hang-over, and mourning.

I gave the CD 4 because I actually like the full recordings with back-up musicians and back-up vocals, but here she collects her finest work and the lyrics come out of the speakers and grab you in this format.

"The Horses" remains one of her most beautiful compositions and makes a strong beginning to this CD. Much like her song "Magazine" the undertone of sadness is broken with a drifting catchy melody.

"It Must be Love" and "Young Blood" certainly come off diferently without all the background musicians supporting the efforts. These fast moving works, like "Living it Up", "We Belong Together", and "Chuck E's in Love", have such a casual live-and-let live lacidasical luster.

"The Last Chance Texaco" has some of the most powerful, clever and revealing lyrics Ricki has written. I found the lyrics to be jam-packed with double and triple meanings.

"Skeletons" remains such a tragic and sad piece of work. Like many of her songs, folks on the edge get by with little but hold together through it all by holding onto each other.

The CD is longer than most CDs as Ricki puts 15 of her best works in non-rushed style all in one package.

One of the brilliant talents RLJ has demonstrated is her ability to weave multi-layed themes into imaginative and thoughtful music (eg The Magazine). I'm a serious fan of her first 4 or 5 records. I'm not impressed at all with this minimalist effort. It sounds to me like the players have barely even bothered to practice for the performance. As much as I appreciate her abilites, I get the impression that this cd was just a way to cash in on previous efforts. Very disappointing.