Customer Reviews

I Never Learned to Swim: Best of Jill Sobule

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This "best of" collection is a good way to enjoy the wide variety of Jill Sobule's music. It contains a good cross-section of her wit and musical styles, which range from stories like "Margaret" to the haunting "Houdini's Box".

The liner notes include a brief comment by Sobule about each song. For example, about "Resistance Song": "Every record of mine must have at least one WWII reference."

Two of the songs, "Big Shoes" and "Smoke Dreams", were previously unreleased. "Big Shoes" is a tale of a young girl teased about her orthopedic shoes. But leave your angst at the door. It's light-hearted and easy to relate to for anyone teased as a child.

"Stoned Soul Picnic" was the only Sobule track on a Laura Nyro tribute collection. "Bitter", "When My Ship Comes In" and "Love Is Never Equal" are from the increasingly hard to find "Happy Town" album. And, of course, it contains her popular single, "I Kissed A Girl".

This is a great introduction to Sobule's work or a good way to have some of her best in one convenient package.

This is probably the best "Best of..." cd I have heard in quite some time. Jill has included all of her best stuff here, plus some really cool new songs and rarities. Of the new songs, I really enjoy "Smoke Dreams" and "Big Shoes". They are quite different songs, but both are excellently performed and written. Also included is Jill's cover of Laura Nyro's classic, "Stone Soul Picnic". INCREDIBLE! Jill really knows how to cover a song! Most of these songs were already released on other cds. Included is Jill's biggest hit, "I Kissed a Girl", from her self-titled album. There is also "Bitter" and "When my Ship Comes In" from the album "Happy Town", plus the gorgeous "Mexican Wrestler" from her latest effort, "Pink Pearl". All of the songs on the cd are wonderful, and flow beautifully. However, I do wish that Jill would have included a few live cuts. The only way to experience Jill is to see her live. Catch a show, if you can, and discover one of America's best-kept secrets!

Oh, and don't forget to take a look at the liner notes. HILARIOUS! Jill gives us all of the lyrics to the songs, plus little anecdotes about the songs themselves. There is some really funny stuff in there. Jill probably has the best sense of humor of anybody in the biz!

This collection of songs is an excellent introduction to Jill Sobule and a great overview of the material that Jill is known for - catchy melodies, arrangements that range from intimate to highly detailed, entertaining subject matter, and humorous social commentary. Most of these tracks are from Jill's four CD releases, with three other tracks added, opening with a wonderful cover of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" and including a rowdy large-group version of "Big Shoes," a frequently-requested live-show favorite about one of Jill's more woeful adolescent experiences.

Attempting to categorize Jill's talent would require way too many words. Hearing her music is undemanding and fun. Seeing her play live is always a treat. Meeting her after the show brings home what a genuinely giving person she is. Her indifference to celebrity and sensitivity to the human condition makes her regular people, except that she writes great songs about what it's like to see everything going on around us.

This collection lets the listener see just a little bit of what Jill is capable of, with the promise of more treasures in wait. And, if you bring your CD to her show, she'll autograph it for you.

For those of you who have the Jill collection, this is a must have...as "Big Shoes" has finally come uptown. And never before has Jill recorded a blues/jazz masterpiece with her own personal trademark of angst...mystically painted through the lyrics of "Smoke Dreams". No Jill CD in your changer? Then this is the one to give you all the flavors of the rainbow called "Jill". You will experience the happy, the sad, the joy, the sorrow, the pain...and most of all, the power of love this wonderful artist unselfishly shares so intimately through her song. Don't let the diminutive physique fool you. The power of Jill's voice both physically and emotionally will blow you away!

"I Never Learned To Swim" is an absolute must for every CD collector who likes listening to a a great singer performing songs with a catchy melody and good lyrics.

You don't know Jill Sobule's great music at all ? There is no better way than this CD to see how great her music is and which broad variety of styles and moods she represents.

You know some of her fantastic songs yet ? Then you also need to get this, really being a best-of-CD of hers. Every song on "I Never Learned To Swim" is a treasure.

Many people know her hit "I Kissed A Girl" but Jill Sobule has showed various styles: "Bitter" rocks, "Houdini's Box" has a smooth style and the person in this song is shown to be scared and vulnerable by the style of performance, "Claire" has a very funny mood, "Big Shoes" is a really catchy pop song, listening to "Smoke Dreams" you think of being in a good Jazz Bar....... - every song has a special mood, every song has intersting lyrics and you will be listening very often to this CD, because it's great music !

My only problem regarding this CD is: there are much more than 15 great songs Jill Sobule has released so far - you will need to buy more of her CD's if you have listened to "I Never Learned To Swim".

Jill Sobule, who back in 1995, graced the airwaves with I Kissed A Girl, the first openly lesbian love song to become a top 40 hit, and has never looked back since then, has a greatist hits compilation out, I Never Learned To Swim. Opening with Stoned Soul Picnic, a cover of the late great Laura Nyro's 1968 hit, through songs from all four of her albums, she demonstrates why she's one of the best singer/songwriters working today. And the two new songs on the album, Big Shoes, about being picked of for being different, and Smoke Dreams, a fantasy about the 1920's,meet the standard set by the older songs, wonderfully humorious, sensitve, insightful, instant classics. Buy it, you won't be dissapointed. And if you like what you hear here, buy her other albums, Things here Are Different, her second self-titled one, Happytown, and Pink Pearl.

Absolutely a must have CD. Jill's relative obscurity is an embarassment to the American music industry. This is the type of uplifting, creative, original music that should be an example for all aspiring young artists. Buy this CD NOW and strike a blow against the mass market morons and Britney Spearites of the world!!! Jill's music reminds me of something from a contemporary musical like RENT, each song providing a brief peek into Jill's life. Let's hope their are more artists like Jill Sobule out there lurking.

I was initially hesitant about a 'best of' CD from Jill Sobule, but I am ecstatic with the results. It starts with a rarity cover that is so inviting and follows through with a carefully arranged assemblage of tunes from her four previous albums and two new songs. The two newly released songs include, "Big Shoes", a favorite from her live shows, and "Smoke Dreams" ends the album in dreamy bliss. I've listened to this CD constantly since I bought it. I'd recommend this for anyone interested in inspiring pop music.

It never fails to amaze me about the quality and quantity of truly unique, fun, insightfull, and infectious songs that Jill Sobule can produce. Her songs spring forth with intelligence and mischief, hummability and depth. This CD contains the breath and depth of the song magic that she weaves. From the obviously essential novelty hit "I Kissed a Girl" to the pop leanings of "Claire" and the thoughful "Resistance Song". Her takes on the covers of "Heroes" and "Stone Soul Picnic" are a delight. Can't recommend her enough. Don't miss her in concert either to experience her pixy magic!

This disc, a compilation of some of Jill Sobule's best work, is simply hard to take out of the CD player. It's that good. Her musical styles range from folky accoustic to some fairly edgy power pop, but what makes this disc a standout is the sense of intelligence and wit that pervades both the lyrics and the vocal delivery. If you know Jill Sobule, you know her from "I Kissed a Girl," a delightful little pop tune. But listen further and you get gems like "Karen By Night," "Heroes," "Big Shoes" and so many more. There's only one reason Jill Sobule has not become a big star -- her music is too intelligent for traditional radio airplay. So you'll have to discover her for yourself. Start with this disc and go from there.