Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day

Nellie McKay | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B002NOYX3Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,368 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Producing, arranging and performing this album is for McKay the natural outcome of years of enraptured listening to Ms. Day's music. "She was - and still is - ahead of her time". Nellie handpicked these songs from over 600 recordings. McKay has a very special connection to this cultural icon - the # 1 female box office star of all time and one of the most prolific recording artists in history - Nellie received the Doris Day Music Award in 2005 and is one of the few people in the last 30 years to be granted an interview with Ms. Day. Nellie's Verve debut is a sophisticated but accessible recording with spare and tasteful arrangements that clearly put the focus on the songs and McKay's exquisite vocal stylings. McKay's fresh take on this music is smartly delivered with a curtsy to Doris, a nod to convention, and a unique twist all her own. An actress (Theater World Award-winner in Three Penny Opera on Broadway), writer and activist (sharing Ms. Day's passion for the animal welfare movement) Nellie is a welcome addition to the rich legacy of great women artists on Verve.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a beautiful yard sale treasure, these vocals are rare and exquisite October 13, 2009

By Robert Berry

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I popped this in my car stereo hoping to hear a few tracks on the way to work, and because of a super rainstorm induced traffic jam, was able to hear each track in its entirety before I pulled up to the old parking lot. It was good enough to make me want to drive home and hear it all again. A rainy day with Nellie McKay is my idea of heaven. "Normal as Blueberry Pie" is a sultry and fun record that would have fit in perfectly with the '50s, yet is a welcome and gorgeous modern sunbeam in the otherwise murky fog of autotuned garbage that's poured into our ears. On one hand, it's a shame to not enjoy the original songwriting skills of McKay as she's one of the best young scribes out there, but in her hands, the work of Doris Day is simply sublime. There's a love for the source material that's clearly apparent, yet they aren't straight covers, either. Prior McKay collaborator Bob Dorough and other jazz greats provide occasional backup to hold it all together. The cover art is bright and wonderful, as are the interior art surrounding the liner notes featuring a bunch of great vintage outfits she picked up from lord knows where. I recommend picking up the physical CD instead of an iTunes download for that very reason. A must for any fan of Nellie, Doris Day, or good songs in general. Might be a great present for your kid, to show them some music that isn't crappy, too!

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nellie is far from "normal," and that's a good thing! October 13, 2009

By Brad S. Ryan

Format:Audio CD

I am an ardent fan of Nellie McKay's airy voice and quirky, original lyrics. Nellie's talent rises far above the overproduced cesspool that is our modern music industry, and she has produced another gem with "Normal as Blueberry Pie." The one original song on this disc fuses perfectly with the covers Nellie selected from Doris Day's extensive canon. In some respects, Nellie has come full circle from her debut. A critic of her first album, "Get Away From Me," described Nellie's complex persona as a combination of Doris Day and Eminem. Now she has recorded a tribute to Doris Day that few contemporary singers could have pulled off with such a fresh treatment. I hope we get a full disc of Nellie hip hop the next time around to showcase her less misogynistic Eminem side.

"Should have signed with Verve instead of Sony," is a memorable line from her debut disc that highlights another full circle evolution for Nellie now that she really has signed with Verve. "Normal as Blueberry Pie," her Verve debut, is definitively her best work since "Get Away From Me." I hope she has found a record company that will embrace her diverse talents and finally showcase her talents to a larger audience. I played this album for my grandmother and she was immensely moved by a woman my age recording an album that could just have easily been released when she was a little girl. Nellie's universal appeal has never been more apparent, and I think it will prove to be her ticket to greater success. This is an album you must own and share with all generations.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A vacation from the mundane. October 13, 2009

By C. J. Eliassen

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Nellie's ability to take a great song and make it better is beyond explanation. I found my eyes closed in a silent room drifting to a dozens places and times I have only seen in pictures. Most music is something to which I simply listen. Nellie's music I feel.