Customer Reviews

Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I'm an early fan of Nellie. Nothing like her energy and in-your-face assertiveness can come close to her. She is a brilliant instinctive songwriter and singer. She's not nearly at that celestial level on piano (she's good, only not like Judith Hill, closer to pop divas Alicia Keyes and Imogen Heap). She is determinedly idiosyncratic - she has a particular affinity for conservative 50's swing. She is a charismatic performer (honed, like Bette Midler, at gay nightclubs). Her earlier albums were full of clever music ideas and witty hooks, and her growth as an artist in the past has included distinguished undertakings in theater and film, while her songwriting has not matured. But it's been a stressful passage, and she's feisty and brave; like the Dixie Chicks, she took on Columbia Records and won...sort of.

1) This album was a very good idea. Nellie's kind of played out the role of intimidatingly brilliant ingénue, and this showcases her vocal talents better, I think, than most of her own songs do (maybe because in her own songs, you have to keep a close eye out for irony, word-play, and acerbic sarcasm...and here, she doesn't need either).

Doris Day is a great choice for a retro album, partly because she, like Nellie, was smarter than most of the girls, and had to play the roles of big band girl singer, dumb pretty blonde, and undergo all the sexual harassment that was endemic for women in that era and industry. She sued her corrupt management, and won.

Underneath the 50s veneer, Day was a magnificent stylist in both big band and mainstream pop - "Sentimental Journey" and "Secret Love." Nellie's style evokes Doris Day without imitating her. Unfortunately "Secret Love" is not on this compendium. There's a reason for this, I think: McKay has chosen to do a kind of, well, consciously *jazz* version of the songs. That's unfortunate, because while she has great vocal instincts, the songs are poorly accompanied (e.g., "Mean To Me" has a delicious vocal, but is overpowered by gratuitous, busy guitar fills). In other words, she has bad taste.

2) If she was going to do this album, I wish she had gotten an arranger, a la Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle, rather than getting studio musician odds and ends together and improvising head arrangements in the studio. (If her accompanist were Les Paul or Joe Pass or their ilk, that would be different. But then she would have had to trust herself to a real producer and/or arranger.)

And it seems Nellie won't let anyone have any creative role in her records. It has to be PLAYED by her, ARRANGED by her, and PRODUCED by her. In other words, she has bad taste, doesn't appreciate the value of a good arrangement or top studio musicians, AND insists that everything be done her way. Here, that way seems to be low-budget jazz combos.

Doris Day would have demanded strings, or maybe just a better producer. Nellie McKay seems determined to have neither. Reluctance to collaborate with better, more experienced musicians is not a sign of maturity.

When Nellie grows up, she will be a powerful presence in pop music.

Nellie NcKay's tribute to the great Doris Days honors a legend in the most fitting way possible, with a beautiful, accomplished set of songs performed in her own unique style. McKay understands something that most of us have forgotten, i.e., that beyond the movie megastar and singer of show tunes, Doris Day was one of the most ravishing singers of her day, a great vocalist whose music has been undeservedly forgotten. I personally know of no one of her era who could create a greater sense of personal intimacy in song than Day at her best. She possessed a crystal, bell-like quality to her voice. Musical notes slipped from her lips as easily as breath itself, a silken ribbon of sound with the quality of gold dust dancing in the sun. God bless Nellie McKay for reminding us afresh of just how wonderful she was.

As I listened to "Identity Theft" from the album "Obligatory Villagers" (2007), I said, "Wow! If ever there is an artist who would never do a tribute to Doris Day, much less name it 'Normal As Blueberry Pie,' Nellie McKay is the one!"

(Well, no, I didn't say that. But if the subject had come up at that time, I most certainly would have!)

And, here we are....

It is clear, however, that this is not a tongue-in-cheek, pseudo-hip tribute, but a genuine, loving one. The liner notes and cover make it clear: Doris Day, above all else, was an animal rights activist; and judging from the cover and from the quotes in the notes, from Buddha and Einstein to Dick Gregory and Bill Maher, Nellie McKay is as well.

I love this tribute! Each song is a soundscape in and of itself. We have the calliope feel of "The Very Thought of You"; the dreamscapes of "Meditation" and "I Remember You"; the Dixieland rag of "Do Do Do"; the Indian flute of "Black Hills of Dakota"; the hard swing of the infectious "Dig It" (a neglected Johnny Mercer tune); the hoedown feel of "Crazy Rhythm" (complete with Nellie "shooing" away that darned rhythm); the country-porch feel of "Mean to Me"; the dreamy vocal McKay original, "If I Ever Had a Dream"; and the swingingest version ever of "Close Your Eyes." Major kudos to the producers, who just happen to be - Nellie McKay (and Robin Pappas).

And the thing I admire about this recording, above all, is Ms. McKay's artistry. I love her choice of instruments that she plays throughout - for example, the liner notes don't say "Jamaican steel drum," but the synthesizer on "Sentimental Journey" sounds just like one. And in this recording, she rounds her voice consistently so as to affect a pitch-perfect, vibratoless tone. She apes Doris Day's wide-eyed innocence without mocking it.

This is one of the most fun albums in years. It is as tasty as Boston Cream Pie. To all involved in this project - well done!! RC

I got this CD as a gift, recommended by NPR. I like many tracks quite a bit. However, I don't find this outstanding in a way that merits 5 stars. I really like McKay's voice. However, please allow me a few mildly negative remarks, which I am sure ardent fans will not find "useful." I write them in order to guide folks who may not be familiar with Ms. McKay's music.

When I think of Doris Day, I think of a vibrant, happy, spunky woman-in spite of whatever reality might have been. The many pictures that adorn the liner would suggest the same of McKay. The visual art is highly incongruous with the mood of the singing, which is bluesy and dreamy. Given my expectations, I found that some of the interpretations were joyless. McKay's style in itself is actually quite good. I think the mismatch between expectations and music diminished my initial listening pleasure. However, the more I listen, the more I appreciate the vocals, as they stand on their own merits.

The musical arrangements are not nearly as strong as the vocals and range from good to passable. Aside from their musical qualities, these arrangements result in some interesting harmonics (especially from the horns) that tend to interfere with McKay's voice on my high-end audio system but sound much better from my computer's built-in speakers. Go figure.

Nellie McKay certainly has talent; and I like that she did this tribute to the great Doris Day. Nellie's voice is in excellent form on this album; her voice is as clear as a bell and her sophisticated phrasing is impressive as always. The songs flow well into each other to make this a cohesive album; and it's a satisfying emotional experience as well. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is grand.

There are several tracks on the album that stick out and really impress me, although they all have their charms. "The Very Thought of You" has a creative arrangement that is easy on the ear--what percussion, too! Nevertheless, the musicians never even try to steal the show from Nellie; she remains squarely in the spotlight which is perfect. "Do Do Do" just plain sounds good; and I like Nellie's treatment of "(I'm In Love with a) Wonderful Guy" from the musical "South Pacific." Nellie's excellent diction enhances her performance all the more.

"Mean to Me;" "Crazy Rhythm;" "If I Ever Had a Dream" and "Dig It" are nothing short of sublime. These four numbers are more than worth the price of admission alone! I love it; these tunes have great arrangements that fit perfectly with Nellie's vocals. "Send Me No Flowers" is gorgeous--Nellie makes this shine and I think you'll like her rendition of this song.

The CD ends with "I Remember You." This romantic, sentimental tune is especially lovely and memorable; and it also gives the album a solid closing number.

Nellie McKay certainly does justice to Doris Day even as she reworks these classic songs a bit to put her own stamp on them. Anyone who enjoys classic pop vocals with creative, appealing and stirring new twists is sure to love this album.

What a formidable album!! I'd just heard her live on tour for the Normal As Blueberry Pie release and had long before wanted the cd, but oh what a charming collection. Nellie McKay is as good on stage as she is in the studio. And her approach to Doris Day tunes serves both as an homage, but also as reinstatement of classic torch singing and soft elegance. The covered Doris Day I expected to hear was not there, but all for the better. Nellie McKay avoids all of the overdone Day pieces, selecting works that go back far before her Que Sera, Sera era. McKay channels through musical time periods with aplomb, while ever so gently showing her gratitude to her hero through excellent renditions. McKay also uses some instruments that become a more contemporary feather-in-the-cap of the songs. All-in-all an excellent album. It proves McKay's breadth as a consummate performer and singer. Some people may feel the return to yesteryear's music means Nellie has lost her much lauded acerbic tongue and wit. Not so. If anything, she shown us how important a bit of old school syncopation can be in an era of engineered music. Even my relatives couldn't stop listening!

Nellie McKay can really sing whether it is her own music or all the way back to Doris Day. this CD is a gem!!!!!