Oh Susanna

Oh Susanna | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 16, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk
• ASIN: B0000C3I8D
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,125 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, if not hugely distinctive, female country., July 17, 2004

By 

D. Mok (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Oh Susanna (Audio CD)

To be honest, I had no idea whether Oh Susanna was a band, a person, or a one-off music collective. I bought this record because it was in the bargain bin and because it was produced by Colin Cripps, whose live work with Kathleen Edwards had blown away. Oh Susanna turns out to be one of those solo artists masquerading as a band (eg. PJ Harvey).

The artist in question, Suzie Ungerleider, wrote most of the songs and sings and plays guitar on the record. While I don't find this record hugely memorable or different, say in the way Neko Case is, it is also a solid record with no real weaknesses. The songs are pretty punchy, and Ungerleider's singing has enough gusto to it (her vibrato is especially attractive to the ear) to help mask the fact that the songs just aren't that impressive, though they're also far from bad.

My reaction to this record may be due to the fact that I'm not a big fan of country music in general, usually finding country a little same-sounding. It takes a great deal to transcend the genre's limitations (eg. Case, Emmylou Harris) and Ungerleider doesn't quite do so. I guess I just look for more emotional weight in my listening tastes. However, Oh Susanna remains a pleasant record, and if you're into this kind of purist country sound, you'll probably like this record a lot more than I do.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Americana (sorry, Canadiana) at its best, July 10, 2004

By 

Vito Minerva (Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oh Susanna (Audio CD)

I bought this CD in Italy (sorry Amazon, but you step in when the music I'm looking for doesn't reach my shores). To understand the quality of this music, suffice it to say that the latest Patty Griffin album is not distributed in my country. While I'm not saying that Oh Susanna, also known off-stage as Suzie Ungerleider, is better than Patty (in my opinion, she isn't), nonetheless she isn't getting the attention she deserves, especially from the US market.
But then, what does she have to offer? This album is a full-band effort, with hints of country, folk and acoustic rock thrown in it. Or, put in another way, imagine a more versatile Kathleen Edwards with less grit and more power in her voice. Now, if you get the comparison, you know pretty well what to expect from this album (but on a better level).
And the album offers a wide variety of skills indeed: the radio-friendly rock tune from the 60's, with a nice "saloon piano" accompaniment ("Right By Your Side", which is about driving the interstate to get to the loved one), the slow piano-based song about a heroin-addicted friend who didn't fulfil his dreams in his new adopted country ("Billy"), the gorgeous cover of Dylan ("I'll keep it with mine"), the post-9/11 song, which distinguishes between the grief at the victims ("when I saw those towers tumble you know I got down on my knees and prayed") and the political responsibilities ("Hey Mr. Politician, you say that it is time to fight this holy war, but I don't need no television to see one is raging out my back door)". By the way, this song has a nice melody, in stark (and, I'd say, baffling) contrast to its grievous theme.
To complete the list, the slow ballads "Mama" and "The One", the straight-from-the-70s rock of "Little White Lies" and the "countrified" "Carrie Lee" also deserve a mention. In fact, this is one of those rare albums you can listen to from start to finish.
However, my favourite song remains "Down by the Quarry", which is, let me say that, Appalachian folk on steroids. While the dragging of vowels into a dirge-like singing complies with the tradition, the lush instrumentation, the bawdy lyrics ("my white breast is your rightful quarry") and the use of piano are a welcome departure from it, resulting in the song's appeal. The only drawback: the backing vocals by Kathleen Edwards (yes, Kathleen Edwards) are overwhelmed by the instruments.
In all, it's a four-star album. It's good, but it still lacks something to enter the Pantheon. Anyway, it's worth its price; so, be one of the first Americans to discover this great Canadian singer/songwriter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Effort, July 6, 2005

By 

Sigmund - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oh Susanna (Audio CD)

This is one of the rare cases where I think the prior reviews of this record really nail it. This is a good but not great collection of songs. Most of them lack that something special that transcends the rather ordinary soulful country sound and production. I too bought the album because of the producer who has done outstanding work with Kathleen Edwards and married her as well. The Ontario musicians are all first rate as any fan of the area's music can attest but again most of the songs are a little flat.

There are some outstanding tracks however beginning with the Dylan cover and including "Little White Lies", "Down By The Quarry" and "Billy". Ms Ungerleider deserves to be heard and I look forward to exploring more of her music.