Customer Reviews

Petra Haden & Bill Frisell

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

(4 & 1/2 stars) This is a quiet but mighty collection of songs made by two extraordinary musicians. I've enjoyed Petra's sweet, girlish vocals since the earliest days of That Dog, and Mr. Frisell's guitar work has been making me happy over the course of many years, especially his series of "Americana" CDs. (His collaborations with Petra's dad Charlie have also been most fruitful.) On this new CD, Petra & Bill have achieved a winning combination of voice and guitar, enhanced on occasion by Petra's violin and a tasteful level of overdubbing and sound loops. The CD consists mostly of cover tunes, with two original instrumentals (one each by Haden & Frisell). I appreciated the wide-ranging selection of source material - from Tuva throat-singing to Foo Fighters to Gershwin and beyond. One of the best things about the disc is that the two artists consistently abandon previous interpretations of these songs to come up with their own completely original versions. This album is just a delight from start to finish!

I bought this in March, at the same time as "The Who Sell Out." However, I had such a strong reaction to that one that, in fairness to Ms. Haden, I wanted to wait a few months before rating this one.

I'm glad I did. While I have given both 4 stars, I like this album more; whereas that one was a "soft 4", this one is a "high four."

What I don't like about this one: Ms. Haden has a thin, not fully mature-sounding voice. With the exception of "When You Wish Upon a Star", her voice robs her of the ability to put emotional coloration into her music and really interpret it. It's not so noticeable on songs like "I Don't Want to Grow Up." It's very noticeable on songs like "I've Got a Crush On You." She either needs to avoid "torch songs" like this, or get a vocal coach really to get her diaphragm going.

What I do like about this one: The arrangements. Ms. Haden's vocal dubbings, so as to add harmonies, and violin fills are very complementary of the music. And Mr. Frisell's choices of guitars adds a nice variety of colorations to the tunes.

What I really like about this one: Bill Frisell. Bill Frisell can say more with one note than just about any other musician around. Listen to what he does with "Moon River", for example, and you'll hear what I mean. And his acoustic guitar background to the folksong, "John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man" really reminds me of the archetypal American guitar minimalist, John Fahey.

All in all, recommended. RC

A bunch of beautifully rendered covers, from Coldplay's "Yellow" to Stevie Wonder's "I Believe". Petra Haden's voice is reserved but nonetheless unfailingly expressive. I normally find Bill Frisell too chilly, but Haden's singing makes his playing much more appealing. What I like most about her voice and singing, I think, is that they're utterly without affectation or distracting mannerisms; as a result, she sounds unlike anyone else. I can't wait for her recreation of "The Who Sell Out". (And now that I've waited -- this is far better.)

Wow - I got this CD from the record label's website and what an unbelievable amount of labor of love that was put into this release. The album opens with Elliot Smith's "Satellite" and then is followed by a great rendition of the Foo Fighters' "Floaty" which is one of my favorite Dave Grohl songs. Petra's take of Coldplay's "Yellow" is surprisingly in tune and Petra shines on Stevie Wonder's "I Believe". One of the most amazing Cds I have found by accident in a long long time! Buy this CD - you won't be disappointed!

it certainly seems like an evil alliance: a vocalist/violinist known for her quirky pop sensibility and rather unspectacular voice and a guitarist known for doing as much genre-bending as any artist since john zorn (who he played with). but they pulled it off.

now admittedly this album isn't for everyone. it requires a sort of melancholy mood. but it's perfect for those late night relaxations after a long day at work.

i especially like the cover of coldplay's 'yellow' (a song which i never really liked until i heard this version). also the version of stevie wonder's 'i believe' is spectacular. these two artists have put their own spin on these songs. their originality rivals the recent johnny cash cover albums (r.i.p.).

i recommend this disc. it's a good one.

This music is simply gorgeous. Petra Haden's vocals remind me a bit of those of Elizabeth Fraser of the (equally sublime) Scottish band, the Cocteau Twins, though perhaps a more Americanized sounding version. Here she puts her vocal talents to very good use, with extraordinary input from the great musician Bill Frisell. The combined effect makes for a wonderful, warm, continuously listenable recording, one I will be listening to for years to come. I particularly like their take on "I don't want to grow up," a song the Ramones rocked; here, the song is rendered into a lullaby.

I've been listening to Bill Frisell for years. Some of his "doodles" and "zigzags" don't appeal to me, and some of his blues rock doesn't stand out from the crowd, but his country/folk and ambient work (e.g. "Family) sets his music off into the realm of "art."

So it was my search for more Bill Frisell art that led me to this collaborative effort with Petra Haden. I like the album. Petra's vocals are good but not great. It has made me itch for a more satisfying piece of art.

I'm waiting for Bill to line up a different vocalist(or set of vocalists). Petra, do you have the vision and ability to put out another album that exceeds what you've done here with Bill?

A sweet, pure, voice, singing songs which bring out Petra's fresh qualities. A little reminiscent of Hailey Westnera's Pure. Hopefully this is a springboard to more mature quality as she goes beyond this and "The Who sell out"

This is another winning performance from Bill Frisell. Petra Haden is the nominal leader here, and the album reflects her musical personality. It is superior to her earlier solo effort, which had some very nice pieces but was almost too esoteric for extended listening. Frisell has accompanied singer/songwriters on numerous projects over the last few years, but this is his best work in that regard. The album has a very intimate quality that works well with the songs chosen. Their version of "Moon River" is the first I've heard to re-capture the girlish innocence portrayed by Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's."

Petra Haden has a lovely voice, but then, so do thousands of other singers out there. What she doesn't have is a unique style, or a way of interpeting music that makes you say yeah, that's Petra Haden, the way you might say hey, that's Sinatra, or that 's Sarah Vaughn.

The choice of songs is ecelectic, you might say, in that there's no unifying theme. Frisell is always brilliant, but here he's mainly just an accompanist- something he does as brilliantly as his solo work- but it's not the sort of unique style that might draw someone to a Frisell record.

What we're left with is a collection of pop songs done more than competantly, but in a way that just left we wondering why they bothered.