Customer Reviews

Play It As It Lays

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Would I have ever heard of Patti Scialfa, much less bought a CD by her, were I not already a fan of her husband and his famous backing band? Probably not (although I have to admit that I'm not much of a fan of some of the other Jersey Shore bands who were brought to my attention because of their affiliations with or support from Bruce Springsteen). But that doesn't change the fact that this is an excellent album that demonstrates what a powerful and literate singer/songwriter Patti is. She seems to have toned down the vibratto in her vocals that many people find annoying, and her singing has a definite edge and roughness that fits the material very well. She reminds me of a cross between Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, but creates a style that stands on its own independent of any comparisons. "Waiting for Elvis" would make a very good single if artists of Patti and her husband got any regular radio airplay anymore, but the whole album is very accessible and listenable with no filler to be found. I would love to see Patti on her own tour, or have her sing some of these songs on an E Street Band tour. I'd also like for Bruce and Patti to do a "duet" album together, rather than just making background appearances on one another's records. Live renditions of songs like "Mansion on the Hill" and "If I Should Fall Behind" prove that they have great chemistry and that they can achieve gorgeous harmonies. Regardless of your opinions about Bruce Springsteen, however, don't let your views about how she may have gotten a recording contract jade you or prevent you from enjoying what is a genuinely fine album.

Give Patti the attention she is due!!! This new CD is clearly another outstanding example of Patti's gift, in her own right, as singer and songwriter! Simply put, I LOVE IT!

Beautifully crafted tunes with real lyrics, and layered musical composition, Patti delivers her own magic with her unique style. Upbeat and rocking or pensive and introspective, she draws you in and takes you on her journeys. This is one smart and sensitive woman who embraces her experiences and shares them with us through her music! How lucky we are!

"Play It As It Lays", the CD and the song itself, is full of promise and wisdom - "Like Any Woman Would" - boy can I relate...

Messages full of fire and grace, Patti puts it down for all to hear and you won't be sorry for the listening!!! Oh yes, and the band is full of amazing talent as well!!!

So listen up and beware the nay-sayers who judge her on anything other than her own musical merits!

Thank you, Patti, for a great ride!

I was so excited to find out that Patti Scialfa was releasing a third CD, that I was worried I might be disappointed ultimately. Not to worry. This is a fantastic CD. With each CD, she changes her perspective some. "23rd Street Lullaby" was told by a woman looking back at her past and how that past had helped to make her the person she had become. On "Play it As It Lays," the woman is a little more world-weary, battered around by life and love, but still optimistic. Her lyrics are like poetry and reflect some of the very things I, a long-married, middle aged mother of teenagers, often think about my life and relationships. She's really put my thoughts into words, and done it beautifully. Also, I love her singing voice; it's tender and tough, playful and sad. Extremely interesting. Like her famous husband said, it's "sawdust and sugar."

Favorite tracks are "Looking for Elvis," "Like Any Woman Would," "Town Called Heartbreak, "Run,Run,Run," and the hauntingly beautiful "Play It As It Lays." I love the message of "Play It As It Lays," that no relationship is perfect, you take the good with the bad and because you love the person, you play it as it lays. The chorus is so beautiful.

I highly recommend this CD. Also recommend Rumble Doll and 23rd Street Lullaby.

PS--I don't know how anyone can say they cannot understand the lyrics. I had no trouble. What I heard was eloquent. I also don't see how anyone can say she wouldn't have a recording contract if it weren't for Bruce. She had this contract BEFORE she was even involved with Bruce, i.e. since the early 1980s.

Patti's CD is both soulful and sassy. Her gifted talents as a musician, songwriter, and producer reveal her unique style and ability to write songs that draw us in. I absolutely love "Play It As It Lays " and "Play Around" but I find that all of her songs combined with her beautiful, dynamic voice, make listening to such great fun. She is a rare musician who sings and speaks to us straight from the heart and truly reflects her genuine nature. This CD proves that it is about time Patti be recognized for her own merits!!! Listen and enjoy!!

First of all I am no music critic, I simply love music. I believe Scialfa has delivered her best album to date. This is an album full of well crafted songs delivered well with first class arrangements.
This album is not by Mrs Springsteen, this artist is Patti Scialfa.

I have never actually suffered waiting for an album to come out, so this was a brand-new experience for me. At the moment, I'm feeling not so much happy or sad as just plain relieved! The waiting was becoming insufferable! I am a huge fan of Patti Scialfa's solo work. Rumble Doll is my all-time favorite album by ANY artist (which to this day remains a mystery, even to myself, since most people have never even heard of it.) Each of Patti's albums is completely different, and this one follows that trend. It is much more R&B/blues-oriented than her first two. Personally, I am more into pop/rock, so I will have to wait and see whether this album grows on me to the point of obsession as her first two albums have done. The recording itself is first-rate. Her singing has never been stronger or more soulful, and the musicians backing her are obviously the best in the business. Time alone will tell whether I will still be reaching for this CD years from now when I go outside for my daily walk (as I routinely do with her other two albums). For the moment, I am giving it FIVE STARS for a single track, the title track, "Play It As It Lays." The reason being that when I listened to this song for the very first time I cried like a baby. I don't think I've ever done that before, listened to a brand-new song for the first time and cried. It is quite beautiful, perhaps even surpassing "Spanish Dancer" (from Rumble Doll) to become what may henceforth be known as her signature song. Imagine if Patti's husband came back 20 years later and wrote another "Thunder Road," only even better, deeper, more profound. That is the effect that "Play It As It Lays" is likely to have on Rumble Doll fans. So get out the Kleenex!

This is an amazing CD. Patti has a beautiful voice--sometimes sweet, sometimes gravelly and always attuned to the story she's telling. I love the way she mashes up rural bluesy sounds with girl group doo-wops. And her lyrics are eloquent and adult. Many of them are about real-life relationships, the ones that last a long time and require work, commitment and TLC. Considering the gazillion "Oooo oooo Baby let's do it!" songs out there it's great to hear someone sing from a worldy woman's perspective with musical hooks and rhythms that make you want to listen over and over. At the moment my favorite song is "Looking for Elvis" which uses the King as a metaphor and is a great anthem for people disillusioned by the current direction our country has taken. It's sort of a "where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?" for our time, but works on a deeply personal level as well.

After an incredible debut album, this artist stumbled on her second, not so impressive release. She has not only regained her stride here, she surpasses her former best with brilliant production and the best singing and song writing of her career. "Looking for Elvis" kicks the album off in great style and it never disappoints through all ten songs (wish there were more.) This lady is an artist of the first caliber. Just listen to anything on this CD and you'll undertsand that being Mrs. Bruce Springsteen is a calling card, but this work stands on it's own. "Rumble Doll" is a cult classic and now "Play It As It Lays" joins that CD as some of the most honest work you are likely to hear any time! Fantastic!

It's unfortunate and inescapable that Patti Scialfa will always be judged or pre-judged because of the comma or set of parentheses that will invariably follow her name; unfortunate because she is a talent that deserves to stand on her own. She has her own style and her own band, and each album she brings out is better than the previous one (and her first two albums, 'Rumble Doll' and '23rd Street Lullaby' were solid and enjoyable, so that is not faint praise!)

The writing is top-notch, the band is tight and enhances her wonderful voice (quite melodic, warm and full.) The production is top-notch (perhaps she could leave her production team's contact information out on the kitchen table, hint hint...)

Play the samples of the tracks; you'll either be surprised or have what you already know confirmed. Either way you'll most likely be pleased with what you hear.

As the headliner and not 'just' a backup singer, Patti Scialfa shines mightily.

Patti Scialfa has a fine voice. I feel she has had a great amount of inspiration on this album. Bruce fans are a tough bunch. They run with the same passion as a Yankees, Cubs or Red Sox fan. There is lines that cannot be crossed for some of the least open minded lot. I personally value individuality and interpretive style. Patti has a uniqueness that cannot be denied here. I enjoy the production, the accompanying band and the subtle input from Bruce, Nils Lofgren and a variety of other soulmates in her world. Actually, who wouldn't want players like that on their record? Admittedly, I am an avid fan of Bruce's and Nils' music so maybe I'm biased.
But, I do feel that there is steady growth and development in her writing and I feel that her voice is better now than when she was in her mid-30's when I first heard it.
I like this CD and I would venture to say I wouldn't hesitate to go and catch a live show on her tour.
Keep playing it as it lays Patti. Kudos.