Customer Reviews

Pop Pop

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If I had to choose a favorite Rickie Lee Jones record, it would be a difficult choice but Pop Pop might just be my final decision. From the first chords on an acoustic nylon string guitar on the first track you know you're in for a treat. More than any other of her albums, Pop Pop captures the magic that Rickie Lee Jones delivers on stage if you catch her in a small venue. Jazz legends Charlie Haden on bass, Joe Henderson on Sax and Robben Ford on acoustic guitar offer up jaw dropping performances throughout Pop Pop. When it comes to subtle jazz instrumentation and pitch perfect vocals, it doesn't get much better than this. Add to that, the gorgeous quality of the recording and you have the basic ingredients for a near perfect pop/jazz album that seems to have rarely left my cd player for almost a decade. Stand out tracks include: My One and Only Love, Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most, Jimi Hendrix's Up From The Skies, Second Time Around, and Bye Bye Blackbird.

This CD is full of smooth and laid back revivals of some melodies of the last 50 years, delivered in Rickie Lee Jones' unique style. Her delivery can best be described as vulnerable, with her soft voice wavering and floating over the lyrics.

Rickie's version of the classic "Hi-Lili Hi-Lo" revives this work and she pulls off the line "A song of love is a sad song, ask me how I know" to great effect.

Her version of "Second Time Around" seems real with her phrasing and pauses that seem almost conversational.

"I'll Be Seeing You" is mellow, with a clarinett complimenting every line. She ends with the sad line "I'll be looking at the moon but I'll be seeing you."

"Bye Bye Blackbird" comes across fun and jazzy.

"I Won't Grow Up" comes across less Hollywood from the Frank Sanatra version from one of his movies.

"Love Junkyard" is full of odd lyrics, testimony to the creativity and sarcasm of earlier generations.

The CD ends with the very spooky and odd "Comin' Back to Me" that sneeks up on you because she whispers before she sings. This final song haunts like a ghost as Ricki's voice becomes mournful and almost deranged from loss of her lover as she sings "I saw you coming back to me".

A wonderfully mellow and even quality CD.

When the question is asked, "What pop singer did the best jazz standards covers," answers that tend to pop up are Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart. No, actually: Rickie Lee Jones' "Pop Pop" is the one. I'd give it 4 and 1/2, in truth; but the "best of" anything, no matter how esoteric, ultimately gets 5 in my book. The selections that stick with me are "Love Junkyard," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," and "My One and Only Love." Ms. Jones has a most interesting voice: at once playful and plaintive, worldly and coquettish. I've heard slightly better covers of these done by Mark Murphy,Johnny Hartman and the New York Voices, among others: but if Rickie Lee Jones leads you to singers like Mark Murphy, Johnny Hartman and the New York Voices, she's definitely worth the ride. As it is, this album is worth having. Recommended.

I like Jones' other albums, but this one, comprised (mostly) of jazz standards, shows Jones to be the most original jazz vocalist since Billy Holiday. Her style is quirky, individual, vulnerable, introspective--vastly different than any other jazz singer I've heard. The small band behind her, guitar, bass, and a few other instruments that vary from song to song, back her elegantly and give the music a cozy, intimate sound. Perfect background music for a romantic dinner with someone you love, or, if that's too much of a cliché, just listen to it!

As has been the case with me before, I bought this one not because of the artist herself, but because Charlie Haden plays on it, and I am a huge fan of his playing. But, Rickie's performance just floored me. Listening to her sing "My one and only love" almost got me to tears. I mean, her voice cracks, fades into a whisper, then comes back up, she phrases somewhat unevenly - all these things sound like a technical analysis of her performance, and that's what it is. But, if you forget about that, and just let her voice invade your heart, you will be moved. Her voice on this song alone is just THE most emotional vocal performance I have ever heard. Now, the rest of the album is not bad, mind you. The musicians are all top-notch, and the instrumentation is generally sparse - no big band, no loud drums or electric guitars. Just the pure sound of a few acoustic instruments supporting her unique voice. A beautiful, stark, un-glamorous little album that is just pure, naked emotion. It is not all sad, of course. The bouncy, upbeat "Dat Dere" provides a needed break from the "seriousness" of most of the other tracks. With this album I added another worthy female vocalist to my playlist. If you have not had a chance to hear Rickie, or just need a passionate performer that does not rely on production gimmicks or hype, give this one a spin.

I'll keep this short and sweet...this is a GREAT smooth jazzy album of purely good music....propelled by the ever-cool RLJ and the always tasty Robben Ford....it almost seems like Norah copied the format but caught it in a toime when the ever-so-unpredictable public were ready for smooth, real music.BUY THIS CD....

Sorry, Ian - you're showing your type 'A' roots, darlin'. This is Rickie at what I belive to be her finest, feet on the ground and voice floating to the heavens. Lyrically, she's never quite hit home with me, and this album allows the listener to kick back and absorb one of the most underappreciated voices in jazz today without the distraction of her clumsy, however ethereal writing. Granted, Rickie is not the queen of diction, but her voice on Pop Pop is pure caramel - sweet, a little sticky, but creamy smooth and thoroughly addicting. This disc didn't leave my player for days, I tell you, and any listener with an ear for style won't be disappointed.

RLJ's voicing may not be everybody's cup o' tea, but it works here. Supported by the musically eloquent Charlie Haden and Robbin Ford who provide the exquisite backing on Acoustic Bass and Classical Guitar... check out their take on Jimi Hendrix's Up From the Skies it's wonderful. Tastefully done renditions of jazz standards decorate the landscape of the aural masterpiece. Enjoy.

On first listening, and certainly through the destroying filter of the audio samples presented here, this is pretty raw and rough stuff. Her voice is at its most irritating and all the slurring and lumps are showing. Keep listening. You'll realize that the choice of songs is brilliant. Listen further. The arrangements are slow, stretched-out and relaxed as a sunny day. This is how Shirley Horn does things, and there is wisdom in it. Keep listening. The timing and interpretation are astoundingly good. Keep listening... What I'm getting at here is that this is not EASY listening. It's just VERY GOOD listening. By the way, the cover art is taken from a tiny box of snapping fireworks from China. I have the box, and the cover art is absolutely faithful to it, including the badly translated warnings and instructions. If you are buying your first RLJ album, look elsewhere. If you are a RLJ fan and you want to be slowly blown away, get this.

Everything that's right with music is in this CD: well-written tunes, inspired performance, creative arranging/interpretation and no excess playing. This was my first real introduction to her music and there's no doubt I will be buying more. It makes you realize how powerful a great song and a great vocalist can be. I'm usually more one for instrumental music, but this makes you realize why once in awhile you need to hear the human voice. The guitar playing is masterful as well. There's a couple of jazz tunes on here that I had gotten sick of, but now am dying to play myself.

I'm hardly a RLJ expert, so I can't compare this to anything else of hers...yet. I've listened to this disc about 15 times through and through and I'm still in love with it.

Dave ...