Customer Reviews

Prom

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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I am always amazed at Amy Ray's ability to tie social awareness into all of her songs yet make it in a way that's fun and keeps us hanging on for more, and PROM is her greatest accomplishment to date. With catchy tunes like "Driver Education," and emotionally charged songs such as "March," and "Rural Faggot," I cannot stop listening to it! I have read reviews for this album, and I expect that the excellent reviews will keep pouring in! Amy tackles a lot of issues that she and most of us have experienced in high school and throughout different stages of our lives, such as our sexuality, discrimination, love, addiction etc... One of my personal favorite songs on this record is "March." This song gave me chills the first time I heard it with Amy playing the mandolin as if her life depended on it and with lyrics such as, "Let it ring to Jesus, coz I know he loves me to, I get down on my knees and I pray the same as you, Let it Ring." Amy's message to the radical Christian right is not one of meanness or hatred but rather a message that tells them, you don't own Jesus, you cannot control who he loves, he loves everybody, the same way he tells us to "love our neighbors." "Rural Faggot," tackles homophobia in rural areas against gay men in particular, yet another amazing song that pulls at your heart strings. Amy never fails to get her points across in her songs, yet it's in a way that you don't feel "preached at," instead you feel empowered and inspired to get involved with issues that are near and dear to your heart, even if it's just discussing different issues with your friends and families. However I do not want to scare off the light-hearted listeners who may not be interested in the political realm, because it's a great CD to listen to regardless of your belief systems. The bottom line is, if you want a great CD, which differs from the generic studio created, "boy bands," and the latest "pop stars," then buy PROM, you will not regret it. If you liked "Stag," you will LOVE "PROM!"

"Prom" is a delightful solo disc. Amy Ray rocks relentlessly. The greatest pearls come at the end of the disc with 4 excellent tracks. On "Sober Girl" Amy & Donna Dresch have a two-woman duel with electric guitars that is a sonic shock. "Pennies On the Track" has an original melody with Michelle Malone, guest on guitar, bolstering one of Ray's most emotionally powerful vocals, "Damn all the cost of the assault." The slow acoustic ballad "Rodeo" stands out because it is a beautiful melody and because it is so different from the rest of the "Prom" tracks, "My daddy was a grifter & I was in my momma's way. So I drifted for a while because I could not stand to stay." The CD ends with Ray's quintessential anthem "Let It Ring," a stadium-filler with a great melody, blasting guitars & Ray's pyrotechnical vocals, "Let it ring to Jesus 'cause he'd sure be proud of you; you made fear an institution & it got the best of you." Other tracks like "Give In" & "Driver Education" are strong. The booklet photography of Amy dressed as a band member playing a flute, a plaid rocker, cheerleader, football player, nerd, hippy, and both genders of a prom date show versatility. "Prom" tackles gay themes on many tracks without apology, but "Prom" is a great disc because it rocks relentlessly. Enjoy!

my Ray, one half of the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, is back with her second solo album, Prom. Released on her indie rock label Daemon Records, it represents both a departure and return to form. With her first solo album, Stag, Ray revealed an indie/punk rock side to her musical life that she had only previously hinted at on Indigo albums. Prom is very similar to her previous outing, and is all the better for it. She continues to deal with her anger towards homophobia and her own difficulties with relationships. The recordings are still somewhat lo-fi, and most have the sort of sloppy feeling of doing it all in one take. At 32 minutes, Prom's 10 songs fly by; never out staying their welcome. It will definitely leave you hitting the repeat button again and again.

I love this cd so much! The lyrics hit right in the gut and the songs are set to beats that really reel you in. Put it out for good, cover for me and let it ring are my favorites but there's not a weak song on this album period. I love the stripped down sound, the high school choruses, everything. Amy, you're great!

Game on, this is good stuff! To be honest, I wanted to like Ray's first solo Stag a lot more than I did, which is why I walked, not ran to Prom, But then that was before I caught the Indigo Girls last summer, where Ray and her mandolin wowed the crowd with the anthem Let It Ring. It was the first time I'd heard it and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

The theme throughout is pretty obvious, it's called Prom, after all. But it's also pretty obvious that you didn't have to grow up queer in small town rural America to feel like a freak. The sentiments of adolescent angst and isolation are universal, after all. But beyond waxing poetic about adolescence, there are some great cuts offering stories of love's trainwrecks and dissatisfaction with the music industry, as well.

This album is less gritty than Stag and the sound is a lot more refreshing and graceful than you might expect. This outing is to Ray as All That We Let In is to Indigo Girls.

The album showcases the elements we've come to expect from Ray and the Indigo Girls: unflinchingly honest lyrics coupled with uncompromising musicianship. Those are rare commodities in today's music industry. Unleash your inner awkward teenage/freak/geek self and enjoy the Prom.

For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood to write an Amazon review for Prom. How do you say something useful when you are trying to review the BEST ever CD period?

This is Amy Ray's (yes, the brunette Indigo Girl) second solo release. Her first solo project, Stag, was hard to beat. But Prom completely overshadows Stag (and everything else).

Let's start with the lyrics. Ray is just about the best storyteller that there is. Whether it's a song about the internal homophobia of the boys in her neighborhood ("Rural Faggot"), or a song about the Christian right ("Let it Ring"), or a song about high school ("Put It Out For Good," and many others), Ray uses her amazing talent to use her words to reach her audience without being overly poetic or trite. Much of the album explores issues about gender, sexuality, puberty, growing up, abuse, relationships, and addiction. The subject matter is often grim, but Ray always gives her listeners hope.

Even the track order is spot on! "Put It Out For Good," is a great 'pep rally'-esq song, and it makes for a great opener. "Let It Ring," is an awesome, in your face ending with a strong message. It's very empowering.

Combine these lyrics with some of the finest backing musicians out there, and you have perfection. Jody Bleyle (bass, guitar) and Donna Dresch (guitar) make appearances here. Ray asked her friends Katherine McElroy (bass, keyboards), Hunter Manasco (guitar), and Will Lochamy (drums), of Nineteen Forty-Five, one of the best garage bands out there, to lay down some tracks with her as well (in fact, "Put It Out For Good" was recorded in the Nineteen Forty-Five basement). Michelle Malone, an a longtime Atlanta musician makes a few appearances as well. Finally, Kate Schellenbach does drumming for a few songs.

This album is as close to perfection as any album can be. If you just can't get enough, be sure to try to catch one of Ray's live shows. With her band, the Volunteers (Les Nuby on guitar, Will Lochamy on drums, and Jody Bleyle or Tara Jane O'Neil on bass), Ray puts on the best live show out there.

I just bought this CD today, and it's awesome...I've listened to it about five times in a row so far this morning. It may even be better than her last CD, Stag.

Amy expresses all her edgier musical and political sensibilities on her solo CDs. This stuff shows up in the Indigo Girls' music, but it's definitely restrained. This is a full blown queer punk/rock album, and it's consistently good. Give it a listen, kids.

amy ray is such a talented artist and i love all her music. i litsen to this cd all the time it never gets old to me...thats how great it is. i loved all her work with the indigo girls but shes good as a solo artist as well. all the songs are great from start to finish. so if you want to support some real music...then pick this cd. you wont be disappointed trust me.

As much as I love the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray's solo albums have blown me away. This is another amazing effort by her. Not as raw as her first ("Stag"), but still wonderful. It sort of takes you back to high school and she speaks so well to everything you hated about it!! Awesome.

Amy Ray is great as part of the Indigo Girls and but is equally great as a solo act. This is a fantastic CD. I didn't expect to like it as much as I like the Indigo's music, but I did. If you are a long time Indigo's fan, it is a little weird at first. It seems like something is missing (Emily), but then as it gets more familiar you realize she's fantastic solo. A little edgier, a little more hard rock. I bought this CD along with the new release from the Indigo's, Despite our Differences, and they've gotten equal airplay. Amy definitely knows how to rock solo or as a duo, you will not be disappointed with this one.