Customer Reviews

Rarities, B-Sides 2 And Other Stuff, Volume 2

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just hearing Sarah and Emmylou Harris together is worth the price, "Angel" is, and probably will always be, one of my favorite of Sarah's songs. I didn't think anyone could add to this song--but Emmylou did.

I love the "Time after Time" with Cyndi Lauper. It's slower than the original Lauper song and in many ways, more thoughtful. I think Sarah adds the dimension to the song I was always missing. I like it better with her there.

And, what can I say about "Homeless?" Ladysmith Black Mambazo is one of the most amazing a cappella groups around. This is a lovely song no matter how it's done.

As I said, not as rare as the first volume, but the sound quality is great and it's well worth the price. I'm glad to hear Sarah McLachlan is back in the studios again. I hope to hear something new from her soon.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2008

Sarah McLachlan did it again, without really doing something.
This record contained all the tracks she recorded for soundtracks, other artists' records or performed during special live performances since the first Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff (1996).
It's gotta be said that this is a great album with many highlights. Especially when you consider that most artists don't even release rarities records at all.
It starts out with 'Ordinary Miracle' from the movie Charlotte's Web. And this is not the only soundtrack recording represented on this compilation. Sarah's version of The Beatles' 'Blackbird' from I am Sam is beautiful and stays very true to the original and 'When She Loved Me' (Toy Story 2) is very touching. The absolute highight of this cd for me is 'The Rainbow Connection' (from The Muppets), this song goes straight to the bottom of my heart everytime I listen to it.

There are also some very interesting duets on this album. 'Just Like Me' with DMC or 'Time after Time' with Cyndi Lauper are very nice additions to Sarah's catalogue. 'Angel' (live) with the amazing Emmmylou Harris and 'Pills' met The perishers are simply wonderful. But the outstanding duet has got to be 'Don't Let Go' with Bryan Adams (from the animation movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron).

'Prayer of St. Francis' and 'Unchained Melody' (in a totally onrecognizable version!) are two very interesting recordings and show how many different sides and styles there are to miss McLachlan.

And just like on Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff volume 1, there's another Joni Mitchell cover on this volume; 'River'.
Yes she recorded River for her 2006 season album Wintersong, but the nice thing is that this version is a different one.
I'm a big Joni Mitchell fan myself and don't really like it when people cover her songs, but Sarah's versions of Blue and River make me wish she will one day release a record full of Joni Mitchell covers.
One can always dream, right?
And dream is something this cd will surely let you do. The voice, the words, the music... Sarah goes straight into the heart of her listeners.

If you don't already have this cd, get it now. You won't regret it!

This collection, while great for the Sarah fan, hardly measures up to the first B Sides collection release, and some of the material is mediocre at best. Now I see she's releasing a greatest hits collection, which although I'm sure is prompted by the record company, I expect more from Sarah artistically. We have not had new material of quality from her since Afterglow. The recent press release about her split with husband indicates she is looking to release new material in the next 2 years. So, here's hoping patience is rewarded. The new material will probably reflect her emotional fallout from her relationship with her husband, so I would anticipate some intense writing on the next album.

I heard this song on Pandora - Homeless - sung by an African group called Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It stuck in my mind, so I searched and found the CD on which it was recorded. The CD is an interesting collection, as the title "Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff" indicates. The name Sarah McLachlan was strangely familiar, but I am over 60 and don't keep up with current recording artists and musicans (Harry Chapin, John Denver, Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon, etc. are my type). Some of the other titles on the CD looked familiar, so I purchased it. When I got it, I was surprised that the songs I recognized were done in different styles, but several of them grew on me with time. I think it is an interesting collection, and I recommend it to people that sometimes get tired of listening to the same stuff and are not interested in current Pop songs . . . well, most current Pop songs.

RARITIES, B-Sides, & OTHER STUFF volume 2 is a collection of tracks either by Sarah McLachlan herself or featured her gentle vocals. A lot of the songs can be found on compilations like FOR THE CHILDREN which "The Rainbow Connection" could be found on. As a long time fan of Sarah McLachlan's music, I had to check out this sequel to her first compilation of rare tracks and b-sides. For the most part I did like the cd but there are moments that makes me cringe and wonder what was she thinking. I absolutely despised the massacre of Harry Chapin's "Cat in the Cradle" re-titled "Just Like Me" which featured rapper DMC. Horrible doesn't even cover the description. Taking a well known popular song and turning it into some dreadful rap song is proof that a lot of rap artists do not have any imagination and are incapable of creating their own music. Sarah's vocals is the only good thing about this rancid track. The other track I just cringe whenever it comes on is Sarah's duet with Bryan Adams on "Don't Let Go". The song would have sounded better without Bryan Adams and with Sarah alone. Tiesto's remix of Delerium's "Silence" was totally unnecessary to include. That song is so tiresome and overdone.

As for the songs that I did enjoy on the album, my personal favorite song is Sarah's interpretation of "The Rainbow Connection". Her version of the classic song from THE MUPPET MOVIE is quite lovely. I am so glad that "When She Loved Me" from TOY STORY 2 was included on this compilation. That is another favorite song of mine from this compilation. I also enjoyed "River" from Sarah's winter solstice album WINTERSONG. Sarah's duets with Emmylou Harris and Cyndi Lauper are admirable but I prefer the original versions of the songs Sarah sang duets with those two artists on. I don't hate but I didn't think it was great is the song "Homeless" Sarah did with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

The problemw with RARITIES, B-SIDES, AND OTHER STUFF vol.2 is that the flow of the album was pretty choppy and uneven. I really wanted to like this album given who it is by but a lot of the material was flat and lackluster or just plain hideous. I have no doubt that Sarah's best of collection will make up for this uneven compilation.

Having been a true fan of the Canadian chanteuse, I wholeheartedly embraced this compilation.The duets being the best tracks , I sat as Ordinary Miracle blew me away with its idealistic hope and When She Loved Me gave me goose bumps and tears.The participation of Lady Smith Black Mambazo gives the record a world music twist easily digested.Overall, a fantastic journey.

I like very much Sarah McLachlan. My girlfriend likes her too, but not that much. But yesterday we listened together to the whole album, and she was amazed by these new McLachlan tracks. They are fresh and new and different from everything we had listened before. There are great covers such as "Time after Time" (great and perfect duet with Cyndi Lauper), "Blackbird" and "Unchained Melody", to mention some. Sarah McLachlan demonstrates she is beyond melancholic ballads. She can rap and rave with her spiritual voice! Great album.

C'mon, Sarah, you know your fans will pretty much buy anything you put out there, but please stop letting Arista try to fill our void with stuff like this! Find yourself a good babysitter and get back in the studio so you can start working on a new album, before we forget just how much we love you!!

I really love the collection of songs on this CD but wish there was some orginal content. That being said, I heard Sarah is back recording and that next year may be likely for a new studio release. I think Netwerk is just keeping the skids greased. I certainly don't mind. Anything by Sarah keeps me happy.

I just got this C/D last night for Yule it is amazing; I had put it on my wish list because it has a very rare track that she does Prayer of St. Francis which is absolutely beautiful. I am a big fan of Sarah's and there are not enough words I can say but her. Is she beautiful inside and out, if you get a chance go see this woman in concert she radiates pure light. This C/D is a must have for any Sarah fan, it is incredible. My favorite tracks are, Prayer of St. Francis, Blackbird, Don't Let Go, Angel, Homeless, Unchained Melody, and Silence.