Customer Reviews

Ready

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jen Chapin
Ready - Hybrid Recordings HY20046

Of all the talented extended Chapin clan Jen presents listeners with the greatest challenge. Unlike the others who, in general stay within acoustic roots as a genre, Jen has studiously been ploughing her own furrow.

The follow-up to 2004's Linger, which I liked as individual songs, this is altogether a much more satisfying CD. Unlike its predecessor, Ready has a totally rounded and feeling of completeness, to it. Once again the songs are packed with intelligent and articulate lyrics yet somehow, overall, it just hangs together better.

Produced with a fine attention to detail by Stephan Crump, Jen has assembled eleven songs that sit somewhere in a, no pun intended, hybrid of jazz, progressive jazz, blues and art-house folk. The resulting amalgams of sounds are those that generate the listening challenge. Worry not though as, if you open your ears, the journey is rewarding.

Complex musical arrangements underpin Jen's lyrics which, by any standards, could not be described as straightforward. To quote from track three " wild is this luscious life crashing by - grab it by the ankles - scream laugh and cry" and that is exactly what happens with this CD. It grabs you by the ankles and drags you screaming, laughing and crying into its core, shakes and stirs you, before spitting you back out again. At this point you head back to the replay button so intoxicated by the experience that you want more.

Standouts for me are the sequential Goodbye at once both hypnotic and haunting; the gorgeous Let It Show and a wonderful evocation to her home and inspiration NYC. Not far behind are Skin, Strip It Bare and Go On. Plaudits also, for exquisite playing, to Jamie Fox on guitar.

Graeme Scott.
Blues Matters magazine and Radio VRN1287 Scotland

What an album! Every parent (and everyone who knows a parent) should buy this album to own a copy of "Let It Show", a song which should be the world's anthem for raising happy children filled with wonder and hope. This song looks out for the little ones and encourages them to live their every dream to the fullest. Equally compelling to the album's intricate musical arrangements are Jen's live performances of these songs which completely captivate the audience and reach every listener.

Jen's magical imagery shows her mature understanding of human nature and is a refreshing voice to hear. Her songs are truly poetry set to music. Goodbye's melody is beautifully hypnotic and moving, and has the unique quality of never leaving your memory from the first time you hear it. Jen has a wonderful ability to create eloquent melodies like that, and couples them with stories that make you sigh and reflect. In "Goodbye", she states: "Once I dined in a palace of barnacle walls, would climb with the snails over seaweed and never would fall". Rich, imagery-filled lyrics like that are found in EVERY one of Jen's songs.

Her lyrics go BEYOND merely "saying" something; instead, they "show" in vivid detail and you'll be glad you listened.

The terrific career of Jen Chapin continues to skyrocket, as evidenced by the release of READY. This collection - almost all written by Jen, herself - is her finest CD yet, for it is a marvelous and moving assemblage of her unique style, through which she incorporates remnants of blues, progressive jazz, ballad and folk in a soft, yet active, manner rarely heard anywhere else. Among the absolute best selections on READY is the remarkably moving song, LET IT SHOW, written in recognition of her now eleven month old son, Maceo. Listening and listening and then listening again to READY is infectious. Once purchased, you'll not leave your home without it in your purse or pocket. Truly, a GREAT CD!

My friend had been talking about the arrival of the highly anticipated new album by Jen Chapin. She loved the previous two albums and said that I really had to buy ready. I instantly feel in love with her articulate and intelligent lyrics as well as her smooth and gentle voice. It's really great to see how much growth she has made since this album. She put all of her mind, body spirt and soul in this album and it shows.It's a fantastic album and I am forever greatful to my friend for showing me the beauty that sealed inside that album.

I had a chance to see Jen Chapin perform in NYC with Russell Crowe earlier this year and was really impressed with her from the start. Her thoughtful lyrics and interesting melodies really captivated me. Ready- is a really beautiful collection of jazzy poetry meets folk art. This is a CD that cannot be missing from your collection.

I went to MANY of Jen's dad and Uncle Tom's concerts...her father would be proud, I'm sure the rest of her family is...Thank You Jen Chapin!!

My recently purchased copy of Jen Chapin's Ready is a great buy! On November 11th, I had the opportunity to see Jen perform at one of our local community colleges. While being at her show, I was at liberty to watch her perform songs off of this album such as: Let It Show, and Skin. Her performance live is as awesome as listening to her music on cd.

I've been anticipating this album for a while now and after the birth of my first daughter I could not ask for better bedtime music. I love her lyrics, very real and relatable, and I put Tessa to sleep with Jen in the background almost every night. Her voice is so soothing, I definitely recommend!!

I bought this CD as soon as it was released today. I was a fan of Linger, her last album, and I couldn't wait to hear her new CD. This is a great album that I will listen to over and over. "Ready" is worth the buy!

I am giving this one star for one good song.........#6........All the rest are trash...I think Jen needs to record some of her fathers stuff and maybe some of his talent will rub off on her. Stop trying to distance yourself from him Jen...you have no where near the creativity. Study harder and try to capture the magic of #6. Ask yourself what you did to get #6 and then take your time "The Cat's in the Cradle" Jen!!!!!!!!!! Remember Mr. Tanner