Customer Reviews

Shameless

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

 

 

This is Judy Collins at her very best--crystal clear voice, subdued musical background and subtle echo. Although the songs are written to relate to her fascinating novel by the same name, they stand fine by themselves with no novel knowledge. Most of the songs (to my ear) are new material and they are so beautiful! I especially liked Bright Morning Stars, Kerry Dancer and the tragic Lily of the Valley. Also included is Song for Sarajevo--a sad musical mourning for the war-ravaged people in that city. There is something so haunting about Judy Collins voice, even now I can close my eyes and hear those beautiful musical tones . . . .

I always think of this album as a turning point for Judy Collins. Although, if pressed I would be hard put to justify myself. There is something about both the songs she has written and the way she sings them that is different from her previous albums. Perhaps they are more upbeat, or contain some surprising personal insights into what makes the singer who she is. Whatever the reason, Shameless seems to be the completion of the process that started with Sanity and Grace, several years before.

There is considerable variety in the songs, most of which are originals. The optimism of the first three songs - 'Bright Morning Star', 'Melody', and 'Mountain Girl' - is subtle, but infectious and carries forward even in the face of two deeply touching social statements - 'Lily of the Valley' and 'Song for Sarajevo.' The album offers a wide spectrum of subject and styling strongly voices by a Judy Collins who seems suddenly to be 20 years younger. A surprise and delight.

Ostensibly, Shameless is intended as a musical companion to her novel by the same name. Of course, there is no way that an artist of Collins' caliber can produce a work that is not a reflection of her life and beliefs, and the same is true here. Couple this with her skills as a singer/songwriter and you have the basic ingredients for an album that is not only memorable, but grows better with repeated listenings.

Now, I have been a Judy Collins fan forever. I much prefer the untrained Judy Collins voice of the 60s than the Max Margolis vocal coach enhanced voice we have today. I do however continue to admire her work when it is appropriate to do so.
This collection I somehow found at the bottom of my cd rack, so I really cannot ever remember buying this cd at the time. To me, the songs are not written with any style or substance, with the exception of Song for Sarajevo, which is a beauty. Her voice sounds strained on Lily of the Valley, and she sounds like a out of tune banchee on Shameless, There is nothing in this cd that would make me want to ever play it again.
To me this and Hard Times for Lovers represent the worst of Judy Collins.
She did go on to do some better work, like Democracy, the Leonard Cohen retrospective, Portrait of An American Girl and the haunting Leonard McCartney cd just released.
Leave this Shameless mess in the bargain bin with the silly novel of the same name that she wrote.