Customer Reviews

Shine

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

 

 

Mary Black has a wonderful voice for pop/rock music. Her ballads and traditional folk may be more famous, and you wouldn't want to be a Mary Black fan without owning the sorts of titles for which she's more famous (BY THE TIME IT GETS DARK, for example) .... but SHINE shows that she's every bit as talented at pop/rock as she is at Irish ballad.

What people love about this singer is that she has some real volume to her voice, but at the same time, she manages to have the expressiveness normally associated with softer voices. You can feel every line she sings despite the impressive "umph".

I love the song MISUNDERSTOOD. I love it because even though it's a pop number - which means you can easily sing along, and believe me, it's catchy enough that you'll be tempted - she never sings a line as though she can't hear the words. Do you know what I'm talking about? Some singers hit the notes beautifully, but you feel like they could be saying ANYTHING because their voices focus on the melodies, not the words. Mary Black never seems to do that. She's singing a pop song, which means she can't linger too long on any one note, she has to keep moving to keep the catchy melody going. But every line comes out with awareness of the lyrics. This song is great. The line "I thought he was saying 'good luck', but he was saying 'goodbye'." would be boring in a lot of people's throats. But with her direct expressiveness, you can feel the hurt of his rejection. And what a catchy beat!

I also like the fact that isntrumentation on this album NEVER overpowers her lyrics and song. That's a trend that bothers me in pop music. I hate it when I can't hear the lyrics because the singer's too caught up in showing off the voice or when I can't hear the lyrics because they've been synethisized and distorted to death or the electronic instrumentation drowns them out. None of that happens here. Coming from a folk tradition, Black probably appreciates the importance of words to a song. Nothing overpowers or dries out her clear vocals.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention: I can't remember the title, but the song on this album that sings, "She don't like the late night radio" is one of my favorite pop songs. Again - between the beat and her clean, rocking delivery, it's just a great song.

Mary Black fans should be warned that she's trying something different here from usual. But I can't see objecting to it when she does it this well! I love this album.

I am an avid Mary Black fan, but I have to say that this one was a big disappointment. Not only is Declan Sinnott conspicuous by his abscence, but the percussion here is way too overbearing. It doesn't fit with the subtlety and beauty of Mary's lilting voice, no matter what kind of song she is delivering. Apparently producer Larry Klein isn't aware of that. Definitely not up to par with her other work.

Yes, Mary does pop too. But there are a couple of good songs here, perhaps three. The best for me is between "Nobody lives without love" and "Beautiful" but I'd agree that there is a tendency toward the melodramatic in these and other songs of this album. And perhaps Mary hasn't heard that other song "You've got a friend" by J.Taylor (or was it C.King?) or even S & G's "Bridge over troubled waters" before she decided to do P.Brady's "I will be there" cause maybe she wouldn't have bothered. And when the album reaches "Late night radio" I just reach for the Stop button. But then again I must be getting old.

i first heard these songs while having lunch at an irish pub in boston - i was so impressed i asked the waitress who the singer was, and ran to my record store to buy the cd as soon as i returned home. my initial enthusiasm for this cd has not changed, the songs still sound great. i have come to realize that these soft rock songs are a little different from the folk songs that mary black is famous for, but that's ok, she has a powerful voice and the songs are good. everyone seems to love "I Misunderstood" , and i would also recommend " I Will Be There"

I first listened this CD in a music market through headphones with tear filled eyes. Music is so inspired and heartfelt that I haven't listened anything comes close to it yet. David Gray is the main composer here and I became his fan after I have listened Late night Radio and all other his stuff in this CD. a MUST buy !!!

Mary Black has made some wonderful albums but this is not one of them. Her talents are lost on the mediocre material on Shine. If you are interested in hearing classic Mary Black, try Babes in the Wood and The Holy Ground

This is by far the best Mary Black album I have heard - wonderful melodies, backup vocals, celtic overtones and generally just a good listen!

The first thing I noticed when I listenend to Shine was the crystal clear production. Larry Klein has done quite a job with Mary. The second thing I noticed is the quality of the songwriting, particularly "One and Only", "I Misunderstood" (by "The Boss" Richard Thompson), and "Beautiful". However, the most intriguing feature of this record is Mary's vocals. Mary Black is finally singing with some aggression. She is definitely entering new regions with this recording. If you liked her previous records (which I did), you may find this one a little hard to swallow. Just be willing to accept Shine for what it is -- one of the finest records ever from one of the world's greatest singers. This was the best record I heard in 1997.

Mary Black has come a long way since her days as the dazzling but under-used vocalist with traditional Irish band De Danann. She left that band in 1986 to pursue a solo careeer, and has since become one of Ireland's most successful female vocalists - perhaps best known here for her work on the marvellous Irish compilation albums "A Woman's Heart" and "A Woman's Heart 2".

This latest release pulls together songs by some of the top pop/folk songwriters around. These include Richard Thompson, David Gray and Irish folkie-turned-rocker Paul Brady, who also sings on his track "I Will Be There" (recorded via an ISDN line from Melbourne). The bulk of the music was recorded in Hollywood using a mixture of Irish and American musicians - all strong performers. The result is far from disappointing, with tight musicianship highlighting thoughtful arrangements.

There's a harder edge to Mary Black's vocals throughout "Shine", perhaps reflecting the brooding feel to a number of the chosen songs. But perhaps it also shows her determination not to be boxed into any category, whether that be traditional Irish or American country. The mixture of instruments - fiddle, whistle and accordion; pedal steel guitar, bass and mandolin - gives a nod in each musical direction, but the overall result doesn't fall into either genre.

This gives the album a broad appeal, with plenty of light and shade, and lots of musical interest. Though there are many good songs, the life-affirming "Beautiful" is one standout track, with superb McGarrigles-like backing singing. "Shine" shows Mary Black to be right on song.

After reading the whining reviews here that lament Mary not putting out the same album year after year, I have to say they couldn't be more wrong about the quality of the music and the voice. On 'Shine' MB updates the music to bring it into the 90's, but retains all of her vocal quality and ability to emote and make us care about what she's got to say. A standout is her performance on Richard Thompson's 'I misunderstood' which she does far better than the writer himself. RT makes it sound like a practical joke. MB makes us remember when *we* thought someone was wishing us good luck, and was really saying good bye. Everyone evolves, including Mary Black. So put away the prejudices against up-to-date music and give an open listen. You won't be sorry.