Customer Reviews

Teenager

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

 

 

Teenager, is my absolute favorite Jane Siberry CD. Her voice is like gossamer, light, floating, angelic, etheral. Her lyrics are full of thoughtfulness, self-examination, nostalgia, memories, angst (afterall she was a teen when she wrote these lyrics), and love.

I am so moved when I listen to this CD. I actually will put it on to listen to when I want to relax or to fall asleep.

When listening to her song to her "Daddy", I am flooded with memories of my own relationship with my father. I cry tears of sadness for the love that passed me by, and feel the slightest twinge of jealousy because, unlike Siberry, my memories are not filled with happiness and warm feelings. Nevertheless, I love to listen to it to hear emotions that are so foreign to me; that I will never feel for my own father. The love for her mother, sister and aunt come through also.

I am always amazed at the maturity and the literate manner in which she was able to express teenage feelings and angst. These songs certainly were indicative of the great artist that she would become.

One can see the seeds of Siberry's genius in these tender and remarkably mature songs with their simple but touching melodies. My favourite is Bessie, an angelic song about a cow that flies away. But I do not listen to this album as often as I do to her other work ... it lacks the emotional transcendance of her later music. So I do not recommend Teenager for those who want to investigate Siberry. Rather start with When I Was A Boy, and if you really like her music, try this one.

A welcome addition along side of Rickie Lee Jones' "Pop Pop" and Everything But the Girls' "Acoustic." Siberry bares herself and her naivete, revealing quirky and fantastically direct lyrics. Passionate and personal, the album allows you access to a teenage girls' thoughts on insecurity, lost love and friendship. More stripped-down and guitar driven than "Bound by the Beauty," but of similar taste. An introspective and landmark release.

This is Jane Siberry's least commercial album, and this is what makes it so wonderful. It is simple, personal, quiet and comfortable. I like the way she can look back at herself with a bit of humour, commenting between songs on the over-emotional girl she used to be, but at the same time reproducing and respecting the first impulses that brought these songs out. For a teenager, she sure wrote wonderful lyrics, which I find myself singing over and over again in my head. This truely is one of Jane Sibbery's greatest works.

I wish I could have written The Squirrel Crossed The Road at any age, let alone when I was a teenager.

I'm a long time Jane Siberry fan and I think she has written some of the most interesting, emotionally and intellectually challenging music ever.

That being said, this album is almost unlistenable. The songs are exactly as advertised - teenage musings about teenage concerns with teenage melodies. Yawn. Combined with her less than stellar voice (admit it, Jane's voice is not the most refined out there. Yes, it's full of character and quirks and I really like it 'cause it's so unique, but on this ablum is just irritating)and the whole things is unbearable.

I suppose that it is interesting in an anthropological way to see the roots of Jane's genius starting to emerge, but that just doesn't make for a satifying listen. I'd recommend this album only for the most hard core JS fans as a way of completing their collections of JS music. Anyone else who just wants to hear really great music would be better off buying any of Jane's other CD's (the Walking is my personal favorite)

Sorry, Jane. I love you and will forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes.