Customer Reviews

The Fall (Amazon Exclusive)

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Overall Grade: A
Hilights: Chasing Pirates, Young Blood, It's Gonna Be, Man of the Hour

Since her major pop debut in 2002, Norah Jones has been fluffing our pillows and stoking the fires with her cozy hearthside tales and heartwarmingly hopeless romanticisms. At a glance one might think that the art for her latest release, "The Fall", which features our lady in a top hat and a snowy white gown sitting next to a large cuddly canine, would suggest yet another album of dessert wine pop-jazz. This is not the case. Instead, Norah sidesteps the "sweet" almost completely and heads into a more rock-based sound, for which her voice is perfectly suited. The direction is fresh and the pace is easy to settle into (with a pace set by "Chasing Pirates"). Though the album lacks a real kick-in-the-pants sort of song, it certainly delivers some of her best work to date. Expect less piano, more guitar, and the sweetest ending Norah could offer. Wonderful!

This new Norah CD is being received as some kind of "beefed up" version of her music, or a "return to rock." I understand where that perspective is coming from. The songs are more rock/ roots oriented, but for me, this is not any kind of major departure from her previous stuff. First, she's still a singer-songwriter, and the observational and confessional style of song she writes (or co-writes) is still very similar to before. Second, while the tunes often have a more upfront electric guitar (one difference), otherwise they are still largely on the mellow side. A new song such as "I Wouldn't Need You," still has Norah softly crooning the lyrics over a slow tempo, with a relatively gentle backing band. Not that this is a bad thing! I would use the word "charming" to describe the singer and her music, and that's undiminished on The Fall. Compared to someone else in the roots-rock field like Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones is not someone who's going to bowl you over with her passion. It's more of a seduction than an "in your face" approach. All of that said, I've really enjoyed listening to these new songs, and I think I'll be enjoying them much more in the days to come.

Norah Jones is one of those artists that hardly ever disappoints. I own her first three albums and enjoy them, so when I heard she had a new album coming out, there was no question I'd go and get it. Add The Fall to her string of great releases.

Unlike other reviewers, I really don't hear that much of a difference in the sound on here when compared to Norah's previous works. Sure, the bass parts are a little more evident, but they aren't overpowering. And there are plenty of introspective tracks, like "Light as a Feather", "December" and especially the two-in-a-row of "You've Ruined Me" and "Back to Manhattan". And I challenge any man to step to her after hearing "Tell Your Mama".

The only reason I knocked off half a star is because the canine ode "Man of the Hour" didn't do anything for me. But the rest of the album is great. I hope The Fall is supposed to refer to the time of the year (rather than an actual descent, as naysayers might want you to believe), but whatever the case, it's damn good. Pick it up.

Anthony Rupert

I have loved Norah since her first album. I like to get on Youtube and listen to those unreleased songs like "Love Me Tender" "I'll be your baby tonight" and others.
Her first album was amazing, the second one had some high points and her third did too just fewer high points. But we still had Norah's voice which I think is her big draw. Listening to her is like laying in a warm bath with a glass of wine. Or next to a glowing fireplace. I just find comfort in that voice.
With this album I can listen to some but not all of the songs. Her voice seems to be behind the music rather than in front or even equal to it. You hear the bass and drums and have to strain to hear her voice.
So as much as I hate to do this I can only call this album average. If I heard it and didn't know it was Norah Jones I would never buy it.

With the release of "The Fall" Norah Jones and (mixer/producer) Jacquard King have given us a cheap, synthetic version of the real Nora. Instead of the slow, bluesy songs that emphasize Norah's beautiful vocals they have given us upbeat, rock-style songs that don't suit Norah's style nearly as well; instead of the usually subtle musical accompaniment that allows Norah's vocals to carry the songs we are given overly loud music that intrudes on her vocals; instead of her naturally beautiful voice we are given some kind of studio reverberation effect that disguises the sultry tone of her voice. Instead of featuring Norah's piano, which has always been such a perfect accompaniment to her vocals, we have been given intrusive drums, electric guitars and synthesizers.

To the extent that these changes are a result of King's influence this has turned out to be a disasterous pairing for Norah. To me, it just doesn't make sense for her to move away from the beautiful style of music that has made her such a unique and successful artist to join the "dime-a-dozen" rock/pop crowd -- unless she's targeting a younger audience in which case she is doing so at the expense of alienating her existing fan base, which has been responsible for buying 20-30 million of her three previous albums (not songs -- albums).

Having waited over two years for another Norah Jones album I feel cheated that with this one I didn't get the NJ I know. There is not one song on it that I feel is worth adding to the NJ playlist on my MP3 player. I still love Norah's work, but definitely won't be waiting for the next one with the same level of anticipation. My (somewhat selfish) HOPE is that whatever she was going for on this album won't work out and with the next one she will return to the style of music that made her so unique and successful in the first place. For Norah, less is more. All she needs to bring to the table is her voice, her piano and a few good songs (more Jesse Harris please) and everything else will fall in place. My FEAR is that that NJ may have departed and that makes me sad -- almost as if I've lost a good friend.

Man, this girl is hot. Sizzling AND smoking. This is only my second venture into Norah Jones' territory, and it certainly will not be the last. She has not only pulled off a seamless stylistic transition, but she is also showing her clout in the recording industry by releasing her latest studio effort in a double-gatefold, 180-gram LP, complete with a full-size poster of her and her five dogs, for the price of a regular LP. Selling 36 million albums last year alone has it's perks!

Music-wise, as with "Come Away With Me", the fidelity of the recording really shines through, and there is something for almost everybody stylistically. Coming from Texas with a jazz pedigree, her time in New York City has certainly widened her musical horizons. Overall, she is extending her reach a little more into rock n' roll, while staying true to the blend of bluesy jazz and pop that has defined her meteoric ascent into stardom. Reportedly, this is the first album that she has composed on a guitar, and it shows in a good way.

Many will no doubt love the first track, "Chasing Pirates", as it really shows off her pop music side; it may be the one to really get some top 40 airplay. For me the first one that really jumped out was "Light As A Feather", which presents a lush aural landscape to show off her bluesy jazz side, which is the aspect of her music that most appeals to me. "You've Ruined Me", and "Tell Your Mama" get more into bluesy rock, and she does this very well. There are no mediocre songs on this album, and the wide range of musical styles she presents, while probably short-circuiting many potential 5-star reviews she may have garnered as a more stylistic purist, widen her appeal, and doesn't seem to be hurting album sales any.

Norah Jones has a voice for the ages, there is no doubt about that. There are many industry heavyweights "helping" her (or is it the other way around?) on this latest effort, which may have helped with this stylistic transition, but compared to "Come Away With Me", the album can sound a tad over-produced in some places. But the new rock n' roll edge really shines through elsewhere in the album without being overpowering, and I am looking forward to more explorations into those areas from her in the future.

The LP version of this album is an excellent value for any vinyl-lover, to be sure, even if you only like a couple of the songs. But in my experience with Ms. Jones, the songs I like the most now won't be the same favorites that I develop over time; maybe I will really warm up to "Chasing Pirates" after all. One of my favorite songs on this album is "Man of the Hour", which is an ode to her dog(s). Neil Young should be proud!

I agree completely with the reviewer who said this album is not really that different stylistically from Norah's previous albums under her own name. The songs themselves are not really that different in style from previous albums, and excellent songs they are, though their themes (break ups, etc.) tend to be somewhat darker overall. They further establish Norah as one of the better singer/songwriters of today, in my opinion, though I could have done without the repeated singing of "damn" in "Tell Yer Mama." Norah's voice is as captivating as ever, and the recording sounds great (thanks, Blue Note). The most significant change on "The Fall" is the texture of the backing band. She's using more guitar and distorted-sounding electric piano to give the music a little more "edge," but it works quite well most of the time. In addition to the bouncier tunes (e.g., "It's Gonna Be"), there are some nice ballads (e.g., "December") as on previous albums, and there are a couple of tunes (e.g., "Tell Yer Mama") that have a somewhat country feel like some of the songs on her previous albums. Don't be too surprised if "Chasing Pirates" gets stuck in your head after a couple of listens. It's kind of catchy. The last tune, "Man of the Hour" is a humorous tribute to a dog who has brought its owner more happiness than the men in her life, two of whom were "a vegan and a pothead." It will probably bring a smile to your face.

In short, "The Fall" is a slight, but not drastic, departure from what Norah has released before under her own name. Long-time Norah Jones fans will probably enjoy it if they keep an open mind and listen to it two or three times before forming an opinion. "The Fall" might even win Norah some new fans. I've taken away one star only because I liked the texture of the backing bands and the arrangements on her previous albums better than the "edgier" sound of "The Fall."

For those who really like Norah jones in this setting, check out the album "New York City" by the Peter Malick Group. Norah sings some great modern blues (yes!) on that album, which was recorded before "Come Away With Me." I like that recording as well as anything Norah has released under her own name.

What I mean by my title is that I liked Norah Jones when she first debuted, but after a while, I found her to be a little "soft" for my tastes. I have tuned in and out over the past few years and am happy to say that this album has got my FULL attention! This is, for me, a fabulous, complex and yet simple album that adds a lovely (gritty?) depth to Norah's musical repertoire--I can truly appreciate the change of pace and NJ's willingness to experiment. Her current sound is definitely heavier than I have heard in the past, but in an extremely pleasing way. I cannot define the genre of this title, but to my untrained ear, I think her influences encompass rock, folk, jazz, blues...a harmonious blend indeed. I must say that I understand how some critics feel as though they have been disappointed by "The Fall," although I feel TOTALLY differently; I know that most of us want our favorite artists to keep putting out that comfy old shoe style that we come to know and love, but these are ARTISTS and risks have to be taken for the sake of personal growth. In my opinion, this risk paid off big time, but hey--you like what you like. I would challenge any folks who are put off at the first listen to keep this in rotation for a while. Give Norah a fair shot here, and I really do think that she (and her new crew) will win you over!

Norah Jones has been the trusted modern artist that I could rely on for beautifully mastered albums without succumbing to making ever track as "loud" as possible. I hate to say it but that has all changed on this album. I do not know who mastered this album or who made the decision to master this CD loud \ compressed but Norah please fire them.

If you do not know what I am referring to or unfamiliar with the term "loud" in reference to the loudness war, please look up "loudness war" on Wikipedia and YouTube before you disagree with my opinion. Almost all modern artists' albums are mastered as loud as possible destroying the dynamic range of the music; this in turn makes them tiring to listen to and destroys the punch of pronounced sounds like the kick of the bass drum. I heard it right away when I listened to the first track on this album and was very saddened by this change. You can open any track in the free Audacity audio editor application and compare it to any of her older albums, you are in for a big disappointment.

My justification for ranking this 1 star is that this album is very tiring to listen to and you cannot make out what she is saying clearly due to the poor mastering job. What good is album if it tiring to listen to? Now I do appreciate her exploration of different avenues with this new album and as always think she is a brilliant musician. I doubt the mastering has anything to do with a decision she made but none the less, the decision was made and the result in unacceptable to me.

Ok, so Norah Jones is a constantly growing artist and this growth has taken her into a great new direction! The music, the phrasing, the words, and the driving beats in songs like Chasing Pirates and Young Blood just keep Rocking! There is not a weak song on the album and after many many listens I have ranked this album up there with "Come away with Me." On The Fall Norah's instrument of choice, (and mine) is her beautiful voice that rises above the retro guitars and banging drums to cut through the distorted piano and guitar like a knife seeking the heart. Gone are the quietly lush orchestrations of her earlier albums and they have been replaced with guitar, bass, drums, and a Wurlitzer keyboard, that will easily be duplicated in concert in smaller venues. Yea, I can't wait! I find it a little dissapointing that some people just don't get it but that is their problem. I get it and I love it.