Customer Reviews

& Then He Kissed Me: Blame It on Love

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

 

 

At long last these two great albums see the light of day on CD -- only to be botched by Sony/BMG/Collectibles. I have to disagree with the previous reviewer who raved about the "pristine remastered sound." It is harsh, compressed, nearly unlistenable! This is truly one of the worst-sounding CDs I have ever heard. Absolutely brutal! The first album, And Then He Kissed Me, is by far the worst; Blame It On Love fairing a little better. To top it off, the inserts are skimpy and don't reproduce any of the original artwork. No (re)mastering credits, or blame, are given. This whole production is a real shame and a disappointment. Here's hoping a reissue label out there (that actually cares about the music) gives these albums the proper treatment.

"... and then he kissed me" was not Rachels' greatest release but it did contain her FANTASTIC version of "Shadows of the Night" (Yes, the song that Pat Benatar turned into a hit). This version contains a few changes because Rachel added her own lyrics (Which Benatar removed).

"Blame it on Love" is the album that should have made Rachel a household name. "hearts on the line" is great power-pop. "Voodoo", "paralyzed" and "sticks and stones" showcase the different styles she is capable of.

Both albums have flaws and more than a few "duds" but they also have some real high points. When these two albums are combined together you just can't lose! If you missed Rachel Sweet in the 80's... you might want to give her a listen now. Better late than never!

As mentioned in another review, the sound quality on this CD suffers from poor re-mastering. The tracks on ".. then he kissed me" seem to have the highs and lows chopped off, almost as if you're listening to a collection of very compressed mp3's. The poor re-mastering and a slight "glitch" in the track "shadows of the night" detracts from the overall listening enjoyment of this CD. I'm glad these albums are finally on CD, but I was hoping for higher quality sound and was very surprised about the sound glitch in one of my favorite tracks!

-JM

Rachel Sweet SHOULD have made it big in the music industry,
however due to poor representation and lack of promotion, this
talented voice was left by the way-side.
Upon her arrival on the music scene, she was "the little girl
with the big voice".
Signed to the now-gone "Stiff" label, critics raved about the
talent of this young girl from Akron, Ohio. She had the voice
that SHOULD have sold more records (in my opinion) than
Madonna, Britney Spears, etc.
Rachel Sweet IS a great singer...PERIOD!
I am certain that I am not alone in saying "Rachel,we miss
you and want you back in the music scene!"
She did appear in several TV episodes ("Seinfeld", "Dream On",
"Night Court", etc.) and a few movies ("Gypsy", "Sing", "The
Investigator" and "All Tied Up"). Her parts were ALWAYS way too
brief! She's the reason "Cry-baby" is such a fun movie (she's
the singing voice of Amy Locane). She's the ONLY voice that
should have ever been used for "Barbie's" singing voice - she
was only one of several. If you can obtain a copy of the out-of-
print "Barbie" cd, I urge you to listen!
The best thing about Rachel is that she can do any style of
music. Her early singles for "Derrick" label were full out and
out country. Her "stiff" days consisted of country, rock and
roll and even a touch of blues as did her "columbia" days
with some added pop! I even have her singing "silver bells"
which is my favorite version of THAT song! She's done several
children's music which has become a fun part of my collection!
Her first two albums- "Fool Around" and "Protect The Innocent"
showcase the variety of her vocal talents. This collection of
her final two LPs for Columbia, show her in a different style,
slightly more mature. Her version of "shadows of The night" is
BETTER than Pat Benatar! Her only hit in the U.S. was "Everlasting Love" with Rex Smith. She deserved MORE HITS!
Where is Rachel now? She has done producing and writing for
several comedy sitcoms ("Sports Night", "Dharma and Greg",
"The Nanny", etc.) and hosted her own "WAY TOO SHORT-LIVED"
series on the Comedy Channel titled "The Sweet Life".
(All you DVD companies out there-obtain the rights and
get THIS series released!)
Lately there has been NO SIGN of this talented actress/singer.
RACHEL-WE MISS YOU !!!!!!!!!!
For those of you who have not been introduced to this great
talent-take the first step-PURCHASE THIS CD-LISTEN AND ENJOY-
then go from there!

Man - these two disks just didn't hold up over time. Of Sweet's four disks, '....Then He Kissed Me' was her weakest anyway. Sorry - but anyone who is forced by a record company to duet w/Rex Smith is a goner.

That's not to say that there aren't some moments. "Shadows of the Night" is still better than Benatar's - but maybe that's because I knew it before Pat came out w/it. The rest of the disk just seems so amateurish. It really was beneath Sweet's talents and ability.

'Blame it on Love' is a little stronger. The material and production are hers - so in theory she'd have only herself to blame for her success or failure. It's really a draw. The first half of the album (or most of it) is actually quite good ("Voo Doo", "Paralyzed"), but after it hits "Cruisin' Love", it becomes like material on '....Then He Kissed Me'. Really nothing special.

Though Sweet's voice was probably strongest on her debut, her strongst material and diversity really shine on 'Protect the Innocent' - which is not domestically on CD.

Probably one of the most overlooked talents of all times. If you have never heard of Rachel Sweet then search her on Amazon and buy everything that is available. She is indeed that good. If you don't melt when you hear "Then he Kissed Me" you may not truly be human.

If you are a fan of Rachel Sweet, you will be thrilled to hear Rachel's final two original LPs at long last digitally remastered on CD! The sound is crisp, clear, and truly exceptional!

Each time I hear this amazing talent, I am both shocked and confused as to why she never really made it "big," and also as to why no other current rockers have evered covered any of her highly poetic, original songs?

If you are new to Rachel's music, this is perhaps the BEST CD to buy, as it highlights a wide range of this wonderfully versatile performer's endlessly creative talent.

Five Stars from beginning to end!