Customer Reviews

Vonda Shepard

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all: sorry about my english :-) i saw vonda shepard live in Germany (about 1990) with the Al Jareau Band "coast to coast" in Baden Baden. She was the Backgroundsinger of the band and after a while she sang a couple of her "first" release. it was wonderful! i loved her voice and the way she is on stage! i tried to get the album in Germany... no chance. In 1992 i went to Orlando to visit a friend of mine. I found the CD in a store for 2.99... unbelievable!! i did not hear anything more about Vonda shepard since i saw her on TV (Ally McBeal). The first album of her is still one of my favourite CD's. i wish her all the best and wish she could read this: THANK YOU FOR THAT MUSIC!

I first heard "Looking for Something" 10 years ago while driving along the coast in CA. I pulled the car over and just sat there listening. For the first and last time in my life I wrote down the time and date and called the station to ask where I could get this record.

This is a great CD. Buy it NOW. For once, take a chance on someone's opinion. I guarantee you'll like this collection of songs.

When this album was originally released in 1989, it was to very little recognition: the single "Don't Cry Ilene" fared well on Adult Contemporary radio, but otherwise Vonda Shepard didn't make much of a dent on the music industry. This wasn't, of course, due to any lacking in her talent, and now that this album is re-released by her current label and selling well, I think it's proof that labels need to pay more attention to honest songwriting instead of the current trends and gimmicks. "Baby Don't You Break My Heart Slow" is a gorgeous ballad that should have found its way to radio; maybe it will yet, since rumor has it that an updated version will appear on Vonda's next album, due in '99. In the meantime, this album also offers pop gems in the form of "He Ain't With Me," "Hold Out," and the poignant "Looking for Something." And if "I Shy Away" and "I've Been Here Before" seem a little closer to bubblegum pop than Vonda's later material, the production and spirit of the recordings still make them downright irresistible. This fine album was always destined for popularity, and even if it took nine years to find it, well...better late than never.

This seems to be the first Vonda Shepard album (I'm not sure, but the name itself says it - I mean, who would call his second or third or any other album by his/her name?)
And it is very different from her later work. Here she is still searching for her kind of sound, she is experimenting - and it's a good thing.
The not-so-bad thing is, basically, the same - she hasn't found her music yet, like she would in her later work. There is too much electronic sound, which I wasn't prepaired for.

If you really like her songs, you will find this album interesting, because it shows how she evolved in the years that followed.
I liked the album in general, but the texts here are mostly better than music (as a writer she was then as good as now).

Last night on a midnight run from Richmond to D.C., I heard a local D.C. station play "Baby, Don't You Break My Hear Slow", announcing it was from Vonda's new release, "By 730". I spent today trying to locate this new release and was disappointed to find it will not be commercially available until next month - 4/99. So to get my needed "fix", I was delighted to discover the same title on this 1989 release. Even though this version is much more "electronic" and "produced" than the one I heard last night, this disk, on the whole, was a worthwhile investment. My interest in Ms. Shepard's work has its origin in the Ally McBeal disk. By comparision, I find this disk to be much more personal & much less retro (with perhaps the exception of "Maryland"!) in nature. It clearly demonstrates the depth of her talent and ability to evoke listeners' emotions. Buy it - you'll love it!

I personally think this is an amazing album. It will shock some people because it is very radio-friendly for the most part, but the music is excellent. The best tracks in my opinion are the 3rd, 4th and 5th. These stand out the most, although all the tracks are excellent.

Hold Out is a gorgeously commercial uptempo which is incredibly catchy. This is really just a great uplifting pop song, which could have been a massive hit had it gone to radio as a single. Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow was rerecorded 10 years later to become a hit, and although the production on this version comes off as dated, this track is probably the favorite track of about 50% of Vonda Shepard fans, and should really be a classic. Meanwhile, Looking For Something offers the albums most lyrically and musically poignant moment - and shows traces of a direction Vondas music moved in later in her career.

Whilst those are my favourites, this album contains no real filler tracks. 'He Ain't With Me' is another really great pop song like Hold Out. In fact, with artists such as Mariah Carey currently reviving the '80s sounds, this track could even do well in today's charts! 'I've Been Here Before' and the second single, 'I Shy Away', take a distinctively bubble-gum route, and although they aren't the albums most soulful moments, they're undoubtedly very fun to listen to (repetitively!). The first single release from the album, 'Don't Cry Ilene', is a bit of an oddity - is it a ballad or an uptempo? Probably a mixture of both, and all the more enjoyable for it.

The albums last 4 tracks are the most uncommercial ones, with more experimentation. 'A New Marilyn' explores how hard it is to make it as a star when 'everyones looking for a new you know who'. This comes complete with a crowds background noise at one point. Meanwhile, Jam Karet explores time, with the different paces of the song adding to the concept. Although these tracks are more diverse, they are just as upbeat and poppy as the rest of the album. The hardest track to get to grips with here is the ballad 'Say The Words', which bases its attraction on a classic piano tune backing the verses, whilst heavy, methodical beats run throughout the track.

Overall, this album is definitely one of my favourites. Quite a lot of it is commercial, but it is worth bearing in mind also that Vonda wrote most of this stuff by herself, so many of the tracks are very personal - such as Looking For Something and Say The Words. These only add to the album. However, the main concept here is fun. If you want the music which shows Vondas true musical tastes, its best to buy 'It's Good Eve', which will satisfy anyone. If you are looking for good pop songs, buy this album!

I saw Vonda Shepard at an Indigo Girls concert in Portland, OR. She was a surprise guest - I couldn't have been more thrilled to see her. She and Emily sang a beautiful, sad duet that left me searching for the record it was from. I'm pretty sure this is the one.

I first heard this album on the local 'lit jazz' station and went out and immediately got the cassette. It became one of my favorites. When I stitched over to CDs I had a hard time finding the title but never gave up hope finally locating it. It's just as good as when I heard it the first time. Shepard is good with a pop turn of phrase but also great with heartfelt ballads, everything tinged with jazz style. The tune 'Something' is still one of my favorite songs ever.

She is the best singer I have ever heard. I had never heard of her until Ally Mcbeal and I feel that she should have been in the top 10 long before this! Message to viewers: You have to buy this Album!

The lyrics of the songs on this seem to fit the music they were written for perfectly. I have loved this CD for a long time, and wondered when everyone else would discover this talented but very accessible artist. Its nice to see her get national exposure due to the success of "Ally McBeal".