Customer Reviews

The Well

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It seems like a century since we have had a new album from Jennifer Warnes. (In fact, her last album was in the last century, released in 1992...) After a too-long wait, caused apparently by short-sighted record labels, Jennifer Warnes returns with The Well. And what a return it is. She has gone to the well, and has not come back empty-handed.
The entire album is simply amazing, and a worthy successor to her last album (The Hunter). Some standouts on the album:
- Too Late Love Comes: a strong Gaelic atmosphere. She opens acapello (am I the only one who likes to hear her *breathe*?) and then is joined by pipes, violins, mandolin.
- Invitation to the Blues: bluesy, moody, full of longing.
- And So It Goes: if Billy Joel didn't write this song specifically for Jennifer to sing, he should have.
- The Panther: outstanding use of percussion to set the mood. One feels that one is in Louisiana on a hot and humid night, with a panther is sloping through the fog.
- You Don't Know Me: an Eddy Arnold standard, reset to a jazz-like mood, a great duet.
- Patriot's Dream: Jennifer sings this Arlo Guthrie song, with accompaniment by Arlo Guthrie. This song reminds us of the blessing of being American, and the responsibility we have to keep the dream alive.
Let us hope that this new album is the first of many for the 21st century from Jennifer Warnes.

There are many questions to be asked concerning Jennifer Warnes. Why isn't she a BIG STAR? Why does she record so seldom? Why isn't she more commercially successful?

It isn't that she lacks critical acclaim. Her voice and interpretations have been praised By disparate forces from Dick Clark to Leonard Cohen and practically everyone in between.

So what are the answers? Wish I knew. Perhaps she is too eclectic, talented and independent too allow herself to be categorized. She fuses folk, pop, rock and the blues so well that it is impossible to label her. So rather than try, one is left to simply enjoy the artistry that moves you and leaves you wanting more.

THE WELL is a triumph worth the wait. There is something for everyone from the plaintiff, haunting PRAIRIE MELANCHOLY to the bluesy IT'S RAINING and Billy Joels ode to never giving up on love, AND SO IT GOES. Warnes, who has made everyone she has dueted with sound good, is in fine form with Doyle Bramhall on YOU DON'T KNOW ME and Arlo Guthrie on PATRIOT's DREAM. The title song, written by Warnes is excellent.

Warnes is a rare talent. One who apparently refuses to "sell out" artistic integrity for commercial success. May she thrive and continue to thrive both artistically and commercially.

For those of us who have followed Jennifer Warnes brilliant work as one of our premier singer songwriters the release of "The Well" has been more than worth the long wait between the always critically acclaimed, if not always commercially successful, albums of this talented singer and interpreter of song. The synthesis of the many musical styles and genres that Ms. Warnes has explored throughout her career and made her own is seamless and transcends the definition of eclectic.
The four cuts penned by Jennifer Warnes have the poetic beauty and insight of a nature mystic with her feet firmly planted on mother earth. She surrounds herself with a bevy of talented musicians. I am particularly impressed with the lead acoustic guitar work of Doyle Bramhall II and the rhythm guitar of Dean Parks on "The Well" and the second cut, "It's Raining." Another standout is the muted trumpet work by Lee Thornburg that perfectly compliments Ms. Warnes sultry and soulful cover of Tom Wait's "Invitation To The Blues." The lush, original arrangement of the traditional Irish air, "Dawning of the Day," re-titled "Too Late Love Comes" with new lyrics by Ms. Warnes is as lilting and poignant in its presentation as another self-penned piece "The Panther" is haunting. She is unparalleled in her ability to convey a story as she takes on "And So It Goes" by the master storyteller himself, Billy Joel. Her duet with Doyle Bramhall on the country blues standard "You Don't Know Me" is as smooth as silk and yet every bit as soulful as the classic Ray Charles rendition. Ms. Warnes partnership with Arlo Guthrie, who unfortunately isn't heard enough from these days, on his "Patriot's Dream" is very timely yet subtle in its reflection on our values as Americans in this time of worldwide turmoil and tragedy that has caused emotions to run high and reasonable action to be too often abandoned. The Celtic arrangement and instrumentation on this cut is as stirring as the lyrics are thoughtful. A mature richness of "voice" and a perennial wisdom are evoked in this inspirational pairing with Arlo Guthrie as guest vocalist.
The string arrangements on several of the cuts are beautifully done adding a rich and textured backdrop, without distraction, to the always-straightforward genius of Jennifer Warnes vocal and interpretive abilities. The simple pleading reprise of "The Well" with the brilliant percussionist, Alex Acuna, on a tree trunk drum is the perfect closer to a compelling and masterful recording. We can only hope Jennifer Warnes continues to hold the reigns of her ongoing career with uncomprimised artistic vision and that we will hear much more from her more often. She has yet to receive the recognition fitting an artist of her caliber.

Jennifer Warnes' recordings are so meticulously crafted--from song selection to mixing and engineering--and her efforts have never failed to pay off. On The Well, her first release in nine long years, her vocals again are flawless, the songs all memorable, and the sound quality sublime. Every nuance of her voice is strikingly revealed, each breath can convey an emotion. Standouts: Billy Joel's And So It Goes (you can't help thinking she wrote this tune--a perfect match of singer to song); The Nightingale, so beautiful and uplifting; the title track; and Prairie Melancholy--the title describes the song perfectly.
Rare is the performer whose songs evoke so much. Each one is like a painting, with its own set of images creating vivid emotional responses from the listener.
Warnes is a treasure. She has taken on the big record companies, who have in the past tried to steer her in directions she was not interested in going. And with her new label, Sin-Drome, she has hopefullly found a home where she can be happy ... and productive.
The Well will be, like her previous recordings, a CD that you will come back to time and again, year after year.

I go to this album to renew my spirit and soul. It is her finest work to date (IMO). I have gifted over 25 friends and relatives with this CD and have received so very many notes of thanks. It is a CD to listen to without outside distraction to take in all its beauty and wisdom. Don't let this one slip by you.

"The Well" is about as elegant as pop music gets. Jennifer Warnes is charting her own course rather than a follower of fashion. For that she will have fans who feel strongly about her music; and I am certainly one. It's hard to find music this mature and lovingly produced as on The Well. A throbbing rhythm guitar opens the title track with the positive declaration, "We can make it, I know we can." With cowriter Doyle Bramhall, the lyrics are about as beautifully crafted as you'll find, "Let's build a bonfire for the stories we tell of the wild years, the wasted tears and the silent way they fell." I fell in love with the second track "It's Raining" when Lou Ann Barton did it a number of years ago. With Jennifer's confident reading, the bluesy tear jerker shines, "This is the time I'd love to be holding you tight, but I guess I'll just go crazy tonight." Piano and violin punctuate the slow wistful melody of "Prairie Melancholy." Cowrote by Jennifer and Nancy Bacal, the lyric is unique, "I'm crawling like a scorpion across the melancholy time." Uillean pipes and mandolin give the slow wistful melody of "Too Late Love Comes" an Irish flavor. You tell Jennifer loves Tom Waits' work on "Invitation to the Blues." His music, like Leonard Cohen's, has an edge to it and makes a perfect fit for Warnes' reading. She kind of giggles as she sings "Mercy, Mr. Percy" which is marvelously in the moment. Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" and the somber piano are perfect as Jennifer sings, "Everytime I've held a rose, it seems I've only felt the thorn." The song selection on this track is so perfect, "So I would choose to be with you, that's if the choice were mine to make, but you can make decisions too; and you can have this heart to break." "The Panther" is slow and sinister, "Time to lay the panther down." "You Don't Know Me" is a great reading of this classic. "The Nightengale" is another beautiful melody and Warnes' voice soars, "To think I said love was for fools." Arlo Guthrie joins in song on his tune "Patriot's Dream." Such elegance in the lyric "Arise sweet destiny," and relevance in "Tyrants freed, the just are imprisoned." Whether cowriting or selecting material, Jennifer combines about as crystal pure of reading as you're likely to hear with songs that contain and edge and meaning. Don't miss it.

Jennifer Warnes is ageless. That wonderful youthful, humor-laden voice is still beautiful (nearly ten years after "The Hunter" and over 30 years since "Hair" in L.A.). There is justice in the universe for a singer/songwriter as talented as this. In a very strong year (new Nanci Griffith, Lucy Kaplansky, Buddy & Julie, Patty Loveless, Carter/Grammer, Kate Rusby, "Songcatcher," etc.), "The Well" shines out brightly. A lovely combination of originals and Warnes covers, don't miss this one. "Prairie Melancholy," the celtic "Too Late Love Comes," Billy Joel's "And So It Goes," the old Eddy Arnold duet "You Don't Know Me" reimagined, "The Nightingale," Arlo Guthrie's "Patriot's Dream" (so needed after the events of this awful September), and the haunting title cut all raise the goosebumps and haunt the heart and brain. Jennifer has gathered an incredibly impressive array of instrumentalists and co-writers...and Nat King Cole's grand piano. Thank you, Jennifer.

I have long been a fan of Jennifer Warnes - since the Smothers Brothers days ... but I was not prepared for the way this new album would move me. It literally took my breath away. Her voice is as clear as beautiful as ever - but the songs chosen for this set and the musical arrangements, accompaniments and the "guest" vocalists (Arlo Guthrie and Blondie Chaplin, in particular) - it all just blew me away. The title song is a wonder to behold. If you ever have enjoyed Jennifer's music, I recommend this cd ... highly.

Don't miss this one....it deserves a Grammy. It has been almost 10 years since her last album "The Hunter" and it's been certainly worth the wait for this great collection of sensuous and uplifting songs. Jennifer Warnes has always had the distinctive ability to achieve the perfect union of form and content. Her vocal range and dexterity, meticulous phrasing, amazing control of nuance and inflection, and impeccable timing are unparalleled. Each song can be savored when played over and over again and all the songs weave together beautifully, with marvelous transitions from one to the next-taking the listener on a captivating musical journey. "The Well" has all the makings of yet another masterpiece and I urge music-lovers to check this recording out. It is simply a beautiful collection of songs lovingly and painstakingly put together.

This is an exquisite piece of work from Jennifer Warnes. I stumbled across this CD surfing Amazon.ca checking to see if Jennifer Warnes had ever recorded another album after "The Hunter". At the risk of overstatement (a risk I'm always willing to take), it seems to me a crime that this album has not enjoyed a much higher profile since its release last year. With Norah Jones currently and deservedly selling millions of units of her debut CD, there is no reason why this equally magnificent recording hasn't sold much, much more. Jennifer Warnes has one of those voices that pierces hearts. She also has impeccable taste in material and the mix of music on this CD is perfect. Listen to her cover of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" or her own composition, the title cut, "The Well". I cannot stop playing "The Nightingale". Incredible. In my opinion, Jennifer's "Famous Blue Raincoat" is one of the top 10 contemporary music recordings of the last 25 years. "The Well" is another brilliant chapter in this remarkable artist's career. Trust me. Go to "The Well".