Customer Reviews

Whaler

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Elle chante tres belle! And her writing is superb. Sophie may bring to mind Madonnaesque writing and singing until the maturity and lusciousness of songs such as "Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty)," "True Romance," and "As I Lay Me Down" establish art of breadth. Although the lyrics are slightly cryptic, anyone can relate to their plaintive declaration of classically romantic love. Whaler is the only Sophie album I've listened to; thus, there is no reference point to her other work. Nevertheless, I was skeptical in purchasing Whaler, having only heard the radio hit, "As I Lay Me Down." Oftentimes, radio hits are album highlights. On Whaler, "As I lay me Down" is the average. To me, "Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty) and "True Romance" are better songs than "As I Lay Me Down." These songs are slow torch songs. "Right Beside You," (Song #1) is fast with a big synthesized sound; however, Sophie is best with slow torch songs.

Incredibly, Sophie's musical breadth encompasses Broadway (e.g., Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber): Tunes such as "Mr. Tugboat Hello" and "Let Me Love You Up" juxtapose "As I Lay Me Down," proving Whaler the profound work that it is. Sophie says, "J `ai un regrette et mes chansons," meaning that she is left with regret and her songs. (I've never experienced such writing in a female singer before that takes sorrow in life and transforms it into joy.) Might we all be better for suffering?

Whaler is a celebration of life for romantics that will overtake you with joy in a few listenings (or immediately). You have to take all of Whaler's parts as a whole, which flows like warm honey--the lyrics and melody from song #1 to song #11; this is very satisfying!

My favorite song is "Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty). The childish title does not detract from the beauty and seriousness of this song. She, like me, believes in the unreal. For example, Belle loved the Beast in spite of his ugly face, because he REALLY needed her, and his ugly face could not eclipse his true love for her.

I look forward to more Sophie, who is a little Madonna, a little Natalie Merchant, a little Andrew Lloyd Webber, and a lot of Sophie B. Hawkins. . . .

I'm sure you've had the experience of finding an old tape or CD that you bought for one or two songs tucked away in a drawer somewhere. Unable to remember what song was the 'one' you pop it in the player and discover that the rest of the album was every bit as good.

'Whaler' seems to doomed to perpetual semi-obscurity, occasionally rediscovered, but most often forgotten. Which is a bit of a shame. There are more than a handful of excellent ballads here (Only Love - Did We Not Choose Each Other - As I Lay Me Down) and many others that are only slightly short of that level. Hawkins has an 'interesting' voice - whispery rather than whiskey, capable of sharpening to a pure tonal quality when needed. And the lyrics are far from simpleminded.

Perhaps it is the overpowering production values used. She gets more backup and studio work than many stars, and this occasionally rings a trifle false. But, after all, it was as a pop singer that she was trying to make a breakthrough, and I can't really fault her for putting everything she had into the effort.

I find that now, years after I bought it, the album repays listening with a sufficiently of performance. A bit more than easy listening and worth investigating.

I have not listened to "Whaler" in years but I recently popped this cd into the stereo because I always come back to listen to the gorgeous ballad "As I Lay Me Down" so I felt compelled to listen to the cd in its entirety. "Whaler" is a gorgeous pop album which I always thought was highly overlooked back in 1998, let alone Sophie B. Hawkins as a vocalist. The album is filled with lush pop melodies. Very soothing and cathartic to listen to on a cold, rainy night, especially when the songs are sung by Sophie who has such a lovely ethereal voice. I almost forgot how much I enjoyed listening to mid-tempo track "Right Beside You". The same with "Don't Don't Tell Me No". Of course my two favorite songs on the cd has to be the singles "As I Lay Me Down" and "Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty)". "As I Lay Me Down" still sends chills down my spine even all these years when I have gone through various musical phases. That is one of the best ballads I have ever heard and Sophie pulls it off without making the song sound cheesy ala Celine Dion. Obviously I am not the only person who loves this song to pieces. "As I Lay Me Down" have been used countlessly in films and television series. I wished that the follow up single "Only Love" received as much as airplay as "As I Lay Me Down". "Only Love" is another personal favorite song. I liked the album mix over the radio mix I heard when it was released as a single, same with "As I Lay Me Down". The radio mixes for those two songs totally ruined the essence of the songs. I also adore the hopelessly romantic "Let Me Love You Up". The title sounds silly but the melodies are simply gorgeous. Sophie certainly had a knack for pop melodies and she certainly showcased her abilities on "Whaler". Kinda sad to see her career in limbo.

Sophie B. Hawkins is an odd sort of artist, one who defies every imaginable convention and manages to stand in a category all her own. Just what this category is remains up for grabs.

I first purchased this album about a year ago off a sale rack at -- of all places -- a Rite Aid drug store. I was familiar w/ Sophie's "As I Lay me Down," a popular radio single from my middle school years, as well as "Lose Your Way" from the Dawson's Creek soundtrack and Sophie's recent "Timbre." I expected more works along the lines of these two songs -- sweet, mildly melancholic singer-songwriter love ballads.

I was shocked to insert the album and embark upon the fast-paced, almost 80's-esque synthesizer oddyssey that is "Right Beside You." What was going on? Women from my female singer-songwriter shelf weren't supposed to sound like women from my 80's pop diva shelf. Who was this strange creature? Too frightened to hear more, I stuck Sophie at the bottom of my shelf and virtually forgot she existed.

That is, until a month or so ago, when I happened to randomly give this album another shot. Now more prepared for what I was getting myself into, I found myself falling into Sophie's intoxicating musical landscape.

Most of the artists I hold most dear have a sound that one might refer to as intimate, and on a surface level, Sophie is anything but. "Whaler" is an apt description of many of Sophie's vocals. She literally whales, backed by heavy production, with everything from synthesizers, drums and pounding pianos to dolphin and monkey calls. And though Sophie's songwriting dwells in a territory one might initially refer to as poppish, she very quickly and effectively subverts the pop sound, often changing melodies many times over the course of a song and combining lyrics and music in highly non-traditional ways. This may be Sophie's greatest strength -- she hooks, then shocks and confounds you.

It is hard to find a comparison for Sophie -- she is that unique. However, her atmospheric experimentation reminds me a bit of Kate Bush, as well as selected works by Tori Amos, Heather Nova, Jane Siberry and Paula Cole.

Sophie is a surprising and enigmatic artist, one who is at once accesible and inaccessible. As in my case, the vocal and musical histrionics of "Whaler" may take some getting used to. But once you do, I guarantee you'll find yourself listening to this album until the piano intro to "Don't Don't Tell me No" is stuck on constant replay in your head, and those damned Jungle monkeys are haunting you in your sleep...
TIM J-Y

Sophie Ballantine Hawkins made quite a stylish volte-face with her sophomore effort, Whaler. Gone were the hauntingly ethereal synths that marked Tongues and Tails. Instead, one got bits of dance pop and stylish ballads which effectively served for some quality vocal delivery from SBH. And the songs here are more romantic and optimistic compared to T&T, with some soaring vocals put to good use over some somewhat exotic albeit indulgent synths I've never seen since Heart's Ron Nevison-produced albums!

The highest charting single was the sweet lullaby-like ballad "As I Lay Me Down," peaking at #6, and spending six long weeks atop the Adult Contemporary Charts. Airy synths accompany the keyboards and guitars to create a more radio-friendly sound. Having said that, it's a mystery why other singleworthy tracks flopped.

Possible answer: "It's not a matter it's a matter of taste," raps Sophie in the bridge's monologue of the opening track, "Right Beside You" opening with exotic space-age synths and keyboard fills, and techno beat that would've been right at home on a Human League or Pet Shop Boys album, with some frantic accompaniment by Sophie. #54 is way too low for a song that deserved Top 5 status.

The life-affirming "The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty," also known as "Only Love," made it to #49, a number of mid-paced energy, is another 80's-like synth number with Sophie's distinctive stylings, rapid-fire subconscious lyrics in the prechorus, and catchy choruses: "only love can purify, only love can conquer fear, only love can make a miracle of life." The rapid-fire material does include all the cycles one goes through-"I want the loss I want the pain I want to start my life again", and the many personas embodied with a woman: "I am the child I am the whore I am the wild woman at your door" In looking at the original lyrics, I see she substituted "you effed with my head, you effed with the dead, now I'm gonna eff with you" with "you messed etc." Curious.

But it was the sheer danceability of "Don't Don't Tell Me No." A truly romantic number, tender at times, oozing of that naïve spring love. It's that rapid-fire layered echoing vocals going "never let it go" near the end that really get me, but also some innuendo: "this is our world awaiting for the sweetest penetrating love we have found. Why can't we splatter it around and around?" Whoa! Another on the same line is "Let Me Love You Up" where she incorporates some breathy yet playful French lyrics.

A primeval jungle-like theme, with horn flourishes and some funk is prominent in "Swing From Limb To Limb" of going back to nature in terms of love, doing it like the monkeys in the jungle. The tearfully romantic ballad "True Romance" truly highlights Hawkins' vocals, consisting of airy synths, keyboards without any drum machines. Another highlight of this album. "Sometimes I See" sports a loungy jazz sound.

The heaviest song in terms of theme is "I Need Nothing Else," where the rough and tumble and yet the softer side of love is explored, and how the protagonist accepts both-"in you I see the brightest star that burns inside me and breaks my heart." The yin to the yang, in other words.

This was on heavy play at the music store where I worked, and its highlights really grew on me. I wonder if people who expected Tongues and Tails Part II-The Next Day were incensed and decided to use this CD as a coaster or Frisbee. Not me, as I'm still touched by this album to this day, which is for tried and true romantics.

Sophie's songs are a celebration of life. This second release of hers is a little too sad and dull though to be fully enjoyed, unlike the uplifter and goer debut "Tounges and Tails". And the producer's work could be better but she continues to grow artistically and there are some really great songs, like "I Need Nothing Else" - a highly confessing, spiritual song with a church sound in the background and the prayer-like "As I Lay Me Down" with a sweet organ sound. It's an overall nice poppy release which leaves a lot to think about, which is in return very good.

Sophie is often dismissed as pop-fodder of a generic sort. This perplexes me. If there were such a genre as synth-folk, Sophie would be the poster woman. Her lyrics are sophisticated and sensitive and her melodies are beautiful and instantly hummable.

I enjoy all of Sophie's albums, but WHALER is the one I keep returning to time and time again. Every song cradles me in one manner or another and everything has a ray of hope. There is no despair on this album. The ultimate message in every tune is one of hope tempered with practicality as opposed to the pop-psychology I'm okay-You're okay bumper sticker pseudo-hope.

RIGHT BESIDE YOU - An affirmation of commitment and dedication. I can't help but bob my head and sing along, especially when I'm driving. It makes me want to skip in the park. Arrangement shimmers and beautifully compliments the vocal.

DID WE NOT CHOOSE EACH OTHER? - This song actually helped save a relationship of mine. It's near the top of a very, very long list of favorite songs. Everyone who hears this song is touched or moved by it in some way.

DON"T TELL ME 'NO'! - the gist... "You will be mine... oh yes... you will be mine' without the stalker element. It's just bouncy fun with brains.

AS I LAY ME DOWN - This song was written about her father and sounds a bit like a faster-paced lullaby. The lyrics are intentionally naive (though not cliché) and are expressed with the romanticism and enchantment that a child feels in the most mundane of situations. Beautiful song...

All the rest of the songs are equally strong. Some are funky and filled with attitude. Others are astonishingly vulnerable and smartly romantic. It's astonishingly well-rounded and isn't limited to any one decade. Nothing seems dated, it's all timeless. I really hope you'll give it a chance.

Jaci Velasquez meets Cyndi Lauper. A little sticky at times. Never-the-less, Sophie is accessible to a wide variety of tastes. Exploring the continuim from spiritual, to pop, to symphonic, this effort is perfect for your CD alarm clock. Set it for 7AM Sleeping Beauty and enjoy the day!

I can't say that this CD is good or bad, because it isn't either. It had some songs that are really nice, pretty, and harmonic, like the type Jewel sings. Then it has some of a funkier nature, that you can really dance to. But some of the songs are just total losers. They just put you to sleep like lullabies. They say nothing, they mean nothing, and they are nothing, except junk. The songs you hear on the radio are only the best of her works, so even if you like one song, you should hear ALL of them before buying the CD. But I'm not saying it's all bad, because some of the songs on this CD are very cool and very pleasant.

Tongues and Tails was one of the few CDs that survived my time of poverty when I was selling off my entire video and music collection with good reason. Sophie B. Hawkins is one of the most compelling voices in modern music and there's none that can match her talent for capture the most urgent and horrifying moments of a love affair.

This CD continues the intensity of the debut but moves into experimental realms. "Swing From Limb to Limb" is the obscene screwing song on par with Barry White for the "I'd get slapped if I said this" tone. "True Romance" is an acapella stalking song, while "Let Me Love You Up" recalls The Pretenders at their best. Even a song with silly lyrics like "Only Love" is rendered with power by her delivery. The only offputting song is "Mr. Tugboat Hello" which starts like a classic showtune and ends up like "I am the Walrus" thereby answering the question as to why no one seems to be influenced much by "I am the Walrus"

The best songs recall the ambiguity of the love relationship the best. "I Need Nothing" is a love song sung by an angry lover, while "As I Lay Me Down" doesn't even suffer from the overexposure on Easy Listening Stations. Maybe that's just because I don't listen to Easy Listen Stations by choice and it's the one song that doesn't sound like is was written by a dangerous obsessive psychopath (or maybe you aren't as creeped out by the 'how am I going to live without you' variety).

But the best song in the bunch and the one that I listen to over and over again is "Did we Not Choose Each Other" with the lyrics "I don't want I don't want to take your pain away/it isn't yours to give, it isn't mine to save/Here's my heart, here's my hand here's my soul/Take it in take it apart take it easy let it go" - it moves me more than anything else maybe because once upon a time I thought that that was the role of a good boyfriend to make everything better and I deliberately sought out miserable women and I hate peopel with that kind of savior attitude. This is getting to the heart of the matter by selling acceptance over saving and that's where love should take you.

Honesty, catchy tunes and experimentation. What more can you ask for? Sophie B. Hawkins is a great artist and it's nice that she hasn't been relegatd to the lesbian artist ghetto of folk music and songs that sound like encounter sessions. Her lyrics and her music are pure and they are energy and she will say your deepest thoughts better than you ever could. This CD is better than Tongues and Tails because it's more varied, but don't neglect either CD.