What Do Pretty Girls Do

Billy Bragg, Kirsty MacColl | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hux Records
• ASIN: B00003TL0F
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,125 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Pop
  • #43 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Folk

Track Listings

1. Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim

2. What Do Pretty Girls Do?

3. Don't Run Away from Me Now

4. Still Life

5. There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis

6. Walk Right Back

7. Darling, Let's Have Another Baby

8. A New England

9. My Affair

10. Bad

11. Can't Stop Killing You

12. Caroline

13. Free World

14. He's on the Beach

15. A New England

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential BBC Radio 1 Sessions, May 9, 2000

By 

T. C. Ross (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Do Pretty Girls Do (Audio CD)

Recorded between 1989 and 1995, this album consists of four sets of live BBC Radio 1 recordings of Kirsty -- and they are fantastic. New versions of several classic hits are included as well as some great catalog cuts. Two songs are duets with Billy Bragg, which, of course, makes for absolutely wonderful listening. The eight-page liner notes are weak on photos, but the text is informative and interesting (especially the letter from Kirsty).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Collection, December 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: What Do Pretty Girls Do (Audio CD)

A nice sampling of Kirsty's career through '99. Sparse arrangements of some of her better known songs. Do yourself a favor and splurge on 1999's exceptional "TROPICAL BRAINSTORM" or her out-of-print in the US "GALORE".

One of the truly great pop songwriters of our time. She will be sorely missed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kirsty, we hardly knew you..., December 21, 2000

By 

Neil Roseman (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Do Pretty Girls Do (Audio CD)

Ah, this is a sad day. Kirsty's MacColl's untimely demise deprives us of one of pop music's smartest singers and songwriters. While this isn't a substitute for finding her original CDs (or the excellent "best of" Galore), which are currently out of print, it does show off her voice and songwriting talents to fine effect.

In addition, Billy Bragg completists _need_ this CD for the duets, on the funny "Darling, Let's Have Another Baby", and Billy's "New England" (one of her early hits.)

Live, Kirsty's voice has a smoky quality not prevalent in the studio recordings. This works magic with the mostly acoustic arrangements here. "He's on the Beach", is a particular highlight in this regard.

The acoustic arrangements also let you savor the lyrics. One of Ms MacColl's strenghts is the quality of her writing. "Chip Shop", "Caroline", "Don't Come the Cowboy.." -- her lyrics are just smart and knowing.

Pop music has lost a fine, and woefully undercognized talent with her death. The perversity of the music business probably means that _now_ all of her CDs will be reissued, and she will achieve at least a small measure of the reknown she should have had in life. Whatever. You, however, should ignore all that, buy this CD now, and hunt for her others in your nearest used CD shop.