Customer Reviews

What You're Getting Into

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After waiting quite a while for this release, I am happy to say that it is smokin' hot. This is easily Shannon's best effort and well worth the wait. This is phenomenal all the way through. I usually don't review anything, but I had to spread the word about this one.

after shannon's last cd was more on the rock side than blues.this cd is back to barn burnin' blistering blues+twang. starting with the title track you know your in for a great blues cd "free your mind" " all i have" shannon co wrote 6 of the 10 songs on the cd sounding better than ever her voice is in fine blues form.with great covers of eric clapton's "the core" fleetwood mac'rockin' song "oh well" brian may's "dragon attack"+ killer tune "heavens in your mind" from top to bottom her finest cd yet!!! you go girl! keep rockin' the blues!!

Putting out one of the best blues-rock albums of the decade when she was just 14 years old was both a blessing and a curse for Shannon Curfman. While the blistering debut established Curfman as a great guitarist and performer, it also sent her on a journey that most teenage musicians are unable to handle.

Ten years later, following endless touring, motherhood and a brief foray into hard rock, Curfman has returned to what she does best. Which is playing electric blues.

Front and center is Curfman's cutting and weaving guitar licks, which seem channeled direct from Chicago or the Mississippi Delta. Then there is a stunning cover of Eric Clapton's The Core, one of the best blues workouts since Anne McCue attacked "Machine Gun."

Anyone who enjoyed Curfman's debut will be more than satisfied with "What You're Getting Into."

I've been a fan of Shannon Curfman's music since her debut cd. She impressed me with her vocal ability and her guitar playing on that album. I saw later on that she'd signed with Arista and was afraid nothing would be done with her. I was right. Clive Davis let her sit and do nothing until her contract expired. If I'm wrong on this, I apologize.

I haven't bought Shannon's second album for a variety of reasons. So, I thought I'd better look into this one. I did so late, but I finally did. I am not disappointed! Shannon has done a fine job on this cd. Her voice is right on and sounds great. She hasn't ignored her guitar, either. Man, this girl is good!

Shannon seems to enjoy doing covers. Her covers on this album are Eric Clapton's 'The Core', Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well', and Queen's 'Dragon Attack'. Why Shannon decided to include 'Dragon Attack' puzzles me. But, I'm not a Queen fan. Shannon tears 'Oh Well' up! Great guitar work and a production that makes the song throb. Her version of 'The Core' is also quite well done.

I do like the rest of Shannon's song list. She has evolved into a fine songwriter. I won't go into them in detail, because it'd take too long. Suffice to say, if you liked Shannon's first album, you'll like this one, too. So buy it! You'll find you listen over and over and enjoy it each time.

On Curfman's most recent release she somewhat moves back to the sound that got her signed to a major label with her debut album 10 years ago. Her previous album "Fast lane Addiction" moved in a harder rocking direction, and although "Getting Into" rocks hard in spots it is also quite bluesy in nature. The album is a mix of originals and covers. For the covers on the album she chooses some interesting ones including Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well", Queen's "Dragon Attack" and the highlight of the album, a duet with Joe Bonamassa on Eric Clapton's "The Core". The original tunes are all well written too and show off Curfman's strengths as both a songwriter, singer and guitarist. I like pretty much everything about this disc, and think it is probably Curfman's best so far. For modern contemporary rocking blues this is a top notch record.

Every time Shannon Curfman puts out a new CD, I'm there to get it. I keep my fingers crossed, hoping I don't get a mediocre album. Fact is, she hasn't put out a mediocre song! This young lady can rock the blues with her vocals and guitar work, and is second to none. None I tell you! If you don't believe me, buy one of her CDs. Pick one, all three are five star quality! Oh, and if you do, you'll be back for the other two. As excellent as this album is, it's really hard to pick a highlight. I guess I would have to acknowledge the incredibly awesome rendition of Eric Clapton's "The Core." It was a very pleasant surprise. If I were forced to be overly critical, I would say that while she performs a great rendition of "Oh Well", it's a song that gets covered a lot. So there you have it, the worst thing I can say about this CD is that it contains a great version of "Oh Well". Translating that into plain speak, there are no fillers on this album. Buy it and prove me right.

After recently reviewing "Fast Lane Addiction" I was disappointed and I was hoping that Ms Curfmann had returned to a more bluesy sound with a lot more energy. The promise shown on "Loud Guitars Big Suspicions" just did not develop on the second outing. I can say that this third offering is a vast improvement on its predecessor and shows the rockier bluesy guitar player in Ms Curfmann.

She has written six of the ten tracks and this CD is a much more consistent collection and one that highlights her not insubstantial guitar talents.One thing that disappointed me the most on the previous CD was the failure to highlight her excellent playing.Here that is not the problem. Her vocals are strong if just a little too predictable on some songs.

She has chosen to cover four songs, of which her version of Clapton's "The Core" from "Slow Hand" is the best. She performs with Joe Bonamassa and the two of them provide an interesting interpretation, with each playing off the other.The remaining choices are all left field if not unusual for her style. Although she handles Fleetwood Mac's (1969) "Oh Well" competently and with power, with great guitar,although I would not have thought of her doing a cover of that song,which has the British Blues origin of Peter Green. "Dragon Attack" by Queen/ Brian May was very strange. I would have thought that a Queen song was not in the range of Ms Curfmann, and certainly one that identifies with the band so much. It just lacked anything for me.The final track "Heaven Is On Your Mind",is a rockier number which fits in well with the feel of the CD and is well performed.I have warmed to this one after several listens.

IN SHORT: Overall a competent and more self assured collection from Ms Curfmann which reflects a growth in her style and delivery.I think she is comfortable in her guitar skin, more electric blues.Again to see her live would be a joy of an experience as it would add that extra dimension to her talent. More self penned songs or at least a more selective use of covers to highlight her talents is called for in the next outing. 4 stars out of 5 for the obviously much appreciated improvement.

While the duet with Joe Bonnamassa is great, it is the individuality of Shannon's lead guitar style that really stands out. These tracks gel better than the last album, tho that had some great playing too. But listen to "Curious", and "Strange" here - amazing! Well done Shannon (again). Please come to the UK, perhaps we could give you a boost like we gave Jimi - more people need to hear you and your great band!

Loved Shannon's first effort as a youngster, Loud Guitars & Big Suspicions, and was interested to see how she may have matured as a singer & guitarist since then. I don't see any evidence of that on this latest effort. She's an okay singer & an okay guitarist but does not stand out in a crowded genre. And if you're going to rehash old hits then you'd better find some way to make them your own. Very vanilla effort - needs to take it up a notch or two. But I'll still check out your next effort Shannon...

Shannon Curfman is a very underrated musician.This cd is a great one if you dont have it get it!