Whole New You

Shawn Colvin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000059Z81
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,456 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Matter Of Minutes

2. Whole New You

3. Nothing Like You

4. Anywhere You Go

5. Bonefields

6. Another Plane Went Down

7. Bound To You

8. Roger Wilco

9. Mr. Levon

10. One Small Year

11. I'd Say I'm Sorry Now

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When Shawn Colvin's last album of original material, 1996's A Few Small Repairs, scored Grammys for Song and Record of the Year ("Sunny Came Home"), the singer found herself blessed with pop stardom--and the stifling curse of expectations. Colvin faced two choices: make a U-turn back to the acoustic folksiness of her late-'80s rise to prominence or brave the notoriously shifting currents of musical populism head on. She's chosen the latter tack here, but it often seems like more of a showcase for her longtime songwriting partner and producer, John Leventhal. He frames her lyrics and radiant voice in slick, spacious productions that sometimes make Colvin seem uncomfortably like a session singer on her own album. Whatever fresh emotional insights she offers can't help but seem insulated in that context, making the hard-edged crash metaphors of "Another Plane Went Down," the world-weariness of her collaboration with Edie Brickell, "Roger Wilco," and the haunting "Mr. Levon" sound almost refreshing by contrast. Tellingly, the title track seems like a factory-tooled, hook-laden entry from crossover central--as comfortable and indistinguishable as anything found on either pop or contemporary country radio. It's not exactly Faith Hill, but it still feels like a long way from home. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Whole New You

This title is manufactured "on demand" when ordered from Amazon.com, using recordable media as authorized by the rights holder. Powered by CreateSpace, this on-demand program makes thousands of titles available that were previously unavailable. For reissued products, packaging may differ from original artwork. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's How it Works...., January 9, 2003

By 

R. M. Ettinger "rme1963" (Cleveland Heights, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whole New You (Audio CD)

I've found that I need patience to listen to music. For the most part, I am not drawn to radio-accessible music. Though I do not consider myself a music snob, rarely do I 'like' much on a first listen. And this is equally true of Shawn Colvin's music. I like Shawn. I like her style. I love her music - eventually.

As a whole (no pun intended), I had a hard time getting into and appreciating 'Whole New You'. MULTIPLE listens were required to get to the point where I wanted or needed to hear a song or the entire disk. Some songs easier to latch onto than others, but that's true of all her disks.

'Matter of Minutes', 'Whole New You' and 'Bound To You' have immediate appeal. But my biggest draw to the record was the unconventinal 'Another Plane Went Down'. Immediately, I found myself playing that song repeatedly. I cannot adequately describe it - but there is some hook in the song that just grabs me. I can honestly say there is only one song that has never grown on me - "Roger Wilco". Maybe it's my aversion to Edie Brickell, who co-wrote the song.

I find John Leventhal's production and arrangments to be understated and dark, but ultimately extremely fulfilling ("Bonefields", "Mr. Levon"). Parts of the disk are so low key, you almost miss the nuances of the music.

It still rates extremely high on my play-list and continues to sit in one of my players (home, car, office or portable cd player) 18 mos after it's release.

I say get it - but do not listen to it casually. It's a disk that takes effort and concentration to truly appreciate.

43 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colvin Proves A Few Small Repairs Was No Fluke, April 16, 2001

By 

Ron Frankl (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Whole New You (Audio CD)

Shawn Colvin finally became a star with her 1996 album "A Few Small Repairs" and its hit single, "Sunny Came Home." Her breakthrough came at a point in her career when even her fans were beginning to doubt whether she would ever produce a consistently great album. After a long period working to establish herself on the folk scene and working as a backing vocalist for artists such as Suzanne Vega and Eric Andersen, Colvin released her first album, "Steady On," in 1989. Unfortunately, inconsistency was the hallmark of her recording career; she wrote some terrific songs ("I Don't Know Why" may be one of the most beautiful songs ever written), but not all her material reached that level. She was also often victimized by heavy-handed and questionable production choices that were probably beyond her control, including a poorly-conceived and executed album of her favorite songs by other songwriters called "Cover Girl"(1994). Despite her obvious vocal and songwriting talents, it began to appear that Colvin might never a record a great album.

"A Few Small Repairs" changed everything. Colvin wrote or co-wrote a solid and intelligent batch of songs that seemed far more meaningful and heartfelt than her previous output. Working closely with a sympathetic producer, the gifted musician/producer John Leventhal, Colvin's songs were, for the first time, arranged in a manner that complemented rather obscured the melodies. "Repairs" was a success on every level, and Colvin finally found a large audience.

Few notice a musician's struggle to build a career, but once you've had a hit, everyone pays attention. Wisely, Shawn Colvin took five years to record and release a follow-up to "Repairs," and it was time well-spent. "Whole New You" is the best album of Colvin's career. Collaborating once again with Leventhal, Colvin has crafted some of the best songs she's ever written, with lyrics that are insightful and personal, if occasionally enigmatic. She also demonstrates continued growth as a vocalist, exhibiting an almost jazz-like phrasing and sense of time. Leventhal apparently handled most of the arrangements, and if they are built around drum loops a little too often for this listener, the music is always effective and never boring. "A Matter of Minutes," Anywhere You Go," "Bonefields" and the beautiful closer, "I'll Say I'm Sorry Now," are the obvious highlights, but there's really not a bad track here.

"Whole New You" is one of the best albums of the early months of 2001, and it bodes well for the continued success of Shawn Colvin.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, April 2, 2001

By 

P. Rose "p_robert_rose" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whole New You (Audio CD)

I have been a huge Shawn Colvin fan for almost 15 years, but I am more than a little disappointed with "Whole New You". When I listen to a Shawn Colvin album, I want to hear Shawn sing wonderful lyrics and play her acoustic guitar - either alone or with a background that highlights that singing and playing. John Leventhals backgrounds are overproduced, making the vocals seem hidden or less important. It seems that this album is more about Leventhal, and less about Shawn. Many of the songs seem disjointed, often jumping abruptly between verse, chorus and bridge - as if each section of the song was written separately and patched together later.

I was hoping this album would grow on me, but not so far. All I can say is that I can't wait for her next album, to see if she can gain control of the musical focus of her own career.

Better luck next time.