Customer Reviews

To Whom It May Concern

5 star:		(173)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

The most impressive aspect of Lisa Marie Presley's debut album, "To Whom It May Concern," is that her lyrics are blatantly confessional on a scale that makes those of Courtney Love look like Kurt Cobain's widow had taken a vow of silence. From the death of her father when she was 9 years old ("I wish that I had spent just a little more time with you") to her tabloid marriages to Michael Jackson ("You're in some blind elation, a kind of delusion") to Nicholas Cage ("When I turned my back you cut my throat") Lisa Marie lays it out there for the world to see. Such emotional honesty certainly earns our respect, especially in this age of carefully packaged pop princesses and the album's cover shot makes it perfectly clear that nobody ever has to ask Lisa Marie the question, "who's your daddy?"

Unfortunately "To Whom It May Concern" is often as over produced as a Brittney Spears album (remember her?). This is someone surprising given that the album is produced by the likes of Eric Rosse (Tori Amos), Andrew Slatter (Fiona Apple) and Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette), all of whom have worked with artists who refrain from hiding the vocals behind overwhelming layers of music. The opening track, "S.O.B." is a perfect example: it starts off with Presley's semi-sultry alto vocals, and then then the band cranks it up big time. You might have to go back and listen to the song again to see if Lisa Marie said what you think she said in that song (yeah, she did). You find the same pattern on "The Road Between," "Important," etc., and you have to conclude that these guys must have thought they were covering up limitations of her voice. That might be a concern when you are doing nothing but singing songs written by someone else (classic example, Paula Abdul), but not when they are your songs. Besides, on "Nobody Noticed It" they dub some nice harmonies that showcase her vocal strengths, albeit buried beneath several layers of sound.

Then again, sometimes the fault is in the music itself. The first single off of this album, "Lights Out," has a perky tune that sounds AM-radio friendly, and it is all about her family "dead and gone" back in Memphis, buried "in the damn back lawn." The problem is that the blistering lyrics are totally mismatched by the aforementioned perky music. Besides, it is not one of the better songs on the album; in fact, it is my least favorite track at this point. Most of the songs are set at angry girl rock tempo, the exception that proves the rule being "So Lovely," a slow song with a slow guitar dancing around the theme from "Midnight Cowboy." The bottom line is that, on balance, Lisa Marie comes out ahead of the game on "To Whom It May Concern." She also has the advantage of not having come up with such a great first album that she has nowhere to go but down, a constant fate in the music business. The big question is now that she has exorcised her demons in song, where does she go from here? The tabloids can dissect Michael Jackson and report Elvis sightings for the rest of her life, but Lisa Marie is going to have to move on. This album opens her to new possibilities for doing so.

Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the most famous rock star ever, blazes her own trail. She definitely steps in the right direction, supported on the album by very good musicians and fine back vocals. Perhaps I should quote Letterman, who said, after a performance of 'Lights Out' on his show (apr 9), that she has "a powerful voice". That is true, indeed... What a powerful voice!

To Whom It May Concern contains glimpses of the best from yesterday's and today's pop songs ; adult alternative, folk-rock, new country and gothic mesh together in a splendid aggregate that should leave you astounded in the best sense of the word. The result is, sometimes, dazzling --most of the compositions and lyrics have guts and energy (with unexpected novelty, as in 'Sinking In' and 'Gone' in particular). One of her best songs, in my opinion, is 'Savior', included only on the single-cd (in limited edition, I presume, it will become a collector's item). LMP will make big waves with the release of To Whom It May Concern, I'm sure of that. A nice album, and a nice treat for those enamored of solid rock and chunky-but-still-subtle ballads.

On this cd, she invents something, she does not replicate. Rock music of the 21st century. In fact, her debut album cannot be compared, its content is much original (even though there are the inevitable references to Sheryl Crow and Cher). The album honors the electric guitar, with shades of acoustic guitar hovering here and there. I seldom heard such beautiful guitar sounds to support a rock singstress --except, perhaps, from the likes of Penny Framstad or Mae Moore. LMP takes the scene by storm. The wild child is too wild to tame... Still, her voice is very good, sweet as well as "beefy" (she never shrieks or get abbrasive). Not surprisingly, she has a striking resemblance to her father --even in some gestures on the stage, as shown in the 'Lights Out' video : the way she holds the mike, etc.

She's a beautiful young woman doing remarkably beautiful music.

This album is just absolutely amazing. Hard to describe in words. Her voice is beautiful, every song on the album tells a story, a story of heartbreak, of happiness. All of which are her, her life, 100% real. To be honest, I didn't expect much from Lisa Marie (and now I see it was stupid), not many people did, because she is her fathers daughter, I was very impressed with every track on the album. Her lyrics are so powerful, and have so much meaning. 'Nobody Noticed It' is an incredible song, written for her father, with such strong lyrics "You're still lovely, You were lovely then" "You made me, I love you, and do you know, nothing has changed, now everyone they notice it, everyone notices". Also with backing vocals by her children on the track 'To Whom It May Concern'. I recommend this album to any and everyone that enjoys listening to just great music. All songs written or co-written by Lisa Marie herself, which is something you don't see now-a-days. Just go buy it, it'll be worth every cent, I guarantee.

<3 LMP <3

What an exceptional debut album by Lisa Marie. This album is drenched in trials of a tough life and heartache. With aching vocals and whining guitar melodies, she tells powerful stories through her lyrics. The best songs on the album are: Lights Out, S.O.B., The Road Between and Nobody Noticed It. The most interesting song on the album is: Indifferent, which has heavy influences of Garbage (Shirley Manson) with industrial chords and sounds, plus her vocal style matches Shirley Manson's in this song. The hidden track (better listen to the WHOLE ALBUM) is laid back and effective as a closing tune.

I'm very pleased I took an early lunch to run to the record store and buy this. I've played it three times so far and love more each spin...

Way to go Lisa Marie! You've found your calling!

This CD has been rumoured to be coming for many years. Was the wait worth it ? Yes, most definately.
Lisa has written the words, and collaborated with the likes of Glen Ballard on the music. The lyrics are very personal, for example in "Light's Out" she talks about seeing a "plot" in Gracelands back-yard for her, next to Elvis' grave. "Gone" is a reference to her short, stormy marriage to Nicolas Cage and "To Whom It May Concern" a scathing attack about prescription drugs that are freely handed out by doctors etc, to school / college children, a cause she camapigns heavily against. All of this sounds as if it could be a quite depressing CD, but Lisa manages to convey sincerity and honesty with her deep, husky voice.
There have been comparisons, in the media, with Sheryl Crow [style] and Cher [voice] but as Elvis once said, when asked who he sounded like "I don't sound like nobody" and Lisa is the same. She really does have a unique sounding voice.
The CD tends to sound over-produced on some of the tracks, and it would have been nice to hear her sing to minimum backing, but that's being over critical.
Hopefully the music buying public can see beyond the media track, that this is Elvis' daughter, she is only cashing in on his name, and take the time to listen to her CD.

The enhanced copy includes the video to the debut single "Lights Out" and a behind the scenes look at shooting the video. Both of which are a welcome addition, as well as a bonus track.
All in all, it is a well crafted and enjoyable debut.
Well done Lisa, your father would've been proud of you.

I'll admit it. The reason I became interested in Lisa Marie Presley is because I am an Elvis fan. I watched various interviews with her on TV and I was happily surprised at her truthfulness and how she didn't put up a front, pretending to be someone she's not. Then when I saw her video for "Lights Out," I was struck by how much raw talent she had. I was anxiously counting down the days until "To Whom It May Concern" was released and when I finally got my copy, I was so pleased with the album!

It's clear that Lisa has a lot of talent, especially in her song writing ability. She wrote every song on her debut by herself, excluding "The Road Between," which she co-wrote. The lyrics are just amazing and so deep. And the songs are even better. One of the standout tracks on here is "Nobody Noticed It," which is a heartfelt and beautiful song about her father. "Sinking In," "Lights Out," "Gone" and "S.O.B." are awesome. "So Lovely" is a sweet song about her two children, Danielle and Benjamin. Each of the songs on this record are so unique and it's obvious that they all have a special meaning to Lisa, who sings with such passion.

Hopefully, with this album, people will look at Lisa differently. Yes, she is the King of Rock 'n Roll's daughter, but beyond that, she is her own person, who has a lot of interesting things to say through her music. To those who think that Lisa is just doing this for the cash: her last name is Presley. She doesn't need the fame or the money. She took a big, brave step in releasing this album and I applaud her for that. "To Whom It May Concern" is awesome!

First off, Lisa Marie can sing. Not in a Celine Dion way, but she will give Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow a run for their money as a whiskey-soaked alto rocker. Her songs sound very close to female revelatory rock. Lots of personal lyrics that address her heritage, her relationships, and her concern for children. All over crunchy guitar lines!

The catchiest track is "Lights Out" which is the lead single, and has been all over VH-1. This disc is enhanced, and you get the video as a CD-ROM function. The "behind the scenes" feature is sort of like a DVD commentary with Lisa Marie explaining the video's theme and how the effects were done.

The rest of the CD is catchy! I really like "Better Beware", but all the songs are strong and well produced. She looks like her father sometimes, but her voice is all her own. I was a skeptic at first, but Lisa Marie has made me a believer! I don't doubt it's in her genes, but I think her life has a lot more to do with it. The girl has some demons, and music is the best way to get them out! She may have been sired by the "King of Rock", married to the "King of Pop", but here she shows her allegiance to her Daddy with soul searching rock that makes you wonder how Michael Jackson ever thought he might be able to tame this wild child on a mission to stumble anywhere but back to Memphis!

The debut of this album should be a big deal...probably a bigger deal than it is. After all, the princess of rock by blood's first lp deserves all the attention it's gotten, and then some. But let's focus on the music, which, by the way, shows lots of promise and is decent in it's own right. Agressive at times, frequently restless, and surprising introspective is how I would describe it in brief. Also, the song's are not in the mold of her daddy's, which might catch some by some surprise. There is a definate edge to much of it, and the songs cross the gap between rock, country, and pop. Nobody Noticed It is particularly haunting, and reminds us that despite the abrasive nature of some of the songs, this is a girl who misses her dad. Lights Out, the first single, gives a glimpse into how it must feel to live in the shadow of such stardom. So Lovely breaks the mold much of the rest of the record creates, as it serves as a reflection of her proudest accomplishment, her kids. The song is upbeat, and even heartwarming. To Whom It May Concern, on the other hand, is a sorrowing tale of self criticsm and doubt, and speaks of her first divorce and its effects on her and her kids. Better Beware has a decided pop sound, and most of the others a rock sound somewhat similar to Sheryl Crow and others, rock, some with hints a country influence. All told, a good first effort, especially considering she wrote all of the lyrics and co-produced most of the arrangements. I suppose the toughest thing this album's going to have to deal with are it's expectations. When there are as many differing expectations as there are, there's no way to meet them all. I suggest picking up a copy of the album, putting your expectation on hold, and listening to the music for what it is and appreciating that.

Got it, plugged it into the CD player, and tried to remain objective... difficult to do when one considers that Lisa Marie is Elvis' daughter.

But this isn't an Elvis clone copying her father, and for that reason alone this reviewer will give her a tentative five stars. Looking at Lisa Marie one cannot doubt that she is the offspring of "The King," but her voice is not his, and that is to her credit. She has a refreshing sound, yet some of her lyrics expose some deep pains within her frequently up and down life. Will refrain from making any comments about "Jacko" here, but one will wonder where his past influence fits in.

Speaking of lyrics, Lisa Marie was the author (or co-author), unlike the songs her father made into so many gold and platinum hits. She also did all the vocals and harmonies, and did them surprisingly well for an "intro" album. She will surprise some people with this release, and she will shock others. Her voice is raw at times, and that's not a negative comment at all, and so smooth at others.

After a first listening it's easy to say that the folks who really enjoyed Elvis' gospel music should perhaps aviod this particular album. In fact, some of the lyrics will make one wonder why this album had no explicit lyrics warning.

But all in all, it's a good, contemporary sound, and well worth listening to. And I'll be looking forward to to hearing her next release.

Fantastic album with so much incredible emotion. You can TELL these lyrics actually mean something to the singer. A ring of deep sadness and regret and love ring true throughout the album. Incredible music. The guitars are beautiful. Lisa Marie, though self admittedly not a magnificent singer, has a husky alto which is incredibly pleasant to listen to. If you're a fan of Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Meredith Brooks or any rock singer who sings with emotion then you'll love this album. Expect some fast, rock 'n roll and some breathtakingly beautiful slow ballads. YOU GO, GIRL!!! Love it!