Customer Reviews

Who's Got Trouble

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

 

 

You would wonder how a group as talented as Shivaree seems to go largely unrecognized. Perhaps they are better known in other parts of the world. I do know that their second CD "Rough Dreams" was never released in North America. They came to my attention with their song "Goodnight Moon" on the Kill Bill Vol. 2 Soundtrack. At any rate, I believe that "Who's Got Trouble" is the best CD to start with. First of all, this music is difficult to categorize. It's almost alternative jazz. Kind of dreamy heroin music. Very laid back. This CD showcases the voice and talent of Ambrosia Parsley. Although the band itself sometimes seems to fade into the background, that appears to be by design. There is no denying the song writing and playing talent here. As you listen to this CD over and over you appreciate the band's playing and creativity more and more. The lyrics are intelligent and often humorous. I listen to a lot of music and this is my pick of the year. I have been listening to this CD twice a day for a week. That's very unusual for me.

....and I'm not even talking of Ambrosia Parsley, yet. I have Music Choice through my cable system, and one day while on the Adult Alternative channel there plays this little song called "I Close My Eyes"...I literally stopped what I was doing to listen to this wonderful new sound eminating through my stereo TV. From that point on, I dug up all I could about Shivaree online (so much for housework) and found out that "Goodnight Moon" was used on the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack...and that movie was playing later on that night on one of the movie channels, and I kept that movie on for the sole purpose of listening to that song. Once I did, I was lost. Within the week I had the "Who's Got Trouble" CD, and I don't think I have listened to much else for the last few weeks!
Let's start with Ambrosia Parsley. I like all music in general, and tend not to romanticze female singers no matter how many of them I listen to and/or actually meet; in fact, only two female singers ever before I heard Ambrosia had such an effect on me that that I would romaticze them, being Deborah Harry (Blondie) and Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies). Well, Ambrosia Parsley also has me totally seduced. She knows how to wring every last bit of emotion from not only the lyrics but the melodies. She teases you, taunts you, promises you, denies you, pleases you, and always makes you beg for more. You feel like she's singing these songs to you alone, and while she's singing, you enter her own private universe which is much more pleasing than this one ever will be.
Musically, Shivaree is so refreshing! There is that N'Orleans style jazz that pops up, those especially seductive numbers that make you dream of the old smoke-filled clubs of yesteryear, and some early new-wave rock influences hard to deny (thinking specifically of their cover of Brian Eno's "The Fat Lady of Limbourg"). The best way for me to describe the sound of the whole CD is to think of a New Wave version of the film "Casablanca".
I am still listening to the entire CD at almost every listen, but when I pick and choose tracks for convenience (like when driving) I tend, at the moment, to jump to the the songs "New Casablanca" (coincidence?), "I Close My Eyes", "Someday", "It All Got Black" and, in my humble opinion, the most seductive song I have heard in a VERY long time, "I Will Go Quietly" (I dream of Ambrosia singing that song ONLY for me...if only.....). This is an all around solid release from a very solid band that has given a breath of fresh air to the entire music industry. Shivaree is a band worth giving your attention to. They have mine.

Great Album, and like the other reviewer, I had never heard of Shivaree until I listened to the Kill Bill soundtrack.If you like melencoly and vitrolic jazz, then this is for you.

The one great thing about Shivaree is their never-ending ability to put you in a trance when lead-singer Ambrosia Parsley's voice comes on. Being their third album, Who's Got Trouble goes back to the softness first displayed on their first album I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head For Making Me Live In This Dump.

The first song New Casablanca initially poses the question Who's Got Trouble. The slow and steady beat of the song will have you repeating this line over and over. The second track I Close My Eyes, possibly the best track on the song, takes the demanding position of the album we have so often seen with Shivaree: Good Night Moon from I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head... and John 2/14 from Rough Dreams. Parsley's delivery and overall vocals give this song what every recording company looks for: class. Someday, the third track, settles back down to what we heard in New Casablanca. The fourth and fifth tracks, Lost in a Dream and Little Black Mess, go hand in hand as one describes the dubious pleasures in life while the other showcases, well, everything else. Mexican Boyfriend serves as a follow-up of Little Black Mess, going back to the sweet subtleties of the earlier tracks.

On the latter part of the album, we see an almost different artist. This may be because the seventh track, Fat Lady of Limbourg, is a remake of an older song. Shivaree does mangificently in transforming this song into the alternative genre in which Shivaree debatedly belongs. The next, 2 Far, is another remake, except of a previous Shivaree song, You've Gone 2 Far. The new version is more like Thundercats from Rough Dreams, their sophomore album. The last three tracks close the album in the opposite way that New Casablanca and I Close My Eyes opened it.

Overall, this is a very good album. It is one of my favorites, and personally I think it is Shivaree's best, right next to Rough Dreams. Shivaree is revolutionizing the world of adult alternative music, and now is better than ever to get in on it.

People like voice comparisons. If I had to stretch the rules of reality a bit I'll say Bavaria Parsley is not entirely dissimilar in voice to Bernadette Peters. But that is a stretch at best. Both ooze girlish sensuality and one can easily envision either with finger to lip, eyelids batting, giggling... Reality unstretched, Bavaria will be the one to which others are compared. She is an original.


Technically the album is nearly flawless. Mixed/mastered by ears of excellence. This is complimented by the rich fullness of the arrangements.

The songs are undeniably refreshing, though still maintaining that Shivaree 'feel' we're accustom to. First thought that comes to mind when I strive to explain that is 'spy movies...' (think 'Goodnight Moon', a song of theirs used in 'Kill Bill VII' - if you liked that you'll adore this). And on this album they explore some more ballad-like areas - very neat and done very well. The lyrics, as always with Shivaree, are wonderful and filled with wit and story. Additionally they are timeless. Years from now I have no doubt many of their songs will be covered by others.

If you like other Shivaree albums - you'll find this one at the top of your Shivaree collection. It has quite a few songs that didn't connect with me at all on first hearing but grew on me so strongly that reading the start of this sentence I have to wonder if I'm lying to myself (yes - it's that addictive and yes it does get that much better with each listen).

My applause to Bavaria and company. Truly top rate musicians who seem very much to love it's expression. Best of all, through all the tight technicals and professionalism, the spirit of remembrance of what it's like to have fun making it - and listening to it - shines very brightly. The beauty as well.

I rate this album five stars and I can explain them in four words: I am highly enterained.

Bravo Shivaree, and Bravo Bavaria Parsley, your voice is a bit of heaven in my ears.

This is only one of a handful of CDs I've raved about in the past 12 months - the other prominent one being Extraordinary Machine. Shivaree cannot be compared to Fiona Apple when it comes to layered complexity, sophistication, or wicked irony, but they are no less admirable or irresistible. This collection of songs is the best of their 3 CDs - surprisingly mature, eclectic, and very pleasant to listen to. Musically, Shivaree is unabashedly sensuous. But other than in maybe a couple of the videos, I give Ambrosia Parsley credit for not selling herself on her looks, or rubbing her obvious drop-dead gorgeousness in our faces - even if a part of me wished she did. (Don't ask "Who" does? - ask "Gwen" instead.) When Ambrosia sings live, she doesn't strut or go on stage half unclad. She doesn't need to. She knows she's good-looking and is probably proud of it. She just locks her thumbs unpretentiously in her jean pockets and sings away.

Unlike the first or even the second outing, there really isn't a weak track to be found. One of my favorites is "Little Black Mess" with its Billy Holiday homage - all the more noteworthy because of the similarity in subject matter between the hints of infidelity here and on "Don't Explain" - a song Billy wrote herself after she caught her man cheating.

I just love this CD.

Yeah, I know Who's Got Trouble has been around for a couple of years and Shivaree has been around for longer but I'm just now really getting into it. This CD first came to my attention a couple of years ago when I heard it while browsing the bins at a favorite Austin music store. Since I was looking for some new sounds and I liked some of what I heard, I bought it. Since then, I listened to and enjoyed it occasionally, but the seductive beauty of singer Ambrosia Parsley's voice didn't strike me fully until recently.
Who's Got Trouble is a slow burner that creeps up on your senses and imbues them with that proverbial warm and fuzzy feeling. Parsley's voice reminds me a lot in some ways of that of Petronella Nettermalm of the Swedish neo-prog group Paatos. Not every song is great, but the variety is good and gives the listener the opportunity to discover how much range Parsley and her band have. The best two are the mid-tempo rockers I Close My Eyes and Little Black Mess. But I also like New Casablanca, Someday, Brian Eno's The Fat Lady of Limbourg, and 2 Far.
Who's Got Trouble is languid, seductive and sizzling. The CD comes with a booklet containing mostly artsy pictures but also pertinent album information. The punch line to an old joke is that nobody eats parsley any more. Well, based on what I've heard here, my ears will be "eating" Parsley for a long time to come.

I was one of the very few to have participated at Shivaree's gig in Madrid in May 2005 .It was one of those rare occasions where you get the chance to enjoy a little band with big talent , in it ( the record business that is...) only for the music . They mostly played stuff from the then just-released " Who's Got Trouble " .

The show was just amazing . Their smoky , seductive pop gems work so well live , all perfomed by a gorgeous Ambrosia Parsley wearing an Anthony And The Johnsons t-shirt ( another great artist's artist who deserves a bigger audience quick !) .

As for the album itself ,like every Shivaree offering , here as well there are great melodies to cherish . The soft lullabies of " I Will Go Quietly " and "New Casablance " are particulary affecting but it's when you listen to tracks like " 2far" , " I Close My Eyes " and especially " Mexican Boyfriend " that you wanna buy a thousand of their cd's and send them to everyone you know so they can discover what this group is all about .

On the down side , McVinnie's guitar gets less volume and space here than live . Shivaree probably don't wanna cross the line of pop/rock and prefer to keep the tender roots of their pop songs intact . Still , songs like " The Fat Lady Of Limbourg " could use some the raw energy i saw onstage that night . A couple of tracks don't work that well like the bossa-nova flavoured " Little Black Mess " and " Baby Girls " and at times , Parsley's vocals sound too young for some of the material but overall this is an honest and truly interesting jazzy pop proposition .

At the end of that great evening , as the band was packing up and i was chatting with keybords player Danny McGough , a spanish girl slowly approached only to express to him with fractured english that "you've made me feel so beautiful tonight ! " . That is/should be more than enough , if u ask me...

It would sound much like this. The album has some electronic touches on a few numbers due to the producer having worked with artists like Beth Orton and similar artists of the alterna-folk singer/songwriter vein. It's smokey at times, heartbreaking, energizing, and definitely sexy and strong. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in then give them a chance.

This is the greatest thing to happen to music since maybe----I dunno---the death of 80's new wave?

Run, don't walk, to buy any album by Shivaree