Customer Reviews

A Woman & A Man

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Over 6 years later & I still love this album by one of my fave soft-rock vixens. I met her in '96 & she was rude. But her songs still take me over & this album is a pleasing example as to why. Not her biggest smash ever, although it did generate 2 UK Top 6 hits, the gorgeously romantic In Too Deep & The Per Gessle (of Roxette fame) fuelled Always Breaking My Heart, which gives Belinda a killer chorus - the thing she is most famed for. The album is brimming with great melodies & harmless songs which don't challenge lyrically but do soothe the ears. My fave trax are Remember September, a haunting & stark ballad which recalls love's promises. The title track is about another lost love, but builds up into a cracker chorus.

Quite a few guests on the album too. Per Gessle lends his pen to my fave song on the album, Love Doesn't Live Here, which eases along beautifully. There's an acerbic indictment of Belinda's home state of California with its death & drugs & general nonchalence. Wonder why she left California after this song to live in South of France? Hmm. This might be the reason why. There's a guest backing vocal from Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame, which gives the song summery harmonies. A minor UK Hit. There's also a Neill Finn song entitled Fall At Your Feet, which reveals the diversity of Belinda's tuneful vocals. Anyone who knows Belinda knows that she loved Crowded House. Add to that a few other stonking songs & you have a darned good opus. It fared quite well in Britain & asides from a Greatest Hits album in 1999, plus supporting act for Cher (where she was fantastic) we have heard little of Belinda on these shores. One thing for sure however is that this album (although not as great as Live Your life Be Free) is moulded on an aim to give the listener an accessible tune & a wonderful vocal delivery. I'll enjoy it until she returns.

Belinda Carlisle's latest effort is a great combination of dance songs like "A Woman And A Man", could be pop-classics like "In Too Deep", and "He Goes On". Unfortunately, Belinda has changed to a minor label, and is not getting the promotion she deserves! Not only does this import include the majority of songs from the US release, but also includes "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" which may be familiar to fans of the film "Thelma and Lousise". This is a great CD and should be part of any Belinda fan's collection! Get it!

Carlisle has had quite a ride in the 20 years she's been n the public eye, and for most of it she has had to fight the established music scene. Her punishment for not playing by the rules...musical exile from America, (our loss). Ever since the break-up of the Go-Go's she was expected to continue on the same musical path-sure we talk about growth as an artist, but Americans dont like that. Instead she's done what she wanted, and produced some of the most exciting, anthemic music ever.

On "A Woman And A Man" she further matures, offering a guilty slice of music cheesecake. Light orchaestral production dominates much of the album and Carlisle's voice never sounded better. She is perhaps the most expressive vocalist alive and much of the material was tailor made for her.

There is the buttery 60's sounding "In Too Deep" and "Listen To Love"- pure musical enjoyment. The funky "California" with Brian Wilson providing surfy backing vocals is a highlight, as is the Per Gessle penned "Alway's Breaking My Heart". In fact "Always Breaking My Heart" is the most rocking piece on the CD and finalizing the work is "Love In the Key Of C" a classic Belinda ballad, complete with slinky, sexual rythemes.

Perhaps the only problem, is that "A Woman And A Man" is a tad to conservative. It doesnt delve into any new territory. It does however, flow beautifully, and is one of the most solid pop albums from track one to track ten. When youre past Brittney, and tired of the cookie cutter music here in the States, pick this up.

While Belinda Carlisle's best solo work remains on her second, third, and fourth albums, "A Woman and a Man" is a fine return from 1993's misstep, "Real." Thanks to an A-list of pop songwriters, including Rick Nowels, Carlisle once again finds lyrics perfectly suited to her voice, which here wraps itself around themes of sorrow and loss. When the album works, the result is near-flawless pop: witness the haunting "In Too Deep" and "My Heart Goes Out to You." The thoroughly adult, world-weary "Love in The Key of C," with its dignified acceptance of sorrow and joy, is perhaps one of the best songs Carlisle has ever recorded. "Love Doesn't Live Here" is another highlight, urban and melancholy.

Unfortunately, the album is marred by inconsistent production. The title track, with its awkward arrangement, moves from a gorgeous opening to a harsh, discordant mess. "Listen to Love" has a curiously detached, by-the-numbers feel, and "California" fails to explore the harmonic possibilities of its Carlisle/Brian Wilson pairing. "Kneel at Your Feet" is plagued by the same problems as the title track, its fluid sound ruined by poor arrangement.

Thankfully, Carlisle's voice remains as arresting as ever, and despite its troubles, the album deserves your attention.

A WOMAN & A MAN is Belinda Carlisle's most complete and perfect Pop album. This record is a showcase of an artist in her most mature and alluring state as a singer. She dazzles and shines on track after track of pop-rock song gems. Her phrasing is immaculately smooth and passionate throughout and the song selection is first rate.This album is flawlessly produced vocally and instrumentally.Though she has recorded some of the finest and most memorable pop records in recording history throughout her solo career, A WOMAN & A MAN is "the album" all her fans and the music industry no doubt always yearned she would someday execute. This album displays Belinda's distinctive and quite gifted vocal style soaring to greater heights than before as well as her excellent song choices.Her musical instincts are treading water deeply here.Though every track here is first rate, stand outs are her new classic IN TOO DEEP; CALIFORNIA; the gorgeous and sexy ballad, LOVE IN THE KEY OF C; her tender heartfelt, tearful and moving performance on MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU; the Per Gessle(Roxette) power pop rocker, ALWAYS BREAKING MY HEART, which only Belinda could ever justify...she rocks(!) and can't imagine anyone else singing this as well as his other contribution, LOVE DOESN'T LIVE HERE [These two should record together more often!].The songs are Top 40 hook laden and very melodic with the trademark catchy harmonious background vocal choruses her records are recognised for, but this time out the quality is perfectly magical and extremely enchanting.While her previous albums have been excellent pop records and at times spotty, the exception being her classic album RUNAWAY HORSES, A WOMAN & A MAN is BELINDA CARLISLE, SINGER,fully realized.This album is a glowing Pop treasure, a rarity in the entertainment/recording business these days.American Top 40 Radio needs to take notice of Miss Carlisle... Europe is fortunate to have and behold her... hopefully, she will "come home" with newfound success in her homeland someday soon, as the GoGo's reunion may restart her American recording career on all levels...she is missed.

I bought this CD when "In Too Deep" came out, and wasn't very impressed by it, but I kept playing it and I can honestly say that every song is very, very good. It's nothing like Belinda's "Real" album, which, imho, is her best work, but this CD is just excellent.

In Too Deep is one of Bel's best songs and her vocals are just so emotional and you can't help but be moved by them.

Calfornia is a funky collaboration with Brian Wilson. It's a great song and did I mention the music is very funky and Belinda's voice...what can I say? It's fabulous.

A Woman And A Man is the 90's disco song. I say disco literally, it's got this great beat to it and her scorching vocals about her man leaving her are just incredible! A very cool tune.

Remember September is one of the songs that it took me longer to get into. It's a ballad, but it's really good once you get into it.

Listen To Love is the first really 'perky pop' song on the album, but isntead of being cheesy, Belinda pulls it off and makes it a very sweet and loving song.

Always Breaking My Heart was another that I didn't take to right off the bat, but it did eventually grow on me, and it's such a cool track.

Love Doesn't Live Here is very poppy, but also very sad. One of my faves on the CD.

He Goes On is another one that took some time to get used to, but it's such a good track! It just helps the CD with it's greatness.

Kneel At Your Feet...I'm actually listening to it right now. It's really smooth and fanatastic, one for the Belinda books.

Love In The Key of C is another very smooth track. It's what one would call "mood music" and was a big hit in the UK. Always cool.

My Heart Goes Out To You is one of my favorite Belinda songs. There really isn't much of a flow to the song, but the lyrics and the way that she sings them...it's so amazing. The song is also very inspiring and positive.

In the end, this album may not be as "good" as "Real" but on it's own, it's a really, really cool effort from Ms. Carlisle.

Amidst the pomp and circumstance of lost love, found love, forgotten love, and future love, Belinda mixes in some interesting, neurotic nuances of self-doubt and insecurity("A Woman and A Man"), religious imagery("Kneel at Your Feet", "Love Walks In"-import version only)and pithy sarcasm("California"). It strains a little in it's balladry(I didn't care for "Remember September", which tries too hard to echo "Circle in the Sand" from years passed), but "In Too Deep" is an almost-perfect pop confection, and "Always Breaking My Heart" has some very clever lyrics and a memorably up beat. A nice addition to Carlisle's solo canon. B+

Belinda's most mature and adult album to date, A Woman and a Man sports two top-ten single hits, the gorgeous and immensely catchy 'In Too Deep,' and the Per Gessle co-written 'Always Breaking My Heart.' While some of the songs on this album are classic Carlisle magic, such as 'California,' 'Listen to Love,' 'Love in the Key of C' and the slow, thoughftul message to a friend, 'My Heart Goes Out To You,' others, though still great, just don't seem to fit the Carlisle puzzle - 'He Goes On,' and 'Kneel At Your Feet' being the most notable. A great album that felt like a return to the 'good ol' days' after the commercial flop that was 'Real.'

I love Belinda and I can honestly say this is the one CD of hers you can, without ever missing a thing, leave out of your collection. There are a few good songs (like the wonderful "Kneel At Your Feet"), but overall it feels like Belinda trying to do an impression of Wilson Phillips. If you want a terrific CD by this artist, pick up the artistic "Real," her best work to date, or "Runaway Horses," which features Belinda's best song "Summer Rain."

If I could pick one song off this cd to listen to, it would have to be #6, "Always Breaking My Heart" The single wasn't released here in the US but was a Top 40 hit in the Uk. This album is pure Belinda, and the songs are great!!

A Good buy!