Customer Reviews

You Gotta Sin to Get Saved

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Maria's since the very first Lone Justice release. I own all of her subsequent work & can say wholeheartedly that this cd is her very best. The first thing one notices when listening to Lone Justice or Maria's solo cds is THE VOICE. There's simply no one else who sings the way she does. Her voice is marvelous. Someone once wrote that she's a perfect cross between Pat Benatar & Dolly Parton. Ugghh, you say? But wait, it's true! Her voice is powerful enough to rock and heartbreakingly tender. This particular cd has its' finest moment in the song "I Forgive You". Gospel-flavored song of redemption & forgiveness. Married with a killer horn section & swooping vocals. It'll make you weep. And sing along. Also great are the songs "I'm Gonna Soothe You" and the title track. I'd give this 6 *stars* if I could. As a long time fan of Lone Justice/Maria McKee; this is the one cd I pull out & listen to over & over. You won't be disappointed if you purchase this. I guarantee it.

After the commercial failure of her occasionally brilliant but mostly tepid self-titled debut album, apparently Maria McKee decided upon a throw-enough-styles-at-the-wall-and-see-what sticks approach for her follow-up, presumably so she could perhaps give Geffen a successful, sales-wise album, but still be able to indulge her muse. So we get Maria-does-Patsy (Only Once), Maria-does-Motown (I'm Gonna Soothe You), Maria-does-gospel (I Forgive You), Maria-does-alt.country (Precious Time), and no less than two Van Morrison covers. And while she does them all well, there is a pervasive feeling of playing it conservative and taking no chances throughout this otherwise excellent album, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but one comes to expect a risk or two from Maria McKee; that she mostly fails to deliver here only subtracts from my enjoyment slightly.

The aforementioned Morrison covers are outstanding-especially My Lonely Sad Eyes (which I saw her perform on Chevy Chase's short-lived late night talk show!) which gets an almost Los Lobos style arrangement, and she does a swooping, frenzied rendition of Young Lovers Do (one of the few times she really cuts loose vocally here). I absolutely love I'm Gonna Soothe You, which is smooth and soulful, and the Jayhawks help make Precious Time a lovely country ballad. The album's closer and title track is a rollicking, enjoyable tune, and one imagines that they had a lot of fun recording that one.

Don't get me wrong-this is a great record. It's just a little more mainstream and safe than I like to hear from MM. And that alone might make YGSTGS the McKee album of choice for a lot of people. Of course, it might have been mine too if the commercial demise of YGSTGS had not prompted Maria to go on and record the brilliant, nervy Life Is Sweet, which is one of the bravest, most exciting records I've ever heard. Unfortunately, Life Is Sweet has been deleted, so you can't buy it except second-hand, but it's worth the effort to track down, believe me. So really, you should get You Gotta Sin To Be Saved, and you will enjoy it, but keep an eye out for Life Is Sweet as well.

Maria soothes the soul with this, her second solo album. Backed by the Jayhawks and old-friends from her Lone Justice days, she rips through the songs--some originals, some cover versions--with abandon. For proof, listen to "I'm Gonna Soothe You," which basically wraps you in its warmth. "My touch is gentle, my body is warm ..." she sings, stepping out from the speakers. She's sexy, saucy, inviting and sweet all at once; and envelops you with her passion. Further proof: Her wondrous remake of the Goffin-King classic "I Can't Make It Alone"; and her raucous ode to her Lone Justice days, "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws." A true classic - and for $7, a no-brainer. Buy it.

Mckee after left Lone Justice,(80s Mtvs favorites) wanted to lead her music to a new level, she had folk , southern and country influences she wanted to capture in a studio , so with the help of Justices former keyboardist Mr. Brody and Don Was in production she started with her Van Morrison favorite tunes and musical references as well Tom Petty teachings and some of his musicians too, the result is an album with all the melancholly of southern, the beauty of the depressing lyrics in some tracks and the emotion of love , lost love and hope of love, life, childhood memories and even some sense humor for a broken heart such as in "only once" , only a few girls have followed the path that country southern and blues legends (cash, Petty etc.) started and Maria Mckee is one of them "You Gotta Sin to Get Saved" is one of the highest points in her career same as in "Life is sweet"
HM

I had owned this CD for a few years, and wasn't particularly impressed with it. I had preferred her debut solo record. This record had a harder edge, and seemed darker. But after repeated listenings, I started viewing this record on its own merits instead of in comparison to something else, and now it's become one of my favorite CDs. "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws" and "Why Wasn't I More Grateful" are standout. The title track is playful and fun. "I'm Gonna Soothe You" seems oddly out of place on this record. Although I love the song, it seems a concession to the record company to have a "single." Try to approach this CD with an open mind, and you won't be disappointed.

She's only known by hits like "Show Me Heaven" and a song written for Quentin Tarantino's soundtrack Pulp Fiction "If Love Is A Red Dress". But she's on a scene more than twenty years. She started in early eighties as a lead singer and songwriter in the roots rock band Lone Justice. After they disbanded in 1986 she went solo. Three years later she recorded her first solo album Maria McKee.
This is her second album. A mix of soul and country music. The covers (Van Morrison's My Lonely Sad Eyes and The Way Young Lovers Do, Gerry Goffin and Carole King's I Can't Make It Alone) sounds like they are recorded for the first time and like her own. Few country songs Only Once and My Girlhood Among The Outlaws are beutiful love songs that could be done by Gram Parsons or Emmylou Harris, not to mention Precious Time or Why Wasn't I More Grateful, You Gotta Sin To Get Saved or I'm Gonna Soothe You.
This album is a masterpiece.

Along with her beautiful debut album, this CD's a superb record, giving Ms. McKee ample chance to demonstrate her range as both singer (stunning) and songwriter (even better--if that's possible.) The Van Morrison covers are priceless, though they have nothing on such original fare as "I Forgive You," "My Girlhood Among the Outlwas" and "I'm Gonna Soothe You." The disc is worth owning for the rollicking title track alone, a giddy collision between Ronnie Spector and Dolly Parton. Terrific!

For those of us who have followed the McKee Odyssey these past seventeen years, Saved remains her high water mark. Taken in comparison to her other two solo efforts, Saved finds her at her peak as a lyricist and musician. Lacking the Springsteen induced Jimmy Iovine production of her first solo effort, Maria,(thankfully) stays away from the rambling street portraits that bogged down solo album number one. Saved presents a number of different styles and genres including the two Van Morrison covers, Girlhood Among The Outlaws and her heartbreaking rendition of Wastin Time with the Jayhawks.Most interesting, though, are two themes which run, (and in her most recent solo effort,Life Is Sweet, overun) through all of her songwriting dating back to Lone Justice: the abandonment she felt from her father leaving her in her childhood, whih manifests itself in her inability to feel love or to truly release herself to another, and the dichtomy of a passionate belief in Christianity weighed against the life of a sinner. The greatest strength of this album is the constant battle she wages within herself to reconcile these riddles.We are all sinners, and yea, but for God's mercy, Maria saves us.

Maria McKee was on fire in the mid-80's, first with Lone Justice and then out on her own. Her commercial success wasn't as huge as her talent, but on the bright side maybe that's why we can buy a CD like this for 7 bucks. While I prefer her earlier material, and she seems to be slowing down a bit in this 1993 release, it is a fine recording.

She experiments with some new sounds here, if a decade-old recording that heavily references influences from two decades earlier can be spoken of as in any way "new". We suddenly have Maria with horns and songs in several genres that fit broadly under a blue-eyed soul umbrella. These include the opening disco-like track, two Van Morrison covers (and a couple of songs that mimic his style), and material that sounds more like Muscle Shoals. There is also some country music and some simple ballads. I'm not sure her voice is best-suited to the material here - I preferred her as a more enthusiastic rocker - but her performances are top-notch.

Some of the instrumentation can sound dated, unlike her earlier recordings (distorted electric guitar solos that are lovely but from another time, or disco influences), but there's some great songwriting here. Mostly, this is a pleasant recording that lets me enjoy one of my favorite voices doing music that isn't quite my favorite. I've always liked the homier version of "I Can't Make It Alone" by the Continental Drifters, and McKee does a nice cover here, but her (amazing) voice nearly overpowers the material. There are some truly outstanding moments, though. "Only Once" sounds like a young Emmylou Harris covering an old country song, but with a stronger voice than Emmylou ever had, and I was shocked that Maria wrote this one herself - it sounded like genuine country. I can see why some reviews felt she was genre-shopping on this CD, but she does this genre in a way that would make Gram Parsons proud. "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws" is a wonderfully mature song also penned by McKee, and "Why Wasn't I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)" is another high point, one of those Van Morrison-inspired songs at least in style. I presume the later (out-of-print) "Life Is Sweet" is an allusion to this song. The rollicking title track is a sing-along novelty that sounded silly at first, but has grown on me. It sounds like it would have been a crowd-pleaser in concert.

Overall, this is a more subdued Maria McKee than in her earlier work, and I preferred her with a plain old guitars-bass-drums rock band, or with the folksier sound of her first solo CD, instead of with the brass and somewhat softer vocals here. But her voice is still at its peak, the songs are well-written, and while it may be a bit dated, it's a bargain and it's one of a half dozen chances to hear this great voice on an original CD.

This is most definitely a classic album from Maria. In fact, it's her best. I am sorry that it hasn't received more recognition from the new country community, but that's how the cards fall sometimes. Everything from the sweet memphis sound of "I'm gonna soothe you" to the bittersweet "Only Once", is a showcase for the endless talents of Ms. Mckee. Like most of the alt-country she was bred on the punk sound of the eightees and traditional folk music that was ignored at the time. Her only misfortune was bad timing. The decade of Van Halen and Poison would have had a difficult time appreciate a work of art in this vein. If you like Chrissie Hynde and/or Janis Joplin, this album is perfect for you.