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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In a word, EXQUISITE. Start your IG collection with it!!!, November 1, 1999
There I was driving down autorow in Richmond Virginia when the DJ on the radio said "I've got a pair of tickets to see the Indigo Girls TONIGHT in concert. I'll give em away to the first person who drives up the _______ dealership parking lot to claim them." I was at the traffic light in front of the _______ dealership so I immediately drove up and claimed em ( beat out a couple of very butch looking urban college co-eds). I had only heard their radio hit 'closer to fine' but figured, it should be a good show. That was 1992, in support of the Rites of Passage album. That night, I was blown away.I was hooked on every song they played, a good number of which came off the then-new release. I got the CD the day after the show and revelled in delicious harmonies and thought provoking lyrics. This album was a treat. The Girls haven't matched it since, but they've come close. And only Nomads, Indians and Saints, the outing just prior to Rites of Passage was better. Standouts include the album's opener, Three Hits and the single, Galileo. Ghost rounds out the opening three songs and is, appropriately haunting, with lyrics like "... the Mississippi's might, it starts in Minnisota - at a place where you can walk across five steps down. I guess that's how you started - like a pin-prick to my heart and at this point you rush right through me and I start to drown" Tell me Emily Saliers doesn't have a view into every heart that's ever fallen in love! One inaccurate stereotype of the Indigo Girls is that they are a Gurrrrls band. And songs like Virginia Woolf are supposed to reinforce this image. Let me set the record straight. I'm a red blooded American male who enjoys this album, and this song in particular. It opens up a lot of understanding for us guys. Thanks, Emily for giving us guys a peep into your fanciful dialogue with an icon for women around the world. Saliers's tunes are very strong on this disk. Amy's are every bit the equal. Chickenman rips and Mark Knoppfler could learn a bit about emotion from her cover of Romeo and Juliet. And Ray's Cedar Tree is just as haunting as Salier's Ghost. This album is generally apolitical. A challenge for a duo that is used to wearing their liberal tendencies on their sleeves. Let it Be Me is the only politically centered song on the disk and it is a gem. When I heard this song, I knew George Bush was headed for a downfall. It struck a cord in me. And, I admit with some chagrin, I voted for Clinton. Gee, thanks, IG! A couple of songs don't work very well on this disk. Nashville is a sophmoric finger-pointing tune that blasts the country music establishment in the title city. The finger wagging doesn't become the Girls. And Airplane contains a harmonized refrain that is nearly unlistenable. Very uncharacterist for a duo that nearly never misses in the harmony department. Bottom line: it is one of the best sets from what amounts to the best act of the 90's. If you are looking for a starting point in your Indigo Girls collection, this is probably it. Looking forward to seeing them shine in the next decade. Questions? Email me
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