Be Not Nobody

Vanessa Carlton

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 30, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B0000646TK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (430 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,765 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With her much-anticipated debut, ex-ballerina Vanessa Carlton more than makes good on the promise of her first single, "A Thousand Miles." Augmenting her classical training with a broad range of pop she soaked up playing New York City clubs and listening to classic rock in her father's car, Be Not Nobody finds the phenom decorating her fierce piano playing with orchestration, guitars, and percussion galore. "Prince" is sizzling and funky, while "Ordinary Day" displays a majestic grace and "Unsung" is a stomping blues-bar breakdown. Comparisons to Fiona Apple and Little Earthquakes-era Tori Amos (especially on the haunting "Sway" and "Wanted") are inevitable and justified. Yet Carlton sounds fresh, even on a menacing interpretation of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black." With the exception of the anemic ballad "Pretty Baby," this impressive debut makes a strong case that a new star has emerged. --Annie Zaleski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Seen Twilight, June 18, 2002

By	"paradise_found" (Musicland, USA) - See all my reviews

Vanessa Carlton may seem unsuspecting in a world where your ability to dance and the lightness of your hair defines you as a musician. Seated firmly behind her piano in her debut video "A Thousand Miles," Vanessa didn't impress me much (I viewed her as teen music marketing gone awry). I bought the album on impulse, not expecting to like it much. I have now completely worn out my first copy.

I am just so proud of this talented young woman for begging to be different from everyone else. She does what the pop industry is terrified of.. she's herself. No elaborate vocals or gyrating to an infectious beat. Beautiful, smooth, sultry and expressive melodies laced with a unique and elegant-sounding voice.

It's a very impressing combination.

The album is terrific from stop to finish. Here are the songs:

Ordinary Day: It has an ethereal and interesting message of spontaneity and chasing down dreams. It's upbeat and somewhat classical sounding. *****

Unsung: Written in the style of good old days rock, Vanessa powerfully belts out "well you decide and I abide and my song goes unsung." She expresses her feelings of inferiority in the relationship in this track. The vocals and strong backbeat make it an interesting contrast with the rest of the album. ****

A Thousand Miles: The keys employed and the melody combination are signs of sheer brilliance. The lyrics aren't spectacular, but the piano more than compensates. *****

Pretty Baby: It has a catchy bridge, but is simply not my thing. **

Rinse: My second favorite of the album. "She must rinse him away" because her feeling for the boy described in the song are unhealthy for the girl. It's a typical scenario but Vanessa's lyrics make it fresh again (how she'd be soothed/how she'd be saved if he could see/ she needs to be held in his arms to be free) *****

Sway is the drag of the album. I always skip it. *

Paradise is sheer brilliance. The girl described in the song is fighting an internal conflict with herself even though she's in "paradise." It could also be seen as an end-of-life thing("One last chance to feel all right"), but I don't think that's what Vanessa was going for. The lyrics are vague and could be perceived differently by different people, the smoothness of the melody and emotion of Vanessa's voice make it impossible to deny this song. I like the digitalization used in this song, though some people seem to think it drags down the album. *****

Prince: Not great, not terrible. ***

Paint It Black: This is one of the best cover songs I've heard in years. Her voice is bursting with emotion and power as she pounds through the song with passion and varying tempos. *****

Wanted: Unlike any other song I've heard, Vanessa continues her mysterious and personal lyrics (I am more than you will see/more than wanted). This is an all-out girl power anthem -quieter than Alanis Morissette. *****

Twilight: is absolutely beautiful and poignant. With its evasively smooth and substantial lyrics, Vanessa bravely sings that she's "seen twilight" since meeting the supposed boyfriend. I imagine it's technically a ballad, but this song is so much more than an "Oh baby baby" boy-crazy song or syrupy boy band puddle of badly rhyming word combinations. (I recently heard the lyric "you are all I need to love because you're not like the others/not a dud." I swear, it's true!) Vanessa brings honor back into singing ballads. *****

Vanessa redefines what music's going to be in coming years. She is commonly compared to Michelle Branch but I have absolutely no reason why. Her songs are so entirely different from Michelle Branch's it's ridiculous. Michelle is a rocker and Vanessa seems more like a lite jazz or pop/rock singer. She is not Alicia Keys- Vanessa's songs have substance and don't rely on whining through the aforementioned love/dud rhyming schemes.

There is no other singer like Vanessa Carlton out there right now and that's why she's one of my picks for Best New Artist of 2002.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be Not Nobody, May 2, 2002

By	"dixiechck615" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

Vanessa Carlton's new album, Be Not Nobody, is nothing short of incredible. From the opening chords of "Ordinary Day" to the last trailing notes of "Twilight", Be Not Nobody is an album you won't be able to turn off.

Vanessa's amazing voice, stunning lyrics, and awesome piano playing make her seem much older than her 21 years. This album promises to make Vanessa a household name, but more than that, it plainly shows that she is more than just a young female singer-songwriter. She is a talented musician and that is evidenced by every note of every song on Be Not Nobody.

This album has ten original songs written by Vanessa and one cover. The ninth track on the album is an awesome cover of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black". "Pretty Baby" is a total fan favorite and it's easy to see why. The melody and lyrics are so incredible! Other songs like "Unsung", "Sway", and "Paradise" promise to become favorites as well. "A Thousand Miles" is already a hit, having just recently reached the top ten on the Billboard Countdown. The next single, "Ordinary Day", is sure to do the same. Each of these songs speaks to the listener in a different way. Part of the beauty of this album is the way everyone can relate to it. My personal favorites are "Rinse" and "Twilight", but honestly, I would not be able to name a song that I didn't like. In each of the songs, the combination of lyrics and music is so awesome that it's impossible not to fall in love with this album.

Be Not Nobody is a breath of fresh air in a world that is bogged down by teeny-bopper, pre-packaged pop. The music is just so much more real. You should definitely buy this album, you will not be disappointed!

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry sings from the voice of a raging butterfly..., May 1, 2002

By A Customer

I always base my judgement of how good a CD is by its replay value. Therefore, Vanessa Carlton's CD gets five stars cause of it's high replay value. It's awesome. I can honestly see myself still listening to this months from now. I'll go through a brief rating of the songs. My personal faves are marked by asteriks.

1-Ordinary Day: Great opener to the ablum, I could even relate to it. B+

2-*Unsung*: This song is quite a rocker. Fast and emotional. A+.

3-*A Thousand Miles*: The first smash single. Of course, A.

4-Pretty Baby: A sweet, slow pop song. It kinda gets overshadowed by the first 3 great songs but it has a special value and beat. B-.

5-*Rinse*: Vanessa's voice is good here. I love the lyrics. A

6-*Sway*: Vanessa voice sways perfect. A.

7-*Paradise*: Dark with a sorrowful melody almost. Beautiful. A+.

8-Prince: Nice lyrics and instrumentals. B-

9-*Paint it Black*: I've never heard the original by Jagger, but Vanessa's is excellent. A+

10-*Wanted*: Her piano playing is really good here to me at least. A

11-*Twilight*: Soft and beautiful. A+.