Winter Marquee

Nanci Griffith

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B00006J3WF
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #160,459 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On her first live collection in nearly a decade and a half, Texas country-folk queen Nanci Griffith and her longtime band, the Blue Moon Orchestra, bring renewed middle-aged gravitas and introspection to original back-catalog Griffith favorites like "I Wish It Would Rain," "Listen to the Radio," and "There's a Light Beyond These Woods." Griffith brings similar grace and authority to songs by others--John Prine's "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," Townes Van Zandt's "White Freight Liner," and Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather"--that she's nearly made her own over the years. On various cuts she gets able assists from musical compatriots Emmylou Harris, Tom Russell, and Andrew Hardin. Though the four new songs (make that eight new songs if you fall for the clever marketing snag and shell out the extra dough for the concert DVD) don't immediately resonate with quite the same vitality as the aforementioned oldies, they'll no doubt grow on Griffith fans in years to come. --Bob Allen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nanci's greatest songs--LIVE!, September 27, 2002

By	Kori Frazier (Kent, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In 1986, folk luminary Nanci Griffith released ONE FAIR SUMMER EVENING, a live album showcasing the finest music of her career's early years. Comprised of classic tunes from THE LAST OF THE TRUE BELIEVERS, ONCE IN A VERY BLUE MOON, and her other Rounder releases, the album introduced Nanci to music listeners as a young woman with a delightful sense of humor, creative grace, and indescribable talent. Although Nanci has released a great many wonderful albums over the last sixteen years, she has never again returned to the world of live albums...until now.

If you have ever seen Nanci Griffith in concert, you are well aware of the fact that it is an amazing experience. Her breathtaking music, emotional lyrics, and occasional quips for humor and politics all express her talent and make her live performances unforgettable. The newly released live CD WINTER MARQUEE captures the essence of her amazing shows. From John Prine's "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" to "Traveling Through This Part of You" to the phenomenal new version of "I'm Not Drivin' These Wheels (Bring the Prose to the Wheel)," the album surveys the greatest music from Nanci's first album (1978's THERE'S A LIGHT BEYOND THESE WOODS) all the way to the present. The album is actually far more oldies than recent songs, as WINTER MARQUEE seems to pay a long deserved homage to the folk styled beauty of Nanci's early recordings--new versions of Nanci's tribute to Loretta Lynn, "Listen to the Radio" and the uptempo "I Wish It Would Rain" give fans a new glimpse of favorites they have missed for years. The true highlight of the versions of these old classics, though, is a new recording of "Gulf Coast Highway," which (FINALLY!) features duet vocals by Blue Moon Orchestra pianist James Hooker. While Nanci and Hooker have performed this together in concert since the song's release in the late '80s, this is the first time their version has been released publically.

But WINTER MARQUEE isn't all oldies but goodies. The album also features four new songs that showcase Nanci's current talents at their finest. "Goodnight, New York," a beautiful tribute to those who immigrated to our country a century ago, has been performed by Nanci in concert since last fall, and is included here with lovely duet vocals by country veteran Emmylou Harris. The country flavored "Last Train Home" and "White Freight Liner" seem to pay tribute to the influences of music that have been lost to us over the last year, and the folk tune "What's That I Hear" gives Nanci's haunting vocals a chance to shine.

While WINTER MARQUEE fails to match the greatness of her previous live album, it will NOT fail to impress the typical diehard Nanci fan. With new versions of old favorites, new versions of new favorites, and the talent and creativity that goes into every one of her albums, Nanci's second live album is a triumph.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy The DVD, September 29, 2002

By	Rick E. Lund (West Point, Utah USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have to choose between the Cd, and the DVD, Get the DVD. The DVD has I believe 5 extra songs, and is the full concert. The CD has all the in between song chatter cut out, and the audience applause between songs seems to be turned down. This almost sounds like a studio recording. I have both versions, and I am much happier with the DVD version. But of course any Nanci Griffith music is beautiful. I just wanted a true live feeling.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's still got it, December 27, 2003

By	David A. Bede (Singapore) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After two disappointing albums from Nanci Griffith, "Winter Marquee" is a delightful surprise. Not to mention a definite improvement over her one other live album, "One Fair Summer Evening," which I give five stars for performance but one star for sound quality - that one always sounded to me like the final mix was phoned in. This time around, Griffith and friends are in fine form and it feels like you're in the audience.

Most of the songs are among her best-known ones, but Griffith is one of those performers who can make even old favorites sound fresh on stage. Classics like "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Listen To the Radio" are just as addictive here as the first time you heard them, and "Gulf Coast Highway" (never among my favorites from her catalog, but I know I'm outvoted on that one!) gets yet another righteous revival. "I'm Not Drivin' These Wheels" and "Traveling Through This Part of You" get my votes for this collection's biggest revelations; the studio versions of both were always a bit forgettable for me, but the performances here are irresistible.

The covers are also terrific. This performance of John Prine's "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" tops both the original and Griffith's previous recording of it, but Julie Gold's "Good Night New York" really steals the show. Written years before 9/11 as a tribute to past generations of immigrants, it unavoidably has more than one meaning now. There is only one new original song featured here, "Last Train Home" (at least I think it's new), but it's a scorching Texas tale which features some of her all time best lyrics, guaranteed to make good use of your "repeat" button. Here's hoping she's written more songs like this one for the next album - and in the meantime, this one is a more than welcome addition to her collection.