Customer Reviews

time* sex* love*

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Time*Sex*Love finds Mary Chapin Carpenter meditating upon middle age and looking back on her life sometimes with a sense of helplessness and sometimes with sadness, but always with poignant and thought-provoking insight.

She resigns herself to the swift passing of time and the inability to start again in the catchy "Simple Life" and sings "there's fast, slow, and stall- no reverse...be glad you made it". In the Beach Boys like/Beatlesque, "Maybe World", she cries, "What's the point of backward glances that lead me nowhere; I can't go back there."

Carpenter ruminates about lost love and opprtunities in the exquisite and heart-breaking songs, "What Was It Like" and "The Dreaming Road". "I feel like a big mistake that you managed to not quite make; I feel like a passing glance that you never gave a chance," she movingly sings in "What Was It Like", a song with heart-wrenching lyrics surrounded by a beautiful, haunting melody.

My only issue with this CD is that it may be too ambitious for anyone to pull off without stumbling- even the wonderful Mary Chapin Carpenter. I would have pared down the CD to ten or eleven songs and edited out some of the longer endings of some of the tunes.

This CD requires your careful attention, and, therefore, many of her fans will not appreciate its pensive, reflective mood. Take out a bottle of wine, light the fireplace and be ready to refect upon your own life in a way that only Mary Chapin Carpenter can make you do.

As stated in the title *Time*Sex*Love* Mary Chapin Carpenter adresses themes that we can all relate to...growing up, growing apart, unfulfilled dreams, looking back with longing, all these are a common bond. At first listen, this did not set as easily on my ear, what was it? Finally, I figuredit out. The inclusion of more electric instruments(on some tracks)lends an unfamiliar sound. Unfamiliar, but not unwelcomed. What the listener gets is 14 tracks filled with outstanding song writing and tight musical arrangements. Standout tracks "This is Me Leaving You","Simple Life","Alone, but Not Lonely" and "Late For Your Life". This CD does not fit into the MCC mold, there is a change in tempo and musical instrumentation. What is unchanged is the rock solid songwriting and the insight into the human condition, top notch!

Mary Chapin Carpenter is a wonderful songwriter and performer and her work, while some may find a bit too laid back, eventually grows on you with repeated listens.

Unlike her work in the more popular COME ON, COME ON, this CD takes time to grow on you, but when it does, it somehow feels more like a unified whole than her other albums.

This is a great album to put on your Discman and take a long walk with on a crisp fall day. When you just want to relax and meditate about life.

"Simple Life", "Whenever You're Ready" and "In The Name of Love" are the stand-out tracks, but there really isn't a bad track on the CD, all leave their mark.

I saw Carpenter live at Wolf Trap last summer,and perhaps seeing her live is a good way to unlock the mystery of what she is all about. She isn't a flashy artist nor is she overly energetic in her delivery. Instead, she woos her listener with ease and a gentle coaxing instead of a loud bang. TIME SEX LOVE is not about any individual moment or anything flashy...it's more about the sum of its parts than any specific detail. Its more about what we don't know, the questions in life and not the answers.

Perhaps the crux of her message can be summed up by one of her more thoughtful lyrics on the CD.."accidents and inspiration lead you to your destination."

Carpenter believes in letting things happen..in the normal everyday flow of life. It can sometimes seem tedious to just sit back and relax and watch the clock tick, but Carpenter understands, and with her music helps us understand, that sometimes, the best things in life happen when we just sit back and let them.

Mary Chapin Carpenter has produced a collection that could have been recorded in 1969; as an "old folkie" (as well as old fogie), I can relate to the sound and to the message, as well. Lovely vocals, a little country tinge to the folk rock music, the only jarring note is the giggling in one of the latter tracks, but that, too brings back memories of a more innocent age. Altogether, a trip back in time to when music and message were more important than marketing.

Because this album keeps growing on me...

I have been listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter for almost two years now  and now Im nineteen years old and find my love and respect for this extraordinary artist growing as her music comes home to me.

Time*Sex*Love* was a bit of a mystery for me when I first heard it  but then I thought about the title of the album and realised why! The songs did not strike me with the boldness of that country sound from what I had heard on previous MCC recordings, namely, Come On, Come On Im a teenager and I love rock music  but I love this even more! I cant define the style, because all the songs come down to those feelings. Country fans may call it Country Re-Vapmed!

Time*Sex*Love* has a 'mellow-feel' that will not appeal to everyone. It can be slow at times, but it is always honest. Such a thoughtful recording. It is bursting with passion, love and a little fear. The songs keep reminding me to enjoy my life, and why worry? After owning this album for a month or so, I can positively say, in my opinion, that this is amongst Mary Chapin Carpenters finest work  musically, lyrically and where these songs take you. Dont go looking, because the songs will find you when its time! Listen for the bonus recordings, five minutes into the final track  theres a lot of laughter, followed by a beautifully moving acoustic track that pretty much says it all. Lovely.

I know that Mary has got such a loyal following of fans all around the world  but I still cant accept how little recognition this extraordinary artist has received from the main-stream music industry. BUY THIS and spread the word, because I think every home needs one for soul searching and happiness! Enjoy!....

Mary Chapin Carpenter's first album since 1996's A PLACE IN THIS WORLD, TIME* SEX* LOVE* is a wonderful album. The album shows a reflective, somewhat sombre side of Carpenter. Not to say there are not the great upbeat songs fans love from MCC, like the Shawn Colvin like Whenever You're Ready, or the spirited This Is Me Leaving You and The Long Way Home. The beautifully written and sung songs like Alone But Not Lonely, What Was It Like, Swept Away, Someone Else's Prayer, The Dreaming Road, among the best will leave you breathless. The album deals with maturing and dealing with growing old, and relationships among many things. So kick back, have a glass of wine, sit by the fire and become "swept away" by this new album by Mary Chapin Carpenter, it's definately worth the wait between albums.

A new studio release from MCC is always a cause for celebration, and I'm celebrating! Her wit, intelligence, and insight shine through every tune, and if this recording is a little more somber and laid-back than previous releases, it's full of enough surprises to satisfy any fan. Unusual combinations of instruments and her always provocative lyrics make every number a joy to listen to over and over again. There is no other performer like MCC, and her work just seems to keep getting better and deeper. Especially pleasing is the studio blooper (I LOVE her laugh!)and a warm, lovely bonus track. If you haven't already bought this recording-- well, WHY NOT?

This album is a perfect example of why I could never be a professional music critic. First and foremost, I adore Mary Chapin Carpenter. Since she began recording in the late 80's her music has been the best of friends to me. While her gift for constructing cradling ballads is still very much in tact on songs like "Swept Away" and "Someone Else's Prayer", her gift for rip-roaring kick butt songs is nowhere to be found. The closest she comes is "This Is Me Leaving You" which sounds far more self-conscious than anything from "Shooting Straight In The Dark" or "Come On Come On." I'm certainly not suggesting that a classic album must include catchy and upbeat songs, but I do have a hard time believing that everything on this new album came from a place of true inspiration. That said, my biggest disappoinment is the production. It's almost as if she set out to make "A Place In The World, Part 2". I so wish that she would return to the warmer sounds of "State Of The Heart" and "Shooting Straight In The Dark". I also better enjoyed her vocal technique on the earlier albums. Lately it seems as though the graceful lilting of her voice has been replaced by a forced push from the throat. Some reverb on the vocal tracks would also be nice. Oh well, every artist deserves to grow and she's displayed more artistic freedom on this album than she ever has. It's your money, of course, and you should spend it however you like. Had I heard the album before I purchased it, I would've bought it anyway. She is, after all, still Mary Chapin Carpenter, one of the best singer-songwriters of our time.

I have been a long time Mary Chapin Carpenter fan since "State of the Heart". Every time there is a new album from Mary I don't hesitate for a second and buy it right on the dot. I was disappointed with her '96 studio album "A Place In This World". I enjoyed her greatest hits collection "Doll Parts". But after being disappointed by "A Place In This World" I was afraid to buy her new album "Time, Sex, Love" and end up being disappointed. Luckily my fears were unfounded. Although it is no "Stones In the Road", "Time, Sex, Love" is certainly one of Mary's better albums to date. I was pleasantly surprised to see this album to go over an hour in length, which is not usual for a Mary Chapin Carpenter cd. The tone and mood of this album is more quiet and subdued than her previous albums but she does rock out with tracks like "The Long Way Home" and "In the Name of Love". Listening to "Slave to the Beauty" was like listening to "Stones In the Road" all over again. "Time, Sex, Love" clearly indicates why Mary Chapin Carpenter is one of my personal favorite artists of all time.

I will get straight to the point. This is one of the best albums that I have bought this year. This woman has a gift that is so amazing, I wish everyone would give it a chance. Every song on this album tells a wonderful tale and it is told in a way that only an artist like MCC can. If you are into the rollicking tunes, you will only find a couple here. If you like albums that touch you and make you think about yourself and people around you-YOU WILL LOVE THIS ALBUM! It is a beautiful album from start to finish.