Have One on Me

For an 'album' that takes over 2 hours to listen to, with a dynamic range from melodic marches to arrhythmic nonsense, it's hard to imagine a few short paragraphs to sum it up. It's amazing. Buy it, experience it. I hope you've got some weaving to do, or a fresco to paint, where you can put this whole crazy thing on, crank it, and really listen with the patience that such a large work is trying to express.

She is innovative, but sometimes it seems she sings weirdly just for the sake of being different. I don't sense that this is altogether her true voice.

When I first listened to this album, I was not impressed. I did, however, read the lyrics before I listened to the album, which are quite beautiful. I noticed something different in her...which is strange. This album has a feeling to it, not just a storyline. I noticed her voice was calmer, sadder. She doesn't squeak as much, and her voice and the music all together seem to flow and flow. I felt the vibration of love lost, love wanted, and fear of "the end" (many ends) were all common themes. It seems she is searching, growing...and for her age this is about right.

I related very much to many of her words, and to hear her sing them afterward created a bonding, a want to listen to the songs over again. I love that the songs are so long, because each song changes pace and tune so many times- and I find that with Joanna, I always end up having to listen to a whole song just to hear a certain part, even before this album. Sawdust and Diamonds is a good example. Seems her style to turn one song into three. We should be grateful that we can get so much out of her!

I am particularly fond of the second song, 81, and I am falling in love with the album more each day. It was a slow, bumpy ride in my ears upon playing the album the first time, but now it is smooth and soft.

I would consider myself a moderately enthusiastic Joanna Newsom fan. I admire her obvious originality but have often found her music a bit tedious and actually, despite its originality, limited in scope. This CD however is a genuine leap forward. The tunes are lyrical and pleasing, without sacrificing any of the originality so evident in her previous works. The collection works nicely as a whole. I find it has grown on me and evolved with repeated listening. Highly recommended.

I could talk to you for hours about how amazing this album is or you could buy it for yourself and let it announce it to you.

It's absolutely wonderful and hasn't left my record player in months!