The Good: Two good songs, with good lyrics
The Bad: Dreadfully short for the medium, Not the ideal version of the title track.
The Basics: Even a fan of Sophie B. Hawkins finds it impossible to recommend this two-track c.d. single which offers nothing that isn't already on Whaler!
As I have been converting my c.d. collection into digital files so my library may go on my iPod Touch (reviewed here!), I have been culling through the albums, singles and compilations and finding what is worth saving and what is not. One of the easiest choices for me to make is to not transfer over c.d. singles that do not have any enduring value or tracks that are different from the album tracks. In the case of the c.d. single for Sophie B. Hawkins’ “Only Love,” the two tracks on this c.d. single are identical to the album cuts from Whaler.
I’ve long been a big fan of Sophie B. Hawkins and the bottomline for the “Only Love” c.d. single is that it is not worth the money for fan or non-fan alike. With only two tracks, this single is dreadfully short and a poor use of the compact disc medium.
“Only Love,” which was released on the original version of Whaler under the title “The Ballad Of Sleeping Beauty” is a soft-pop love song from the Debbie Gibson school and it features keyboards, chimes and deep drums. The song, though, is an edited version of the track Hawkins wanted to release, which is now only available on a European single of one of Hawkins’ other Whaler tracks. This version of “Only Love” (the retitled and pop-produced with more of a dance beat than the original) includes the family-friendly lines “You messed with my head / You messed with the dead / Now I’m gonna’ mess with you” (“Only Love”). This track is identical to the version that ended up on all versions of “Whaler,” so one has to ask, “Why shell out good money hunting down the c.d. single when there’s nothing new?”
The same, unfortunately, is to be said of the b-side (or second track) on this single. “Did We Not Choose Each Other” is the perfect pop song, but I refuse to recommend this c.d. single because there are no changes to this song, either. “Did We Not Choose Each Other” is a pop ballad that is lyrically complex and filled with a wonderful sense of imagery, like “I’m a wounded soldier on a downtown train to your place . . .” For a song with a few disturbingly obvious rhymes, Hawkins writes mature lyrics that delve into the crux of conflicts in relationships and the song resonates with anyone who has ever had a tough break-up.
Sophie B. Hawkins writes all of her own lyrics and music, in addition to playing keyboards on both tracks. This is – outside the censored lyrics – very much the musical vision of Sophie B. Hawkins. The problem, with this c.d. single is that the title track is the less-impressive censored version (Hawkins swore in the original), as well as the over-produced album version, whereas the original was more stark and vocally-driven. Both of these songs are mildly danceable pop ballads.
Fans, therefore, have a right to feel cheated: there is nothing new here and because “Whaler” is such a good album (albeit inexpensive these days) that one will get these two songs in the identical form with a whole bunch more for about the same price as hunting down this obscure disc. That remains a far better option for anyone who likes music from poetic female musicians.
For other works by Sophie B. Hawkins, please check out my reviews of:
"Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" (single)
Tongues And Tails
"I Want You" (single)
"California, Here I Come" (single)
"Right Beside You" (single)
Whaler
"As I Lay Me Down" (single)
The Cream Will Rise (documentary)
Timbre
Wilderness
The Best Of Sophie B. Hawkins
Live! Bad Kitty Board Mix
The Crossing
3/10
For other music reviews, please check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment