After a slow and disjointed January, I'm just rolling through reviews this month - another album which I finished in a single day. And so, here it is...
Disc 237 is...Living Under June
Artist: Jann Arden
Year of Release: 1994
What’s Up With The Cover?: It is Jann Arden, a little out of focus (but not my fault this time - that's how it is supposed to be). You will note that Jann is wearing an awful outfit, including big boots with hiking socks coming out of the top and a man's shirt. It was 1994, and this was the style at the time. It was a dark time, my friends.
A good thing about the early nineties, however, was that a woman with a big voice, and big talent like Jann could succeed without having to look like a model. Jann Arden deserves her success, and I think if she just broke now she would struggle in the even more image conscious times the music industry is currently mired in. So you rock that ugly man-shirt, Jann - I'm here for the music.
How I Came To Know It: This was a pretty big album in the day, so it was hard to not see a video off of it, or hear it somewhere. I liked what I heard, but it was actually Sheila who bought it a few years later (like maybe 1997 or 1998).
How It Stacks Up: Jann has put together a pretty successful career, and has eight studio albums. However, like a lot of people, this is the only one we have, so it is hard to stack it up.
Rating: 3 stars.
Jann Arden is one of those artists you want to succeed. If you've ever seen her in an interview, she's a delight; funny, self-effacing and keen of wit. I think she'd be a fun person to have over for dinner. However, as I noted above, we're here to review the music, not the person, so let's get on the job.
While it may be the only album of Jann Arden's that we have, "Living Under June" remains by far her most successful - going five times Platinum (Canada version, which means not as many copies as you might think, but still impressive).
It has every right to have been successful, with at least four songs being hits. These songs are by and large the stronger ones on the record, so congrats to the A&R man for picking correctly.
The opening track, "Could I Be Your Girl" is a modern-day classic of unrequited love, which will likely be getting radio play twenty years from now. It is strong melodically, perfectly phrased and Jann's voice - which is both powerful and emotionally raw - is displayed to all its considerable potential.
Other tracks include the 'you-re a jerk' anthem, "Insensitive" and the 'I used to live in a dump' anthem, "Living Under June". "Living Under June" features those unforgettable memories of living in a cheap apartment with thin walls, and hearing your neighbours have sex. Or being that neighbour - or both.
Back to the record, which has a lot going for it. Arden writes all the songs, and she is very good at the craft. Her voice is beautiful and although not exactly poetry when standing alone, the lyrics are insightful and refreshingly honest.
The only thing I'd prefer is a bit less production. Arden dresses up all the songs with pop radio production which detracts from their gravitas. I have to remind myself she is a pop artist, so this is to be expected. I just wish she'd take a couple steps closer to folk, and let her writing and singing shine through a little more.
Like her outfit on the cover, this is a sign of the times. The album reminds me a lot of Sue Medley's 1992 effort, "Inside Out" which I used to own. I saw Sue Medley do almost the entire album acoustic at Harpo's pub. I fell in love with a lot of the things I love about Jann Arden - the powerful vocals, strong writing, etc. - and raced out and bought the album the next day. Sadly, the album had a lot more production than the live performance, and it ended up being subtraction by addition.
Not to take me wrong, though, "Living Under June" is a solid record. I'd love to hear it unplugged, where I think it might easily enter into excellence.
Best tracks: Could I Be Your Girl, Insensitive, Living Under June, Unloved
Disc 237 is...Living Under June
Artist: Jann ArdenYear of Release: 1994
What’s Up With The Cover?: It is Jann Arden, a little out of focus (but not my fault this time - that's how it is supposed to be). You will note that Jann is wearing an awful outfit, including big boots with hiking socks coming out of the top and a man's shirt. It was 1994, and this was the style at the time. It was a dark time, my friends.
A good thing about the early nineties, however, was that a woman with a big voice, and big talent like Jann could succeed without having to look like a model. Jann Arden deserves her success, and I think if she just broke now she would struggle in the even more image conscious times the music industry is currently mired in. So you rock that ugly man-shirt, Jann - I'm here for the music.
How I Came To Know It: This was a pretty big album in the day, so it was hard to not see a video off of it, or hear it somewhere. I liked what I heard, but it was actually Sheila who bought it a few years later (like maybe 1997 or 1998).
How It Stacks Up: Jann has put together a pretty successful career, and has eight studio albums. However, like a lot of people, this is the only one we have, so it is hard to stack it up.
Rating: 3 stars.
Jann Arden is one of those artists you want to succeed. If you've ever seen her in an interview, she's a delight; funny, self-effacing and keen of wit. I think she'd be a fun person to have over for dinner. However, as I noted above, we're here to review the music, not the person, so let's get on the job.
While it may be the only album of Jann Arden's that we have, "Living Under June" remains by far her most successful - going five times Platinum (Canada version, which means not as many copies as you might think, but still impressive).
It has every right to have been successful, with at least four songs being hits. These songs are by and large the stronger ones on the record, so congrats to the A&R man for picking correctly.
The opening track, "Could I Be Your Girl" is a modern-day classic of unrequited love, which will likely be getting radio play twenty years from now. It is strong melodically, perfectly phrased and Jann's voice - which is both powerful and emotionally raw - is displayed to all its considerable potential.
Other tracks include the 'you-re a jerk' anthem, "Insensitive" and the 'I used to live in a dump' anthem, "Living Under June". "Living Under June" features those unforgettable memories of living in a cheap apartment with thin walls, and hearing your neighbours have sex. Or being that neighbour - or both.
Back to the record, which has a lot going for it. Arden writes all the songs, and she is very good at the craft. Her voice is beautiful and although not exactly poetry when standing alone, the lyrics are insightful and refreshingly honest.
The only thing I'd prefer is a bit less production. Arden dresses up all the songs with pop radio production which detracts from their gravitas. I have to remind myself she is a pop artist, so this is to be expected. I just wish she'd take a couple steps closer to folk, and let her writing and singing shine through a little more.
Like her outfit on the cover, this is a sign of the times. The album reminds me a lot of Sue Medley's 1992 effort, "Inside Out" which I used to own. I saw Sue Medley do almost the entire album acoustic at Harpo's pub. I fell in love with a lot of the things I love about Jann Arden - the powerful vocals, strong writing, etc. - and raced out and bought the album the next day. Sadly, the album had a lot more production than the live performance, and it ended up being subtraction by addition.
Not to take me wrong, though, "Living Under June" is a solid record. I'd love to hear it unplugged, where I think it might easily enter into excellence.
Best tracks: Could I Be Your Girl, Insensitive, Living Under June, Unloved
1 comment:
I really love the hit songs off this album ("Gasoline" was also a minor hit, and I love it too).
I wonder if Jann went more folky on her later albums?
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