Melissa Ferrick

I know, I know, I sound like a broken record. Sue me. It’s my blog! Last night – awesome, really awesome.






Technorati Tags: melissaferrick,, missliberty,, gainesville,, commongrounds

Last week I sent you over to myspace to listen to Miss Liberty = now you can head over to youtube and watch Melissa play it live.  And then you can keep your fingers crossed that she plays it LIVE when we see her. 

In the Eyes of Strangers has finally arrived.  I was about to give up! Pre-ordering her CDs is rarely a great idea because they never come when they’re supposed to come.  But, really it’s ok because I would not really have had time to listen to it before now anyway.

To tell you the truth, I haven’t really been looking forward to this one like I have every other Ferrick CD.  Too much twang – I’ve mentioned that before.  Too much Natalia – I’ve also mentioned that before.  But, I might be changing my mind on the second listen.

Remember how I said I hated the song "Stuck"?  Well I have officially changed my mind with this version.  I can almost forget that we were STUCK right along with her when I listen to this one.  Really excellent mix.  I am never going to love "Never Give Up" and "Everything You Get" is better live than it is on the CD.  I love, love, LOVE Miss Liberty (not written by Melissa).  I do hope she’s playing this in her shows, has anyone seen her perform it live?????  Rest Now (the Chris Whitley song) is good, One Year appears to be pulled in part from something we heard during a sound check, very different but there are pieces of the original in there.  I think I like it.  But I’m going to have to listen to it again.  It’s unusual, not typical Melissa and not the super twangy Melissa, either. 

I could go on, but I won’t.  Just buy the CD yourself and make up your own mind.  Or, if you’re cheap (or broke) go over to her myspace and listen to a few of the songs there. 

Excuse me while I play Miss Liberty again and again and again.

Finally!  Melissa Ferrick has been promising a 6 for $6 download and it has arrived.  The songs are "new" and they are acoustic, which is cool.  (Melissa wound up playing my birthday show acoustic and I was really glad it worked out that way.)  They are also never going to appear on any ideal MF set list I might dream up. 

I’ve talked about some of these songs in previous posts about Melissa, (Click the Melissa Ferrick category link on the right sidebar if you want to see those entries.), so you know I’m not really all that thrilled with them.  On the otherhand, when Melissa sings "Standing up here singing my secrets", in Easy, it’s definitely the truth.  These songs, sans Rest Now, feel very much like she’s sharing her secrets. 

Rest Now is the only song of the six that’s different.  It isn’t about her.  It isn’t her story.  It isn’t her secret or her pain.  It’s a tribute to the late Chris Whitley.  It’s a good song.  I liked it the first time I heard her play it in a show, and the second time and I am enjoying this acoustic version as well.

If you’re a Ferrick fan you should grab the six now to tide you over til the album is finished – and that’s the kicker here, Melissa’s had a rough year and the money would go along way toward getting Never Give Up into our hands by the end of the summer or early fall.  If you aren’t a Ferrick fan, I don’t think I can recommend this six to you – choose one of the albums available in her store, instead to start you off.  (Other Side or Skinnier Faster Live  would work for you – preferably all three)

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