Search - Patti Rothberg :: Between the 1 & The 9

The Best Mid-90's Acoustic Female Singer-Songwriter CD Ever.

Peter Marinari | Philadelphia, PA USA | 03/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a year where the charts were dominated by Alanis & Sheryl and radio was littered with imitative debris, Patti Rothberg released one of my favorite albums. Ever. Having first heard (and loved) Between The 1 and the 9 before knowing anything about music it's hard for me to accurately describe what's so heart-rendingly amazing about it -- and believe me, I've tried. The production is great. Patti's vocal contrast between crystalline highs and raspy lows is terrific. She plays every guitar quite well. Lyrics are honed to sharp-witted points. Arrangements are fleshed out to perfection. I don't know what else to say... it's just good. The hoarse delivery of the dissatisfied lead single "Inside" is the only recognizable song on the album, but the twangy double-tracked acoustic guitars and rambly stream-of-conciousness delivery of "Treat Me Like Dirt" are a better representation. Standouts include bluesy "Forgive Me" & "Out Of My Mind" (both draw subtle thoughts of Bonnie Raitt), the merry folk-rock of "Remembering Tonight," and the plainative closing ballad "It's Alright." However, singling out tracks on this disc is futile... I have something good to say about every one. It is not uncommon to find Between the 1 and the 9 in a bargain bin or a used CD store... the only explanation I can conjure is that too many nominal fans of the female singer-songwriter movement bought it and then got bored. The next time you see it, buy it; if you actually enjoy good songs by female guitarists I suspect you won't be disappointed. And, if you don't like it I'll buy it from you for $2 ;)"

One of the original so-called "young angry women" albums

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 03/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When Patti Rothberg released her debut album in April, 1996, Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill was taking the world by storm, and Patti was (too) easily thrown in the bag of "young angry women". 7 years later, "Between the 1 and the 9" stands as a great album.The comparison to Alanis is not a good one, musically speaking. Rothberg is more in the vein of Beth Orthon, or Tracy Chapman for that matter: more up-tempo accoustically driven (with the occasional electric guitar work-out), with less "shouting" than Alanis, but still speaking her mind about relationships and life experiences. A chick-CD, so to speak (and I don't mean that negatively) The album's best tracks include "Inside" (the first single), "Treat Me Like Dirt" (which in the 1996 heydays of alterna-radio also gathered radio-play), and "Remembering Tonight".Patti Rothberg pretty much disappeared from sight after this album, among other factors due to label problems. She finally issued a follow-up album in 2002 (which I have not heard, not too many others ahve, I suspect). However, "Between the 1 and 9" is a great album, period."

Talented Young Female that is practically Unknown

Daniel Vaccaro | Colorado | 10/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""so, what's one of your favorite albums?"

"Well, i really enjoy Patti rothberg's debut."

"Who?"

No one knows who Patti rothberg is. Even i didn't know until a little while ago. But this agressive Young angry poet that has an acoustic edge is actually quite a good songwriter, and very original. From rock, to blues, to a little punk, to heartfelt songs, and edgy acoustic rock, this is a very worthwile album. And i'd recommend it to more people. In fact i'm trying to by writing this review. Of course it's not perfect. In my opinion, though, all the songs are good, even if they're not great. The whole thing is listenable."