Search - Rickie Lee Jones :: Duchess of Coolsville: An Anthology

Surprisingly, a little disappointing

Eric J. Anderson | Ankeny, Iowa | 01/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Technically, you could buy RLJ's first and second albums and you'd have the best of Rickie Lee Jones. Rickie Lee never again equalled the orchestrated hipster pop of the eponymously titled Rickie Lee Jones and her sophomore effort Pirates. There were flashes of such energy and brilliance elsewhere, but no other album was a sustained success from start to finish.



It was probably a wise business decision for Rhino records to attempt this collection instead of simply remastering those first two masterpiece albums. I don't consider it an artistic triumph, however.



On the plus side, Rhino has equalized or otherwise processed the original material so carefully that songs from different recording venues using different techniques of recording (digital and analog) sound now sound organically whole and integrated with each other. Mainly this involved cutting down a lot of the high frequency content of the originals, rendering Rickie Lee's voice less piercing, but also de-emphasizing the percussion and the brilliant overtones of the guitars. That's not an unreservedly good thing, but it works in the context of making an anthology album.



The alphabetical organization of the tracks does not really work, either. Normally such collections are laid out chronologically, and that probably would have been a better choice here, except that it would have made the falloff in the quality of RLJ's recordings more evident.



The bonus tracks, demos, and miscellaneous on disc three are interesting for the RLJ fan. I don't see them as having lasting replay value.



Listening to this set has lowered Rickie Lee Jones' art in my estimation. I already own most of her records in one format or another. But if this is supposed to RLJ's best, then one must admit that the best of albums like Magazine and Ghostyhead are a bit overrated. Rhino should just get on with remastering her first and second albums."

Something (freakin') cool!

Thomas W. Altizer | Arlington, VA, United States | 01/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A unique artist of the highest caliber, Rickie Lee has been making me smile and cry and dance and be glad to be alive for a long, long time. (You'll get a feel for how long listening to this essential collection.) From her eponomyous first record to the "new" works on this set, Rickie has never done anything without putting everything she has into the delivery of every single song. Her voice is a pleasure, though an acquired taste to be sure. Nevertheless, her influence on today's roster of performers is immeasurable. That "Juke Box Fury" is missing is a shame, but to have Rickie's "Easter Parade" with the fabulous Blue Nile is another reason to be grateful that this lady still cares to perform. As someone stated, she is without peer as a live performer and you get a taste of that here. Check her out the next time she is appearing anywhere near you. You will fall in love, I promise."

ONE OF YOUR BEST, AMERICA

Remaster Bob | Hong Kong, China SAR Hong Kong | 07/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hi. The people who review reviews on the British site seem not to have noticed a very wise change in amazon's guidelines which now allows for comments on the sound quality of discs. Maybe I'll have more luck here in the States....



Because the remastering standard of this Anthology is absolutely superb. Hats off to Dan Hersch at Digiprep and his latest equipment. Superb sound. I can hear tom-toms reverberating, bass strings resonating, it's just delicious, Dan. Thanks to you and Rhino for this invaluable update of Rickie Lee Jones music.



The music! Well, she, RLJ, is a unique, gifted, and truly American artist and her eccentricities are well represented here. Listeners who seek consistency of style and tempo might get frustrated by the alphabetical sequencing on discs 1 and 2, but if you are prepared to go with the flow then relax and let this terrific selection wash over you. Particularly if you only know a few of her albums, in which case surprises will pop out at you all over the place. For me, new friends included the old Sinatra number "Cycles" and the haunting "Sailor Song", blending in successfully with absolute classics like "Flying Cowboys" (a massive favourite), "It Must Be Love", "Living It Up", and of course "Chuck E's In Love".



The third disc is far better than most of these "odds and sods" appendages, with wonderful demos of "Easy Money" (developed thereafter by Lowell George) and "Satellites" for example, and rarities like Donovan's song of romantic determination "Sunshine Superman" (performed in her most cheerful uptempo style, from the movie 'Party Of Five') and "Easter Parade" with equally unusual Scottish band Blue Nile (who are well worth separate investigation, by the way). Everyone will enjoy different items here.



But the full proof of RLJ's idiosyncratic brilliance is covered ahead of this on the first two discs. Let me state the obvious - she has a fantastic voice. Soak it up, and choose your own favourites. Have fun making your own single-disc collection for the car! (Now - Warner/Rhino - do the decent thing and remaster all the original albums. Soon. Call Dan!).

"