Search - Shawn Colvin :: Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection

The best songs from the first half of Shawn Colvin's music c

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 08/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw Shawn Colvin in concert the other night at the Big Tent Chautauqua south of Bayfield, Wisconsin, and she was introduced as a three time Grammy winner. Of course two of those Grammys were for "Sunny Came Home," which won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1998. But the third Grammy was earned for her her first studio album, 1989's "Steady On," which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. I first picked up "A Few Small Repairs," not so much because it had "Sunny Came Home" on it, but because I was going to see Colvin perform at Lilith Fair and was buying the albums of all of the performers. From there I went back and got the rest of her work and several years down the road I am still of the opinion that "Sunny Came Home" was an invitation to check out her other albums. By definition Colvin might be a one hit wonder ("I Don't Know Why" is her only other Top 20 success making it to #16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, but that misses the point of Colvin's music. There is a reason that she is touring with only a pair of guitars, and the trip down memory lane provided by "Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection" only serves to reinforce the point.



These 15 songs represent selections from all of her main releases except for her Christmas album, "Holiday Songs and Lullabies," plus one new track with her cover of the Beatles song "I'll Be Back." The songs are laid out chronologically by album, although in fact the first three tracks are the same three that opened up "Steady On," namely the title track, "Diamond in the Rough," and "Shotgun Down the Avalanche" (the latter remaining my favorite Colvin tune). All three are Colvin lyrics written to the melodies of her songwriting partner, John Leventhal, and I find it interesting that they are presented in the same order, which I read to be an implicit acknowledgment of how codified they are in the minds of her fans (yes, sometimes I listen to just those three tracks when I play that album, or, more to the point, I always make sure I listen to those three tracks).



From "Fat City" we have "Round Of Blues," "Polaroids," and "I Don't Know Why." Her "Cover Girl" album provides "Every Little Thing [He] Does is Magic" and "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," which is where I want to quibble because I think her best cover is of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," a fact she proved again last Saturday night (as much for the guitar playing as the singing). The order ir rearranged, but the first four tracks from "A Few Small Repairs" make it as well, with "Sunny Came Home," "You And The Mona Lisa," "Get Out Of This House," and "The Facts About Jimmy." See a pattern of always putting her best foot forward on an album, do you? Absolutely, because "Whole New You" and "A Matter of Minutes" are the first two tracks from her 2001 album "Whole New You," albeit in reverse order.



Except for the counter proposal above, the tracks collected for this album are on point, which is always nice to see with a greatest hits album. Colvin did over half of these songs in her concert, and after hearing the stripped down versions it seems strange to hear the studio versions. But hearing the "unplugged" versions simply reminds us that Colvin's strengths are her ability to write lyrics (the best part of "Sunny Came Home" are the lyrics) and her singing, with the husky but high voice that has matured gorgeously over the years. Colvin is working on a new album for release next February, which will pave the way for a second collection of her best songs (calling them hits seems counterproductive in this case) sometime next decade."

Greatest Hits? Well, sort of...

DVD buff | Austin, TX USA | 02/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like the other reviews here, this collection isn't EXACTLY a "greatest hits" collection. For one thing, one of Shawn Colvin's best-known songs is "Nothing On Me," which was used as the theme song for the television series SUDDENLY SUSAN, but that song is not found here. If being a TV theme song doesn't qualify as a "greatest hit," I'm not sure what would.



Other than that one exception, this really is a collection of Ms. Colvin's best-known work. It's a great item for the casual fan or new listener (unless you're looking for the theme song to SUDDENLY SUSAN, of course), and if you're a completist you have to get it for the new song.



What could have made this package more attractive to all fans would have been to include some other rarities as bonus tracks, or even a second disc of odds & ends. As it is, it's not her "best," nor is it a complete "greatest hits," but it is a good collection of great songs."

Some of the best from Shawn Colvin

M. Carlisle | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 02/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Best Tracks: Shotgun Down The Avalanche, Polaroids, The Facts About Jimmy



I had the great fortune of seeing Shawn Colvin perform in an Icehouse in Austin, Texas. Little did I realize at the time that I was watching a star being born.



This is one of those CD's that "Best of" barely scratches the surface. All 15 tracks are deserving to be on this album--and I wish they had put in a couple of more.



This CD covers Shawn's `early days' up through her songs where she got national radio play.



For those wanting to delve into Shawn Colvin's music, this is a great place to get your feet wet. And then jump in.

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