Search - Vonda Shepard :: Vonda Shepard

Still a wonderful recording

Rolle | Karlsruhe, Germany | 12/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all: sorry about my english :-) i saw vonda shepard live in Germany (about 1990) with the Al Jareau Band "coast to coast" in Baden Baden. She was the Backgroundsinger of the band and after a while she sang a couple of her "first" release. it was wonderful! i loved her voice and the way she is on stage! i tried to get the album in Germany... no chance. In 1992 i went to Orlando to visit a friend of mine. I found the CD in a store for 2.99... unbelievable!! i did not hear anything more about Vonda shepard since i saw her on TV (Ally McBeal). The first album of her is still one of my favourite CD's. i wish her all the best and wish she could read this: THANK YOU FOR THAT MUSIC!"

One of my favorite 2 albums ever!

Henry Parfitt | 06/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I personally think this is an amazing album. It will shock some people because it is very radio-friendly for the most part, but the music is excellent. The best tracks in my opinion are the 3rd, 4th and 5th. These stand out the most, although all the tracks are excellent.Hold Out is a gorgeously commercial uptempo which is incredibly catchy. This is really just a great uplifting pop song, which could have been a massive hit had it gone to radio as a single. Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow was rerecorded 10 years later to become a hit, and although the production on this version comes off as dated, this track is probably the favorite track of about 50% of Vonda Shepard fans, and should really be a classic. Meanwhile, Looking For Something offers the albums most lyrically and musically poignant moment - and shows traces of a direction Vondas music moved in later in her career.Whilst those are my favourites, this album contains no real filler tracks. 'He Ain't With Me' is another really great pop song like Hold Out. In fact, with artists such as Mariah Carey currently reviving the '80s sounds, this track could even do well in today's charts! 'I've Been Here Before' and the second single, 'I Shy Away', take a distinctively bubble-gum route, and although they aren't the albums most soulful moments, they're undoubtedly very fun to listen to (repetitively!). The first single release from the album, 'Don't Cry Ilene', is a bit of an oddity - is it a ballad or an uptempo? Probably a mixture of both, and all the more enjoyable for it.The albums last 4 tracks are the most uncommercial ones, with more experimentation. 'A New Marilyn' explores how hard it is to make it as a star when 'everyones looking for a new you know who'. This comes complete with a crowds background noise at one point. Meanwhile, Jam Karet explores time, with the different paces of the song adding to the concept. Although these tracks are more diverse, they are just as upbeat and poppy as the rest of the album. The hardest track to get to grips with here is the ballad 'Say The Words', which bases its attraction on a classic piano tune backing the verses, whilst heavy, methodical beats run throughout the track.Overall, this album is definitely one of my favourites. Quite a lot of it is commercial, but it is worth bearing in mind also that Vonda wrote most of this stuff by herself, so many of the tracks are very personal - such as Looking For Something and Say The Words. These only add to the album. However, the main concept here is fun. If you want the music which shows Vondas true musical tastes, its best to buy 'It's Good Eve', which will satisfy anyone. If you are looking for good pop songs, buy this album!"

Searching her soul

Alexander Gitlits | Moscow, Russia | 10/21/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This seems to be the first Vonda Shepard album (I'm not sure, but the name itself says it - I mean, who would call his second or third or any other album by his/her name?)
And it is very different from her later work. Here she is still searching for her kind of sound, she is experimenting - and it's a good thing.
The not-so-bad thing is, basically, the same - she hasn't found her music yet, like she would in her later work. There is too much electronic sound, which I wasn't prepaired for. If you really like her songs, you will find this album interesting, because it shows how she evolved in the years that followed.
I liked the album in general, but the texts here are mostly better than music (as a writer she was then as good as now)."