|
Normal as Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day |  | Artist: Nellie McKay
Label: Verve
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $10.87
as of 11/28/2009 05:42 CST details
You Save: $3.11 (22%)
New (19) Used (1) from $10.87
Seller: -importcds
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 292
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 001321802
UPC: 602527133348
EAN: 0602527133348
ASIN: B002NOYX3Q
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Very Thought of You | | • | Do Do Do | | • | Wonderful Guy | | • | Meditation | | • | Mean to Me | | • | Crazy Rhythm | | • | Sentimental Journey | | • | If I Ever Had a Dream | | • | Black Hills of Dakota | | • | Dig It | | • | Send Me No Flowers | | • | Close Your Eyes | | • | I Remember You |
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Producing, arranging and performing this album is for McKay the natural outcome of years of enraptured listening to Ms. Day's music. "She was - and still is - ahead of her time". Nellie handpicked these songs from over 600 recordings. McKay has a very special connection to this cultural icon - the # 1 female box office star of all time and one of the most prolific recording artists in history - Nellie received the Doris Day Music Award in 2005 and is one of the few people in the last 30 years to be granted an interview with Ms. Day. Nellie's Verve debut is a sophisticated but accessible recording with spare and tasteful arrangements that clearly put the focus on the songs and McKay's exquisite vocal stylings. McKay's fresh take on this music is smartly delivered with a curtsy to Doris, a nod to convention, and a unique twist all her own. An actress (Theater World Award-winner in Three Penny Opera on Broadway), writer and activist (sharing Ms. Day's passion for the animal welfare movement) Nellie is a welcome addition to the rich legacy of great women artists on Verve.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 A pretty good collection in tribute to Doris Day November 27, 2009
Bruce R. Gilson (Wheaton, MD United States)
To my knowledge, there have been four CDs in recent years that were prepared as tributes to Doris Day, three of which I now own. (The other two I own are by Karen Oberlin and Pam Munter.) While the other two really make no effort to sound like Doris Day, it seems that Nellie McKay tries for more of a common style. And to a large extent she succeeds, but her voice is nowhere near a expressive as Day's. But yet, she isn't bad, when you get over comparing her with the original.
Of the songs on the CD, one ("If I Ever Had A Dream") is Nellie McKay's own composition, but she apparently made sure to make it sound like the kind of song Doris Day would have sung back at the height of her popularity. Another ("A Wonderful Guy") is one that (as far as I know) Doris Day never recorded, though I guess it had to be included since the album's title comes from the lyric of that song. The others are all associated with Doris Day, though in one case ("Send Me No Flowers") I don't happen to own a copy of the original to compare. But after giving a listen to the whole album in the order in which it was put together, I listened again to all the other songs, first in the Doris Day version (for "Sentimental Journey," two Doris Day versions, the 1945 original and a 1962 remake she did for the album "Doris Day's Sentimental Journey"), then Nellie McKay's recording. In each case, the effect was the same -- she can't match Doris Day, but she still carries it off pretty well.
I was not certain as to whether to give this album 3 stars or 4. However, I decided that part of my negatives come from comparing the song versions with Doris Day, my absolute favorite singer, so I need to give this album the benefit of the doubt and give it the higher rating for the sake of fairness.
 Delightful! November 24, 2009
Joy Steele (New Bern, NC USA)
Nellie McKay's voice has never sounded better! It's a tribute to her versatility as a singer that she is able to deliver old standards superbly: perfect pitch and on-spot interpretations. I love this CD!
Normal as Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day November 22, 2009
L. Bellm (San Francisco, CA)
I heard this CD reviewed on NPR and immediately fell in love with the singer's (Nellie McKay's) voice and musical style. The CD did not disappoint. The music is gorgeous and refreshing. I highly recommend it.
 Straight into the Wastebasket! November 16, 2009
Ralph Potter (Ormond Beach, Florida)
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
My usual listening is to Classical. Some of it recorded decades ago. "Normal" has production values so low that the mass of delighted listeners must have been taught to expect a diet of garbage. Whatever the truth of its production may be, it sounds like each part was recorded separately and assembled by a compete amateur. Each sound source has it point-specific origin and neither blends with nor seems to belong with the other sounds. Ms McKay's much lauded voice, meanwhile, sounds on this album like she went to singing school and chose the voice she would pretend is her own from a menu. What a waste! I saved the plastic box. The only thing of value in my purchase.
"Gem" doesn't capture it November 4, 2009
M. M. Jackson (St. Petersburg, FL United States)
I have spent some time with this album and now feel somewhat qualified to comment.
God this pains me, I am a 100% all-American male, so it's tough for me to use "foofie" little French terms, but the definition of "bijou" fits this record nicely: "a small, dainty, usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship," or "something delicate, elegant, or highly prized."
Nellie brings us that eternal touch of delicacy, grace and elegance lost in most modern music, and especially - sadly - in modern takes on the classic jazz modes. She just "gets it."
Nellie's best by far is still "Get Away From Me" - a garrulous, madcap big-bang of long-brewed genius, in my opinion easily one of the very best records of the "00's". This would be her second best, in qualitative terms, to my mind and my taste.
It is rare for an artist to cover a song as good as or - even rarer - better than the original. For the "equals," "They Won't Go When I Go" by George Michael (covering Stevie Wonder), and for the "betters," "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor (making a silk purse out of Prince's plodding, lackluster original sow's-ear version) come to mind. Point is they breathed enough life into and wove enough of themselves throughout a given piece to hit or exceed the mark, which is super rare. Usually it's some starry eyed artist in love with a tune, feeling the reflexive need to spit it back out, when they don't realize their attraction and even obsession over it was due to it's already-there extreme high quality. And then they miss the mark. And I hate that.
This whole record is quite in that vein of improvement or high quality deviation from the original. This is an artist who can take the bones of material and weave her own beauty around them.
My exposure to standards is extensive; my exposure to Day is limited to like one record ("A Guy Is A Guy" being one stuck-in-my-head anti-highlight/minor guilty pleasure) and Pillow Talk. In other words, limited. But it's so cool to see a jazz geek getting geeked up about their niche fandom. Because I have one or two of those, too. Oh and Nellie is the hottest nerd alive. Mmmmm...hot nerds.
Finally, the feather-pillow beating in the liner notes regarding vegetarianism...it didn't work. ;) Sorry, the stuff is just too tasty.
- Matt Jackson
p.s. I can admit to being a serial music thief on torrent, but this is one record I never once considered not paying for. It's just too tailor made for my tastes, and I must encourage more records and artists like this one.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
|
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
| |
