The Evening Of My Best Day - Rickie Lee Jones

On Jones' "It's Like This", I really enjoy her rendition of "Up a Lazy River", with backing vocals from Taj Mahal and Ben Folds. It's so much fun, that you can't keep from smiling as it progresses.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Ok so on the spur of this thread (no pun intended) I purchased 'evening of...'. I have some Shawn Colvyn, Suzanne Vega etc so thought I'd be on safe ground.
Initial impressions are that its a 'grow to like' CD rather than an 'instant hit'. JMO.

regards.
andy c!

"though the Low spark of the high heel boys was good)."

Thats a traffic album.

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Originally posted by Simon Matthews:
"though the Low spark of the high heel boys was good)."

Thats a traffic album.

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And a Terrific album at that.

Steve Winwood really demonstrates his prowess with Guitar & Organ

Well, I am kinda odd man (not unusual) out on this thread .... I have had the RLJ for a few weeks, and while it has "grown" better with each listening, I personally am having a bit of a problem with the "dense and sweely dissonant vocal clusters" (absolutely perfect description). A bit much for my taste. And the "whole" is not so much my perception as the the widely varied selections causing a little too much discontinuity for me I can hear what y'all admire, though. Read somewhere (here?) that this would make an excellent instrumental-only album - totally agree with that assessment. I am no RLJ expert, so these are comments from an RLJ novice and an odd man.

Bought SM "Afterglow" today, and after first listen, I am hooked.

Maybe I am just in a mood for playin' it safe
:-)

Jeff A

ps. Fred, did you ever get an email sent to your fred@opendoor address from me? If not, and the offer of your recordings (other than DreamHouse) is open, e-mail me at uagain51@hotmail.com Thanks.

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Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:
ps. Fred, did you ever get an email sent to your fred@opendoor address from me? If not, and the offer of your recordings (other than DreamHouse) is open, e-mail me at uagain51@hotmail.com Thanks.

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Jeff, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have a four year old daughter, no office staff, and I have to do all my own procrastination. I've now emailed you.

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Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:
Read somewhere (here?) that this would make an excellent instrumental-only album - totally agree with that assessment.

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Well, the tunes would certainly hold up as instrumentals, but Rickie Lee's persona is so integral to the whole that I don't think it would be nearly as powerful or deep. On the third hand, I could definitely hear some world-class level jazz players playing some of the tunes (especially the lead-off track, Ugly Man).

If you're having trouble with the "dense and sweetly dissonant vocal clusters," you may want to enter the world of the album via Sailor Song, It Takes You There, A Tree On Allenford, or The Evening Of My Best Day. I think you'll hear differently.

I've posted earlier in this thread re this cd and thought i'd mention a little more.
Lat night my wife and I sat and listened to this and she commented that when the vocals are 'clear' (oops) then the songs as a whole seem to hang better. I do see what she means.

Musically the Cd is a no brainer with obviously excellent musicians and production.

I guess you pays your money and takes your choice...

Which other RLJ titles wouold y'all suggest worthy of investigation?

Andy,

I find many moments on her latest album are recursions to some of her older ones, but those older ones are a bit more uniform and may therefore be too much of a good thing, so try and listen to some soundbites first.

My personal faves are "The Magazine" (heady, complex, intense), "Pirates" (earthy, hip, wistful), "Pop Pop" (jazzy, relaxed, warm) and "Traffic from Paradise" (plucky, sprawling, run out of adjectives now).

Thomas

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fred simon:
I could definitely hear some world-class level jazz players playing some of the tunes (especially the lead-off track, _Ugly Man_).

So ..... I will look forward to hearing it (them) on your next album

Jeff A

Fred,

I followed your recommendation, a fine addition to the 'discotheque'.

Thank you

Peter

Funny how finding a great album like this prompts searching out more of the same. I have listened to this album now several times and still find more and more in there, and I get closer to it emotionally. For me, I don't want to check out her other albums or look for similar artists - I just want to keep listening to this one.

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Funny how finding a great album like this prompts searching out more of the same. I have listened to this album now several times and still find more and more in there, and I get closer to it emotionally. For me, I don't want to check out her other albums or look for similar artists - I just want to keep listening to this one.

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I agree with you, but I think you're being shortsighted at the moment. Eventually you will tire of it, as we all will. In a sense, we'll develop an immunity to its charms. At that time, if we haven't tired of the entire "genre" that it represents, we'll desire something else that makes us feel just as good.

We just want to prolong the magic, and are trying to be proactive about finding the solution, before the problem appears.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Just as long as you don't end up being distracted from what you already have.

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Just as long as you don't end up being distracted from what you already have.

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I know exactly what you mean! Sometimes I hold off on buying CDs for too long, and then I buy a bunch of gems all on the same day. I don't give each of them their fare stint, because I'm so eager to hear them all. It would be better to buy them one at a time, so I can fully focus my attention on each.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

I bought this at the weekend, listened twice so far and I've got to say it hasn't grabbed me yet. I quite like the more bluesy upbeat tracks that have more of a groove (Lap Dog, Mink Coat, Little Mysteries). But I find some of the others lacking focus somewhat.

However it does feel as though once some of the melodies permiate my brain I might find them more appealing.

PS. The album is superbly recorded, why can't they all be like this?

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Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by fred simon:
I could definitely hear some world-class level jazz players playing some of the tunes (especially the lead-off track, _Ugly Man_).

So ..... I will look forward to hearing it (them) on your next album

Jeff A

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Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jeff, but I was thinking of someone along the lines of Herbie Hancock.

Besides, I feel can better serve music with my own tunes, especially since I have a huge cache waiting to be recorded. My next album will feature some of them.

Fred-
Great recommendation - Thank you!
This CD is now in constant rotation . . . what a powerful record/message - it gets my vote for the Top-5 CD of the year.

I wonder if they'll make Ugly Man the official theme song at the Democratic National convention . . . ?!


Regards, Max

Sorry to go back to this, but you know how it is when you keep buying CD's and put something away - only to temporarily forget about it? Well - I have just dug this out again and realise that it is even better than I thought the first time. I have played it every day for the latter part of this week and will keep it out for a while. If any of you have passed it over recently, I urge you to put to put it on again.

Coincidentally, I just played it again the other day, having not heard it in over a month, and it did sound better than ever.

It's still amazing to me that a work of this magnitude can fly so low under the popular radar, but then I guess that's just a sign that I grow old ... I grow old.

Usually when this happens I can't help but go discover past albums - but in this case I shall resist and not be distracted. This is too good, and I'm sure there is more to come. I've listened to this when in completely differing moods, and it is incredible how it relates whatever. Stunning.

Just seen that "Evening" is available on Vinyl on the Diverse Label Herefrom 15 Sept 2004 @ £21.90

Denis

Well now. I have come to this particular RLJ somewhat late but... better late than never.

First listen was on phones at 11pm two night ago after a hard three hours study and when really I was ready for bed. However, I sat up when HDCD lit up and I have to say that on first listen I think this is an album I will be returning to on speakers this weekend when hopefully more awake.

I'm not sure the politics have the depth I read into the comments in this thread but the playing is beautiful and there seem to be real songs that are going to grow and reveal their worth with more plays.

Thanks folks. My last RLJ was Pirates which is basically okay but patchy. Before that, Girl At Her Volcano (wonderful). This one may well be the best of the lot.

Mike

Mike

Girl At Her Volcano is my favourite RLJ without a doubt, closely followed by Flying Cowboys.

The Evening of My Best Day leaves me a bit cold I must say. I only have it on CD & have an inkling it's probably got more to offer on vinyl. A rare attack of restraint has so far kept me from buying the LP.

Sorry if I am missing something but these two live RLJ CD's:

Live at Red Rocks [LIVE] [IMPORT]

Live at Red Rock

Why the price difference?