Sunday, May 15, 2022

Kat's Korner: Freewheelin' Jewel

Kat:  I'm not an Enya hater but I'm not an Enya lover.  I'm just neutral to her charms.  I do respect what she's done with music and I wonder a lot about that in terms of others.  Enya was never part of Lilith Fair.  Most of the women who were appear lost today and, honestly, appeared lost about two years after the first Lilith Fair festival was staged.


Take Sarah McLachlan who founded the women's musical festival.  She was coming off SURFACING.  An admitted classic, SURFACING was everything a musical work should be.  So why couldn't Sarah replicate?  She did the obvious thing -- following her huge success with a live album -- a double disc album -- that included most of SURFACING.  Then came studio albums AFTERGLOW and LAWS OF ILLUSION and what the hell were those?  "Sweet Surrender" was one track on SURFCAING.  People responded to the lush arrangements of that album and the caressing vocals.  Sarah went from being surefooted to not knowing who she was or who her audience was.

And her studio releases since SURFACING always make me think of Elton John's Carole King criticism that he offered in his 1973 ROLLING STONE interview, how TAPESTRY was great but the albums that followed sounded as if they were recorded at the same session after everyone was tired and uninspired.

Say what you will about Enya, but she's never made that mistake.  And she's never released pedestrian music either.

But that's what the Lilith gals seemed to specialize in.  Within three years of the first touring festival, they were  pretty much a punch line.

And, yes, in a sexist country, that's not a surprise.  But let's also be very clear that a lot of women brought it on themselves.  Sarah was making garbage and she wasn't alone.  Some argue that Sheryl Crow tried to grow.  If I were Sheryl, I would as well.  Both as a person and as a songwriter.  Sadly, she wasn't trying to grow.  She wrote the same half-thought out and uninspired songs she'd been doing in the 90s but called it country and hoped that they would be more accepting of a woman who traded constantly on her looks as that woman was now older and the younger generation wasn't about to indulge her because she had a number one hit in 1995. 

Now the one who actually tried to grow was Jewel.

Her ninth album came out a few weeks ago, FREEWHEELIN' WOMAN -- I'm counting it as nine and excluding albums for children and other specialty products.   


Her eight other albums are folk-based pop, dance music, country, alternative, you name it.


The only one that ever disappointed me was SPIRIT, her second album.  It was her follow up to her massive selling PIECES OF YOU.  It was released the same month that Alanis Morissette released her JAGGE LITTLE PILL follow up SUPPOSED FORMER INFATUATION JUNKIE.  


Both were disappointments.  I might have enjoyed Jewel more if Alanis hadn't already failed expectations.  But SPIRIT was a disappointment -- despite having one of her all time great songs on the album ("Hands").  


I have no idea what Jewel was trying to do on that album.  But I would judge all that followed strong and worthy albums.  She's grown with each one and that allows for something like FREEWHEELIN' WOMAN which is kind of folk, kind of pop, kind of country, kind of soul, kind of rock.  It allows her to gather all she's learned from the other albums.  


Maybe not all that she's learned about the music business.  I don't get some artists today.  Last year, vinyl overtook CDs in sales.  So I don't get, for example, why Chase Rice did not release THE ALBUM on vinyl or, for that matter, why Jewel has no plans to release FREEWHEELIN' WOMAN on vinyl until October.


It makes no sense and it makes them look out of touch -- even if it's the label's decision, the artists are the one this reflects poorly upon.


I bought the digital version of the album.  I would've purchased a vinyl copy -- especially due to the album cover which is a photograph I love -- I love the angle, I love the contrast of colors, it's just a perfect album cover.  


Fortunately, the music lives up to the cover.



Outside of Bellingham, I
Broke down to understand, I
Got tired of following my feet
You know I been a free wheeling woman, oh
Became its own kind of prison though
Wondering what could ever satisfy me
Guess I stopped long enough to
Crash in to the thought of you
Guess I knew I would eventually

 
Oh, but you can't outrun
That kind a lovin' and those things we've done
Guess I'll always be, ooh
Living with your memory
Yeah, I'm living with your memory, yeah
Your memory loves me better
Than any man has done
Your memory loves me longer and
Keeps me on the run



"Living With Your Memory" is an amazing song -- lyrically and musically.  And it's not even the strongest on the album.  


Jewel came to national attention in 1995 and there are a number of artists in various strands of the entertainment world that we look back on now and wonder what we ever saw in them?  But that's not the case with Jewel.  Her vocals are stronger and she's an artist who truly has grown.  


On "No More Tears," she more than holds her own with Darius Rucker and it may be one of the best duets since Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville teamed up for "Don't Know Much." 


And speaking of teaming up, she'll be touring this summer with Train:


JUN 8, 2022
Xfinity Center
Mansfield, MA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 10, 2022
Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Wantagh, NY
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 11, 2022
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Springs, NY
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 12, 2022
PNC Bank Arts Center
Holmdel, NJ
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 14, 2022
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (formerly BB&T Pavilion)
Camden, NJ
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 15, 2022
Jiffy Lube Live
Bristow, VA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUN 17, 2022
The Pavilion at Lake Star
Burgettstown, PA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 18, 2022
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 19, 2022
Riverbend Music Center
Cincinnati, OH
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 21, 2022
Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, TN
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 24, 2022
iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 25, 2022
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 26, 2022
Daily's Place
Jacksonville, FL
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 28, 2022
Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Atlanta, GA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUN 30, 2022
PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 1, 2022
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Raleigh, NC
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 2, 2022
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
Virginia Beach, VA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 7, 2022
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Gilford, NH
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 8, 2022
Bethel Woods Center For the Arts
Bethel, NY
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 9, 2022
Darien Lake Amphitheater
Darien Center, NY
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 10, 2022
Budweiser Stage
Toronto, ON
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Will Anderson
JUL 12, 2022
Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 13, 2022
Ruoff Music Center
Noblesville, IN
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 15, 2022
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - Chicago
Tinley Park, IL
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 16, 2022
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 17, 2022
Walmart AMP
Rogers, AR
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 19, 2022
Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Austin, TX
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 20, 2022
Dos Equis Pavilion
Dallas, TX
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 21, 2022
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Woodlands, TX
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 23, 2022
Isleta Amphitheater
Albuquerque, NM
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 24, 2022
Ak-Chin Pavilion
Phoenix, AZ
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 26, 2022
North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
San Diego, CA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 29, 2022
FivePoint Amphitheatre
Irvine, CA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 30, 2022
Concord Pavilion
Concord, CA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
JUL 31, 2022
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mountain View, CA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
AUG 2, 2022
Climate Pledge Arena
Seattle, WA
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
AUG 3, 2022
Hayden Homes Amphitheatre
Bend, OR
w/ Train and special guests Blues Traveler & Thunderstorm Artis
AUG 6, 2022
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Denver, CO
w/ Train and special guest & Thunderstorm Artis



I don't usually include tour dates but, if you see her this summer, you should see her and Train perform "Dancing Slow" -- a great song they do on her new album.





FREEWHEELIN' WOMAN is an album worth checking out.