Mary Chapin Carpenter Album: “Party Doll & Other Favorites”

Description :

Personnel includes: Mary Chapin Carpenter (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); John Jennings (acoustic & electric guitars, piano, keyboards, acoustic & electric basses, percussion, background vocals); Duke Levine, Reggie Young, Mike McAdam, John Jorgenson (electric guitar); Lee Roy Parnell (slide guitar); Benmont Tench (piano, Hammond organ); Matt Rollings (piano, organ); Jon Carroll (piano, keyboards, background vocals); Peter Bonta (Fender Rhodes piano); Rico Petrucelli (fretless bass); J.T. Brown (bass, background vocals); Michael Rhodes, Don Dixon (bass); Robbie Magruder (drums, cymbals, percussion); Greg Morrow, Andy Newmark, Kenny Aronoff (drums); Harry Stinson, Shawn Colvin, Trisha Yearwood (background vocals). The CBS Orchestra: Sid McGinnis (electric guitar); Bruce Kapler (tenor saxophone); Tom Malone (baritone saxophone); Paul Shaffer (piano); Anton Fig (percussion); Will Lee (background vocals). Beausoleil: David Doucet (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Michael Doucet (fiddle, background vocals); Al Tharp (fiddle); Jimmy Breaux (accordion); Billy Ware, Tommy Alesi (percussion). Producers: Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Jennings, Blake Chancey, Mark Isham. Engineers include: Michael Delug, Billy Sherrill, Bob Dawson. Includes liner notes by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Usually, an artist will save live versions and hard-to-find songs for a box set, but Mary Chapin Carpenter has never played by the rules. Ostensibly a "greatest hits" package, PARTY DOLL is a creative collection that's a must-have for any fan. The CD is packed with live versions of some of her most popular songs, recorded at some unique places. For example, the version of her breakthrough hit "Down At the Twist & Shout" is taken from her performance at the 1997 Super Bowl, while a fierce version of "Can't Take Love For Granted" comes from a "Late Show with David Letterman" appearance. Many of the live tracks are acoustic and dramatically reworked, like the hushed, slowed-down rendition of "Quittin' Time." PARTY DOLL also includes songs Carpenter recorded for other projects, including "Grow Old With Me" (from a John Lennon tribute album) and "10,000 Miles" (from the "Fly Away Home" movie soundtrack). Three new songs round out the CD, including the gospel-influenced "Almost Home" and a version of Mick Jagger's "Party Doll." By making nearly every track a collectible, Carpenter turns PARTY DOLL into a unique "event" instead of a run-of-the-mill hits package.

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an extraordinary artist.The mix of live performances and studio tracks are great to have on a "greatest hits CD" I find it wonderfully amazing how well the songs were sung with heart and soul in her live verisons and how her voice could draw you in and make you feel like a close friend. If all live performances sounded just like the recording, why would we spend our money going to concerts when we could listen to a CD. I LOVE the new song "Almost Home" and have been touched by it in a very deep way. I will be seeing Mary in concert for the first time this Friday in Springfield Missouri so I cant comment on her stage presence, but I know she'll be wonderful.I have no expectations, I applaud her for having the guts to get up in front of thousands of people and sing her heart out.As my friend Oprah would say-"You Go Girl"

This CD can be classified as a greatest hits/ live collection. Many of MCC all time best are here. The added dimension of hearing them while she is in a performing venue only adds to the appeal. I love to hear the little asides MCC makes as she is introduced and as she begins to sing. They are priceless. It must have been hard to choose what went on the CD. The highlight is the hauntingly beautiful 10,000 Miles, first heard in the movie "Fly Away Home". I have searched high and low for a recording of that song. There is a good mix of old and new, an outstanding "I'll Take My Chances' and a breathtaking acoustic version of "Dreamland". This is a great CD and a must have for any MCC fan

Given a single disc's limitations, Carpenter has built an ingenious greatest-hits package that simultaneously provides an overview of her decade-long career and a treasure-trove for ardent fans. All four of her #1s are here (including two live versions substituted for studio takes), as well as four of her twelve Top-10s. The rest of this generous 17-song collection includes two new titles, a Mick Jagger cover, the highly sought-after "10,000 Miles" (from the film "Fly Away Home"), and several tracks from non-MCC projects.

Despite the excitement of new material and live tracks, the heart of this collection is Carpenter's determined, empowered anthems. Whether it's the desire of Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses" or the call-to-self-fulfillment of her own "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," Carpenter sings her mind with an empathic clarity and force. Her poetic, autobiographical tale "This Shirt" reveals the extraordinary, interlocking nature of everyone's everyday things.

Given her literate, folky bent, one might be surprised at just how much fun Carpenter can be. She pulls out the stops with Beausoleil for a live take of "Down at the Twist and Shout"; "Shut Up and Kiss Me" and "I Feel Lucky" both exhibit a humorous directness.

Though a full retrospective awaits, this collection serves as a well-crafted map of the journey so far taken.

For those who already love Mary Chapin Carpenter, you will be thrilled to discover the new music and alternate takes. For days, I played this CD in my car and kept going back to "Almost HOme," one of the new songs. It's a great, upbeat song about letting go of extra baggage (both emotional and literal). Fortunately, there was no one else in my car when I kept singing it.

The alternate versions are also treasures. The great Cajun band Beausoleil plays on the classic "Down at the Twist & Shout" in a live version. If you are a true MCC fan, you will also notice a slight change in the words on the live version of "I Take My Chances."

I already had most of the music from this CD on other albums--but this is a definite must-have for fans.