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Michelle Shocked - The Texas Campfire Tapes Audio CD

A fair review of the Michelle Shocked "The Texas Campfire Tapes" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Michelle Shocked reviews here, or go back to the Michelle Shocked tabs.

Michelle Shocked Band: Michelle Shocked
Title: The Texas Campfire Tapes
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-09-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: 5 A.M. in Amsterdam 2: Secret Admirer 3: Incomplete Image 4: Who Cares? 5: Down on Thomas St. 6: Fogtown 7: Steppin' Out 8: Hep Cat 9: Necktie 10: (Don't You Mess Around With) My Little Sister 11: Ballad of Patch Eye and Meg 12: Secret to a Long Life (Is Knowing When It's Time to Go) 13: Chain Smoker 14: Stranded in a Limousine 15: Goodnight Irene

very poor recording quality
The sound quality on this cd is very poor I am surprised she allowed it to be released. I own several cd's by MS and find her work interesting if somewhat uneven. The only redeeming aspect is a neat little book that is somewhat autobiographical and allowed me to win a bet with a friend MS is not her real name.


Terrific songs by a talented songwriter
The occasion was the Kerrville Folk Festival, and the recording device was a Sony Walkman. Michelle Shocked was recorded in 1986 around a campfire in Kerrville, Texas. Despite the lackluster equipment, Shocked's spiky, playful personality comes through in spades here, as does the astonishing assuredness of her singing. Though she sounds girlish here--and looks about fifteen years old on the cover--there is a maturity and depth to the songs and the phrasing that announce the presence of a mature musician.
Pete Lawrence, the man who recorded the songs, gets Shocked to explain some of the inspiration for the songs in between tunes, but for the most part you hear only Shocked, her guitar, and the crickets in the background. The effect is both immediate and intimate. "5:00 AM in Amsterdam" opens with Shocked sounding like an incredibly youthful Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell, but with a wry and boyish twist. On "Who Cares," there are little flashes of Billie Holiday, believe it or not, and a jut-jawed attitude of defiance that comes across loud and clear despite the primitive recording. "Down on Thomas St. " is a brisk and frisky tune and "Fogtown" (about San Francisco, of course!) has a melancholy longing to it. Shocked is a master at conveying unspoken longing and mood without spelling everything out for her listeners. She's also got a great gift for getting your attention right off the bat, as she does with the opening lyrics to "Necktie":

There was a naked man standing in an alley
And he weren't wearing no clothes . . .

Fans of Shocked's later albums will recognize the Elvis-flavored tune "(Don't You Mess Around with) My Little Sister" and "The Secret to a Long Life (is Knowing When It's Time to Go). " Less successful is "The Incomplete Image," a spoken-word piece interspersed with propulsive guitar work. Overall, though, especially given the inauspicious circumstances under which the album was recorded, this is a terrific album hinting at the maturity and brilliance Shocked would display on later albums.


Great Folk
It is Michelle Shocked at her most basic, with only a guitar, her voice, and a handful of songs. This record is simply a great folk album. Despite being captured on a Sony Walkman, this recording captures the sheer power and talent that Shocked possessed even at this early point in her career. The performance is reminiscient of the the 1960s and the folk revival of the time. A listen to this album will give you a great collection of songs. All original and all good, I can say that this has been one of my favorite albums since I first listened to it. If you're a fan of folk or acoustic pop, do whatever you can to find a copy of this recording.


What a gem!
Irony, sense of humor, characters painted with the brushstrokes of humanity bring the music alive in a way that production can't touch. This collection of story telling songs, sung and told so engagingly, invites the listener to join Michelle at her campfire and enjoy the glow. My favorites are Secret Admirer and Necktie. Drive across the country with this CD and sing along with her, again and again.


Unpretentious and great fun
This isthe best album that Michelle Shocked has done. I would have loved to be sitting around that campfire. Indeed it is the ONLYalbum she had done that deserves three listens. It is just perfect folk.
. . . My recommendation. Buy this, which a unpretentious and written before she had many good songs. (But where those she had were excellent. ).


You can see a complete list of all Michelle Shocked discography, or go back to the Michelle Shocked tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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