Sheryl Crow - Detour: A return to form

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Mar 2008, 03:44

I've been reading up about Sheryl Crow's new album (Detour) and it seems it's a return to her more Rocky roots:

"Many refer this album to mark Crow's return to prominence, linking the tracks to her original sound as seen on The Globe Sessions. The album is said by critics and fans to be a fairly political album."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detours

I love Crow's first three albums (up to The Globe Sessions) but like most I felt her last two albums were way to Pop/light hearted and not enough Rock for my liking. I am pleased to hear she has returned to what she does best as I had literally written her off as "past it".

I've just checked out two singles on You Tube and they're considerably better than what we've had from Crow recently:

* Shine Over Babylon (about the Environment): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Gbphh4U1Y
* God Bless This Mess (I think about the American Administration): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nalDfAP8IYY
* Love Is Free (Light hearted, not so good): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edTMzKB-_QU

I've just ordered the CD. I'll let you guys know what I think when it arrives. The album is only £5.99 here:

http://www.bangcd.com/productDetail.aspx?prod_id=3488

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 Mar 2008, 01:32

I've been listening to this album for about a week now. It's definitely her best in years.

"God Bless This Mess" is particularly good. It's one of her strongest written songs yet. Very heartfelt and moving. It's about the American administration and the last 5-6 years.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 28 Mar 2008, 13:30

I can say its a pretty damn poor album compared to her best work, like her last few albums also were

she just sucks compared to what she once was.

The political shit in this new album is dire, ruins the album. She goes on and on and on like a idiot, she nees to get over it and stop bitching on every gad damn song and grow up!

I will be going to see her when she comes along near me, but she better bloody sing the good old songs, and not the last few albums worth. I would rather just go and listen to her vast catalogue of B Sides, as they blow the stuff away on her last 3 albums.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 29 Mar 2008, 05:21

romerojpg wrote:I can say its a pretty damn poor album compared to her best work, like her last few albums also were she just sucks compared to what she once was.

Agreed it's not as good as her first three albums (especially The Globe Sessions) but I wasn't expecting it to be.

romerojpg wrote:The political shit in this new album is dire, ruins the album. She goes on and on and on like a idiot, she nees to get over it and stop bitching on every gad damn song and grow up!

That is the entire point of the album. It's the first time she's been political in her albums and I think it makes them all the more better. Lovey Pop songs or Political messages about how "she" feels. I know which I prefer.

romerojpg wrote:I will be going to see her when she comes along near me, but she better bloody sing the good old songs, and not the last few albums worth.

Obviously she's going to sing a mixture from all/most the albums. Her most famous stuff comes from her first two albums.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 29 Mar 2008, 14:45

She has mixed polotics into her last few albums as well

just not as openly as this one.

I have heard a lot of her concerts, and she does ussually mix up sogs from the past, but once in a while only sings new songs, which could be a bit odd if you do noyt like the newer stuff

Still I have not exactly listened much to Detours, so its maybe best if I stick it on many more times as I know some songs can grow on me

but hey bring back old Sheryl still I say.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 29 Mar 2008, 17:53

I wish musicians would stop shoving "their" politics down listeners' throats.

I like Sheryl's voice and style of music.

I don't give a fuck who she thinks we should vote for.

Same goes for Bono, REM, etc...

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 29 Mar 2008, 18:51

Some of the greatest artists and songs of all time are very political. Politics always have and always will be a driving force in every art form. I've never understood why music fans see political songs as a problem, but are happy to sit down and watch a political film.

Of course, like any other art form it's down to the skill of the artiste as to whether they can pull off a successful political song or not.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 29 Mar 2008, 19:13

Becuase the songs are bland when the words are bland and only about Politics thats why. The same anti american shit over and over and over, ohh look the presidents a twat, ohh look Iqaq is bad, ohh look 9/11 is bad. Once you hear the same shit over and over in song after song, it just becomes a waste of time bothering.

If I want in your face politics, I wont listen to music for that shit thats for sure

and the tunes are not the best either, which only makes the politics side even worse

If its not in your FACE! I wouldnt mind, many songs have it, they just dont make it 100% about it like Crow has.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 29 Mar 2008, 20:54

I agree with Shingster. There is a difference between singing about politics and ramming it down our throats. I'd say Crow's politics on Detour are the former.

Well only Track 1 is about the American Administration, so you cannot have listened very hard Romero

. Many of the songs on Detour aren't political too. Except for track 3 (Love is Free) which is naff, the album is great. Her best for years.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 29 Mar 2008, 21:04

Shingster wrote:Some of the greatest artists and songs of all time are very political. Politics always have and always will be a driving force in every art form. I've never understood why music fans see political songs as a problem, but are happy to sit down and watch a political film.Of course, like any other art form it's down to the skill of the artiste as to whether they can pull off a successful political song or not.

Music and cinema aren't the same. You might choose to go see a film which is about politics, but you don't buy an album or go see a concert for politics do you? Unless you read The Guardian, in which case you probably do. I agree that occasionally a political song can be skillfully done, but those are in the minority. Most songwriting isn't terribly good, and whilst that's forgiveable when the words are pop ditty fodder, it's significantly less so when dealing with real issues. If an overpaid popster preaches to me about war and politics they better damn well know what they're talking about. I don't pay money to listen to hypocrisy. To hear multi-millionaire Bono talking about global poverty is grotesque, but naive people buy into it. I've heard that at concerts REM (Michael Stipe) gives his political views between songs. I'd be furious if I paid to hear a live take of Losing My Religion and got "Bush is a bastard" instead. I hate the posturing, the psuedo-intellectualism of modern protest music. These people live in a fantasy world, but think they know it all and are telling it like it is. Fuck off or sing.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 29 Mar 2008, 23:27

Personally I'd much rather hear about what the artist thinks than some soppy love song. How many different ways can you say "I Love you"? Not many.

Politics it just one avenue an artist has at their disposal to talk about. I see no harm in it. The best songs are always ones which the artist draws upon their own experiences and opinions.

I would bet Bono knows something about world poverty. I don't think he's ever said he's an expert. I agree they live in a fantasy world though.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 30 Mar 2008, 00:43

I'm not a fan, but I'd still make a Detour all over her face.

Nothing wrong with politics in music. Bob Dylan definitely come to mind. Motorpsycho Nitemare is a terrific political song for example, amongst many others.

Then there's acts like Rage Against the Machine, terrific musicians with flawless symmetry. Sure, they have Lego brick politics (actually, this can be said about a lot of mainstream musicians), but their musical talent is immense. Political pontificating is even expected from the lead singer at one of their gigs.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 30 Mar 2008, 01:35

And let's not forget John Lennon. I'm sure if we sat and thought about it afor a few mins we could list hundreds of great political songs, they're certainly not some tiny minority.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 30 Mar 2008, 01:46

John Lennon is indeed a fine example. He didn't just talk about politics too!

EvaUnit02 wrote:I'm not a fan, but I'd still make a Detour all over her face.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 30 Mar 2008, 03:01

I guess I just can't stand the self-importance of certain artists. John Lennon was a great singer and wrote some good songs, but he was also a self-publicizing tit. I prefer the more subtle use of politics and messages in songs, as opposed to the ones that say "listen to my message, it'll change your life". They're as entitled as anyone else to spout politics. We do it here all the time, but their words are not gospel and should be treated with the same pinch of salt as yours or mine would be. At the end of the day opinions are like arseholes... everybody's got one.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 30 Mar 2008, 03:50

A summary of Bono's humanitarian efforts in Africa.

EDIT:
Here's a nice anecdote from the comments section.

hes a self promoting cunt
evidence: at a show in scotland he told the crowd to shut up, he started clapping every 5 seconds or so so he could bring up that every clap he made, a child died in africa
wtf
thankfully some guy in the crowd told him to stfu n stop being preachy
leave politics to politicians and leave music to musicians
i wouldnt want george bush to tell me what i should listen to

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 30 Mar 2008, 09:18

To be fair to Crow she hasn't openly done it so much before. She's just decided on Detour she wants to talk about it. If she continued to do it after Detour I could see the problem but 1 album is no big deal IMO.

John Lennon did have massive influence on people (including the CIA) and probably helped to bring an end to the Vietnam War indirectly. That IMO can only have been a good thing.

At the end of the day for me I prefer songs with about strong or deep subjects than lovey pop, which just tends to be what most songs are written about.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 30 Mar 2008, 12:50

bradavon wrote:
Well only Track 1 is about the American Administration, so you cannot have listened very hard Romero . Many of the songs on Detour aren't political too. Except for track 3 (Love is Free) which is naff, the album is great. Her best for years.

Shows you have a bad ear, nearly all of the songs are like that, you just must not listen to the words.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 30 Mar 2008, 12:57

Do you mean political or the American Administration?

Shine Over Babylon is about the environment. Hurricane Katrina is indirectly mentioned in the sappy "Love is Free".

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 30 Mar 2008, 14:22

Bono went to Holland (I think) so he didnt have to pay tax in Ireland

I bet he's done more charity work/humanitarian stuff than most of us have though.
Lennon's 'Imagine' and 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' are timeless classics, you can't argue with the messages in them.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 30 Mar 2008, 15:16

Probibly only me B have heard this album, so hear it then comment I say.

Crow even says its her first political album, so that says it all. She may as well call its her anti america album, as she hates the place the way she drones on.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 30 Mar 2008, 15:23

She's probably more anti Bush administration than anti America (I'm just guessing)

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 30 Mar 2008, 15:45

I would guess she dislikes the current Administration hence why she's singing about it. If she didn't care she wouldn't likely sing about it.

romerojpg wrote:Probibly only me B have heard this album, so hear it then comment I say.

I was thinking that, two pages and no one else is actually interested in checking out the album anyway

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 30 Mar 2008, 23:49

bradavon wrote:John Lennon did have massive influence on people (including the CIA) and probably helped to bring an end to the Vietnam War indirectly.

WTF? This I have to hear....

At the end of the day for me I prefer songs with about strong or deep subjects than lovey pop, which just tends to be what most songs are written about.

Depth = Good. Preaching = Bad.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 31 Mar 2008, 08:22

grim_tales wrote:Lennon's 'Imagine' and 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' are timeless classics, you can't argue with the messages in them.

Yes you can. Imagine was about socialism, an utterly stuffed system of government.