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| Artist: Beth Rowley
Label: Universal
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £6.97
You Save: £10.02 (59%)
New (34) Used (3) from £6.97
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 18
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 40
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 602517547131
EAN: 0602517547131
ASIN: B0011V97G0
Release Date: May 19, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 An album of two halves June 15, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Beth Rowley has been knocking about for a good few years; is it any surprise that her big breakthrough (this album debuted at number 6 in the UK charts) has come hot on the heels of the 2nd tranche of "Amy Winehouse followers" (Duffy, Adele et.al.)? Perhaps not, but it's no reason to hate her, or be dismissive of what is a decent album.
It's at its best on the more, dare I say it, old fashioned entries. Almost Persuaded with its simple piano backing is a winner, as is her version of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" (featuring Peter Wilson of Duke Special fame).
When she, or her producers, try to take things in a more contemporary "pop" route, the gloss adds nothing to the proceedings. A case in point is So Sublime. It's pleasant, but doesn't make enough of the undoubted talent Rowley has.
Lovely- can't wait for the next one! June 5, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you're thinking that Beth Rowley is just another Winehouse clone foisted upon us by record companies, think again. If you really need a comparison then a lazy one would be Eva Cassidy. Rowley's voice is clear, bluesy, sweet but strong and very natural, unlike said clones. Musically the album draws from folk, blues, gospel and country, with a dash of Motown and soul thrown in for good measure. It has a lovely warm, upbeat, feelgood vibe and doesn't suffer from an excess of pop gloss like so many other highly-anticipated debuts(Gabriella Cilmi comes to mind here). The fact that quite a few of the songs are covers doesn't matter, as Rowley, like Jeff Buckley, Ella Fitzgerald and Chrissie Hynde (to name but a few)has one of those gorgeous voices that could make singing the phone book sound spellbinding. I do, however, take issue with the treatment of Dylan's I Shall Be Released; okay, it's nice, but in my view, anyone who has the sheer audacity to think they can better Dylan should be locked in a room and forced to listen to Blood on The Tracks until they realize their mistake. Anyway, although I wouldn't say any of the tracks are downright bad (again Rowley's voice saves them), So Sublime veers a little too close to radio-friendly pop territory for me, and whoever suggested a duet with Duke Special (whoever he is) ought to be shot- next to Rowley, his wimpy warbling near-ruins what could have been another great number. My only other gripe would be -and I think someone else has remarked upon this- is that Rowley just can't seem to summon the gusto for You Never Called Me- her voice is so sweet, she just doesn't sound angry or convincing enough for this song. Still, these are minor flaws, and as a whole the album is hugely enjoyable and I'm sure I will return to it again- unlike many works by hyped-up 'next best things'. Beth Rowley definitely deserves wider recognition and big success if this impressive debut (and apparently even more impressive live shows) are anything to go by. Looking forward to the next one!
 And She's Bloody Gorgeous Too ! June 4, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I saw her play live in Dublin last week at the recommendation of a friend who saw her play in London. He said "Trust me and just go and see her". I loved her straight away. I got the CD and I've been playing it ever since.
And she's bloody gorgeous too !
:o)
A good beginning June 3, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
There's been a lot of talk of how much this young singer sounds like Eva Cassidy. I could only hear what they meant on one song from this album. To me, she sounds more like either Corinne Bailey Rae or Dusty Springfield, but really she just sounds like herself! She has lovely creamy vocals and they can be surprisingly powerful. In style she ranges through jazz, gospel, blues, '60's style pop and even a touch of country. It's a solid little collection of covers, traditionals and originals, but it lacks something. Usually I love it when artists include a mixture of different styles on the one album, but I don't feel this one gels together as a whole. I think Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground was a mistake - it doesn't fit in and it drops too low for her vocal range, one note she is forced to speak and it sounds uncomfortable. The standout track is Almost Persuaded. The lyrics are strong, human but ultimately uplifting, and the bluesy melody brings out the best in Beth's voice and performance. You Never Called Me Tonight is also good, and is one of the five songs here that Beth co-wrote. There aren't enough really good songs on this album, too many of them are just quite good, and they're shown up more by the few gems. She has great potential, but this isn't as good as I expected it to be, and I think she can do better. Hopefully she will.
Good debut with room for improvement June 1, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Beth Rowley's voice isn't as distinctive as the voices of her nearest `rivals', Amy Winehouse and Duffy, that's not necessarily a bad thing but it does mean that some of her songs, such as "So sublime" and "You never called me tonight", can seem a bit bland.
What singles her out from her contemporaries is that as well as singing pop and 'reconstituted 60s soul' she also sings `da blues'. However, she's no Susan Tedeschi and I find that her take on Blind Willie Johnson's "Nobody's fault but mine" is a bit dull. Similarly, her producer has taken Jim Crawford's "When the rains came" - which Jim recorded with just his guitar and voice - added a full band with Hammond organ, slide guitar and gospel backing singers and turned a masterpiece of understatement into overblown mediocrity. She's not exactly ruined a great song (that would be perfect for a cover by Joe Cocker) but she's missed all the subtleties of the song and its original performance. I also find the modern blues "One cloud" to be pretty average.
I think that when she leaves the blues behind she's a lot better - "Sweet hours" and "Oh my life" both work perfectly as modern pop/soul, as do the gospel-influenced "Almost persuaded" and the reggae version of Dylan's "I shall be released". The real revelation for me was her duet with Duke Special on Willie Nelson's "Angel flying too close to the ground" where her voice is thoughtful and vulnerable, and which for me was one of her best vocal performances.
It's commendable that Beth and her producers have tried to include different types of music into the mix of her debut CD but I feel that for much of the blues-based material her voice can't really carry the songs and their arrangements.
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