Search - Buffy Sainte-Marie :: Buffy - Changing Woman - Sweet America: The Mid-1970s Recordings

Worth The Long Wait: Some of Buffy's Best!

Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 07/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Contrary to what one critic said of SWEET AMERICA, cited in the enclosed booklet, that album is NOT "one of her weakest albums." As a fan who's followed Sainte-Marie's entire career, seen her live three times, and even collected one of her songbooks along with every one of her records, I put SWEET AMERICA way up there with the very best of Buffy's work. For one, it enjoys the distinction of being one of the first pop albums to successfully employ real Native American vocals. Two of the four songs using such chanting as backing vocals, "Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan" and "Star Walker" are easily among Buffy's most moving and effective performances. She would later re-record the latter for her wonderful COINCIDENCE AND LIKELY STORIES CD in 1992, but the version here is arguably better, and "Qu'Appelle Valley" just moves me to tears, beginning with Native American wailing and containing the line, "wrap me in your blanket, dance me around." Goose bumps every time! The rest of SWEET AMERICA features Buffy in a variety of settings, from country-blues to straight ahead rock 'n' roll, and from folk-rock protest songs to children's lullabies. There are a couple of missteps, but they aren't big enough to significantly detract from the overall strength of the record. Buffy's voice never sounded more assured or as beautifully accessible, especially on the sad and lovely "America My Home." This is patriotism in the form of honest observation mixed with wishful thinking, and it could have been written for the today's divided peoples and troubled environment.



Backtracking, the album that starts off this set is BUFFY, of the controversial breast revealing cover shot (no wardrobe malfunction, here; this was quite intentional - yet - tasteful - too bad the compilers of this set weren't bold enough to feature a photo of that cover big enough to really see it well). BUFFY is pretty much a straightforward rock album, and it is infectiously joyous. Yet sprinkled about, like stardust, are a few sparkling, ambient tunes with haunting melodies and mystical lyrics. "(Hong Kong) Star Boy" and "Waves" are really stunning. But the album's centerpiece is "Generation," a powerful protest song in a rock setting that still sounds fresh, and more relevant than ever. It is at once angry and hopeful.



CHANGING WOMAN is the musical soul mate of ILLUMINATIONS, with its predominantly electronic sounds. But whereas ILLUMINATIONS was a daring and groundbreaking achievement, CHANGING WOMAN goes for pure beauty. And it succeeds. Only "Mongrel Pup," with its anticipation of rap music, really rocks, but that does not mean there isn't plenty here to get the blood pumping. CHANGING WOMAN is both spiritually uplifting and sexy, always an interesting combination. Some may find several of these songs a little sticky-sweet, reminiscent, shall we say, of the great Sally Oldfield or perhaps Enya, but I, for one, rank CHANGING WOMAN and SWEET AMERICA in Buffy's top five albums, just below Little Wheel Spin and Spin (No. 1), Illuminations, and Coincidence & Likely Stories, in that order.



A few words about the playing and sound mixing on these three albums: Dr. John, David Briggs, Charlie McCoy, Reggie Young, Dan Fogelberg, Kenny Buttrey and The Memphis Horns, among others, grace BUFFY's energetic mix of sounds. Many of the same musicians also appear on CHANGING WOMAN, minus The Memphis Horns. Larry Carlton plays guitars on SWEET AMERICA, along with several lesser-known but very competent musicians, and that "pow wow chorus," headed by Buffy herself, is just spectacular. The mastering and stereo sound of these two discs are superb, SO: this is a quality product through and through.



Wonderful release, and so worth the long wait! Buffy fans, get it while you can..."

The Fabulous, Wonderful, Exciting Buffy Sainte-Marie !!

Ronald Huttner | 07/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have had these 3 recordings on vinyl for many many years and have always wondered why they were utterly unavailable any more - UNTIL NOW !! I have absolutely everything that Buffy has ever recorded, and have always thrilled to her entire discography. But these 3 recordings are definitely amongst her very best. How anyone could regard them as "weak" is utterly beyond me. They are all wonderful. And all different from each other. It is a crime that it has taken over 30 years for them to come out on CD !!! If you like Buffy at all, buy these immediately. I guarantee that you will love them.



Ron Huttner

Melbourne

Australia"

This is the missing link in Buffy's classic catalogue of son

Mr. K | UK | 06/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Today I thought I would do a search under Buffy to see if anything new had appeared and to my surprise came across this significant CD project!



This 2CD set digitally debuts Buffy's three obscure studio albums that she recorded for ABC Records and MCA Records between 1974 and 1976 (after departing her long-time label Vanguard Records). The songs she recorded for these projects follow in the vain of her lushly orchestrated 1972 album "Moon Shot" with just a little twang of country/soft-rock.



These albums represented a Buffy who finally had reclaimed her creative freedom (after her repressive latter years at Vanguard) and a Buffy who was at her most expressive, emotive in her songwriting, and singing.



This CD release acts as the missing jigsaw piece to Buffy's classic back catalogue of song, which has to date, been well serviced. Over the last 10 years, we have been spoilt with an array of CD re-issues from Vanguard but nothing from this era.



Although I tried on numerous occasions to engineer a CD re-issue I failed to my utter frustration, as I truly adore these albums and felt it a crime that they have long been out-of-print. I am therefore overjoyed that a deal has been done and this release will soon be upon us. How poignant that it is also due out on the same year that Buffy is due for a musical comeback with her new studio album produced by the Chris Birkett (producer of her 1992 "Coincidence & Likely Stories" album).



Highlights to watch out for on this CD set are: "Waves" and "Star Boy" (from "Buffy" [1974]); the original version of "Eagle Man/Changing Woman", "Can't You See The Way I Love You" and the absolutely beautiful "A Man" (from "Changing Woman" [1975]); "Sweet America" and the original version of "Starwalker" (from "Sweet America" [1976]).



PREPARE TO BE TAKEN ON A ROLLERCOASTER JOURNEY THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE AND BRING A FEW TEARS ALONG THE WAY. EXPECT TO BE ENCHANTED AND ENTRANCED BY A BUFFY WHO GIVES HER GREATEST PERFORMANCES OF THE 1970s!!"