Kristy MacColl - What Do Pretty Girls Do (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Get it while you can!

05/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a massive Kirsty fan, I must admit that this is rarely the first of her CDs that I reach for when I need a fix. In a perfect world all her titles, including the magnificent 'best of" compilation "Galore" would not only be in print, but in every music library.Instead, all that is currently available in the U.S. is this collection of "unplugged" versions of some of her songs recorded for the BBC. It is a solid collection, but far from truly representative of her work. While I might not normally give it a full 5 star rating, I add a star to help make up for the lack of availability of more Kirsty music.If enough people buy this, then we will get more Kirsty. BUY IT NOW!"

Some beautiful moments!

jon sieruga | Redlands, CA USA | 10/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kirsty's BBC sessions elicits some gorgeous tunes, like "Still Life", truly one of her all-time best songs that is not on "Galore" or any of the others I've come across. "Let's Have Another Baby" is very upbeat and fun(and Kirsty's impromptu giggle in the middle always makes me smile). "Don't Come The Cowboy" gets a very fresh, very nice reworking here(it's much slower and sadder than the studio version)and Kirsty as always is beguiling on the title track, one of her best songs. I'm one of the guilty people who waited too late to discover Kirsty, but if you're like me you have a lot of catching up to do. Find this one when you can, but perhaps after you're familiar with her studio output. It's delicious frosting!"

"Kirsty Unplugged! (To great effect, too!)"

jon sieruga | 11/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A true find -- I ordered this CD "blind" thinking it was an album of brand-new songs, but was pleasantly surprised that it was a collection of Kirsty's radio sessions, done in a mostly acoustic manner. Billy Bragg's guest appearances are among the highlights on a pair of duets: Bragg's "A New England" and a very sweetly humorous ditty titled "Darling, Let's Have Another Baby." Other standouts include "I Can't Stop Killing You" (who knew it could still be so good minus the wah-wah guitar?), a rollicking "Free World," "Bad" (still chilling even without the knife-sharpening rhythm track), and "My Affair." The production work on Kirsty's records is always rather lush, so it's interesting to hear these songs without the usual sound -- and a pleasure to note how strong they are even in their "naked" state."

Kirsty Live

jon sieruga | 06/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some cool stuff here, including her singing with Billy Bragg. Track down "Galore", her greatest hits album - get this if you can't."

A fine showcase for a great singer and songwriter

Gena Chereck | Nebraska, USA | 10/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though Kirsty MacColl was (and still is) often celebrated by fans and critics for her talents as a record-maker -- especially her instrumental arrangements, sometimes reminiscent of Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound, and her multi-tracked vocal layering techniques modeled on the Beach Boys' signature harmonies -- the late Brit always considered herself as a songwriter first.

Indeed, What Do Pretty Girls Do? -- a collection of 4 complete BBC Radio One sessions recorded between 1989 and 1995 -- is notable for how well Kirsty's compositions hold up with stripped-down, acoustic instrumentation in an intimate setting. The best examples of this are her 1994 performances of the dance-y 1991 single "My Affair," and "Can't Stop Killing You," a track from her 1993 album Titanic Days; even in this bare-bones setting, the latter sounds no less dark thanks to its strong melody and lyrics, and the former retains its groovy Latin feel.

Furthermore, some of these acoustic renditions serve to better highlight MacColl's lyrics: I always knew there was a great, touching song underneath the cluttered (and dated) production of the rocking 1985 single "He's on the Beach," and Kirsty's understated, vulnerable 1995 rendition of it confirms that; she also works similar magic on a countryish 1991 rendition of her jumpy 1981 single "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis." It's worth noting, too, that the 15 performances on this disc place her sweet, husky soprano front and center, in its purest form; while her delivery was often deadpan, her voice was really a finely tuned instrument with which she could express genuine feeling, without any pop-diva over-emoting or showboating.

The mix of tunes is impressive, as well, ranging from some of MacColl's more well-known tunes (including two recordings of her 1984 hit "A New England" -- one a charming duet with the song's composer, Billy Bragg, and the other a melancholy solo performance) to underrated album cuts (such as the jangly "What Do Pretty Girls Do?" from 1989's Kite) and rarities (like the poignant "Don't Run Away From Me Now," a Kite-era b-side). Granted, I would sooner recommend either the 1995 best-of CD Galore or the 2005 3-disc anthology From Croydon To Cuba as an introduction to Kirsty's career, as either set would give the uninitiated a better idea of her range as a songwriter and recording artist; but if you own at least one of her albums or compilations and you're already a fan, I think What Do Pretty Girls Do? would certainly be worth seeking out."

Search - Kristy MacColl :: What Do Pretty Girls Do?

CD Details

Synopsis

Similar CDs

CD Reviews