Search - Wendy Maharry :: Wendy Maharry

A Brilliant Debut

Mr. D. Fraser | Perth, Perthshire United Kingdom | 06/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A great voice, superb piano technique, unique songwriting ability. Wendy Maharry is my favourite-ever female artist, and this album is the reason why.
Beautifully produced by Dwight Marcus, there is no theme to the album, but a few of the songs seem to have been inspired by a move to California. "California", the stand-out track, has a tone of disillusionment, but is upbeat in tempo, has real verve, and a killer hook. "A Place Like Home", a paean to the desert, is atmospheric, almost mystical rock and roll.
Her songs sometimes have unpredictable and interesting changes in tempo or mood, strange and seductively sinuous melodic lines, and thrilling qualities of unexpectedness. I'm thinking here of songs like "Cool Water Running", "Happy Holidays", "Headless Horseman". Other songs are short, simple, and wistful, such as "Men" or "The List".
There are classical and folk music influences in the arrangements, and some great musicians playing in the backround, especially the sax player. But it's Wendy herself who really impresses. From the quality of her voice and the content of her lyrics, you get the sense of an intelligent, sensitive, and - a rare quality in pop stars - genuinely modest person.
This is a great album."

A GREAT FIRST COLLECTION from WENDY....

J. Bilby | Kingston, New Hampshire United States | 11/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been revisiting my music collection going through my
favorites from different years and this one stands right out
as one of the best underrated debuts of the year(1990) Full of great
songwriting, with so much for the imagination as she is so
creative and her piano playing just blew me away. It matches the
vocal qualities, full of hope but always laced with some saddness,(hushed, breathy, like a whisper in your ear at times) it gives the songs the edge they need. My favorties on
Wendy Maharry are many, it starts of with some gospel touches intro of "All that I've got" into what should have been a big
hit, "California" to the piano wanderings of "The List" to the
eerie violins stylings of "The Headless Horsemen" this collection was a fine debut from a talent thats been compared
to the likes of the great Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and
Tori Amos (every new kid on the block gets compared to somebody unfortunatly) but her talents and energies are boundless andshe went on to make another gem just a couple years later, "Fountain of Youth", worth checking out for your collection as well. ALSO check out her latest "RELEASE", a great
double cd full of live and studio creations just coming out
with 2 added tracks(in Europe). Check out the Ian Anderson contributions for starters!! Great stuff again, miss her
beautiful voice."