Kirsty MacColl - Kite

Only Kirsty MacColl's second solo album in the tenth year of her career (she took several years off to have children after marrying producer Steve Lillywhite), 1989's Kite is the pinnacle of her achievement. By far her best-sustained work, this lengthy 15-track album features some of the singer/songwriter's best work on both sides of the hyphen. Her always-terrific vocals -- MacColl was quite likely the best female singer of her generation -- are overdubbed several times on most tracks to create thick, lush harmonies, most notably on the gorgeous cover of The Kinks' "Days." Her songwriting is excellent as well, with some of her sharpest and cleverest words and most memorable melodies found here. The piercing "Innocence" and "Free World" are two of MacColl's most combative songs, while "What Do Pretty Girls Do?" and "Fifteen Minutes," for all their tart lines, are MacColl at her most sympathetic. Besides the excellent originals, another pair of terrific covers -- The Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and Kate and Anna McGarrigle's "Complainte pour Ste. Catherine" (given a rather Cuban rearrangement that foreshadows her later experiments in latin music) -- show both MacColl's widely varied influences and her immense interpretive powers. [In 2005 EMI reissued Kite with the bonus tracks "Happy," "Am I Right?," "El Paso," "Le Foret de Mimosas," "Complainte Pour Ste Catherine," as well as alternate mixes of "Freeworld," "Innocence," "No Victims [Guitar Heroes Mix]" and "End of a Perfect Day."] ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Douglas Engineer Andrew McPherson Photography Ben Cruft Violin Chris Dickie Engineer Colin Stuart Guitar (Electric), Mixing, Guitar (Acoustic), Engineer Dave Woodcock Violin David Gilmour Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Engineer David Palmer Percussion, Drums Fiachra Trench String Arrangements, Brass Arrangement Gavyn Wright Violin Guy Baker Trumpet Guy Pratt Bass Heidi Cannovo Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant James Eller Bass Jamie Vocals Jamie Talbot Sax (Tenor) Johnny Marr Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Guitar (Electric) Kirsty MacColl Multi Instruments, Guitar (Steel), Percussion, Guitar (Bass), Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Autoharp, Design, Guitar (Acoustic), Lap Steel Guitar Malcolm Griffiths Trombone Mark Berrow Violin Mark Wallis Mixing Mel Gaynor Drums Noel Harris Engineer, Assistant Engineer Paul Crowder Percussion, Tambourine Pete Glenister Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Philip Todd Clarinet Pino Palladino Bass Robbie McIntosh Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) Roy Gillard Violin Roy Spong Assistant Engineer Stephen Chase Engineer Steve Lillywhite Producer, Bass Steve Turner Guitar (Electric), Effects, Harmonica Stuart Brooks Trumpet Wilfred Gibson Violin Yves N'Djock Guitar (Electric), Vocals