the song of love is a sad song

some things are better late than never. when my producer handed me this cd and asked me if i have listened to it before, i shook my head. the closest i get to rickie lee jones is her chart hit 'chuck e in love' and that was way back in the early 80s.

jones' music style is both idiosyncratic and distinctive. her music can go from free-verse beat poetry, jazz flourishes, torchy balladry to really bohemian stuff. her voice is playful and plaintive, worldly and coquettish, indeed one of a kind. in many songs here, her voice wavers and floats over the lyrics, dreamily, as if she couldn't care less how she sings. which is really really cool for someone who is unfamiliar with her works.

"pop pop" is full of smooth and laid back covers of some jazz standards and oldies, delivered in jones' inimitable style. her delivery is vulnerable or even flirtatious, depending on how you look at it. she caresses each note as if she is teasing with it. she has a way to make the listener weak in his knees. opener "my one and only love" gives me plenty of goose bumps. in somewhat uneven phrasing, jones' voice cracks, fades into a whisper, then comes back up; this is the most free-form of jazz i have ever heard. quite amazing.

but my absolute fave is "hi-lili hi-lo" with the starting verse "a song of love is a sad song, ask me how I know" delivered in possibly the coolest manner by jones. i adore this song so much that i think this album is worth listening just because of this song!

stark, naked and emotive, that's how i would describe this album if i were to describe it in three words. overall, the arrangement is sparse and the musicians are top-notch. recording too is superb, very analogue and "thick-sounding".

i believe this album is out of print since it was released in 1991. but i am going to get this regardless. delicious stuff.

music: 5 out of 5
sonics: 4 out of 5

[trial listening]