Search - Barbara Manning :: Under One Roof: Singles and Oddities

Another great CD from Manning

Steve S. | Chicago, IL United States | 07/12/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of Barbara Manning and the SF Seals for years and have seen her play live on a couple occasions. She's one of those artists who just seems so natural performing on guitar you'd think it was part of her body. This compilation of "singles and oddities" is surprisingly good, since most artists' "b-side" collections tend to be for diehard fans only. I actually prefer this collection to her "In New Zealand" CD, a recent effort. It ranks up there with 1212 and Truth Walks in Sleepy Shadows (my favorites). There's a lot of material on this CD--at 18 tracks it's a generous collection that plays for quite a while. It took me several listens to absorb it, and it really rewards repeat listens. I was surprised to hear her cover of "Hide Your Love Away," one of my favorite Beatles songs, which she completely makes her own. This is really strong indie rock, nice and rough around the edges, performed by a great songwriter who has never become as successful as she deserves. By the way, most of the material is original, but she also does covers of Jackson Browne and Hank Williams. Yet it all blends together in her own inimitable style. Check her out, esp. if you like Pavement/Elliott Smith/Cat Powers, etc."

She Covers Alot of Ground

M Stanton | Toronto, ON, Canada | 04/06/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD because of one song on a mixed tape that I couldn't remember the name of...and it's not on this CD, as it turns out. Oh Well. Good thing this album is so versatile and easy to listen to. My favourite tracks are "Before we go Under" and "I can't watch you drum"...they're definitely the two most rockin' songs. The bass line on track 18 is sweet and comforting, and the vocals on track 7 are very Kristin Hersh-esque. I would recomment this CD to anyone who likes Throwing Muses, Beth Orton, basically girl soloists in general. She also has a few songs that are surprisingly celtic in sound, which is not a bad thing, but takes some getting used to if you're usually an indie-rock listener like myself. All in all it's a worthwhile buy for rounding out your music collection, and it's a good album for rainy summer days or cleaning the house."