Search - Burns Sisters :: Out of the Blue

Burns Sisters deliver Something Real

Jeff Lamicela | De Witt, NY USA | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Their uncanny ability to master many musical styles has been honed to its finest on this album. Annie, Jeannie and Marie tell their stories through folk, country, bluegrass, pop, blues and gospel tunes. Yet their signature three-part harmony and rotating lead vocals keeps them sounding unmistakeably original. The album starts with the tongue-in-cheek pop anthem "God Made Woman". This has been a crowd-pleaser at their concerts for over a year, and it's wonderful to finally have it available on CD. I laughed out loud the first time I heard it, and I bet you'll at least smile. The CD ends with the a capella "Prayer of St. Francis" which gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it.In between, the Sisters deal with the search for meaning ("Something Real"), rising above misfortune ("Bedrock") but most of all, real love: the sweetest love, the wished-for love, the lost love, the forbidden love, the love that might have been, the love that ruins everything, and the "let's get away from the kids and go out dancing love". Every one of these songs touches a place in my heart that still yearns, burns or aches. If there's a roadblock in the way of their success, it could be their versatility. You can't pin them down to a single style or label. I think this has been what's kept their following to a small base of fiercely loyal fans. Too bad. If any band deserves to be famous, it's the Burns Sisters. Yet there's no hint of bitterness here. Perhaps Marie's "Bedrock" best sums up their attitude: "life can be rough, but I can be tough... I keep my eyes on the sunny side". They've kept their energy positive, making beautfiul music since the mid-80's. Out Of The Blue is their most impressive recording yet. If you give it a spin it will live in your CD player for weeks and weeks."

A Bejeweldly Woven Tapestry of Music to Touch the Heart

Susan E. Naiman-Pascar | Lynn,, MA United States | 08/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Out of the Blue" was the FIRST CD of the Burns Sisters I acquired for my music library after seeing them for the first time at the Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. Since then, I have actually worked backwards, with the exception of their recent solo releases, in adding ALL of their CD's to my collection. With them for me, it is musically, a NEVER ENDING STORY.
This continues to be my VERY FAVORITE of their releases, and I think their very best, indeed. This summer is three years since I first saw them at Club Passim, and I'm still as in love with and as in awe of them as performers and as three wonderful ladies as I was that first night.
There's a touch of rock n'roll, a bit of blue grass, gentle love ballads, and a vein of pure folk running through the fabric of these tunes. It is rockin' n' rolicking, tender and sweet, and a most haunting patchwork quilt of music.
"God Made Woman" and "Bedrock" kick some solid and serious folky [tush] out there for digesting, particularly Jeannie Burns' powerful, bluesy and torchy moments, with Marie and Annie providing a back-up that is equally as energetic.
"Longtime", "With I Never Met You," "Something Real" and "Out of the Blue" pull at the heartstrings. These songs tell of the many facets of love, the title song in particular being so beautiful anyone would want to claim it for their very own love song.
My very favorite on the whole CD is "The Prayer of St. Francis", written by none other than Saint Francis of Assissi, the Catholic patron saint of animals and ecology, and was set to music by someone in the mid 16th century A.D. It is powerful, yet gentle, simple yet complex, and is rendered hauntingly and exquisitely by a blend of three of the most beautiful voices on the planet. After I've concluded playing the CD, "Prayer of St. Francis" being the last of twelve songs in the collection, I
play this particular piece of music over and over. It just chills me in the deepest spiritual way and tears well up in my eyes with the need to hear it over and over again.
On a recent trip to the Berkshires of western Massachusetts to see Mikael Barishnikov perform at Jacob's Pillow, my husband and I were strolling about the grounds during intermission. We came upon a large boulder with a brass plaque that read "In Memorium to John Fitzgerald Kennedy", and the words beneath were the "Prayer of St. Francis of Assissi" printed out in its entirity with St. Francis' name at its end. We hugged and cried for joy as we thought of Annie, Jeannie and Marie Burns doing the song in concerts; as the spotlight sets their faces aglow on stage, they seem to look like a choir of three angels.
In conclusion, there isn't enough to be said about these one-of-a-kind, unique and exquisite ladies. Whether singing solo, or the beautiful blend of their trio, they are like the colors of the most beautiful rainbow. Their stage presence is fantastic, and runs from their totally hilarious banter and antics to loving and serious moments when they speak of the world in which we live, or their family, friends and pets. They deserve national attention and adoration for their music, and I hope they break into being nationally recognized for their exquisite talent very soon.
Every Burns Sisters' fan and folkmusic afficionado should own this gem of a CD."

Inspired and pleased

Anna Lashley | Hartford | 08/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just listened to my copy of "Out of the Blue", the new long awaited release from the Burns Sisters. It has been well worth the wait, as it is a beautiful, soulful, down to earth and uplifting...I can't stop listening....Thank you burns Sisters...."