Search - Helen Schneider :: Voice & A Piano

HELEN SCHNEIDER: Force of Nature?

RALPH PETERS | CLOVIS, CA USA | 05/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The number of entries in the catalog of albums Helen Schneider has produced borders on the criminal. Though a big star in Germany, and an experienced musical performer here as well, Schneider didn't seem to catch on in the U. S. years ago even though her spectacular cabaret show played repeatedly on Showtime in 1981. That show was enough for me. The ensuing years have been a desperate search to get my hands on anything this musical virtuoso put out. This includes a worn out LP, some old cassettes of her rock excursions with The Kick, the wonderful Kurt Weill album A WALK ON THE WEILL SIDE (since reissued and retitled), the jazz foray RIGHT AS THE RAIN, and now this astonishing (no doubt soon to be out-of-print) CD version of her autobiographical one-woman musicfest.This great CD, with only the superb Bruce W. Coyle accompanying her on piano, is a good sampling of the great woman's range and authority with any genre: from Sondheim's ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and MOVE ON/EVERYBODY SAYS DON'T to Dylan's JUST LIKE A WOMAN to CABARET to wonderful German-language versions of WITH ONE LOOK (from SUNSET BOULEVARD) and DON'T CRY FOR ME, ARGENTINA from EVITA. Schneider's irresistible intimacy with the music carries generously over to us in waves; there are actually rushes of excitement and near ecstasy listening to many of these numbers. Helen Schneider's soaring vibrato and aural dynamics are uniquely hers; in an era of interchangeable songbirds, she has never looked or sounded like anyone else. This vibrant, important, compassionate work will hopefully last us until we are lucky enough to track down subsequent albums. Fans of theatre, cabaret, film, music, or the joy of creative artistry should not miss this very special experience."