Search - Mary Hopkin :: Earth Song (Mlps)

I CAN'T count the ways I love this one...

David A. Bede | Singapore | 03/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to know where to begin a review of one's all time favorite album. Maybe that's the best way to begin, actually. I probably own around 2,000 albums, featuring most genres and fairly evenly spread from the 1940s to today in terms of when they were recorded. And "Earth Song/Ocean Song" is #1 among them all.



That should tell you something, but maybe not enough to decide on buying it for yourself. So let me tell you a bit more about why I love it so much. First of all, Mary Hopkin had (and no doubt still has) a terrific voice, and she put it to great use here. That sugar-sweet sadness you hear on "Those Were The Days" is more restrained and mature here, with a breathier quality when it suits the song. She also sounds much closer up and never drowned out by the music. And speaking of the music, it's mellow but lush throughout, intense but never too hard. Themes range from breakups to homelessness to plain old self-awareness, but all the songs seem woven together flawlessly into a cycle that somehow makes perfect sense.



The album's centerpieces are its two title songs, written by Liz Thorsen. Maybe they're both about finding inner peace (that's the interpretation I've always stuck with), maybe they're about drug-addiction, or maybe they really are only about climbing a crystal mountain and finding a ride to the end of the ocean. However you choose to hear them, they're both wonderfully evocative and relaxing to hear, and as fresh on the 500th listen as on the first. Other standouts include "Silver Birch and Weeping Willow," about finding comfort in your own company when you can't count on others (or is it really just about watching a sunset? You decide!); "There's Got to Be More," about ending a stagnant relationship; "Streets of London," a not-at-all-preachy look at homelessness; and "Water, Paper and Clay," a classic folk-singalong whose meaning is anyone's guess. That said, there isn't a single wasted note on the album, and you could call them all standouts.



I could go on for pages, but suffice to say: if you like folk music, folk-rock, singer-songwriters, or any genre that sticks to real instruments and meaningful lyrics, you can't miss with this CD. Buy a copy for a friend, too."

Not One Weak Track

William J. Holmes | Warren, Michigan USA | 01/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1973 folk gem deserves to be put on the same pedestal as the greatest albums of the late 60's and early 70's. There is NO filler, and that rarity alone puts it in very select company. Could you name ten albums, even the iconic ones, that you can say that about? There are four that I know of... The Beatles' SGT. PEPPER, Procol Harum's HOME, David Ackles' AMERICAN GOTHIC, and this one. The musicianship is exemplary throughout, and Ms. Hopkin is in in fine form vocally. That it doesn't have a wider audience is a tragedy, but considering what passes as the music industry these days, I guess it's not a complete surprise. But everyone raised on (or ruined by) MTV who wants to broaden their horizons should give this CD a try. I can't guarantee you'll love it...poor taste in music seems to be hard-wired into much of the MTV generation. But you SHOULD love it. I would give this CD ten stars if I could."

Among the best albums I own!

R. Nagle | 06/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This album is a gem and has no weak tracks. The performance is superb. I agree with many of the other reviews but I particularly love Tom Paxton's hauntingly beautiful "How Come the Sun""