Search - Melanie :: Photograph Double Ex

A great 70's album too few people heard

J. Mullarkey | 11/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a thrill it is to find this recording remastered on CD!



Like Mitchell's "Court & Spark" and Baez's "Diamonds & Rust," this recording places a mostly acoustic performer in a lush pop setting. "Photograph" shares many of the same session musicians from those two recordings. The result was, and is, outstanding. "Cyclone" [the opener] is an edgy, adult, Dorthy-Goes-to-Oz outing. From there, the producers allow for a series of pop stylings including Carribean "Secret of Darkness" and jazz "I'm So Blue" (with Art Pepper). There is a thumping version of "(My Baby Wrote Me) The Letter," just for good measure. Disc One of the re-release ends with a live reocrding not on the original release, but fun. I'm not certain there is a need for Disc Two: the cast-offs and alt-takes did nothing for me beyond "Remenber Me Good," which obviously was the last cut from the final release. Melanie was never in a stronger, more confident voice than the late 70's, and this is the best of those recordings. My thanks to "Da Brat" for alerting me to this re-release. I never knew there was a bigger Mealnie fan than me. I hope we meet some day."

Crazy for Photograph

Eric S. Kerry | 01/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"was one of many fans who inundated Rhino and drove Melanie and Peter crazy over this album. I joined the Melanie list and began my tirade and became the most hated member on that list, but I believed in the album so much and wanted to see it re-issued so badly I was willing to take the heat, as were a few other member's on the list. We believed in the album and Melanie enough to forge on and now here it is, don't miss the opportunity as it is released in limited numbers. I think every artist has a defining moment, the consumate work, a work that no matter what cannot be duplicated or be touched by any other, for Melanie it is Photograph.The only other album of its time that I would say runs a close second is 1974's 'Madrugada'. Madrugada was masterfully produced and arranged by her husband and producer Peter Schekeryk with Melanie doing some of the best vocals of her career. The song 'The Actress' from 'Madrugada' is brilliant and reminds me of 'Save Me' from 'Photograph' and would make a beautiful medley. Melanie has gift for taking a lyric and turning it into poetry some of her best lyric's appear on these two albums and I believe they really belong together. Melanie does a brilliant cover of the song

'Wild Horses' by The Rolling Stones on 'Madrugada'that I doubt any vocalist could match in the depth and emotion she gives to the song, not to mention the jaw-dropping vocal which is breath taking, you would have to hear it to believe it. That being said 'Photograph'is exceptional and in my opinion the better of the two only because it does have a timeless quality that is all its own. All things came together to make one incredible album, an album that is now 30 years old, but if it never existed and was released today I don't think anyone would be the wiser, it was like nothing else any artist of the day had done. I believe it was referred to as "experimental" because of the unique quality of the arrangements and vocals. A predecessor to mixing that is standard fare on most albums today, except in those days Melanie was the first to do it. The song's 'Raindance' and 'Cyclone' come to mind right away. The whole album is a testament to Melanie's ablity to tackle any musical genre and do it well. "Im So Blue" which showcases Melanie singing her own beautiful jazz and blues inspired composition to "Groundhog Day" soft and gentle at first explosive in the next. The alternate version of "Groundhog Day" on the second CD with its Native American chants would give Buffy St. Marie a run for her money. The very beautiful "If I Needed You" will make your heart race. She even reaches for the Divine with "Secret Of The Darkness" (I Believe) as good a gospel song as and vocal as any I have heard, will make you get up on your feet and praise the lord. Ultimately though it is Melanie's voice that holds in all together, the most amazing insturment of all on the album capable at this point in career of doing just about anything she asked it to do. I could go on about the excellent vocals, amazing production and lyrics but thats all been said, and not just by her fans. The album was on many top ten critic's list for that year and even bettered the like's of Joni Mitchell. Melanie for all her talent was an is a victim of an image foisted upon her with such a venom by the disgruntled Buddah records label that saw her independence an leave of the label to form her own with Peter called 'Neighborhood Records' as an affront to them. Its seems they believed Melanie owed them and now they would make her pay, and she did dearly. But never the less Melanie remains an immensely talented American original that if given a chance will get under your skin and into your heart and will remain there. Personally I believe that this album is exactly about that image, in the story she is telling with this album. Her story, how she got to where she is and how screwed up the music industry really is, its all about image she is saying, and how wrong everybody got hers. Its ironic that the most personal album, the best album of her career never got heard. Maybe this time it will. For those of you looking for more current material I highly recommend 'Pale By Dimmer Light' Melanie's vocal's are superb and many of the song's like 'The ballad of Crazy love' or 'Extraordinary' reminds one of how gifted a singer/songwriter she is. The only criticism I have of the album is the exclusion of the song 'Prone To Wander' but you can find that on the album 'Crazy Love'.



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