Search - Michelle Shocked :: Threesome (Dig)

Threesome (Dig)
Michelle Shocked
Threesome (Dig)
Genres: Country, Alternative Rock, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #2
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #3

Michelle Shocked released three albums simultaneously on June 21, 2005: Mexican Standoff, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and Got No Strings. They were collected together in this three-CD set, appropriately titled Threesome. Mexica...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Michelle Shocked
Title: Threesome (Dig)
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Mighty Sound
Release Date: 6/21/2005
Album Type: Limited Edition
Genres: Country, Alternative Rock, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Bluegrass, Western Swing, New Wave & Post-Punk, Electric Blues, Modern Blues, Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriters, Folk Rock
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaCD Credits: 3
UPC: 820692101027

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Michelle Shocked released three albums simultaneously on June 21, 2005: Mexican Standoff, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and Got No Strings. They were collected together in this three-CD set, appropriately titled Threesome. Mexican Standoff Shocked sounds particularly playful while playing things loose on the most roots-oriented of these three albums. Stylistically, Mexican Standoff divides itself down the middle, with the first half exploring Mexican border music and the second half devoted to Texas-style blues. The Mexican music ranges from the mariachi brass of "Lonely Planet" to the conjunto accordion of "La Cantina el Gato Negro" to the torchy "Match Burns Twice." On "Wanted Man," Shocked moves into the sort of narrative territory frequented by the likes of Joe Ely and Tom Russell, while "Picoesque" matches gospel piano with vocal dramatics so over the top they amount to caricature. While the first half of the album is all over the musical map, the bluesy half is more of a piece, with stinging guitar and bedrock organ suggesting that Shocked has channeled the swaggering spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Don't Ask Don't Tell Don't Ask Don't Tell is the most seriously ambitious and eclectic of the three, so much so that Shocked might have considered combining the strongest tracks from its companions with the best here to make a single powerhouse release. It's also the least conceptually focused, though the centerpiece of a kiss-off song, "Hardly Gonna Miss Him," suggests a theme of love gone bad, reinforced by titles such as "Elaborate Sabotage," "Fools Like Us," "Evacuation Route" and "Goodbye." Whatever Shocked has lost with the end of a relationship, the song cycle benefits from a creative emancipation. Like a musical chameleon as she adopts various vocal styles, she sounds willing to try anything--from the jazzy sophistication of "Early Morning Saturday" to the hipster spoken-word wisdom of "How You Play the Game" to the rollicking New Orleans spirit of "Don't Tell." Most atmospherically audacious is "Don't Ask," which sounds like a cross between Dr. John in his Night Tripper days and Uncle Remus. Don't miss the unlisted bonus track, which ends Shocked's most diverse collection to date in an explosion of punk-rock fury. Got No Strings The most kid-friendly of the three, Got No Strings brings the spirit of swing--from western to supper-club--to a collection of Disney soundtrack tunes. The steel guitar of Greg Leisz helps transform the familiar "A Dream Is a Wish" into a honky-tonk waltz, until the sprightly fiddle of Gabe Witcher takes a break that recalls the 1930s' Hot Club of France. Shocked imbues "When You Wish upon a Star" with a breathy sophistication, gives "A Spoonful of Sugar" a bluesy tinge, and has never sounded more tender than she does on the lullaby "Baby Mine." Producer/guitarist Nick Forster of Hot Rize and band provide sprightly support throughout. From the hipster scat of "To Be a Cat" to the concluding yodel of "A Spoonful of Sugar," Shocked and her musicians sound like they're having fun. --Don McLeese Recommended Michelle Shocked Discography
Texas Campfire Tapes
Short Sharp Shocked
Captain Swing
Arkansas Traveler
Kind Hearted Woman
Deep Natural

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CD Reviews

Who but Michelle could pull this off?
Rodney Blackwell | Rainsville, AL USA | 06/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was so hungry for new Shocked material that I preordered the three cd set. NOTHING on here disappoints. I won't go into the

details about each cd, but all three are great. You got Disney songs ( done Michelle's way ), rock, and tex-mex flavor. The sound quality on all three cds is great. Michelle Shocked's voice actually seems to be better than ever now. On a few of the songs she sounds so sexy that you just go " mmmm" and on others she really rocks. I really like the "hidden" track on one of the cds...punk done Michelle's way! FIVE STARS!!!!!!!!!!"
Be Shocked
Parzival | Marin | 07/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Michelle Shocked is endlessly creative, moving effortlessly between genres and styles of music, from pop to Tex-Mex Rhumba beats to sweet Disney songs done to swing. Her voice is always great, her amusement at the wonders and horrors of this little planet always shines between the lyrics and the musical lines. Have fun. Be shocked. Be surprised. Your ears will be happy."
Not what I had in mind.
Mr. Steven R. Van Proeyen | Fraser, MI USA | 07/18/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"OK, first off, to the previous reviewer, a 1 out of 5 because of the packaging is a little harsh isn't it? LOL, just kidding. Well, I gave this a 4, based mostly on the fact that it's a worthy effort, and that Michelle Shocked is one of the best artists I know of. She is right there in the upper eschelon. Having said that, I really did not enjoy this collection very much. Not that it was terrible music, just that it wasn't my cup of tea. I guess this is no shock, because this has happened before with me. I was blown away by Short Sharp Shocked and Arkansas Traveler, but wasn't crazy about Kind Hearted Woman or Captain Swing. I was then blown away again by Deep Natural, but this latest set just doesn't hit the mark with me. My sugestion is that, seeing that it's right here at your fingertips, I would give the sample cuts from Amazon a listen before investing the $25 or $30. If given the option, I think I would have given this more like a 3.5 out of 5, but a 3 is too harsh."