Friday at the Circle K - The Nields, Nields, Nerissa
Check It Out - The Nields, Nields, Nerissa
Nebraska - The Nields, Nields, David
Train - The Nields, Nields, David
Jennifer Falling Down - The Nields, Nields, David
Innertube - The Nields, Nields, David
Tomorrowland - The Nields, Nields, Nerissa
Led by sisters Katryna and Nerissa Nields, the Nields have rather unassumingly made some of the more interesting folk-rock of the mid to late '90s. Literate, melodic, and with enough of an edge to keep them from sounding s... more »imply like plugged-in folkies--and for that they can thank Nerissa's husband, guitarist David Nields (yes, he took her name) and loping bass player and producer David Chalfant--this follow-up to 1996's underheard little gem Gotta Get Over Greta features an equally impressive batch of impressionistic story songs. Highlights include the tough-skinned "Snowman" ("If you can't hurt me, no one can"), the swooping-harmonied, wanderlust-ing "Train," and the anthemic "Georgia O" (as in O'Keeffe), wherein the Nields state, "I want a little flower power of my own." Based on the fine, mind-massaging fare found here, one could say they've reached their goal. --Billy Altman« less
Led by sisters Katryna and Nerissa Nields, the Nields have rather unassumingly made some of the more interesting folk-rock of the mid to late '90s. Literate, melodic, and with enough of an edge to keep them from sounding simply like plugged-in folkies--and for that they can thank Nerissa's husband, guitarist David Nields (yes, he took her name) and loping bass player and producer David Chalfant--this follow-up to 1996's underheard little gem Gotta Get Over Greta features an equally impressive batch of impressionistic story songs. Highlights include the tough-skinned "Snowman" ("If you can't hurt me, no one can"), the swooping-harmonied, wanderlust-ing "Train," and the anthemic "Georgia O" (as in O'Keeffe), wherein the Nields state, "I want a little flower power of my own." Based on the fine, mind-massaging fare found here, one could say they've reached their goal. --Billy Altman
"i've never heard a bad nields cd, but this is my favorite. it's just everybody at their best... the sisters, the band... the songwriting...
but none of their cds touches what they do live. if you ever have the opportunity to see the nields, drop everything and go! they have incredible energy and the most dead-on harmony you'll ever hear.
unfortunately, i live in the south but i have actually heard them twice of which i am extremely grateful. if you live in the northeast, you have no excuse. go go go!"
Great Folk Rock, but loses its gusto too early.....
05/14/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hmmm...no one else seems to like the song, "Easy People", so I have to come out and praise it as one of my favorites from this release. Its a bit more similar to stuff from the stunning independently released _Bob On The Ceiling_ CD than the more recent _Greta_. "Nebraska", though a bit cliche for a folk song, has some great singing by Katryna.Anyway, its a great collection of the usual (for them!) eccentric harmonies ( as in "Snowman", "Last Kisses") and some harder hitting material (Georgia O., Art of the Gun, Check it Out). Not to be overlooked, is the excellent lead singing of Nerissa on some tunes (usually K. Nields is lead vocal). Perhaps its only weakness is the straying from the influence of Grace Slick into the influence of Badfinger. I.e., some songs are a just a bit too bubble-gum for me. Id have left off "Friday at the Circle K" and "Tommorrowland"Don't miss them when they come to your area! They are even more amazing in concert."
An amazing cd
amanda123 | Seattle, WA | 12/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love the Nields. This album is more amazing every time you listen to it. My choices for favorite songs have migrated around the album. Easy People is really good, Jennifer falling Down, Stone Man, At the Circle K. The Nields are wonderful! The Ani DiFranco allusion in Georgia O is also really cool. Their new release, If You Lived Here You'd Be Home By Now is also very good."
The best album of 1998
E. B. Glass | Decatur, GA | 06/08/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I adore the Nields, and I believe that Play is one of their strongest albums yet. Each and every song is intensely singable and I can somehow relate to each of the characters. I never thought I'd be the type to go for these kind of harmonies, but Katryna and Nerissa were (literally!) born to sing together. The jaunty rock sound just adds to the intensity. This album is a must-have!"
Shadows on the Moon
Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 10/01/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I found "Play" @ a recent $2 CD sale & added this 10-year-old CD to my collection. Katryna Nields' lovely photograph of a boy at play caught my eye. I'm glad to discover this band and CD. The booklet reads like a play script complete with a scene designer's graphic of the stage design of the band. "Easy People" that opens the CD is a catchy upbeat track. "Georgia O" dedicated to Georgia O'Keefe is a breezy rocker. "In the Hush Before the Heartbreak" is a slow song with Nerissa Nields' voice having a little break in it like we've come to expect from Catie Curtis as on her new CD Sweet Life. "Art of the Gun" is a powerful rocker that speaks to a failure to communicate, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" "Omaha" is a tearjerker ballad about a mother & daughter whose car breaks down in Nebraska. "Train" is another rocker about waiting for the locomotive, "My pale imagination makes me think there'll be one soon; Maybe it's desperation or the shadows on the moon." Other tracks like "Last Kisses" & "Jennifer Falling Down" are also strong. The Nields' unique sisterly harmonies bring to mind the Roches or Kate & McGarrigle. "Play" is a strong set worth discovering. Enjoy!"