Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Patty Griffin's major-label debut was actually recorded as a demo cassette. A&M executives were so impressed with this raw display of talent that they snatched up the tape and threw it, unaltered, into the marketplace. Griffin recorded her songs exactly as she performed them live, armed with only her acoustic guitar and a voice that can rattle fences. While dozens of folk artists have attempted to bend the ear of the major labels by coating their acoustics with radio-friendly keyboards and drums, Griffin took the gutsy "band? I don't need no stinking band" approach. It's primarily a testament to her voice that A&M was so taken with her minimalism; as a guitarist, Griffin isn't much more than an energetic strummer. Her songwriting is only occasionally exceptional -- her word choices are as minimal as her arrangements, and her melodies are engaging but conventional. But she is nonetheless a striking and intriguing storyteller, because her tales of chronically lonely people are told with such passion. Griffin's Nashville-tinged warble has tremendous emotional range, one minute cracking with brittle vulnerability, the next minute blasting with passionate intensity. Occasionally it seems Griffin's demo engineers were unequipped to handle her vibrant transitions, setting the microphone level for a whisper then cringing as the speakers bristle and the needles slam into the red. But this subtle idiosyncrasy only adds to the charm of the album, lending to the impression that no stereo is big enough to contain this voice.
© Darryl Cater /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $16.65/month
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Patty Griffin, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Steve Barry, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Patty Griffin's major-label debut was actually recorded as a demo cassette. A&M executives were so impressed with this raw display of talent that they snatched up the tape and threw it, unaltered, into the marketplace. Griffin recorded her songs exactly as she performed them live, armed with only her acoustic guitar and a voice that can rattle fences. While dozens of folk artists have attempted to bend the ear of the major labels by coating their acoustics with radio-friendly keyboards and drums, Griffin took the gutsy "band? I don't need no stinking band" approach. It's primarily a testament to her voice that A&M was so taken with her minimalism; as a guitarist, Griffin isn't much more than an energetic strummer. Her songwriting is only occasionally exceptional -- her word choices are as minimal as her arrangements, and her melodies are engaging but conventional. But she is nonetheless a striking and intriguing storyteller, because her tales of chronically lonely people are told with such passion. Griffin's Nashville-tinged warble has tremendous emotional range, one minute cracking with brittle vulnerability, the next minute blasting with passionate intensity. Occasionally it seems Griffin's demo engineers were unequipped to handle her vibrant transitions, setting the microphone level for a whisper then cringing as the speakers bristle and the needles slam into the red. But this subtle idiosyncrasy only adds to the charm of the album, lending to the impression that no stereo is big enough to contain this voice.
© Darryl Cater /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:47
- Main artists: Patty Griffin
- Composer: Patty Griffin
- Label: A&M
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1996 Dreamworks LLC ℗ 1996 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.