Nanci Griffith [Flyer] This is my first reference to Nanci Griffith in my Blog, she used to be a fairly major influence in my music of the past, but over the years i've reassessed her, and some of the albums which i used to own, i have now sold, this is actually the very last disc i own of hers, and i feel it's her best, well how do you define the genre of music that Nanci Griffith sings?, i suppose i would have to plump for Country, but she certainly leans more toward contemporary American Folk, and a great Singer Songwriter, she has a number of greatest hits packages, but they're all filled with lots of her least inventive music, if only i could pick a greatest hits package for her, it would be a fantastic album.
Nanci Griffith is American, now 58 years old, she has recorded 19 studio albums, and this roughly sits in the middle, she recorded this in 1994, when she was for me at her peak, and the booklet front cover is an endearing shot of Nanci [by Rocky Schenck], showing her coy smile, nice sepia toned soft pic, i really like it a lot, the album title 'Flyer' refers to Nanci's penchant for travelling the world as a live singer, living out of airports, and the people she meets between flights, a great concept idea.
Well on this listen it was track 1, 7 & 15 that i liked best, and i would like to give my thoughts on each of these three tracks,
1 The Flyer - the opening and title track, appropriately stuck as the leading song, it introduces the theme of the album, in a sense it's a sad song of lost / possible love, it was inspired by a real life situation from Nanci, stuck in a snowstorm at an airport, she passed the time by befriending another passenger on a different flight, i like the way the second verse starts with an extra kick [0:50+], and what sounds like a digeridoo, lovely effect, the third verse quietens down somewhat for a more acoustic effect [2:35], a nice moment.
7 Don't Forget About Me - blessed with tremendously fantastic background percussion [by Larry Mullen Jr, yes him of U2 fame!], very inventive and varied, creating a superb drum and mandolin intro [0:00-0:08], and as the chorus kicks in, so does Larry Mullen Jr [0:39+], one inspired drummer can turn a song of silver into a song of gold, and it's good to hear him repeat the trick at the start of the second chorus too [1:41+], and yes it's Mark Knopfler [him of Dire Straits fame!] with his atmospheric twangy guitar at the start of the second verse! [1:12+], the mandolin [played by David Mansfield] opening comes back in power [2:44-2:57], and it's this that finishes the song in a satisfying ending.
15 This Heart - this is the song i liked the very best, and a very appropriate closer, with again Larry Mullen Jr playing the cowbells at the start [0:01-0:09], a nice intro, and with powerful strumming guitars, it creates a real danceability to it, Mullen comes back with his cowbells [1:58-2:14], Nanci Griffith sings the last verse with an extra ounce of verve [2:30-2:42], and right at the very very end, yes it's Larry 'lastword' Mullen Jr that has a final drumstick toss to end the whole album on a superb piece of genius! [3:23].
1 The Flyer - the opening and title track, appropriately stuck as the leading song, it introduces the theme of the album, in a sense it's a sad song of lost / possible love, it was inspired by a real life situation from Nanci, stuck in a snowstorm at an airport, she passed the time by befriending another passenger on a different flight, i like the way the second verse starts with an extra kick [0:50+], and what sounds like a digeridoo, lovely effect, the third verse quietens down somewhat for a more acoustic effect [2:35], a nice moment.
7 Don't Forget About Me - blessed with tremendously fantastic background percussion [by Larry Mullen Jr, yes him of U2 fame!], very inventive and varied, creating a superb drum and mandolin intro [0:00-0:08], and as the chorus kicks in, so does Larry Mullen Jr [0:39+], one inspired drummer can turn a song of silver into a song of gold, and it's good to hear him repeat the trick at the start of the second chorus too [1:41+], and yes it's Mark Knopfler [him of Dire Straits fame!] with his atmospheric twangy guitar at the start of the second verse! [1:12+], the mandolin [played by David Mansfield] opening comes back in power [2:44-2:57], and it's this that finishes the song in a satisfying ending.
15 This Heart - this is the song i liked the very best, and a very appropriate closer, with again Larry Mullen Jr playing the cowbells at the start [0:01-0:09], a nice intro, and with powerful strumming guitars, it creates a real danceability to it, Mullen comes back with his cowbells [1:58-2:14], Nanci Griffith sings the last verse with an extra ounce of verve [2:30-2:42], and right at the very very end, yes it's Larry 'lastword' Mullen Jr that has a final drumstick toss to end the whole album on a superb piece of genius! [3:23].
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