SandraFrazier.com - Music Reviews

MUSIC REVIEWS

Sandy Frazier's CD Resurrection

(adam.tarrance@yahoo.com) - 9/26/00

In the spirit of Dido, fellow newcomer Sandy Frazier's Resurrection provides a wonderful blend of hypnotic beats and lyrics that may make your soul quiver just a bit. Well worth buying and leaving in the player for a couple weeks.

(flavio@interstor.com) New York, NY - 9/26/00

The more I listen to this CD the more I love it. Every song is catchy. There is something here for everyone. I especially like the melodic fretless bass on the song Gauguin. That bass player is great. I highly recommend this CD.

Jon Storm (jon@jonstorm.com) London, England - 9/28/00

Had a hard day? Relax into Sandy Frazier’s magnificent Resurrection and let her mellow you out. From the first few moments deep layers of melody and meaning intertwine and flow through this wonderful album, gently insistent, drawing you in and massaging the kinks out of your soul. Subtle yet complex rock beats combine with guitars, keyboards and a few more exotic sounds to create a powerful new age/rock masterpiece. Before you know it you will have forgotten whatever was bugging you and find yourself wandering around happily singing Confession or Water wash over me. A triumph!

Gretchen (gretchen@mystic-nurse.net) The dark side of the moon... or is it Mars...Actually, Charleston, SC - 10/27/00

Sandy's new CD is a synchronized blend of the most modern sounds in music, primal emotion and classical artistic demure. Her music is truly moving... this CD has an unusual blend of energy and freshness... I find it truly mood producing...and her sound encourage deep soulfulness... searching...

Dear Sandy, I am the author of a book called Music Inspired by Art: A Guide to Recordings (Scarecrow Press). I am preparing the 2nd edition now, which will include your album "Resurrection." I was fascinated to read about your song "(Gauguin) Wrestling with the Angel." The lyrics are wonderful, especially the way you incorporate the various painting titles. Could you possibly spare a promotional copy of the CD? It would help me document the recording and write a thorough description of the music. Your song will be an excellent addition to my book. Thanks very much,

--Gary Evans, Ferrum, Virginia

I listened to most of your CD last night...it was great. It's different...I have no idea what kind of response it will get in the mass marketing world...but I found it extremely relaxing, soothing and thought provoking. The mix was perfect... your voice seemed to take on the qualities of an added instrument. The message was in the mood. Great job!

--Dave Barker, Emmy Award-Winning Investigative Reporter, Anchor and Author

UPN 9 I Team, WWOR-TV, Secaucus, NJ

[See Dave's book, "Magic Mesa"]

NOTE: Dave came out to film Sandy singing for a segment on the news in New York on WWOR-TV

Dear Sandy, I had a chance to sample your wares... you are a surprisingly sophisticated and truly original intellect... artist, singer, writer...creator. And the face... the timeless, slightly down-turned, fetching mouth...ever so sensual and promising... floats languidly beneath stunning and beautiful features, suggestive of an extraordinary, sublime and furtively creative mind/spirit. The book delivers equally as the CD. Synthesizing philosophy and reality on a gilded bed of musical history, heritage, and insight. Good luck with your second... "Painting Music" (smile) for a moment.

--Jeff Rense, National Radio Host - "Sightings," Ashland, OR

I got up early this morning and listened to your CD. The more I listen to it the more I like it. Believe me I'm not just saying this. It is as good an album as I have ever heard. Every song is great. Beatles-esque. I think Gary did a great job and when you do your next one you should go to him. It is obvious he worked hard on this. I think he is very talented. There is no reason your CD shouldn't sell a million copies. It is so much better then anything out right now it's ridiculous. Every song has a hook. It will appeal to people of all ages.

--Flavio Delsignore (bassist), New York, NY

Sandy, I just listened to your whole album and I am shocked! I have always been your greatest admirer of your music; but this album is a dream come true! That is the most beautiful music I have ever heard. I was so touched by the words, knowing all that you have given and all that you have gone through in your life as I lived it too, minute-by-minute, year-by-year. You should be so very proud of yourself for doing it up so right (professional but with such warmth, truth and love in every word). The musicians and the producer did such a wonderful job also. I have always loved your music and play it at least two or three times a week. I am so fortunate to have some of your very best [early] music. But I promise you that I am so proud to show and tell this album to my friends and others who are searching and finding themselves. The whole world should have a copy. I can't decide which song I like the best. They are all so meaningful but I was so touched by On a Journey to the End. I'm sure your father is up in heaven listening and boasting that this song was written about "him." This is the kind of music I like to put on when I come home from a trying day at the office and just keep it on all evening. It's great music to sew by, to paint by, to watch TV by, to work on the computer by. I shall purchase three copies - one for my office, one for my car and one for my home. I Love You and Congratulations!

--Elizabeth Baron, Charleston, SC

Sandy shares herself and her soul in this beautiful CD about her journey and lessons thru life.

--Barre Greene, Elgin, Illinois

Hi Sandy. Just got the CD and listened to it for the first time, and it's great! Really mellow and relaxing. Love the arrangements. And it looks good too. Had a hard day? Relax into Sandy Frazier’s magnificent Resurrection and let her mellow you out. From the first few moments deep layers of melody and meaning intertwine and flow through this wonderful album, gently insistent, drawing you in and massaging the kinks out of your soul. Subtle yet complex rock beats combine with guitars, keyboards and a few more exotic sounds to create a powerful pop/rock masterpiece. Before you know it you will have forgotten whatever was bugging you and find yourself wandering around happily singing Confession or Water Wash Over Me. A triumph!

--Jon Storm 'zine, London, www.jonstorm.com

I wanted to compliment you on your CD. I listened to the audio clips on your page a few weeks ago. But I was blown away by the talent, emotions, musicians and poetry, after listening to the actual CD. I will play it in the office when we have clients here. I know that it will sell itself.

--Thereasa Overstolz, Charleston, SC

Your CD is fabulous! I'm listening to it right now. I'm sure that one day you will be very famous!

--Ingrid "Little Wing" Stacey, Charleston, SC

The Following is a Lengthy Review of the CD with commentary on each individual song:

Like Kate Bush, Sandy is a multimedia artist. Whereas Kate is a dancer, actress and singer/songwriter, Sandy is a painter, writer and singer/songwriter. Sandy uses a lot of tremolo in her voice, a bit like Melora Creager of Rasputina, but less "affected," if you know what I mean. She's got a good voice, sometimes a little weak at its highs and lows, but overall pretty professional sounding. Her enunciation and phrasing need a little work--there are many points at which it seems to me that the lyrics are being forced into their melodies and into the rhythms of the music--not quite as organic and free as I like them, but still quite good. Overall, the lyrics are kind of new-agey with a bit of Goth thrown in for good measure. Fans of Rush and Yes might see some similarities.

The songs on this CD all seem to have a small, tenuous common thread woven through them in the element of water, which makes it pretty interesting and ambitious as a concept-album. Production-wise, there are a number of effects used on her voice and vocal layerings on the songs, creating some atmospheric qualities. The music on her CD is quite electronica-influenced (incorporating guitar textures as well) so I can see where a "Ray of Light" [by Madonna] analogy would make some sense. The production is quite professional, as it was recorded and mixed in a studio; a number of musicians play on the CD, so there's a pretty full sound to it.

The title song, Resurrection, is one of the more catchy ones on the CD. The vocals are a little jazzy in their progressions, though not really in their feel. The backing vocals in this song (Lisa Margaroli) remind me a
little of Annie Lennox, especially toward the end of the song. The song seems to be--gosh!--a bit like what I was just talking about above, failing and brushing yourself off and trying again: "Don't give 'em your blood / and
never give them the power over your emotions. / Never compromise your self-respect. / Never let them walk on your pride." A little too self-affirmational in some spots (see above), but overall, very accessible and radio-friendly. The song is reprised in a remix at the end of the CD.

Song number 2 is called Ecstasy and has a nice orchestral intro leading into a dance-oriented rhythm. Again, quite catchy, even more so than Resurrection. The song has a sort of Flock of Seagulls / Dot Allison feel to it. It sounds like it's about an out-of-body experience--or sleep paralysis: "Like a divine seizure, in its intoxication,
/ I ate the god; I drank it in, broke from the prison-house of sin. / Soaring well above a timeless, blue abyss... / in speechless communion, I spoke in tongues." One of my favorites on the CD.

The third song is called The Haunting and starts off with a spoken intro amid a wash of dark keyboards, running water and playground voices. There's a lot of creepiness creeping in here and there. It has no chorus, a structure that's hard to succeed at; despite the fact that each "verse" had a distinct musical part, this made the song a little unmemorable and uneven to me. Some of her delivery in this song reminds me of Courtney Love, oddly enough. It seems to be about an incubus of sorts: "Kiss without kissing, touch without touching, / drawing me into his fold. . . And the ghosts around us swirled about the fire. / The voices from the hollow heightened our desire."

Heaven's Flames -- This is not one of my favorites, despite a whole barrage of good qualities including its catchiness and the Arabic textures. It's hard to get past the derivative nature of the song, quite honestly. Also, the lyrics on this are less focused than in other songs on the CD; it's hard to get a grip on exactly where Sandy's trying to go with the song and what it's all about. The lyrics get too abstract and pedantic for my tastes, though they are also right in line with Sandy's writing style.

Confession is the next song on the CD. This one has more of a minimalist feel to it. The way Sandy almost spine-tinglingly handles the emotional content of the lyrics makes up for any heavy-handedness I detected when I was just reading them sans music. The song takes the narrator roundly from confession to despair to redemption and sadness: "I sat by the silent lake where sudden shifting winds raced through my hair / And purged the unseen, drenching, gut-wrenching blackness / torn from earth and air." One of my favorites, in fact.

Next up is Water Wash Over Me. This song features some nice orchestral arrangements and a rapped verse. It's a little too Christian-rock oriented for me (my apologies to those of you whom this statement is inevitably going to offend). It seems to be about how life is like a sea we keep on swimming through, or something to that effect. There are glimpses of Rush-ness ("Traveling through life's streams, I'm moving ever close to me. / The journey's log I'll keep.") and "Morning Fog"-ishness [from Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love"] ("I can see the light at the end. I can hear the voice of a friend. / I can heal. I can see.")

Scent of Things to Come is number 7. This was one of my very favorites. It features dark aquatic keyboards and a sort of Depeche Mode chorus. There's even crunchy electric guitar solos. There's also a few more Lovesque vocal stylings. The lyrics are sharply focused and poetic. It's all about songwriting and creativity: "We have the power to hear / things not present to the ear / not wholly real, but ever near." Great stuff.

The CD continues on a roll with (Gauguin) Wrestling With the Angel. This song features that fretless bass I mentioned earlier. The lyrics are great--very rich in images--and the singing is quite good. It's all about an
artist and his art and starts out with the gripping lines: "Wrestling with the Angel in a crimson field / Jacob's in a stranglehold; his heart was never healed. / And the spirit of the dead keeps watch." The ending of this song takes an interesting turn musically.

The last song (or what I think should have remained the last song) on the CD is On a Journey to the End, a highly personal song about the death of a father. So personal, in fact, that it comes as a sort of shock, grounding the abstraction of the rest of the CD. This is the one song on the CD I think showed more promise than it fulfilled. It's so close to being "just right," but there's a little sloppiness in the piano-playing and off-key, out-of-range vocals toward the end. It could bear another round of studio time. I also don't like the heavy-handed line, "past the horrors and through the fray," in the chorus. Otherwise, it's a very delicate, pretty and moving song: "Now I know Daddy's not coming home, / so I can get on with my life. / His ghost, I know, will show me the way."

If I were going to extract any songs from this CD to put on an EP, these are the ones I would choose:
1. Scent of Things to Come; 2. Confession; 3. Ecstasy; 4. (Gauguin) Wrestling with the Angel.

--Cynthia Conrad, New Haven, CT

(Media Coordinator for business author Bruce Tulgan)

I listened to the CD 3 times and for me the song that absolutely was my head and shoulders favorite above the others was Scent of Things to Come.

I would say that the CD is really starting to grow on me. The first listen, I felt like the songs were too piecemeal to me. For example, on The Haunting where the spoken part sort of ends abruptly and the vocals started abruptly... I imagined more of a smooth transition. I wanted more textures and richness, perhaps. Before I listened to The Haunting, I imagined the Kate Bush songs The Dreaming or Get out of My House. But, it was wrong to go in with a preconceived notion. Indeed, I remember that when I've heard most of Kate's albums, it took at least 10 listens before I loved them. That perhaps, is the genius of the music.

For me, the whole album has a Loreena McKennitt -like feel... particularly her latest work like The Book of Secrets (in fact, many of the songs on first listen reminded me of the Mummer's Dance). Lyrically, I liked Wrestling With the Angel the best. I think the song that I really didn't get into was Resurrection. I am going to listen to it some more, but for some reason I keep waiting for more musically in the song... and perhaps because as Cynthia says (above), it is radio-accessible, I had an aversion. I tend to really like the deep and different sounds and images.

I really think it is quite a fine CD, and I will continue to listen more to it.

--Craig Eister, Georgia

Cynthia Conrad responding to Craig Eister's review:

The first listen, I felt like the songs were too piecemeal to me.

I know what you mean. Many of them have a stop between the different parts of the same song, (and one even has a stop in the middle of the chorus!). In some cases, that was a little awkward. Some songs sounded as if they could have used a fill or turnaround to get from part to part instead of abrupt changes. Ecstasy is one of those. A remix would do nicely to smooth over the sharp edges, with more bass (especially in the drums). Once I had heard the songs a couple of times, though, I felt the breaks were not as noticeable (of course, by then, I had gotten used to it ).

Lyrically, I liked Wrestling With the Angel the best.

I'll say it again: there's great writing in this song.

I think the song that I really didn't get into was Resurrection. I am going to listen to it some more, but for some reason I keep waiting for more musically in the song... and perhaps because as Cynthia says, it is radio-accessible, I had an aversion.

Yes, and that's why I didn't include it on my short list. It's the typical lead single for an unknown artist; something that doesn't take much risk musically, has a good hook and will appeal to the most number of people (in a sort of cross-genre way, in this case: electronica mixed in with Top 40 R&B stylings). Scent of Things to Come is much much cooler. It would need a kick-ass remix that lopped off the first 35 seconds and seriously abbreviated everything else up until 1:20 in order to make it a good single. That's the song, had I heard it on the radio, would have left me waiting to hear the set list at the break, or calling the station to find out.

Resurrection is my favourite - sounds a little like k.d. lang when Sandy sings the "I" part; Heaven's Flames - nice too [sounds very Madonna-ish like her recent Ashtangi song] - also very nice keyboards. In the end, this one might end up my favourite! (Gauguin): Flavio's bass playing - fretless, cool! ;) Other influences I hear: Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush... Anyway - sounds great! Your mother must be so proud.

--Warren Stolow, Canada

I did check out your Web site and it is totally amazing!! I really liked it and even checked out your art gallery. I am not one to look at art but I did find your work very appealing. Good luck in the future and I did listen to your other songs and you have a truly gifted voice.

--iceman498 (review from www.garageband.com)

Hey there, girl! I think you have one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard! You sing like an angel! I know you will be successful with the CD. It is a wonderful change from the mainstream same ol' same ol'.

--RaeAnne Odoms, Weiser, ID

I'm overwhelmed with awe and personally touched by your mysterial blessedness and beatitude. Your dexterous inner communication is a matchless design! Your montage of art, music and the written word span far beyond the usual viaducts. As the reverie of Resurrection plays and reconnects me to my Source, I recall the word history of 'water,' which is wed... I think of the wedding of your expressions, which is, like water, the first of things and the noblest of the elements.
     As in your original art, even your song titles are poetic. The CD is chromatic sound for body, mind and spirit. I admire brave souls, like you, who ran away to wrestle with the Larger Questions, only to return resolved, yet forever searching. That's why you get it, Sandy. I'm having framed your Victims of the Taliban, whose voice whispers a foreboding angst, yet her seductive allure and mystical grace prevail over the depravity.
      I'm rockin' to (Gauguin) Wrestling With the Angel!!! It is candy to the ear and to one's spirit! Speaking of Paul Gauguin, your brilliantly hued and polychromatic original expressions are imaginative, embryonic and envisioning! Congratulations for your earning accolades from NY Arts Magazine and the others!
      I love your prismatic Third Eye, Irises, Egypt Over Arles, and Eye On The Future!! Characterful... kaleidoscopic...modernfully jazzy, yet richly ancient!! And Laura is forever imprinted... By the way, the interposed figure in the background of your My Past Life is apocryphal. Well done!
      I want to embrace your wonderful Mother, who brought you into this world and helped nurture your radiant glow that has added shine and daybreak over the ill-lighted.

--Phil Paleologos, nationally syndicated radio talk show host - "American Breakfast," Mass.

E-MAIL US YOUR OPINIONS AND COMMENTS AND WE'LL POST HERE WITH A LINK TO YOUR SITE

All music/lyrics written by Sandra Frazier send e-mail to: sandy@mystic-art.com

HOME