[.ca] Tongues And Tails

Trite and over-produced:
I really tried to give this CD a chance, but the lyrics make me cringe. The over-the-top production on most of the songs sound ridiculous and highlight the weaknesses is Sophie Hawkins' voice. She sings in a whiny drone, as if she's constipated, and when she attempts to sound hip by adopting southern or urban black expressions, she sounds like a total phony. Many of her songs are unintentionally funny because they're so cliched. Sophie might have a few good songs in her, but they're not here. Her next album, "Tibre" is dull and irritating too. I wonder if she drives her record company crazy with all her constant bitching and poor sales.

One of the most complex and impressive albums of the 90s:
One of the most overlooked musical artists of the 90s in Sophie B. Hawkins. Tongues and Tails is one of the most unusual, original, confusing, complex, and ultimately enjoyable debut albums I have ever heard. The huge splash Hawkins made on the pop charts with the hit Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (one of the most memorable songs of the decade) offered only hints of the murky wonders to be found in the ocean of music and sensuality arising from the soul of this remarkable performer. Some of these songs can be quite eye-opening at first, pulsing with an uncommon type of sensuality which fits Hawkins' self-described omnisexuality. As for the music, it seems almost cosmic in a way, reflecting all manner of sounds and styles from pop to R & B to a touch of folk music bearing a strong Bob Dylan influence, just to name a few. The sound, though, is clearly her own amalgamation of the rhythms of life, and it is important to note that she wrote all of these songs herself. Interspersed throughout most of the songs are sounds of city streets and life going on elsewhere at the edge of hearing. As for the voice, it reminds me a good deal of Stevie Nicks, but Sophie sings with a passion all her own. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover was a huge hit that requires little explanation on my part. California Here I Come is an ode to change and an embrace of the future, culminating most interestingly with a recitation by Sophie of the Lord's Prayer. Mysteries We Understand is a rocking standout track pulsing with a funky beat, creating an energetic release not to be missed. This is followed by a sharp transition to the slow and quiet beginning of Savior Child, but Sophie's energy cannot be contained for very long; the chorus soon comes rushing in, bringing with its catchiness a rich fullness of sound that carries the song to its end. Carry Me is unquestionably the most unusual and thus compelling of the eleven tracks. Sophie begins rather calmly speaking and singing about loving her mother, then suddenly she is making the kinds of passionate sounds that don't seem to belong alongside thoughts of one's mother. The song concludes with a cacophony of organized chaos, marked by the soft insertion of the question "What are you doing?" in the background. These types of things lead some to label a couple of these songs as incestuous, but I believe that Sophie's musings are so cosmic in nature that real-life taboos have no meaning to her besides their usefulness in expanding the consciousness of herself and her listeners. At the mid-point of the album, Sophie acknowledges her connection with Bob Dylan by offering a cover version of I Want You that is completely her own. We Are One Body is an especially noteworthy track, offering thoughts which seem to sum up some of Sophie's personal philosophy: let's fill the whole world with desire, she says, come make love to exclusion. The tracks Live and Let Love and Don't Stop Swaying are natural adjuncts to this communication on her part. Listen is an amazing track; it starts with Sophie speaking very quietly, then suddenly she rises up with a promise to "turn you on," heavy guitar licks fill the air, and the resulting music is a sensuous and quite sexy tour de force. If you only know Sophie B. Hawkins from her one hit single, the music of this album may well surprise if not shock you at first. After a few listens, though, you find yourself drawn into this strange world that Sophie is singing from and about, seeking the type of mind-expanding consciousness Sophie seems capable of offering. The music definitely gets even better over time, as I find myself appreciating and enjoying it more now than I did at the time of its release. There is real mystery, beauty, and unbridled passion in these songs.

One Gem for Mining:
Overproduced and overwrought, Tongues and Tails nonetheless has one certifiable, should-be-in-everyone's-collection gem, a cover of Dylan's I Want You, which in Hawkins' version becomes a bitter, longing, slowed-down torch song. The way she spits out the line "You know I wasn't very cute to him, was I?" is reason enough alone to give her a listen. Three other cuts also succeed -- the infectious Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover, Before I Walk on Fire, and Saviour Child. As for the rest...she often sounds like Enya on steroids to me and the production relies way too much on synthesizers, overmix, and a really annoying tendency to use spoken dialogue. Saviour Child in particular is damaged by this last effect.

Lovely blend of styles:
This 1992 album by Sophie B Hawkins displays a variety of styles, from the pop hit ballad of Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover to the jazzy arrangement of the up-tempo Mysteries We Understand. Innovative percussion is used throughout to add interesting flourishes to the music, plus voice samples that add atmosphere to tracks like Carry Me. She turns Bob Dylan's I Want You into a rather sad but beautiful lament, whilst California Here I Come has a spiritual undertone with parts of the lord's prayer interwoven in the lyrics. Sometimes her music has a certain quirky reminiscent of the work of Mary Margaret O'Hara or Jane Siberry, as in the beautiful song Before I Walk On Fire. We Are One Body has a fascinating rhythm and vocal arrangement with world music influences, whilst Listen starts with moody, evocative sounds and undergoes frequent tempo changes, from fast and rhythmic back to spoken vocals. Not every track is equally engaging, but overall Tongues and Tails is a lovely album that will appeal to fans of the singer/songwriter and innovative pop genres.

A Stunning Debut.:
I've owned this album for MANY years and there are just some songs on it that, despite being over a decade old, are positively stunning. "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" does not truly give one an idea of what this album is about as it spans so many different classifications and finds Sophie taking on many different roles. From the confident, powerful sound she takes on "Damn", there is such a raw vulnerability shown in songs like the fantastic "Before I Walk On Fire". Her take on Bob Dylan's "I Want You", with it's not-ALWAYS-on-tune voice is gorgeous and makes the song into more of a desperate plead than anything else. Sophie's voice has always been compared to Madonna's mid-80s vocal style (think songs like "Holiday"), but the way she uses her voice is much more sophiscated and emotional than Madge's early diva pop. Neither is she always the most accessible listen. Songs like her biggest hits, "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover", "As I Lay Me Down", "Only Love" are pretty straight forward enough, but many of her songs take on multi-dimension hues that defy the rules of radio-ready music. But if you are able to immerse yourself into the character she is portraying, it becomes a rewarding listen that you will come back to for years and years to come. A job well done.

• Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover
• California, Here I Come
• Mysteries We Understand
• Saviour Child
• Carry Me
• I Want You
• Before I Walk on Fire
• We Are One Body
• Listen
• Live and Let Love
• Don't Stop Swaying