[.ca] Time ;Sex; Love

From Amazon.com:
On albums like State of the Heart, Shooting Straight in the Dark, and Come on Come On, Mary Chapin Carpenter melded folkie singer-songwriter concerns with melodies and hooks that country (and, occasionally, adult-pop) radio programmers could get behind foursquare. Since those late-'80s/early-'90s high points, the Brown University graduate has often pushed niceties such as catchiness to the artistic back burner. Despite some too-languid stretches, Time* Sex* Love*, her first studio disc since 1996, finds Carpenter recapturing some of the balance that marked the best of those earlier records. "In the Name of Love" lifts off with a trademark midtempo groove and a complex lyric about attraction and independence. Other tracks subtly spice Carpenter's formula with lovely, sighing vocal harmonies and fleeting evocations of Beatles-era AM radio. Her need to attempt major statements about the sad realities of grownup life may ultimately be Time's biggest flaw; where's Carpenter hiding her gifts for limning small moments (State's "This Shirt") or events that few other songwriters would think to commit to tape (Shooting's comet-appearance commemoration "Halley Came to Jackson")? There's reality, and there's reality. --Rickey Wright

Underappreciated Music:
I think Robert Plant had things summed up pretty well when he was commenting about Led Zeppelin's third album. He noted that many fans had responded by asking (paraphrasing), "But where is our "Whole Lotta Love Parts II, III and IV?" Time*Sex*Love* is not "Stones in the Road". Neither is it "Come On" nor is it "Shooting Straight in the Dark". It is also not any of the other fine works from this artist. It offers something different than what preceded it, although one can clearly hear some similarities to earlier material. (So for the folks who might be afraid that MCC's angelic voice may not even be recognizable, relax.) Music evolves...artists change too. If that weren't the case, then pretty soon everything would begin to sound exactly the same and where's the fun in that? Mary Chapin Carpenter is an excellent songwriter. She took some different approaches on this album (yes...they are still albums). Some people (at least one of whom thought it was time to respond to the "critics") think it's great when an artist tries new ideas. Others seem to think that an artist somehow "owes" it to the fans to simply repeat or reorganize the songs that have made the artist popular. Time*Sex*Love* is very good music. It's enough that an artist of Mary Chapin Carpenter's skill and performing talent composes lyrics and music and then gets into a studio with other talented folks who can expand the basic idea into a work of art. Thanks to MCC for having courage to try new ideas and making them work. I was really happy to find that the album (I cheated and used a CD) was not musically identical to any of the other MCC albums I own. Where do I sign up to purchase more underappreciated music?

She keeps growing as she goes....:
and so should all of us. As much as I love every other album she has sung, I love this one as another step forward in life. More experiences, more lessons learned, more choices---reflections based on new directions taken as we grow older. Unlike some of the other slightly disappointed reviewers, I WANT MCC to keep evolving by turning over new stones in a new road. She is being honest and true to herself, and I love the woman and hearing the voice of that woman as her life changes. It's obvious that she continues to grow, and I want to hear what new things she's discovered. My loyalty is to the woman and the messages she shares. I have no expectations except a rewarding experience and a sense of continued identity as MCC continues to sing. Today, I am feeling especially connected and spiritual, because last night I heard Mary Chapin, Dar Williams, Shawn Colvin, and Patty Griffin singing live and intimately sharing conversation with each other and their Pittsburgh audience. Strength and beauty, self-discovery and sharing, hard-won choices and coping with reality, stories of everyday life and consequences of loving---all underlined by driving guitars and ghosts I could identify with. These songs are art for enjoyment and enrichment. These are artists reaching out to their audience and trusting us to benefit from their gifts. That's how I receive their songs. How could I object to them?

Quiet Reflections:
This is one of Mary Chapin Carpenter's best albums she's recorded yet. I look forward to her new one BETWEEN HERE AND GONE with lots of excitement. *TIME *SEX *LOVE is a great CD of reflective songs that you will more than likely enjoy. Her first new album since the lackluster 1996 album A PLACE IN THE WORLD, this is a step in the right direction. There's some really nice ballads with her warm vocals all over them. "Alone But Not Lonely" is a favorite of mine, some really nice lyrics and a nice melody. The closing "Late For Your Life" is also nice, and it has a bonus hidden track. "What Was It Like" is another great ballad, heartbreaking. There's some nice uptempo songs like "Slave to the Beauty", "Whenever You're Ready", "In The Name Of Love", "This Is Me Leaving You", etc. Other good songs include "King of Love", "Swept Away", "The Dreaming Road" and "Someone Else's Prayer". Overall a strong album from Mary Chapin Carpenter that should have a place in every CD collection!

Not Quite a Classic:
While this album is classic MCC, it is not a classic listen. I enjoyed it like any longtime fan would, but there are no special cuts that hook you like "I Feel Lucky" did. I'm sure I'll pop it in the player from time to time, but not all that often. Still, it's the genuine article and if you like MCC, you will like the album.

A real mixed bag from a great talent:
Let's get one thing straight. Mary Chapin Carpenter is my favorite singer/songwriter of all time, bar none. Her previous and subsequent albums have been consistently stellar and far more ambitious and intelligent than anything her contemporaries have tossed at us. And if "Time*Sex*Love*" were presented by any other artist, it would rank as a career highlight. So why am I only giving it three stars? Because this is the only one of her albums that I have trouble listening to from start to finish without skipping tracks. Why is this? Because there are just too many slow, sound-alike ballads in the middle of the piece (five, to be exact), sandwiched around the uptempo "This is Me Leaving You," which is probably one of the weakest songs Carpenter has ever written. The album just drags for me, and doesn't seem nearly as vital or alive as "Stones in the Road" or "Come On Come On," or even this year's "Between Here and Gone." Carpenter has always been generous with the number of songs presented, but with fourteen songs and a bonus track she would have been well-advised to cut one of the ballads to aid in the album's momentum. That said, there are many things to like about this album as well. The '60's throwback sounds of "Maybe World," which would sound right at home on a Mamas and the Papas album; the insightful and beautiful "Late for Your Life," which she has taken to closing concerts with; the eloquent plea to slow down and enjoy life which is "The Long Way Home"; and the first single "Simple Life," which bombed on country radio evidently because it dealt with issues other than chasing men or crying over busted romances. Ironically, the first half of the album is the best, when the reverse is usually true with this artist. I know I'll be in trouble with other fans for not loving this album, but sorry. I love Carpenter's music, whether its the fun, uptempo stuff or the slow, beautifully observed ballads. This one, however, just doesn't have the same effect on me as her other albums. But make no mistake, second-rate Carpenter is still better than anything Faith, Martina, Shania, Reba and JoDee put out on their best days.

• Whenever You're Ready
• Simple Life
• Swept Away
• Slave To The Beauty
• Maybe World
• What Was It Like
• King Of Love
• This Is Me Leaving You
• Someone Else's Prayer
• The Dreaming Road
• Alone But Not Lonely
• The Long Way Home
• In The Name Of Love
• Late For Your Life