Globe Sessions, The [DVD Audio] - Sheryl Crow > Reviews > Great folk-rock tales and ballads

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Catchy tunes, superb instrumental style, great narrative
Disadvantages:	DVD - Audio format restricts transfer to MP3 players

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Sheryl Crow, the first lady of folk-rock and one of the world's leading female guitarists, delivered this superb album in 1999.

"The Globe Sessions" won the a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and for Best (Non-Classical) Engineered Album in 1999 - it was also nominated for Best Album of the Year. Sheryl is the sole-producer, and performs using an array of 18 instruments including: acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine and keyboards. This comes through in all the tracks of the album, which feature an impressive combination of sounds and styles.

With her 1996 album "Sheryl Crow", she combined alternate rock with traditional country tales, incorporating powerful guitar melodies, to produce some great ballads such as 'Everyday Is A Winding Road'. With this album, she is much more experimental - while some tracks are standard Sheryl style, others provide a glimpse at other aspects to her musical ability. Track's such as 'Riverwide' and 'Anything But Down' are deeply poetic, and are symbolic of this album's heavily narrative feel.

DVD-AUDIO:
My reason for purchasing this album, in DVD-Audio format, was due to my over-listening of the CD version - it was utterly scratched to bits! While this may be a fault on the CD players part, it was more likely my vigorous playing of it repeatedly. DVD-Audio delivers very high-fidelity quality sound, and greatly enhances Dolby Surround Sound listening experiences. When first listening to "The Globe Sessions" on my surround, I was pleasantly surprised to experience powerfully fading strings, and synthesised elements which seemed to travel the room. Some track's that sound great on surround systems include: 'Riverwide', 'The Difficult Kind' and 'Mississippi'. Overall, the quality is much, much better, and will compliment any sound system setup.

The only drawback about DVD-Audio format is its copy protection. This basically means that if you want to rip songs to your computer, or convert into mp3 format for Audio player playback, you will be disappointed. Manufacturers are basically saying 'we give you better quality, use it legally.'. While this may be understandable, it is quite a drawback for fans that want to carry high-quality material with them at all times. In 2005, software developers created a way to decrypt the protection, but this does involve patching your media players illegally - don't be naughty... It's up to you if you consider buying the standard CD-Audio, which is perfectly good quality in it's own right.

Another slight drawback about this format is its compatibility: its playable on most DVD players as well as all DVD-Audio players, but owners of older-generation players may be disappointed. On most computers, this will run fine, and will merely tell you what needs to be downloaded in order for your disc to run.

THE TRACKS:
'My Favourite Mistake'
Moody guitar riffs guide us into the first track, enhanced by Sheryl's soft vocals. She sings heartfelt lyrics, evidently addressing an insensitive lover (rumoured to be Eric Clapton) with lyrics such as "Your friends act sorry for me, They watch you pretend to adore me...". Sheryl has a great vocal range - at times sounding angelic, and others coarse - emphasising her rock woman status. With some great background percussion and supporting bass guitar, as well as some trademark synthesised organ tones. A superb opening tune, and understandably did very well in the charts, becoming her fifth Top Ten US Single.

'There Goes The Neighborhood'
Begins with the sound of chatter in a bar - bringing to mind images of smoky country clubs. Sheryl kicks things up a notch with this rebellious track - she describes, often subtly, immorality in the form of drug-taking, partying and social excess. Sheryl may be writing from experience, she may be writing from observations during her rock lifestyle - her edgy lyrics are complimented by heavy alto saxophone, bass guitar and a chorus of trumpets. Released as a single in 1999, it won a 2000 Grammy award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and its not hard to see why.

'Riverwide'
One of the best tracks of the album, in my opinion, begins with a deep guitar melody. Sheryl surprises you with her sudden, heavy voice, singing with the instruments to create a Celtic melody (all very reminiscent of Madonna's 'Frozen' in 1998). The mysterious poetry of her lyrics, fantastically embellishing the end of a long relationship, hint towards great times spent and water under the bridge. Lyrics such as "River is wide and oh so deep, And it winds and winds around..." epitomise why this track works so well - it successfully takes you on a journey, complimented by emotional violin strings and the quiet crackling of an old vinyl record.

'It Don't Hurt'
After the deep melancholy tone of the previous track, Sheryl immediately livens things up - beginning with guitar, cheerful organ and bashed drums, this track has a bouncy blues groove. Sheryl passionately describes an ex-lover, and with lyrics like "I scraped the paper off the wall, I put down carpet in the hall, I left no trace of you at all...", it is evident she is trying her hardest to forget him. A wonderful harmonica jingle, played by Sheryl herself, continues the bluesy atmosphere, guiding us into a loud, boisterous rock finale.

'Maybe That's Something'
Tempers flare in this somewhat repetitive track, which demonstrates Sheryl's ability to portray various emotions through her vocal range. At times, she sounds angry and powerful - at others, she sounds delicate and poignant, and it's this style that's reminiscent of her previous self-titled album. Despite the repeated lyrics and drawn-out chords, this track has some really lovely aspects to it, with exotic Indian sitar melodies synchronising with the lead guitar.

'Am I Getting Through (Part I & II)'
Don't be fooled by the calming guitar and strings harmonies at the start - this is Sheryl's heaviest track. Sheryl's expertly handles the lyrics, gradually building up to a loud rock-ballad chorus. The heavy drums and powerful violin tempos compliment Sheryl's alternating vocal styles - when she's really going for it, her voice takes on a coarser, emotional feel. Towards the end of the track, her harsh voice is synthesised, and the strings begin to degenerate into a surreal wind-down.

'Anything But Down'
The last to be released as a single, this track is a toned-down ballad, offering us a rest after the harsher previous offering. Sheryl's vocals are very immediate, supported by backing guitars that never overpower her - her delivery of the lyrics is heartfelt and very emotional. With lyrics such as "You with your silky words, And your eyes of green and blue, You with your steel beliefs, That don't match anything you do...", it is clear that Sheryl is as much a poet as she is a song-writer. Some lovely harmonies are perfectly supported by sliding guitar riffs and piano melodies, heightening the impact of the track's narrative.

'The Difficult Kind'
This track is undoubtedly the absolute jewel of this album. It perfectly captures the essence of the album as a whole, embellishing (like Riverwide) challenging relationships with evocative lyrics and deep atmospheres. While Riverwide is much calmer and serene, this track is much more epic. Loud piano chords and rousing cello strings allow us to envisage beautiful landscapes, symbolic of Sheryl's eventful bond with an unknown individual. Lyrics like "I crossed the canyon a thousand times, But never noticed what was mine...", suggest that it is perhaps because of her such a relationship ended. The track is never overpowered by her trademark rock guitar, and by painting such gorgeous lyrical imagery, Sheryl demonstrates again her skill as a poet.

'Mississippi'
Here, Sheryl cover's one of Bob Dylan's unreleased singles - the track bursts to life with tambourines, bass guitar and a synthesised organ. It demonstrates how well this album has been put together, with songs organised in terms of tone. After the epic ballad preceding it, this track is more uplifting and fun, hinting towards the influence that Dylan has had on Sheryl's musical style. Lyrics such as "Well I got here, following the southern star, I crossed that river just to be where you are..." are beautifully poetic, contrasting to the humourous tones of others: "Well stick with me baby anyhow, Things should start to get interesting right about now...". This is definitely one of the best tracks on the album - neither ballad, nor epic, it is simply a folk-rock tale tribute to one of Sheryl's heroes.

'Member's Only'
Continuing the humourous, exuberant atmosphere, this track is a homage to her first album, "Tuesday Night Music Club" - a country-club inspired collection of vibrant tales. Simple backing
guitars, and Sheryl's own guitar performance, are supported by banjos and light percussion. The funky feel to this tune emphasises her quirky lyrics, which describe various social groups coming together to enjoy the country club atmosphere: "And all the rich kids shake their asses, Looking for the two and four...". Other lyrics suggests Sheryl's political stance (also evident in the hidden track 'Subway Ride', demonstrating her ability to inject subtle, witty humour into her music.

'Crash and Burn'
This track is somewhat a let-down in terms of closing tracks - it is very toned-down and melancholy. While the guitar solos are fittingly reminiscent of a closing bar, when the live band is winding down, it seems too downhearted to finish such a good album. Subtle electric guitar and her calm lyrics both relax and depress, but nevertheless satisfy. While it may be misplaced, this track is still a good track, again emphasising Sheryl's wonderful song-writing ability.

'Subway Ride' (Hidden Track)
This hidden tune, available by listening to the previous all the way through, is similar in style to the likes of Bonnie Rait. It could easily have been taken from her previous self-titled album. Referring to the investigation, and subsequent prosecution of ex-president Bill Clinton, she delivers her lyrics with buoyancy and panache: "Should we have the man impeached, Or should we shoot him in the foot...". I won't go into more detail about the musical style - I'll let you discover it for yourself.

PRODUCT DESIGN:
While there are no lyrics in the inlay booklet, there is some info about Sheryl and her band. The artwork is a really satisfying representation of the musical experience - her moody looks on the front cover compliment the narratives portrayed in her tracks. The inlay features a couple of studio shots and some suitably grungy motifs.

One problem I had with the design is the disc-release mechanism - the little button you press to release the disc is very stiff, and if you're not careful, you could easily scratch or crack the central plastic holding. It needs some simple care, but it's another one of those annoying product features that we all have to put up with.

SUMMARY:
"The Globe Sessions", compared to Sheryl's previous self-titled album of 1996, is an innovative compilation of epic, heartfelt ballads and blues-inspired modern folktales.

The quality and musical standard of the multi-instrumental tracks is superb. While it is evident through some that Sheryl has endured hard times, other tracks allow us to lose ourselves through her ability to conjure wonderful lyrical worlds.

I highly recommend this to both hardcore Sheryl Crow fans and to first-time listeners. While it may be more obvious to travel further down the discography timeline, listening to "The Globe Sessions", in all its DVD-Audio glory, may help you appreciate her previous offerings. This album proves that Sheryl has come far in her abilities, and is a multi-talented musician, song-writer and poet.