I adore, love, worship, Anastacia. Her voice to me is like the voice of an angel. It should always be remembered, and I will never forget it. I have already written two ops on Anastacia and this is the final one (until the next album), so unbuckle your seatbelt, get up and start dancing!!
This CD was the first album from the multi platinum artist. It has a varied variety of music, all sung with her amazing voice. The selection/mixture is really well laid out on the CD, she has thought it through and done herself gratitude. So lets press on to the tracks –
1. Not That Kind – This song was the second song to be released from the album. It has a really upbeat, retro feel to it. It starts out well; it has a cool, high mixture of sounds, with Anastasia’s voice over the top. The ‘bouncy’ kind of sounds are really good, they blend with her voice superbly. Then at about 20 seconds, she does a high-pitched ‘whoooo’. Then the song goes on, getting better, with the drumbeat, guitar and other weird sounds. Also the backing people, who sing the main lines with her, just make the song sound even smoother and it continues to roll out perfectly. 5/5
2. I’m Outta Love – This was the first smash hit song. Anastacia released this song first and let me tell you, its great! When it cam on the Box, or MTV I couldn’t help but get up and dance. It starts out on a low sound,
a guitar/keyboard sound that develops into the song. To help it reach the song, she does a couple of long notes that bring you right in to the thick of the song. The lyrics are good, they have meaning, unlike other people I could mention. Overall the song gets better, it doesn’t climax and die, it climaxes and carries on going. 5/5
3. Cowboys & Kisses – Again this song was released, it didn’t do great, but it is still quite good. It has really strong lyrics, and her voice is flawless. The song overall isn’t great, but it isn’t bad. It is a bit mediocre. She is basically singing about her lost love, which she wants back. I don’t understand ‘Cowboys & Kisses’; I am not sure what it means exactly, but other wise it is a good song. 4/5
4. Who’s Gonna Stop The Rain – This is one of my favourites (they all are really), but this one means something, it has a thoughtful feel to it, which is nice. It is a soft, velvety feel to it, but at the same time a rough, hard and meaningful side to it. It starts, with a guitar or harp. This to me is pure heaven. It sounds amazing. Anastacia starts singing and it sounds so good. The song is like a melody; it has so much emotion in it. The words are so easy. The great thing is, the album started out upbeat and it has notched down to smooth and it doesn’t sound wrong. 5/5
5. Love Is Alive – Now we have moved back in to ‘jumpy’ mode again. The song starts out so good it sounds like a stage door opening and smoke coming out. It makes you feel like you are there watching her perform the song. Then she repeats the line ‘Love is Alive’. It sounds so good. The vocals are so strong, and they don’t flaw once. The beat is so heavy and drowning it is superior. In the middle of the song, she sings and the drums follow her voice, it sounds so good. It ends strongly as well. The album just gets better! 5/5
6. I Ask Of You - This is one of my least favourites. It is still a great song, but as I have mentioned, the jumping around of styles, it doesn’t work here. I was in a really upbeat mood from the last song and now it is a slow, love song. It is a shame. It should have been moved to a better place so you could truly appreciate it. The vocals are still really good; they are still very strong, like the rest of the album. She holds the notes really well, and near the end of the song, they sound they are amazing. The song is so emotional and powerful. This is a song to play to lovers. 4/5
7. Wishing Well – What a wicked start! It is a bit of a weird song, she does all the long notes and they sound great. They are also some kind of moans that are good. The lyrics through the song are good, strong as ever and really well thought out. That is the great thing about Anastacia; she makes every song, line and word her own. Overall the song is good, not 1st Class, but still good. 3/5
8. Made For Lovin’ You – Now most of you will have heard this if you watch TV on a regular basis. Ages and ages ago this used to be the song for a car advert and made the car very popular. Anastacia did release this song, but for some reason it didn’t do great. It has a really upbeat feel, and this time it sounds good, ‘Wishing Well’ was a mixture of slow and beaty and now this is beaty and it sounds good. The start is good and so is the end. A truly uplifting song. 5/5
9. Black Roses – I am undecided on this song, it is smooth, but the backing is a bit weird and so are the lyrics, they are a bit weird again, ‘Black Roses and a bottle of Wine’. I am not sure I understand (again). The lyrics are strange; maybe they have a hidden meaning to Anastacia. Overall the song is really good, a strong sound and vibe. 3/5
10. Yo Trippen’- Another upbeat song. I love these! The song is really good. It is a party song. It is one of those songs you want to shake your ‘ass’ at! The lyrics have meaning to, they sound really good. The song is really powerful and he backing adds feeling to the song. At a few points, she sings and two people copy it and it sounds amazing. The way Anastacia can combine feelings in a song is really good. The song is so good. I love it. 4/5
11. One More Chance – Nearly to the end now, “sob, sob”! Time for a change, we have now moved to slow songs, slow and peaceful. It is so soft and romantic. She is singing it with her powerful voice, but not singing it powerfully, but softly (if that makes sense). It is so romantic, the backing singers prove this, they sing in melody and behind her, both sounding good. The song has a solo on a piano, and the other instruments are so well pieced together. 5/5
12. Same Old Story – We have come to the end. So what are we going to end with? A nice slow song, or upbeat? Go on hazard a guess. Well it is a bit of both (sorry if you got it wrong). It is actually a great song to end on. It is a great way to finish. The song has excellent lyrics; they are an excellent mixture of cool and weird lyrics. A really good ending for a great album. 4/5
Overall this album is really good, it isn’t as good as the second one, but Anastacia has had time to develop her voice and songs and they are much better now. Overall this album is worth listening to if you like Anastacia and even if you don’t you should give it a try to just see what it is like. If you like her voice, you will love this. 5/5!
Born in New York, raised in Chicago and caught in something of a musical time warp, ... more
Anastacia Newkirk is a soul singer with an incredible voice and a debut album that would be as happy in the mid-1980s as it is at the turn of the century. Working with ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Born in New York, raised in Chicago and caught in something of a musical time warp, ... more
Anastacia Newkirk is a soul singer with an incredible voice and a debut album that would be as happy in the mid-1980s as it is at the turn of the century. Working with ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Is cheaper to buy the album than just the cd singles of the released tracks. Disadvantages: the released tracks are the only decent songs on the album
Sep 10th, 2002
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