... 'Piece by Piece' which has gone 4 times platinum and in October 2007, she released 'Pictures'. Amongst other high profile media outings, Melua took part in BandAid20 for the 'new' (and somewhat controversial) version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas Time' and has also been associated with numerous ... Read review
Schott Katie Melua Pictures: arranged for piano, vocal and guitar; Mary Pickford, It's all ... more
in my head, If the lights go out, What I miss about you, Spellbound, What it says on the tin, Scary films, Perfect circle, Ghost town, If you were a sailboat, Dirty dice, In my secret life
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:in stock
Advantages: Good to chill out to. Nice if you like her voice! Disadvantages: The album doesn't stand out. Annoying warbles here and there
Katie Melua…ahhhh, that girl with the warble who likes to count the number of various modes of transport, in foreign climates…ah the joys of metaphorical lyrical creations (of course, I'm referring to one of her biggest hits '9 million bicycles (in Beijing)' (released in 2005). How clever she is to do all that counting. One of the ever growing number of Brit school graduates (along with fellow pupils Kate Nash, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis to name ... ...with, gaining a massive fan base after only 5 years and three albums in the industry.
'''Who is she?'''
Full name Ketevan and of Georgian (Russian) decent, she first hit our musical realms in 2003, at the tender age of 19, with her debut hit album 'Call Off The Search'. She has since released 2 more albums. 'Piece by Piece' which has gone 4 times platinum and in October 2007, she released 'Pictures'. Amongst other high profile ... more
Katie Melua…ahhhh, that girl with the warble who likes to count the number of various modes of transport, in foreign climates…ah the joys of metaphorical lyrical creations (of course, I'm referring to one of her biggest hits '9 million bicycles (in Beijing)' (released in 2005). How clever she is to do all that counting. One of the ever growing number of Brit school graduates (along with fellow pupils Kate Nash, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis to name a few), this singer/songwriter is a force to be reckoned with, gaining a massive fan base after only 5 years and three albums in the industry.
Who is she? Full name Ketevan and of Georgian (Russian) decent, she first hit our musical realms in 2003, at the tender age of 19, with her debut hit album 'Call Off The Search'. She has since released 2 more albums. 'Piece by Piece' which has gone 4 times platinum and in October 2007, she released 'Pictures'. Amongst other high profile media outings, Melua took part in BandAid20 for the 'new' (and somewhat controversial) version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas Time' and has also been associated with numerous charity events, including Nelson Mandela's charity concerts and a goodwill ambassador for 'Save The Children'. Anyway…enough background…on with the album.
Track listing: 1. "Mary Pickford (Used to Eat Roses)" - 3:12 2. "All in My Head" - 4:03 3. "If the Lights Go Out" - 3:14 4. "What I Miss About You" - 3:48 5. "Spellbound" - 3:00 6. "What It Says on the Tin" - 3:44 7. "Scary Films" - 4:02 8. "Perfect Circle" - 4:01 9. "Ghost Town" - 3:31 10. "If You Were a Sailboat" - 4:02 11. "Dirty Dice" - 3:39 12. "In My Secret Life" - 4:23
What do I think?: With an album at just under 45 minutes, one has to ask the question, am I really getting value for money…and well…with the inclusion of some good tracks, yes you are, however, I would want more good tracks to justify the expense of the CD. But having gone 2 times platinum, it's definitely worth a listen…
The first track 'Mary Pickford' (2nd single, released in November 2007) is rather strange sounding at first, but on a few listens, the beauty can be appreciated more, I feel. This song is about Mary Pickford, the 1910s film actress. There is a real folky feel here, the sort of music you would want to play in the background as you spend a lazy Sunday, relaxing in a nice bath with a nice glass of red wine. As the album progresses, more instruments are introduced, with the inclusion, for example of the electric guitar, however, it is still used a mellow and laid back tone. This is followed by the sadly forgettable 'All In My Head'.
One of my favourite tracks is the third 'If The Lights Go Out' (her 3rd single from this album, released in February 2008). Whilst Melua has a very distinctive tonal voice quality, that can induce the ability of one to switch off from whatever you're doing, this song also has a more uptempo feel to it, that is definitely more radio friendly and has a more 'singalong-ability'. The lyrics are simple, yet have a hint of profundity that is undeniable:
Well I'm gonna try for all I'm worth, To stay with you till the end of the earth. Don't let me down, Don't let your feelings win. Don't give out, and don't give in, Don't think about tomorrow.
Ok, well maybe not THAT profound, but definitely a lot stronger than 'baby baby baby, I love you yeah yeah yeah'. That's something I have grown accustomed to in her songs. She may not have the best lyrics in the world, but they do certainly have levels that one can admire or simple pass over. If you prefer more melancholy sounding songs that can let you ponder life, then you may prefer 'What I Miss About You' (4th single, to be released this month). There is something certainly haunting, from the delivery of this lovely song. We hear Melua, possibly at her best here, as she finds her way through the melody with absolute commitment to the sentiment of the song. She muses about the small things that she misses about her lover - like how he soaks himself in his over-priced cologne (!) Musically 'Spellbound' lifts the mood somewhat, then 'What It Says On The Tin' brings us back down into the pensive state of mild melancholy as we sit back and pour our second glass of vino and let her vocal wash through.
I find something rather strange about the 7th track, entitled 'Scary Film', one can almost imagine how this should sound…perhaps slightly uptempo with a few strange and unusual musical noises here and there…well yes, that's what we get. It's at this point the album takes a slight twist of style. This takes us nicely into the almost country sounding 'Perfect Circle'. Melua has one of those voices that no matter if the genre she is singing isn't to your tastes, her voice and approach to the song allows you find a comfortable place to listen to it. I hate country music, and whilst this song isn't pure 'country' by any means, normally I would hate this track, but there's something almost hypnotic in her voice that makes me listen and indeed, want to listen.
As we reach the end of the album, we get to the almost ska tainted song 'Ghost Town'. This is not one of my favourites, there's an annoying rift in the background that reminds me of early 80s reggae songs that I hated back then, and still do. This is the one to skip on the album. The 10th track 'If You We A Sailboat' (the 1st single from this album, released in November 2007) certainly is a lot better than the previous…and once more, we have Melua at her metaphoric best singing about how if her lover was a sailboat she would…if he was a cowboy she would…a piece of wood she would…you get the idea. The song reads as a monotonous list. If you know any kids doing their SATS or GCSEs they may be able to nab a few examples of her similes here…nice to know this song is good for something. The mexican sounding 'Dirty Dice' and the paceless 'In My Secret Life' close the album.
Conclusion: So what have we learnt today? Well…whilst her lyrics and song titles can appear somewhat odd and off the cuff, there is no escaping the way that this album can change your mood and put you in spirits for relaxation. I'm not a huge fan of this album, a lot of it is samey samey, but I do admit that it is one of those albums that you can put on and chill out to, or perhaps at a dinner party in the background.
As her song title says 'what it says on tin', this tin/album says 'Katie Melau' and that says to me, nice album, but no massive leaps of musical genius. It's just…nice.
The album can be brought from all good music outlets and you should be able to buy for around 9GBP.
For more information check out her website: www.katiemelua.com
Advantages: Some good tracks, unique voice Disadvantages: Not as good as previous albums
...~~~~~~~~
The Album
~~~~~~~~
Pictures is Katie Melua's third album and was released in October 2007 and didn't seem to get as much hype as Katie's previous albums such as Piece by Piece and Call Off The Search. Pictures was produced by Mike Batt and Vanessa Mae plays throughout some of the songs. There aren't really any similar songs on this album to Katie's previous ones. In Katie's previous albums, most of her songs have consisted of strange ... ...as previously they have been. Pictures is a collection of timeless jazz influenced pop ballads ensuring Katie remains different and unique and doesn't fall into the standard chart category of the same sounding unemotional singers. Throughout all of Katie's songs that are full of emotion, something that is definately lacking in other singers of her time but there is still nothing as meaningful as songs from Piece by Piece. Katie has definately matured ...
lilyellowfish 02.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pictures - Katie Melua
Advantages: some of her most mature, best work on here Disadvantages: couple of fillers
...due to the success of pictures you can expect to pay a little more whilst its still in its first year of release. play.com are leading the way at £8.95 inc delivery, amazon slightly more but on the marketplace of new and used you can pick up one from 58 available at as little as £5.49. ==Tracks to download== - if unsure of purchasing this record then I would recommend any from 'If you were a sailboat', 'mary pickford' or 'what I miss about you' ==Overall==
... ...album but is arguably as consistent as any of her previous work. I aren't her biggest fan but there is plenty to love here, especially if you are appreciative of her other albums. Album number three, still playing it safe but with the mass sales its understandable why and at only 24 it's quite conceivable that Miss Melua could be around for a fair amount of time yet and judging by this record that wouldn't be a bad thing!
Cheers for reading ...
dtait07 01.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pictures - Katie Melua
Advantages: Go out on your bicycle when you purchase it, be green Disadvantages: Is this soul? Is this unlike anything else? Isn't this awful?
A farcry from the stereotype I may have had thrust upon myself through my previous album reviews, it wouldn't be entirely unfair to say a verdict from myself on a Katie Melua album isn't going to be as generous as I have to a cast of R&B artists. On the other hand, Katie Melua does not fall under my scrutiny in the same way artists who disappoint with their follow-up albums do, and if you think my discussion of an artist like Melua is going to be ... ...Carey -- you would be wrong. When I hear the name Katie Melua I do automatically come to a conclusion in my head that is usually correct, but she is a name that makes me turn to someone and ask, "She is the soul singer that sang 'Closest Thing to Crazy', right?" ..Or perhaps I say that in my own little world of terminology. Not chav. So I think we've came to the conclusion that my review of Katie Melua's third studio album, 'Pictures', is well out ...
nathaninnit 05.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pictures - Katie Melua
Advantages: Katie Melua's same style and vocals Disadvantages: Songs are not as memorable as previous albums
I've been a big fan of Katie Melua ever since her first number one single in the UK "Closest thing to crazy". It was very refreshing to come across a solo female artist with such a distinct smooth voice and now so many years on after all her success it is easy to recognise a Katie Melua vocal when you hear one. Inspired by artists such as Eva Cassidy, Katie plays guitar and sings thoughtful songs. After her fantastic album "Call off the search" I ... ...many ways superior to her previous album as it had some darker, sadder songs on it. Now this is the third offering from the artist and even though I have only listened to it a few times I'm a bit disappointed. I found that the songs weren't as catchy and easy to get into as the previous albums, but admittedly they are of the same style with a couple of amazing songs, such as her recent single "If you were a sailboat".
Here is what I thought about ...
rushda 31.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pictures - Katie Melua
Advantages: Great fun and a real treat to listen to... Disadvantages: A few of the tracks are a little under par
After not being keen on her last album quite so much (piece by piece) which I felt was slightly lacking after her amazing debut, I can honestly say that with this latest offering, Katie is right back on form again with Pictures- her difficult third album.
Right from the beginning, the album starts off well with the upbeat, poppy and indeed quirky "Mary Pickford" which not only had me singing away in the car but humming the words and tune in my head ... ...idea of what it is about (the romance shared between Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and their marriage to which Charlie Chaplin was invited seems to make up the main crux of the lyrics) but even if you don't know your hollywood history, the song is still a very catchy little number with some truly humourous lines ("he had a moustache, must have had much cash too...") and is a great opening song.
Next up comes "All in my head" (about someone ...
sparkymarky1973 24.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pictures - Katie Melua
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Quality and consistency...
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Reviews which might be of interest for "Pictures - Katie Melua"
Advantages: Some wonderful lyrics, Bed time music, Photos of Katie Disadvantages: Frustrating from start to end
. Vocal gymnastics are fine, if their done with passion (see tracks Tim Buckley did), but if their done by someone who'se vocals sound so tranqullised their partly asleep, it kills the song vocally for me. 6/10
The inlay booklet is a reason to buy this album I guess, lots of pictures of sexy Miss Melua, and lyrics (a prime example of how these things are meant to be done). The cover is also of the gorgeous Katie....though I don't think I kissed her ass enough in the actual review to have any chance with her...crap.
"Nine Million Bicycle controversies"
This was picked up by 'physics author' (am I a 'musical author'?) who picked up on the innaccuracies in relation to:
"We are 12 billion light-years from the edge,
That's a guess — no-one can ever say it's true,
But I know that I will always be with you"
These lines were ...
Product Information for "Pictures - Katie Melua" »
Product details
Title
Pictures
Performer
Katie Melua
Genre
Rock & Pop
Release Date
01/10/2007
Original Release Year
2007
Label / Distributor
Dramatico / ADA/Cinram Logistics
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Format
Performer
EAN
802987008129
Catalogue Number
DRAMCD 0035
Additional notes
Album Notes
The Georgia-born singer songwriter's third studio album follows 2005's quadruple platinum 'Piece By Piece.' Produced by Mike Batt (Vanessa Mae, The Wombles), the record has been described as the third part of a trilogy of Melua albums, and remains faithful to the qualities that made her first two albums so successful. 'Pictures' is a collection of timeless jazz tinged pop ballads which further cement Melua's position as one of the world's most gifted artists.
Titles on disc 1
1.
Mary Pickford (Used To Eat Roses)
2.
All In My Head
3.
If The Lights Go Out
4.
What I Miss About You
5.
Spellbound
6.
What It Says On The Tin
7.
Scary Films
8.
Perfect Circle
9.
Ghost Town
10.
If You Were A Sailboat
11.
Dirty Dice
12.
In My Secret Life
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Listed on Ciao since
14/08/2007
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