Raven - Rebecca Pidgeon

The Vocalist - Rebecca Pidgeon
The Genre - Scottish / British folk
The Music - In light percussion accompaniment
The Recording - Good (CD)
The Tempo - All in light and fast rhythm except track 3 & 12.

This is an album in simplicity of style with a light percussion accompaniment and Piano, guitar or drum. Some track with violin and viola. The lyrics of each song is a story, or even a verse (track 3 & 12) which rich in sentimental. Rebecca Pidgeon's voice is simply like a girl from a town, pure and nature, warmth and tenderness with unpretentious.

Rebecca Pidgeon is the established actress and a singer. She is also a talented song writer with a wide range of song albums from folk, pop, jazz, to Celtic traditions. This is her first album and she also composed in almost every song, to reveal her unusual music talents.

Her album is a mood of a Café in a town that far apart from the urban. Track 3 & 12 in a slow and sentimental mode will easily capture your attention, the rest of songs you must pay attention to it because they are almost in a similarly rhythm and melody.

A rough guide to all tracks

1 Kalerka ~ 4/5
Opening with a guitar chords and light percussion, then piano came in. Pidgeon tell her first story with soft and tenderness: "Sailing across in Kalerka. To the land of our fathers and mothers......". Piano leading the instruments and also with some violins play.

2 The Witch ~ 3/5
This song mainly accompany with drum and guitar chords. "There was an old witch.....", telling a story of the witch. I personally don't like the chorus!

3 The Raven ~ 5/5
This song is rich in poetic flavour ~ "My love is like a raven....", fully indicative of Rebecca's pure and tenderness voice with the enchanted melodies. The viola is warmth and the accompanied of piano and violin were also playing pleasantly with the theme.
The music is composed by Pidgeon, great! Words by her husband ~ Mamet. I like this track the most!

4 You Need Me There ~ 4/5
"Cold wind coming, blowing up a storm.....", with percussion and a guitar chords. Pidgeon's unpretentious voice sings tenderness with a sentimental piano accompaniment. The chorus I think can be improved.

5 Grandmother ~ 4/5
Pidgeon sing and raps in this track, and a light guitar chords with percussion. A loud "Well, well I'm young....." bringing in her story. Then a melodious light drum hits and piano playing harmonically with the theme.

6 You Got Me ~ 3/5
Playing with 2 guitars on right and left with percussion. "You got me, you got me, baby baby you got me...."

7 Heart and Mind ~ 4/5
"Oh baby baby take me away.......". Piano playing at the left and guitar at the right with Pidgeon.

8 Her Man Leaves Town ~ 4/5
This track has a differentiate style of melody started with a drum and percussion. The piano and guitar accompanied with the mood. "When daddy say he got to go..."

9 Seven Hours ~ 3/5
"It takes a long time to get over there, nearly seven hours in the air....." A soft guitar started up with Pidgeon's solo, and then drum came in.

10 Wendy's Style Shop ~ 4/5
A crispy percussion and guitar with a nice melody, "We gather at Wendy's place..." Then drum and followed by piano to the theme.

11 The Height of Land ~ 4/5
A nice rhythm with a charming piano accompany, light percussion and guitar as in other tracks.

12 Spanish Harlem ~ 5/5
This is another track that I love a lot. She began with a charming solo "There is a rose in Spanish Harlem....", with a bass hits and a gentle and lively rhythm of piano. At 1:40 the violins and viola sensibility accompany with Pidgeon's story.

13 Remember Me ~ 2/5
"...oh remember me, remember me..." This is the shortest track in this album (2:31) that's end up without my caution. The rhythm repeated similarly with other tracks. Hard to remember!

Additional Info:
Year of release: 1994
Label: Chesky Records

Rebecca Pidgeon (vocals, guitar);
Anthony Coote (guitar, background vocals);
George Naha (guitar);
Laura Seaton, Robert Chausow (violin);
Juliet Haffner (viola);
Erik Friedlander (cello);
Joel Diamond (piano);
Mitch Margold (synthesizer);
David Finck (bass);
Gary Burke (percussion);
Coco Kallis, Paul Miller, Stephanie Smothers, Elise Morris (background vocals).

More about Rebecca Pidgeon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Pid​geon

Thanks for reading.

Jason G ~ Sept 2008