Crow
grows ‘Wildflower’s in
her garden of newest
hits
By Lesley Nickus
Online Forty-Niner
Diversions Editor
Before breaking into the music business, Sheryl Crow was a music teacher and
joined the ranks of aspiring vocalists in 1993. Since then she has accumulated
nine Grammy Awards and a number of hit albums including “C’mon, C’mon,” from
which her popular single “Soak Up The Sun” emerged, “The Globe
Sessions,” “Sheryl Crow,” featuring a cover of Guns ‘N’ Roses' “Sweet
Child of Mine,” featured in the film “Big Daddy.”
She also
did a live album in 1999, called “Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live.” However,
it was her first album, “Tuesday Night Music Club,” that thrust her
into the spotlight as a budding musician.
Her single “All I Wanna Do,” quickly
shot up the charts in 1994, putting Crow on the map as a recognizable artist.
Crow has embarked on a new musical journey with her newest album, “Wildflower.”
“
I wanted to reveal more of myself on this record,” Crow said in a press
release, “I didn’t have any trepidation about doing that. At this
point in my life, I wanted to make a record that wasn’t concerned with
having singles.”
“
Wildflower” is Crow's first new full-length release in three years. Her
2003 album, “Very Best of Sheryl Crow” gave her the opportunity to
figure out where she wanted to go with her next musical endeavor.
After her “Best of” tour, she packed up her belongings, which included
guitars and a tape recorder, and went to Spain. This gave her the opportunity
to relax and figure out what her next step would be.
“
I gave myself the gift of time off to reflect, to observe life for a little bit
and to get recommitted to the idea of collecting stories and living life before
I sat down to write,” Crow said.
This vacation from the grueling life of the music business gave Crow the opportunity
to observe a number of things that ultimately became subjects for many songs
on the album.
The song “Lifetimes” describes the feeling of being yourself and
loving who you are. The lyrics describe feelings of hope and commitment: “You
see if you’re lost inside, I get lonely too. Even in the worst of times,
I give my best to you.”
This seems to be a theme throughout the album. Many of her songs portray the
feeling of having personal inner strength, even in times of doubt. Her lyrics
speak to the listener in a positive, reassuring way. Her voice is mellow and
peaceful, giving an inspirational feel
to every song she performs.
The musical style is slightly different from the other albums she has made. While
her earlier work had, at times, pop sound, this is raw and deep feeling. This
album really displayed her songwriting and musical talents, which explains it
having sold 140,000 albums to date—it is at No. 2 on the charts, according
to Rolling Stone.
Crow developed her album using a number of inspirations. Neil Young’s “Harvest” gave
her a sense of intimacy, while the”“down-homeness” of Elton
John’s “Tumbleweed Connection” was also helpful in developing
the tone of the album.
She also looked to George Harrison’s “All
Things Must Pass” for its classic vibe and slide guitar, on which she modeled
in the first “Wildflower” single,”“Good is Good.”
The decision of when to release “Wildflower” involved a number of
factors, including her relationship with Lance Armstrong. He recently won his
record-breaking seventh Tour de France victory and Crow put her album release
on hold in order to be there to provide support.
“
The record’s been done since February,” she said, “but we sat
down and made the decision to put it out in September so that I could be there
for the race. I really wanted to be there, it’s the end of a big career
for him.”
Fans of Crow’s music will enjoy the laid-back, inspiring vibe of “Wildflower.”
|
