Presumed Innocent: Marcia Ball: Amazon.ca: Music

1. Scene of the Crime

2. You Make It Hard

3. Count The Days

4. Let The Tears Roll Down

5. Louella

6. Fly On The Wall

7. I Have The Right To Know

8. Thibodaux, Louisiana

9. I'm Coming Down With The Blues

10. Shake A Leg

11. Somebody To Love

12. She's So Innocent

13. You Make Me Happy

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Raised near the border of Texas and Louisiana, Marcia Ball continues to claim dual citizenship for her music, forging a rollicking roadhouse groove that has never sounded richer or more vital than it does here. With her piano style steeped in the soul of New Orleans, Ball and coproducer Doyle Bramhall enlist the Cajun accordion of Pat Breaux and the bluesy Texas bite of Pat Boyack's guitar and Gary Primich's harmonica on a collection that holds its own with the classics that inspired her. Highlights range from a duet with Delbert McClinton on Allen Toussaint's "You Make It Hard" to the supper-club sophistication of "She's So Innocent" to the album-closing homage to Huey "Piano" Smith, "You Make Me Happy." Though uptempo rhythm & blues dominates the selection, the open-hearted balladry of "Let the Tears Roll Down" and "I Have a Right to Know" brings out the best in Ball. --Don McLeese

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Marcia as good as ever, May 15 2004

By

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Presumed Innocent (Audio CD)

Marcia has been influenced by many different styles of music, predominately blues and roots rock but also including R+B, country and jazz - even some Cajun. You can find elements of all these in this album though some are more obvious than others. She has never been a prolific recording artist but her albums are all of the highest quality. This wonderful album, mostly of good-time music, shows Marcia singing as good as ever and backed by plenty of great musicians, although she only occasionally shows her dynamic skills on the piano.

The songs are mainly original (often written by Marcia) but also include covers of You make it good (a cover of an Allen Toussaint song featuring Delbert McClinton as duet vocalist), I have the right to know (originally written and recorded by Brenda Burns and also covered by Francine Reed) and I'm coming down with the blues (a Don Covay song from 1960).

Among the original songs, I particularly like Louella (on which Marcia makes more use of her piano than usual for this album), Thibodaux Louisiana (with a touch of Cajun). She's so innocent (an outstanding ballad) and You make me happy (a great song to close the album) - but every song here is brilliant.

If you like great rock music with a variety of other influences, this is for you.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Strong material, variable production, May 29 2002

By

plsilverman (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presumed Innocent (Audio CD)

It's refreshing to hear music that's sung and played by a serious musician: Marcia Ball's exciting New Orleans-styled piano and her committed vocals are a happy invitation to an uplifting listening experience. This album sounds like it was recorded...in an actual *recording* studio? Yes, the air is a little tight around the mike, but do I hear a real acoustic piano?
The highlight of the album is "She's So Innocent", a kind of album sub-title, a mello and sombre ballad beautifully rendered by Marcia. This is the quietest slow number here and the most impressive. "I Have The Right To Know" is reminiscent of the best of Percy Sledge, with a dash of Domino (as in Fats). Like many of the selections, however, it runs about one minute too long. The Don Covay co-composition "I'm Coming Down With The Blues" is a great addition. It's a lesser-known slow number and it's soulful throughout.
The best uptempo item is "Fly On The Wall", actually a mid-tempo. The arrangement is perfect with backing vocals well mixed. A contender is the Ball composition "Louella", somewhat reminiscent of Frankie Ford's "Roberta" [aka "Loberta"], a fun lyric about some chick's penchant for making private business public. Must make a nice *set* entry.
"Count The Days" has an entertaining hook, but the arrangement is third-rate. With lyrics presumeably derived from the Presley-related "Milcow Blues Boogie" and a chorus possibly based upon The Beatles "All Together Now" you'd think this track would cook, but the mindless repetition of "...one, two, three..." and the length of the tune leaves one perplexed by a poorly integrated novelty effect. Maybe a fun after hours sing-along but not a number to hold the third position on an album by an esteemed artist.
The CD closes with Marcia's "You Make Me So Happy", an engaging track which directs you right back to Track One. Perhaps by leaving off a few numbers and simplifying a few more the album would really cook. Still a notable effort.
[Marcia is included on the Island Visual Arts video "Let The Good Times Roll - A Film About The Roots Of American Music"].

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5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars Ain't Enough But It Is All That I Can Do, Dec 7 2001

By

J. Brewer (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Presumed Innocent (Audio CD)

I am a long term Marcia Ball fan. Her music and piano boogie really energizes me. Recently she appeared in concert locally (Norman OK). I took my two daughters who are in their early 20s and who were not familiar with Ms Ball. They were both mesmerized by the talent and the music of this lady. Any of her CDs are a bargain. All of her stuff is fun. All of her music is hot ... hot ... hot!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "talent in the purest form...Marcia Ball"
Think of boogie woogie, zydeco, piano skills unmatched and a great expressive style...the result is Marcia Ball... Read more

Published on Sep 8 2001 by J. Lovins

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, but I like it
I was shopping in the Amaxon's Alligator web site and I saw Marcia Ball, I bought it on a wim. Not hard blues but good, fun rythm and blues. Great stuff. Read more

Published on Aug 9 2001