Customer Reviews

Miss America

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having had this CD recommended to me in about 1997 and not been able to understand it on listening in Borders, I ignored "Miss America" for many years until I read about it in "The MOJO Collection".

Whilst I did not understand it on reading there, I was tempted to look at the record on amazon after listening to samples, but nothing could prepare me for the shock I felt on listening to the record for the first time after receiving it at my private box.

My recollection from Borders had been of a primitive, raw recording, and "Miss America" really is that. The voice is given an amazing amount of space in which to move and jump from despair to laughter and back, most notably on the wonderful rocker "Year In Song", where the fiery, sparse accompaniment is the perfect match to the almost incomprehensible power of O'Hara's vocals. The funky "Not Be Alright", even with the voice mixed very low, shows almost the same capacity for emotion, and on the slower tracks such as "To Cry About", "Help Me Lift You Up" and "You Will Be Loved Again", the almost stop-start dynamics perfectly suit the fire, even soul of the voice.

The sparse production almost has one thinking of the late 1970s (when many of the songs were written) but without the violent thuggishness, for O'Hara is a songwriter of unrivalled feeling who can dranatise romantic strife better than even a traditional song, as in the last line of "My Friends Have", where she seemingly does not know whether she should ask her lover to leave forever or come back.

Too naked for commercial radio, "Miss America" was a flop when issued in 1988, but indie label Koch picked this masterpiece up and saved it for the wider public. Worth the effort, for this album is simply an amazing display of vocal virtuosity that will take your breath away.

An inspiring collection of songs delivered in a variety of styles with complete cohesion. Lyrics are sometimes clear, sometimes enigmatic and wide open to interpretation. Every track is great, but my favourites are: Help Me Lift You Up, Year In Song, Body's In Trouble, Dear Darling, A New Day, When You Know Why You're Happy. Her vocal gymnastics are impressive too as she moves from the sorrowful Body's In Trouble to the joyful A New Day. Also check out This Mortal Coil's version of "Help Me Lift You Up". As singer/songwriter O'Hara is hard to classify, but fans of her compatriot Jane Siberry and of Tori Amos, and even of Meredith Monk! will certainly love this album.

this is one of the best, most under-rated albums of the last 15 years.

Too bad this is Miss O'Hara's only album. She has a very singular voice. Most of the songs shine: in particular "Help Me Lift You Up", "Dear Darling", "Keeping You In My Mind" and the fantastic "You Will Be Loved Again", sang sweetly and accompanied by only an upright bass. My only complaint is that the more rock-flavored tunes have a bit of the 80s keyboard influence, a bit overproduced and a touch malnourished, but they hold up surprisingly well. Oh yes, and I didn't find "A New Day" as bad as another reviewer states. It's a bit goofy, but in this crazy world, everyone could use a bit more goofy. A singular album from a singular voice.

A reissue of an out-of-print 1988 album, originally released on Virgin. Still sounds as unique as it did over a decade ago, closest comparison would probably be Victoria Williams, both women have beautifully idiosyncratic soulfully expressive voices that tend to float off high somewhere towards Heaven. Vic is a bit more folkish than M.M. (who's just a little more on the jazzy-arty end of things). I could see fans of Mecca Normal or Kristin Hersh really liking this, Mary Margaret likes to let her demons out, but she's got plenty of angels too. On the supernatural Help Me Lift You Up (covered by This Mortal Coil once upon a time) she creates a new kind of love song with as much spirit as flesh. On To Cry About she sings a lost-in-love ghostly blues. Body's in Trouble is a loopy dreamy thing, Dear Darling is like a lost Patsy Cline lullabye, You Will Be Loved Again is just her voice and David Piltch's string bass demonstrating how much can be done with both to effectively weave a spell of delicious swooning melancholia. Michael Brook co-produced with Mary Margaret and this is one of his finest and most subdued productions (he also adds some of his patented guitar atmospherics).

I was turned on to this recording by my absolute favorite artist, Kristin Hersh. In terms of music styles this album seems to be bored with staying within a certain genre. It is at times jazzy, poppy, and old-style country. Then sometimes it is more like a nervous breakdown. This is a good thing. The vocals in "A Year In Song" are entirely insane. It might be nice to be shrunk down to a size small enough to sit atop her vocal cords when she sings this because it would be one crazy ride.

This is definately the kind of album that takes more than one listen before it clicks with you; however , it's worth the effort.

Not many vocalists have the sensitivity of Mary Margaret O'Hara, let alone the lungs. Her technique can transform from the velvety to the guttaral within a phrase while still staying true to the complex subject matter of her songs. With the multitude of pseudo-earthy female vocalists parading their neuroses and dimestore angst in the media these days, "Miss America" remains a breath of fresh air accross the ears of those who appreciate sincerity, sophistication and a healthy dose of modesty.

I don't think I'm a talented enough wordsmith to describe this album in a few lines and do it justice. Just buy it... now... it was incredibly ahead of its time in 1989 (with songs written as far back as 1978), and there is still nothing to compare to it.

And be sure to give it a chance... I didn't care for it the first time through. That was a while ago. Now it's probably the most important piece of music I own.

Pocas veces he sentido tanta emoción y tanta complicidad con un artista como con esta canadiense.

Este album es completo, redondo, no le sobra ni le falta nada, es una ideafragamentada en partes distintas y contradictorias. Musicalmente arriesgado, jugando con estilos y géneros (jazz, country, rock, pop), recreandolos para entregarnos unas verdaderas joyas, y la voz de Margaret, esa voz que parece de un angel endemoniado, alcanzando cotas altisimas, rayandose en la esquizofrenia, calentandote en el frio mas helado. Si tuvimos que esperar muchos años para que se edite esta genialidad, es logico (muy a pesar nuestro) que ella se este tomando otro largo trecho para sentir, pensar y repensar sus proximas ofrendas

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In 1980 I went to see a band named Songship in a small bar in Montreal. Every second song was sung by this pixie with a BIG voice named Mary Margaret O'hara who would raise the quality of the performance by a factor of ten (the rest of the band being uninteresting). I had to wait some seven years for the album, but it was worthwhile when it finally appeared. Recently, I have been listening to it and have fallen in love with the album all over again. It was so ahead of its time. Mary Margaret's influence is everywhere. You can bet that Sarah and Alannis listened to this. While other reviewers may focus on the arrangements and off-beat style, I will always remember the sheer power of that voice which was captured well on the album. Try playing it loud.