Joan Armatrading - Greatest Hits

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Music reviews of Greatest Hits

Music Review: Get to know Joan
Rating: 4 Stars

Her rich, husky vocals are beautiful and unique, but she also shows an impressive range when she occasionally slides into a sweet falsetto. It's easy to see how she has influenced such artists as Tracy Chapman and Fiona Apple.

Her songwriting is extraordinary, and as varied and diverse as her vocal prowess. She can be funky ("Show Some Emotion"), heartbreakingly honest ("The Weakness in Me"), or pleasantly folky ("Whatever's for Us, For Us"). She shifts musical styles so effortlessly, able to swing from a bouncy reggae number like 1979's "Rosie" to keyboard-heavy 1980s New Wave on such songs as "Me Myself I" and "I'm Lucky."

Armatrading's guitar playing is also a treasure. She has been called "Jimi Hendrix on nylon strings," and that's not a bad description. She has great instincts, managing to choose notes that pleasantly catch the listener off guard. Her wailing solos positively soar over the steady bass and drums on "(I Love it When You) Call Me Names." She displays very pretty acoustic strumming and flutter-picking on "All the Way from America," but then she gets crunchy and raw on the driving "Drop the Pilot," with a rhythm hook so catchy you'll want to set your CD player on repeat. It's impossible to get tired of this one.

A great introduction to this artist's catalogue, "Greatest Hits" is the perfect escape for the open-minded listener from the often bland, traditional, mainstream pop/rock. As Armatrading says on "Heaven," "You came into my life/Made me feel like I was really something." Oh Joan, you ARE.

Description of Greatest Hits

Folk CDs

• Music > Styles
• World Music
• Pop
• Rock