Fuck I loved Melanie when I was younger.
Well actually I loved two albums: “Candles in the Rain” from 1970 and “Gather Me” from 1971
They were the albums that seemed to always be in op-shops in the 80s.
And why wouldn’t they be given the albums sold well in Australia …they actually charted better in Australia that they did in the US or England.
"Candles in the Rain", 1970 (US #17, UK #5, Australia #2)
"Gather Me", 1971 (US #15 , UK #14, Australia #9)
10 years.
10 years between being a new Top 10 purchase and the record box at the local charity shop. People (well, at least casual listeners) are so fickle.
Still, their loss is my gain.
Despite the minimal monetary outlay my love of the music revolved around the cute, teen girl’s voice Melanie sang in. She was in her early to mid 20s but she pitched her voice in a disarming and occasionally fragile way which to my teenage ears was innocently erotic, if there is such a thing.
It didn’t hurt that she dressed, at least on those album sleeves, like a section of bohemian indie chicks I used to hang out with in the mid to late 80s…or rather they dressed like her.
Melanie was well popular in that scene and I suspect that her voice and music seeped into the subconscious. It can’t be coincidence that every other female indie singer songwriter of the 90s and 00s seemed to sound like her. The cutesy teenage girls voice which could become deeply emotive had become de rigueur amongst female indie singer songwriters.
I eventually found other subsequent Melanie albums and realised that everyone had to change with the times. Melanie would abandon her hippie princess trappings and become more MOR and AOR.
Melanie was born Melanie Anne Safka (on February 3, 1947) to a father of Russian-Ukrainian ancestry and a mother of Italian ancestry. She grew up in the Astoria neighbourhood of Queens, New York City, New York. She began singing in the folk clubs of Greenwich Village, was signed and played Woodstock before hitting it big.
This album comes from hat later period where Melanie is trying to find a audience that has grown up.
Not surprisingly (given the 1983 date) the album has it’s fair share of soft rock and slick arrangements. Perhaps we assume that Melanie should be a bit more "rustic". Accordingly, it’s bagged but if you listen closely there is a lot more going on.
Melanie’s self written tunes are solid and the covers are well chosen. She is in good voice and avoids overwrought emotions (sure there are vocal theatrics and big choruses but it is all palatable).
It would be easy to say to write it off because it didn’t sell and dint get must attention or reviews. But this is precisely what I like because it destroys my preconceptions.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Detroit or Buffalo – (Barbara Keith)- there are some soft rock excesses but this is otherwise a great song (for what it is) with a great vocal performance by Melanie. Barbara Keith released it on her album from 1972.
- It Don’t Matter Now – (Michael McDonald) – McDonald, who sang with The Doobie Brothers in the mid to late 70s wrote this gentle, bouncy statement.
- Any Way That You Want Me– (Chip Taylor)- Chip Taylor is no slouch when it come to writing ( search him on this blog). This is a dramatic ballad – and quite good though some of the production is a bit sticky. It’s very Chip and a bit like "Mary in the Morning" which he also wrote.
- Roadburn -(Melanie)- a good up-tempo number but not as good as the last three covers
- Fooling Yourself-(Liberty DeVito)- pleasant.
- Too Late-(Melanie)- a good, slow southern soul type of number
- Standing on the Other Side of Your Love -(Melanie)- she’s entering Marianne Faithfull new wave territory with some attitude and nice angular guitar.
- Love You to Loath Me-(Melanie)- pretty good, like an updated Billie Holiday
- Dead and Gone-(Melanie)- despite the crappy reggae beat this song taps into the Melanie of the late 60s.
- Imaginary Heroes-(Cathy Evans)- OK the piano is a little predictable but, lyrically and vocally, this song is devastatingly emotional in it’s story of a child escaping with imaginary heroes from the physical and emotional abuse he is suffering. Sad and scary and incredibly moving.
Jimmy was ten when they found him in bed
Unexplained bruises and words unsaid
The clock on the wall was still counting the time
But that’s all it did when Jimmy was nine
…
Imaginary heroes they played upon his bed
He said "Superman will save me when he gets in red
He’ll take me to a paradise I dream of far away"
But then superman when off the air
And the dream slipped away
- Chances -(Graham Russell)- an Air Supply song and, not surprisingly a big dramatic ballad
And …
I was expecting a lot worse but this is a real surprise. A keeper.
Chart Action
nothing
Sounds
Detroit or Buffalo
attached below
Any Way That You Want Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYB1Qrnn07s
Fooling Yourself
live clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bo8ouEDfZM
Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIFknAdVvNM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-sk9abOYQ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqg3kcwAgso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeHtuwsUeRw
Review
http://dkandroughmix-forgottensongs.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/melanie-arabesque-1982.html
http://www.allmusic.com/album/arabesque-mw0000837660
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/melanie-mn0000409670
Website
http://www.melaniesafka.com/home.cfm
http://www.patswayne.com/melanie/melanie.htm
Trivia
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