As far as my knowledge is concerned and from all the reading that I do, “Blood on the tracks” by Bob Dylan is considered to be his best album by far. For Joni Mitchell it is “Blue”. What really amazes me is that there is no general consensus on which album of Patricia Barber is the best. Some prefer “Modern Cool”, some “Companion”, some think “Nightclub” is her best album! I think it is “Café Blue” Why? Cause the two tracks numbered 9 (Too Rich for my blood), and 11 (Nardis) strike a chord in me like no other songs of her. They have the energy which seem to ooze out from the system in spades.
Which album of Patricia Barber floats yer boat and why?
Many have praised the musicians who accompany her in the band, she being the leader, if she was no good they would have surely left her and persued their careers elsewhere. Michael Arnopol the bass player is with her and playing since last 27 years or so. He once was lurking on Audiogon when I got a chance to ask him a few questions. He was kind enough to respond as well.
I agree with Maineiac - I like the Fortnight in France album - some good versions of jazz standards - as Maineiac says Witchcraft is particularly good. As an amateur jazz musician, I am not sure why some give Barber such a hard time - she seems to be considered an accomplished musician by her peers and by the critics.
I, too, think Patricia Barber has veered into the genre of audiophile weirdo music that may be great for demonstrating tweaky gear or selling geeked out vinyl, but really doesnt rate for timeless music.
Of course, people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones, so I confess that I have listened to a lot worse music, just to marvel at, say, the low surface noise and thrill to the fabulous imaging.
Which is why this thread and Patricia Barber is interesting to me:
Long before she was picked up by audiophile labels, available in SACD and singing existential scat for audiophiles, I used to trek into Chicago a couple of weekends a year while still an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame.
Circa 1984 I stumbled into the teeny tiny "Gold Star Sardine Bar" on North Lake Shore Drive, where drinks were far more expensive than my budget and Patricia Barber was the house band. There, her trio would consistently mesmerize as many people who could cram into the bar ( not so many, hence the name, like sardines)
Now this had nothing to do with being an audiophile, other than audiophiles might like to listen to live music.
But let me tell you - she hypnotized the crowd - EVERY time, playing classics and standards with an eery, otherworldly presence and technical perfection every time she sat down.
So I ran right out and bought Split and was even happier to discover - as an audiophile - that is was a really good sounding recording.
So I had mixed emotions when years later, she seemed to be discovered as an audiophile artist - happy that new technically impressive recordings were available but disappointed that the content seemed more typical of audiophile labels.
But dont underestimate Patricia Barber as a musician and if the weirdo stuff leaves you cold, again, check out Split.
You are not the only one praising "Split" I have heard from others as well about it. Thanks for the post which serves as a reminder.
I also noticed "Verse" being mention and agree it it another great album. Although it took a while before I stated to appreciate the contents of this album.
Again my sincere thank you to everyone who posted and expressed their views on the music of PB
Dmurfet, Ok...I understand, her band is first rate and I agree with you. To be honest I'm kind of an instrument type of guy anyway and find myself wishing the same for many albums.
Modern Cool on vinyl. If you don't like it,You just don't like it. I find the entire record outstanding. I am like a deer in the headlights from start to finish. This is not my type of music!
I love Companion, it's live and beautifully recorded. In fact, I just used it as the principal comparison disc while choosing between an Audio Aero Prima and Resolution Audio Opus 21 in my system.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Verses". This was my first PB album and I was blown away even after many repeated listens. Its not easy to write good lyrics and slip in references that only a philosophy student (Phil. 101, of course) would recognize. From my understanding, this was her first album of her own compositions and she did a masterful job. Sure she may not be in the same league as Dylan or Mitchell, but I don't want to listen to Bobby D or Joni 24/7 (24/6 would be ok, but not 24/7).
My favorite is "Distortion of Love" I can't articulate why,?atmospheric? all I can write is that this release still gets played completely through. The others very rarely, only choice cuts if so.
Quadophile, sorry if my response came off too negative. You threw out a question "what album floats yer boat" and why? When you ask a direct question like this in a public forum, we can't expect only postive responses about questions of taste, musical or otherwise. I no doubt entertain musical pleasures that will cause others to wretch and run screaming from the room. That's ok, it would be a less interesting world if we all shared the same tastes. Peace.
Cafe Blue. Ms. Barber is not a Dylan or a Mitchell but then who is. I enjoy her work for what SHE is doing. [Playing her work on either LP or SACD also makes me feel like I have even better audio systems than I do, which seems to help me minimize all of the tweeking I try to do after playing so much of the poorly engineered stuff out there (whether LP, tape, or CD).]
I too was surprised at the negativism...as "do you think PB is overated?" wasn't the question.
Personally I have all her cds & enjoy each one. On top of her & her band's talent I think she/they have a unique sound. "Unique" is hard to find and a special joy if it trips your trigger. (Zappa comes to mind when I think unique.)
The
"I currently only own companion and spend most of the time wishing she would shut up"
comment was actually kind of funny as shutting up and letting the band play is one of the things I DO like about her. Norwegian Wood off Fortnight in France...if this isn't letting the band play...awesome cut.
It seems, for reasons I cannot divine, that one either loves her or hates her.
My (two) favorites are "Companion" since it is recorded live and has lots of old-school ambience, and "Cafe Blue" in 45rpm vinyl where the renditions of "Too Rich for My Blood" and "Nardis" are outstanding and--for me--hair raising.
I agree that the studio recordings lack "presence" which detracts from otherwise strong performances. Also, the angst in some of her tracks (particularly Modern Cool) some regard as artificial and superficial but I accept as amusingly sardonic and ironic (whatever she were intended).
To elaborate on my choice of Cafe Blue, I must add not only Patricia Barber deserves the credit here. It is her band, I saw her live in Denver last year and her little quartet is awesome. Each member in her band deserves equal praise. Dylan and Mitchel are good too but then so is Peter Gabrial, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton...etc. No they aren't in the same catagory either but I still like and listen.
I've got all Barber's albums, including her earliest.
"Modern Cool" does it for me, though I very much enjoy every single one of them. In particular, the title track and "Company" are superb.
As for uninvited comparisons, I never much enjoyed the music of either Bob Dylan or my compatriot, Joni Mitchell. I recognize them as major artists, but never liked 'em enough to buy any of their albums.
Anyway, if one is going to compare Barber, it makes sense to compare her, favourably or not, to other jazz composer/vocalists.
I think she's a major musical and lyric talent. Yes, she's intellectual and self-conscious and both of those are part of her artistic importance.
I have most of her cd's, they all "float my boat" to some degree...I find here an interesting artist. None of my friends or family as far as I can recall have ever requested playback of any of her music...to quirky I guess.
So, I never use her to show off my system to anyone but myself!
Dmurfet said:
"I currently only own companion and spend most of the time wishing she would shut up"
Thats funny for some reason? I've always thought the same about Bob Dylan...he did write so good songs though.
I read though this whole thread trying to figure out why so much negativism. I recently picked up "Cafe Blue" and love it. I was hopefull to get leads on which PB albums to buy next. I guess if we were limited to a small number of artists in our collection, then maybe she wouldn't be among them. Since noone told me I have a limit, She's worthy of space on my shelf and in the rotation. So what if she's not in the same category as Dylan, or Mitchell. She IS in the same category as all of the other artists who aren't in it either.
So my reply to the question is: I like Cafe Blue the best, because it's the only one I have so far, but I like it period because PB is a unique artist, I like her voice, her song arangements, and the quality of the recording. The song "Too Rich For My Blood" is beautiful.
Yikes! I love Dylan and Mitchell but after reading the above posts I now feel kinda cheap and dirty, not to mention foolish, musically uneducated and just plain dumb and "undefined" 'cause I enjoy listening to all of Patricia Barber's albums. If I had to pick a favourite, Companion would be it - but please don't hold it against me, I'm just a ...yawn...ho hum audiophool, I guess.
I have Modern Cool and Cafe Blue. I put on her stuff to hear what my system really sounds like, since the recording quality of these CDs are top notch. I think she is a good pianist. I play professionally and don't claim to play like Herbie, but I know a thing ot two. I enjoy her voice more, and she has a great range. Her songs are interesting. Not something I would listen to if I was feeling down as most of her tunes are quite depressing if you listen to the words (and how many audiophiles really listen to the words anyway?). Her recordings float my boat as far as sound quality and musicianship go, but if you really listen to the lyrics, your boat may start to sink.
Some beautifully recorded albums. Ho hum voice and ho hum piano playing. McPartland, at over 80, kills her on the piano. PB be very hard to listen to for more than an hour. I do use some of her albums to show off my rig. Companion, cut 2 Use Me, when you want to see just how good your bass be. The thing is, she has some great tunes on each of her cds: some--that's all...I have all of her albums, though..I'm just a ho hum audiophool, I suppose..
Metralla,nope,i surely dont believe that either of those 2 artist's music is demanding on a rig but i do believe that both dylan & mitchell had stlye's that were ever changing.
my comment was not to offend anybody or to try & tell people what type of music to listen to but to ask for a defining album from this artist & to use analogies based on artist's who have style's as wide & varying as dylan is like comparing apple's & orange's & im not a big dylan fan either .
im also not saying that the music is bad but i do question what there might be to define between the different album's.
I like Nightclub and Companion. On Nightclub, she plays a great piano, especially on Blackbird, Autumn Leaves and Yesterdays. On Companion, it's the Hammond B-3, especially on Black Magic Woman. Her voice is quirky but I've come to like it. John
I've only heard maybe 3-4 Patricia Barber albums, so I'm no expert. However, I do have an opinion!
I do not care for any of the studio albums I've heard. I do like the live "Companion" CD quite a bit. Barber does not have a great voice or much vocal range, but the album works for me. I like every cut on the album and most often play it end to end.
none zero nada zip,for me the patricia barber craze fit's neatly into the audiophile approved play list of good recording's people use beacuse of the recording quality & the small demand's her music put on a system,maybee not the case here but with many it is.
to even put patricia barber in a class with the like's of dylan & mitchell as having a defining album is absurd,there are many difference's in style's with dylan & mitchell as Viridian pointed out above where as with barber it's all the same style,smooth & very un defining.
You know, I've got to agree with Viridian. I just don't think Ms. Barber is a particularly major artist. She seems to be a favorite of those with an audiophile mind set, but there's something about her music that seems overly self conscious and too studied in it's hip self awareness. As enjoyable as her music can be, I ultimately feel a certain lack of emotion and over reliance on the cerebral aspects of songcraft prevent her from being considered among the pantheon of musical greats.
I currently only own companion and spend most of the time wishing she would shut up and leave me with the band! Are they attached to her or do they float with the wind?
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