From Croydon to Cuba: An Anthology

by

Kirsty MacColl

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I suppose an anthology is difficult to compile, however, it seems a no brainer that unreleased or not available on cd music should be included. There are wonderfully rare gems on this 3 cd set, but there are enough still out there to make a fourth cd, maybe more. Kirsty Maccoll was undoubtedly one of the most diverse and underappreciated artists ever. Her lyrics run the gamut from politically charged to down right silly. In between there are amazing moments of poignancy, sensitivity, deep reverence, and humilty. These works are balanced by others full of exceedingly clever, witty, sexy, tongue-in-cheek fun.

There have been artists who have reinvented themselves and/or continued to record through various periods. Some have even ventured bravely into uncharted territory by releasing albums of a style they are not typically known for. However, none have expressed the true command of music as a whole like Kirsty Maccoll. This amazing woman from a London Suburb has successfully explored American Country, '60s Pop, Folk, Irish Traditional, Rockabilly, Electronic, Middle Eastern Rhythms, MOTR Pop, Adult Contemporary, Punk, Latin Rhythms from across the Americas, Zydeco, and at the time of her death was venturing into Broadway/West End Showtunes. Not only did she create textbook examples of these styles, she more often fused them effortlessly into her own sound. Sadly she was followed by a series of circumstances that made commercial success fleeting and sporadaic. For this reason, I think it unlikely that songs not released on this anthology will ever make it to commercial release.

Kirsty fans are sometimes divided over which Kirsty they prefer; Early, experimental pop Kirsty; Middle, melancholy, thought provoking Kirsty; Later, funky, fun, back-on-top Kirsty tend to be the categories. However, all agree that her diversity is a trademark and validation of her talent. For that reason, I think it a shame that so many gems were left out of this collection when so much currently available work has been included.

Regardless of the lack of rarities, there is, without a doubt, something for everyone on this compliation. Thankfully, pieces from the shelved '80s electonic pop album "The Real MacColl" have been included. It was also a pleasure to hear a selection from the last of her recordings; the work from her showtune collaboration. The inclusion of the elusive "You Caught Me Out" brought a huge sigh of releif to many longing for more classic Kirsty. It's hard to review the songs on this album by one standard, as there is such a variety of styles and themes, other than to praise them each for expressing some facet of Kirsty's vast talents.

It is no wonder that she has worked with and inspired artists as diverse as Evan Dando and U2, or David Gray and Matchbox, or the fists-ready Pogues and the sugar-sweet Tracey Ullman. Some of these collaborations are included on this anthology as are other less commercially flashy but none-the-less brilliant works with the moving talents of Mark Nevin, Billy Bragg, Gavin Povey, and Pete Glenister.

Certainly, the variety of styles suggests that, just as there is something for everyone, there are also some songs that will initially disappoint those who are looking for their favourite Kirsty production style. However, further listening often brings appreciation to music that at first seems unpleasant. Fortunately, it doesn't take too many passes at her songs to find some element of her talent that grabs you brusquely by the shoulders and whispers in your ear, "Hey, pal, I'm glad your here, I wrote this for you. Now, check this out!"

Because I love Tropical Brainstorm so much, I wanted more of Kirsty MacColl's music. Don't bother with this 2-disk album. Half of this album is most of Tropical Brainstorm, but not all of it. The other half is Kirsty's earliest music, which is bubblegum pop. Very disappointing. I would give the Tropical Brainstorm portion of this album 5 stars, and I would give the other stuff 1 star. That's how I came up with my overall 3-Star rating. But buy Tropical Brainstorm instead. And if you have and love Tropical Brainstorm and want more of Kirsty's flawless, sultry voice, buy something other than this Anthology.