The Freedom Sessions

by

Sarah McLachlan

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Why buy this CD if you already have Fumbling ?

Adding to what the other reviewers here have said..Freedom Sessions is the REAL deal. It definitely lends credence to the saying "Less is more". No embellishments. No remastering or whatever techno digital stuff that make songs sound better is used here. Just pure Sarah and her immense talent.

'Elsewhere' is transformed from a slow rock number to a rather catchy accoustic guitar version with Sarah singing in a low sexy drawl. 'Plenty' transforms from a dark moody number into a delightful acapella duet with Camille, her BG singer. A piano-accoustic guitar version 'Mary', freed from the synthesised sounds and monotonous drumming of the original, is like breathing in the fresh breeze of a countryside.

'Good Enough' is more than good enough for me with a orchestra-like background instead of the folk-pop sound of the original. 'Ice Cream', a very lighthearted accoustic version, is Sarah and Ash's (her husband) love song and a standard Valentine's Day dedication. 'Ice', a very edgy version with full-bodied bass and the amplifier turned to the maximum, is so different from the soft haunting mood of the original. Sometimes you gotta have a lot of wine and be merry..Ol 55 is the result of such merriment and it is as the reviewer said; good sloppy fun.

However, the highlight of this album, for me is 'Hold On'. Sarah's songs are generally sad but none really made me cry like this piano version of 'Hold On'. This song was written after Sarah watched a documentary on AIDS and was inspired by a woman's courage after her husband passed away. Hearing Sarah sing, you really feel the woman's pain and sorrow as she watches her husband slowly succumb to death. I can't help but cry when she quietly sings "Oh God, the man I love is leaving, won't you take him when he comes to Your door." Oh no, my eyes are tearing again!

This is music like it's supposed to be; true, free and unedited. Overall, an excellent CD !

I never review albums but this one inspired me to do so.

First of all, Sarah's voice will carry most efforts by itself, regardless of how poorly coordinated or haphazard the efforts by the supporting musicians. That said, Freedom Sessions both delivers and drowns based on its spontaneity. I came away with the impression that all of the musicians had just met and started playing Fumbling hits, keeping the good ones as well as the bad ones and shying away from artistically limiting notions like editing or discretion. I imagine this album is a good representative of how Sarah sounds when she is fiddling around with a couple of her friends, no real pressure, "Dude, we should record this" sort of evening.

As a result, the album is spectacularly hit or miss. As others have remarked, there are versions of Hold On and Good Enough that are downright shivery. She plays to the more dramatic aspects of her singing style and is not afraid to take chances. This pays off on at least a few tracks. The Ol' 55 cover is unexpected, but good. Ice Cream is still good, but not any different from Fumbling.

However, on a few songs (Elsewhere in particular) the musicians sound like they have never played the song before. The background singer on Elsewhere seems out of place, whenever she sings there's a marked tempo shift. The guitar gradually gains confidence over the course of the song but largely repeats the same scale over and over the way you do in a jam session when you aren't entirely sure what will happen next, and Sarah actually loses the percussion a few times. The effect is raw to the point of being jagged.

Plus, none of the supporting musicians seem to be that good or clear on what they are there to do. Ice in particular takes a beautiful and delicate song and smothers it in unimaginatively played, distortion heavy electric guitar.

Sarah fanatics will like this CD because they would like anything she produces. Those of us that find Sarah McLachlan to be pleasant but not iconic might want to stick to the more polished material. This is a CD aimed at a niche audience. You know who you are.