C'mon, C'mon

by

Sheryl Crow

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I've always enjoyed Sheryl Crow's work,but never bought one of her records.This is my first,and I'm not disapointed.When I heard"Soak up the Sun" played on the radio,I couldn't stop singing this Fun,summerSong.I love the line,"I'm gonna soak up the sun,while its still free,before it goes out on me."There gonna be playing this song every summer,and wait untill you see the video.When I read the songs listed on the CD,I couldn't wait to play "Steve McQueen." I thought it was a Bio about this famous Actor,but its just a fantastic hook,"Like Steve,McQueen,All I need's a fast Machine."My favorite cut is track number 8,"Lucky Kid." This song could become a rock Classic.I can't stop playing it,and I love the pause,and the hook,"Wasted."I could go on forever talking about this record,with Stevie Nicks,Don Henley,Keith Richards,and Gwyneth Paltrow Thanked in the linner notes,especially Stevie"I love you Dearly." I think Nicks and Crow should do an entire CD together.The last number,"Weather Channel," is the perfect ending.Soft,with just Sheryl singing along with her Acoustic Guitar,and Emmylou Harris on Guest Vocals."C'mom,c'mon"is one of the first new CDs I've really enjoyed this year.

Sheryl Crow waited four years between her 1998 masterpiece The Globe Sessions to put out a follow-up that was intended to be a great summer rock record that you could take with you to the beach. In between, she nearly suffered a nervous breakdown and appeared on soundtracks and tribute albums so much she barely had time to breathe during her down spells. Oh, and she was busy producing five songs on Stevie Nicks's masterwork Trouble in Shangri-la and singing on "Fall From Grace."

The four year wait is usually a kiss of death for an artist who is now on the wrong side of 40 in the pop business, particularly one who is possibly trying to be viable in a Britney/Christina world. To be able to accomplish that task takes something unusual.

For Sheryl, the first single certainly qualifies. "Soak Up The Sun" is one of those infectious numbers that will have even the non-Sheryl diehards bopping and singing along the first 9,999 times they hear it. After that, the song becomes yet another over-exposed Sheryl Crow number. Using a skin-baring video for that song that showcases Crow with a body women half her age would envy when another song berates "all our pop stars look like porn," sounds a bit hypocritical. But I guess Crow can be forgiven somewhat, particularly if you're a straight man or a lesbian who finds her hot.

The rest of the album has its gems: Stevie Nicks appears twice, singing harmonies on the title track (one of the highlights), and on "Diamond Road" (which is one of the weak spots); "Safe and Sound," Crow's 9/11 tribute; and "Steve McQueen."

However, Crow decides to try her hand at recording "It's Only Love," which did MUCH better with Stevie's beguiling rasp and experience-weathered voice and the spare arrangements. With an intro that sounded like it was lifted from Joan Osborne's big hit "What If God Was One Of Us" and the harmonies from Gwyneth Paltrow, it makes you wonder what Crow was smoking, particularly when you hear "You're Not The One" from the "Soak Up The Sun" import single.

Considering the declining standards of today's music, C'mon C'mon may rate as one of the better pop albums of this decade. But the rating shows you how far the bar has been lowered in recent years, not how much Crow can lift the bar to throw the gauntlet down.