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Product Description
Review
Hello Cruel World opens with a laconic sigh. To a descending bassline, the title-track lists a comical catalogue of misfortunes for the 21st century, and then flips it right over: "Me, I’m gonna stick around, in for a penny in for a pound / ‘Cause I hate to miss the show… I’m a very stubborn girl."
Of course, the writerly virtues and gentle string band arrangements of Gretchen Peters’ ninth album were never constructed for the mass market. But the twist here is that her work is famous; the Nashville resident is one of those singer-songwriters to have suffered the irony of all their highly personal hits being sung by somebody else.
Martina McBride, Patty Loveless and Faith Hill have been among them, bringing Grammy nominations for the writing. But while tunes that manage to be both introspective and anthemic have suited the big personalities of the charts (and, incidentally, have gone down just as well in the soul market through Etta James and the Neville Brothers), the writer herself has remained on the margins.
This is not because of any obvious hitch in her own talents. Peters has a warm, expressive alto and an ear for a tune, and surrounds herself with appealing musicians like Kim Richey, Will Kimbrough and Rodney Crowell, who are also favourites on country’s maverick fringe.
Above all, she is a dedicated prospector into the subtext of relationships, teasing out her themes with multi-layered metaphors that don’t always avoid cliché – heavy on images of the arena and Old Testament allusions (and also, as Woman on the Wheel makes plain, the burdens of the artist). There’s an unusual sophistication and depth of lyrical craft here, and maybe it’s not best advertised by a polished country-pop setting that sounds overwhelmingly usual.
Still, anybody who thinks sincerity is a virtue in a songwriter will be bowled over by Peters’ soulful tapestries. The rest of us might hanker for just a stitch or two more of her pleasing dry wit.
--Ninian Dunnett
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter from Nashville calls Hello Cruel World her "most close-to-the-bone work, written at a time when I felt absolutely fearless about telling the truth." The title is a pun on the famed exit line — a joke that, like the lovely melodies and deliciously textured arrangements framing these 11 songs — sweetens this captivating music spun from a year of turmoil. Peters is of course joined by a cast of top musicians including Will Kimbrough, Vicktor Krauss, Barry Walsh and a guesting Rodney Crowell.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
My last encounter with Gretchen Peter's was with her 2009 recording with Tom
Russell 'One To The Heart, One To The Head', a delectable listening experience.
'Hello Cruel World' finds her alone again and on very fine form. Ms Peters
has the kind of world-weary voice which manages to combine both warmth and
pathos in equal measure. There are eleven new songs in the set some of which
stand among the best in her esteemed career. The album has an overall ambience
of melancholy and even when things get a tad more raucous, as they do on
'Woman On The Wheel', her predilection for minor keys never becomes morose.
There are some truly beautiful compositions on offer here. The tender 'Saint
Francis', co-written with Mr Russell, sports some gloriously restrained harmonies;
'Camille', delivers some jazzy late-night trumpet and painfully poignant lyrics ;
'Idlewild', a song which touches on both deeply personal and universal themes
and final track 'Little World', performed with heartrendingly focussed reverence.
The sublime 'Five Minutes', however, gets my vote for top track; the bruised candour
of its imagery and plaintive melody makes the very air stand still around it.
'Hello Cruel World' is yet another unimpeachable addition to Ms Peter's fine body of work.
Essential.
Russell 'One To The Heart, One To The Head', a delectable listening experience.
'Hello Cruel World' finds her alone again and on very fine form. Ms Peters
has the kind of world-weary voice which manages to combine both warmth and
pathos in equal measure. There are eleven new songs in the set some of which
stand among the best in her esteemed career. The album has an overall ambience
of melancholy and even when things get a tad more raucous, as they do on
'Woman On The Wheel', her predilection for minor keys never becomes morose.
There are some truly beautiful compositions on offer here. The tender 'Saint
Francis', co-written with Mr Russell, sports some gloriously restrained harmonies;
'Camille', delivers some jazzy late-night trumpet and painfully poignant lyrics ;
'Idlewild', a song which touches on both deeply personal and universal themes
and final track 'Little World', performed with heartrendingly focussed reverence.
The sublime 'Five Minutes', however, gets my vote for top track; the bruised candour
of its imagery and plaintive melody makes the very air stand still around it.
'Hello Cruel World' is yet another unimpeachable addition to Ms Peter's fine body of work.
Essential.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just prior to Christmas 2011, Bob Harris played a track from this new album by Gretchen Peters. I was struck by that track enough to look for the album, but had to wait until the end of Jan for it to be released. However that wait was well worthwhile. On the first few listens, I was a little unsure about the last four tracks, which are very much downbeat, but repeated listening to the lyrics has lifted them in my estimations. The overall package is simply superb. Gretchen Peters as it turns out is an accomplished songwriter. Her lyrics are intelligent and thought provoking and on a par with any of today's great songwriters such as Tom Russell or Mary Gauthier. The first seven tracks are just simply stunning, and as I have already indicated the last four are good but take a few listens to get under your skin. For me however the second song, Saint Francis (Co-written with Tom Russell) is the albums centre piece both lyrically and musically. Two of the songs had me thinking about where I had heard a similar melody and after a few listens they came to me. Song No5 puts me in mind of Ode To Billy-Jo and song No 6 is similar to one written by a local N Ireland singer songwriter by the name of Junior Johnston (The title escapes me at the moment).
I can only urge you to get your hands on this superb album. One reviewer has stated that this album is essential and I do have to agree with them. If your tastes are along the line of Kathy Mattea, Mary Chapin Carpenter or even Rosanne Cash I suspect you will like Gretchen Peters. Musically this is a folk / rock mix with a slight touch of country thrown in. She is touring Ireland in March of this year and I would suspect GB would be included. I have already got a ticket to go see her in Belfast. Another reviewer has indicated that she is great live, so I am looking forward to that.
I can only urge you to get your hands on this superb album. One reviewer has stated that this album is essential and I do have to agree with them. If your tastes are along the line of Kathy Mattea, Mary Chapin Carpenter or even Rosanne Cash I suspect you will like Gretchen Peters. Musically this is a folk / rock mix with a slight touch of country thrown in. She is touring Ireland in March of this year and I would suspect GB would be included. I have already got a ticket to go see her in Belfast. Another reviewer has indicated that she is great live, so I am looking forward to that.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If mature self-reflection and classic American confession is to your taste, then this is an album of both, augmented by cover-to-cover musical confidence.
I had the pleasure of seeing Gretchen Peters playing live a few years ago and she is simply a great artist. This album is distinguished by the intelligence of the lyrics and the assured strength of Peters' vocal. On playing this recently the performances had a power to make me concentrate and hear rather than just listen. I hope that deceptively pat line carries the true weight of its simple but heartfelt message.
'The Matador' is heated in its storytelling with the haunting accordion and metaphor or real killing; 'Dark Angel' is enhanced with the accompaniment of Rodney Crowell and the hardly original but convincing oxymoron of the lyric 'and if there's no hereafter/oh and there is only here/life is still a beautiful disaster', and the Bobby Gentryesque string-infused southern blues of 'Paradise Found' is as sultry as a swamp. This album is highly recommended.
I had the pleasure of seeing Gretchen Peters playing live a few years ago and she is simply a great artist. This album is distinguished by the intelligence of the lyrics and the assured strength of Peters' vocal. On playing this recently the performances had a power to make me concentrate and hear rather than just listen. I hope that deceptively pat line carries the true weight of its simple but heartfelt message.
'The Matador' is heated in its storytelling with the haunting accordion and metaphor or real killing; 'Dark Angel' is enhanced with the accompaniment of Rodney Crowell and the hardly original but convincing oxymoron of the lyric 'and if there's no hereafter/oh and there is only here/life is still a beautiful disaster', and the Bobby Gentryesque string-infused southern blues of 'Paradise Found' is as sultry as a swamp. This album is highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Album of the year 2012?
A bit early for the annual accolades, I know, but this is an album of such outstanding musicianship and lyricism that I would be surprised if another surpassed it this year. Read more
Published 1 month ago by F Arnold
Stunning album
Nothing much to add from what has been said already - this is a brilliant album. I have followed Gretchen Peters since the album 'The Secrets of life' issued around 1995 and I... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Paul Mutum
Loved it!
This is the first Gretchen Peters album that I have bought. I therefore can't say how it compares with her other works, but I love this one from start to finish. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr D
GOOD PRODUCT
PURCHASED THIS FOR MY HUSBAND ON THE STRENGTH OF HEARING ONE OF HER SONGS ON THE RADIO. HE WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THIS CD.
Published 2 months ago by BuntyJ
A MUST have album.
Having been a fan of Gretchen Peters for many years I couldn't wait to see what Hello Cruel World would be like and I'm glad to say it is fantastic. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Steven Anderson
Pure magic
Fantastic new album from Gretchen- well worth the wait. Love all the tracks but particular favourites are 'The Matador' , 'Saint Francis' and 'Dark Angel'. Read more
Published 3 months ago by whatever
Ethereal country
I often think country music is a bit one dimensional but this new music by Gretchen Peters and her hubby has really produced a full fat album. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mduk
Hello Cruel World
I'm very biast when it comes to Gretchen Peters, she has such a wonderful range to her voice and her American Folk genre just ouses emotive songs about life, hence the title of her... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Streetsinger
Gretchen in thoughtful mode
I have a number of her albums, and having tickets to see her on tour this spring, I felt I had to buy another one, it is probably her 2nd best I love "One for the Heart" which... Read more
Published 3 months ago by purse
A Work Of Art
It's possibly become a cliche to say that someone is at the height of their powers, but in this case it's entirely appropriate. Hello Cruel World is Gretchen Peter's masterpiece. Read more
Published 3 months ago by symbolman
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