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Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
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Product Description
1-We Traveled So Far 2-Zephir 3-I Put My Ring Back On 4-Holding Up The Sky 5-June 1989 6-I Was A Bird 7-Mrs. Hemingway 8-I Have A Need For Solitude 9-What You Look For 10-Iceland 11-The Age Of Miracles 12-The Way I Feel (2010/ZOE) 12 tracks (2010/ZOE) 12 tracks
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Amongst her enviable back catalogue Mary Chapin Carpenter has demonstrated an unerring ability to mix tuneful and literate ballads with songs that are unafraid to rock out in all the right places. On her first full studio offering since 2007's superlative The Calling, she has delivered a much more laid back and largely acoustic selection of slower numbers inspired by a life-threatening health scare. The reflective style is more one-dimensional than usual, lacking the customary counterbalance of ballads and rockier numbers, though is far from bereft of Carpenter's customary deft touch with a well-chosen lyric. The cumulative effect occasionally becomes claustrophobic, and when she does let loose, as on 'What You Look For' and 'The Way I Feel' it comes as a relieving draught of fresh air rushing through a stuffy room as the melodies suddenly breathe and soar.
Many of these songs lack the immediacy that typifies much of Mary Chapin Carpenter's best work, but they do repay repeated listening for their subtleties to become more apparent. Songs like 'I Put My Ring Back On' and 'The Age Of Miracles' capture much of the usual magic, but others like 'Iceland' and 'Holding Up The Sky' demand more attention and hard work. Never a true Nashville star, veering increasingly towards folk, Mary Chapin Carpenter remains one of the best songwriters operating in this genre. It may be that this album was not intended to be a crowd-pleaser, more a work of personal significance that dresses to impress rather than dazzle. As with everything else that she has done, it is well worth sticking with it.
Many of these songs lack the immediacy that typifies much of Mary Chapin Carpenter's best work, but they do repay repeated listening for their subtleties to become more apparent. Songs like 'I Put My Ring Back On' and 'The Age Of Miracles' capture much of the usual magic, but others like 'Iceland' and 'Holding Up The Sky' demand more attention and hard work. Never a true Nashville star, veering increasingly towards folk, Mary Chapin Carpenter remains one of the best songwriters operating in this genre. It may be that this album was not intended to be a crowd-pleaser, more a work of personal significance that dresses to impress rather than dazzle. As with everything else that she has done, it is well worth sticking with it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A truly fantastic album - not a duff song on it BUT be warned it may well take you 10 listens before you realise it! Initially all the songs sound a bit the same, all a bit slow and gentle, all the same combination of (beautiful)guitar playing, gentle drums and background keyboard - certainly there are no stand out hit Singles. However over time each and every one gets under your skin and you begin to realise just how good her songs are. To be honest, there is not one track that I would be prepared to "cut".
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This latest cd follows on the heels of Mary's excellent Christmas album 'Come Darkness, Come Light' from 2008 and treads much the same path with the emphasis on heartfelt ballads rather than the rockier, country numbers that often, in my opinion, marred her earlier albums - think `Shut Up and Kiss Me' or 'Down At The Twist And Shout'. For me, this makes for a more listenable and consistent album that doesn't have me reaching for the remote to skip those tracks that spoil the mood.
Mary is a great storyteller and although the songs take a few listens, they really get under your skin after a while. This is what makes her albums so enduring and timeless.
My personal favourites include `Mrs Hemingway' with its romantic tale of life in Paris, the achingly beautiful `I Have A Need For Solitude' and the moving `4 June 1989' in which Mary recounts the events of the Tiananmen Square protests through the eyes of a young soldier.
If you are a fan of Mary's more recent albums such as 'The Calling` and 'Between Here And Gone',
then you will love discovering this new collection.
Mary is a great storyteller and although the songs take a few listens, they really get under your skin after a while. This is what makes her albums so enduring and timeless.
My personal favourites include `Mrs Hemingway' with its romantic tale of life in Paris, the achingly beautiful `I Have A Need For Solitude' and the moving `4 June 1989' in which Mary recounts the events of the Tiananmen Square protests through the eyes of a young soldier.
If you are a fan of Mary's more recent albums such as 'The Calling` and 'Between Here And Gone',
then you will love discovering this new collection.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent record
Always find records difficult to review. By and large you either like Bob Dylan ( for instance) or not . Well I love MCC and her slightly husky voice and her excellent lyrics. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dr. Tom Bell
AS GOOD AS ANY MCC ALBUM
Being a little disappointed with a late 90s releases, I lost track of MCC. As I write, I am listening to the album. It is the equal of her very best work. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. Roy Mounsey
Sublime music
Although I had vaguely heard of Mary Chapin Carpenter, it was only when I heard a song of hers played on the radio that I decided I wanted to hear more. Read more
Published 11 months ago by I. Greenhill
Perfect
It took much prevarication and a wonderful evening at Birmingham Town Hall in November, but I finally purchased "The Age of Miracles", gave it a few spins in the car, shrugged... Read more
Published 13 months ago by B. Eaton
she has been at the top for years!
well, if you have never heard this lady sing go and treat yourself to this or any of her other albums, they are all top notch. Read more
Published 16 months ago by beretta
No stand-out tracks
This is fairly bland stuff for MCC. It is very nice but nothing that had me tapping my feet or humming the tune. So, for me, a bit disappointing. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Greybeard
Beautiful CD
For Mary Chapin Carpenter fans this is a "must". It contains the usual heart wrenching ballads which only Mary can sing/write.
Buy it, play it, sit back and relax
Buy it, play it, sit back and relax
Published 20 months ago by Foxboy
just excellent - as always
MCC has always written such beautiful, thought provoking, honest and magical songs and this tradition just continues on this album. Read more
Published 21 months ago by C. Peachey
Lovely !!!!!!!
Wanted something to listen to in my car, bought this cd and love it it is so soothing highly recommend this one
Published 21 months ago by Ang (France)
The Age of Miracles
If you have listened to Mary Chapin Carpenter in the past you probably wont need me to tell you how good she is. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Chordcrasher
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