Jewel's Got a Way With Music
Written: Jan 31 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Amazing acoustics, soothing sound, love songs, harmonious voice
Cons: Lacks rawness, passion and intensity of previous two Jewel albums
The Bottom Line: This Way provides a different sound than Jewel's previous two albums, but definitely worth a listen. Her soothing melodies trumps her still-profound lyrics, instead of vice versa.
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| nycgrl's Full Review: This Way by Jewel |
This Way, Jewel Kilcher's third album, came out in 2001. Jewel had already been famed for her previous two albums, Pieces of You (1998) and Spirit (1994). To me, This Way has been the Jewel album with the best acoustics and showed off Jewel's soothing voice the most. Unlike Pieces of You and Spirit, most of the songs lack a deeper meaning or statement about society, and are actually soothing, stylishly done love songs. Jewel writes her own songs and does most of the music and production herself. Her CD includes the cover leaflet with the lyrics to the song, a short statement about each song, and charismatic pictures of Jewel with her guitar. The tracks for This Way are:
Standing Still 4:30
"Do you want me/Like I want you/Or am I standing still/Beneath a darkened sky"
The most popular song on this album, Standing Still was playing on many radio stations for several months. The song starts with the hum of a guitar, which repeats throughout the song. Jewel's voice is displayed sweetly, and the melody has a boppy beat. The lyrics set a vivid image in the listener's mind. In the song, Jewel seems to be waiting for a lover, and asking if he loves her the way she loves him, or is she lying to herself.
Jesus Loves You 3:20
"Showing ta-tas on the TV is OK/I wanna be OK, too/Having my picture in a magazine makes me special/How special are you?"
In Jesus Loves You, Jewel asks if Jesus will love you if you don't donate money to His cause. The song has an upbeat tune, and starts out sounding country but actually morphs into a bouncy rock-tune, and then back.
Everybody Needs Someone Sometime 4:08
"'Cause everybody needs someone sometime/Everybody needs someone, can't you see"
Everybody Needs Someone Sometime has a country-music beat, and is about, of course, how everybody needs someone some time.
Break Me 4:04
"So break me/Take me/Just let me fill your arms again/Break me/I'll let you make me/Just let me feel your love again"
Whisper those lyrics, because that's how Jewel is singing it. Break Me is a song begging a lover to come back, even though his love is painful. The song is quiet, gentle, and Jewel does an amazing job making the melody say the lyrics without words. In the song you can feel the sense of missing someone.
Do You Want to Play? 2:55
"Oh...You're so special/Oh...Who gives a.../Do you want to play?" The meaning of this song is a bit unclear to me (I think it's somewhere along the lines of pretending and lying to yourself), but it showcases Jewel's vocal abilities well, with constant "Oooh"s in the chorus, and has a lively, playful beat. The last verse of the song is practically chanted, and fiercely so.
Till We Run Out of Road 4:45
"We're leaving, we're leaving again/Can't recall where all we've been/Guess we'll just go/Go till we're too old/Or we run out of road"
This is one of the best songs on the album, melody-wise. Co-written Ty Murray, Till We Run Out of Road is a sweet, passionate song about Ty Murray and his traveling rodeo partner, who've been together through thick and thin. The song promotes a feeling of freedom, and actually gives me a floaty/flying feeling. A verse of the song is recited, with an I-don't-care manner.
Serve the Ego 4:57
"Who says a woman cannot serve?/It would be my pleasure/Who says it is not my destiny/To let you control me"
The song starts off with a defiant rock 'n' roll sound, and then a mysterious, exotic drumming emerges. Jewel's voice is sultry and incredibly sexy in Serve the Ego, which seems to about serving one's self-image. The song has a mystical feeling to it.
This Way 4:16
"Say that you'll stay/Forever this way/Forever and forever/That we'll never have to change"
The title song, This Way has a soothing, peaceful beat about someone who wants a relationship to be the way it is right now, perfect. The song has a soft pop sound, and Jewel's voice is gentle and optimistic. A seemingly popular attribute of her songs on this album, a verse of the song is spoken and not sung, but in an echo-y, dreamy voice that suits the song.
Cleveland 4:09
"You'll be my only boy/And I'll be your only girl/There's not much I can say/You're in Cleveland today"
Written in Cleveland (wow, really?), the song is about living in the moment, because heck, you're in Cleveland! Cleveland has an upbeat, sanguine attitude.
I Won't Walk Away 4:45
"Wrong or right/Be mine tonight/Harsh world be damned/We'll make a stand/Love can bind/But mine is blind/Others stray but I won't/Walk away/Walk away"
I Won't Walk Away is a slow song, almost sleepy and has a mysterious quality to it. In her "About the Song", Jewel says she approached this song trying to sing in like a jazz singer, and her voice did sound deeper and more passionate to me. The song is about not walking away from a relationship when thing's get tough.
Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone 3:47
"What's the matter?/Does your love need a home?/Alright then /Love me, just leave me alone"
The song has a country echo to it, and it sounds like something you'd hear in a saloon (do they still have those?). It speeds up after the first verse, and Jewel sings it breathily, and almost angrily (At one point, Jewel screeches). Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone is about loving someone you don't want to love.
The New Wild West 4:47
"Welcome to the new wild west/Each man for himself/A nation of civilized steeples/And lonely people/Welcome to the new wild west"
This song also has a country hum to it, and an eerie, almost creepy tune. Jewel's voice sounds almost ominous in the song.
Bonus Tracks (Recorded live):
Grey Matter 4:35
"I hate you/I love you/Leave/Don't go away/I can't decide if I like your face/Or if I wish it would stray"
Grey Matter has soft guitar playing in the background and Jewel's voice is higher than in the other songs, particularly exaggerated and echoed over it (probably because it's a live recording). The song isn't particularly musical, and the lyrics are mostly spoken.
Sometimes It Be That Way 4:12
"I said, "Oh well, I got nothing left to sell"/This love was a bell that rang unheard in the air/I was bound to find out that you didn't care/Oh well, sometimes it be that way"
At the beginning of this live recording, Jewel charmingly forgets the lyrics and starts over. The song goes back to Jewel's singing-from-a-van days. In the song Jewel "apologizes" for things happening out of her control and things that were actually someone else's fault, and stating, "Sometimes it be that way." This is definitely the kind of song you'd hear out of the back of a van or a cafe, and not in the bad sense (I bet you were thinking Pheobe from Friends and Smelly Cat, weren't you?). A very raw, passionate song, with excellent lyrics.
Jewel's This Way provides a slightly different sound than her previous two albums, but definitely worth a listen. Her soothing melodies trump her lyrics, instead of vice versa, as it was in Pieces of You. This Way is available at half.com or ebay.com for about $5, usually used, but in good condition. It's available for new at cdnow.com for $13.99, and at most major music stores. If you enjoyed This Way, I highly recommend her other two albums, and the musical stylings of Sarah MacLachlan, Enya and Dido, who have a similar (but never quite like) sound to Jewel. Thanks for reading :)
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep
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Epinions.com ID:
nycgrl
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Location: New York, New York
Reviews written: 26
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Heard about that new pirate movie? It's rated AAARGH. Laugh now.
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