midigal's Full Review: This Fire [PA] by Paula Cole
Paula Cole is a wonderful songwriter/singer/musician. I originally bought this album when "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" and "I Don't Want To Wait" were big radio hits. I figured I would like the CD some, but I had no idea how much I would LOVE this CD.
"This Fire" is an album that, to ME, explores the process of emotional and spiritual awakenings and realizations taking a little bit of naivety away to make room for newfound wisdom. Ok, maybe it's not so profound, but it is definitely a collection of works from somebody who is doing or has done a lot of soul-searching... and I have total respect for that.
The album as a whole is amazing. The production is perfect, the vocals are wonderful (I love Paula's flowing, honest voice. She doesn't overdo it with the effects, leaving her true vocal quality to shine through. Beautiful.), the lyrics are thought-provoking... it is a work of art, in my opinion.
I'm going to go through the tracks briefly and give a bit of a summary on each...
1) Tiger
This song has a hard feel to it. This is about a girl coming into her own, so to speak. She's learning who she is and she's finally not ashamed to show her true colors to the world. Bluntly, "I want to sit with my legs wide open and laugh so loud that the whole damn restaurant will turn and look at me... Look at the tiger jumpin' out of my mouth." Great song. One of my faves.
2) Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
You've heard it on the radio. Good song. Some lyrics: "I will raise the children, while you go have a beer..." That's the turning point line of that song, in my opinion.
3) Throwing Stones
This is my favorite song on the album. This song has a driving piano track that blends well with the HARD DRIVING SNARE POP on the drum track. Even with decrescendos of the vocals and instruments, the drums still rock the same beat at the same volume. Quite interesting and fun to listen to. Great driving song. It appears to be an angry-at-my-ex song, but it really rocks. It does! Lyrics: "it's you i hope for, and us i pray for, and me that i believed that was wrong... and now my anger is my best friend - Be careful - i may bite your head off!!!"
4) Carmen
This is my least favorite song on the CD, but that's just because I tend to go for a faster tempo (unless a slow song has lyrics that will tug at my heart strings). My view of what this song means is simply what I make of it. Paula is singing about and TO "Carmen" and it seems like they had some sort of intimate relationship... Make of it what you will. Lyrics: "The way you set the table... The way you lean to tell me something soft..."
5) Mississippi
This is my second favorite song on the album. Another fast-tempo, driving beat songs. Paula's vocal ability is confirmed in this song. She can make her voice sound like a bell. She can also make her voice sound like the noise my alarm clock makes. These techniques are done strategically to work with the changing mood(s) in the song. Wonderful work. Lyrics: "Gotta piece of my heart... On the sole of your shoe... I've got a little bit of thunder... Trapped inside of a cloud..."
6) Nietzsche's Eyes
This song is apparently about Paula's grandmother. I haven't completely deciphered it, but it's a very thick, sappy, sweet song. It's quite lovely, and, though I skip this track a lot because of it's slow, molasses-like tempo, it is still a very very good song. Lyrics: "Grandmother, Mother, And now I see it in myself. I take on the water, Until the dam threatens to break. I became a little doll. My voice became too small..."
7) Road To Dead
Wow, this song will make you think. It's at an upbeat tempo great for driving (when I drive, I like something fast and loud!) and lyrically, it's quite a piece. Lyrics: "You walk the road to resurrection, And I walk the road to dead, And I'm giving you my devotion, But I walk the road to dead"
8) Me
The first time I heard this song, I was blown away. I had been going through a self-affirming phase, and this song was perfect for my situation at the time. It was the insight that I needed then. It's a medium-tempo song with light, pretty vocals. Lyrics: "And it is me who is my enemy... Me who beats me up... Me who makes the monsters... Me who strips my confidence..." Perfect piece.
9) Feelin' Love
This song is SO sensual. You can almost feel the longing she has felt by hearing the ache in her voice. This song is definitely an I'm-in-the-mood song!! And I absolutely love this song! :P This song has a slow smooth groove. Lyrics: "You make me feel like I wanna be a dumb blonde in a centerfold, the girl next door... And I would open the door and I'd be all wet..." And that's not all, folks. WOW! :)
10) Hush Hush Hush
Peter Gabrial actually makes an "appearance" on this song. I THINK I've figured out what this song means, but I am not sure. This is my opinion, but I feel that the song is about a homosexual man who is dying. I don't know WHY he is dying, but it is about his own acceptance of himself... well, I'll let you make of it what you will.. Lyrics: "Cruel joke you waited so long to show, The one that you wanted wasn't a girl. All your life you kept it hidden inside. Now when you step, You stumble. You die." It's a very nice song, and I like Peter Gabriel's input as well. :)
11) I Don't Want To Wait
The perfect album-ender. You've heard it on the radio. Medium tempo with beauiful vocals. It's overall a great song. Lyrics: "I don't want to wait For our lives to be over. I want to know right now, what will it be?"
This album is one of my favorites in my collection. I would totally recommend this album to anyone who likes lyrical depth. Also, the album rocks out a bit too, so it covers several colors on the spectrum! :) It's a wonderful CD to have.
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