Moon over 97th Street
Ina May Wool
Bang Zoom Records
1999
12 tracks
I try very hard to provide balanced reviews, reviews which point out the positive but also suggest areas where improvement may be possible. For a couple of reasons, it may not be possible to write such a review of Ina May Wool's new release. For one thing, Moon over 97th Street is just too good. For another, her work defies classification, so it is difficult to find models against which to compare it. This is a very impressive debut album by an artist who is sure to stand the test of time.
Ina May Wool seems a study in contrasts. For me, her old-fashioned name conjures up a woman of my grandmother's generation, but her promotional package features a photo of a very beautiful young woman looking very Leona Boyd, her charisma shining through even in black and white. Her music is like that too: never quite what one expects yet always beautiful and expressive.
If comparisons were possible, I would compare this release to French popular music of the Forties and Fifties, especially the songs of Edith Piaf, or to Jim Steinman's songs as expressed by Meatloaf. These songs are theatre, stories told to music, closer to show music than to American pop. Yet this is clearly American music. While the reference may be made to Piaf, Wool's voice tends more toward Emmy Lou Harris or Rita Coolidge.
Wool's husband and producer is Daniel A. Weiss, associate conductor of the Broadway musical Rent, which may help explain the show music sound of this release, but it is Wool's lyrics and the emotion evident in her vocal expression which bring these songs to life. Wool not only sings but feels her lyrics. As much as singing, this is powerful acting, story telling at its best.
Wool's lyrics are tightly written and poetic, yet mostly they manage to maintain a colloquial, conversational feel that, even with the very formal arrangements on this release, gives the sense of a story being told casually. These are lyrics that can easily stand on their own as poems.
It seems impossible to choose a "best" song from this release. If pressed, I might choose Wool's sensitive tribute to Janis Joplin, followed closely by "Dark Star" or "Don't Wanna Wait" followed by whichever song I had heard most recently.
Anyone who enjoys owning the recordings a star made before becoming a star will not be disappointed by owning this very classy release.
That's about as balanced as I can get in this case. Ina May Wool is just too good.
Those interested in learning more about Ina May Wool can check out her home on the internet.
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Review Written: June 8, 1999
Page Last modified: February 14, 2004
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