Sam Phillips - Fan Dance

For Sam Phillips, the days of star-making big-budget productions have passed. Having moved from Virgin, her major-label sponsor throughout the '90s, to Nonesuch, Phillips and longtime producer and husband T Bone Burnett have set aside the Beatle-esque pop that marked her uncovered 1988 gem The Indescribable Wow and the effervescent exotica that informed 1996's Omnipop for a more subdued approach. Still, the CD boasts the kind of complex lyrical passion that is a Phillips trademark. Phillips/Burnett collaborations have long been marked by sterling musicianship and Fan Dance is no exception: Van Dyke Parks, Marc Ribot, and Gillian Welch are among the contributors here. But the star of the show remains Phillips, whose vibrant personality shines brightly throughout this welcome comeback. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

 Very Good Artistry, But To Be Honest, It Didn't Do Much For Me.
I remember hearing Sam Phillips in concert and following her early career. Of course, many of you will know in those days she went by Leslie Phillips, and recorded four excellent albums in the Contemporary Christian music scene, where she was a welcome, trend setting voice. She even got an interview with Jane Pauley on Today after the hostess heard "Here He Comes Back From The Dead" on a radio and made a negative comment on air.

Those days are past tense. She had crossed over to the secular scene over a decade before releasing this project (it's almost been 20 years total). Some artists cross over for the purpose of evangelism; my impression from others as well as this project Phillips' goal is an opportunity to express herself artistically.

I would recommend Sam Phillips to those who like, for example, Tori Amos. The sound is very innovative. However, it was not my cup of tea. There was lyrics on one song that I was very uncomfortable with ("Soul Eclipse"). I did enjoy "Edge of the World." But I enjoyed her earlier, new wave upbeat style better. November 21, 2007

 Clever Artistry
Sam Phillips is a marvel of inventive melodies. The intricate and imaginative works of art on Fan Dance continue to provoke a sense of awe, even after many, many listenings. Fan Dance is mostly acoustic, and I think such timbres may be more appropriate to this collection of Sam Phillps tunes than the Top-40 production of, say, Martinis and Bikinis. Of course this indicates a certain acquiescence to commercial obscurity, but true artists seem to be less concerned with that aspect of the business in order to keep their vision intact. And by this, too, I am charmed. Definitely filed near the front of my CD collection. June 2, 2007

 HORRIBLE AGAIN
She should of stayed leslie phillips at least there she had some vocal ability. As sam phillips she shows what its like not to be a singer. Horrible, and I wouldn't recommend to anyone. July 30, 2006

 are they kidding ?
the reason this singer songwriter hasnt hit it big is because she can barely sing and her voice isnt nice to listen to----the songs are provocative and interesting--someone else should sing them ! and the music isnt bad--- but who could listen to this??- who would want to when u can hear birds or the drone of a refrigerator humming or nothing- sweet nothing---- May 2, 2004

 Sometimes the Best Music is not Immediately Likeable!!!
I call myself the ultimate Sam Phillips fan, yet when I bought "Fan Dance", I was really disappointed and couldn't get into it at all. I really missed all the big-production music. So, I set it aside - hoping that another day maybe I might be able to appreciate it better. Well, several weeks passed and I happened to come across her video for "Incinerator" on Yahoo Music Online. I was captivated by it and watched it several times and fell in love with its minimal sound, complex and humorous lyrics, and her very sexy delivery. So, I found the CD, popped it into the player and wow, I loved it!! I think those of us who loved the big production sound of previous CDs will be initially disappointed, but if you give it a chance to grow on you, it definitely grows on you and I absolutely LOVE it!! I can't stop playing it!! This is one thing I love about Sam Phillips - she never makes a CD that sounds like any of her others. For those who found this release disappointing, I would like you to listen to two songs, "Edge of the World" and "Incinerator" - which are two songs that are the easiest to get in to. Listen to them at least three times each in one setting and I'm sure you will find that you will begin to love these songs and this will help initiate you into the rest of the CD. The song that took me the longest to like "Wasting My Time" is actually my favorite song on this disc. "How to Dream" and "Soul Eclipse" are just incredible... It is amazing to me how much 'music' is here - even though it's minimal. It takes a lot of talent to do songs like these!! A very good release from one of the best artists out there - I just wished I could have realized what a great CD this was when I first bought it!!! I give it 5-stars but my only complaint - which seems to be common here - is that the CD is so short... I am left hungry for more - which is probably why I keep playing this CD over and over!! August 6, 2003

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