Sam Phillips - A Boot and a Shoe

On A Boot And A Shoe Sam Phillips fully realizes the sound she began exploring on her acclaimed Nonesuch debut, Fan Dance. The new music is simple while sophisticated, rich but economical, deriving much of its power from restraint and subtlety. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the record's 13 songs unfold with the intimacy and organic coherence of a live show. Album Description

 Every Track Rocks!
I've been holding out on getting this CD and tried for awhile to look for a used copy locally. I finally broke down and ordered it from Amazon, and while the CD arrived toward the end of when Amazon said I should be expecting it, it was certainly worth the wait. Every track is wonderful. Hearing track two is what piqued my interest in the first place, but after listening to the whole disk, I really don't have any favorites. I listen to the whole thing all the way through each time. January 3, 2008

 A brilliant album
This is not just a good album--it's a truly great album that can hold its own against the best pop/rock albums of the past four decades. By turns witty and heartbreaking, it's an album by an adult for adults, filled with beautiful melodies and insightful, soulful lyrics about life, love, and loss. The sparse, almost demo-like, arrangements, often supplemented by the creative use of string quartet, are perfect in creating a moody, intimate feel that manages to blend elements of (among other things) 1930s German expressionism with 1960s British pop. The result is stunning. "How to Quit," "All Night," "Open the World," "Reflecting Light," "I Wanted to Be Alone," "One Day Late"--they're all classics. In fact, there isn't a single weak song on the album. This is a collection of gems, the work of an appallingly underrated artist in peak form. April 29, 2007

 A boot and a shoe but not wrong-footed
There sure are some angry reviewers out there. Some people obviously didn't like this which is fine, but they sound like they didn't like it for quite the wrong reasons. Sam is no longer Leslie and Leslie no longer Sam and vice versa (although they are the same). This is a very good album, and Sam Phillips can write some really twisty and intruiging lines. The musianship is impeccable and has a late-night appeal to it. Marc Ribot is one of the more interesting and technically brilliant guitar players around. It doesn't posess the brighter, uplifting moments that highlight "Fan Dance" but I suspect that it's probably reflective of her own troubled times. The song 'Help is coming' (one day late) is my favourite track. It sounds like a sad song but appears to be saying that help comes though not just when we expect it, or according to our deadline. Don't shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes. Interestingly, T Bone Burnett has a song on his most recent album, The True False Identity, 'Shaken, Rattled and Rolled' that also sounds mournful but is really a song of awakening and renewal. There is light here only without giant billboards by the roadside, telling us where to look or what to buy and what to wear. Sam Phillips is usually worth the effort. February 22, 2007

 Leslie and early Sam was better!
When Leslie became Sam, she had an interesting sound but since Fan Dance, I've been more and more turned off by this sparse dense sounding effort. It's really dull and not very inventive. Leslie Phillips was on the top of her game with Black & White & A Grey World, and The Turning. Beyond Saturday Night and Dancing with Danger were also quite good, but she hadnt matured yet as an artist (Christian or other). As Sam, The Indescribable Wow and Cruel Inventions were very interesting. She started going in this musical direction with The Turning, and continued to do so even more with these Sam Phillips releases. With Martinis & Bikinis, she hit the Beatlesque style on the head but it started to grow a little predictable. Then with Fan dance, I was very let down. Seems she is trying too hard to stay out of any catagory, or really hit an audience (only a few die hard fans that enjoy her down beat style). Boot & A Shoe is by far her most uninteresting CD (also very short in length), that really bored me. I can't see too many people buying her CD's if she stays sruck in this style, time to break out and reinvent! December 23, 2006

 Overated
This artist is way over rated. I guess if you know the right people, anyone can get a record contract. Her hubby is a famous producer and Sam once sang about Jesus so she uses her clout to make really bad music that nobody buys. A sad state of affairs!! Grade F- December 22, 2006

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