Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

 Much better!
The previous two CDs of her's before this one were less than mediocre. I didn't think they were Jewel at all. The last two CDs were lacking in lyrical content in my opinion. Goodbye Alice in Wonderland is the old Jewel! Her lyrics on this CD actually make a point. I've have liked Jewel since Who Will Save Your Soul and I am so glad she is still making music! March 22, 2008

 back to basics
almost anyway. I'm glad jewel got away from her pop stuff. it was horrible. After reading her book I understand why it happened but it was still really awful to watch jewel try to glam anything up. The album was good and very relaxing but she didn't have the same fight in her. February 11, 2008

 Hello Jewel in Beautiful-land
Sometimes (when my wife's not looking) I just stare at the cover in utter AWE. January 11, 2008

 The concept outweighs the artistry of the songs.....
I'm a big Jewel fan. I love her ethereal voice and her ability to not get sucked into the Hollywood thing, and to remain her own person. First a type of alternative artist that made the pop charts with "Pieces of You", Jewel prefers a folk style that doesn't stay in fashion, but she easily floats between genres.

This year, Jewel hosted the country music version of "American Idol"...."Nashville Star". I watched a few of the shows just to catch her in action. She says she appeared because she's a fan of the show and she really feels strongly that it tries to showcase artists who are NOT just singers, but singer-songwriters. She was real and genuine and sentimental as a host. I guess that's why I like her.

With Jewel, you also get that startling voice, the one she's not afraid to float out there on a thin, high, perfect, effortless pitch, or even the one she yodels with. Yup, she yodels. That's probably why she's slipped more and more into the country genre. She proved she could go pop with her album, "0304" and did her appearances in sexy clothes and suggestive videos. I wasn't fond of the collection, although lyrically it did have some stand outs. I will routinely go back to downloads from "Pieces of You" , especially "Who Will Save Your Soul" -- and I think her finest song is on her Christmas album; it's a piece called "A Life Uncommon".

I listened to 2006's "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland"in stages this and last year, playing it on and off a few weeks, then picking it up again, over and over. I just finished playing it again and making up my mind. It's a concept album, with Jewel winding her way through stories of her life....she tells the tale of being on an inevitable path of following the sirens of her music. As she says in the jacket....

"Ultimately, the path has turned back on itself, leading me closer to where I began, a ranch."

The songs:

Again and Again
This is the most radio-friendly (the only?) song on the CD. The refrain ...."again and again and again".... appears a lot and sticks in your head. It's a plaintive song, lyrically simple, but the message is clear - Jewel won't give up on love, even if it gives up on her. I interpret it as the feelings she had as a child who's mother disappeared from her life. Or, it may be the tale of an early love as she started out on her musical journey. Whatever causes it to be, it's a memorable song, one that builds on emotion and volume as the tune finishes.

Long Slow Slide
This is an acoustic gem that is lyrically superior. "The lights are bright in the circus, the geeks and the freaks all light cigarettes, and laugh at your misery" ... after the first phenomenal success of "Pieces of You" there is no doubt in my mind that Jewel, in attaining her heart's desire, found clay at the feet of the golden idol. This song is a testament to that surreal first brush with fame.

Goodbye Alice in Wonderland
The title cut has to grow on you. In it, Jewel sings of the rock and roll cliche. The song takes place as she's leaving LA on a plane, and it feels both figurative and literal. The song's first two verses and the chorus are plaintive, rising in volume, depth and emotion until the third verse, which is part rap and part melody. I love the song on CD, hated the video.

Bogging down... "Good Day", "Satellite", "Only One Too" bog the CD down in the middle. They are just average...there are some wake ups in the next two songs (below) and then the rambling "Last Dance Rodeo" has you nodding off again, before Jewel finishes on the high notes.

Words Get in the Way
This is the seductive Jewel, and the tune is about that feeling we've all felt when we fall deeply in lust and think it's love. Lyrically, it's a little bankrupt. I think she's parodying the fact that we all love the feelings of this kind of deep attraction, and keep looking for it again and again throughout life. Words actually do get in the way of this kind of attraction. It's all physical. Again, the tune has a place in the parade of the CD, and there's some strong background, especially in the form of piano. It, too, has an 80's feel.

Drive to You
If you don't like alternative country, you won't like this song. The mood is bluesy, the voice soars. This is a song about being alone, about being on the road. Much of Jewel's music displays a vulnerability that makes it completely feminine. This song is different - I can hear it being covered by a lot of male country artists (..."I've seen sorrow in a pair of dice...")Again, producer Rob Cavallo has provided superlative percussion (Luis Conte is the drummer).


Fragile Heart
As Jewel begins the tale of her last romance and current relationship, she turns to pop, voice, and simplistic lyrics. You can't help but listen. It wakes you up to the album again.

Stephenville,TX
This song isn't popular with a lot of her fans. Hell, she really brings out the country, talking and singing. Lyrically, this song reveals everything Jewel believes in of herself and about herself. It rambles, and it might drive you crazy. Probably, you'll see the beauty of it only if you read the lyrics as she sings the song. I loved it and I'll usually listen to it twice whenever I play the CD.

Where You Are
Jewel's got some of those high, ethereal phrases in this lovely ballad. The percussion and harmonies make the song more musically interesting than some of the acoustic pieces that have come before. One of my favorites on the album.

1000 Miles Away
She returns to acoustic to wrap it all up, and uses the power of her voice for emphasis. There's real feeling in her voice as it wraps around the words, and leaves the listener (who feels a little of the voyeur in Jewel's life and loves) just a little undone at the thought of the depth of feeling and love that drove this song lyrically.


The summary:

It's a little self-indulgent, and that's probably why it will stand out for Jewel, personally, even if it isn't as popular with her fans as was "Pieces of You". Lyrically, I think she's as strong as ever, and I admire her ability to do exactly what she wants to with her music.

October 18, 2007

 Better than 0304
This album is better than 0304 but still lacks the brilliance of Jewels first 2 albums Pieces of You and Spirit. Ive been a fan since the release of Pieces of You but am dissapointed with the last few albums she has released. I reallt think that she could do better. This album has some really good songs but as a whole it is dissapointing. October 5, 2007

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