Ourselves

Ourselves

Track Listings

1. Escape and Run

2. Far Away Friends

3. Save Ourselves

4. If I Abide

5. Wish I Could Help

6. Sleepn (In Memory of Robyn S. Schumacher)

7. Sister

8. Middleground

9. When One Falls

10. Some Sort of Balance

11. Seven Years

Tracks:

(We're Not) The Jet Set
So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)
Wedding Bells/Let's Turn Back The Years
When Two Worlds Collide
Milwaukee Here I Come
I Know One
It's A Cheating Situation
Back Street Affair
Loose Talk
Let's Invite Them Over
Til A Tear Becomes A Rose
In A Town This Size
We Could
We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds
In Spite Of Ourselves
Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)

Amazon.com

You've got to hand it to John Prine. On the first song on this collection of duets, he plunges valiantly into "(We're Not) The Jet Set," singing the part made famous by George Jones, the Caruso of country music. And Prine, never blessed with the most pliant pipes, promptly pancakes a note flatter than Kansas. Aw, heck! The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious turn with his first studio album since 1995's Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings. Here he's penned only the hysterically coarse title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin'-and-losin' country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given Prine's ragged-but-right voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. And you know what? It'd probably still be a charming (albeit very different) movie, because romantic comedies, like country duets, are all about chemistry, which is something In Spite of Ourselves has in excess. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Romantic country ballads for "meetin', cheatin', and retreatin'".......2007-07-02

John Prine remains a prominent artist in the country music arena; and with this album of duets with talented female singers he moves ever closer to center stage. Sure, some people say that he occasionally sings a note or two flat, but somehow this only serves to enhance his performance. His singing is sensitive, realistic and engaging; and John Prine's duet partners on this CD match him beautifully. We hear John doing duets with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Dolores Keane and more. Awesome!

The CD starts off with John and Iris DeMent singing a beautiful interpretation of "(We're Not) The Jet Set." John and Iris don't miss a note and they harmonize to perfection. This song celebrates love between a man and a woman who are, like me and most of the rest of us, middle class Americans. The musical arrangement with its guitars bolsters the number very well; but John and Iris's vocals remain squarely in the spotlight.

"So Sad (To Watch A Good Love Go Bad)" features John Prine singing with Connie Smith; John starts off singing passionately and when Connie comes in their vocals glisten brightly. The easy going, comfy musical arrangement belies the sadness of the lyrics as John and Connie lament the ending of their love affair. Love that piano, too!

Other gems on this CD include "When Two Worlds Collide;" this number has some great guitar and a handsome piano solo on it. John and Trisha Yearwood deliver this number without a superfluous note. Wow, how they sing together so well! I like the quick key changes in "When Two Worlds Collide." "It's A Cheating Situation" has John teaming up with Dolores Keane; they sing of a love they share even though they are already committed to other people. "It's A Cheating Situation" boasts a catchy melody and John and Dolores sing their hearts out for this number.

"'Til A Tear Becomes A Rose" has Fiona Prine joining John for this ballad; they sing with great sensitivity, passion and honesty about how they will be there for each other even though right now they are still involved with other people. The guitars work wonders on the arrangement; and John's slightly gravelly voice goes so well with Fiona's silky smooth voice.

"We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds" has a classic country ballad that really shines. John and Melba Montgomery sing to perfection. John's occasional flat note here and there only works to make the number even better. In addition, "In Spite Of Ourselves" is a singularly beautiful ode to an undying love even though the couple sees things in each other that they don't always like. John Prine and Iris DeMent sing quite a few flat notes--and this makes "In Spite Of Ourselves" somehow all the more charming. The guitar works very, very well. I think you will really enjoy "In Spite Of Ourselves."

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The CD ends with "Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)." "Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)" has a great upbeat catchy beat to it that belies the sadness of the lyrics about the end of a love affair. The male backup chorus harmonizes really well; and I like the guitar work on this number.

The liner notes give you the complete lyrics to all the songs along with the song credits. There is a brief essay by John Prine himself and Jim Rooney also contributes an essay. The cover artwork reflects good taste, too.

As time goes by, John Prine will remain a huge force in the world of country music. The duets on this CD feature John singing his heart out with many talented female singers, too. People who enjoy classic love ballads will also enjoy this CD; and if we're lucky John Prine will continue to entertain us for countless years to come.

Skips or burps.......2007-06-09

The track inspite of ourselfs has problems. It's skipping not what I would expect from a new cd. Very disappointed

Great sing-along songs.......2007-04-21

This is my favorite from Johnny. My ten year old granddaughter sings all the girls' parts and loves it even though she doesn't know who John Prine is. WE LOVE IT!

Excellent Album.......2007-02-27

...was introduced to John Prine's music recently by the way of a local radio show here in Orlando, FL called "Sunday Morning Coming Down". Purchased this ablum, love it and have shared this with a bunch of my friends. So far I know of at least 6 people that i have told about this album that have bought it. Worth every penny.

Duets of Discovery.......2006-12-24

In the late '90s I was hoping for John Prine's first new studio album since 1995, but was still happy to buy "In Spite of Ourselves", a collection of duets by Prine and a number of female country and folk singers. Some are classics and others are obscurities--I'm not well-versed enough in country music to know the difference, but I still enjoyed most of what's here--especially the three duets with Arkansas folk artist Iris DeMent (we bought three of her solo CDs), including Prine's outrageous title composition, paired songs "Wedding Bells/Turn Back the Years" with Lucinda Williams and the wry "In a Town This Size" with Dolores Keane. "Milwaukee Here I Come" with Melba Montgomery as Prine asks "me or Jerry Lee?" is also a hoot.

Average customer rating:

Fun listening......

We Made This Ourselves
Essie Jain
Manufacturer: Ba Da Bing
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paige Aufhammer

ASIN: B000LPR570
Release Date: 2007-02-13

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Glory
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Album Description

We Made This Ourselves, the first album by New York-via-London expat Essie Jain, is an insanely spare and sparse work. Accompanied by piano and guitar (as well as other instruments, like drums by Jim White of The Dirty Three), Jain's vocals breathe in the space between the words and phrases. The album sounds like she's surrounded by an entire orchestra, each member waiting patiently for their one moment to play, then fading again to stillness.

In 2004, she started recording at home with an eight-track. This gave her the freedom to experiment. She realized what she needed to do in order to create the sound she wanted -- nothing. Let the songs be roughly hewn. Keep them minimal. Avoid all indulgences. Let the music get as dark as it has to be. Her past few years' life experience gave rise to the lyrics that are so central to this record.

The result is We Made This Ourselves, a stunningly emotional album. At the core, Essie Jain's songs are touching, haunting melodies that can strike out on one fragile, repeating note. Yet, they sound indestructible. It's like nothing you've ever heard before, and it is spoken with a powerful quiet.

Customer Reviews:

Fun listening.............2007-07-15

Loved this original CD. Mellow, yet spicy and varied. Easy listening with great lyrics - really like poetry. Thanks, Essie and please give us another soon.

Average customer rating:

Great Union 13 Album.
best album every song is good

Why Are We Destroying Ourselves?
Union 13
Manufacturer: Epitaph / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Youth, Betrayal and the Awakening
Symptoms of Humanity

ASIN: B00000DC0T
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

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Faith
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Never Connected
Why
Virtual Everafter

Customer Reviews:

Great Union 13 Album........2005-11-03

this album i got it at my sophmore year in high school and the song a lifes story made me cry because the lyrics are very powerfull and very life changing because these men were gagnsters ans they had no point to be people killing each other for territory and made the band hes life, you wont regret it if youll buy this album.

best album every song is good.......1999-04-09

all i have to say is that it was an awsome cd every song was good and they sing very fast

Average customer rating:

Breathtaking
A truly spiritual masterpiece

The Offering

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Release Date: 1997-04-10

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The Offering
Life
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Light Like Yours
Mundaka
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Album Description

The Offering; Epiphanies and Prayer Flags begins with a few relatively upbeat songs then winds down into more praryerful, introspective ballads about our relationship to ourselves, our planet and the cosmos. These messages of hope and healing are tenderly accompanied by cello, flute, keyboards, violin, piano, bass, tabla and percussion.

Customer Reviews:

Breathtaking.......2005-12-21

Deeply meditative and heartfull - a breathtaking CD. If you are looking for meditative music with beautiful lyrics that isn't synthesized or repetitive chant, this is the best of its kind. Kirtana's lyrics are spiritually breathtaking, her voice resonant and beautiful, the instrumental arrangements equally beautiful (and real, not synthesized). These songs will open your heart, soothe your soul, and still your mind. I have this CD along with her two others (This Embrace and A Deeper Surrender) in my CD player and I just can't seem to listen to anything else. A real gem.

A truly spiritual masterpiece.......1999-08-19

Take this one with you paddling on a starry night alone. Let it paint a soft magical background for a quiet evening with a friend. Kirtana touches truth so sweetly and wraps it gently with harmonies and lyrics of silver and gold. It's a heart winner.

Average customer rating:

You'll play it again and again

Not for Ourselves Alone-Story
Ed Sweeney
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
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Waltzing With You

ASIN: B000021XSN
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

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Valley Of Strathmore
The Lover's Waltz
Good Evening My Friends
Betrayal
Chill Eastern Winds
Raging River Of Right
April Waltz

Customer Reviews:

You'll play it again and again.......2000-08-14

For anyone who saw the FANTASTIC documentary on Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, you'll agree that part of the show's success is its music. While listening to quotes by these courageous women and looking at faded photographs, there are these wonderful folk tunes playing in the background. When you turn on the CD and close your eyes, you feel whisked away to 100 years ago when life was slower and people had to endure day to day trials we can only imagine. There is a tiny bit of talking on the CD, but it is extremely minimal and doesn't detract from the music. I often put the CD into my stereo, hit the "repeat" button" and let it play over and over. It will be one of the most relaxing CD's you'll own. And, for a real treat that will change the way you look at women in today's society, trot over to the video section and buy Ken Burns' documentary NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE. Women today owe their entire way of life to Anthony and Stanton, who bravely went and did what no one had ever done before. For me, listening to these lovely tunes is a small reminder of the sacrifices they made so that women everywhere could live with more equal and enriched lives.

Average customer rating:

Symphony 9: Introduction to Dvorak
Dvorak
Manufacturer: Naxos
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Binding: Audio CD

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Classics Explained: Rite of Spring

ASIN: B000069HGK
Release Date: 2002-09-17

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underground post-hardcore/rock masterpiece
The audio equivalent of gut wrenching cramps
Excellent, early emo from godfathers of straight-edge

Ourselves
7 Seconds
Manufacturer: Restless Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Soulforce Revolution

ASIN: B000003BG2
Release Date: 1993-07-01

Tracks:

Escape And Run
Far Away Friends
the Save Ourselves
If I Abide
Wish I Could Help
Sleep
Sister
Middleground
When One Falls
Some Sort Of Balance
Seven Years

Customer Reviews:

underground post-hardcore/rock masterpiece.......2004-11-27

This was the band's debut on Restless records.
Great lyrics and music... honestly, I like it even more than Soulforce Revolution which gained more popularity and even
scored in the Billboard 200 :)
Listen to tracks like "Escape and Run" or "Far Away Friends"
and you'll fell in love with this band :)
For fans of Fugazi, Dag Nasty, Rites of Spring...

The audio equivalent of gut wrenching cramps.......2004-01-31

Slightly better than Soulforce revolution, but utterly horrlible as well... See the review of soulforce revolution for the skinny.
Rinsey beat the hell out of this album with his hamfists and called it !@#!#$
That's what Rinsey does

Excellent, early emo from godfathers of straight-edge.......2002-06-19

This was always my favorite 7 Seconds album. Like Dag Nasty and Government Issue, they made a largely unsuccessful leap to the now-defunct Giant label, perhaps in hopes of striking some REM-like charisma with the general buying public. Even with the dated "reverb over everything" production and "straight from the Crate" metal distortion, it still sounds good after all these years, and sounds huge compared to the tiny-sounding _Soulforce Revolution_. The speed-of-light one-two punk jackhammer approach of _The Crew_ has been sacrificed for burgeoning musicality. Steve Youth's snaking, busy bass work is generally quite impressive, and while Troy Mowat's drumming is a bit toned-down, it hasn't lost its power. One-album alum Bobby Adams contributes solid, occasionally-veering-on-epic guitar work (like the opener "Escape and Run"), with a strong aversion to solos. Most impressive are the downright funky "Save Ourselves" (which would fit just as well on _New Wind_) and the simple but amazing instrumental (!) "Sleep." The generic guitar tones and simple harmonies tend to cause the tracks to bleed together, and overall it could have used a bit more sonic diversity like _Soulforce_. But Seconds' sunny-side-up lyrics, toned down somewhat from the band's aggressive straight-edge past and occasionally just this side of cloying, generally strike the right notes. The album takes you out with a rollicking, but lyrically wistful "Seven Years", celebrating past members and past good times, which fades out with the band lightly chanting "If we can walk together, why cant we rock together" over some piercing feedback.

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Moonlight On Water
Alexander
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When Her Heart Opened
Moonlight On Water
In A Magical Garden
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Yellow Flowers In Her Hair
Grace
A Gentle Spinning
A Fawn
Hummingbirds In The Canyon
Inner Light
There Is Something...

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This collection of songs is a celebration of all things beautiful in nature and in ourselves. Songs one, four and six have the theme of water, but song five, "In A Magic Garden" could not be complete without water. Song seven, "Spanish Plaza At Sunset", would have to have a fountain. And, it's no stretch to say, as we are mostly water ourselves, that all life in us responds to water, sunlight, and sunlight's reflection that becomes moonlight. We are water beings on a water planet, with the flow of love making some mysterious sense of it all. Enjoy the moonlight. Enjoy the water. Enjoy the music.

Average customer rating:

beautiful

Skin and Bone
Inanna
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Beyond Tradition

ASIN: B00005JG1S
Release Date: 2000-09-23

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Diagba
Sorsonee
Rainbow People
Iaciao
Aye
Kadan
M'Balax-Djabote
Rhythmic Migrations
Let Go Let Goat

Album Description

Woman Soul Records is a label created for Inanna, Sisters in Rhythm. We aspire to stand in line with traditional drum music of Africa through this self-titled label "Woman Soul Records." This label name also comes from a song on Inanna's first CD, Listen. The inspiration of "Woman Soul" we dedicate to Audrey Lorde, the writer, poet, feminist, leader in speaking the truth and speaking loudly for things that we feel are important. Inanna represents in their embodiment of this music their womanaly soul speaking the truth of taking back the drum. The drum, the most anicent of art forms, is who Inanna is and what they love to do. Drum. Sing. Dance. That is Woman Soul Records.

Customer Reviews:

beautiful.......2007-07-31

i love these women. they have such joy in their voices when they're singing. their drumming is beautiful as well, whenever i hear this music i just want to dance around and stomp my feet and let the rhythm take me away. i want these women to sing at my wedding!