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Which Patricia Barber album floats yer boat?

As far as my knowledge is concerned and from all the reading that I do, “Blood on the tracks” by Bob Dylan is considered to be his best album by far. For Joni Mitchell it is “Blue”. What really amazes me is that there is no general consensus on which album of Patricia Barber is the best. Some prefer “Modern Cool”, some “Companion”, some think “Nightclub” is her best album! I think it is “Café Blue” Why? Cause the two tracks numbered 9 (Too Rich for my blood), and 11 (Nardis) strike a chord in me like no other songs of her. They have the energy which seem to ooze out from the system in spades.

Which album of Patricia Barber floats yer boat and why?
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viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Probably because she is not in the same league as Dylan or Mitchell. But these are artists that changed styles almost continually during their ongoing careers and many would argue that some of Dylan's earlier, acoustic, work is better, as some believe that Mitchell's later jazz-influenced work is far stronger than the examples that you are citing. In fact, their strength, as artists is that they continued to re-invent themselves over time and redefined the course of popular music in so doing.
dmurfet
101 posts
 
I currently only own companion and spend most of the time wishing she would shut up and leave me with the band! Are they attached to her or do they float with the wind?
photon46
1,008 posts
 
You know, I've got to agree with Viridian. I just don't think Ms. Barber is a particularly major artist. She seems to be a favorite of those with an audiophile mind set, but there's something about her music that seems overly self conscious and too studied in it's hip self awareness. As enjoyable as her music can be, I ultimately feel a certain lack of emotion and over reliance on the cerebral aspects of songcraft prevent her from being considered among the pantheon of musical greats.
bigjoe's avatar
bigjoe
680 posts
 
none zero nada zip,for me the patricia barber craze fit's neatly into the audiophile approved play list of good recording's people use beacuse of the recording quality & the small demand's her music put on a system,maybee not the case here but with many it is.

to even put patricia barber in a class with the like's of dylan & mitchell as having a defining album is absurd,there are many difference's in style's with dylan & mitchell as Viridian pointed out above where as with barber it's all the same style,smooth & very un defining.
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