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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?
128x128quadophile
the_smokester
174 posts
 
It seems, for reasons I cannot divine, that one either loves her or hates her.

My (two) favorites are "Companion" since it is recorded live and has lots of old-school ambience, and "Cafe Blue" in 45rpm vinyl where the renditions of "Too Rich for My Blood" and "Nardis" are outstanding and--for me--hair raising.

I agree that the studio recordings lack "presence" which detracts from otherwise strong performances. Also, the angst in some of her tracks (particularly Modern Cool) some regard as artificial and superficial but I accept as amusingly sardonic and ironic (whatever she were intended).
fishboat
245 posts
 
I too was surprised at the negativism...as "do you think PB is overated?" wasn't the question.

Personally I have all her cds & enjoy each one. On top of her & her band's talent I think she/they have a unique sound. "Unique" is hard to find and a special joy if it trips your trigger. (Zappa comes to mind when I think unique.)

The

"I currently only own companion and spend most of the time wishing she would shut up"

comment was actually kind of funny as shutting up and letting the band play is one of the things I DO like about her. Norwegian Wood off Fortnight in France...if this isn't letting the band play...awesome cut.
the_kid's avatar
the_kid
465 posts
 
I have Modern Cool and Night Club. Great recordings but the music has no substance. Sorry.. File under Easy Listening...

KiD
sit
315 posts
 
Cafe Blue. Ms. Barber is not a Dylan or a Mitchell but then who is. I enjoy her work for what SHE is doing.
[Playing her work on either LP or SACD also makes me feel like I have even better audio systems than I do, which seems to help me minimize all of the tweeking I try to do after playing so much of the poorly engineered stuff out there (whether LP, tape, or CD).]
photon46
1,008 posts
 
Quadophile, sorry if my response came off too negative. You threw out a question "what album floats yer boat" and why? When you ask a direct question like this in a public forum, we can't expect only postive responses about questions of taste, musical or otherwise. I no doubt entertain musical pleasures that will cause others to wretch and run screaming from the room. That's ok, it would be a less interesting world if we all shared the same tastes.
Peace.
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