Mary ann and the gravediggers (Mary Ann Meets The Gravediggers And Other Short Stories - Regina Spektor)

Member Name: rachieb123

Product:	Mary Ann Meets The Gravediggers And Other Short Stories - Regina Spektor
Date:	27/06/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: dvd extra cd

Disadvantages: a few songs i dont like

Russian born, new york raised singer songwriter Regina Spektor never fails to bring a unique and interesting level to the music industry. The release Mary Ann and the Gravediggers, is by far her most inventive and most "out there" album, in my opinion. Track listing is as follows:
Disc: 1
1. Oedipus
2. Love Affair
3. Poor Little Rich Boy
4. Sailor Song
5. Mary Ann
6. Prisoners
7. Consequence of Sound
8. Daniel Cowman
9. Lacrimosa
10. Pavlov's Daughter
11. Chemo Limo
12. Us
Disc: 2
1. Survival Guide to Soviet Kitsch
2. Us (Video)


Most importantly, Regina's songs make the listener think, they are so widely varied, drawing on influences from greek mythology, with Oedipus, the myth of a boy who inadvertenly kills his father and sleeps with his mother, albeit unbeknown to him at the time. Pavlov's daughter is a clear draw on her Eastern Europen background, Prisoners touches on the New Testament, with the lines, "for the walls to somehow come tumbling, crumbling down, for the bars to somehow, magically, break," as they are described as doing in the new testament, when an earthquake causes one of God's servants to escape. Regina's music is so experimental, it is easy for people to dismiss her as not very good, even slightly eccentric, yet it is her willingness to put herself out there that makes her so very talented, and so very amazing.
The first disc features the all time classic and widely acclaimed favourite by fans, "US," which allows the cd to showcase Regina's best with her, not worst, but less interesting songs. Although overall I would recommend this cd to everyone, I would not however deny the existence of any faults. Personally I am less fond of the songs Daniel Cowman, Pavlov's Daughter and Lacrimosa, however the benefits of the cd far outweigh any downsides in my opinion. The disc is a combinations of studio masterpieces as well as raw piano solos, contrasting throughout not only Regina's vocal ability but also her ability as a composer, to use a variety of instruments to create a cd of varying songs, making it well worth the money.

The second disc is a great bonus. The video for us is a truly special and creative idea, it features Regina playing an piano with oversized keys, and also has kind of Mary Poppins effect about it, but I iwll let you discover that for yourselves when you watch it.
Overall, although Regina is often compared to artists the like of Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, I think although I too love these artists, it is fair to say Regina stands clearly apart from these other artists, on her own, experimental yet amazing platform.

This review is my own work, it is also posted on other sites.

Summary: overall a great album which i enjoy listening to