by Diana Krall List Price:$18.00 Our Price:$13.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Label: Verve
Average Customer Review: 0 Based on 0 reviews.
Sales Rank: 216
Tracks
1.
Abandoned Masquerade
2.
I'm Coming Through
3.
Departure Bay
4.
Narrow Daylight
5.
Black Crow
6.
I'm Pulling Through
7.
Love Me Like A Man
8.
I've Changed My Address
9.
Almost Blue
10.
Temptation
11.
The Girl In The Other Room
12.
Stop This World
13.
I'm Coming Through
14.
I'm Pulling Through
15.
I've Changed My Address
Editorial Review
Singer/pianist Diana Krall breaks new ground interpreting modern standards by Tom Waits, Mose Allison, and Joni Mitchell, as well as compositions by herself and new husband, Elvis Costello. Krall's piano-jazz cred comes through loudly and clearly on her Count Basie-styled version of the Bonnie Raitt staple "Love Me Like a Man" (written by folk-bluesman Chris Smither). But it's the collaborations with her spouse that unearth untapped emotional nuances of her velvet voice; many are reminiscent of Bill Evans's moody, impressionistic pieces. The title track, "Narrow Daylight," "Abandoned Masquerade," and "I’m Coming Through" all deal with love and loss. "Departure Bay," a picturesque ode to her hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., proves that this is the start of something big, and that two heads--and hearts--are better than one. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 Diana Follows the Tradition of the Greats
Diana's new CD takes her in another direction that continues to show her very versatile talents. Just as the greats from the past, Ella, Sarah, and Carmen showed their talent by varying from their usual jazz venue to show their expertise in show tunes, blues, pop and other varied styles; Diana is able to do the same. Hope she follows up with her roots of jazz and also continues to experiment with other styles. She can probably do it all!
Rating:
2 It's NOT Diana...
I expected more,,a lot more. Boring songs..and lyrics..Live in Paris is one of the WORLD'S best recordings...The FEEL is what Diana is about.......Oh well...better luck next time..Thanks Al...You're great...Diana you are too,,not this time..Sorry
Rating:
2 The artist is free to choose her direction
Diana's music in this CD is well-liked by many people. It's new and different and, as an artist, I'm sure she will continue to explore the many musical avenues open to her. To my ears, the Diana Krall of yesteryear is the Diana I thoroughly enjoy, with her peak performance being the "Live in Paris" offering. In the past, she has given us a fresh interpretation of the old standards. If you've been listening to music for sixty years, you'll most likely prefer the "old standards" -- it's a comfort thing. I hope she continues to do well -- she's a hard-working, talented lady. I also hope that she will consider recording some of the familiar music of earlier times.
Rating:
2 Not a catastrophe but THIS IS NOT JAZZ
Diana Krall is trying to market herself to both the NOrah Jones fans and the Alt Rock (Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello) fans. Unfortunately this is NOT the material she should be singing. I wish she would go back to Jazz and not do Rock covers. PLEASE!
Rating:
2 Diana's alter ego
The comparisons critics are making of this program to the music of Louis Armstrong. Count Basie, and Bill Evans merely illustrate the lengths to which promoters will go to proclaim their "contemporaneity" or to save a genre of music that admittedly has been seeking direction and lasting heroes over the past ten years. This album is no more nor less than Diana applying jazz chops to melodies far less inventive or cohesive than those of the American Songbook, to chords and voicings that replace harmonic complexity with triadic simplicity, and to lyrics that, when intelligible, eschew compact metrics and wit in favor of a more confessional, open-ended, "recitative" discourse. Having paid the price, Krall fans will undoubtedly listen hard and attentively until they find much of musical value; and new fans to Krall, we might hope, will find the Costello and Waits material sufficiently compelling to spring for her more "traditional" recordings. After one listen, I'm frankly content to eat my monetary investment and use the time saved to explore some additional Armstrong, Basie and Evans.
Rating:
5 A Journey That Is Well Worth The Effort!
There comes a time in most artists careers when they must diverge from the beaten path and look deep inside their own talent pool to create unique art that is hopefully innovative, interesting, and advances the art form to a different level. That is exactly where Diana Krall is right now in her career.After recording numerous albums covering the great standards of the past, Diana seems absolutely determined to create some of her own standards for the future. With Elvis Costello as collaborator, Diana has taken this opportunity to put forth a very original and musically inventive album, which makes the listener sit-up straight and really pay attention to the musical nuances that are displayed through her vocal interpretations and her tasty playing. On the surface it may seem that this version of Diana Krall may not be your cup of tea, but I truly believe that if you give this album a real good listen that you will discover that this is a journey that is well worth the effort!If you are in the mood for some bigger, brassier, swingin' versions of tunes from the Great American Songbook, I would also recommend Monte Procopio "Swingin' With Style" CD. His 13-piece band swings and Monte can really sing the standards. Buy both these artists, you can't go wrong!
Rating:
5 the best yet from Diana Kralll
I always thought that Diana Krall was nice to listen to, but with nothing extra that made me buy any records of her. That was until I saw and heard her Live in Paris DVD, where the Canadian singer stepped out from the former slick and almost icy approach and delivered that extra. Suddenly you could feel the warmth in her voice, her ultra sensual charisma came through with full force - I was hooked. Still feel though that her albums are too polished for my taste, I stick with the fantastic live DVD.Now Mrs Krall has made a studio album that connects to the feeling on the Live DVD. The musical setting is much more intimate than on her previous albums. Basically you have one tight band, where the two most impressive musicians to my ears are Anthony Wilson on guitar and Christian McBride on bass. Diana Krall herself sings like a goddess and plays a very good piano. The songs are a mix of jazz, blues and pop, with a more rootsy feeling than her usual repertoire. There are also a mixture of covers and original songs. The originals are all written by Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, though Costello has only contributed to the music on the majestic title track, otherwise he has stuck to the words. There is a natural flow to the song sequence on the album and the originals stand up very good to the covers. There are in my opinion no weak songs on the album, and my favourites (today) are the title track (Krall/Costello) and Temptation (Tom Waits).Audiowise the album is very good recorded and produced. Highly recommendable!!
Rating:
5 From Nat King Cole to Elvis King Costello ...
Hard to believe after listening to this outstanding album that a few years ago Diana Krall was tweaking the 1940s-vintage Nat King Cole trio formula, sounding more often than not like a breath of fresh air inside a traditionalist retro-jazz mode. After several similiar albums Diana showed she was willing to break out of her musical comfort zone with the orchestrated bossa-driven THE LOOK OF LOVE. Yet that out-of-the-box experience hardly prepared us for THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM, which for the most part offers all-new material, much of it composed by Diana Krall herself (often in collaboration with her brilliant spouse Elvis Costello). It's only a little exaggeration to say she's gone from the Y1K to the Y2K great American songbook. The LOOK orchestrations are gone, the small jazz combo format is back but with drums included full-time. Overall the sound retains the attractive jazz elements of her past (swing, improvisations), but at times takes a tougher, bluesier stance. Diana's voice takes the lead in this area, sounding slightly worn but in a good, emotively-compelling manner that matches the depths of the excellent compositions. Speaking of the sophisticated tunes, without exception they manage to twist melodies and lyrics in fresh directions. Amazingly, the sum total of this disc bends the rules without breaking the spirit of Diana's best past efforts, managing to be instantly attractive yet certain to reward repeated listens no doubt for years to come. The album mixes mid-tempo tunes with elegant ballads, no less bold and artistically successful as recent eclectic CDs by the likes of Cassandra Wilson. Furthermore, as much as I loved all of Miles Davis' transitions throughout his career, I admit that he tended to lose fans along his journey. But at this point, I'd say that Diana's managed to evolve in a manner that will keep her long-time fans on board while adding new ones. In fact, speaking of Miles I was thinking this may be Diana's KIND OF BLUE (relatively speaking). Overall, THE GIRL... s
Rating:
5 havent heard it
Presumptous as it may be, I haven't heard this album but Diana is a princess of jazz and anything she does I love! I will buy this when I can afford it!
Rating:
2 Even great musicians ocassionally lay an eqq!
I have all of her Verve recordings. They have all be excellent, until this one; The musicianship and production on this album are outstanding (typical Verve), but the material is weak. One would think with some of the best musicians in the buisiness one couldn't go wrong. Oh well, I hope she makes a strong come back on her next album and that she doesn't let Elvis drag her down.
Rating:
1 Can't Justify the Hype
After hearing so many great things about her, I finally decided to purchase my first Diana Krall CD. Perhaps this offering wasn't a good place to start because I was unimpressed. I thought the production and lyrics were solid....the problem for me was Ms Krall's singing. I found Krall's vocal delivery emotionless, dry and weak. I did find two songs pleasant, but that was not enough to justify more than one star. While I applaud Ms Krall for being instrumental in revitialing the vocal jazz scene, I am sorry that I'm not a fan of her music.
Rating:
5 Among Diana's Best Three Albums
I don't know what the fuss is all about.After reading all the negative reviews I was really fearful of buying this CD.It happened to be among Diana's best! (Together with All For You, and Love Scenes)She steers away from the "Elevator Music" tendencies found in her latest CD's and comes back to the moody, piano-rich ambiance of the albums that made her famous.I don't particularly like Elvis Costello, but if it was his influence that made her come back to her roots then I'm more than ready to enjoy more of their collaborations.H.
Rating:
1 One Time Only for the Girl in the Other Room
Okay, this is what I get from this. It is not really bad stuff, but it's not great, either. It is sort of like a bit of Julie London and Peggy Lee with some Bill Evans style piano playing thrown in, then watered down to make it easier to digest for the pop audience. Not as terrible as some have said... but nothing I care to play more than one time. It's pretty bland for jazz in my book. The Costello-Krall songs are not well written and don't go anywhere, either.
Rating:
5 THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM IS GREAT!!!
NEVER MIND THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS FROM BORING, BITTER & AFRAID OF ANYTHING NEW "MUSIC LOVERS". PITY THEM. BUY THIS CD & EXPAND YOUR MUSICAL HORIZONS!!!
Rating:
3 Diana*** - Dena*****
I went to two jazz concerts recently one by Diana Krall, and one by Dena Derose. Diana perforrmed most of the songs from her latest album. It simply wasn't up to her standards, musically or vocally. I was hoping in concert that Diana would really sell these songs. I hate to say this but, they don't sound much better live than her CD, songs performed went over with less than enthusiastic reception-- all the songs were slow and boring, felt no emotion, and "many people left halfway through the concert."This was very disappointing". ANOTHER CONCERT, more enjoyable was Dena Derose. Dena DeRose gets inside the lyrics, and with a slight vibrato to end her phrases and a luxurious tone, she can be absolutely commanding. Her phrasing as a singer is immaculate. Her strong piano soloing is a pleasure, Versatile, resourceful, and genuine, Dena DeRose is without a doubt one of jazz's most exciting singers. Dena DeRose is a singer-pianist who gives deeply-felt life to her interpretations of ballads and standards. Her sense of phrasing and understanding of the lyrics is impeccable. Suddenly songs that I've heard hundreds of times before came alive as Dena sang the lyrics in a way that perfectly conveyed the story they were meant to tell.
Rating:
5 Don't Dismiss a Different Diana!
My review title is a little misleading, as I feel Diana isn't really so different with 'The Girl in the Other Room'. But so many people think she is. What this album truly is (to me, anyway) is a natural progression in Diana's evolution as a musician.I can partially understand the scathing negativity spewed by certain reviewers here. After all, so many great musicians - upon moving outside the narrow confines of a genre that seemed to define them - often find themselves abandoned by short-sighted fans who insist the artiste remain a sort of human jukebox. Think Joni Mitchell, as a grand example.'The Girl in the Other Room', in my opinionated opinion, is a tremendous breakthrough for Krall. Those who stupidly think she's not 'jazz' anymore probably got confused along the way with beautiful and poignant tracks like 'Narrow Daylight' and 'Departure Bay'. Comparisons to Norah Jones are not only laughable; they're insulting.Just listen to 'Love Me Like a Man'. Listen to 'Stop This World'. Listen to her spot-on cover of 'Black Crow' - if you're even that much of a learned music expert to know it's from Joni Mitchell's legendary album Hejira. If this review comes over sounding defensive, it is because I am.It is frustrating to see that so many people are ready to trash this album without truly giving it a thorough listen. Okay, so it's not 'All For You'. It's not the strings-laden 'The Look of Love'. GET OVER IT. Diana will not be pigeon-holed. There's only so many of those revered standards one can record before it gets old. Let the girl make some NEW music for a change, and learn to enjoy the ride she takes you on. I guarantee if you listen to 'The Girl in the Other Room' with open ears and an open mind (instead of expecting the same old thing) you will find a new appreciation for Diana's talent.
Rating:
5 She's Good Again
After the very disappointing "The Look of Love" Diana is back with a good studio effort. I'm not surprised this record disappoints some people, as they would prefer to hear her sing some standards again. The truth is this could be her best record so far, the songs are intimate and very creative. Her choices of cover songs are more contemporary and less commercial however they are wonderfully played and sung and not as syrupy as her last effort. Her cover of Elvis's classic Almost Blue (once covered by Chet Baker) is beautiful and complements their original compositions.Elvis Costello's lyrics were inspired by Diana's direction however surprisingly they are dark not that it should be unexpected as typically Elvis writes melancholy lyrics. Also with the recent passing of Diana's Mother some songs reflect that loss. I thought however their recent found love for each other would be more evident on their co-written songs.This is a great new direction for Diana and a positive step forward for Jazz. Jazz can not continue to simply repeat standards and keep it self a stagnate art of another time. Perhaps the jazz purist will be disappointed but more important this might turn a new generation on to the Jazz of their time and the classics of tomorrow.
Rating:
4 Go Into The Room
Diana Krall's new album, The Girl In The Other Room, is an eloquent, beautiful new record. Ms. Krall shares writing credits with her husband, Elvis Costello, on half of the album's twelve tracks and adds a cover of his "Almost Blue" for good measure. There are also covers of Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Mose Allison and Tom Waits songs. Her version of Mr. Waits' "Temptation" is a brilliant take. Ms. Krall's sultry voice provides a sensual interpretation of the track not heard before and "Love Me Like A Man" also heats up the album. But the original songs find Ms. Krall in a melancholy mood. Deeply affected by the loss of her mother, songs like "Departure Bay", "Abandoned Masquerade" and "I'm Coming Through" are laced with grief and longing. "Narrow Daylight" has a sense of hope, but the overall mood of the last four songs have a heartbreaking sentimentality that show Ms. Krall has grown into a mature songwriter.
Rating:
3 A departure, but not bad
I can understand why some Diana Krall fans dislike this CD, but I have to admit that I much prefer this approach over the overly rich, orchestral production of her previous outing, "The Look of Love." Even though the Elvis Costello influence is far more prominent than necessary here, it is refreshing to hear Diana add some more blues to her roster, such as the Tom Waits tune "Temptation." Several of the Krall/Costello numbers might better have been placed on bonus tracks until Diana Krall gets more of a handle on her own songwriting abilities, as well as to spare us from Costello overkill. Despite its shortcomings, this CD is definitely more revealing of the real Diana Krall, who had recently suffered the loss of her mother. Her personal feelings are reflected in the self-penned tunes, especially "Departure Bay" and "I'm Coming Through." Her version of "I'm Pulling Through" evokes similar themes. I personally could do without "Almost Blue," "Abandoned Masquerade," and the weakest track, "I've Changed My Address." But overall, one has to respect her foray into new territory and marvel at her interpretive piano skills. Vocally, she's still the same Diana but for a few problematic pronounciations of words with "r's" such as "smears," "tears," "fears," etc. Other than that, I think this CD can grow on you, and also, I do believe she is staying true to her jazz roots by exploring new terrain and not being formulamatic. After all, she could be churning out facsimiles of "When I Look In Your Eyes" for years to come, but she obviously aspires to continue growing as an artist . Good for her.(P.S. If you want to hear a superlative interpretation of Joni Mitchell, be sure to check out Dianne Reeve's stunning rendition of "River" on "The Best of Dianne Reeves.") Also, one minor complaint about Diana Krall. Why does she insist on covering other artist's signature songs (in this case, Bonnie Raitt/Love Me Like a Man, previously Dusty Springfield/Look of Love?) She should be pursuing her own signature songs, such as what she did with "Peel Me a Grape."
Rating:
1 Great in the past, and hopefully again in the future
Diana Krall should be credited by helping to end the obnoxious screaming and yelling that became popular with the "love anthems" of Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Michael Bolton in the 90s. Thank goodness that is going out of style and this new calming and romantic sound is coming into vogue.Unfortunately, this is probably a bit too watered down, introspective and muted to be exciting, passionate or particularly interesting for more than one listening. DIana's "Look of Love", "Love Scenes" and "Live in Paris" tower above this effort and I hope she gives us more of this type of brilliance again in the future.This CD is imaginative, but seems aimless and confused.
Rating:
4 MIXED BLESSINGS....
The reason I bought this CD was for Krall's sultry and seductive cover of Tom Waits' "Temptation". It's great. The songs she and her husband Elvis Costello wrote are just so-so. But there are two more delights to be found here. Her version of the Bonnie Raitt song "Love Me Like A Man" really rocks. It's got a good honky-tonk swing that's hard to resist. Her cover of Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow" is nice also. Krall obviously has an appreciation for this song and it shows. She's an excellent musician and vocalist. She knows jazz and her talent is on fine display here. However, the tracks with Costello are weak and don't blend well with the good covers she's done for a smooth flowing CD. I would still recommend "Girl in the Other Room" for her covers of Waits, Raitt and Mitchell's songs. The opening track, a cover of Mose Allison's "Stop the World" isn't bad either. It promises something that doesn't quite deliver on the whole. Still, Krall is always interesting and anything she does is worth checking out.
Rating:
3 Good thing there was a piano in the other room!
Taken from At Jims Place www.atjimsplace.blogspot.comThe Girl In The Other Room -Diana KrallTrack 6 is fantastic. Diana wanted a different sound.... she found it! The title of this track is "Love Me Like A Man". It's kind of a jazzy, bluesy thing. Uptempo, hard driving and great. Diana's smoky voice is very well suited to the song and, best of all, her piano is back on track, big time. Side man Anthony Wilson is there with his electric guitar. Wilson is outstanding, as usual. Unfortunately, that's about it. With this release, Krall leaves behind the great standards that helped propell her to enormous world wide success. Instead of standards, for this recording Krall drew material from several excellent contemporary writers. Tunes written by Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Mose Allison and her new hubby, Elvis Costello, are featured. Also present are 6 songs co-written by Krall & Costello. It's not that the songs are bad, it's just that when compared with all of those great old standards we've come to associate with Krall, they pale dramatically. The best thing about this recording is that Diana has returned to the piano. Ahhhh, the girl.... and her piano... in the other room.My 10 point ratings are: Music, 6.5 of 10. Performance, 8 of 10. Recording, 9.5 of 10. Cautiously recommended.
Rating:
4 Much Better Than Many of the Reviews Would Have You Think
I too have written a negative review of a Diana Krall release, but it was one of the recent 'heavy on the strings / short on the trio / very short on good piano' CDs. I almost did not buy this CD because of the number of negative reviews on Amazon, but I'm very glad that I tried it anyway. Frankly, I hear none of the adulterating influences that many reviewers attribute to Mr. Elvis Costello. These songs, though they're not the jazz and torch classics that populated her previous albums, have a character and performance that typifies much of the rest of her work. Gone are the syrupy strings and orchestral accompaniments, the sparse piano work, and sublimation of the jazz trio interplay that made her earlier CDs so good. And if none of these songs are destined to become classics, most of them are very good. The title track is a beautiful, haunting song which I could not get out of my mind after the initial hearing. The covers of Temptation, Black Crow, and Stop This World are better than other recorded performances. The piano is up-front in most of these songs, and the arrangements are masterfully done. Of special note are the piano work in the title track and the spare and atmospheric use of the Hammond in Tom Waits' song. Mr. Costello wrote or co-wrote (with Diana) many of the lyrics of these songs, and they have come under especial vituperation in other reviews. Here, too, I disagree. After listening to and reading the lyrics of the original songs on this release, I find them to be far above the quality of lyrics encountered in most popular music, and if they lack the profundity of though inherent in some (rare) classic songs of the past, there's certainly nothing for the composers to be ashamed of. Indeed, many jazz standards have lyrics that aren't worthy of much consideration: Straighten Up and Fly Right, The Frim Fram Sauce, Broadway,...to name some from previous Diana Krall albums. All in all, I found this CD to be very enjoyable and of a quality similar to some of her previous works. To her credentials as a pianist and vocalist she displays solid strengths as a composer and lyricist. Much to my loss if I hadn't tried this....
Rating:
5 Finally, the one...
Diana Krall ultimately made it. The setting with the jazz band rather than an orchestra brings an intimate feeling. Right tempo, great songbook and the voice create "be here now" atmosphere. The album sets the mood.Listen to the record either loud or low, you will be amazed with its feeling of closeness to you that still allows space for aloofness.Stop The World sets the spirit of the recording and promises a great adventure through the music journey with Diana Krall. And the rest of the album does not disappoint. Indeed. Temptation is, of course, the track that can be played again and again. You won't be able to resist listening to it one more time, every time. Abandoned Masquerade brings scenery of a late night cafe - dimmed lights, a few remaining guests, deep smoke from cigars in the air. The last track on the disc proves great thought put behind the record. Nowadays, there are not many records that end in a way they should be. The Girl In The Other Room with its Departure Boy is a rare exception. You wouldn't end the record in a better way. Don't tempt yourself. You can't resist listening to Diana Krall this time. This record will definitely be the one for jazz record of the year.
Rating:
5 Diana Krall - The Girl In The Other Room
The most famous export of the small Canadian coastal city of Nanaimo, British Columbia (with the tasty chocolate-custard Nanaimo bar running a close second), sultry jazz diva Diana Krall is back with a brand-new husband, brand-new songs and a brand-new album. The Girl In The Other Room finds the singer/pianist collaborating with husband Elvis Costello on six original compositions (out of twelve songs in total), a choice that's resulted in a more openly personal musical experience. Though some may be tempted to play spot-the-Costello-influence (the confident rendition of Bonnie Raitt's Love Me Like A Man, perhaps?), Krall holds her own with ease ¡ but did anybody doubt it after 2001's The Look Of Love? Interestingly, though most of her previous releases dealt with love, love and more love, this new album isn't as explicitly romantic, as if Krall has been able to lay aside her yearnings and, quite literally, start singing a different tune. The album begins with Mose Allison's Stop This World, followed by the Krall/Costello-penned title track with its quiet, lonely heroine, then by I've Changed My Address which describes Krall's returning to her jazz club roots only to discover that the club has been turned into a sports bar.Narrow Daylight is artlessly beautiful, more gentle gospel pop than true-blue jazz, but as Krall draws to an increasingly intimate conclusion, it is Departure Bay that really stands out in its poignant revelations of her courtship with Costello and of her family's first Christmas without her mother.
