Mary Chapin Carpenter: Party Doll and Other Favourites

Week 6

THE PITCH

At first I got very excited by your suggestion and started re-listening to records, re-evaluating albums and scribbling down thoughts, which then led off to onto other tangents, as these things do. I thought it a brilliant idea, was very stimulated by the concept and, frankly, was quite flattered to be asked. I was enjoying the process and quickly decided on a few suggestions then worked up a shortlist. Then I woke up the with a horrible thought.

What if Claire really hates the music I like and manages to articulate persuasively why she hates it? How will that make me feel? Will I feel any different about the music that I like? Will I take it as a personal attack and be offended? Will I feel any differently about Claire?

I remembered also our discussion about short stories – which you dislike and I love. I recalled the fun we had talking about it and how interesting it was to hear your response, and how that made me understand a bit more about why people read and what they enjoy and want from their reading. This made me think about how writers need and enjoy stimulation, discussion and collaboration.

So then I began to see that even if you hate my suggestions and convincingly explain why you hate them, it doesn’t matter. It will be an interesting and enjoyable process in which we might both learn more about music and people’s response to it.

To start you on your way I offer two completely opposing choices, sharing only the notion of the short story in common. This first one is a compilation of material produced in 1999 which has some exceptional dance tunes on it. Passionate Kisses and Shut Up and Kiss Me are very dancey but I Feel Lucky is my personal favourite for its humour and cheek. I challenge you to put this on, listen and not instantly feel the need to fling yourself around the room and into a better mood.

Roz Moore

MY RESPONSE

You’re right, of course. The discussion is central to the whole project. I’m only just getting started here. I’m hoping you’re all going to read my reactions and my justifications of those reactions and that’ll lead you back to reconsider your lists before you send me something new. Of course, I’m not going to end up loving every album everyone sends me, but my listening is enhanced by the words people send me. You talk about stories, so I’m listening for stories. You talk about flinging oneself about the room and I picture you dancing in your kitchen. Rachel’s words brought me young her rifling through the record library. Moira’s description of listening to Mussorgsky brought me back to the world she created in her book Before Now – and when I talked to her about Kate Bush I listened to that again from a new perspective. Kevin’s words made me think about him and the people he makes music with working out what they want to play.

So. Mary Chapin Carpenter. She was – I thought – completely new to me. She’s a singer/songwriter, I read; I’m beginning to think this might be my bag. She’s described as ‘emotionally intelligent’; I’m not sure what that means, but yes, sounds up my street. You picked her because of the stories; tick. And it’s going to make me want to dance… Well, we’ll see about that.

My immediate reaction – bearing in mind I had Dua Lipa in all her electronic glory last week – was thank you, Roz, real voice, real instruments. There’s country and blues and a folk song and something Cajun I think I’ve heard before which sent me off down a Cajun rabbit hole. I was listening on the move for the first couple of days and found this album hopeless for cycling – too varied in volume and pace. It wasn’t until day three that I finally got to sit by the fire with a beer and the lyrics. Up until last week, my listening was all headphones or Bluetooth speakers but at last we have a Bluetooth device that connects to the amp and the big speakers.

What about the songs you mention? I like ‘I Feel Lucky’ and ‘Shut up and Kiss Me’ (funny, raunchy) but my favourite dancey track is the Cajun ‘Down at the Twist and Shout’ (yes, I danced in my kitchen!). ‘Passionate Kisses’ doesn’t work at all for me. I know you want me to justify myself so here’s my take on it: the problem is the word ‘passionate’. Maybe it’s the sterile Latinate of it next to the robust Englishness of ‘kiss’? Maybe it’s because it makes the stresses in the line awkward? Maybe it’s because ‘passionate’ makes me think bodice-ripping pulp novel? Is that the point? Why can’t she have all this stuff and also the romance novel swoon? Nope. Doesn’t work for me.

Some of the slower songs are teeth-achingly sentimental: ‘Grow Old With Me’? ‘Dreamland’? If I hadn’t sworn to listen to the whole album all week I would have been skipping these two. ‘Stones in the Road’ just made me cross and what is up with the tenses in ‘He Thinks He’ll Keep Her’?

But ‘This Shirt’ – oh! That’s just lovely, full of life lived and valued, full of sentiment without tipping into sentimentality. And I’m smitten with lines ‘It’s so hard admittin’/When it’s quittin’ time’ - tricksy rhyme and tacked on extra word to hold the yearning.

So as you can see, I don’t love this album wholeheartedly. I’ll be interested to see how it sits with me when I play it again at a later date. You can be sure that I’m going to skip some tracks. But what I’m wondering, Roz, is how does reading my thoughts make you feel?

THIS WEEK I’VE ALSO LISTENED TO:

The Big Easy soundtrack

Beausoleil Bayou Boogie

Christy Moore Ride On

Vampire Weekend Contra

Fred Astaire The Great American Songbook