Amazon.com
The late '90s spawned a spate of assertive female rockers. Few, however, possess the edgy passion, blues-drenched soul, and whisky-soaked inflections that are Beth Hart's trademarks. Less rough-hewn and more accessible than her 1995
debut,
Screamin' for My Supper is nonetheless an emotional and memorable offering from this L.A. native. Hart's vibe--sort of a
Fiona Apple meets
Mick Jagger, with a liberal dose of
Janis Joplin--somehow manages to be her own, while her thoughtful lyrics have a Southern sensibility that touches the heart and soul. This assertive yet fragile new artist, whose songs are as well constructed and executed as her words, could easily share a bill with
Sheryl Crow or the
Black Crowes, and might wind up stealing the show.
-Katherine Turman
Reader Reviews
Quite a few years ago, I was watching another boring but "car wreck" appealing version of "Star Search", with the robot-like Ed McMahon, when, onto the stage, slithered a frightened, deranged looking sylph of a girl... who is THIS poor thing??, who proceeded to sing with such force, natural intensity, and skill, that I actually jumped up, we were seeing the birth of the rarest of creatures, a true, 100% STAR. In the proceeding 12 or 13 weeks, she continued to out-do herself in performance, not only with her amazing vocals, which sounded, "live", like most artists could only hope to sound even with all the recording studios bag of tricks, but in the totally un-controlled and un-contrived St. Vitus like contortions of her body which led me to believe that this unbelievably talented girl may actually be possessed while performing. When she fell into a spent heap at the end of each song, each week, you could almost see whatever force inhabited her leave her body...this is not an exaggeration or hindsight...it was real. That, these years later, she is not exactly a household name, does not take away from the respect and awe that those who appreciate her talent feel towards her.I don't know if this recording "Screaming For My Supper", totally captures the power of her phenomenon, but it is a good example of her talent, which I don't think has yet been realized... as far as recording goes, to its full potential. While there are good songs here, and I'd definatley recommend it to familiarize yourself with this artist, it is still, I feel, a case of the artist being better than the material. But, her voice alone makes it worth it. She is a naturally skilled and intuitive singer, who knows best for herself when to hold back, and when to let the monster out. I don't mean to undermine the songs here, "L.A. Song" is wonderfully felt, and "Stay" should be a classic. She is simply such a huge talent, that the expectations may be too high. I honestly don't know if this is her best recorded work, I haven't heard her other efforts yet. After her Star Search appearances, I waited for what I thought was her inevitable huge stardom, but she disappeared for the most part, to relative obscurity. When I happened upon her name in the music store, I was elated, & bought this c.d. immediatley. While I like it & love her, I, again, feel that she has only scratched the surface, and that her best work is to come. And even if that doesn't happen, I will always carry the memory of that rare occurance when I first saw this phenomenal artist.
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