Aimee Mann

One More Drifter in the Snow
$15.98
Looking at the front cover of the second edition (the one that I own), Aimee doesn't exactly seem to be in the Christmas spirit and this reflects the generally downbeat music contained within. Nevertheless, the album works brilliantly. The first edition of the album (the front cover picture of which appears on the back cover of the second edition) contains ten tracks, six of which are Christmas standards, two of which are original songs and the other two are covers of rarely-recorded Christmas songs. The second edition includes one bonus track, which is a cover of Joni Mitchell's River. This song was never intended to be a Christmas song but it now seems to be accepted as part of the Christmas repertoire, and I'm not complaining. It is exactly the kind of song that you would expect to find on a downbeat Christmas album. Aimee performs it brilliantly, but if you've already got the first edition of the album, I don't think it would be worth buying the whole album again just for that track

The set opens with a cover of Whatever happened to Christmas?. Though written by legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb, I don't remember hearing this song before, but it's a great song that deserves to be heard more frequently. The other rarely-recorded cover is You're a mean one Mr Grinch, which features male vocals by Grant Lee Phillips. This Broadway song fits the mood but not really the style of the album, so I can understand why some people don't like this track. I definitely hadn't heard the song before I heard Aimee sing it, but I'd like to hear it in a setting that suits it better.

The two original songs are Christmastime (co-written by the album's producer Michael Penn) and Calling on Mary (co-written by Aimee). The latter song includes the phrase that gives the album its title. Both songs are excellent. Of the other songs, Aimee comes nearest to being cheerful on God rest ye merry gentlemen, which perhaps sounds even better as it contrasts with much of the rest of the album. Aimee also turns in a particularly good performance on Have yourself a merry little Christmas, though perhaps she's hoping that her listeners have a better Christmas than she's having. I'll be home for Christmas (ideally suited to this album), The Christmas song and White Christmas also sound brilliant, but I wish Aimee sounded more cheerful on Winter wonderland.

Despite my slight reservations about Winter wonderland, this is a brilliant, mellow Christmas album. Although recorded during better times, this album seems particularly appropriate for the recession-hit times in which I bought it. I'm thinking that Christmas 2009 may be difficult for a lot of people and this album might just capture the mood of the time.

Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture
$13.98
I loved the movie, Magnolia, and one of the highlights was all of the Aimee Mann music played throughout. I am a huge Aimee Mann fan and bought this CD when it released. I cannot tell you how many times I have played it because it is just. that. good!

My all-time favorite Aimee Mann songs, "Wise Up" and "Momentum" and "Driving Sideways" are from this soundtrack. I have to say that I haven't heard an Aimee Mann song that I didn't like, though.

A fun bonus is the presence of Supertramp on this soundtrack. I forgot that I really like them until I heard "The Logical Song" and "Goodbye Stranger" on the CD.

This is a great CD for on the road or chilling at home!

Whatever
$9.98
this album came out at a particularly strange part of my life. i am a depressed person and see n feel a lot of her pain and anguish about just life. after seeing her in interviews and in concert, why any guy would mistreat this beautiful woman (inside and out) is beyond me. may her future be happier than her past. amen

@#%&*! Smilers
$9.99
She must be very frustrated with the "more of the same" type of review. Yes, some time ago, she figured out what her artistic metier was: Short stories set to magnificently subtle music. Most of her stuff is mid-tempo or slow for the obvious reason that her lyrics are the feature. You don't listen to Aimee Mann for the guitar solos. Her musical sensibility is absolutely brilliant, but it's more in the realm of underscoring, adding harmonic complexity to her tasty melodies and superior narratives.

"------ Smilers" is, I think, a superior example of her craft. It's hard to really pick a "best album" because of her remarkable consistency, but I think this one will be a contender. "Thirty One Today," "Freeway," "Phoenix," "The Great Beyond" and the short but affecting "Stranger into Starman" are among the best songs she's ever done. The arrangements are particularly effective on this album. It's clearly the best-sounding Aimee Mann disc. Her Berklee education continually shines through.

The last Aimee Mann album to be subjected to the "more of the same" treatment was "Lost in Space." I admit, at first I couldn't get into it, but the quality of the songs eventually penetrated my thick skull and now it's one of my favorites. This is another in that class.