From Amazon.com
You OweThis to Yourself
Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Nicolette Larson. How often do you see those names in the same sentence? Not a lot in common, except that they all died long before we were allowed to hear their full potential.
The Nicolette Larson albums suffered a bit from low-budget production. But they had wonderful musicians, great styling and Nicolette's vision. And they became great albums in spite of the shortcomings.
Was Nicolette competent? Read her Wicipedia listing and you'll see a true who's who from the 70s' and 80s'.
Did she make great music? I would offer "Rhumba Girl" and "Rio de Janeiro Blue" (which has been covered numerous times and is becoming a bit of a jazz classic...) as evidence that she knew her craft. And she could certainly sell a song in an 80s' sort of way.
Buy any of her albums. You'll be back for more.
An album you can just sing your heart out to
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: I am sooooo glad to have found this album on CD. I was 11 years old when this album came out and I would sneak into my brothers room and take it and then listen to this over and over again. I knew all the words by heart and I can't wait to listen to it again after all these years. Thanks to Amazon for making it available. Lotta Love is one of those songs that just make you wanna sing...but the whole album...you will be singing for hours! Gotta love Nicolette!!
My Old Favorite
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: Nicolette Larson was my favorite Singer in the 80"s, this album was like seeing a good old friend that I had missed!
To Nicolette, With Love
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: In 1979, a brilliant career in pop music seemed inevitable for Nicolette Larson. Her debut album showed that she was a versatile young vocalist, full of promise. From it came the big hit, "Lotta Love", which received a "lotta" airplay (Still does!). She was nominated as Best New Artist by The Grammys. After that, I stopped hearing about her. I never knew why, because at that time there was no Internet nor even MTV or VH1 to keep us updated on what artists were doing. But I loved her album, and I continued to play it now and then all thru the 80's and early 90's. Now I've bought it again, on CD. When she recorded this album, Nicolette seized the opportunity to show the world what she could do. She excels in a variety of musical settings that I would sum up collectively as a hybrid of the styles of Carole King and Linda Ronstadt. She is sassy and earthy in "Rhumba Girl", but sweet and happy in "You Send Me". "Mexican Divorce" has Latin rhythms mixed with country sounds, and country is in full force in "Angels Rejoiced" and "Come Early Mornin". She is effective with a heavier rock sound in "Can't Get Away From You", and the rock is funkified in "Baby, Don't You Do It". And she is at her very best in the soft rock ballads "Give A Little" and "Last In Love", AND, saving the best for last, "French Waltz". The chorus of this track is in French, and Nicolette handles it beautifully. The entire album is very well produced; the sound is excellent throughout. I had forgotten just how good it was until today when I played the CD, after not hearing my old LP for a good while.
In 1997, I heard that Nicolette had passed away. I still don't know why her career stalled when it did, but I am hopeful that it was for a positive reason, such as a decision to devote her time to her family. Whatever the case may be, Nicolette, I thank you for the "lotta love" that goes on and on due to your beautiful recordings. As far as I'm concerned, you did attain superstardom!
Long-awaited CD re-issue
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: Nicolette Larson was a talented, nuanced vocalist who is greatly missed. Her debut recording was a winner. Released in 1978, the album was an eclectic mix of songs from a diverse group of songwriters: Neil Young, Jesse Winchester, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Burt Bacharach, and Sam Cooke, among others. Out of all of Nicolette's albums, this was always the most accessible to me.
I always maintained that the mix of "Lotta Love" broadcast on AM radio during its chart run was different than the album and single releases (which are the same). I remember a slightly-slowered tempo on the radio mix. I never could substantiate this, though, but that's how I remember it.
My two favorite songs on the disc are Nicolette's interpretations of Adam Mitchell's "French Waltz," which is beautiful, and Bob McDill's "Come Early Morning," which foreshadowed her move to country music a decade later.
Purchases
1 Lotta Love - Nicolette Larson, Young, Neil
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