MELANIE

Considering how popular she was in the late '60s and early '70s, Melanie Safka's back catalog has been remarkably poorly served on CD, but this double-disc set from the British Edsel label brings two of her best known albums together in splendid form. 1970s Candles in the Rain featured the hit single "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" and was Melanie's first fully satisfying album; between her nakedly confessional original songs, her idiosyncratic covers (in particular "Ruby Tuesday") and Peter Schekeryk's lovely production and arrangements, it's where her eccentric charm really found its feet in the recording studio. Leftover Wine, released later the same year, is a very different kettle of fish. It's a live album recorded during a gig at Carnegie Hall, with just Melanie, her acoustic guitar, and a clearly devoted audience. While Melanie sounds passionate and fully engaged here, her habit of performing at a high emotional pitch is very much on display, and the stark force of this show is doubtless a bit much for listeners who aren't hardcore fans, though those who are will certainly delight in it (and vegetarians will find solace in "I Don't Eat Animals," as well as her tale of how a cow thanked her for writing it). The remastering of both albums is fine (though the remote recording on Leftover Wine leaves a bit to be desired), and each has been enriched with bonus tracks; Candles in the Rain features six tunes from rare film soundtracks, while Leftover Wine includes another hard-to-find track, "Stop! I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore." Alan Robinson's liner notes for the set are informative, and the lyrics for Candles in the Rain make the cut. ~ Mark Deming, AMG

This is an import product, and as such may take longer to source stock, we estimate that despatch will take 14-20 days after ordering, click here for more information regarding import products.