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| Value for Money | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 10/10 |
Full review by
sirg0508
expert review 
on 1st Jun 2004
User Rating : 10
Respect :
+1
Good Points: The last album she worked on - most as incomplete when she died!
Bad Points: Some of the tracks can be found on Songbird.
General comments: People who have read my Songbird review may think I seem a bit critical of the album and they would be true. I have just copied and pasted 5 of the information parts from the songs into this one as with Songbird, almost all the songs can be found on other albums: mostly this one. Eva By Heart definitely takes its place over Songbird in my collection. Many of my favourite songs are on this one including 'I Know You By Heart' and 'How Can I Keep From Singing', although, if you asked, I would probably mention all of them eventually.
This album was released in 1997 and unfortunately did not manage to make it into the UK charts. This was the album Eva was working on when she died. It is also the only full studio recording album that Eva did. When the album was first released it did not include 'Dark End of the Street' and 'Time is a Healer' was wrongly named 'Love Heals the Wound It Makes'. There are also subtle differences in the covers and a different booklet can be found in the newer release of the album.
TRACK LISTING:
1. I know you by heart 3:57
2. Time is a healer 4:14
3. Wayfaring stranger 4:46
4. Wade in the water 4:00
5. Blues in the night 4:05
6. Songbird 3:41
7. Need your love so bad - Cassidy, Eva & Chuck Brown 4:36
8. Say goodbye 3:55
9. Nightbird 5:27
10. Waly waly 4:45
11. How can I keep from singing 4:24
12. Dark end of the street (Only some versions have this song) 3:52
INFO ABOUT THE SONGS (Taken from my other ops):
1. 'I Know You By Heart' is such a wonderful song and always makes me cry. It is about someone knowing a person so well that when they lose them, they are always with you. Remembering their smile, all the great times that were spent together. Still hearing their voice even when the person left in the autumn, you can still feel them with you because you know them by heart. Written by Diane Scanlon and Eve Nelson. Found on the album Songbird.
2. 'Time is a Healer' can also be found on 'Songbird'. Written by Scanlon/Smith and is also known as "Love heals the wound it makes". If someone has hurt you, time makes it easier to forgive him or her. Finding a photo that brings back all the happy memories, and all those bad feelings and all the harsh things that had been said in the past start to disappear. Finally you start to miss this person.
3. Wayfaring Stranger can be found on 'Songbird'. It is also Trad. Arr. Eva Cassidy. This is another of her scratch vocals. I love the version of this that can be found on live at Pearls although it is slightly different.
4. Wade in the Water can be found on 'Songbird'. Traditional arr. Eva Cassidy, Only a scratch vocal that is about God and the children coming into the world.
5. Blues in the Night is written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. It is about a girl who was told when she was young that men are not worth the time and certainly not your tears. They will just leave you unhappy and sing 'Blues in the night'. No matter where they are from - any of the 4 corners of the country/world, they are all the same. This song was never played live and this song has also been covered by Sinatra, Ella and Louis Armstrong.
6. 'Songbird' is another song made famous by Eva. The song can be heard on the Cancer Research adverts on UK television and is such a beautiful song. So much emotion goes into singing it that it has so easily brought so many to tears. This can also be found on 'Songbird'. Written by Christine Mcvie it is so romantic. Knowing that when you are with someone everything is all right with the world.
7. Need your love so bad is a duet with Chuck Brown. Written by Little Willie John, it was originally recorded as a solo Eva track with full vocals. It was later remixed to present it as an Eva/Chuck duet. The song is just as the title says: someone needing to be loved, having a soft voice talking to you, someone to stand up to you That would be so nice.
8. Say Goodbye is another of my favourites on this album. Written by Steve Digman and Andrew Hernandez. This one is about having left someone that you really loved and cared about and thinking about them because you see a blue sky or losing the things you want most in life. You just have to call them up and tell them that you love them and tell them the reason for you leaving.
9. Nightbird. I love this one! Written by Doug McLeod. This is one of the very first songs Eva wanted to record with the band when they first came together. The original version can be found on Doug's 1984 album. It is about an angel I suppose you could call it who takes people in and cares for them from the streets where they would probably have died. This person (Or thing) gives her life and she's always alone in the world. Eventually it no longer exists and the memory of her disappears.
10. Waly Waly, is also one of my favourites. This is a traditional Eva song. Eva heard this from a Buffy St Marie record. It was to be the last thing she worked on. After her death it was finished in the studio, enhanced in no small way by Lenny Williams' sensitive arrangement. A couple of years previously Eva and the band had tried to cut a version to put at the end of the Blues Alley record, but that didn't work out.
As this song dates from 1724, it's probably the oldest song in the Cassidy Canon. This is a very relaxing tune and you can hear the waves of the sea in the background and can just imagine Eva on the beach as she is on the cover of the album.
11. Ok, I'm going to say it again!! I love this one! This is also a traditional Eva song. Not quite sure why I like it so much. This one is just Eva but it sounds as though a whole choir could be singing with her. Her brother plays the violin and Chuck is on backing vocals on this song. It is about Life going on and on. Through all the bad things in the world there is always music playing and you just have to sing along to it.
12. The final song on this album does not appear on all, even though it should! This is not my favourite but I do like it a lot. Written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman, it is also found on the album 'The Other Side'. The song seems effortless the way Eva sings it. It is about being in love with someone but you have to hide it from everyone (which I know only too well!). What the two people are doing is wrong and are eventually going to have to pay for it. One day they are going to be found out. If they do ever meet during the day, they have to pretend that nothing is going on and then they will meet again at the 'Dark end of the street'.
Well, that was the final track on this wonderful album. I always get the feeling to play this album at times, even if it is just for one or two of the tracks. It will never be put to one side and forgotten about in my collection and will no doubt be worn out quite soon - already has a few scratches!!
sirg0508's review and ratings | 1309 words
Eva CassidyTracklisting: 1. I know you by heart2. Time is a healer3. Wayfaring stranger4. Wade in the water5. Blues in the night6. Songbird 7. Need your love so bad - Cassidy, Eva & Chuck Brown8. Say More...
