Joan Armatrading
Country of origin:
West Indies & England
Type of music generally:
Ambitious pop, some mainstream pop
Status:
Most recent release, Into the Blues (2007)
See also:
Joan Armatrading's site
Comparisons:
To my ears the similarity to Tracy Chapman is quite marked in the *sound* of the two singers, but not in their choice of lyrical subject matter or musical style. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)
Covers/own material:
Own material
General comments:
I was an Armatrading fan for about ten years from 1976 when she first came to prominence in the U.K. with her "Love & Affection" single. I lost track of what she was up to in the mid-'80s but as far as I know she continues to make records. The era of Joan's music with which I am familiar is well summed up in the compilation album Track Record which was released on CD (albeit with a slightly different track listing to the original vinyl release). This spans a range of styles from the pure acoustic to the harder-edged, more electric sounds. I'd suggest you start there and see what (if anything) of hers appeals to you. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)Joan Armatrading is an outstanding guitarist, she plays acoustic Ovations, a six-string and a 12-string as well as a variety of electrics. When she tours, she takes about 7 guitars with her, including two electric gibsons and a strat. (jsutton@rahul.net)
Comments about live performance:
I always thought she was a good guitarist, but when I finally saw her (back in the '80s, this was), I was truly impressed. She's so shy, even on stage, that it's almost like she wants to keep her ability a secret. But at one point in the concert someone handed her an electric guitar, and she ripped through a solo that made the whole crowd gasp out loud; I don't think anyone had any idea that she even played electric at that point. (keefer@msmary.edu)I've always thought that Joan is sort of proto-ecto, if such a thing can exist. I've already posted reviews of her gigshere, so I'm repeating myself by saying that, while not a huge Joan fan, she has always given good live shows, full of warmth, humour and her still-amazing voice.
Unfortunately, on this occasion, the experience was less than satisfactory.
Three factors at play:
First, the seats. The only ones I could wrest from the dreaded TicketMaster, turned out to be two rows from the very back of the balcony and off to the side. A mere five feet behind us was the bar.
Second, the Venue: The Indigo is a new, smaller space, carved out of the Millennium Dome. Let us say it's a relatively intimate venue, which is a good thing. But, barely a year old, the air conditioning in the venue itself was not working this warm night, and so we sweltered in an airless fug, listening to the sounds of the bar and with a great view of the lighting and sound rigs, as well as the useless ventilation ducts. The sound was good and, while Joan was quite far away, we could pretty much see all of her, but any focus or atmosphere was sorely lacking.
And then, Joan. Twenty minutes late and, armed with a career spanning over thirty years, she plays an hour and a half, including encores, at least half the set being from her new album, Into the blues. And that was our lot. Don't get me wrong: Into the blues, is very, very good, an album I hope to get to know better, and she plays a mean blues guitar, but I think this is an interesting area for debate: While it is commendable for an artist to want to move forward, how much do they owe their fans when it comes to the ones they want to hear? While it is financially sound to push the new album, couldn't some balance be introduced? I counted about five, maybe six old songs, and she didn't even touch "The Weakness in Me". In fact, she didn't even touch any of Lovers Speak, her most recent album before Into the Blues, which is loaded with songs that I rate among her best, so I don't speak from pure nostalgia. She still had oodles of charm and humour and warmth, but when the lights came up I felt short-changed and damp with sweat.
So, basically, not one of my better concert-going experiences, an unfortunate amalgamation of factors. I'd be happy to go to the Indigo again, but only if I had much better seats.
Or a large club. (6/08, adamk@zoom.co.uk)
Recommended first album:
my own favorite is probably walkunder ladders which is sorta atypically electropop oriented (produced by steve lillywhite (xtc, early u2), features , tony levin, jerry marotta, etc) but full of wonderful tunes. you couldn't go wrong with track record a solid best of from the early to mid-80s records. i also think the key is terrific. those who want a more thoroughly acoustic sound might do better with whatever's for us. (dmw@mwmw.com)Track Record. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)
Recordings include:
- Whatever's For Us (1972)
- Back To The Night (1975)
- Joan Armatrading (1976)
- Show Some Emotion (1977)
- To The Limit (1978)
- How Cruel (EP, 1979)
- Steppin' Out (live, 1979)
- Me Myself I (1980)
- Walk Under Ladders (1982)
- The Key (1983)
- Secret Secrets (1985)
- Sleight of Hand (1986)
- The Shouting Stage (1988)
- Hearts And Flowers (1990)
- Square the Circle (1992)
- What's Inside (1995)
- Lovers Speak (2003)
- Live All The Way From America (2005)
- Into the Blues (2007)
The Shouting Stage
Release info:
1988—A & M, U.S.A.—CD 5211, DX 003416
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended. (Dirk.Kastens@rz.Uni-Osnabrueck.DE)
Group members:
Pino Palladino, Mark Brzezicki, Bob Noble, Phil Palmer, Jamie Lane, Alan Clark, Mark Knopfler, Manu Katche
Hearts And Flowers
Release info:
1990—A & M, Germany—395 298-2
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended. (Dirk.Kastens@rz.Uni-Osnabrueck.DE)
Group members:
Mick Karn, Jamie Lane, Don Freeman, Steve Jansen, Pino Palladino, Manu Katche
Comments:
Ick poo. (I_SW@zis.ziff.com)
Square the Circle
Release info:
(?)1992
Comments:
MUCH better than Hearts and Flowers. She's been growing in a different direction for awhile now, and if you didn't like Sleight of Hand, maybe you should stick to the stuff you do like. (I_SW@zis.ziff.com)
What's Inside
Release info:
1995—RCA
Availability:
Wide
Comments:
Joan's like a veteran baseball player who has experienced many fine seasons in the past, but has not made a splash of note lately. Then boom, a career season—comeback player of the year, MVP, Cy Young. That's how I feel about What's Inside. (jsutton@rahul.net)
Thanks to Chris Montville for work on this entry.
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