Talk On Corners album review
01. Only When I Sleep
02. When He's Not Around
03. Dreams
04. What Can I Do
05. I Never Loved You Anyway
06. So Young
07. Don't Say You love Me
08. Love Gives Love Takes
09. Hopelessly Addicted
10. Paddy McCarthy (Instrumental)
11. Intimacy
12. Queen Of Hollywood
13. No Good For Me
14. Little Wing
The Corrs's second album of is one of the best albums ever released by a band (and that's not just me talking, take a look at the figures!). A great team of producers made a big effort to produce this album so The Corrs could really prove themselves worthy of the fans' appreciation ...
Only When I Sleep
I have to say that this is the very first song I ever heard of The Corrs and I absolutely fell in love with it. It starts with Jim on the guitar giving the impression that it's pure rock, but then Andrea's angelic voice lightens up the music telling a dramatic story. She's in love but she sees her lover only when she's asleep. When she wakes up everything just fades away in the morning mist and she desperately wants to see him again but ... he doesn't exist! The dream is so intense that it almost turns into reality. The lyrics are so full of passion and so sensual, probably an expression of what Andrea is dreaming about ... Even though Sharon's violin part is brief, the mix with the tin whistle is extraordinary, and is in fact the main reason why I fell for this song.
When He's Not Around
This is the most sincere love story ever. She loves him so much and just won't stand being away from him. Sure, he's "uncool" and "unsophisticated" but their love reaches beyond the superficiality on the surface. This is one great track to start a concert with. The music is softer than the one in 'Only When I Sleep', with a taste of pop but Sharon's solo maintains the balance between the pop and the traditional sound.
Dreams
One of the best covers of Fleetwood Mac's original tracks. I guess the mainstream of this song is the blend of traditional with modern, but let's not forget about those three beautiful voices. The song takes off with the violin and the tin whistle and then Jim comes along with his acoustic guitar, while the bodhran really builds up a great pace. The song is actually very gentle and it shows total musical harmony. This is one of the few songs in which Caroline's and Sharon's backing vocals are just as clear as Andrea's and add to the beauty of the song.
What Can I Do
A sad song, really. A fight and he just walked away. Ending this love story is not what she wants, and therefore she wants him back. So "what can I do to make you love me?" she asks. The lyrics are full of hopeful sadness and the music with a great violin piece is a guarantee to make you fall in love with this song. This is one of the outstanding tracks on 'Talk On Corners'
I Never Loved You Anyway
A rather cotroversed song, I'd say. Contrary to what many people say this is not a bitter song just ... sassy maybe. It's on Andrea's face when she performs it live (or even in the video). He left her for another girl and she wants to pay him back."I don't care", she seems to say "but watch your new girlfriend because I'm going to have a girl chat with her". Revenge? Maybe. Payback? Definitely. The song is in a way a long list of the things that really annoyed her during their relationship. The lyrics are great, very carefree - "Valentino, I don't think so!" - and guaranteed to get a smile on your face. This track is modern and Irish as well. The bridge of the song is a perfect harmony of violin, tin whistle, bodhran, and guitar. Personally, I can't help not to smile when I listen to it and how do people manage to find it mean it's just too much for my mind to comprehend ...
So Young
This is very similar to 'The Right Time' but with less traditional elements. It's about happiness, nothing else. Happiness of being young ... so young. They are very young and the world is at their feet. The lyrics are extraordinary and at one point you can feel wings growing allowing you to take off and you feel like everything is possible. Sharon's solo is great but Caroline's drumming right before the chorus builds up to the beat of the song.
Don't Say You Love Me
A sappy love song in my opinion. She loves him but he hurt her so many times that she's just too afraid to love him anymore. Deep down inside she knows she can't live without him but he's not stable enough. So, she gives him an ultimatum: he stays by her side, faithful and loveful, or leaves her for good saving her the pain of hoping in vain. The pace is slow but as the song reaches the end it gets faster.
Love Gives, Love Takes
This is about the ups and downs of love and relationships. Love can be great, can give you wings to fly but it can also hurt deeply. The music is less dramatic and less traditional but it's still a great song ! The chorus and Caroline's drumming are the main reasons for this great tune.
Hopelessly Addicted
Another great track. It's about a girl and a guy who until that day were just friends. Only one morning she wakes up with this burning desire to be with him and she realizes that she's been in love with him all along. The music is very gentle and soft, perfect for this story about unfulfilled love ... again.
Paddy McCarthy
It's an instrumental track with a very mysterious feel to it. It proves the persity of The Corrs' music. Traditional mixed with contemporary sound - it's very different to the other instrumental tracks they've done. It's a great song because I don't think there are too many artists capable of doing up-tempo Irish tracks such as this one.
Intimacy
It's a good song but it could have been better. A very soft ballad and no drama whatsoever. The music is rather simple but live it's a different sound, a catchier sound. In my opinion this song would be just another ballad if it weren't sung by Andrea.
Queen Of Hollywood
This is one of the most dramatic songs on this album (one of my favorites by the way) and a song close to Andrea's heart. When she sings it live she gets emotional to the point of tears. It's the story of a girl who takes off in the world on her own. Not her mother, not her boyfriend neither her friends fully understand her dreams of conquering Hollywood. She struggles, she fights alone for her dream and finally she sees it come true. Her mother is proud now, "but if she saw behind the curtains, it could only make her cry". This song is about the dark side of Hollywood, the efforts, the struggles one has to make in order to become famous because success doesn't come for free, a price has to be paid, but is it really worth paying that price? The lyrical theme is heavy and the music is very hurtful. Sharon's violin and Caroline's drums manage to unlock the pain of the song and to underline Andrea's lyrics. It's a very impressive song to listen to.
No Good For Me
This is similar to 'Heaven Knows' but the tune is different, not so rocky. She's in love with a married man and she fantasizes about being with him. He's committed to someone else and trying to make him hers would be a mistake. The perspective changes from "I see a home" to "you have a home" bringing her down to earth. Now she realizes he belongs to another girl "and someone else feels your strong embrace", and this girl is protected but she too needs that kind of protection. "Do you love her?", she asks, hoping that maybe there's still a chance for them. It's a very painful and dramatic song and the lyrics are so profound that you literally feel her pain. The pace is rather slow and Sharon's violin is the musical backbone of the song. The track fades out like a whisper in the middle of the dark night ...
Little Wing
The original 'Little Wing ' is absolutely enchanting but when a band like The Corrs and the Chieftains get together to cover it turns into a phenomenal track. It blends all the traditional instruments: 2 tin whistles, 3 fiddles, 2 bodhrans, even uilleann pipes, and a harp. The amalgamation of this completes Andrea's beautiful and sweet voice. This Celtic version of Jimmi Hendrix's original is one of the milestones of the album and it proves that The Corrs are indeed Irish ...
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